Liner Notes from Takeo Miyate's "Za Za Za"

 

"Za Za Za" was a Japanese synth-pop LP from 1984 by Takeo Miyate which I had made my own digitally-restored vinyl rip of back in the not-so-distant past of 2022. Unfortunately, the upload I had put up for this album didn't quite make it big as much as I had hoped for (which is a shame, cause it's a really neat album), but regardless, I still hold some appreciation for this album and I have recently demonstrated that by commissioning an English translation of the liner notes included on this album, written by music critic Yasufumi Amatatsu.

I found this to be a pretty interesting read. If what the notes say are to be believed, Takeo had been good friends with Yuji Toriyama (the arranger for this album) for a while now, and their relationship appears to have been what led to Toriyama's involvement on this album. Both the subjects of these tracks and the lyrics are simple, and Miyate specifically recommended this album for junior high schoolers for those reasons alone—regretfully, I cannot comment on this any further as I don't have translations for the songs at all 😅 but reading these liner notes convinced me to go and give it a shot someday.

Anyways, the liner notes can be ready below. Thanks to "justj22" for translating this.

(Unrelated note, but if you'd like to check the album, you can do so here)

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Imagine, an afternoon in September. You're walking through the crowd on Shibuya's Koen-dori in a hurry. You're supposed to meet your friend, and yet you're already late. But as you pass a lady bearing the faint smell of autumn, you begin to wonder if maybe, just maybe, your friend would forgive you for stopping. To savor the lingering aftertaste, to take a breath, just a little deeper than usual.
    
That is what Takeo Miyate's debut album, Za Za Za, feels like. A record that evokes familiar yet strikingly vibrant encounters around the town. It slips effortlessly into the city landscape, yet never quite becomes one with it, as it brings with it a stubborn breeze blowing in from a new horizon. Whether that comes from Takeo being the man that he is, or from something that has taken shape within his songs, I'm still not sure.

This may be his first album, but if you ask the circle around Bread & Butter, his debut was always something long overdue. Before his debut, one of his songs was previously introduced in the omnibus record Summer Breeze, which eventually became the title track of this album. Born and raised in Shonan in February 1957, his journey began when he started singing and playing the guitar in junior high. His musical encounters during his high school days eventually defined his path as a professional artist. From Bob Dylan at the center, all the way to The Band, PP&M and The Ventures. On the Japanese side, he said he was drawn to Kansai folk artists, represented by Nobuyasu Okabayashi. However, as he himself recalls, "I did listen to all kind of music to broaden my horizon, but there was never any particular artist I became obsessed with". When it came to his folk songs, he also never liked expressing direct anti-war sentiments.

For his debut album, Fuyumi Iwasawa of Bread & Butter himself provided his full support as producer. The arrangements were handled by Yuji Toriyama. The two have been friends since they first began working within the Bread & Butter circle, and they had apparently been talking about working together since then. "For my first album, I wanted to introduce a new sound to my music. I wanted something not limited to a certain audience, but something with broader appeal. I'm the type of person that would be content just playing acoustic guitars and I know that might not be a good thing. That's why I wanted to work with Toriyama, because he's always interested in trying out novel ideas" Personally, I'd say the combination was a success, giving his songs a youthful feeling of contemporary life, complementing the simple yet already powerful music of his.

Of the ten songs in this album, you could argue that half are songs he wrote entirely himself, while the other half are songs he originally wrote, but later entrusted others to refine. The youthful momentum and bold arrangements of "Seaside Highway" and the dynamic funky rhtyhms of "Sayonara Lady no Tame ni". The tropical mood created by the percussion in "Ai no Adlib", or the exotic atmosphere of "Za Za Za". The creeping sorrow of "Hoshizora no TAO" and a glimpse of something massive in "Maria". And so many more.
    
There is nothing new or experimental about the arrangements themselves. The subjects he chooses to sing about are also very mundane, everyday concepts. Sketches of what he saw in his daily life in his hometown of Shonan. It might be a song he conceived while walking alone along the shoreline, or a song created from moments of drinking together with dear friends. Memories of summer taken away by the waves, yet brought back by the winds of autumn. This feeling of a refreshing breeze is what I felt as I found myself enjoying "Shiokaze", "Gogo no Kishibe", and other songs in the album.
    
For some, his songs might blend effortlessly into their lives. It is undeniable that his songs have a certain simplicity to it. Yet for others, there is also defined purpose, a firm stubbornness that refuses to be absorbed into the modern landscape. I would think that this is born from his strong relationship with music, one nurtured through his experiences ever since he immersed himself in folk music. In this album, that relationship takes form into a delicate expression, fit for a new age. To me, his musical sensibilities show that the new currents emerging in the world of pop over the past year or so definitely has their merits, and in it his tenacious voice with charming mid-range is most certainly his strength.
    
When asked if he has something to say, he answered, with an embarrassed smile, "I'd be happy if junior high schoolers listened to it. I know the lyrics are quite simple and may lack the impact they wanted. But junior high school age is when we are most receptive to new ideas, and personally, my experience from back then still form the basis for how I perceive things today."

-Yasufumi Amatatsu (July 1984)

Liner Notes from Rie Murakami's "SAHARA" (Part 3)

Part three of the translated liner notes from Rie Murakami's SAHARA. This part contains the newly-added written commentary included in the 2022 JP CD release of the album, written by Hitoshi Kurimoto.

Read Part 1 here.
Read Part 2 here.

As usual, thanks to Windii for translating this.

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Years after their initial release, these works are being reevaluated from unexpected angles. Such phenomena have been occurring frequently in the Japanese music scene over the past few years. Led by the pop music of the 1970s and 1980s—known as "City Pop"—the so-called "Japanese Groove" boom continues to gain momentum. The trend spans a wide range of genres, extending beyond pop to include jazz fusion, new wave, ambient music, and more, giving rise to new keywords such as "Cosmic" "Obscure," and "Walearic." Listening to music through these new lenses is incredibly enjoyable and leads to great discoveries.

Rie Murakami's sole album, "SAHARA," released in 1984, is one such work that has been steadily gaining recognition amid this trend. Fundamentally, could she be described as a jazz singer? She is reportedly the niece of jazz drummer Hiroshi Murakami—known for his collaborations with Sadao Watanabe and Masabumi Kikuchi—but little else is known about her. However, this sole album, "SAHARA," is a highly unique vocal album that cannot be fully captured by the label of "jazz" alone.

One major reason for this is likely the fact that it was produced by Masanori Sasaji. While today he is best known as a hit producer who has worked with bands like UNICORN, SPITZ, and KOBUKURO, back then he was an avant-garde musician with a background in jazz fusion. In particular, the band Mariah, active from 1980 to 1983, was categorized as fusion, but in reality, they delivered an intense, eclectic sound that incorporated elements of new wave and even techno. Recently, the band has garnered high acclaim overseas, and their albums have even been reissued on vinyl.

This album, "SAHARA," features guitarist Takayuki Hijikata, a longtime ally of Mariah. It showcases a genre-defying sound that draws directly from Mariah's legacy. Starting with the opening track "FALL IN LOVE," which has a techno-pop feel, followed by "SAHARA" with its ethno-funk vibe reminiscent of Mariah, and then "EVERY SONG IS SING," which evokes Steely Dan, the album features a lineup of unique tracks that cannot simply be dismissed as a jazz singer's album. It is also interesting to note that the list of original songwriters includes not only Masanori Sasaji but also Masahiro Andoh (THE SQUARE*), Etsuko Yamakawa, and Yasuo Inada. The lineup is impressive, bringing together musicians who have recently been gaining renewed recognition across various fields: Jun Aoyama (drums), Yuuichi Tokashiki (drums), Kenji Takamizu (bass), Yasuo Tomikura (bass), Takehiro Honda (piano), and Yumi Murata (backing vocals). The song selection for covers—featuring artists like Paul Williams and Leon Ware—is also outstanding. Rie Murakami, who sings all tracks in English, brings a sense of unity to this seemingly eclectic collection of songs, resulting in an album that strikes a truly unique balance.

If listening with a modern sensibility, "SAY CHEESE"—which could be appreciated from a city pop perspective—is particularly recommended. This track features a medium groove with a subtly mellow feel, and the fusion of the vocals—which sing a floating melody reminiscent of Tomoko Aran's "Midnight Pretenders" (which became a major talking point after being sampled by The Weeknd)—with a stylish, black contemporary-flavored backing track is outstanding. This track was also composed by Masahiro Andoh, but it is the only song on the album featuring a different lineup of musicians. In addition to Masanori Sasaji and Takayuki Hijikata, the entire backing band consists of members from NAZCA—the progressive pop band Sasaji had formed—namely Norio Sakai (bass) and Reuben Tsujino (drums). The result is an edgy take on city pop.

That said, Rie Murakami's talent is undeniable—she effortlessly navigates this incredibly diverse range of sounds and delivers her vocals with a cool, poised presence. It's a real shame that this is her only recorded work, but that's precisely why it's an album I want to cherish and listen to over and over again.

October 2022
Hiroshi Kurimoto (Travel & Music Writer/Music Curator)

*Band name and spelling as of 1984

Liner Notes from Rie Murakami's "SAHARA" (Part 2)

Part two of the translated liner notes from Rie Murakami's SAHARA. This part, as previously mentioned in the previous post (which you can read here) goes over the track list descriptions for each song on this album. Still written by Hiraku Aoki, and still translated by Windii.

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[Side A]

1) Fall In Love
An original song expressing the anticipation and joy of falling in love. The techno-pop-style sound, which incorporates LinnDrum, is intriguing, and Rie's vocals are fantastic.

2) Sahara
This is also an original, written by Sasaji and Linda Hennrick (English lyrics; based in Tokyo). A fine track infused with an exotic charm. The backing vocals and horn section are also wonderful. It makes me happy to think of it as a 1980s version of the Ellington number "Caravan."

3) Every Song I Sing
Written by Sasaji and Linda. A cheerful love song about how there's a song in my heart and everything is going great thanks to you… Rie's vivid, swinging vocals are also delightful.

4) I Won't Last A Day Without You
Co-written by Paul Williams (lyrics) and Roger Nichols (music) in 1972. It became a hit in 1973 with Maureen McGovern and again in 1973 with the Carpenters. Rie Murakami's sweet vocals, Masami Nakagawa's flute, and the handling of the rhythm are all very impressive.

5) T.N.T.
This is a different song from the hit "TNT" sung by drummer Grady Tate. It's a song about an amazing 17-year-old girl who's as powerful as a bomb.

[Side B]

6) Eternally ~ Smile
A number by the King of Comedy, Charlie Chaplin. "Eternally" is "Terry's Theme" from the 1952 film "Limelight," but here it's an instrumental only. "Smile" is the "Love Theme" from the 1936 film "Modern Times." Tony Bennett's recording of it was a hit in 1959.

7) Say Cheese
A witty original. Rie pleads, "Be my lover…," and Takayuki Hijikata's guitar solo is excellent.

8) I'm The One For You
An original that showcases Rie Murakami's talent as a songwriter. A beautiful love ballad. Kousuke Mine's tenor saxophone brilliantly builds the atmosphere.

9) If I Ever Lose This Heaven
Written by Leon Ware and Pam Sawyer. Originally performed by Ware and Minnie Riperton on Quincy Jones' 1974 album "Body Heat," it was released as a single and became a hit that fall. Rie delivers a powerful and compelling performance.

10) Take Me Home
An original ballad that brings to mind the style of Randy Newman. In a duet with Takehiro Honda, Rie sings beautifully and with deep emotion.

1984.3. Aoki Hiraku

*The liner notes from the time of the LP's release are included here.
The spelling of Takehiro Honda's name is as it appeared in 1984 (including the credits on the lyrics sheet).

Liner Notes from Rie Murakami's "SAHARA" (Part 1)

I recently posted onto my main YT channel a CD rip of the 1984 album SAHARA by Rie Murakami. All the existing rips on YouTube, as of me writing this out, were sourced from a rather poor vinyl rip and nobody else had seemingly ripped the JP CD release at all. Privately or publicly, at least... to my knowledge.

Anyways, this was an album that I had been listening to pretty frequently several months ago. The album contains an enormous quantity of liner notes—considering the scarce amount of info that exists for this artist online, I decided to go ahead and commission an English translation of it to rectify that a little bit (and because I was admittedly interested in checking out Murakami's background myself).

There's a lot to unpack here, but just as a quick summary: exactly what I had gotten translated into English will be split into three parts. The first part (which is what you're currently on right now) talks about Murakami's musical background and the origins of it from when she was a child, and ends with a "Where will she go from here?" type of epilogue. The second part goes over the track list descriptions, and the final part is a translation of a new piece of written commentary that was included in the album's 2022 JP CD release. Both the first & second parts are written by Hiraku Aoki (青木啓), and the third part is written by Hitoshi Kurimoto (栗本斉).

Site note: interestingly enough, she is apparently related to drummer Hiroshi Murakami... or so these liner notes say. Not that I don't believe it, I just find it surprising because no other English sites seem to make any mention of this. 

Anyways, the translation for part 1 can be found below. Thanks to Windii for translating this!

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This album marks the debut of Rie Murakami, a rising star making waves in the music scene. Packed with a diverse selection of excellent tracks—including original songs brimming with contemporary pop sensibilities, BCM numbers, and jazz standards—this album sees the young lady Rie Murakami make a dazzling debut, radiating a truly fresh charm.

Although Rie Murakami has only recently begun her career as a professional singer, she has already gained popularity by performing at famous Tokyo jazz spots and live music clubs—such as Satin Doll in Ginza, The Carnival in Shinjuku, and Swing in Shinbashi—and is garnering attention on par with her more seasoned peers. I imagine that some of you who have picked up this album have had the chance to experience her live performances. For some of you, an image of what kind of singer Rie Murakami is may already be taking shape. However, by listening to this album, you will likely find yourself nodding in agreement, realizing, "Ah, so she is this kind of singer as well."

First, I suppose I should introduce RIe Murakami's background. She was born in Tokyo on February 21, 1961 (Shouwa 36). She loved music and singing, and it all began when she joined a children's song class near her home at the age of three. She also began taking classical piano lessons at age eight, steadily developing her musical talents. At that time, her uncle, Hiroshi Murakami, was living with her family. He was a renowned drummer who later achieved great success with groups led by Masabumi Kikuch iand Sadao Watanabe, as well as with Native Son, which featured Takehiro Honda and Kousuke Mine. There is no doubt that Rie Murakami was influenced to no small extent by this wonderful uncle.

Reportedly, Rie Murakami was deeply moved after watching the film "Lady Sings the Blues" (starring Diana Ross; released in Japan in 1973) when she was in the fifth grade. This film was not a strictly factual portrayal of the life of the one-and-only genius jazz singer Billie Holiday, nor does it fully demonstrate just how unique and exceptional her singing was; however, Diana Ross's passionate performance left a strong impression, and it was an interesting film that sparked a renewed appreciation for Billie Holiday—or rather, a movement to bring her to the attention of the general public. It's fascinating to think that Rie, a fifth-grader, was so moved by this that it sparked her awareness of jazz and became the starting point for her growing interest in the genre. Come to think of it, though it's quite an old story, I recall Sadao Watanabe telling me how he was blown away by the film "Birth of the Blues" back when he was studying electrical engineering at Utsunomiya Technical High School. The film tells the story of a group of young white men in New Orleans shortly after the birth of jazz who form a jazz band, struggle to spread the appeal of jazz to the public, and eventually make their way to the big city. Jack Teagarden, a giant of the jazz trombone and a renowned singer, also appeared in the film, but Sadao Watanabe was captivated by the clarinet played by the lead actor, Bing Crosby. It is said that learning the clarinet became his motivation for entering the jazz world, which is also quite interesting.

That aside, Rie Murakami went on from junior high school to Seijo Gakuen High School, where she took vocal and classical guitar lessons alongside her academic studies. She left for the United States immediately after finishing the first semester of her senior year of high school. She spent a year studying abroad at Caledonia High School in Minnesota. During this time, she took private vocal lessons and joined a chorus group; it seems she gained a great deal in terms of her vocal training, and life in America itself must have been a valuable experience in many ways.

Although she had been singing in a band with friends since her school days, she decided to pursue a career as a professional singer after returning to Japan and began studying jazz. For the past two years or so, she has been performing on stages across the country as a guest singer with Native Son, and has further honed her skills by performing with groups led by Takehiro Honda, Kousuke Mine, Mikio Masuda, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Isao Suzuki, Toshio Osumi, and other top-tier jazz musicians.

Rie Murakami often sang jazz standards accompanied by a jazz combo at live music clubs. This is truly excellent training for a singer; it can be said to lay the foundation for her career. So, will Rie Murakami pursue a career as a jazz singer? Will she become a singer who expresses herself by applying the same idioms as instrumental jazz musicians—that is, through improvisational ad-libs, instrumental phrasing, and infusing her creativity and individuality into the feel of the music? I believe that possibility exists. However, the current Rie Murakami exudes a truly fresh charm in her work as a pop singer who, while influenced by jazz and utilizing its free, creative expression techniques, sings faithfully to the original compositions. If I were to cite American singers of that type here (though, of course, their styles and tones differ from Rie's), the names of women like Patti Austin, Randy Crawford, Jean Carn, Melba Moore, Angela Bofill, and Phyllis Hyman come to mind. These singers can be viewed as either fusion-style artists or Black Contemporary Music (BCM) artists; while veterans like Dee Dee Bridgewater and Marina Shaw also fall into this category, they can be described as contemporary pop singers. There are few Japanese female singers of this type. For that very reason, the presence of the young Rie Murakami is a cause for great joy and deserves our attention.

Rie Murakami has a very cute voice and a charming, endearing expression. Saying that might make her sound like some kind of "gaudy gal" or "cutie" singer, which could be misleading, but she is not one of those young singers with a squeaky, whiny voice. Her appealing charm lies in the way her carefree openness and clarity, her vital punch and sharp precision, her infectious energy, and her beautiful emotional expression all come together—creating a sense of substance in her singing that goes beyond simply flowing pleasantly by. Singing is truly a difficult art, and while Rie Murakami still has much to learn and will likely grow through life experiences to eventually deliver songs of maturity, the youthful vitality she displays today—along with the charm of her singing, which shines with a flexible and sharp sensibility—is immense and thoroughly enjoyable.

This debut album was produced by Masanori Sasaji (though track 5 on side B was produced by Takehiro Honda). Sasaji (born in 1955) is a keyboardist who is currently very active primarily in the fusion scene and is also famous for his great talent in composition and arrangement. Here, he has gathered a large number of accomplished jazz and fusion musicians, demonstrating his prowess as a sound creator while showcasing Rie Murakami's talent, charm, and vast potential as a contemporary pop singer. It is an album where Rie's vocals and Sasaji's sound come together on equal footing.

"Good-Bye My Love" ("Heavy Metal L-Gaim" Short Story Epilogue) - Part 3

Part 3 of the written L-Gaim short story epilogue that was published in Animedia sometime in 1985. This is the final part. 

Read Part 1 here:
https://translationmartyzone.blogspot.com/2026/03/good-bye-my-love-heavy-metal-l-gaim.html

Part 2:
https://translationmartyzone.blogspot.com/2026/03/good-bye-my-love-heavy-metal-l-gaim_17.html

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-Chapter 3- 

Buzz.

At the sound of the machine's nozzle, Leccee reflexively jumped out of bed. She gave a wry smile at her own habit and stretched widely.

She was on a bed in one of Daba's rooms.

I still haven't completely shaken off my soldier habits. I can't exactly laugh at Daba like this, can I?

Leccee stretched again, then looked out the window where morning sunlight streamed in, surveying the land stretching out before her.

Operating the farming machine was Daba.

Beside him, scooping soil with her hands, was what appeared to be Olibee. Daba should have returned late last night. After the long conversation with Rey and Olibee ended, Leccee had slipped into this bed. Exhausted from the long journey and the excitement of reuniting with Daba, she had fallen into a deep sleep immediately and hadn't known of Daba's return.

An hour later, Leccee stood beside Daba at work.

Without wiping the sweat streaming down his face, he mixed the soil with a milky-white chemical, ran it through the analyzer attached to the farming machine, and then, with a serious expression, entered the data into the computer.

The grime on the computer spoke volumes about the tens of thousands of times he must have repeated this simple yet mind-numbing task over the past five years.

"You see, Myroad..."
Rey's words from last night came back to her.

"You see, Myroad has become something like an advisor to the villagers now, like today... but when he first came back here, he went through a period where he was completely lost. Maybe it was because he was finally released from the tension of so many years of fighting. Even though he had that sense of mission to restore Olibee's consciousness... he was losing his confidence."

"I thought Daba had a superhuman spirit."

It was when Leccee asked Rey about her puzzlement over why Daba focused so much on soil improvement, despite the fact that fresh produce manufacturing relied on established artificial solar systems in each district, eliminating the need to plow the land.

"I wonder how many times the whole village has asked the same question you did. Yet it seems Myroad couldn't find the right words to answer it."

"He's not good with words," Leccee said, recalling how he'd always frown in frustration while trying to explain things to her and Amu.

Daba's soil improvement efforts were met with the village's cold stares and uncooperative responses.

Certainly, using Daba Myroad's name as the hero who led Pentagona to liberation could have forced cooperation, but Daba disliked that.

And amid the mockery of futile effort and the whispers that he'd lost his edge in battle, even Daba nearly lost his confidence.

"But what saved him was that single flower growing in the stone wall Olibee planted. That gave him the certainty that his instinct to bring Olibee back here from Gastogal wasn't wrong."
"..."
"Do you know how a mother holds her baby?"
"Huh? Well..."

Leccee stammered, flustered by the sudden question.

"She rests the head on her left arm. That way, the heartbeat reaches the baby... That rhythm becomes a message from the mother. The baby can fall asleep feeling safe... Tomorrow, watch Myroad at work. I think you'll understand what I mean. You didn't come all this way to meet him just for a vacation, did you...?"

As if reading Leccee's mind, Rey gently smiled at her while mimicking the act of cradling a baby.

Daba loves the soil, she thought.

And she remembered how she, too, felt a sense of nostalgia for this earthy scent. She finally felt like she understood why Daba had said he would take Olibee, who had lost her memories due to the bio-sensor, back to Koam.

This smell of soil is the scent of humans. The earth itself is the mother of all people.

By letting Olibee, corrupted by the machine, keep smelling it, Daba must be trying to restore her human heart.

He probably thought of this because he himself grew up smelling the earth's scent.

"Ah..." A sigh escaped her involuntarily.

What a wonderful person Daba was, sensing the greatness of the earth that people had forgotten. Thinking this, she felt ashamed of her own jealousy toward Olibee.

"Gablae, you see..."

Daba suddenly spoke up, perhaps apologetically for having been so absorbed in his work he'd neglected his visitor from afar.

"Gablae, you see, keeps finding excuses to stop by here. He doesn't say anything, but I suppose he's concerned about Olibee."
"That reminds me, he became an autonomous official in Koam, didn't he... Having returned to his hometown in glory, he must be feeling pretty smug."

Even during this conversation, villagers passing by invariably called out to Daba. Some even offered to help, and Daba struggled to decline.

"It's nice of them to offer... but the invitations to the feast afterward come back tenfold," he said with a delightful smile.

That smile shone with the confidence of a man who had found a new purpose in life, different from the toughness he'd shown on the battlefield. He was a man who had grown even more mentally mature than he had been five years ago.

Daba had fully integrated into the village.

Not as the hero who liberated Pentagona, but as a reliable man whom the entire village needed. It was also a sign of the great man Pentagona would soon need.

During Leccee's stay, villagers came constantly seeking Daba's advice, and she lost her chance to confide her feelings.

Yet Leccee was satisfied.

Daba's actions helped her understand that people walk their own paths. The passage of time would separate the youngsters, but that too was a sign of growth.

I can take pride in having loved this man for a time.

Her hesitation had vanished without her noticing. She, who had abandoned her clan for Daba, would now return to her clan because of Daba. That too, she thought, was life.

"Leccee..."

Daba, who had come to see her off, spoke as they waited for the return bus.

"I can't do any more for you... but don't do anything you'll regret."

Unexpected words left Leccee speechless.

Unable to bear it, Leccee threw herself into the bulky chest of the beloved one she would likely never see again.

"Good-bye... my love..."

Her whisper was drowned out by the sound of the approaching bus's nozzle.

It was the end of Leccee's love.

(The End)

 

"Good-Bye My Love" ("Heavy Metal L-Gaim" Short Story Epilogue) - Part 2

 

Part 2 of the written L-Gaim short story epilogue that was published in Animedia sometime in 1985.

Read Part 1 here:
https://translationmartyzone.blogspot.com/2026/03/good-bye-my-love-heavy-metal-l-gaim.html

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-Chapter 2- 

Her heart began to pound furiously.

I should turn back.

Just the thought that showing up suddenly might make him angry made Leccee feel her legs gradually go weak.

She regretted acting so rashly without considering the consequences. It was a thoughtless, selfish act, showing no consideration for Daba's feelings.

Yet, contrary to her heart's desire, her feet slowly carried her into the village of Ugoor.

Two-story buildings lined the perimeter of the square. Each was plain, without much decoration or character, but they carried the human scent Leccee had been seeking.

Taking a deep breath, she asked an old man dozing in front of a shop about Daba Myroad's whereabouts, her voice slightly trembling. She forced a strained smile, knowing she had no choice but to resolve herself.

Following the old man's directions, she climbed the narrow slope. When the buildings ended and she saw the expanse of cultivated land beyond, Leccee stopped involuntarily to steady her racing heart.

Her gaze was captured by the back of a shirtless young man who had jumped off a farming machine and was checking the soil.

Daba!

Before Leccee could call out, Daba turned and looked at her. He showed a moment of surprise, but quickly composed himself, waving at Leccee.

"Watch your step!"

Daba shouted a warning to Leccee, but immediately corrected himself, "No, I'll come over there instead." His skin, glistening with sweat and now even more robustly tanned than before, was dazzling. Seeing Daba's bright smile revealing his white teeth, Leccee realized her earlier fears had been unfounded.

"I'm near finished at last."

Daba said suddenly.

"Look at this."

Before he could even ask why Leccee had come here, he pointed at her feet.

There, from the gray-brown, sandy earth, countless green sprouts the size of adzuki beans peeked out everywhere.

"What's this?"
"I finally succeeded in improving Koam's soil... It took five years."
"..."
"I never understood why there was no green on Koam. But meeting Lilith during that battle solved the mystery."
"Lilith..."

Leccee recalled the endearing figure of Lilith Fau, who had departed after defeating Poseidal, saying she was going to search for her comrades. Subsequent reports stated she had found dozens of allies on the planet Fa. The report concluded that while the winged people's homeland might be Fa, no definitive conclusion had yet been reached.

"In the end, the nuclear war thousands of years ago not only caused climate change on Pentagona World itself... that might also be the cause of the phenomenon called Jemaah. It changed this planet's soil too, didn't it?"

Daba crouched down, scooped up some soil, and let it trickle through his fingers. 

"In two more years..."

Suddenly, Daba looked straight at Leccee, who was mesmerized by the beauty of the dancing dust. Leccee flustered under Daba's unchanging gaze.

"In two more years... we can turn Koam into a green land. Then we can give people peace of mind and prosperity. If we apply this method to Gastogal too, that planet can regain its greenery as well."
"That's wonderful," Leccee said, then couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"You haven't changed a bit, Daba."
"Hm?"
"That habit of yours—once you fixate on something, you can't see anything else—it hasn't changed one bit."
"U-Uh..."

Daba finally remembered he was meeting Leccee again after five years and flushed, looking embarrassed.

But it certainly helped to erase the awkwardness of the five-year gap between them.
 
Daba's home was a humble, log-built, single-storied house halfway up a hill a few blocks away. Beyond the terrace lay the vast land Daba had cultivated, and along the stone walls, countless small, delicate, colorful flowers of unknown names bloomed profusely.

The sweet, tangy scent of the flowers tickled Leccee's nose on the breeze that blew in just then.

"I can't believe it. To think one could live in such a wonderful place."
"After the magnetic storm, once you're the one cleaning this place up, you won't be saying that anymore."
"But here—"

Leccee had been itching to voice something that had been on her mind, yet for some reason, she hesitated.

"The one who planted those flowers..."
Daba pointed to the small flowers resembling cosmos blooming on the stone wall.

"It was Olibee. For some reason, when we arrived here, that flower was the only thing she seemed to remember... She dug it up from the mountain herself and planted it there. Now look how many there are."

As if sensing Leccee's deepest concern, Daba added,

"She's doing well too... getting better little by little. Her memories are becoming clearer bit by bit."
"I see."

Complicated emotions washed over her. The complexity of a woman's heart.

Just then, the inner door opened.

The face that appeared belonged to an old woman nearing sixty, her hair pure white. Behind her, the familiar face of a woman flickered in and out of view. Perhaps embarrassed by the visitors from afar, she refused to show herself from behind the old woman.

"Olibee?"
"Yeah, and this lady is my aunt. Olibee's mother."
"Ah."

Leccee hurriedly bowed her head. Seeing this, Daba, in turn, chuckled.

"Did you think Olibee and I lived alone together, Leccee?"

Caught red-handed, Leccee flushed bright red.

She looked at Olibee again. Five years had erased the harshness from the expression she'd worn on that battlefield, restoring a gentle, composed demeanor.

It's not just a hairstyle change.
Leccee thought, looking at Olibee's short hair that seemed to hide her broad forehead. Olibee stared back at Leccee as if she were something unusual.

The severance from the bio-sensor seemed to have erased even the memories of the time it had been active.

"It's such a relief to lose bad memories..."

Daba said to Olibee with eyes full of fondness. For some reason, Lecce felt a refreshing sensation at the sound of those words and was surprised.

Olibee's mother, Rey, cut a fragrant pie. Olibee poured warm tea and guided Leccee to sit at a table that smelled of fresh wood.

This was after Daba had left to give the village men advice on digging a well.

The conversation focused almost entirely on the city's transformation.

"Amu is putting her knowledge from her old acting days to use, focusing her efforts on cultural enrichment."
"How wonderful. For a time, freak shows were the main form of entertainment... So, what about you?"
"Still can't put down my gun."
"So, you're the security captain, then?"

At Rey's question, Leccee nodded bashfully. Even though the fighting had ended, she felt a little self-conscious about still carrying a weapon.

"Myroad is completely absorbed in soil improvement."
Rey sighed.

"He really should head back to the capital. Otherwise, everyone will forget about Myroad."
"That won't happen. Daba's achievements are eternal."
"Olibee is fine now. I can handle it alone... Myroad really is hopeless, making such a beautiful young lady fret like this. And he's always jumping at invitations from the village men."

Leccee laughed at Rey's grumbling. She found herself unexpectedly relaxed, thinking it wasn't so bad when things took an unexpected turn. 

"Good-Bye My Love" ("Heavy Metal L-Gaim" Short Story Epilogue) - Part 1

Those of you who know me closely might probably know by now that I formerly enjoyed Heavy Metal L-Gaim at first, many years ago as I was watching it... before I eventually finished the show and was super disappointed by how it ended to the point of me just straight up disliking the whole show now.

 

Well, as it turns out—to my surprise, apparently the show has an epilogue? Yes, you heard that right. Sometime in 1985, an L-Gaim-themed special volume of Animedia was released, and within that volume is a short story written by screenwriter Yuji Watanabe that focuses on Leccee as she goes to visit Daba after the great war that occurs during the show's final episodes.

 

Without spoiling anything... jeez. Even if the epilogue is still somewhat bittersweet, it's a hell of a lot better of an ending than how the TV show ended. Why couldn't Sunrise have animated this as an extra episode? Or heck, even as a short separate OVA? This story was really enjoyable to read through and it has now changed my mindset on how I view L-Gaim as a whole.

 

The short story is several pages long—I'll be splitting it into separate "chapters" on here. Scans come from a Bluesky post by Konanne & the English translation was provided by Windii.

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Animedia Exclusive Original Story

Heavy Metal L-Gaim
Good-Bye My Love

Five years have passed since the battle ended—the youths who once fought together now walked their own paths. Then one day, a turning point arrived for Leccee. It was the moment to bid farewell to a love...

An L-Gaim original story by Yuji Watanabe! 

 

-Chapter 1-

In the crowded lobby of Quito Spaceport, Leccee fidgeted with a letter from her mother, Telles, while waiting for the boarding announcement.

Even now, she was still hesitating.

As an executive of the New Pentagona World Construction Committee, using the name Gaw Ha Leccee would have allowed her to reach her destination, Ugoor, via a government-exclusive ship without using this disordered civilian airport. Yet she had deliberately chosen a civilian spacecraft, one that had been in service for quite some time since the port reopened. Perhaps it was because she wanted a little more time to think.

Still, in this lobby bustling with excited travelers, she was tormented by a strange loneliness, like a lost child.

Six years had passed since then...

It had been six years since she, as a former Poseidal military officer, had met Daba Myroad and left the planet Koam, as if chasing after him.

A mixture of nostalgia and loneliness washed over her as she looked around once more.

The tense weariness, sickness, and decay of that time had been swept away; a sparkle shone in people's eyes. Outside the spaceport, the cold wind still blew relentlessly, but inside the buildings, the heating kept them warm.

It was clearly a symbolic sight, showing a planetary world racing up the slope toward the new world Leccee and the others aimed for.

Yet, for some reason, Leccee couldn't bring herself to covet that sight. She felt nostalgia for a more rustic, more human-like cityscape. Perhaps it was the scent of the battlefield soil, mixed with dust and sweat, that she had once raced through alongside Daba Myroad.

Shaking her head as if to shake off the gloom creeping into her heart once more, Leccee scanned the words of the letter from her mother, Telles.

'I feel I can understand the mental strain you must endure now, holding such a demanding position and laboring to build a new nation. At one time, I tried to convince myself to accept your father's words, to resign myself to thinking of you as dead, given your series of actions. But now, hearing rumors of your achievements, I can only say one thing: splendid. We who failed to understand you back then may not be worthy to call ourselves your parents. But knowing full well the risk of being called unfilial, I must make this request. I will be frank with you. Since Father's passing, factional strife within the prestigious Ha clan of Gastogal has begun to surface. If you would return, I believe the Ha clan could unite once more, with you at its pinnacle...'

What followed was a relentless stream of words expressing her mother's love, selfishness, and complaints. How many times had Leccee reread this desperate plea? A plea born from the desire to protect the pride of a distinguished family that had reigned as King of Ha for centuries, and survived as the Ha clan even after the formation of the unified nation under Gastogal.

Each time, she let out a deep sigh.

That was...

It was after the committee had decided to increase the personnel of the Interstellar Security Force—Leccee recalled the day the servant arrived bearing her mother's letter.

It had already been five years since Daba had returned to the village of Ugoor on the planet Koam with Olibee.

The youths who shattered the corrupt adults' false utopia established a new Interstellar Federation, entrusting its governance to the so-called ‘Five-Person Committee’ composed of representatives from each planet. Among them were neither Leccee, Amu, Kyao, nor Semuj. They were merely heads of various sections assisting the ‘Five-Person Committee’.

This was partly because Daba, the greatest contributor, had relinquished the highest position. But it was also the conscious choice of Leccee and the others themselves—they believed that automatically placing battle heroes at the top would merely repeat the mistakes of past nation-building.

They prioritized reviving the interstellar development agreement, which had become a mere formality during the Poseidal regime, and restoring the vitality of the era when the Five Star Dynasty flourished. Their goal was to rekindle people's desire to work, their faithfulness to their way of life, and to bring back songs and laughter.

Both Leccee and Amu had calmed their attitudes to the point where they could now look back fondly on the days of fierce romantic rivalry over Daba, treating it as a laughing matter. When Kyao grumbled, "Those cold-hearted women," they just smiled wryly.

It was simply because they had found a different purpose in life by immersing themselves in building the new nation.

That said, she had never truly given up on Daba. There were moments, like when she happened to gaze at the stars shining in the night sky, that she would recall the color of their twinkling—the same stars she and Daba had looked up at during brief respites on the battlefield—and her chest would tighten with a mix of longing and sweet ache that she struggled desperately to suppress.

It was during one such moment that an old servant of the Gaw household arrived bearing a letter from her mother.

"Your mother, my lady, has been so troubled by the factional dispute that she spends more days confined to her bed than not lately."
"But I abandoned my family."
"I believe she made that request fully aware of that fact... Even if you say you abandoned them, you are still bound by blood. It is a bond that can never be severed for life."

With teary eyes, the servant gazed at Leccee, who had grown strikingly beautiful over the years.

For some reason, Leccee couldn't meet his eyes.

Was it a feeling of indebtedness towards her parents?

No, that wasn't it.

Was it because the construction of New Pentagona World was still underway?

No, that wasn't it either.

Leccee endlessly repeated this internal dialogue, finally arriving at the answer: it was her lingering attachment to Daba.

She instinctively understood that returning to the Ha clan now would make meeting Daba impossible. Shouldering the Ha clan would mean she could no longer act on her own free will.

The eyes of her servant pleaded this truth.

She realized anew then that her ability to immerse herself so completely in nation-building had stemmed from her strong belief that her beloved Daba would return someday.

And she wavered...

It was two days later that she told Amu and Kyao she was taking a few days' leave to go on a journey without revealing her destination.

She desperately wanted to see Daba.

Indeed, just as on that battlefield, whenever doubt arose, seeing Daba's fierce expression and gentle gaze had allowed her to make up her mind.

But she didn't know what answer she could possibly get from seeing Daba.

Leccee boarded the domestic flight to Pryamo from Quito Spaceport three hours late. 

From there, she took a transit bus, the Mobile Works, and traveled for two days to reach the village of Ugoor.