ใƒฉใƒ“ใƒชใƒณใ‚น โ€” labyrinth / maze

ใƒฉใƒ“ใƒชใƒณใ‚น means โ€œlabyrinthโ€ or โ€œmaze,โ€ a dramatic loanword that evokes mystery, confusion, and being unable to find your way out.

In the song, the narrator says he has been drawn into a ใƒฉใƒ“ใƒชใƒณใ‚น by the womanโ€™s playful gestures, using the maze as a metaphor for their complicated and irresistible relationship.

Janne Da Arc's "Lunatic Gate" is a song about a man who knows exactly what this relationship is and still can't walk away. He opens on her eyes, "ๅ†ทใ‚ใŸๅ›ใฎ็žณ" (your cold eyes), which he says are "็›ธๅค‰ใ‚ใ‚‰ใš็„กๆฉŸ่ณชใชๅฎ็ŸณใฟใŸใ„" (as always, like an inorganic jewel). She looks down on men, yet she's very good at ไธŠ็›ฎไฝฟใ„ (glancing up through her lashes, the cute upward look). When he starts talking about "ๅƒ•ใฎๅฝผๅฅณ๏ฝž" (my girlfriend...), she pretends not to hear and "ๅƒ•ใฎๅฃๅ”‡ใซใ‹ใฟใคใ„ใฆๆฅใ‚‹" (bites at my lips). So he's not exactly faithful either. His big promise is to take her to the "Lunatic Gate" and "ไฝ•ใ‹้š ใ—ใฆใ‚‹ใใฎๆ‰‰ ้–‹ใ„ใฆใฟใ›ใฆ" (open that door you're hiding something behind). The gift scene is blunt and a bit much: he buys her a low-cut dress not "็€ใ›ใŸใ„ใ‹ใ‚‰" (because I want you to wear it) but because he wants to take it off her.

Then it turns. Seeing her outside in daylight throws him: "ๆš—้—‡ใ‚ˆใ‚Š ๅคช้™ฝใฎไธ‹ใฎๆ–นใŒ ไผผๅˆใ„ใ™ใŽใฆใ‚‹ๅ›ใ‚’ ่ฆ‹ใคใ‚ใ‚‰ใ‚Œใชใ„ใฎใฏใชใœ?" (why can't I look at you, when you suit the sunlight far more than the dark?). He feels led into a ใƒฉใƒ“ใƒชใƒณใ‚น (labyrinth) and steered by her "ใ„ใŸใšใ‚‰ใช" (mischievous) little gestures. She wakes up in his arms knowing it's a "ใคใ‹ใฟๆ‰€ใฎใชใ„้–ขไฟ‚" (a relationship with nothing to hold on to), and he spots "ไนพใ„ใŸๆถ™ใฎ่ทก" (traces of dried tears) under her forced smile. His line "ใ†ใพใๅ˜˜ใ‚’ใคใ„ใฆ" (lie better) is cold, and it's the best moment in the song, because he admits right after that he used to prefer nights alone and now finds himself "ๅ›ใฎๆ„Ÿ่งฆใ‚’ใ•ใŒใ—ใฆใŸ" (searching for the feel of you).

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