Recently, a song titled "Otonoke" by Creepy Nuts has become famous in Japan.

This song was specially composed as the theme for the anime and manga series, Dandadan, which might explain why the artists repeatedly chant the title at the beginning. In the past, it was common for theme songs of works to be unrelated to the content of the work itself, but now artists have emerged who incorporate the title of the work into their songs.

Additionally, a metal cover by LittleVMills has been produced.

Since Creepy Nuts are rappers, their songs use fast-paced and complex Japanese, making them quite difficult for even native speakers to sing without significant practice. Yet, he sing fluently and emotionally, which I respect.

There is also a slightly Americanized video????

However, I feel that interpreting these lyrics can be somewhat challenging for non-Japanese audiences for two reasons. First, as rappers, they prioritize rhythm and sound over the ease of interpreting the lyrics. I've struggled similarly when translating American songs with complex, rhyme-focused lyrics, and Creepy Nuts shares this trait. The second reason is that the lyrics often reference Japanese horror movies and stories posted on "Sharekowa" (洒落怖; short for "Shareninaranai hodo Kowai Hanashi"), the Japanese version of Creepypasta. For example, if a song incorporated stories about Jeff the Killer or Slender Man from Creepypasta, it would be difficult for non-Americans to translate unless they were familiar with these tales. The same phenomenon is at play in "Otonoke."

I am personally fond of Creepypasta (especially Jeff the Killer), followed closely by SCP, but I also have a strong appreciation for Japanese Sharekowa, which makes me particularly fond of these lyrics. There is already an English translation of these lyrics on YouTube, so instead of translating them here, I would like to explain parts of the lyrics that require background knowledge for interpretation.

くわばら くわばら くわばら (Kuwabara, Kuwabara, Kuwabara)

The phrase "Kuwabara" is an old, mysterious expression used to invoke protection from supernatural occurrences. It is said to be similar in meaning to "knock on wood" or "touch wood" in English.

貞ちゃん伽椰ちゃん (Sada-chan and Kaya-chan)

"Sada-chan" refers to Sadako, and "Kaya-chan" to Kayako - both are well-known female ghosts in Japanese movies. The "chan" suffix is used affectionately. Creepy Nuts seems to have irreverently referred to the girls with a friendly "chan".

御祈祷中に何だが4時44分まわったら (Sorry to interrupt your prayers, but when 4:44 rolls around; go kitō chū ni nan da ga yo-ji yonjūyon-pun mawattara)

In Japan, the number 4 is avoided because its pronunciation ("shi") is the same as that for "death." Similarly, the number 9, which shares a pronunciation with "struggle" or "suffering," is disliked. Consequently, some horror stories feature rituals that take place at 4:44, leading to supernatural phenomena.

四尺四寸四分様がカミナッチャ bang around, hey (4 foot 4 sun 4 bu tall ("sun" and "bu" are both unique Japanese units), coming at you, bang around; yon-shaku yon-sun yon-bu-sama ga kaminatccha)

It’s difficult to discern from the lyrics alone, but this is derived from the Japanese Sharekowa story of "Hasshaku-sama" (八尺様; 8-foot-tall lady). Hasshaku-sama is a monstrous being that appears as an exceptionally tall woman with black hair wearing a white dress. Her appearance is somewhat similar to the Creepypasta character Slender Man, although the story differs slightly. The plot follows a boy visiting the countryside who catches the attention of Hasshaku-sama and is almost abducted. However, through the protective magic performed by his relatives living in the countryside, the boy's presence is concealed from her, allowing him to narrowly escape. The original story is quite long, but if you happen to find an English translation, I recommend reading it when you have time. I personally find Hasshaku-sama fascinating.

What makes the lyrics confusing is that instead of referring to "8 foot," they mention "4 foot." While Hasshaku-sama is well-known, I am unfamiliar with a creature called "Yonshaku-yonsun-yonbu-sama" (四尺四寸四分様). It is likely an original creation by Creepy Nuts. But it sounds more evil because it is composed of the number 4, which the Japanese hate.

呼ぶ声がしたんなら 文字通り お憑かれさまやん (If you hear a voice calling, you’re “literally” haunted all around; yobu koe ga shita n' nara mojidōri o tsu kare sama yan)

You may not understand what that means. In Japanese, there is a phrase "otsukare sama (おつかれさま; good job)" to thank someone for their work. And there is a horror story called "お憑つかれさま" where the phrase is misspelled with "憑" meaning "to be possessed."

This story takes the form of a text posted by someone on an online bulletin board as a "method for becoming happy." The text shows you, the reader, a certain photo, has you recite a curse word aloud under the guise of a "lucky charm," and has you perform a ritual to summon evil spirits under the guise of a "lucky gesture." After you complete the final ritual, the text ends with the words "otsukare-sama (thank you for your effort)". Many people assume that this phrase means "Thank you for your efforts," but some readers realize that it actually means "You are now possessed!"

But you don't have to understand this, because it's a very Japanese play on words, and even the English translator seems to have given up on translating this part literally and concentrated on extracting the meaning. 

ハイレタハイレタハイレタハイレタハイレタ (I’m inside, I’m inside, I’m inside, I’m inside, I’m inside; haireta haireta haireta haireta haireta)

The repeated phrase "I’m in (ハイレタ; haireta)" is from a famous line uttered by "Yamanoke (ヤマノケ)," a creature in Sharekowa stories. The title "Otonoke" likely draws inspiration from "Yamanoke" due to the similarity in sound.

The story is that a father and his young daughter are driving through the mountains when they encounter a strange white creature with its face where its chest should be. The father shields his daughter, but the creature comes closer, sticking to the car window and staring at the girl. He waits patiently for the monster to move away from the car, but suddenly the daughter starts clapping and shouting, "I'm in! I'm in! (ハイレタハイレタ)" repeatedly. After that, he leaves his daughter at the temple for purification, but the story ends with the father saying that he is still not sure if his daughter has regained her sanity.

Also, please be careful when searching for "Yamanoke (ヤマノケ)" as it may lead to scary images of the creature.

This concludes the article. Thank you for reading to the end.

I am still unsure whether explaining lyrics from Japanese anime songs is needed on Newgrounds, but I will continue to share what I know about Japanese alongside my main focus on English studies.