Today’s analysis is that of SuG’s most recent single, “SweeToxic”, released in September of 2012. The official channel on YouTube, “SuG SuG”, was only created this past year and has earned over 1 million video views, as well as over nine-thousand [insert “OVER 9000” jokes here] subscribers and it a clear indication that this band’s popularity soared in a very small amount of time. The amount of publicity that one can achieve through the Internet, in such a short amount of time, still amazes me.
I will be honest; before listening to this song and watching the PV, I have never really listened to SuG. At least, not that I know of; I could have heard them on AnimeNFORadio but I am unsure. Also, due to the past holiday enjoyment (as well as working extra hours); I was unable to give this song a proper translation so I just did bits of pieces of it here and there.
I began my analysis by simply listening to the song. I opened it on YouTube and minimized the window. I wanted to be able to just listen to the song without having the distraction of visual stimulus so I could get a good feel for the song. I do like the sound of the music and it is definitely something that you could dance along with due to its upbeat nature. But as I listened, I could not shake the feeling that there was something more to this song lying underneath the exterior.
Now, please understand that I am by no means fluent in Japanese. I can understand some, bits and pieces here and there, and I have more than enough resources on my disposal to translate written text (no, not Google translate), but when it comes to music I find it very easy to understand what is being said, without understanding what it being said; if that makes any sense. I apologize if it does not.
“SweeToxic” is not a happy song. I know that it comes across as cheery with the upbeat sound, but I for one can hear a sense of uncertainty and remorse in the singer’s voice. By throwing in somewhat broken English, which can be a bit jarring and distracting to the ear, the band is not only doing something which most Japanese (who do not speak English) may find as cool but they are also reaching out to English-speaking fans. The incorporation of (what sounds like) dub-step around 2:57 into the song shows that something has clearly gone awry. The music went from an upbeat sounding tune to something a little more sinister. The lyrics also signify this through an almost whispered singing and by saying things such as “trust me baby”. I cannot help but shake this feeling that this song is very bittersweet.
My feelings were confirmed when I finally watched the PV via YouTube. Now, I can’t really say that I “like” this song but I do not “dislike” it either. If fact, it is rather emotional for me. From I gather from both listening to the song and watching the PV, SuG takes something “sweet” such as a first crush and shows that even something so innocent can easily be turned into something dangerous and “toxic”. One of the first things that stood out to me in this video is the pink bear in the background. SuG was very clever here. They took something innocent, this sweet pink teddy bear and put bondage straps on it, complete with the letters “S” and “M” on its feet (depicting Sadomasochism – the giving and/or receiving of sexual pleasure through the use of pain or humiliation).
Poor teddy. :(
But they did not stop there; the bear is also BLIND (as well as bound) like the girl who is in chains and blindfolded. One other thing I must point out; the bear’s neck has been cut. Just pause the video and go look; the poor thing’s stuffing is coming out. Now you can understand why I get a “creeper-vibe” from watching this video. It’s subtle, but it is there.
I cannot go into deep thorough analysis of the lyrics (since I was not able to give it a proper translation) but I can tell you that when the first verse likens an individual’s first experience of love as teetering on a tightrope, it is clear that social skills and interaction with other human beings is an area that the character is inexperienced (please see Gaijin Goomba’s episode on Dating Sims and Synthetic Relationships for any clarification). By just using the broken English found in the lyrics, one can definitely see that this is a song about a relationship in which one member (the predator) gets enjoyment from Sadomasochism and the other is trapped, they are the prey and they are drawn to the predator due to being blinded by what they perceive to be Love. For example:
“噛み痕のTATTOO新しいのが欲しいの?”
From my limited Japanese, the predator is asking his prey if they want a new “tattoo” with the Sadomasochist’s idea of a tattoo being an imprint of a bite mark on one’s flesh. Again, this is not a happy song. This song speaks of a dangerous relationship formed out of blindness and the unhealthy obsession of another person. The main chorus describes this relationship as a child’s game of Hide and Seek but as a maze with no exits and resulting in both physical and mental anguish.
Much like many in the West believe in the idea of Soul Mates, two people destined to be together, the East also share a similar belief; the Unmei no akai ito (運命の赤い糸– The Red String of Fate). This red string is said to connect two people together, regardless of place, time, and individual circumstances. The string is found in multiple places in the video; on Takeru’s hat/head, in the form of chains binding the young women, as well as in the background behind Takeru as he dances and sits on the couch.
Go ahead and squeal at the pretty if you feel the need to.
This is a twisted idea of the beloved red string. While not actually connecting two people together, one is attempting to force them to be destined for one another by fastening the other in place with a red chain.
I’ve been racking my brain looking for some significance of the zipper accessory under the singer’s eye and while it may just be something to look and fashionable on his pretty little face, I see it as something more. Perhaps the unzipping of the eye is significant and suggests his growing understanding of the situation; his eyes are being opened to the truth of things. I suggest this due to the very last scene where he looks up, startled, almost as if he were sleeping.
Did I leave the gas on?
Again, this illustrates how lust and obsession can and will turn something sweet and innocent into something toxic and dangerous. It is as if the entire obsession put him in daze, a state in which he could
no longer tell reality and fantasy apart. Perhaps the entire scenario was just the character’s subconscious mind imagining that they finally nabbed the one they desire and forced them to stay with them by binding them and the last scene is their realization that it never happened.
I know that I am not the only viewer who sees this. But I can’t help but feel a little sad when out of the nearly one-thousand comments made on this video I can find only one that states “this song doesn’t mean what you think it means/the message is not clearly conveyed to everyone” (at least something to that effect) and then everything else is just swooning. I am fine with swooning over the band that you adore but please, PLEASE do some research into the song’s true meaning and do not just blindly listen. I do like this song because my very first relationship was very bittersweet and I can’t help but connect with the situation shown. While I was not bound against my will, I did endure being mentally harassed by the other through put-downs and other hurtful commentary.
The performance by the band, I think, could have been improved upon. I feel like quick cuts and jarring movements steals from the song’s intended meaning; turning something that was meant to be taken seriously into something overly silly and joke-worthy. To the untrained eye and mind, it is a fun song but to others, it is very melancholy. Does this make this a bad song? No, it does not. If fact I think that the band did and great job conveying the point even though it fell upon the deaf ears and eyes of the masses (no offense to anyone, I love you all!).
By Akiterra
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