Believe me, this is the right way...
Oh hi. I'm back. It was a great pleasure to talk about the lullaby song sung by Columbina, the former Third Harbinger of the Fatui. That song isn't just a song with beautiful, delicate music that is accompanied by soft, reverberating vocals; it is a part of the masterpiece of storytelling in the Nod Krai Archon Quest, which has been part of the version where the developer's aim is to bring the majority of the players up to date with the important lore in the game.
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| Columbina...Oh, Columbina... |
A lot of important lore is hidden in multiple in-game item descriptions, in-game books, in-game notes in the open world, and within open-world quests. Unfortunately, many people lead busy lives and don't have time to do their own research, leaving room for ambiguous speculation that doesn't help the game and creates chaos. It's great that the devs brought the previously "hidden" in-game lore to the surface via the Nod Krai Archon quest.
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| Columbina!!!!! |
Ah, I wrote too much here. I didn't ask Gemini to generate this part for me, but only to write a general one for my previous post on that lullaby. This time, I asked Gemini to specifically write out an introductory jump break page. Most of them are not to my taste, so I decided to take a few of those that I feel aren't hallucinations and aren't too formal. Anyway, for this blog post, we shift our gaze from Teyvat, with Columbina's beautiful singing in the Silvermoon Hall, to the Bang Dream stage, with Roselia's passionate, burning, uncompromising stage performance. If Columbina's theme is a lullaby that signals her sacrifice and eventual rebirth, gaining Teyvat's tri-lunar authority and defeating Dottore, who became the false lunar god, our next focus is a manifesto of Roselia's strength and tenacity throughout the series.
WARNING:-
Although this post is just me talking about a certain anime/game song, there might be SPOILERS from the anime/game. If you plan to watch the anime without any spoilers, you can continue reading or move on.
P.S. If you want to be spoiled, well, go ahead and read it; you HAVE been warned.
Introduction
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| Neo-Aspect |
Neo-Aspect is a song by Roselia, written by Oda Asuka, and composed and arranged by Fujinaga Ryutaro. Both composers are from the group Elements Garden. As for Roselia, this is a 5-member girl band under the BanG Dream! franchise. Their songs are mostly rock, or, as per Wikipedia, alternative rock.
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| Anfang |
The song was first released on May 2, 2018, on their 1st album, Anfang. The remastered version was then released as one of the coupling tracks for Roselia's 6th single, R. The remastered version was released after Endo Yurika retired for health reasons and was replaced by Nakashima Yuki. Then I realised there is a THIRD VERSION. Wait WHAT?! Anyway, this third version is on Roselia's 2nd album, Wahl, released on July 15, 2020. Apparently, this version features Shizaki Kanon instead of Akesaka Satomi, who has hearing-related health issues. Imma be honest. I'm unable to discern any difference between the original and remastered versions, so I'll probably have the same issue with the Wahl version.
As for whether this song is in the anime, well, it is in the BanG Dream! special. animation. Episode of Roselia Ⅰ: Promise. And of course, BanG Dream, as a multimedia franchise, has this song in its mobile games too. I played this game before, but sadly, because of my phone specs, circumstances, and having too many games to juggle, I ultimately had to end my journey with the BanG Dream mobile game. Anyway, let's move on from here.
Lyrics
Original
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| Moments from the anime |
Romaji
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| Early image of Roselia...I think. |
English Translation
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| Gathering time!!! |
Chinese Translation
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| Another image of Roselia |
Malay Translation
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| Roselia once again! |
Note: Thanks to Gemini for this.
Commentary
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| Roselia! |
This song is unique because it reflects both Roselia's Band Story 2 in the Bandori mobile game and the anime movie episode Roselia I: Promise. Just as Gemini said that this song is the definitive "rebirth" song for Roselia, this post should reflect Roselia's shift from their cold, perfectionist roots to their unified, unstoppable "New Aspect" and thus, "Neo Aspect".
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| Unpleasant moment |
While the song's 1st stanza sings of the reason this song was born, out of the charm of this wonderful life, the song later describes the "graying" and stagnation of Yukina's world during the time when the band is in a state of stagnant perfection. The second stanza's brief moment of only soft piano playing in the background truly and exceptionally expresses the pain of losing that spark despite all the struggles, just like how Yukina tries to find that spark despite the stagnation:
灯りは何処へ消えた？ 手繰り寄せるように
伸ばす手は何も掴めないまま
Although the song returns to the usual Roselia-heavy electronic synth and clockwork rhythm, it still expresses the loss of the spark that brought her to form Roselia. Her world is becoming grey, cold, stagnant, and lifeless, just as in the next part of the 2nd stanza:
息継ぎも上手くできず
冷えた唇 黙り込む
The song initially expresses the fear of losing that spark, like her father did during his band days, which led to its disbandment. It captures the feeling of being trapped by one's own pride and the fear of being "crushed by emotions."
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| That moment when they started clicking again |
The song then shifts to a warmer tone, suggesting they have found a new passion that keeps them moving again. The song consistently shifts between colder and warmer tones, describing their struggles to regain the spark and inspiration needed to take the band to the next level.
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| Good moments... |
Also, as I delved into the connection between the song, the game itself, and the anime special adapted from the in-game event with Gemini, I found some interesting things I didn't know. Here, I'll just copy and paste what it said. I will leave it to you to decide whether it's true.
1. Connection to the In-Game Story (Band Story Chapter 2)
The song is the literal resolution to the "Neo-Aspect" event in the mobile game.
The "Gray World": In the story, the band is in a state of stagnant perfection. They are winning, but they feel nothing. Yukina describes her world as having turned "gray." The verses of the song, with their tense, electronic-industrial beat, mirror this suffocating atmosphere where they are "pretending not to hear" their own hearts.
The "Keyboard Bridge": The story's emotional climax occurs when Rinko plays a solitary melody on her keyboard, cutting through the silence. In the game's lore, this is the very melody that becomes the bridge of the song. It is the "voice" that touches the "hidden side of the heart," signalling the members to return to each other.
"I Hold Your Hand": This isn't just a metaphor. In the story, Lisa and the others have to physically and emotionally "reach out" to Yukina, who had retreated into her shell of pride. The lyrics directly respond to that vulnerability—admitting they need each other to "stay alive."
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| That moment from the game story... |
2. Connection to Episode of Roselia I: Promise
The movie retells this struggle with high-budget visual storytelling, focusing heavily on the "Promise" made to reach the peak of the music world.
Visual Symbolism of the Gears: In the movie, Neo-Aspect's performance uses clockwork and gear motifs. Earlier in the film, Roselia's "gears" grind and break under Yukina's intense pressure. The song shows the moment the gears finally click into place.
The Blue Flame: During the movie's performance, the lighting shifts to a deep, intense blue. This symbolises that Roselia's passion isn't a chaotic red fire, but a focused, burning "blue flame" of conviction.
The Look of Trust: During the performance in Promise, the animation emphasises Yukina actually looking at her bandmates—Sayo, Lisa, Ako, and Rinko—rather than just staring into the distance. This visualises the lyric "I want to feel all of you so strongly."
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| Looking at the new lyrics |
3. Commentary on the "New Form" (Arata na Sugata)
The title "Neo-Aspect" refers to a "New Sight" or "New Side."
The Pride Shift: Roselia is famous for being "Proud," but this song redefines what that means. They are no longer proud of being "better than others"; they are proud of the "New Form" they have built together.
The "Stay Alive" Refrain: The repetition of "Stay alive" acts as a heartbeat. It signifies that the band was previously "dead" (emotionally stagnant) and has finally been resuscitated by their shared bond. It is a raw, rare moment of vulnerability for a band that usually keeps its guard up.
OK, back to me. Well, the message is pretty clear to me that this song also serves as a signal of their turning point for Roselia as a whole, their rebirth, as it were. Gemini said we must view it as the bridge between the "old" Roselia— driven by cold, individual perfection — and the "new" Roselia—driven by mutual trust — to understand this song. I agree, given the song's circumstances and lyrics. I will just end with this quote from Gemini:
In both the game and the Promise movie, Neo-Aspect serves as a manifesto. It is the moment the 'Blue Rose' stopped being a cold, lonely ornament and became a living, breathing entity. The song proves that for Roselia, reaching the top isn't just about technical skill—it's about the conviction to hold each other's hands through the darkness.
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| The concert as shown in the anime |
Conclusion
Oh, you reached here? Well, I decided to write a blog post about this song because of this cover of Risu and Iofi. My favourite Hololive ID VTuber is Iofi. I like Risu's singing as opposed to her "psychopath" squirrel image. As for Iofi, she cute, I like, that's it. Her singing is also good though, not gonna lie. I wish that she is gonna be performing at Comic Fiesta in Malaysia this year. Otherwise, I will just go to Comic Fiesta this year to relax after a long year.
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| KAWAIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
Well, that's the end. I'd really love to write more, but with a lot of stuff in life taking up my time, I have decided to put blogging aside and chill out. Even with AI, it is still hard to get it out fast enough because I refuse to just publish what AI writes. Sorry. So, I hope that you enjoy reading and browsing this blog. Before we end this, I will just quote what Gemini gave me:
Neo-Aspect is more than a gothic rock track; it is the sound of a clockwork heart finally beating in sync. It captures the painful but necessary transition from individual perfection to collective strength, proving that even the proudest rose needs a garden to bloom.
So, yeah, I feel that it makes loads of sense for the song. Oh, also, I just realised I haven't talked about the anime related to this song, Episode of Roselia. It's nothing much, to be honest. But at this point, I no longer have the time and energy to blog. Probably will get back to it once the circumstances are right. Anyway, goodbye, and God bless you!
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