Someone, actually 3 people did us proud over at youtube! However I chose the clearest version. I present to you the wonderful sort of upbeat sounding song called Shounen aka Youth! Love it!! Anyway some fact. Debuted over at ANN on 27.06.2010. I have no doubt it will be released really soon so the best version that is Mp3 version will be out. So until then, this is the best version in youtube or anywhere.









Read about Shonen's origin here. I feel the song is excellent, less morose and reading the rough translation, rather romantic! May I dare say, way better than Hatsukoi. Whilst Hatsukoi sounds grand from start to finish as well as very depressing, this song started off really grand, as if it will stay that way and when Masha sings, the music became intimate again, the guitar and his voice. It may be a bit rushed, as if Masha is trying hard to keep up with it and sounding not quite like the sample snippet we have all heard, but in the end it is addictive! Not quite Sakurazaka's league (I did make the mistake of thinking this song is Hotaru!! I blame the World Cup! So it isn't really same as Sakurazaka) but heaps better than his recent works except for the sentimentality part, Michishirube still wins because the song is personal to him. Frankly lyrics wise I still think Milk Tea is more romantic. But I do love this song on its own. Anything but the depressing sounding Hatsukoi. But I do hope someday he may revisit up tempo tunes and uplifting ones like Sore ga Subete sa, happy songs like Koufukuron or really magical timeless tune like my favourite, Watashi wa kaze ni naru. But again, on its own, Shonen is a winner!

And thanks to Mashamasha of MashaPlus Info forums who tells us the inspiration of Shonen!

He (Masha) said the young ryoma (Sakamoto Ryoma of Ryoma-Den) inspired him when writing the lyrics

Anyway the lyrics in kanji, romaji and English and some other stuff after Read More link.



SOME INTERESTING FACTS : COMPOSITION OF THE SONG
Masha discussed the making of Shonen on TFM on 27.06.2010 and it was translated in Chinese here at Sunnydolphin's blog. The following was translated by Izumisano.

Music/Lyrics - Fukuyama Masaharu

Name of Song - Shonen, as it means literally  (laugh) 

Participants - We have quite a number this time. The instruments were played by the regular band members. But we used a very important instrument this time – the timpani. At the same time, we have a choir of 9 ladies. It was a special request from me.

Guitar used - I played the guitar again. The J50, made in 1959, I love that guitar and use it almost every time. 

What to look out for when singing - The falsettos are quite hard to sing.

I had to film “Ryomaden” as I was writing this song. So it seems the song slowly evolved into a story about the young Ryoma (laugh). Perhaps because of “Ryomaden”, it had lots of music that I normally wouldn’t write, like the orchestra, the Timpani, etc. giving it a quite a majestic feel. 

DOWNLOAD
This song, which I suppose is a rip from the radio version since official version is not released yet can be downloaded here (Megaupload link, if banned country, switch on Hotspot Shield first) courtesy of this website here. The quality ain't CD quality so if you want a clear quality, you will have to wait for the singles released. From rumours, it may be sooner than expected although I am not posting the news since it is still a rumour at this point (04.07.2010)

LYRICS
Thanks to the HK Fans Discussion Forums (post #129 page 9),  lyrics is as follows:-

KANJI
熱く胸焦がした負けない正義のヒーロー
そんなふうに生きてないけど
君に襲いかかるすべての苦しみを
それでも救いたかった

変わりたくて街を飛び出した
ただ走りたかった
ただ少年だった

間違いとか後悔とか何度も繰り返すけど
あとどれくらい泣いたのなら強くなれる？
風のように時は行く
無くしながら掴みながら走っていく

本当の自分だけをずっと探していた
何が本当かわからないまま
今以上これ以上期待しすぎるから
いつも自分に裏切られて

悔しくて受け入れなかった
ただ負けたくなくて
ただ少年だった

生きることの美しさと儚さを知るそのとき
この痛みはやがて明日の歌になるよ
道の果て空の向こうへ
見たかった知りたかった世界がある
迷いながら信じながら走っていく

君に聞いてほしくて
つくった名もなき歌
今心のまま少年のままに歌えたら
もう一度君に逢えるのかな？

間違いとか後悔とか何度も繰り返すけど
あとどれくらい泣いたのなら強くなれる？
風のように時は行く
無くしながら掴みながら走っていく

生きることの美しさと儚さを知るそのとき
この痛みはやがて明日を歌うよ
僕の歌を

名もなきこの歌君へのこの歌
もいちど会えたら君だけに届けよう
名もなきこの歌君へのこの歌
もいちど会えたら君だけに届けよう

CHINESE
Can be found here at Sunnydolphin's website

ENGLISH
Translated by Izumisano and Pillowmasha of MashaPlus Info Forums.


A burning passionate heart....
A righteous hero who never fails....
Although this was never the way I lived,
I still want to help you
through the onslaught ....
of all that pain.

For the sake of change, you fled this city.
You just wanted to keep running.
You were just a boy.

Mistakes, Regrets,
Repeating again and again.
How many times do we need to cry
Before we can grow stronger?
Time flies like the wind.
Hold on tight, as it disappears.
Keep pushing forward.

What is our true self?
We’ve been searching all this time
And still we cannot tell what is real.
Because we’d expected too much,
More than (what we have) now, more than this,
We let ourselves down every time.

I was too frustrated to accept it,
I just didn’t want to admit defeat.
I was just a boy.

When we begin to realize the beauty
and impermanence of life,
This pain will turn into
A song for tomorrow
At the end of the road, the other side of the sky,
There lies a world
I want to see, to understand.
Believe, as doubts arise.
Keep pushing forward.

I wish you could listen to this,
this nameless song I wrote.
If I could sing as freely, as a boy,
will I be able to see you again?

Mistakes, Regrets,
Repeating again and again.
How many times would we need to cry
Before we can grow stronger?
Time flies like the wind.
Hold on tight, as it disappears.
Keep pushing forward.

When we begin to realize the beauty
and impermanence of life
This pain will turn into
A song for tomorrow.

A song for me.

(Choir)
This nameless song,
This song for you,
If we should meet once again,
I will pass it on to you.
This nameless song,
This song for you,
If we should meet once again,
I will pass it on to you.


ROMAJI
atsuku mune kogashi ta make nai seigi no hiiroo
sonna fuu ni iki te nai kedo
kimi ni osoikakaru subete no kurushimi o
soredemo sukui takat ta

kawari taku te machi o tobidashi ta
tada hashiri takat ta
tada shoonen dat ta

machigai toka kookai toka nan do mo kurikaesu kedo
ato dore kurai nai ta no nara tsuyoku nareru ?
kaze no yoo ni toki wa iku
nakushi nagara tsukami nagara hashit te iku

hontoo no jibun dake o zutto sagashi te i ta
nani ga hontoo ka wakara nai mama
ima ijoo kore ijoo kitai shi sugiru kara
itsumo jibun ni uragira re te

kuyashiku te ukeire nakat ta
tada make taku naku te
tada shoonen dat ta

ikiru koto no utsukushi sa to hakana sa o shiru sono toki
kono itami wa yagate ashita no uta ni naru yo
michi no hate sora no mukoo e
mi takat ta shiri takat ta sekai ga aru
mayoi nagara shinji nagara hashit te iku

kimi ni kii te hoshiku te
tsukut ta na mo naki uta
kon kokoro no mama shoonen no mama ni utae tara
mooichido kimi ni aeru no ka na ?

machigai toka kookai toka nan do mo kurikaesu kedo
ato dore kurai nai ta no nara tsuyoku nareru ?
kaze no yoo ni toki wa iku
nakushi nagara tsukami nagara hashit te iku

ikiru koto no utsukushi sa to hakana sa o shiru sono toki
kono itami wa yagate ashita o utau yo
boku no uta o

na mo naki kono uta kun e no kono uta
mo ichido ae tara kimi dake ni todokeyo u
na mo naki kono uta kun e no kono uta
mo ichido ae tara kimi dake ni todokeyo u

HOW IT LOOKS LIKE
The above translation for reference sakes, in case you're interested.

熱くatsuku 胸mune 焦がしkogashi たta 負けmake ないnai 正義seigi のno ヒーローhiiroo   
そんなsonna ふうfuu にni 生きiki てte ないnai けどkedo   
君kimi にni 襲いかかるosoikakaru すべてsubete のno 苦しみkurushimi をo   
それでもsoredemo 救いsukui たかっtaka’ たta   
  
変わりkawari たくtaku てte 街machi をo 飛び出しtobidashi たta   
ただtada 走りhashiri たかっtaka’ たta   
ただtada 少年shounen だっda’ たta   
  
間違いmachigai とかtoka 後悔koukai とかtoka 何nan 度do もmo 繰り返すkurikaesu けどkedo   
あとato どれdore くらいkurai 泣いnai たta のno ならnara 強くtsuyoku なれるnareru ?    
風kaze のno ようyou にni 時toki はha 行くiku   
無くしnakushi ながらnagara 掴みtsukami ながらnagara 走っhashi’ てte いくiku   
  
本当hontou のno 自分jibun だけdake をo ずっとzutto 探しsagashi てte いi たta   
何nani がga 本当hontou かka わからwakara ないnai ままmama   
今ima 以上ijou これkore 以上ijou 期待kitai しshi すぎるsugiru からkara   
いつもitsumo 自分jibun にni 裏切らuragira れre てte   
  
悔しくkuyashiku てte 受け入れukeire なかっnaka’ たta   
ただtada 負けmake たくtaku なくnaku てte   
ただtada 少年shounen だっda’ たta   
  
生きるikiru ことkoto のno 美しutsukushi さsa とto 儚hakana さsa をo 知るshiru そのsono ときtoki   
このkono 痛みitami はha やがてyagate 明日ashita のno 歌uta にni なるnaru よyo   
道michi のno 果てhate 空sora のno 向こうmukou へhe   
見mi たかっtaka’ たta 知りshiri たかっtaka’ たta 世界sekai がga あるaru   
迷いmayoi ながらnagara 信じshinji ながらnagara 走っhashi’ てte いくiku   
  
君kimi にni 聞いkii てte ほしくhoshiku てte   
つくっtsuku’ たta 名na もmo なきnaki 歌uta   
今kon 心kokoro のno ままmama 少年shounen のno ままmama にni 歌えutae たらtara   
もう一度mouichido 君kimi にni 逢えるaeru のno かka なna ?    
  
間違いmachigai とかtoka 後悔koukai とかtoka 何nan 度do もmo 繰り返すkurikaesu けどkedo   
あとato どれdore くらいkurai 泣いnai たta のno ならnara 強くtsuyoku なれるnareru ?    
風kaze のno ようyou にni 時toki はha 行くiku   
無くしnakushi ながらnagara 掴みtsukami ながらnagara 走っhashi’ てte いくiku   
  
生きるikiru ことkoto のno 美しutsukushi さsa とto 儚hakana さsa をo 知るshiru そのsono ときtoki   
このkono 痛みitami はha やがてyagate 明日ashita をo 歌うutau よyo   
僕boku のno 歌uta をo   
  
名na もmo なきnaki このkono 歌uta 君kun へhe のno このkono 歌uta   
もmo いちどichido 会えae たらtara 君kimi だけdake にni 届けよtodokeyo うu   
名na もmo なきnaki このkono 歌uta 君kun へhe のno このkono 歌uta   
もmo いちどichido 会えae たらtara 君kimi だけdake にni 届けよtodokeyo うu