【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 8

•Once again, HARU opens the episode by talking about how this is another ep recorded remotely. She's once again at their managing office while the other members are recording at home. She also mentions that their episode last week went pretty smoothly. She then asks the rest of the band if they have any sweets. She says she has Kajyu Gummies in grape, RINA has THE Chocolate, MAMI has Galbo in strawberry, and TOMO has Poifull Fruit Gummies. HARU then talks about what is mentioned in the first half of the episode blog.

•After "NEON TOWN ESCAPE" plays, they then talk about what's mentioned in the second half of the episode blog. This is what follows after MAMI's last comment: HARU mentions that the listener didn't list their age, and says that if they're a freshman then they would have time to just be and live as a student, but if they're a senior they might be unsure of what to do since they'd be graduating. RINA says it's not like they have to date while still in high school. They could graduate and think about it rationally, since they're no longer in school, and decide if they can still continue the band. She thinks that if they really like them then that could work. MAMI wonders if the listener hasn't told any of the other band members about it. RINA believes so, and TOMO mentions that they did say they're "secretly in love" with the person. MAMI then wonders whether or not the other members have noticed the crush. HARU and RINA don't believe so. MAMI says that maybe the listener could discuss it with the other members (HARU: "This is like a manga!"). The band thinks that the listener shouldn't confess right this instant and instead think it over and make sure of their feelings.

•After "Mabataki" plays, TOMO reads the next message. It's from a middle schooler who says they have a girlfriend (which the band is surprised at), and that they talk every day via Instagram DMs. However, since they've had to stay home, they've run out of things to talk about. The listener feels like they're growing further away from each other, and asks the band if there's something they could suggest that they do. The listener ends the message saying to please take care of yourselves (HARU: "They're so nice!"). The band is surprised that they're so considerate and only in middle school. RINA says that since they're dating, anything at all should be okay for them to talk about, like they could start with, "What time did you get up today?" or, "What did you eat today?" Basically nothing is happening each day, so it's okay to talk about nothing at all. MAMI says that they could ask each other what the other one is doing, and also switch up how they communicate and do video calls instead of through text so that they're able to see each other's faces. TOMO suggests watching a movie digitally together (like on Netflix) by starting it at the same time, and they could chat about what's happening via text. She says that doing the same things at the same time can surprisingly sweet. HARU says that it could be a little hard for them to do things like that since they're in middle school and probably live with their families. MAMI sums it up and says that they suggest to switch up how they communicate with each other.

•They close out the episode after "Tsuki" plays. HARU laughs and says that maybe playing this song after talking about how to overcome something wasn't the best idea to do. MAMI puts a positive spin on it and talks about how they're seeing the same moon (tsuki) while being in separate places.

In the middle of Golden Week! Conducting a poll as to what school teachers' favorite SCANDAL songs are. Introducing them one after another!
 
Episode ＃9 blog

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The members and staff recorded remotely for this episode brought to you in the middle of Golden Week.

HARUNA: Since we get a lot of messages from teachers...this segment's been given the title of 「Hey! Teacher」. It comes from the lyric 「Hey! sister」 in the chorus of our song "Sisters."

RINA: So that's where it's from! I had no idea.

MAMI: "Hey! Teacher - Stand up on your feet"... I suppose?

RINA: So strongー

MAMI: I'll read a message. It's from "Kumanomae-sensei."

→To be frank with you, I too am a high school teacher--I teach math. As for why there are many teachers among SCANDAL fans, you were right on the money when you previously talked about how RINA's lyrics resonate [with us teachers]. I often tell my students to listen to "Your song" and "Sisters" to feel encouraged. Teachers like people who make serious efforts toward their goals because we're people who want to give support. SCANDAL's story so far has moved the teachers' hearts...that is my personal analysis. I've only been a teacher for a few years, but even after I retire I'll keep supporting SCANDAL as long as you're around.

All: Thank you so much!

HARUNA: This teacher's great at writing messages...

MAMI: They write so courteously. They recommend our songs to their students...

RINA: That makes me really happy.

MAMI: I would have been so happy if a high school teacher of mine had recommended songs to listen to.

HARUNA: You never really come across those like that.

MAMI: I don't really connect my time in high school with music...talking about music. It would have really closed the gap for me.

RINA: Yeah, they're really good at communicating.

MAMI: Rightー

TOMOMI: ...this is unrelated, but I got a message yesterday from one of my teachers in high school.

MAMI: Eh?

HARUNA: How come?

TOMOMI: They were wondering if the entertainment industry was treating me well...

MAMI: Ah, they're worried about you.

TOMOMI: Yeah, they're worried, and they've been a really good teacher since I was in high school. Right now 70-80% of teachers are on standby at home and it seems like they're trying out new ways of teaching such as holding classes remotely and posting problems online. Teachers are having a tough time too.

RINA: It makes me really happy that we can write songs that reach both teachers and students.

HARUNA: They do proper analyses of them.

RINA: It makes us feel really positive about our music and ourselves.

TOMOMI: Thank you so much...

RINA: Like, it's true that it's cool that [our band name] gives off an impression that we should be a little naughty or bad, and that it feels like going about things in a rough-like way is better than trying really hard. I thought there would be a moment when by trying really hard you would go beyond everything. It's important to go about things diligently and wholesomely!

MAMI: That's right.

HARUNA: I think we give off an impression that we are people who are diligently working toward their goals.

RINA: We get all A's on our report card.

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 9

•Once more, HARU opens the episode by talking about how this is another ep recorded remotely. She's once again at their managing office while the other members are recording at home, and says that they've gotten quite used to this. She then mentions that they received a lot of messages yet again, with many from teachers.

•After "Masterpiece" plays, they begin their "Hey! Teacher" segment as talked about here. The second message comes from a high school teacher who is the same age as TOMO and MAMI and also lists "Your song" as a good supportive song. The band says that it seems to be a popular song among teachers and mentions that all four of them were all a part of writing the song. The teacher also wrote lyrics from the song ("It's a once-in-a-lifetime journey - With those worn-down heels - But they're not laughing at you") with a brush for their teacher certification anthology, which the band said was really cool.

•RINA reads the next message after "Ceramic Blue" plays. The woman listener, who is married with kids, loves their husband and lives a fulfilling life, but she can't forget about their ex-boyfriend. It's not because she can't get over him, but because they miss the feelings of youth and the beautiful love they had back then...and because his looks were exactly her type. She also first discovered SCANDAL through their ex, which makes her feel all emotional when she hears "Aitai" being played at their shows. She then asks the band if they have any backstories or songs about unforgettable love or memories. The band is pretty surprised by this message, but they find the concept of an unforgettable love lovely. HARU also like the "looks" comment (MAMI: "[The listener's] honest!") and says that that's understandable. MAMI mentions that she knows that this listener often attends their shows and events (she recognizes the nickname they used), so she jokes that they might start calling her "Emotional-chan" when they see her at future events. TOMO also says that they might just add in "Aitai" to their setlists (RINA: "We'll change our setlists for her").

•They then start answering the listener's question. MAMI talks about something that happened in middle that was pretty memorable, which was the first time she experienced something related to love where she was like, "I can't handle this!" She and her boyfriend at the time agreed to meet at a park to walk home together. She arrived first. When he arrived later and thanked her for waiting, she turned around and saw him doing a roundoff. She was surprised and was wondering why he would have his girlfriend wait at the park and do that in front of her. She saw a little of his midsection peeking out when he did that, which made her go, "I can't handle this!" Then she mentioned something about how when they were walking back home there were a lot of spiderwebs around where she lives, which she didn't see, and the guy was telling her to watch out for them. She was like, "How do you know they're around?" and he said he has a sixth sense for them. This too made her go, "I can't handle this!" RINA asks how long they went out for. MAMI says it was really short, like six months (HARU: "Six months?! That's long!"). She says that this all happened in the latter half of their relationship as in the first half they would do things like go to the mall. She also says that now it's memorable and something she can laugh at, but back then she was like, "I can't handle this!" TOMO says that when you're in middle school a lot of things, especially small things, can displease you. She then talks about a boy she went out with around then who hurt his knee, and he took the scab off using his mouth?! The band laughs and is also grossed out by this. TOMO goes, "Middle school boys certainly are interesting." HARU says that hopefully middle school boys can learn from this on what not to do.

•The last message is from a listener who mentions the same kind of stuff as this guy at the end of episode 5 (RINA: "Oh, another one!"), and was supposed to go to SCANDAL's performance in Konan, HARU's hometown, on this tour. HARU wishes that they had been able to play there.

•The band closes out the episode by recapping the ep and saying that the more topics they get to cover, the more fulfilling it becomes.

thoseguiltyeyes wrote:

 (HARU: "Six months?! That's long!")

New segment called "Life Before SCANDAL"!
 
Episode ＃10 blog

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HARUNA: We have a new segment called "SCANDAL, Sono Mae ni" (Life Before SCANDAL)!

TOMOMI: What does that mean?

HARUNA: Like the "HARU-kakka" or "HARU-rock" thing. We got the title from that. That being said, we've gotten a lot of messages. There's a lot of them...

RINA: Can't wait. I like these a lot!

MAMI: (*Reading a message) "Before SCANDAL, I was an X-JAPAN stan. When I went to the HONEY tour in 2018 after being a SCANDAL fan for one month and saw MAMI with pink hair wearing an all-red outfit playing a custom guitar, I thought she looked just like hide-san and felt so moved.

TOMOMI: We've heard that MAMI/hide theory quite often.

MAMI: Yeah, we have.

RINA: It's really an honor.

MAMI: We've been told so many times in fan letters or Twitter that our songs resemble hide-san's.

HARUNA: We totally get that.

RINA: Totally.

TOMOMI: Their guitars have a colorful, pop-like feel to them too.

HARUNA: Like, when I saw a documentary on YOSHIKI-san on TV, I thought that a part of YOSHIKI-san reminded me of RINA.

RINA: Really? YOSHIKI-san goes all over the place because of music; he's like an outgoing arrow. I really sympathize with his spirit. That way of life is really cool.

HARUNA: We have a lot of lyrics written by RINA, and when it comes to songs, RINA is often the core part of the song, so I thought that was something similar to us.

RINA: I'm grateful. I'll keep working hard.

MAMI: Doesn't that mean you're aware of your unconsciousness?

HARUNA: There it is!

RINA: Yeah, I get that.

MAMI: The more you're told that, the more you see it and are aware of it, right? After all, there's a reason why you're being told that...

HARUNA: This was very empathetic.

RINA: It's an honor.

TOMOMI: Truly.

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 10

•The band mentions that this is the tenth episode of the podcast, and that this is another ep recorded remotely. They also talk about what Meiji snacks they have.

•After "Masterpiece" plays, HARU announces the new segment titled "Life Before SCANDAL." The rest that follows is as talked about here.

•RINA reads the next message which comes from a 61-year-old man who has been listening to rock since he was in middle/high school, starting with bands like T. Rex and Led Zeppelin, and then Hound Dog, Maki Ohguro, and now SCANDAL (TOMO: "That's so strange!"). He said his first concert was Yellow Magic Orchestra at the Nippon Budokan, and he hopes that his last concert will be SCANDAL's. MAMI says, "Well, that's another new angle," but she kind of understands. They comment about how they went from listening to heavy rock to their music. MAMI says that perhaps their lyrics, songs, and how HARU sings have the same things in common with the other artists. HARU laughs and says, "You think it's me?" The band agrees that this is also an honor for them, and that they'd love for older guys to come out to their shows too.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener whose submitted name is "Oyaji (father/old guy)," which the band laughs about. They say that their listeners can stop using names like that and just use their real names. The listener says they've liked too many bands to list before they found out about SCANDAL, such as YMO (Yellow Magic Orchestra) when they were in elementary school, and Sex Pistols when they were in middle school. They found out about SCANDAL when they heard the intro to "DOLL" on the radio, and the vibe they got from it was similar to the Sex Pistols (SCANDAL: "Seriously?!"). RINA goes, "His submitted name was 'Oyaji,' but he writes pretty well!" TOMO says it's so stylish how they were a YMO fan in elementary school. HARU mentions that the previous listener also said that they're a YMO fan. TOMO says that she's can't find the connection between liking YMO and SCANDAL, and they rest laugh and agree. HARU says that maybe it was the makeup they wore back when they released "DOLL" (YMO keyboardist Ryuichi Sakamoto used to wear makeup). TOMO says that "DOLL" is perhaps a little bit punk-sounding. The band says back then they didn't really know about punk, so they weren't quite aware of it sounding punkish at the time. RINA says that if they were aware, they probably wouldn't have been able to play it, which is why she's glad they didn't realize it then. MAMI says that there was a mental aspect to it as well; they were just doing what they were able to do with all their might, so there weren't many things they were afraid to do. RINA agrees, and mentions that it had only been two years since they started playing instruments, but they were like, "We can totally do this!" and felt invincible.

•TOMO reads the last message which is from a high school student who wants to be a teacher in the future and mentions that there are teachers at their cram school who are SCANDAL fans. Since they want to be a teacher, they wonder if they're being guided SCANDAL as well. MAMI goes, "Not only are teachers fans of ours, we're also making people want to be teachers?!" (SCANDAL: "We have so much responsibility") TOMO quips that their fanbase seems to primarily be made up of teachers and old guys who like rock.

Happy birthday, TOMOMI & MAMI! Unveiling the full version of the new song "Living in the city"
 
Episode ＃11 blog

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-May means that it's TOMOMI and MAMI's birthdays!
-A congratulatory message from an overseas fan has arrived.

HARUNA: Here's the first message. It's from Joe, an overseas fan.

May is a very lovely time. Flowers bloom and crops grow.
The natures factory is fully operational.
It's a pity that we can't do the same with Team Scandal Factory,
But there will be other years. Many harvests over the years.
Happy birthday this month. For me, 30 years was a big milestone, and I felt that my 30s were wonderful. I have been treated more respectfully and have more control over my life. I'm sure you will feel that way too. You are now in the summer of your life. You grow so much! I am 65 years old now. Life is certainly a journey. Your car is new and beautiful.
Enjoy your journey. Roll the window down and sing!
Best wishes - Joe Doran, Seattle*

HARUNA: The listener's from Seattle. We do get what he means. Happy birthday to MAMI and TOMO!

MAMI: We were congratulated from people overseas too!

TOMOMI: What a lovely and romantic composition.

MAMI: I didn't think we'd get one from someone who's 65 years old...

HARUNA: [Overseas fans] send messages using translation software.

RINA: But we do understand them.

TOMOMI: "You are now in the summer of your life" is a lovely way to put it. Your 30s is definitely a time for growth. Everyone says their 30s are a lot of fun.

HARUNA: It is fun.

TOMOMI: Even HARUNA says so.

MAMI: They're finally here.

HARUNA: What kind of year do you want your 30th year to be like?

MAMI: Hm, I wonder. Every year I go, "What do I want it to be like," but I'm always like, "I wonder..."

All: ...what??

MAMI: I've always wanted to do something specific...well, I hope to stay healthy in my 30s too (laughs).

HARUNA: You want things to stay as they are. What about you, TOMO?

TOMOMI: Hm, maybe to travel by myself. It'd be nice to be able to see things from a different angle.

HARUNA: They're telling us that we're entering the summer of our lives and will see a lot of growth, so let's do our best.

We get messages from people all over the world. We receive messages from overseas fans on a daily basis, don't we?

All: Yeah!

HARUNA: A lot of the time they use translation software to translate their words into Japanese, so it may sound a little weird because they use expressions we don't normally use, but we've gotten used to it.

RINA: We're used to it. I wonder if messages like these are heard on other programs, or if it's specific to our fans. I'd love to actively keep reading messages from our overseas fans.

HARUNA: The way they express themselves is completely different and makes us go, "So that's how they express themselves overseas." The expressions used overseas are adorable and interesting.

TOMOMI: I think it's wonderful.

HARUNA: I mean, we don't say things like, "Your car is new and beautiful" [HARU, I'm pretty sure we also don't use that expression in the US...lol].

MAMI: We only say that when buying a new car.

HARU, I'm pretty sure we also don't use that expression in the US...lol

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 11

•The episode starts off with TOMO introducing their new song "Living in the city."

•TOMO: "Bassist TOMOMI here. We've decided to release our new song 'Living in the city' on June 3rd. This song had previously been an unused demo, but we thought it'd be great if we could send it out to everyone while we're all staying at home and decided to release it. It's a song about Tokyo. It's been over 10 years since I moved here, and it became my home before I knew it. It's a place that has become very important to me without me realizing it. The song is about living in Tokyo. During this time, I've realized that these lyrics miraculously reflect how much I've missed living everyday life here. I never thought we'd be releasing a song in this way, but I'm very happy we get to do so. This is our first ever home-recorded song. It's very demo-like and rough in places, but we'd be very happy if you gave it a listen."

•After the song plays, they read this message.

•They then start their love advice segment, which is titled "LOVE SURVIVE - SCANDAL's love advice." RINA reads the message from a listener who can't get over their ex-boyfriend whom they recently broke up with. She's been listening to SCANDAL's song "Kan Biiru," and like the song, the ex often left canned beer and high balls in the refrigerator. She also says that she can't bring themselves to throw away stuff like pictures of him or things that have memories attached to them. She asks the band if they're the type to throw away things like that right after breaking up, or if they're the type to keep them. HARU says, "Probably for me I wouldn't throw them away right after breaking up, but six months later I might suddenly be like, 'I don't need them anymore.' I might throw them away all at once. I don't think I'd be able to change my feelings right away, but after three or six months I might realize I no longer need them." RINA says that even if a woman was deeply in love with their ex, women are usually able to get over it in about three months. The band agrees with this. RINA: "Women are super strong!" MAMI says you'll forget about things when it comes to forgetting them, but there will be times when you suddenly remember things. TOMO says there might be a time when you do eventually forget about memories you had with them, but you don't need to intentionally get rid of them. She also thinks you don't need to think too hard about physical items; if you think they're cute and you like them, then wear them. MAMI goes back to the "alcohol left in the fridge" dilemma and says that you should just throw those out. TOMO says you could instead give it to a friend when they come over. She also says that memories are one thing while physical items are another. RINA says that she wouldn't use stuff she could wear, such as accessories, since they have memories and stuff attached to them; like if her ex happens to see her while she's wearing those accessories, he could be like, "Oh, that's what I gave her," and she wouldn't like that. It might give them the message that she's not over them. She also thinks that it's okay to not be able to forget any memories they had together, but she wouldn't wear wearable things again. She thinks that it's best to do what you want to do. It's okay to keep things, and it's okay to keep things in the fridge until you're ready to clear them out and reset things. HARU says you can have a friend open that beer in the fridge instead; that way it won't go to waste.

•MAMI reads the next message from a 20-year-old listener who isn't really experienced with dealing with men as she went to an all-girl high school and college, and her co-workers at her part-time job are mainly all women. A friend from her hometown says they can introduce her to people, but she still feels like a kid, and also doesn't see her friend as a love interest. Those around her tell her to just take it easy. She asks the band how she could meet someone [she'd be romantically interested in]. HARU says she also wants to know. RINA says that since the listener only really knows women, she seems to be asking how to meet men her age. TOMO says that if she comes to one of their shows, she'll only see old rock guys (HARU: "That might be too much of an age gap!"). HARU says that rather than have the listener's hometown friend introduce her to someone, it might be better to find someone on their own. To sum it up, the band says she doesn't need to rush since she's only 20, and they're sure she'll meet someone.

•RINA reads the last message which is from a listener who is studying to get their teaching certification and says that their favorite SCANDAL song is "SCANDAL BABY." They often listen to it when their confidence in themselves is low, and when they need to work hard. It's been five years since they became a working adult, and their chances to meet a love interest have lessened. They've joined a dating app that was recommended to them, although they're a little against it. They ask the band if they know any times when a dating app has worked out well for someone they know. TOMO says that recently some of her friends have been dating people they've met via dating apps. She mentions one girl friend whose boyfriend turned out to be the older brother of another one of her girl friends, and if they get married then her friend and her would not just be friends but family as well. She says that since you're able to list even small details on your dating profile, it's easy to meet people close to you. She also says that she used to be against these apps at first, but after talking to her friends about it, they seem very commonplace right now. RINA says that those who sign up for paid dating apps are usually ones that are serious about it. TOMO agrees and says that there's a big difference between free vs. paid ones, with those serious about finding love signing up for the paid ones. MAMI mentions that there are even ads for these apps on TV. She also says that she has friends who have tried these apps but hasn't heard of a relationship working out. She then talks about how by using these apps you might realize that you have a certain type of person you tend to date, and you could realize that dating these types don't work out for you and adjust that; you're not just selecting a partner, but also changing your ownself.

HARUNA: I mean, we don't say things like, "Your car is new and beautiful" [HARU, I'm pretty sure we also don't use that expression in the US...lol].

Steadystate wrote:Also, any reason why Tomomi says there are only "old rock dudes" at Scandal shows? There seem to be plenty of young males in the audience at their lives.

hogradish wrote:So without making a poorly translated direct reference to societal pressures or expectations or attitudes, I would offer encouragement indirectly, metaphorically.