I just watched the first 5 episodes of the 2008 Blade of the Immortal anime, based on Hiroaki Samura’s maga. It’s not bad, with its one-eyed protagonist who happens to have some handy bloodworms inside him, making him essentially unkillable. However, it’s filled with the kind of thing I’ve seen before in samurai anime, namely vicious bad guys, lots of blood, and women who are sad and demure.
It also has a theme song that loses something from its original Japanese. Here’s the English translation of the opening theme, Red Rabbit, from The Pillow Book.
I’ll never be easily loved
Am I just too clumsy?
That girl who looks good in pink
Is that who you want?
Is red not good enough?
The rabbit with red eyes runs away
Even though I loved you so much
If I’m sad, I’m going to die
The rabbit that you like
Isn’t on the moon
It’s just a rabbit
Um…yeah, I don’t know what the original Japanese is like, but most of the songs I’ve seen in anime are focused on broad concepts and use the words, “love,” and “dream” a lot. Now, here’s the translation from the closing theme, called wants by GRAPEVINE.
Sadly, I awakened
Overflowing reality is just
More of the empty lies
To be honest, I have to get ready for the next one
The morning slides in from the window
Regardless of what I see, I remember
I remember the unchanging wind always
Just said this as it passed by
What’s needed for this endless journey?
Where should I go?
Awesome. That’s got to be the first time deceiving lunar rabbits have ever been in a song, unless there’s one on a Monty Python album or something.
comicbookjesus 