#maruguri

幸せを希う心 A Heart that Desires Happiness Monoyoshi Sadamune | Maruguri | Yushu no Toki

華やかに色づいた季節 Hanayaka ni irodzuita kisetsu In a season of vibrant colors

僕たちは歩いてゆく Bokutachi wa aruite yu ku We walk along

遠くで笑う声が Toku de warau koe ga And hear laughter in the distance

一番近くにある幸せには Ichiban chikaku ni aru shiawaseni wa The closest happiness is here

案外気づかないまま Angau kidzukanai mama Surprisingly, without realizing it

それでも僕たちは Soredemo bokutachi wa Even so, we

今を生き抜いている Ima o ikinuite iru Survive in the present

声を上げて歌を歌おう Koe o agete uta o utaou Let’s sing our songs aloud

いつしか懐かしい Itsushika natsukashii  Even if it eventually becomes

過去に変わるとしても今は Kako ni kawaru to shite mo ima wa A nostalgic memory 

手を取りましょう Te o torimashou Let’s hold hands for now

それがきっときみの幸せだって Sore ga kitto kimi no shiawase datte I’ll never forget the feeling that is surely your happiness

希う気持ち忘れない胸の奥から Negau kimochi wasurenai mune no oku kara I’ll send these overflowing emotions to you 

溢れ出した想い君に届け Afure dashita omoi kiminitodoke Which I hope will never be forgotten

そしてふいにつぶやいた約束の言葉 Soshite fui ni tsubuyaita yakusoku no kotoba And then I suddenly whispered the promise

いつまでも忘れないでいてほしい Itsu made mo wasurenaide ite hoshii I want you to never forget

ここに確かに僕たちがいたということ Koko ni tashikani bokutachi ga ita to iu koto That we were definitely here

季節はいつの間にか終わって Kisetsu wa itsunomanika okwatte  The season ended before we knew it

僕たちは歩いてゆく Bokutachi wa aruite yuku We walk on

遠くで笑う声が Toku de warau koe ga And hear laughter in the distance

一番近くにあた幸せには Ichiban chikaku ni ata shiawaseni wa The closest happiness is here

いつのまにか過ぎ去って Itsunomanika sugisatte Before I knew it, time had passed

それから僕たちは Sorekara bokutachi wa Then we

つないだ手を離して Tsunaidate o hanashite Let go of each other’s hands

別々の道を進んだ Betsubetsu no michi o susunda And went our separate ways

いつかまた会えると Itsuka mata aeru to  The look on your face

指切りをする君の顔は Yubikiri o suru kimi no kao wa As you made a pinky promise

寂しそうで Sabishi soude Was so sad…

君のことを僕は幸せにするんだ Kimi no koto o boku wa shiwase ni suru nda The promise I made to make you happy

そう誓ったこと忘れやしない Sou chikatta koto wasureyashinai  Is something I’ll never forget 

たとえ遠く離れ離れになって Tatoe toku hanarebanare ni natte Even if we are apart and my voice can’t reach you

声が届かなくたって見守ってるよ Koe ga todokanakutatte mimamotteru yo  I will be watching over you

君が幸せを希うなら僕は Kimi ga shiawase o negaunara boku wa If you wish for happiness, then I will

すべてかけて叶えてあげたいんだよ Subete kakete kanaete agetai nda yo Give everything I have to make it happen

君のためにできること Kimi no tameni dekirukoto What can I do for you?

それがきっときみの幸せだって Sore ga kitto kimi no shiawase datte I’ll never forget the feeling that is surely your happiness

希う気持ち忘れない胸の奥から Negau kimochi wasurenai mune no oku kara I’ll send these overflowing emotions to you 

溢れ出した想い君に届け Afure dashita omoi kiminitodoke Which I hope will never be forgotten

そしてふいにつぶやいた約束の言葉 Soshite fui ni tsubuyaita yakusoku no kotoba And then I suddenly whispered the promise

いつまでも忘れないでいてほしい Itsu made mo wasurenaide ite hoshii I want you to never forget

ここに確かに僕たちがいたということ Koko ni tashikani bokutachi ga ita to iu koto That we were definitely here

I wish you good luck!

Monoyoshi Sadamune’s character revolves around luck. This is due to the widely accepted tale that whenever Iyeasu Tokugawa had Monoyoshi with him in battle, he was sure to win. Monoyoshi himself makes it a point to keep that good luck going, even after he had manifested in the citadel with a new master. 

He is very obviously singing to someone here, and with confidence, I know that it’s you, the Saniwa. However, unlike his promises of bringing luck to you in the base game, he promises happiness. In a way, that is luck itself. 

It seems that he had developed quite the attachment to the Saniwa, evident in the chorus; “I’ll never forget the feeling that is surely your happiness / I’ll send these overflowing emotions to you / Which I hope will never be forgotten.” 

He makes a point to savor the now; “The closest happiness is here // Let’s sing our songs aloud / even if it eventually becomes / a nostalgic memory.” And that it is his job to bring you happiness—just as he brought luck to Tokugawa; “If you wish for happiness, then I will give everything I have to make it happen / What can I do for you?”

To be fair you can interpret this song as romantic just as well as platonic. I say this because he mentions handholding a couple times, as if alone with you, listening to the joys of the citadel’s noise. Either way, Monoyoshi knows that mortal human life is fragile and short, unlike his and the other Touken Danshi. 

This song is very bittersweet and sentimental. It’s like reflecting on a life that was lived well and it’s close to time to say goodbye; “Even if we are apart and my voice can’t reach you / I will be watching over you.”

A few lines that also hint to the fact that a goodbye was inevitable include:

“Before we knew it, time had passed / then we let go of each other’s hands / and went our separate ways.”

“The look on your face / as you made a pinky promise / was so sad…”

“I want you to never forget that we were definitely here.”

Monoyoshi will never forget about you, so don’t forget about him. 

The overall vibe of Yushu no Toki is melancholic in nature, and I’ve said it before in other analyses. However, each song does not leave you with just a sour taste in your mouth, but instead soothes it with lessons of hope and love and encouragement. This time around, it’s about finding happiness in the benign.