How was Tiny Light written and produced?
The lyrics to Tiny Lights were written by Shun Aratame to music by Momo and sung by Akari Kito. It was released as the accompanying song B-Side to Akari’s February 2020 release “Desire Again” and came to prominence as the Ending Theme to the anime Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun.
The title track to the Desire Again release was originally intended to be the Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun closing theme. Akiri wasn’t happy with how the song was fitting with the show, so she went back to producers and asked if they could have another go at it. The result was the song Tiny Lights.
Akari had been a fan of the Toilet-Bound franchise for some time, and requested a song from the production team that paralleled the style and essence of the story faithfully. She has said that she attempted to sing the lead vocal part in a “beautiful way that wouldn’t interfere with the action”. During the recording process, however, the production team suggested that she sing in a more “whispering” style. This led to the distinctive style of the song as it was eventually released.
Who is Akari Kito?
Akari Kito is a voice actress turned singer, probably most famous for voicing the child part of the iconid Nezuko Kamado in Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba.
She also voices lead character Yahiro Nene in the anime Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun.
From an early age, Akari was a fan of anime, games, and manga. So it is perhaps no surprise that she entered into this world at a fairly young age. Indeed she had been a member of her high school light music club largely due to the influence of the “K-ON!” anime franchise
She ventured to Tokyo and studied at the Pro Fit Voice Actor Training Center. While still studying there, she got her first break as a voice actor in 2014 playing the role of Maki Aika in Roku Jyo-ma No Shinryakusha !?”
She has continued this association with Pro-Fit. In 2019, she made her major debut as a singer. In the same year she received the Female Voice Actor Award at the Newtype x Machi Asobi Anime Awards.
Themes in Tiny Light Lyrics
The song was purposely written for the show and expresses the complex feelings that exist between Hanako-kun and Nene.
Themes, including closed doors and distant voices, are in line with the tensions that exist between these two characters that have established a deep connection, against all odds, across vastly separate worlds. The words mirror and expand upon the imagery that accompany the closing imagery.
Tiny Light Japanese Lyrics
優しさに触れて
残る温度 消えないまま
「愛しい」と言えたら
心は軽くなるかな
閉ざした扉の向こうで
かすかな声が聞こえてる
踏み出すことさえもできないから
孤独に寄り添ってる
まだこの胸の中 息づいたまま
小さな灯火のような思いを
風に吹かれぬように 雨に濡れないように
ずっと 抱き締めてた
ただ 真っ直ぐなまま願う強さも
泣きだしそうになる脆い自分も
君がいなきゃ知らなかったんだよ
偶然の中で 運命を見つけた
瞳閉じるたび 記憶の海 漂っては
二人夢の跡 面影を探してたんだ
変わらないモノクロの日々に
君が色を添えてくから
滲んだダークさえも いつの間にか
意味を持ち始めてる
まだ この胸の中隠したままの
痛いほど愛おしいこんな思いを
いつか消えてしまう その前に
届けたい人は 君だけなんだ
どんな涙も どんな笑顔も
全ては君のためにあるから
まだこの胸の中 息づいたまま
小さな灯火のような思いを
風に吹かれぬように 雨に濡れないように
ずっと 抱き締めてた
ただ 真っ直ぐなまま願う強さも
泣きだしそうになる脆い自分も
君がいなきゃ知らなかったんだよ
偶然の中で 運命を見つけた
君がいるだけで 世界は変わった
Tiny Light Lyrics Romaji
yasashi sa ni furete
nokoru ondo kienai mama
” itoshī ” to ietara
kokoro wa karuku naru kana
tozashita tobira no mukō de
kasukana koe ga kikoeteru
fumidasu koto sae mo dekinai kara
kodoku ni yorisotteru
mada kono mune no naka ikizuita mama
chīsana tomoshibi no yōna omoi o
kaze ni fukarenu yō ni ame ni nurenai yō ni
zutto dakishimeteta
tada massuguna mama negau tsuyo sa mo
nakidashi sō ni naru moroi jibun mo
kun ga inakya shiranakatta ndayo
gūzen no naka de unmei o mitsuketa
hitomi tojiru tabi kioku no umi tadayotte wa
ni nin yume no ato omokage o sagashiteta nda
kawaranai monokuro no hibi ni
kun ga iro o soetekukara
nijinda dāku sae mo itsunomanika
imi o mochihajimeteru
mada kono mune no naka kakushita mama no
itai hodo ai oshī konna omoi o
itsuka kieteshimau sono mae ni
todoketai hito wa kimi dakena nda
donna namida mo donna egao mo
subete wa kimi no tame ni arukara
mada kono mune no naka ikizuita mama
chīsana tomoshibi no yōna omoi o
kaze ni fukarenu yō ni ame ni nurenai yō ni
zutto dakishimeteta
tada massuguna mama negau tsuyo sa mo
nakidashi sō ni naru moroi jibun mo
kun ga inakya shiranakatta ndayo
gūzen no naka de unmei o mitsuketa
kun ga iru dake de sekai wa kawatta
Tiny Light Lyrics English Translation
Touching kindness
The warmth that was left behind, lingers on still
If I could use the word “beloved”
Would my heart become lighter?
Behind the closed door
I can hear a faint voice
Because it can’t so much as take the first step,
It embraces loneliness
And within this breast of mine, panting still
I hold a feeling like a burning light
I shield it from the wind and the rain
Holding it close, always
The strength of honest yearning
The tender self that is brought to the brink of tears
If not for you, these are things I would not have known.
Within coincidence, I found destiny
Each time I closed my eyes, afloat on the ocean of memory,
I followed the tracks, and searched for the vestiges of our dreams
Because you take my monochrome days
And give them color
Before I even know it, even the oozing darkness
Begins to take on meaning
Still hidden in my breast
Is a loving-to-the-point-of-pain
One day, it will falter. Before it does
It’s you alone I want to deliver it to
Because all the tears, all the smiles
All of these are for you
And within this breast of mine, panting still
I hold a feeling like a burning light
I shield it from the wind and the rain
Holding it close, always
The strength of honest yearning
The tender self that is brought to the brink of tears
If not for you, these are things I would not have known.
Within coincidence, I found my destiny
And just because you’re there, the world is changed.
Tiny Light Lyrics English & Japanese Line By Line
優しさに触れて
Touching kindness
残る温度 消えないまま
The warmth that was left behind, lingers on still
「愛しい」と言えたら
If I could use the word “beloved”
心は軽くなるかな
Would my heart become lighter?
閉ざした扉の向こうで
Behind the closed door
かすかな声が聞こえてる
I can hear a faint voice
踏み出すことさえもできないから
Because it can’t so much as take the first step,
孤独に寄り添ってる
It embraces loneliness
まだこの胸の中 息づいたまま
And within this breast of mine, panting still
小さな灯火のような思いを
I hold a feeling like a burning light
風に吹かれぬように 雨に濡れないように
I shield it from the wind and the rain
ずっと 抱き締めてた
Holding it close, always
ただ 真っ直ぐなまま願う強さも
The strength of honest yearning
泣きだしそうになる脆い自分も
The tender self that is brought to the brink of tears
君がいなきゃ知らなかったんだよ
If not for you, these are things I would not have known.
偶然の中で 運命を見つけた
Within coincidence, I found destiny
瞳閉じるたび 記憶の海 漂っては
Each time I closed my eyes, afloat on the ocean of memory,
二人夢の跡 面影を探してたんだ
I followed the tracks, and searched for the vestiges of our dreams
変わらないモノクロの日々に
Because you take my monochrome days
君が色を添えてくから
And give them color
滲んだダークさえも いつの間にか
Before I even know it, even the oozing darkness
意味を持ち始めてる
Begins to take on meaning
まだ この胸の中隠したままの
Still hidden in my breast
痛いほど愛おしいこんな思いを
Is a loving-to-the-point-of-pain
いつか消えてしまう その前に
One day, it will falter. Before it does
届けたい人は 君だけなんだ
It’s you alone I want to deliver it to
どんな涙も どんな笑顔も
Because all the tears, all the smiles
全ては君のためにあるから
All of these are for you
君がいるだけで 世界は変わった
まだこの胸の中 息づいたまま
And within this breast of mine, panting still
小さな灯火のような思いを
I hold a feeling like a burning light
風に吹かれぬように 雨に濡れないように
I shield it from the wind and the rain
ずっと 抱き締めてた
Holding it close, always
ただ 真っ直ぐなまま願う強さも
The strength of honest yearning
泣きだしそうになる脆い自分も
The tender self that is brought to the brink of tears
君がいなきゃ知らなかったんだよ
If not for you, these are things I would not have known.
偶然の中で 運命を見つけた
Within coincidence, I found my destiny
君がいるだけで 世界は変わった
And just because you’re there, the world is changed.See our list of Japanese Song Lyrics, including translations for anime ai wo tsuetai da to ka lyrics, hoshi to hana lyrics and blood, sweat and tears lyrics.