World Hit Festival | Corola 70 | AS1 | IC Thread

[Achaean Republic]

(After the countdown has passed…)

P.P. GALORE All the votes have been tallied by the new Overseer of the World Hit Festival, Rosariana native Tamar de Andrade!

MANNAMA: Yes, erm… And now, we reveal the votes for each of the countries competing in this edition. All of them are waiting to get those famous cinc points—or you know, five points if you don’t speak French. Are you ready? (The crowd roars with anticipation.)

P.P. GALORE Then let’s begin with our first country…

[Achaean Republic]

P.P. GALORE Hi, Elejamie! Buenas noches, Lucía! How are you doing? Can we please have the votes?

LUCÍA BELTRÁN: ¡Buenas noches Corola! Soy Lucía Beltrán con los puntos del jurado elejamiano. Ha sido un concurso brillante incluso con menos números que la última vez, pero sólo puede haber un cinco punteros. ¿Quién será? The five points go to..."

HARUHATA!



Gracias por un buen programa, que tengan una buena noche.

[Achaean Republic]

MANNAMA: Haruhata is up next! Hi! What are your votes, please? See? I can be nice, too!

YUZURU AKAYAMA: こんばんはアケイア！私は紅山弓弦です、ここと遙畠のポイントがあります！今夜はとてもおもしろいね、だからみんなさんがよくみんなさ！今、私たちのポイント出します。(Good evening Akeia! I'm Yuzuru Kureyama, here's the point of Harukahata! It's going to be a lot of fun tonight, so good luck everyone! We now give our points.)

MANNAMA: Erm…and the five points go to…

ELEJAMIE!

[Achaean Republic]

P.P. GALORE Up next, we have Carrelie! Welcome! Buenas noches!

SYLVIA KNUDSEN: Good evening Achaea, bonsoir! This is Dansig calling with the 5 points of the Carrelian jury. Tonight has been an amazing show, and we can't wait to see who will win! Without further ado, our 5 points go to...

HARUHATA!



Thank you very much!

[Achaean Republic]

MANNAMA: Look at that! It’s my baby, Lewis from Malta Comino Gozo! Love you, bend my pussy when I get home!

LEWIS SARRUCINO: Hello Corola! It's me Lewis Sarucino! Good Evening WHF and Hello to my gf Manama how you doing, darling?! It's an honour to be here and present the points for Malta Comino Gozo. Gracias Achaean Rep for a fantastic show! So here we go... MCG's five points go to...

HARUHATA!



Thanks and good luck!

[Achaean Republic]

P.P. GALORE: We’re already halfway there! I can’t wait to see the result! Coming from Lushansk…

MANNAMA: Uh…I think they weren’t able to log on to the feed.

P.P. GALORE: Well… I guess we can say that those five points go to…

HARUHATA!

[Achaean Republic]

MANNAMA: Beepee! Looking good and queer, as usual! You can bend my pussy too, if you’d like—

P.P. GALORE: Francheska! Shush!

NICK O’TYME: Hi Everybody! It's the points from Beepee...

ACHAEAN REPUBLIC!

[Achaean Republic]

P.P. GALORE: Ealdracaland is up next! Hi! Can we please have your votes?

ZORRO LEDWICK: (As is tradition in Ealdracaland, our people always introduce ourselves with a whistle. The man then snaps his fingers and gives a melodic whistle, the whistle raising up high before lowering.) And with that, we are proud to announce our people have decided to make Haruhata the winner of our five points.

HARUHATA!

[Achaean Republic]

MANNAMA: And now…Uh, it’s us! The Achaean Republic is showcasing its final votes. Who will win? Let’s find out with the lady that tried to anoint me and rebuke my demons, Katherine Guardiola!

KATHERINE GUARDIOLA: ¡Dios los bendiga a todos! ¡Dios bendiga a Corola! ¡Dios bendiga al precioso público del Multiverso! This is Corola calling, and I am glad to be here once again, this time to show the Achaean votes. Our five points, and the winner of the 70th World Hit Festival is…

HARUHATA!

[Achaean Republic]

MANNAMA: There you have it: The winner is Haruhata!

P.P. GALORE: Come to the stage and let’s have you sing again!

[Haruhata]

WINNER'S REPRISE
Haruhata
Blanket - "キスして最後にもう一度"
Tune: Dido - Here With Me
Lyricists: Blanket, Touji Yuki, Maryanne Saihara • Composers: Blanket, Touji Yuki
Language(s): Japanese, English

The cover art for the Limited Edition CD+DVD and Digital versions of the single "キスして最後にもう一度", by Haruhati singer-songwriter Blanket. The single also serves as the theme song for TV anime "Everything is US: Everything is LOVE", as well as the winning song at the 70th World Hit Song Contest in Corola, Achaean Republic.

As the votes were revealed one by one, the distant dream of winning the World Hit Festival drew closer and closer. The first 5 points, from Elejamie, felt like a fluke, a stroke of luck from the debuting Haruhata, throwing Blanket off guard. She had always tried to remain optimistic, her delegation often notifying of Haruhata's steadily rising winning odds, but winning still seemed like a story from someone elses life. However, as more nations gave Haruhata points, the reality of winning became a possibility, yet each moment closer felt like a dream. While her delegation cheered beside her, she could only remain speechless, thoughts bubbling up in her mind. She felt as if she were about to explode on the spot, too lost in the moment to do anything else but sit and gawk. Finally, after the final 5 points from the Achaean Republic, Haruhata was announced as the winner, with 31 points. And then she exploded. As tears streamed from her eyes, a blizzard of feelings erupted in her mind, the moment overwhelming her as she slowly arose, her delegation embracing her tightly, too tightly, already adding to the cacophony of the crowd cheering, music blaring, lights and her own thoughts. After freeing herself from the grip of her team, she made her way to the stage, trying her best to remain calm.

Even so, she couldn't stop the flow of tears. The overwhelming lights and sounds made her grow light-headed, about to collapse from it all. Multiple times on her way to the stage did she almost stumble, gripping a handle bar tightly to stand up again, until crew members realised the issue and supplied her with water and a wet towel for her head, not that it was too effective. Against all the odds, she had won for Haruhata in its debut edition, a feat that her country would be upmost proud of. Proving that Haruhata's music industry could be enjoyed the world over, the first break into the multiverse, a celebration of Haruhata's culture, a small nation that could do big things.. Plus her own personal victory, proving to herself that she was good enough, at all the things she was able to do all by herself, proving that the journey and pain were worth it.

Onstage, she looked at the crowd, the sea of lights and smiles all cheering for her causing her to tear up once again. Handed the trophy, far too heavy for her overwhelmed and weakened state, though she persisted, lifting the trophy up in one final blossom of energy.

Ah... *sniff* Thank you! あ- ありがとうございます！*sniff* 遙畠、みんなさん、愛してるようー!

Was all the words she could muster, taking deep breaths between every word. Lowering the trophy to carry with both hands, she took deep breaths, trying to calm down as the lights and confetti rained down upon her, yet another sense overwhelmed. Closing her eyes, she thought of her face in the mirror, the first song she had wrote all those years ago, in her cramped apartment room. The fields of Haruhata she had ran into when she wanted to breath. Singing with her friends, her friends who she could remain with forever. And finally, a smile grew upon her face, wide and true.

---

---

The arena darkens for Blanket's encore, whom of which wipes her tears away with her bare arms. Taking her last deep breaths, she tries her hardest recover her vocal chords, strained from her crying. But the hardest part was over, the only thing on her mind being the moment, basking in the joy of winning. Unlike before, she couldn't help but smile, attempting to seal her pure, unadulterated laughter behind her lips. Suddenly, the night that had felt so long prior was all over, only the reprise to go.

The music begins, the ambient synth slowly piercing the arena, the crowd cheering loudly for their new World Hit Festival winner, drowning the intro of the song. A blurred camera zooms into the centre of the stage, slowly focussing as it gets closer. The stage is awash with a deep blue glow, blue lights around the stage ebbing on and off to create an ambient lighting upon the stage. They twinkle like the buttons and lights of a science fiction film. Lights at the back of the stage flare in the lens of the camera, obscuring the view for a few seconds before the camera becomes more focussed. As the camera pans the stage from left to right, a large set piece can be seen in the centre of the stage: an elaborate structure of wires, machinery, lights and organic material interwoven to form a set piece that spans the width of the stage. The lights and machines of the structure glow and flicker, as if the set were alive, the amalgamation of electronics like a landscape of technology. Alongside this, a variety of mechanical pillars ranging from half the size of an adult to small strings of wires and lights float around the stage, strung up from the top of the stage. The pillars feature multiples lights, flashing just like the rest of the set. As various drum beats enter the soundscape, spotlights can be seen flashing to the rhythm, appearing like a soft blue crackle of lightning upon the stage, emphasizing every beat and noise of the song. As the song nears the first verse, a spotlight appears directly over the middle of the stage. A birds eye camera then zooms into the centre of the stage from the top, where Blanket can be seen, laying sideways in the mass of wires, comfortably snuggled within a Blanket-sized crack, almost engulfing her in wires and vines, reminiscent of the cover of the limited edition CD+DVD. As the crowd catches a glimpse of her, they begin to cheer loudly once more, Blanket unable to contain her smile despite the sombre mood of the song.

The lights flicker around her, Blanket smiles as she begins to sing the first verse, her voice far brighter than before, yet strained from the crying. Her wavy brown hair is let down for the performance, sprawled across the stage, blending into the wires. The camera continues to steadily zoom downwards into her, a wash of blue lights painting her in a soft sapphire, with the brief white flashes of light synchronised with the drum beat striking her in light. A pulsing synth in the soundscape of the song is synchronised with a pulsing blue light at the back of the stage, the lights made to synchronise with the music as much as possible. Her voice is calm, yet joyful, juxtaposing the solemn stage presence of the first performance. The camera then switches midway through the verse, zooming into the stage eye level with Blanket, extremely lowdown, her eyes glinting in the camera. Only half of her face can be seen, the rest masked by the technology.

「さようなら」が
言うのは難しい
何も言わずに
君は又きえる

For the pre-chorus, the camera follows her upwards as she sits up, still looking towards the camera, once again met with the impressive cheers from the crowd, her brown eyes sparkling blue as the spotlights roam the stage. She holds her microphone close to her lips, as to catch every breath and whisper as she sings. Once again the camera pans the stage, blue pulses of light like fireflies flickering on and off upon the LED screen.

Oh, だから待つ
いつかI know
You won't return

The first chorus begins, the instrumental stripped back as an acoustic guitar comes to the forefront of the soundscape. Blanket remains seated throughout, her palace of wires surrounding her as they continue to flash and flicker. As the chorus begins, an array of red and white spotlights at the back of the stage begin to billow outwards from the centre of the stage. The lights are far stronger than the lights used thus far, piercing every surface they touch with a shimmer of red and white. A light directly behind Blanket casts her face in a light blue shadow, though her features are not obscured. The change in lighting emphasizes the sonic shift between the pre-chorus and the chorus, as well as creating a soft spectacle using only lights. Upon the LED screens behind, pulses of red, green and blue light begin to rise from the bottom of the screen, slowly dimming as they reach higher and higher, until they pewter out. The pillars of all sizes also begin to rise upwards to add to the visual shift of the chorus. The camera zooms into Blanket centre stage, whom of which returns a faraway gaze into the camera lens, obscured by flares of light from the red and white spotlights billowing behind her. Her voice is far stronger than before, communicating the desperate plea of the lyrics to the world. As the camera zooms out steadily, taking in the spectacle of the lights and music working in tandem, the lights at the roof of the stage billowing outwards, flashing into the lens of the camera. From afar, the structure of wires and machinery looks like a little city, flickering and pulsing constantly, even in the dark ambience of the arena. The camera then closes back in on Blanket, who looks into the camera.

キスして、one last time
One last kiss、君は行く前に
自由にしてくれ
キスして最後にもう一度

As the first chorus ends, a swarm of white spotlights are pulled inwards towards blanket, the camera beginning to turn upside-down in the transition between chorus and instrumental. Then, as a thumping drum is introduced into the soundscape, a flourish of blue, red, green and white lights billow outwards, matching the increase in the song's energy. Upon the LED screen, images of the same colours as the lighting begin to appear on the screen, jittering as they rapidly flick between images with an old TV effect upon them. The images are of cities, bodies, wires and machinery, matching the 2000s sci-fi aesthetic of the staging. Though the images flick between one another within the blink of an eye, the effect is hardly noticeable due to the darker colour scheme, adding to the ambience of the staging rather than overpowering. In amongst the display of lights and LEDs, Blanket clambers up, now standing amongst the fantastical wire structure. A few farther out shots and pans of the stage showcase the beauty of the lighting and set, the Achaean crowds waving all the flags of the world in front.

As the 2nd verse begins, the camera zooms into Blanket, now stood up. A few stray wires and vines still remain tangled upon her limbs, body and hair, as if she were connected to the wires, one with the technology. Unlike earlier, she moves her body to the beat, tapping her foot as the music takes over her. Despite the increase in energy, her facial expressions remain the same as before, a lost, pleading look in her eye. The LEDs change to depict a mostly dark screen, with TV lines overlaid. However, a motherboard style pattern pulses on and off upon the screen, like a futuristic city or mechanical vessels, a majority of the lights and wires lighting upwards. Though the wires upon the screen mostly shine green and blue, red lights pulse on and off. The spotlights still billow outwards, now with less intensity however. A few sporadic sets of lights also pulse to the bleeps and bloops heard in the music, once again highlighting the synchronisation of staging and music. The camera then circles Blanket, who pays no attention to the camera, focussed on singing outwards to the audience, her smile still plastered on her face as she attempts to sing.

「愛している」が
言うのが怖る語句
でも知るtoo late
So終わりを待つ

For the 2nd pre-chorus, she steps forward, gently placing her feet in concealed crevices in between the wires and machinery. Despite this, she fixes her gaze to the camera, now zooming into her. Singing "まで", she closes her eyes to sing the longer, more powerful note, outstretching her free arm to the side as she tightly clutches the microphone, her tone far more serious as she begins to focus more on the music. On the next word however, she returns to look into the lens, the spotlights twinkling in her eyes, representing her new found determination, her fist clenched tightly by her side.

What we are知らない
But I'm by your side
までYou go

Red, green, blue and white lights billow outwards, opening the 2nd chorus with a beautiful bang. The LED screens display constellations of pulsing lights floating upwards, before dimming into nothing. Behind the lights, the previous graphic of a motherboard like pattern solidifies, transforming into scene of abstract futuristic pillars of wires and lights and machines, pulsing. The towers are reminiscent of a science fiction cityscape of skyscrapers, moving closer to the front. The lights then pulse and flicker to the rhythm, now far more intense than the prior verse to match the increase of energy. Within the mass of lights, Blanket emerges, singing her heart out, her dress wafting as she moves to the rhythm. At first the cameras are close up, displaying her sudden burst of emotion as she sings to the camera once again, obscured by the flare of a spotlight every so often. However, the focus soon changes to pans of the stage from a distance, Blanket the centrepiece of a mural of lights and technology. Despite her slight movements, trails of vines and wires still hang from her arms and body, further highlighting the idea that she is one with the mass. A few unorthodox close ups of Blanket are also feature, following her hand as it reaches outwards, the light rippling through her splayed fingers.

As she sings the second section of the chorus, the camera takes a shot from the back of the stage, the true size of the sea of audience now shown. Much like the set upon the stage, the audience too is a haphazard jumble of flags, lights and people, lit up by the odd spotlight that roams the audience. The camera returns to face Blanket, who reaches her arm towards the audience.

キスして、one last time
One last kiss、君は行く前に
自由にしてくれ
キスしてやっとの思いで

キスして, one last time
One last kiss, before you leave me in this world
自由にしてくれ
キスして最後にもう一度

As the chorus ends, the entire stage fades to black, with the exception of the lights and wires of the structure behind Blanket. Only a spotlight behind Blanket lights her, outlining her silhouette in a soft white. The crowd roars as Blanket's smile can be seen even in the dark. Every so often a flash of white lights to the rhythm of the drums light up her face, though only briefly and dimly. In the shadows, Blanket looks down at her feet, shifting her weight on each foot. The cameras pans of the stage, blending shot to shot capture the quiet ambience of the staging. The pillars featured in the beginning of the entry now begin to lower to their original position, each lit up clearly to create a magical scene of floating machinery and lights. In amongst the pillars, Blanket lifts the microphone to her lips, her face softly washed in a hue of white and gold. The lyrics being the most meaningful to her in the song, her joy turns to bittersweet nostalgia as she reminisces, lost in thought as her eyes trace the faces of the audience, her voice shaking, as if trying to hold back tears. Whilst most of the shots are close and intimate, a few wider pans of the stage display the pillars and lights of the wires like a sky full of green, gold, red and blue stars, all twinkling around her, her white dress glowing faintly like a ghost centre stage. The weak flash of lights synchronised to the rhythms and sounds of the song break up the ever-pulsing of the lights. Much like the introduction, the stage is awash in a dark ambient lighting, this time however, featuring gold and red as the dominant colours. The camera fades to black as she sings the final note of the pre-chorus, a tear lit shimmering upon her cheek as it is caught in the spotlight, a close up shot of her face to capture the intimate moment. In the silence, she then laughs joyously, her eyes falling to the floor as she readies herself for her final moment onstage.

君がエバーwill
知る以上に
Oh, I love you

As the final chorus begins, the music cuts out, leaving only Blanket and her backup vocalists. During this moment, stark white spotlights shine from behind Blanket, leaving her a silhouette, the camera focussed on an upper body shot to capture the moment. Once the music and beat is brought back in however, the stage is alit with a flourish of gold, red and blue, the colour scheme adding a sense of finality to the performance. The pillars, now lowered fully, begin to spin, emitting lasers around the arena, adding the spectacle of lights. Golden confetti begins to fall from the ceiling, enveloping Blanket in a blizzard of shimmering petals. Upon the LED screens, gold and black images with an old TV screen effect like the first instrumental return, flickering between images. However, between jittering images, videos of city life appear in a golden hue, with green, blue and red accents. The videos are of the mundane, such as trains passing by, crowds of people and sped up footage of roads. The wires and machinery set out on the stage also change the colour of their lights to gold, adding to the dazzling staging. Surrounded by the confetti, Blanket becomes overwhelmed once again, tears pouring from her eyes as she tries her best to keep composure, her voice breaking under the weight of her emotions, her throat closing up. Even though she tries, she eventually gives into her emotions, pulling the microphone from her lips as she puts her head in her hands, the mic picking up the muffled sound of her crying. The camera then pans the stage from afar, as if saving Blanket from the eyes of the camera, highlighting the golden dystopia, reminiscent of sparks. For the seconds half of the chorus, golden sparks begin to rain down from the back of the stage, greeted with applause from the audience. She reaches forward towards the audience, the spotlights rippling throughout the arena like a sea of gold. Differing from before to maintain her dignity, the cameras display new shots, often with Blanket out of shot or obscured. A shot of the audience cheering, a sea of flags waving like a festival of colour. The shot then fades to a wider pan of the stage, capturing every detail of every corner, the twirling pillars emanating lasers, flaring in the camera lens, obscuring the stage. As the chorus draws to a close, she sings the line "キスして最後にもう一度" with one final push of emotion, her voice cracking weakly as she opts to give the performance one last push. Her voice quickly trails off however.

キスして、one last time
One last kiss、君は行く前に
自由にしてくれ
キスしてやっとの思いで

キスして、one last time
Let me love you, with everything I've held inside
And I'll let go, I'll move on, just
キスして最後にもう一度

As her final notes is cut short by her own tears, the music returning to an electric piano. Her vocals reverberate throughout the arena before fading away. The lights then splay outwards before fading away, leaving the stage in darkness. The only exception being the wire structure, lights still pulsing gold. As she finishes singing, Blanket turns to the back of the stage, wiping a tear. In the final quiet of the song, she turns back out to the audience, a slight smile growing upon her face as the LED screens ebb and flow, eventually fading to black. As the song winds down, the camera steadily zooms into the stage, capturing it's ambient beauty, blurring as it zooms in closer. Eventually, the camera fades to black, marking the end of the song. And with that, it was all over.

The lights turn back on as Blanket can be seen, her head buried in her arms as she squats down on the floor, surrounded by a field of wires and golden confetti.

“Sayōnara“ ga
Iu no wa muzukashī
Nani mo iwazuni
Kimi wa mata kieru

Oh, dakara matsu
Itsuka I know
You won't return

Kisushite, one last time
One last kiss, kimi wa iku mae ni
Jiyū ni shite kure
Kisushite saigo ni mōichido

“Aishiteiru” ga
Iu no ga kowaru goku
Demo shiru too late
So owari wo matsu

What we are shiranai
But I'm by your side
Made you go

Kisushite, one last time
One last kiss, kimi wa iku mae ni
Jiyū ni shite kure
Kisushite yatto no omoide

Kisu shite, one last time
One last kiss, before you leave me in this world
Jiyū ni shite kure
Kisushite saigo ni mōichido

Kimi ga ebā will
Shiru ijō ni
Oh, I love you

Kisushite, one last time
One last kiss, kimi wa iku mae ni
Jiyū ni shite kure
Kisushite yatto no omoide

Kisushite one last time
Let me love you, with everything I've held inside
And I'll let go, I'll move on, just
Kisushite saigo ni mōichido

"Goodbye"
Is so hard to say
Without a word
You disappear again

Oh, so I wait
Someday, I know
You won't return

Kiss me, one last time
One last kiss, before you go
Set me free
Kiss me one last time

"I love you"
Words I'm too scared to say
But I know it's too late
So I wait for the end

What we are I don't know
But I'm by your side
Until you go

Kiss me, one last time
One last kiss, before you go
Set me free
Kiss me finally

Kiss me, one last time
One last kiss, before you leave me in this world
Set me free
Kiss me one last time

I love you more than
You'll ever know

Kiss me, one last time
One last kiss, before you go
Set me free
Kiss me finally

Kiss me, one last time
Let me love you, with everything I've held inside
And I'll let go, I'll move on, just
Kiss me one last time