Source: © Nippon Broadcasting System, Inc. | © Infinia Co., Ltd.

Japanese Voices: YuNi no All Night Nippon i – Episode 29

Japanese Voices 日本語のままクールジャパン is a regular series designed for learners of Japanese to enjoy real Japanese language programming from Nippon Broadcasting System, one of the biggest commercial radio stations in Japan.

In our second round, we bring you YuNi no All Night Nippon i YuNiのオールナイトニッポンi, a show on the web radio platform All Night Nippon i オールナイトニッポンi.
With virtual singer YuNi as host, YuNi no All Night Nippon i is a fun and entertaining radio show, comprising a longer live portion on the Vtuber live streaming platform Colon: and a shorter archive-only segment available exclusively on the All Night Nippon i site. YuNi occasionally invites other Virtual Youtubers to join her.

Episode 29: Yuni-yomi

Ohamonii~
Welcome to another episode of YuNi no All Night Nippon i
YuNi is once again by herself in the studio.

YuNi-yomi

YuNi-yomi (YuNi詠み): In YuNi-yomi, YuNi chooses a song whose lyrics touched her and introduces those lyrics to her listeners.

YuNi chose "Silent Majority" by Nogizaka 46.

Japanese

君は君らしく生きて行く自由があるんだ
大人たちに支配されるな
初めからそうあきらめてしまったら
僕らは何のために生まれたのか？
夢を見ることは時には孤独にもなるよ
誰もいない道を進むんだ
この世界は群れていても始まらない

Pronunciation

Kimi wa kimi rashiku ikite iku jiyū ga arun da
Otona-tachi ni shihai sareru na
Hajime kara sō akiramete shimattara
Bokura wa nan no tame ni umareta no ka?
Yume wo miru koto wa toki ni wa kodoku ni mo naru yo
Dare mo inai michi wo susumun da
Kono sekai wa mureteite mo hajimaranai

English (translation ours)

You're free to live your life the way you want;
Don't let adults rule you.
If people give up like that from the start,
Then why were we even born?
Having dreams means sometimes facing loneliness.
So, walk an empty path.
You won't get anywhere in this world if you follow the crowd.

In Japan, there's a famous singing competition called Kohaku Utagassen on TV every year on December 31st, where famous singers and artists perform. YuNi was thinking about this year's lineup and reviewing previous years' shows when she came across Keyakizaka 46's performance of this song. She loved this song already, but this time, she realized how deep the lyrics are.

YuNi really likes the lines: "Having dreams means sometimes facing loneliness. / So, walk an empty path. / You won't get anywhere in this world if you follow the crowd" since she feels that the lyrics speak to her own plight as an artist.

YuNi explained that although artists and entertainers working in the real world have their separate categories of YouTuber, singer, dancer, etc., there's a tendency for people to lump together everyone who has "virtual" attached to their name and think of them as belonging to the same category. In fact, the only difference is the medium and the same genre categories still exist. YuNi is also an artist who is working on realizing her dreams. She wants to continue improving herself so that she'll be seen as an artist who can be appreciated for her own value.

This week's nihongo tip

Japanese: 夢を見る
English transliteration: yume wo miru
Meaning: Have dreams

Example 1:

私は歌手になる夢を見ている。
Watashi wa kashu ni naru yume wo mite iru
"I dream of becoming a singer"

Example 2:

夢を見て何が悪い？
Yume wo mite nani ga warui?
"What's wrong with having dreams?"

If you'd like to listen to the show, please go to the official page on All Night Nippon i's website:

Episode 29 (11/26): Yuni-yomi

Special announcement: YuNi's official figure

Starting from today, December 28th, and through to February 29th, 2020, preorders are being taken for YuNi's very first official figure.

Standing 22 cm (8.6 in.) tall, "YuNi Black Dress ver.（1/7 scale figure)" this high-quality PVC figure from NUVIS is a must-have item for YuNi fans!

You can preorder the standard figure for 14,800 JPY (AmiAmi EC, Rakuten, PayPay Mall) or in a special "acrylic strap set" for 15,300 JPY (AmiAmi, Rakuten, PayPay Mall). The figure is planned for delivery in August 2020, at which point it will also go on sale in brick-and-mortar AmiAmi shops in Akihabara.

YuNi music selection

Here's the perfect song for snowy weather:

Fell Asleep】"Shiroi Yuki no Purinsesu wa" Cover

Lyrics / Composition: Noboru | Original by Miku Hatsune

YuNi original songs playlist:

More Information

YuNi

Ever since she made her debut on May 30th, 2018, Virtual YouTuber and singer YuNi has created a sensation, thanks to her adorable looks, designed by illustrator Ren Sakuragi, her beautiful singing voice, her remarkable range of expression and the frequency of her updates on her YouTube channel. As she states on her account, YuNi's aim is none other than becoming the world's top virtual singer. On 24 April 2019, she released her first album, clear/CoLoR, featuring selected cover songs and original songs composed and arranged by top musical talents such as YUC'e, kz, Hige Driver and la la larks.

Official Website: yunion.wave

Nippon Broadcasting System, Inc.

Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. is the one of biggest commercial radio stations in Japan and is well-known for its call sign, JOLF. In addition, it plays a central role in the radio network called NRN (National Radio Network) across the nation. Since its establishment in 1954, the company has produced a massive array of Japanese-language programs including entertainment, sports, culture and news, headlined by “All Night Nippon”, one of the most popular and longest-running radio talk shows in Japan which has been broadcast for the past 50 years.

Website: Nippon Broadcasting System.

By - Ben K.