Anisong of the Season: Only my Railgun

More than a little late now I know. I saw all the seasonal anime awards being given out all across the blogosphere, and then noticed that I haven’t posted an anisong for awhile. So I thought hey, why not :)

Personally I thought fall had been a season of really good music. A decent number of OP’s and ED’s captured me quickly and sufficiently so that I sat through them every week instead of skipping them. On top of that a couple of insert songs too were surprisingly good. There was plenty of competition for my favorite track of the season, but in the end I chose Only my Railgun for its upbeat and ringing sounds, its really great tune-lyric synchrony, and its simple, sheer electricity.

I suspect I’m gonna need a good bit of that electricity to survive the coming semester :(

Anyway, here it is. I make an exception to my ‘only post soothing, background-music-ish tunes’ rule to give you the Anisong of the Season. In case you don’t actually know, Only my Railgun is the OP to To Aru Kagaku no Railgun. Because the TV-size version of this song just isn’t awesome enough, I have posted the full-length version :)

Hit the jump for pic, lyrics and translations. Then hit F8 to play the song. Enjoy :)

Lyrics

Hanate!
Kokoro ni kizanda yume o mirai sae okizari ni shite
Genkai nado shiranai imi nai
Kono chikara ga hikari chirasu sono saki ni haruka na omoi o

Aruite kita kono michi o furikaeru koto shika
Dekinai nara ima koko de subete o kowaseru

Kurayami ni ochiru machinami hito wa doko made tachimukaeru no
Kasoku suru sono itami kara dareka o kitto mamoreru yo

Looking!
The blitz loop this planet to search way.
Only my RAILGUN can shoot it. ima sugu
Karadajuu o hikari no hayasa de
Kakemegutta tashika na yokan

Tsukame!
Nozomu mono nara nokosazu kagayakeru jibun rashisa de
Shinjiteru yo ano hi no chikai o
Kono hitomi ni hikaru namida sore sae mo tsuyosa ni naru kara

Tachidomaru to sukoshi dake kanjiru setsunasa ni
Tomadou koto nai nante uso wa tsukanai yo

Sora ni mau koin ga egaku houbutsusen ga kimeru unmei
Uchidashita kotae ga kyou mo watashi no mune o kakemeguru

Sparkling!
The shining lights awake true desire.
Only my RAILGUN can shoot it. kanarazu
Tsuranuiteku tomadou koto naku
Kizutsuite mo hashiritsuzukeru

Nerae!
Rin to kirameku shisen wa kuruinaku yami o kirisaku
Mayoi nante fukitobaseba ii
Kono kokoro ga sakebu kagiri dare hitori jama nado sasenai

Hakanaku mau musuu no negai wa
Kono ryoute ni tsumotte yuku
Kirisaku yami ni miete kuru no wa
Omoku fukaku setsunai kioku

Iroaseteku genjitsu ni yureru
Zetsubou ni wa maketaku nai
Watashi ga ima watashi de aru koto
Mune o hatte subete hokoreru

Looking!
The blitz loop this planet to search way.
Only my RAILGUN can shoot it. ima sugu
Karadajuu o hikari no hayasa de
Kakemegutta tashika na yokan

Hanate!
kokoro ni kizanda yume o mirai sae okizari ni shite
Genkai nado shiranai imi nai
Kono chikara ga hikari chirasu sono saki ni haruka na omoi o

Translations

Release it!
The dream engraved in your heart, leave even the future behind!
It knows no limits, they have no meaning
This power blazes with light, and I lay my distant dreams before it

This path that I had walked, if looking back on it
is all I can do, here and now I will take everything down

On a street falling into darkness, how far can people stand and face it?
Surely, you can protect someone from that accelerating suffering

Looking!
The blitz loop this planet to search way.
Only my RAILGUN can shoot it. Right now.
Within my body, at the speed of light
A certain premonition runs

Take it!
If it is something you desire, don’t leave it. Shine as yourself.
I believe in the vow made on that day
Even the shining tears in these eyes, they become my strength

I won’t lie that I’ve never been confused
By the fainlty felt pain of standing still.

Dancing through the air, the coin traces a parabola that decides my fate
Today as always the answer it yields rushes within my chest

Sparkling!
The shining lights awaken true desire.
Only my RAILGUN can shoot it without fail.
I continue through; I’m not lost.
Even when I’m hurt, I keep on running.

Aim!
My cold, glittering gaze cuts the unchaotic darkness.
Hesitation, I’ll just blast it away
My heart shouts as loudly as it can. I won’t let anyone get in my way.

Fluttering fleetingly, these countless wishes
Gather upon these arms
What I came to see in the shredded darkness
is heavy, deep, painful memories.

I tremble in the faded reality.
I don’t want to be defeated by despair.
I will stand tall for the fact that I am here now as myself
I take pride in it all!

Looking!
The blitz loop this planet to search way.
Only my RAILGUN can shoot it. Right now.
Within my body, at the speed of light
A certain premonition runs

Release it!
The dream engraved in your heart, leave even the future behind!
It knows no limits, they have no meaning
This power blazes with light, and I lay my distant dreams before it

Whew! That was longer and tougher than I expected :) I know some of the engrish parts make no sense. It’s pretty hard to tell what exactly is being sung there, so I just took the transcription I saw most often.

Lyrics from Gendou’s Anime Music.
Translation by me referencing Gendou’s Anime Music and subs by Ayako and Mazui.