Rainbow「Revival/16」English Translation
(This is a translation of a story from Ansamburu Stars.)
- Rainbow
【Revival/16】
narration
- ……Does such a person really exist? I can't believe it. Sounds like an exaggerated legend.
hokuto
- I knew it would happen. Some of the rumors about him won't be true.
jin
- Only those who lived during that time can tell you how it really was.
jin
- Anyway, well, it's like a myth that I don't know if it's a historical fact or not.
jin
- The person actually existed and had a strong influence even after his death.
jin
- He was also an idol for a long time, and even after his retirement he remained a powerhouse, controlling the industry from behind the scenes.
jin
- It's an urban legend, but it seems he was still alive when I was active, and he ruled not only the idol industry, but also many other fields.
jin
- In other words, they are the originators and godfathers of the industry. Don't young kids today know about those old movies?
jin
- ……I have heard his story. It was often gossiped about in social gatherings. It seems he had a strong influence in the business world.
tori
- Yeah. I think your story and times are right. When Sagami sensei was active, that was about 10 years ago, right?
tori
- Yeah. I retired at a little over 20, so I guess that's about it.
jin
- I was pretty skeptical too, but maybe it really existed. Such an extraordinary person.
jin
- Anyway, it was the dawn of time. It's the root of the idol industry today.
jin
- The biblical analogy is Genesis. God first proclaimed, "Let there be light"
jin
- "Let There Be Idol"……? This person had a paranoid love of idols.
jin
- They did everything they could to raise the status of idols and expand their sphere of control, even if only a little, and to make them recognized and sought after by the public.
jin
- ……He seems to be Eichisama.
tori
- Hmm? What did you say? Himemiya.
tori
- Oh, no....... That person is dead, isn't he? Then it doesn't really matter to us now, does it?
tori
- That's not so. It seems that the person's power and wealth was divided up and passed down from place to place, and that is the foundation of the industry today.
jin
- There were many who were like successors to that god-like great idol's status as an idol.
jin
- There were rumors that "SS" was an event to find people to fill the position of successor.
jin
- It has been ever since that person was alive. They say that person has been searching for the right person to take over his position.
jin
- Well, now "SS" is just a fancy annual festival.
jin
- ……Hey. Don't say anything to discourage me from going to "SS" from now on.
hokuto
- Well, "SS" is and always has been the biggest festival for the idol industry, and although it has lost some of its significance, the value of the event itself has not decreased.
jin
- The number of fans looking forward to it has definitely increased since the time the person in question was active.
jin
- If it makes the fans happy, it is justice for the idol.
jin
- Hm. Well, that's true.
hokuto
- Yeah. Anyway, that person, the primal super idol, has retired and disappeared from the public eye.
jin
- But then, they used more power than necessary from behind the scenes to control everything.
jin
- Then we need someone to take that person's place on the stage.
jin
- We needed a representative of the industry that everyone would think of as 'when it comes to idols.
jin
- In other words, who will be the next super idol.
jin
- So after the person in question disappeared from the stage, a super idol was set up, one for each era, with a succession of replacements.
jin
- With the backing of a certain someone behind the scenes, super idols have shone as the sun of the industry for generations.
jin
- It has been loved by the fans, who have changed with the times, pleasing them all the same.
jin
- Such happy times lasted quite a long time.
jin
- The days of just one super idol, rising high above the horizon and sinking back down again, have piled up over and over again
jin
- It was never always successful. Every super idol for generations has been an outstanding person worthy of the name, but the super idol in question was so great that no one was able to replace him for long.
jin
- They say there were dangerous times when they had to replace each other in less than a year
jin
- ……I kind of feel like I'm taking a history about the Roman Empire or some other ancient dynasty.
chiaki
- Ah. I think that image is correct.
jin
- It's like a god-like being created an empire, and an emperor who was given a position by the god ruled in each era.
jin
- The theory of royal theocracy has been a policy since the late imperial period, right? ……Well, I see your point.
hokuto
- Heh. If it's anything like the Roman Empire, it's going to collapse someday, after a policy of stupidity.
tori
- Yeah. Actually, it will, but we'll get to that later.
jin
- Anyway, such is the history that the idol industry has gone through. There were good times and bad times.
jin
- A prime example of a good time is the time of Hidaka's father.
jin
- ...... my father?
hokuto
- Why do you look like a jerk every time the subject of parents comes up? Your dad is a great man. You should respect him more.
jin
- ……I respect my father. In a way. At a minimum.
hokuto
- Haha. It sounds like the Hidaka's are having a hard time with their only son's rebellion.
jin
- Anyway, it is a historical fact that your father was one of the top idols of his time.
jin
- Yeah. So I'm in trouble. My parents' fame is too big for my ears.
hokuto
- You've been saying some strange and witty things lately, haven't you?
jin
- Oh well. During your father's reign, there were no major problems in the idol industry.
jin
- The development was going well, the people were enjoying happiness, and everything was shining brightly.
jin
- Until "a certain someone" came along, generations of super idols were doing pretty well there.
jin
- At least there was no way the whole industry could have tipped over.
jin
- That's how it works, and that's how our primitive super idol created it.
jin
- But times changed so rapidly that no matter how hard that person or generations of super idols tried, they could not keep up
jin
- The world situation is changing by the minute, and the development of technology in the media field alone has been so remarkable that the system created by a great genius is now riddled with cracks here and there.
jin
- At that time, the incident of "That Akehoshi" happened.
jin
- Oh....... I knew that a certain person was
hokuto
- mean that Akehoshi
chiaki
- Huh? Huh? What is "that akehoshi"? Who is he? Akehoshi is that useless, noisy, depressing Trickstar guy, right?
tori
- Not that way. Not unrelated, but ....... Well, don't pursue it too deeply. It's in the past.
chiaki
- ……?
tori
- Yeah. Anyway, at the same time that person met a tragic end, the idol industry plunged into the dark ages.
jin
- No matter what I do, it doesn't work. The world has lost interest and it's a dark and cold time that no one in the industry wants to remember
jin
- So, the glorious era of super idols will come to an end.
jin
- The golden age of idols is now only written about in myths or history books.
jin
- And even now, the winter season is not over. A lot of time has passed since the incident, the generation is slowly changing, and although everyone is forgetting, the system that has supported the idol industry has completely collapsed, and now it is just barely surviving in a dying state.
jin