Toumei Answer

Toumei Answer (透明アンサー Tōmei Ansā) is an album exclusive song and appeared on the Mekakucity Actors and Mekakucity Days albums. It received a music video from Wannyanpoo exclusively on Mekakucity Days.

Background

 * The song tells the story of how Shintaro became a NEET. Years before the start of the story, he was a student with straight A's when he met Ayano in school, who he did not want to get close to, but ended up doing so anyway, due to her persistence to stay by his side. Ayano never was a really good student, her tests often resulting in bad grades, thus considered herself stupid.


 * They eventually entered their first year in high school together. Although she always managed to cheer him up and seemed happy, one day Shintaro found Ayano crying, but did not know how to handle the situation and therefore retreats. The next day he found out she died, when people brought in flowers for her. It was revealed she committed suicide for an unknown reason. Shintaro went up to the roof of the school and found one of the paper cranes that she used to make. The paper crane was a test paper Shintaro got 100 on, as previously shown in the video, which he tore apart. Her death put him in so much shock that he wanted to escape reality and enclosed himself in a digital world, which he did by locking himself in his room and becoming a NEET, ultimately leading him to meet Ene.

Lyrics & Translation
(Unofficial Translation)
 * -|Japanese Lyrics=
 * -|English Translation=

It’s not even bustling And in that kind of everyday I would sit in my seat many times over as if drifting

“So, how about you?” As if trying again The numberless textbook said something

If you mean my results, then Well, I guess they’re fine. Getting a three-digit perfect score on recycled paper

In the seat beside me With an embarrassed smile You took your seat with a low-digit score

Outside the window, I don’t seek anything out Because an answer soon rises up

“If that’s the case, then hey, that’s pretty boring” Saying that, you always seemed to be enjoying yourself

Don’t touch the heart that wants to disappear any more than this Even today, it can’t be seen anywhere on this earth

The alarm that rings out Tells me alone, “You’re a coldhearted guy, huh”

Even if I put together those mysterious answers after so long I’ll still be able to understand them completely somehow “At this rate, even if I die Someone else will just replace me” Just whispering that is foolish

Though these drifting days repeat I get this strange feeling that you’re absent

Well, whatever happens, the test that is returned tomorrow Will probably have a result that hasn’t changed for the better

In that kind of everyday that wasn’t even bustling Somewhere, something may have Already gone amiss

The color of your hair And your smile Someone may already be unable to remember it

“From the window, how is That empty seat reflected”

I thought I had known you, but I had understood not one thing about you

The days that would surely have continued Had I been able to understand even a little more Every time I stop the alarm that rings out, I realize That they’re gone

In the classroom, the heart that wanted to disappear was injured But kept on concealing it and laughed, many times over

You, who jumped off from here and vanished

I won’t forget your smile, not even tomorrow

Trivia

 * The MV shows the students putting a vase of flowers on Ayano's desk after her death. In Japan, if a student passes away, students place flowers on that student's desk.
 * Toumei Answer is a song where an official Niconico Broadcast is not available because the MV was originally meant to be exclusive to the Mekakucity Days album. A person who uploaded the video onto Niconico was posing as Jin and was revealed as a fake later on. To this day, the MV has been uploaded several times, though never by the original producers themselves.
 * It was voted as the #8 Kagerou Project song in the KagePro Song Popularity Ranking 2019.