A Cruel Angel's Thesis
A Cruel Angel's Thesis is the opening theme song for the series Neon Genesis Evangelion, composed by Hidetoshi Sato and sung by Yoko Takahashi. The lyrics are by Neko Oikawa while the arrangement is by Toshiyuki O'mori. The song also has the distinction of taking first place in the JASRAC Awards. [1]
Unlike it is commonly assumed, this song was written without any involvement from the show's creators. Oikama had next to no knowledge of the show. Oikama simply skimmed through a proposal of the show (possibly Neon Genesis Evangelion Proposal) and watched unfinished versions of two episodes on fast-forward, only serving to broadly "fit" the anime after the fact.[2][3] [4] Oikama took inspiration for the title from the manga A Cruel God Reigns. She said the lyrics "become a legend" were originally "become a weapon". She was orientated that the show was "difficult and philosphical". Oikama described it as: "older women", "mothers" and "14-year-old boys and girls", and decided to make it about the perspective of a mother when her child "leaves the nest."[5] . The original song included a male chorus, which was cut at director Hideaki Anno's request in order to "emphasize maternal affection".[6]
Lyrics
Original Japanese Lyrics: Neko Oikawa
English Translations
| Official English Translation1 | Alternate English Translation2 |
|
Young boy, like a cruel angel's thesis, Even though clear blue winds But someday you will notice A cruel angel's thesis The cradle of love that sleeps within me If there is any meaning A cruel angel's thesis Instrumental section People weave together love to create history A cruel angel's thesis |
Like a cruel angel, A blue wind is now Something gently touching-- But someday I think you'll find out The cruel angel's thesis Sleeping for a long time Moonlight reflects off So if two people being brought together by fate The cruel angel's thesis. People create history The cruel angel's thesis A blue wind is now Something gently touching-- But someday I think you'll find out The cruel angel's thesis |
Translation Notes
1This is the translation found on the U.S. release of Evangelion by ADV.
2This was translated by Takayama Miyuki and these are the translator's notes:
- young boy, become the legend!: The word "shinwa" actually means "myth" ("legend" would be "densetsu"), but I think it sounds better as "legend."
- with surging, hot pathos: "Atsui" (hot) can also mean "intense, passionate." "Pathos" is "the quality or power in life or art of evoking a feeling of pity or compassion; pity; suffering; sorrow."
- Embracing this sky [universe] and shining: "Sora" (sky) is the reading given for the kanji for "uchuu" (universe).
- has any meaning: The kanji used for the "a" in "aeta" is not the normal kanji used in "au" (to meet). It's the first kanji in "ouse" (encounter, tryst) and has more of a connotation of meeting by fate or being brought together by fate, not just meeting. (Interestingly, a dictionary I have gives the meaning of "au," when written with this kanji, as "to meet (with drama or pathos)")
- for learning freedom: The "watashi wa sou" is probably "watashi wa sou omou." And "bible" in this case isn't referring to *the* Bible. "Bible" can also mean "guide book, how-to book, a book valued for its use as a reference," like in "a handyman's bible," or "a bird-watcher's bible."
3The instrumental section contains chanted non-Japanese lyrics in Yoko Takahashi's version and a few others, while other versions of the song have a purely instrumental section. The January 1996 issue of Newtype magazine transcribed Takahashi's lyrics in this section as "Fariya. Seta(or sepa) messo. Fariya. Tuse." which they speculate is from the fictional language of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Alternatively, an EvaGeeks forum discussion suggests that the lyrics may be "Faria? Será mesmo? Faria? Eu sei!" which is in the Portuguese language. Since the word "Faria" is usually used in a similar way as the English word "would", those lines could be interpreted as someone doubting something or someone else. There has never been any official information on the actual lyrics or their meaning, if any.
Romaji and Original Japanese Lyrics
| Zankoku na tenshi no teeze | 『残酷な天使のテーゼ』 |
|
Zankoku na tenshi no yō ni Aoi kaze ga ima mune no doa wo tataitemo Dakedo itsuka kizuku deshō Zankoku na tenshi no teeze Zutto nemutteru watashi no ai no yurikago Moshi mo futari aeta koto ni imi ga aru nara Zankoku na tenshi no teeze Hito wa ai wo tsumugi nagara rekishi wo tsukuru Zankoku na tenshi no teeze |
残酷な天使のように 青い風がいま だけどいつか気付くでしょう その背中には 残酷な天使のテーゼ ずっと眠ってる もしもふたり逢えたことに 意味があるなら 残酷な天使のテーゼ 人は愛をつむぎながら 歴史をつくる 残酷な天使のテーゼ |
References
- ↑ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-05-25/songs-from-evangelion-other-anime-win-jasrac-awards
- ↑ “My manager got the job, we had a quick meeting lasting about 30 minutes, skim-read the proposal and watched two episodes on fast-forward. And with that I was told ‘so, yeah, just write whatever you want!’, and finished the song [lyrics] in about two hours. Sorry to burst your bubble, guys!” https://soranews24.com/2015/01/08/a-cruel-angels-thesis-took-just-two-hours-to-write-says-evangelion-lyricist-neko-oikawa
- ↑ "I hadn't watch Eva and wrote it in 2 hours. I don't even know what the story is or who is fighting who." https://twitter.com/otakucalendarjp/status/1356542049751687171
- ↑ She also professed that she didn't know much about Neon Genesis Evangelion when she first wrote the song, and she still hasn't watched the series. "It's a finished job, so [I'm] not really [interested]," she said. When she wrote the song, the anime hadn't been finished yet and she only had the proposal and the first two or three minutes to go by. "It wasn't even colored. I wrote the song, and my job was done. I wrote it in about two hours." [https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2021-02-03/lyricist-neko-oikawa-shares-how-she-was-scammed-out-of-her-evangelion-royalty-money/.169084 ANN article]
- ↑ https://www.sankei.com/west/news/161228/wst1612280011-n1.html
- ↑ Refrain of Evangelion OST Booklet, 2003.
