phonon_belt: (Default)
A note about the title: the English title from the website is "Royal Road, Paradise," which comes from splitting up the Japanese title into its parts, "王道" (royal road) and "楽土" (paradise). But taken as a whole, the phrase "王道楽土" can mean something like "Arcadia" (in the utopian sense). Interestingly, the phrase was a concept Imperial Japan used when it set up the puppet state Manchukuo in the 1930s. Read more... ) While this song is probably not specifically about Manchukuo, the title and the idea of a ruler fleeing as his country falls apart may well be an allusion to it. Just a thought.

平沢進 - "王道楽土"

Japanese lyrics )

Hirasawa Susumu - "Oudou Rakudo"
Romaji lyrics )


Hirasawa Susumu - "Royal Road, Paradise"

Rough English translation. )