Tuba wrote:I want to send them a message for the["Life before SCANDAL segment"... but how do they call that segment in Japanese??

Holding the program's first public recording! What they'll be doing is something they'll only find out on the day of!?

Episode ＃152 blog

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HARUNA: This episode will be brought to you from the Hanzomon TOKYO FM studio.
Oh! This is sudden, but have a big announcement!! San-chunen... (HARU misspoke trying to say 'san-shuunen' = 3rd anniversary)

TOMOMI: What??

RINA: You said there's an 'important announcement,' but are you okay?? That was kind of clunky.

TOMOMI: Let's go back in time.

HARUNA: I'll pull myself together... We'll be holding "Right before the 3rd anniversary! SCANDAL Catch up's first recording field trip"!

All: Yayー!

MAMI: How auspiciousー!

HARUNA: We already announced this a little while ago, but we'd like to explain it again. At any rate, this is a 'recording field trip.' It seems to be a little different from a 'public recording,' which is the term normally used.

RINA: What's the difference?

HARUNA: We will record as usual, and have people observe that.

TOMOMI: Eh, isn't that what a public recording is?

HARUNA: That seems to be the difference...

TOMOMI: What's the difference??

(*Staff "It's not a public recording; it's a recording field trip")

TOMOMI: You're stubbornly saying it's 'different'... But you can't tell us what's different.

HARUNA: Maybe we won't know until the day comes...

RINA: I see...

HARUNA: I'm not used to saying 'recording field trip,' so I'll probably fumble the words...

RINA: That's why I fumbled at first...

(*Staff: "There's never been a recording field trip before.")

RINA: I've never heard of such a thing...

TOMOMI: Is this 'recording field trip' actually different from a 'public recording'?

(*Staff: "...It is")

HARUNA: It's an event for fans where they can enjoy "Catch up" in real life, right?
It seems that it will more compact than a 'public recording,' right?

MAMI: Then, during a recording like today's...

TOMOMI: (*Crash)

HARUNA: Eh??

RINA: Hm? Did TOMOMI's headphones just fall off?

HARUNA: Eh? So many surprises are happening...

MAMI: What's wrong with today?

HARUNA: Anyway, it's not that kind of 'public recording,' but we are holding a 'recording field trip'... It seems that the main content will be decided later...

RINA: Nothing has been decided!!??

HARUNA: We can be like, "Let's do itー!!", but...

RINA: Does that mean that we have nothing we can talk about??

HARUNA: We're going to do a 'recording field trip'...

RINA: We've confirmed that.

HARUNA: It seems that we'll talk about the main content today.

TOMOMI: Eh, what are we talking about!?

RINA: We're being tested...

MAMI: It's like, "We're going to show *this*", right? Doesn't that mean that people will be observing it?

HARUNA: Well, that's what it is.

MAMI: I mean, everything [for this program] is almost always undecided.

RINA: True. We do free talk every time. Everything's mostly undecided.

TOMOMI: Is there a topic to stick to?

RINA: We want to read messages, too. I think it'd be nice if we could communicate with the audience since they're coming all that way.

MAMI: But wouldn't that be a 'public recording'??

RINA: Ah, I see... That's no good, then.

TOMOMI: Eh, it's not!?

https://audee.jp/news/show/101526

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The 'recording field trip' will be held on February 12th somewhere in Tokyo. People who wished to attend were able to fill out a form until February 2nd.


#front-page #catchup

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 152

•The episode starts with this.

•The rest of the episode is of them continuing to talk more about the 'recording field trip' and possible things they could do to communicate with the audience (sounds like they're reading from a list that the staff prepared), such as learning what area the listeners are from and talk about dialect words used there; or doing "Kyoukai-sen Kyoukai" (Fine Line Association) by taking in more opinions than usual and drawing where the fine line is on that topic; or a Valentine's version of "Smental." They laugh at the Valentine's version of Smental and wonder how that could work. MAMI says that it could involve chocolates, which the others go, "Aah" in realization to and say that sounds good.

•Another thing could be a Valentine's version of a program jingle. RINA wonders if they'd use instruments like they did for the previous jingles they've done. MAMI says that they could have the audience make the jingle/the melody for it instead. The director says, "Approved!", and they all laugh again. TOMO asks if the audience would have to bring along ocarinas. MAMI says no, and that they could hum instead. They all laugh and say that sounds hard. TOMO says that they won't get anyone to apply in that case.

•They also say that listeners are free to send in anything messages they'd like to ask SCANDAL, or would want SCANDAL to talk about. TOMO says that they're relying quite a bit on the listeners for this field trip, which makes their staff laugh in the background. She then says that they're having everyone send in messages regarding three things: a melody for the jingle, anything related to the program's segments, and anything they'd like the band to talk about. The band and staff all laughs at this..

•They then close out the episode. They talk a little bit about "Line of sight" and say that what they were recording at the end of last year was this song. They say it's a pretty intense song, and that it's their first dancy rock song in a while.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here. I've made a guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries can be found here

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#front-page #catchup

Finally moving to their dream city of Nagoya! About the happening that the listener experienced, MAMI says, "What a coincidence!"

Episode ＃153 blog

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HARUNA: We'll be reading many messages for this episode. I'm happy to hear that more and more messages are coming through.

RINA: That makes me happy...

TOMOMI: We're grateful...

HARUNA: Let's get right to it.

Harurhythm

Good evening, SCANDAL. I sent a message about Nagoya last year. I talked about wanting to live in Nagoya, and I've decided to move there at the end of February! I'll be within walking distance to Nagoya Station.

I left Kanagawa for the first time and decided to change jobs for the first time in my life. When I went to Nagoya for a concert, I fell in love with it and started to think that I wanted to live there, and finally my dream came true. I'm really, really thankful to HARU.

By the way, when I went to see the apartment, the staff knew about SCANDAL and the conversation got lively, which was also fun. They often sing your songs at karaoke, and said they like "Shoujo S" and "Space Ranger." I was happy to be able to talk about SCANDAL in Nagoya, which I love so much.

I've been told by people around me that "there's nothing in Nagoya," but when I live there, I want to tell people from other prefecture about how appealing Nagoya is.

RINA: That's amazing... Their feelings for Nagoya.

TOMOMI: Congrats for making your dream come true - Such passion for Nagoya.

MAMI: Ah, Zepp is really close to their place in Nagoya.

HARUNA: And the real estate agent was also a fan... The real estate agent knows a lot of our early songs.

MAMI: They're probably from the same generation as us, but what a coincidence.

TOMOMI: "Space Ranger" is the first single from our indies era.

HARUNA: Harurhythm, please tell people from other prefecture about how appealing Nagoya is.

MAMI: We also want you to tell us about recent happenings in Nagoya...

HARUNA: Yeah, let's have them that.

TOMOMI: No, don't we already introduce a lot of those on the program?

HARUNA: Yeah?

TOMOMI: Two people have said, "Everyone knows that!"... And things like, "They opened Ghibli Park," and "Legoland is nice."

Fuyuinu

Hello, SCANDAL!

I'm working at a cafe in Shizuoka now. Before that, I was a normal office worker, but I used to work part-time at a cafe. I love cafes, so I decided to change jobs at the end of the year! Recently, I've felt that my work is fun and fulfilling every day.

The people at work were all good people, and we got along very quickly. Among them, there was one lady who was close to my age, and she also had changed careers. I asked her what her previous job was. To my surprise, she said that she had been working at Tsumagoi (the resort that SCANDAL's Mystery Tours 2 was held at) until August! ! I had participated in Mystery Tours 2, so when I told her about it, she was surprised and said, "I remember that large group!!"

When I talked about the huge oyakodon that was served for lunch, she said, "Everyone sure ate a lot～" haha. Apparently, that's their normal size! haha. By the way, she was serving curry at that time, so it was a near miss! haha. I felt that it was an interesting connection (?) with SCANDAL. I will continue to enjoy my work every day!

TOMOMI: Wow...

HARUNA: What are the odds?? Isn't this another crazy coincidence??

MAMI: We ate that curry. It was delicious.

RINA: "That large group...

TOMOMI: Ours was definitely that "large group."

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 153

•The episode starts with this.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener who is a 3rd-year college student who retired from their volunteer group in December. In the group they held a meeting every week to come up with a project, and they say that the most enjoyable project they did was the "Kyoukai-sen Kyoukai" (Fine Line Association). They say that when they first heard about this segment on "Catch up," they decided to borrow it for their group. The band says that they're glad that their segment was useful for their volunteer group. HARU says that it's surprising how "Kyoukai-sen Kyoukai" was used in a volunteer group. RINA says that it surprisingly fits really well for that.

•MAMI reads the next message from a listener who thanks them for reading their message on episode 69 (about how they were suddenly praised by a business partner at work for being handsome), and for the Apollo pouch they gave him. They ask the band for advice on lies. The other day a female friend of his asked him to introduce her to a male acquaintance, and they made plans for the three of them to go out to eat. The guy got there first, and the listener + friend ended up going there together a little later. On the way there, the girl was like, "Aren't my hairstyle and clothes weird? Are they okay?" The listener thought that she looked cute, but the moment he thought so he realized that she had visible nose hairs coming out of her nose. He thought he should immediately tell her, but then realized that she might get hurt hearing that. Instead of straight-up telling her, he wondered if he should say something like, "Do you want to go to the bathroom?" Then he started to panic about not saying something to her right away and thought it might cause the atmosphere to get weird, so he did just straight-up say, "Your nose hairs are sticking out." He was surprised at himself for saying it. She got mad and ended up leaving before they got to the restaurant. He asks SCANDAL what he should have done, what choice would they have made in this situation, and what they would do if they had to tell something like that to people other than the band members. He also says that after that happened, he went alone to the restaurant to meet the guy friend and lied that the girl had some urgent business that came up. But the listener says that it actually ends happily: Some time after that, the guy friend and the girl friend did end up starting to date each other.

•The band laughs hard at this and say that the listener is a good guy. They say that he didn't really say anything that was bad; they were actually kind. HARU says that it's better to say things like the nose hair thing straightforwardly. They also kind of joke for a long time about how the nose hair thing lol. After this, HARU again says reiterates that it's better to be told that kind of thing straightforwardly. RINA says in a brash tone, "Like, 'Your nose hairs are sticking out'?", exactly how the listener had written that line in their message. They all laugh and HARU says that she doesn't want to be told in that exact way. TOMO says the line more softly and airily, which HARU says is a better way of saying it.

•They then close out the episode. They say how they were only able to read four messages, but all of them had great content.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here. I've made a guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries can be found here

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#front-page #catchup

Airing the first "recording field trip" held on February 12th!

Episode ＃154 blog

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(~in front of all the listeners who have gathered~)

RINA: I'm so happy~!

TOMOMI: About 50 people were chosen via lottery from among the many applicants.

RINA: You were all chosen from among enough applicants to fill up Quattro (*a small music club)!

TOMOMI: Congratulations!

RINA: Congratulations!

HARUNA: Don't be nervous; just enjoy yourselves.

RINA: We won't say anything scary...so it's okay

HARUNA: We've stirred things up quite a bit, though.

RINA: Yeah, we did say a lot of things on air the other day.

TOMOMI: Like, "Please each have a story ready to go."

HARUNA: (*to the staff) ...So, are we going to start recording now?

Staff: We've been rolling for some time now.

HARUNA: Eh, we have!?

RINA: Eh, what do we do?

Staff: Please start by saying hello.

HARUNA: So the usual, then.
Good evening, everyone. This is SCANDAL's vocalist HARUNA,
Bassist TOMOMI,
Guitarist MAMI,
And drummer RINA.

HARUNA: So... today is February 12, the first "recording field trip" of SCANDAL Catch up. We finally get to meet our listeners in person!

RINA: We've really been looking forward to this day! We thought it would be nice to have a chance to meet our fans outside of concerts, and this number of people here is also exquisite.

HARUNA: This is a good size for the first time we're doing this.

RINA: Are these "recording field trips" going to get even bigger??

HARUNA: It's possible, isn't it??

TOMOMI: Eventually.

MAMI: Like Tokyo Dome!?

TOMOMI: Before we play a solo concert there.

RINA: We've never even done a solo concert there, and now we're going to Tokyo Dome for a Catch up "recording field trip."

HARUNA: That's crazy. At any rate, this will be a fun recording, so please enjoy observing. Since you've come all this way, please participate in this recording. We plan to ask many questions.

TOMOMI: Are there any teachers here??

→7 people raise their hands...!

All: Ehー!! Teachers～!!

HARUNA: One, two...

All: Hey! Teacher!!

MAMI: We met some teachersー!!

TOMOMI: What kind of teachers are you guys??

HARUNA: That's really amazing. Something must be going on.

RINA: This makes me happy. I'm happy that teachers listen to our music!

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 154

•The episode starts with this.

•They then wonder what other common jobs that listeners seem to hold. MAMI says a hair stylist, and a few people seem to raise their hands. The band then asks if there are any people working in apparel. No one raises their hands, which RINA is surprised at. A staffer then says to ask if there are any students. There do seem to be a few. HARU says that it seems like mostly everyone has raised their hands, but asks if there's anyone who didn't raise their hands. A few seem to. The band is surprised and wonders what they do. Someone says they're a "自宅警備員" (jitaku-keibiin; literally means "security officer of one's own home," but actually translates to being a "shut-in"). HARU says that's a great way to phrase it. Someone else says they're searching for a job, and the band says they hope they find something. Someone else says they're a nurse. The band then asks if there are any others in the medical field and apparently many of them raise their hands.

•The first segment they do is a Valentine's version of "Smental" (where all 4 band members try to write the same answer in the first go). HARU says that they've never successfully done so. TOMO goes, "It's your fault!" (referring to HARU's 'mochi' answer during episode 137). HARU goes, "Ehh??" The band gets into place to play and wonders if this being a "Valentine's version" means that the questions are related to Valentine's Day. The first question is: "What letter of the alphabet seems like it would taste sweet?" TOMO and RINA says that this is a really good question. HARU reads the message that the question comes from. The listener is a nursery school teacher (MAMI makes a noise of recognition but HARU continues to read the message) who has been playing Smental with their kids for a while now. They asked the kids to name a hiragana character that seemed like it would be delicious to eat. They ask the band if there are any characters that look tasty at a glance. After the message is read, RINA reminds them that it came from a nursery school teacher. HARU goes, "Yeah!" and then a second later, "Oh!", and all of them then go, "Hey! Teacher!" MAMI says that they can never tell if HARU realizes things like that because she'll just keep reading the rest of the message without pausing. TOMO says that they should have all said the line right after the listener's job was revealed. HARU apologizes, which the others laugh at.

•Going back to the question asked about which letter of the alphabet that seems like it would taste sweet, TOMO says that one with no sharp corners probably would be best. RINA agrees. HARU says that it's not good to have a discussion like this at the start of the episode. The others are confused and ask what she means. She says that it's probably because their answers won't match up. She says that she's thinking about what her answer could be, though. RINA goes, "If there's one you're thinking of, then just write it down!" They reiterate again that they're not choosing one that has sharp corners. TOMO and RINA try to suggest to HARU that the letter(s) they're thinking of look like they're shapes of commercially available products, and that one of them has an 'accent' to them. HARU is really confused at what this means. They say that there are basically two possible selections, and HARU, who has no idea what they could be, goes, "What do you mean, two possible selections??" while the others and the audience laugh. HARU still doesn't understand what the 'accent' thing means. RINA says to imagine it even harder. HARU says that she is. She then says that she has four letters in mind. TOMO and RINA are surprised at this. MAMI talks about the Meiji chocolates in front of them and what they're shaped like, trying to give HARU a hint. HARU still doesn't understand what they mean at first, but then says that she understands...but then says that although she's saying she understands, she probably doesn't actually understand. She says that they should all just write down their first answer. RINA asks if they're going with the one with the 'accent' or not. HARU says without it. The others say okay, but HARU then suddenly goes, "Wait, I have no idea! This segment really is scary."

•TOMO then wonders what the audience thinks and if they understand what letters they could be talking about. Some seem to indicate that they do know what they mean. HARU can still be heard in the background saying that she doesn't get it. RINA again says that they'll go with the letter with no 'accent.' TOMO says to think simply about it and go with a letter that looks like one you could easily bring to your mouth and eat. Then she asks if HARU knows the alphabet, which makes the audience laugh. She says, "Okay, you know it? Just checking." They write down the answers and then reveal them. They actually all answer the same--the letter "O"--and get Smental for the first time. They all get really excited and say that they're really happy they got it. Their program director asks them what four choices HARU was thinking of. She says O, I, C, and U. MAMI asks her if she got the 'accent' thing. HARU says she didn't. The others go, "It was Q!" and point out that it has that line going through it. HARU is surprised and says that she had no idea that was what they were talking about. RINA says it was miraculous that they all answered the same. Then, HARU suddenly says that she finally understood the Q thing, which makes everyone laugh.

•They move on to the second question: "What is something you always have in your refrigerator, aside from chocolate?" The director says that the chocolate thing was a typo (lol), since it's not like everyone always has some chocolate in their fridge. The band says that there are all kinds of stuff that could apply. TOMO and RINA think that something is used daily could work. A horn sound effect is played to signal the end of thinking time. RINA goes, "Okay, let's do it." HARU and MAMI go, "Eh??" since they didn't really have time to consider things. MAMI asks if it's okay to narrow things down, which is agreed on. MAMI says that perhaps they should go with something that you can directly eat after taking it out of the fridge, like a condiment. HARU says that maybe it should be a drink. MAMI then says that maybe it should be something that you'd need to cook. RINA says that instead of a condiment, maybe they should go with an ingredient. TOMO says that maybe they should go with an ingredient that's smooth. RINA and MAMI seem to get it, but HARU doesn't seem to and says that there are lots of things that could fit that. RINA says to go with one that you can prepare in many different ways.

•They then write down their answers. RINA says that she feels that they'll all have the same answer. TOMO says that there are a lot of potential things she can think of, but she went with the one that seemed most likely. HARU says that she doesn't really get it, but she did write down something she always has at home. They reveal their answers. There's a pause before the audience starts to laugh. (They never mentioned what they had written, but it seems HARU wrote down "tofu" while the other three wrote "eggs") TOMO goes, "Hey!" to HARU. HARU goes, "This isn't true!" MAMI goes, "What do you mean by that??" HARU says to do these answers with her mind. RINA goes, "We only have you in mind when we do these!" TOMO says that it's okay if she doesn't like boiled eggs or such, and that there are many cooking methods to add flavor to them. HARU says that that's not it. RINA says that not giving her answer as "eggs" aside, she questions if HARU actually prepares tofu in many ways (since they had mentioned that they should answer with something that can be prepared in many different ways). TOMO says that HARU had no intention of matching answers with them.

•They bring up how they planned to go with something that's smooth, and HARU says that tofu is smooth. MAMI says that they were trying to continue the 'smooth' pattern from the previous question. TOMO says that because "O" is a smooth shape, they had said to answer this question with something 'smooth' that is also shaped the same. There's some laughter heard before HARU goes, "Yeah, that's true," but then asks to let her say one thing: She says that she doesn't buy eggs. MAMI asks if that means she doesn't make stuff like scrambled eggs or tamagoyaki. HARU says that she doesn't, and doesn't buy eggs because she's not that good at cooking them. That's why that idea never came to her. TOMO goes, "But generally speaking, eggs would be the correct answer for this question." RINA asks HARU if those hints they gave didn't connect with her. HARU says not at all. TOMO says that's HARU's a rare type of person for this, which makes the audience laugh. HARU says that now that it's been mentioned, she could totally understand eggs being the perfect answer for this question; it's just that eggs really aren't something that could have occurred as an answer for her. Their director then says that since they didn't get Smental, they need to do it one more time and ask that they all answer "tofu." RINA laughs at how HARU's answers have gone from mochi to tofu. MAMI says that they can't get their answers relating to white-colored things to match up. They write down and reveal their second answers. There's a pause before they all go, "Okay." and say unenthusiastically that they all matched up. TOMO says that they always sound down when they do this segment. They all laugh and joke that they should stop doing this segment.

•The next segment is to make a new program jingle. They say that since they have an audience today, they'll have them participate in making the jingle. The director says that they'll be giving HARU a bag full of some more unusual instruments that another staffer has found and pass them to the other members. MAMI says that HARU will take a look at the bag and then give them out. HARU looks through them and isn't really sure what they could be. RINA asks if they're all ones that she hasn't seen before. HARU says that there's at least one that she's never seen before, and that there are also ones that they've used before. There's a big one that they apparently all take a look at and are surprised. They wonder what it is. HARU says that she has no idea how it can be played. TOMO says that the pattern on it is cute. The staff briefly tells them what to do. They try it out and say it sounds like a rhythm instrument, which they decide will go to RINA. HARU picks out an ocarina next, which they had used in previous jingles. She then pulls out a bird whistle, another instrument that they used previously, and says she'll give it to TOMO, who had previously played it. The next one she pulls out she says is another mysterious instrument. The others are surprised when she shows it to them. RINA says it looks cute. It makes a chiming sound, which they say sounds really nice. They try to figure out how it's supposed to be played. They say that maybe it's supposed to be like cymbals. They try hitting them together, which makes a dull-sounding clinking sound. Everyone laughs and the staff says that that's not what it's for. The chimes are supposed to hit against each other lightly, like a regular chime. MAMI says that it's really hard to make it sound. HARU says there's one more, which looks like something you'd normally hit to make a sound. She says that maybe RINA should play this one. MAMI says it looks like a taiko drum rather than a tambourine. They try to make it make a sound, and it sounds like a light knocking sound.

•They try to decide the final lineup of who plays which instrument. MAMI asks if HARU is going to play the ocarina (instrument ＃2). HARU says either that, or instrument ＃1. RINA says she's unsure which instrument to go with for rhythm. She seems to try out instrument ＃1 with both hands, which they say make a nice sound. She decides to go with it. So the final lineup seems to be: HARU = instrument ＃4 (chime), MAMI = instrument ＃2 (ocarina), TOMO = instrument ＃3 (bird whistle), RINA = instrument ＃5 (some kind of drum?). HARU then asks their director what they had planned to have the audience do for this. He says that they hadn't planned anything for them, but clapping would be good to do. He also says that meaningless laughter works as well (as in the laughter the audience will probably make when hearing the band attempt a jingle). The band is amused by that and HARU wonders if the staff will include that laughter in the final jingle. MAMI asks what kind of tempo they're going for and goes, "Are we going for an intense one?" She and the others laugh at this. HARU says that since this is a Valentine's-themed episode, they should do it based on an existing Meiji jingle. HARU and TOMO briefly start singing this. Their director says to first make a jingle that advertises the "Catch up" program. HARU mentions that they had tried playing the melodies for "one more time" and "MIRROR" for the last jingles they did. MAMI asks the audience to raise their hands if there's anyone who has a song that they want them to play. One person suggests "SPICE." RINA jokes that that is an intense song (connecting to what MAMI said earlier). TOMO goes, "How does 'SPICE' go, again?" The others and the audience laugh. HARU and MAMI both sing/hum the chorus a bit. MAMI says it seems hard to do but they'll try it out.

•They test out their respective instruments and then try out playing the jingle.  RINA says that they did pretty well. Their director asks if they're done, or if they want to try another take. RINA says that they'll do another, and asks the others what they should do to close it out. HARU laughs and says she has no idea how to close it out. They decide to play the chorus all the way through, and then TOMO will close it out with her bird whistle. They do their second take and say that that one was really good.

•The Valentine's jingle is then recorded. The staff says to HARU that just singing it is okay (she doesn't need to play her instrument as well), and that they'll also have the audience help out by clapping. RINA taps out the beat for the audience to follow, and then tells HARU to try singing. She starts singing the Meiji jingle that she and TOMO had sung a bit earlier. TOMO is caught off guard and says something in surprise and starts to play her whistle. Chimes are also heard being played. They finish and HARU asks if it seems doable. RINA says while laughing that it seems that TOMO's having the most trouble. HARU says that they'll all keep getting better. They do a second take. After, HARU says that the audience's clapping should be a little louder. TOMO also says that they can all say "Meiji" at the end. HARU says that the band has improved their instrument-playing a lot since the start of this segment. They do the third and final take. After, they all excitedly say that it went really well. They ask the staff if it was good, which they seem to say it was.

•They then close out the episode. They say how this episode will come out the very next day, which they say is amazing. HARU says that there's usually about a week between when they record an episode until it's released, so their staff will start editing it right after this recording's finished. RINA says that they talked even more than they usually do, and HARU says while laughing that this episode was also probably even more disorganized than usual. TOMO jokingly goes, "Sorry about that!"

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here. I've made a guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries can be found here

---

#front-page #catchup

What's the extent of someone doing something alone? Holding the Fine Line Association with listener participation for the first time!

Episode ＃155 blog

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(~in front of all the listeners who have gathered~)

HARUNA: So... today is February 12th, the second week of SCANDAL Catch up's first "recording field trip."

Staff: Please read the lines in the script.

HARUNA: Hmm? Oh, right here. "The tension and tension-filled atmosphere of each recording session is observed as is."

RINA: That's not true.

TOMOMI: Yeah, we're always on edge...

HARUNA: That's never happened.

RINA: You wrote down a lie.

Staff: Yes, we lied. Well, we have been doing it like this for three years.

HARUNA: That's trueー

TOMOMI: Three years - it's gone by so fast.

RINA: Yeah, three years.

MAMI: Ehー, three years??

HARUNA: So fastー. After 3 years, we've finally done a "recording field trip."

RINA: That makes us happy.

TOMOMI: This program started right around when the pandemic did.

HARUNA: We've talked with the listeners on the phone, but this is the first time seeing everyone in person and recording together. How was week one's episode?

RINA: It felt really special. More than anything, everyone's voices and applause made me feel glad that we were able to do this.

HARUNA: Yeah, I'd love to do this again next.

RINA: We talk a lot about what's "next." Well, we are aiming to record at Tokyo Dome.

HARUNA: Now then, this time we're doing "Kyoukai-sen Kyokai" (Fine Line Association)!

All: (*Very excited)

HARUNA: This will be the first time "Kyoukai-sen Kyokai", which is loved by all listeners, will have listener participation. Let's introduce today's agenda and message.

Zakisu

These are fine lines related to human behavior.
Please discuss amongst yourselves and find an answer!

Now, let me present the topic.

"The fine line between what you can do alone vs. what you can't～"

Staff: We will present the topics, so please discuss them with everyone. First, "going to eat ramen by yourself"!

HARUNA: First, who among the four of us can go out to eat ramen by themselves?

All: Me!

RINA: How about the listeners?

(*Almost everyone can do so!)

Staff: Next, "going to eat yakiniku by yourself"!

MAMI: Is that a question of whether it's doable or not??

TOMOMI: It's doable by yourself...

MAMI: I've never done that...

TOMOMI: Yeah, I never have.

Staff: If you haven't gone, then it's "not doable."

MAMI: I've never experienced it.

HARUNA: Me neither.

TOMOMI: I haven't.

RINA: I haven't...

(*None of the band members have ever done "solo yakiniku")

TOMOMI: But, it is doable.

HARUNA: I think I could do it if I wanted to.

MAMI: I could.

HARUNA: Among the audience, has anyone ever done "solo yakiniku"??

(*Several people raise their hands)

HARUNA: Ah, but not much.

MAMI: Is there anyone who's like, "I haven't done it before, but it's totally something I could do!"??

(*Many people raise their hands)

MAMI: Everyone can do solo yakiniku.

Staff: But if you can do it, why haven't you done it?

MAMI: Because there's never a time when I want to eat yakiniku by myself.

TOMOMI: You want to eat it with a group.

HARUNA: I've thought about trying it.

MAMI: There are "solo yakiniku" restaurants these days. You could totally go there if you wanted to.

TOMOMI: You want to order as many types of yakiniku as possible, right?

RINA: Right?

TOMOMI: There's a limit to what one person can eat.

HARUNA: Yeah. Yakiniku is more enjoyable when eaten with friends.

RINA: But even if you go with friends, you can't share "bibimbap."

HARUNA: That's not something you do.

RINA: I'd want to eat bibimbap alone.

Staff: Here's a new topic. The fine line between whether or not you can share bibimbap.

RINA: Yeah. Is everyone able to share theirs??

(* About half raise their hands)

TOMOMI: It's 50-50.

MAMI: RINA just loves bibimbap.

RINA: I can eat as much as I want. On our recent world tour, we went to a Korean restaurant at the end and everyone was sharing their food, but I was the only one eating alone.

HARUNA: That's so true. That's why I won't say to give me some anymore.

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 155

•The episode starts with this.

•The next topic is "going by yourself to a theme park." All of the band members say they've never done that before, but MAMI says that she had planned to do so in the past. HARU says that she had also thought about going alone. They all agree that if you think about going alone, then it's totally something doable. RINA says that she probably couldn't do that, though, since she doesn't know if she'd be able to have fun by herself. TOMO says that sometimes you are able to get on rides faster if you're solo (HARU says that's known as "single rider"), so knowing that, there could be times when you'd want to go alone. RINA says that those who go solo are cool. HARU asks the audience if there's anyone who has gone to a theme park solo. Quite a few people raise their hands, which surprises the band. MAMI asks if there's anyone who hasn't done so but would. Less people raise their hands for this.

•Their director wonders if anyone's gone solo many times. HARU wonders if there's anyone who actually prefers going alone, and some people apparently do raise their hands. They ask if it's okay to ask why they prefer going solo, and pick a listener to ask. HARU asks if they go to the "east" theme park or the "west" theme park (east = Tokyo Disneyland/Disney Sea, west = Universal Studios Japan; HARU was being vague about it so as to not mention any names likely due to copyright reasons). They say they go to the "east" one. TOMO asks if they go to the biggest one of the "east" parks (Tokyo Disneyland, since it's bigger than Disney Sea). They say that they have an annual pass so they go to both parks. The band is surprised and HARU says that they must really like theme parks. They say that it's the same as going to a cafe for them. RINA asks if they've specifically gone to eat there. They say they have. TOMO asks what the perks are of going alone. They say that they don't have to worry about someone else, they can eat whatever and whenever they want, and they can watch the shows/parades from wherever they want. HARU says that she totally gets all that. Another thing they say is that if they get tired, they can leave whenever they want. HARU says that she's getting to see the appeal of doing stuff alone when they hear stories like this.

•The next topic is "traveling solo," which the director prefaces by saying it's something that they've previously discussed on the program. There are some band members who have traveled solo before, with HARU being one of them, but she clarifies that although she physically traveled alone, she did meet up with friends after arriving. RINA says that that was when HARU had traveled to New York. HARU says yes, and that she met up and ate with friends who lived in NY. RINA says that she'd like to try traveling solo in Japan and doing all the activities solo. They then ask the audience if there's anyone who has ever traveled solo, and there apparently are a lot. HARU says that there are probably people who have traveled solo to go to a concert. RINA asks if there are people who have done that, and there are a lot. She then asks if there are people who have traveled solo but not for a concert, and people do indicate that they have. They ask where they've traveled. The first person says that they traveled solo back home today--they seemingly live in/around the Tokyo area and had just gotten back from camping in Miyazaki (Kyushu Area). They arrived at Haneda Airport and went straight to this recording. The band says that they're glad they decided to hold this in the evening. The next person says they traveled to London solo last year. HARU asks the reason why. They say they had always wanted to visit London, and it was kind of a pain to try and find/invite someone else to travel with them. The next person traveled to Nagoya to get their hair done by the boyfriend of an influencer they like. They also visited a cafe that the influencer likes. The band says that sounds like fun.

•RINA says that everyone has their own hobbies/likes, and since they're traveling for that purpose, it feels as if the destination is decided on on its own (rather than the person's own accord). She also says that she's different in that regard. HARU asks what she means. MAMI asks if it means that she wants to travel without having any particular thing/event/etc. in mind, which RINA says yes to. That's why she's always unsure of where to travel to. HARU asks if it's hard to plan unless she has a long vacation. RINA says that if it's somewhere within Japan, then it's not too hard to go somewhere for one or two days. MAMI says that one thing you could do is drive, get on the highway, have your driving app take you somewhere, and stop at whatever place you're close to when you're about to run out of gas. RINA says that that sounds really nice and doable for her. HARU reminds the audience that RINA is someone who will drive for 4-5 hours without ever getting out of the Tokyo area. RINA laughs and says that she was planning on leaving the area, but she ended up driving around it for 4 hours. The other three still can't seem to believe she did that.

•Next, HARU reads a topic that was selected by the staff: Soy sauce and ponzu. TOMO asks if they're supposed to find the fine line between the two, and says that they're two separate things. The director clarifies that they're supposed to find the fine line between what you use them on/for. He asks what the band uses on tofu. All of them say soy sauce. He then asks them to ask audience. Most people choose soy sauce as well, but there are a few that choose ponzu. RINA says that it definitely ought to taste good. MAMI + HARU say that they know it probably tastes good, but they like using soy sauce with it more. The next food is ohitashi (Japanese spinach salad). All 4 of them immediately pick soy sauce. The audience mostly chooses soy sauce with a few going with ponzu. TOMO goes, "They really like ponzu!" (likely because it's the same people choosing it each time). The director says that apparently younger people these days prefer ponzu. He then asks about sashimi. The band says soy sauce. Next, he asks about nabe (hot pot). TOMO, MAMI, and RINA go with ponzu while HARU goes with soy sauce. Only one person in the audience also choose soy sauce, while pretty much everyone else goes with ponzu. TOMO says that it also depends on what kind of nabe it is. The director says that he actually expected there to be more of a debate with this, but it didn't happen. The band laughs at this. The director says that his kids use ponzu for everything.

•RINA then asks if she can ask what people use for gyoza. TOMO says that she just uses vinegar. MAMI says that she uses vinegar and black pepper. RINA asks if there's anyone in the audience that uses ponzu for gyoza, and apparently about 1/3 of them do. MAMI says that it also tastes good with mayo. The others say that they don't put mayo on it, though it does sound good. Next, they ask the audience who eats gyoza with vinegar and soy sauce. About 1/3 does. Then they ask about ponzu, which about 1/3 does as well. They wonder what the remaining people do. They ask if about vinegar and black pepper, but don't really mention how many people raise their hands. The director asks who hasn't raised their hands for anything yet. They ask one person what they do, and they say that they don't use anything. HARU asks if there are people who do their own kind of original thing, and someone answers yuzu and black pepper. The band excitedly says that that sounds good. MAMI says that it sounds like it would go well with nabe. Another person says they use vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil. Another person says spicy miso, which surprises the band but they do say it sounds good. HARU asks if it's something that their family does, or if it's something that they themselves came up with. They say that there's a really good spicy miso sold in their hometown of Saitama. TOMO asks if they could send some to them, which makes everyone laugh.

•They then move on to the next and final segment, a small viewing party for their MIRROR documentary film where they'll also talk a little bit about behind-the-scenes stuff. They ask if anyone watched the film when it was up on U-NEXT and thanks the ones who raise their hands. They then show a teaser to the audience. Following that, they ask if there's anyone would has already seen the film and would like to tell the band their thoughts. RINA says that it might be easier if the band shared their thoughts on it first.

RINA: "I think we were able to take another step forward by doing this tour. We've been touring and making music while wondering how much we should be telling our fans. But when we were on tour last year, I really thought stuff like we might not be able to do this anymore, we might not be able to write any more songs, and that this might be our last tour. But we honestly put it all out there and made it into a singular work while trying to somehow tie it all together and playing concerts. We really wanted to sear the images of our audiences into our minds. We put our hearts and souls into these concerts, thinking that this might be the last time we see each other, so it really turned into a tour that had a different color than previous ones, and became an album that was special to us. There were steps that we couldn't have taken if we hadn't been able to do this tour. That period was like glue that wasn't adhering together, which is why there are things that we were able to thoroughly understand by having everyone see it in its entirety. It was really tough, but that's why it feels like we should go further. That's why we want our fans to see this film and to put it out into the world. We made this film and album with the determination to show all the good and bad things, even in our own lives, and as a band, and to leave it as a work that'll remain even after we die, which is big deal for us as a band. That's why I think the most important thing was to have people watch this."

HARU: "A lot of things that were planned went up in smoke due to the pandemic, and we were at a loss because of that. It wasn't easy to make progress, but that's why we released our album last year. We were able to tour in Japan and able to go overseas, and were able to properly connect it with this year. To summarize it, it was such an important tour for us. A lot happened on that tour, like having to cancel the US tour in the middle of it, but we were happy we got to see our overseas fans again. Then there was the pain of canceling the rest of that leg of the tour and getting sick--we experienced both sides of the coin. But it was all part of the experience. We could have gone on without knowing about it all, but there are many things that we were able to properly connect to this year because we know."

RINA: "When the rest of that leg of the tour was canceled, it was so shocking that we didn't know what to do. But after making the film, we realize now that it wasn't an issue. We didn't lose anything because of it. It was more about our mentality and feelings, and how to face music--there was a bigger theme floating there. That was more important that anything else, which makes it tough to face it and it requires strength, but we could no longer ignore it. It was hard, but I'm glad the four of us were able to face it. I think that was a really big thing."

HARU: "Yeah, we get really passionate when we start talking about these kinds of things. We hold a lot of discussions."

RINA: "But I'm really interested in how people felt about it."

HARU: "Yeah, so let's ask the audience if they have any comments or questions."

•They say that they have time to hear from one person, and invite anyone who wants to share their thoughts in a short, light manner. A fan comes up and says that she attended the Toronto, New York, and Boston shows and so was able to really feel that HARU's MCs were properly conveyed to everyone. The film then properly conveys that. She really wants people all over the world to see it. She also says that she was really worried when the tour was canceled halfway through. She wondered how the band was spending their time, and how they were making the transition from one place to another, which is able to be seen in the film. She closes by saying that when they say TOMO apologizing, seeing how the other band members immediately said positive words to her made the fan think of how they want to keep being a fan. The fan is emotional and tears up while speaking, which makes the band also sound emotional as they thank her.

RINA: "We've been playing concerts through our teens, twenties, and thirties, and although it still won't be smooth sailing from here on out, we've been a band while feeling like we don't know what could happen at any moment. But it'd be really great if that that tingling feeling could become an electrifying piece of music that touches everyone. We're definitely staking our lives to compose songs and play concerts, so we really hope that it reaches each and every fan and that its power spreads out as far as possible. There's something about having fans  that makes us feel stronger, and that's what makes it worthwhile. I think that this is what we ought to be doing, and it's why we're able to talk about how we would like to do our activities in this way this year."

HARU: "I was also very happy to hear that you could feel that my MCs were understood by the audiences. I talked a bit about it in the film, but of course there's a language barrier in different countries. Even though my English good at all, I try to convey my feelings to the audience, so I'm very glad to know that my words were conveyed to the audience regardless of whether it was someone's first time seeing us, or if they've been supporting us for a long time. Thank you very much!"

•It's then time to close out the episode. HARU says that it was very valuable to them to be able to talk about their activities from last year to this year in front of everyone and convey everything in person. She knows that their messages are conveyed via the radio as well, of course, but being in the same space and breathing the same air together helps to have everything reach listeners quicker. She then says that all four band members will share their thoughts on today's event.

MAMI: "Thanks for coming out today! It was really fun to see and hear your reactions in real time like this.
It's always just the four of us when we record, so it was a lot of fun to have a lively atmosphere in this space. I think there are signs that things are going to get better [pandemic-wise], so I'd be happy if eventually we could all take off our masks and see the smiles on everyone's faces with our own eyes. I hope we can create a space where people can be natural and not just applaud. Please apply again then! Thank you very much!"

RINA: "Thank you so much for coming from all over the country! It was a lot of fun, and I'm glad we could meet today. I'm really glad that we had this chance to talk in front of everyone. There's a strong variety of people here, and when it comes to the band, it's just too important to us that we're full of emotions. We always deliver this podcast every week, and I think Catch up is the place where we can continue to share our voices and our feelings at the moment. It'd make me very happy if you could listen to our voices whenever you have time and whenever you feel like it. I'm really glad we got to see each other today. Thank you very much!"

TOMO: "Thank you very much! It's been a long time since we've had a chance to meet like this outside of a live concert, hasn't it? Since the pandemic started, there have been very few face-to-face events like this, so I'm very happy to see everyone. Does everyone have a Twitter account? If you could tweet your thoughts on today's event with a hashtag, we'd love to hear from you."

MAMI: "You can also post an Instagram Story."

HARU: "What should the hashtag be?"

TOMO: "Hashtag? Uh..."

RINA: "Isn't it 'Catch up' (キャッチアップ)?"

HARU: "That's it?"

Ono: "Add the '収録見学会' to it."

TOMO: "'Catch up'..."

HARU: "'Shuuroku Kengakukai'?" (＃Catchup収録見学会)

TOMO: "...yes, let's go with that."

RINA: "Simple is best."

TOMO: "Tweet using that hashtag. We always record this program with just the four of us and Ono, the bare minimum amount of people, at our office. It's always like, 'Is anyone listening to this program??' I sometimes get DMs about it, but they're so few and far between!"

HARU: "They have increased a lot, though."

TOMO: "A little bit. We know there are at least 50 listeners (the amount of people in the audience), so we better get 50 tweets using that hashtag! I'll be checking in two hours."

MAMI, RINA: "That's so fast!"

TOMO: "Please post yours by midnight. Thanks so much!"

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here. I've made a guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries can be found here

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#front-page #catchup

Three years have passed since this message about love advice...  SCANDAL is so excited to hear an update from the listener!!!

Episode ＃156 blog

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HARUNA: This time we're just going to read messages. There are a lot of messages, but we talk too much, and they keep piling up...

RINA: Yeah...

HARUNA: Not only are they piling up, but the contents of the messages are getting more and more deep...

RINA: We're happy and grateful for that.

HARUNA: We read this message about three years ago and have received an update about it. Let's read the message from three years ago.

RINA: It's like a review.

Harupon (3~ years ago)

This is my fifth year as a working adult, but love feels too far away from me and I no longer know what I like. However, in terms of age, I'm vaguely thinking that I would like to marry the next person I date. My favorite type has always been someone older than me and is reliable, and has that gap where they always seem to act silly but is a diligent worker.

Perhaps because I have a younger brother, I have never considered dating someone younger than me. However, I currently have feelings I've never felt before, for a junior colleague. He's four years younger than me and is unreliable and troublesome. However, he's honest, cute, and fun. We talk daily on LINE or on the phone--I never get tired of talking to him. However, once in a while there are moments when I'm conscious of him being younger and that dating him wouldn't be right. He's like a younger brother to me. However, if he ever got a girlfriend, I think I'd feel extremely jealous.

What kind of emotions are these? Our current relationship is enjoyable, and I don't want to be oddly conscious of it. SCANDAL, could you please give me some advice?

HARUNA: I remember that.

TOMOMI: Yeah, I remember too.

MAMI: This was three years ago.

RINA: I'm curious... They sent in a later development. I'll read it.

Harupon

Hello, SCANDAL.
It's been a while since I've sent in a message.
Actually, he proposed to me the other day, and we are getting married.

All: Ahh! Congratulations!

He's younger than me, but before we started dating, my message about asking for love advice regarding a man younger than me was read on "Catch up." (I think it was back in the early days of the program, but I'm too embarrassed to listen to it again now.)

Back then, I never thought I would end up getting married this way, so I feel like I don't know what's in store for me. We have a lot of decisions to make for the wedding and such, but I am happy every day.

The other day we both went to look at wedding rings, and the woman who helped us at the store was a SCANDAL fan. She noticed the sticker in my phone case and approached me. It was the first time I was approached in that way, and it made me very happy.

It was a very happy time for me, as I was able to choose a ring and talk about my favorite band, SCANDAL, and my heart felt so warm.

All: Congratulations!

TOMOMI: That's the best!

RINA: That's so lovely!

HARUNA: Congrats, but I want to hear about what happened in the last three years...

RINA: We need details.

TOMOMI: I want to hear how it started!

MAMI: From those feelings they sent to us three years ago, how did it go from, "Ah, I like him..." to seeing him as a love interest...

RINA: I wonder how they changed their mind about falling in love with someone younger.

MAMI: I wonder when it happened.

RINA: And he proposed! Thank you for sending in this message...but can you tell us a little more about it?

MAMI: Yeah.

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 156

•The episode starts with HARU reading a message from a listener from Aichi Prefecture who attended the "recording field trip" for Catch up. They mention the Fine Line Association topics about food and are shocked that what they use for those foods they discussed aren't commonplace when they thought they were (ex. they use ponzu and chili oil for gyoza, and had at that point thought that that's what everyone uses as well). They also say they use mentsuyu (noodle soup base) on tofu and ohitashi (spinach salad). RINA says that that conversation really fired everyone up who was there. HARU says that ponzu is delicious, which the others agree with. RINA says that you don't really get the chance to have these types of convos, so you don't realize that what others do might differ from what you do. HARU says that putting mentsuyu on ohitashi sounds good.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener who also attended the event. They say their answers for Smental were close to what HARU answered, and so symphathized with her (they're saying this due to how HARU answered differently than the other 3 members for most of the questions). HARU says thanks to this, which the others laugh at. HARU also says that after the episode aired they got a lot of messages from people saying that they also thought the same things as HARU. She then says, "Don't let it get you down!" The others laugh and RINA says that the listeners are being really considerate. MAMI asks their program director if it's okay to discuss and try to get each other's answers to match before answering, which he says yes to.

•This message/part then happens.

•HARU reads the next message from a listener who recently sent in their initial message and then sent in a follow up shortly after. The listener has lived with her boyfriend for a little over two years, and they've been dating for almost three years. The bf might be transferred in April and will have to move to Tokyo. The listener wasn't surprised since he had been trying for a transfer request for a while. She is 28 while the bf is 25. She'd ideally like to get married and he says he's willing to get married as well, but he'd ideally want to get married when he's 30 and have fun without being tied down a bit more. She says she doesn't want to tie him down too much and is wondering if it's okay for her to go to with him to Tokyo without them promising to get married. She also doesn't want to quit her job since she enjoys it, so she's having a hard time taking the plunge. The bf says that he doesn't mind if she goes with him or not. She asks SCANDAL for their opinion.

•Right after the first message is read, MAMI then reads the update. The listener says that a few things have happened. Right after she sent in the message, the bf did in fact ask her to move to Tokyo with him, and even asked her to marry him. She was thinking about what she should do about her job when she found out that she was pregnant. She's been so happy since the beginning of the year that her family and friends have told her she's giving out too much information, but everyone has been encouraging her to leave my job for now and just try to work hard. She apologizes that she ended up quitting her job, but she's taking it as a positive opportunity to try something new. They got married on the third anniversary and had only two weeks to prepare for the ceremony. She says that even though she's moving to Kanto and is pregnant, she's still planning to go see SCANDAL on their upcoming tour and will be going crazy in her heart since she won't really be able to physically do so. The band says that that was a fast development. RINA says that the bf took more action as if being guided, and with the baby on the way, it's like she was being told that this is how things were to naturally flow. HARU says that life sure is interesting.

•HARU reads the next message from a listener who asks the band whether she should be happy with the person she loves, or the person who loves her. She's had a crush on someone for a year and talk on LINE every day, but she's not sure if he likes her in the same way or just as a friend. She's afraid of ruining their relationship and so hasn't told him how she feels yet. While in the middle of all this, she met another guy, and it happened to be at SCANDAL's 16th anniversary event last year. They were in the same group and started talking to each other on LINE. Since she already had someone she liked, she wanted to keep her replies casual. However, he would somehow keep the convo going so that there was no awkward break. He lives in Kanto while she lives in Kansai, so if they ever got together, it would mean a long-distance relationship. They met again at BEST Xmas where they had both gone solo, and so enjoyed the concert together. He hasn't clearly said that he likes her yet, but he's planning to go to Kansai in March and asked if they could hang out then, which she said yes to. She says she honestly thinks she would have been attracted to him if she didn't already have someone she liked. She still likes the first guy more and can't give up on him, but she also doesn't want to stay in this half-hearted state and feels bad for the second guy, so she's been wondering if she should give up on her crush or not. She re-asks her question to the band of whether she should be happy with the person she loves, or the person who loves her.

•HARU goes, "Ono, you're responsible for this!" since he was the one who encouraged groups at the anniversary event to exchange LINE contacts with each other. The others laugh and agree. HARU also says that the second guy is obviously in SCANDAL's fan club (since the anniversary event was only for fan club members) so he probably does listen to "Catch up" and is probably like, "This might be me they're talking about!" MAMI jokes and says that they of course want to support the second guy (they refer to him as "MANIA"/"MANIA-kun" lol) since he's a SCANDAL fan. TOMO says that it's hard to lie about how you feel about someone you like, and that she thinks you should be honest and go for the person you're attracted to. The listener clearly likes the first guy more. MAMI says to try going hard on that first guy, if only to settle things, and tell him how they feel. If nothing comes of it, there's MANIA-kun who might like them, and they'll be able to look at him in a romantic way as well from now on. The others agree that it's probably better to first tell the first guy how they feel. TOMO says that there's a possibility that the more the listener and MANIA-kun will become more and more attracted to each other the more they spend time with each other, and there may come a time when she likes him more than he likes her. She says again how she as a members of SCANDAL is rooting for MANIA-kun, but she as a person thinks she should be with the one she likes. A staffer laughs in the background about how they're calling the second guy "MANIA," which makes the band laugh as well. HARU says that both MANIA-kun and the listener shouldn't give up for the time being. TOMO goes, "We're talking about you!", as if talking directly to MANIA-kun. They laugh and RINA says that whoever he is, he's probably realized that they're talking about him. RINA says that even if it doesn't produce results, if he has the power to wait and understand her, maybe it will bear fruit years later - "I have no idea if that'll be true, though," she adds. TOMO says that now he knows that the girl he likes has someone that she likes, which they all laugh at. HARU says that it's possible he's finding it out for the first time. TOMO says that they're rooting for the listener, no matter whom she chooses. HARU says that they're rooting for both the listener and MANIA-kun. TOMO says to eat some sweets together when they meet up in March, and that the band will send them some.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here. I've made a guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries can be found here

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#front-page #catchup

SCANDAL takes the "Ranking of Popular Baby Names" quiz for 2022 announced by Paris!

Episode ＃157 blog

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HARUNA: This week... we bring you the 8th edition of "I see - The Catch up"!
We bring you world news and country-specific quizzes! It's a very SCANDAL-like segment, with us having fans all over the world.

TOMOMI: I love this segment.

HARUNA: It seems that it's been about a year since the last one...

TOMOMI: It doesn't feel that long ago...

RINA: That's a lot of time.

HARUNA: The staff comes up with quizzes related to the country of the person who sent in a message, and the band members are asked those questions.
So far...
We have had quizzes based on messages from Estonia, Malaysia, Argentina, Italy, Russia, the US, Australia, the Philippines, Taiwan, India, and Indonesia.

RINA: Hearing it all again, that's impressive.

HARUNA: It is. "Catch up" is getting messages from all these countries, so it's quite a global program.

MAMI: We're very grateful.

HARUNA: Now, what countries are these quizzes from this time? Let's start with the messages. It's a quiz from a new country!


(*Note from the staff: This message in Japanese from an overseas listener has been left as is)

(*And a note from thoseguiltyeyes: There are a number of mistakes in this message, so I will try to translate those as such to English)

Sixpenny

Hello, everyone!

You well? It's cold, so dress warmly, okay?

I'm French, so please forgive my bad Japanese.

Ah! I went the Paris concert, so it was really the best night of my life!
But I'm sorry I said "Don't cry, Teimo-chan" (haha)
It was a pink T-shirt

But you guys helped me find my purpose.
When will I make your fantastic music?

Enjoy this year!
I will continue to support SCANDAL from the bottom of my heart this year.

All: Thanks!

RINA: This was our first message from France.

HARUNA: I'm happy they went to our Paris concert.
Now then, from France, here's "I see - The Catch up"!

The city of Paris has announced the 2022 "Popular Baby Name Ranking'' based on last year's birth registrations.

The ranking of boys' names was Louis (4th), Raphael (3rd), and Adam (2nd).

What is in first place?

TOMOMI: No, no, wait a minute - That's too hard.

RINA: But it's a good question.

Staff: We'll give you a hint, of course.

HARUNA: Yes, a hint would be good.

RINA: Thanks!

*Hint: By the way, the girls' name ranking is as follows: No. 4 is Jeanne, No. 3 is Emma, No. 2 is Louise, and No. 1 is Alma.

TOMOMI: No, no, that's not a hint!

MAMI: Say the mens' ranking again, starting from fourth place.

HARUNA: Louis in 4th place, Raphael in 3rd, and Adam in 2nd.

TOMOMI: Um, Eve!

(*bzzt)

RINA: What could it be...

MAMI: Paris...

RINA: I wonder if it's one of the names of our European staff...

TOMOMI: Matthew!

HARUNA: George!

(*bzzt)

RINA: I don't know what a standard French name would be.

Staff: By the way, number 10 is "Leon." That's a hint.

TOMOMI: Leon...

MAMI: Eh, that's a hint!? Um, Mike!

(*bzzt)

RINA: It's kind of American, isn't it...

Staff: By the way, number 9 is "Gaspard"!

TOMOMI: Then, Noel!

(*bzzt)

TOMOMI: Liam!

(*bzzt)

HARUNA: Those are Gallaghers.

MAMI: That's Oasis.

TOMOMI: Those are European names, or at least British ones...

Staff: By the way, number 8 is Noah!

TOMOMI: Noah, huh... I said before that those aren't hints!

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 157

•The episode starts with this. RINA asks what letter it starts with. The staff says "G." TOMO answers "Amethyst" (?? lol), which makes the others laugh. It's wrong, of course. RINA goes, "Did this turn into gemstone names??" HARU asks the staff if they could guess it if they told them what it starts off with, which the staff agrees to and says it starts with "Ga." The band laughs and goes, "It's gotta be Gaspard!" The staff reminds them that Gaspard ranked 9th. After a beat, MAMI answers "Gabriel," which is the correct answer. They all go, "Ahh!" and clap. RINA and TOMO go, "Impressive!" MAMI goes, "Gabriel's an angel, right?" The others agree, and HARU says she thinks she's heard of that before. RINA says that none of their European staff are named Gabriel. MAMI seems to look up the angel Gabriel and reads a few things about it, plus the names of a few other angels (Raphael, Uriel, etc.). HARU says that they all have an "-iel" name. The staff says that an odd thing is that "Gabriel" is also 8th on the girls' name list (but of course that's spelled as "Gabrielle" - there's no distinction in spelling between the two in Japanese, which is probably why they do not mention it). HARU says that a popular baby names list comes out in Japan as well, and says that them doing the same kind of list in Paris makes it feel like it's a bit Japanese-like (even though I'm pretty sure every country does this?? lol).

•RINA wonders what the top names in Japan are right now. A staffer goes, "What are they?" and the quiz sound effect plays, as if it's supposed to be a quiz question (and it actually does turn into one lol). They laugh at this. TOMO guesses "Aoi." HARU says that she often sees "Hina" as a girl's name. RINA says she also sees ones like "Hana" and even "Haruna." MAMI says that "Tsumugi" is also a popular one. Another one they say is "Mugi." MAMI says that she feels that a lot of names that consist of two Japanese characters are popular. Their director seems to say that they already said what one of the current most popular name is for boys. TOMO guesses "Haruto," which is incorrect. She then guesses "Aoi." He says something else, which makes them then guess "Ao," which is correct. RINA says that that's a nice name. Apparently, it's in third place. MAMI says that her friend's baby's name is Ao. TOMO mentions Tsumugi again, which apparently ranks ninth. MAMI asks the staff if they've already said the first place girl name, which the staff says they haven't. RINA guesses "Sakura" (*bzzt). MAMI guesses "Tsuyu" (*bzzt). TOMO guesses "Hina," even though it's been said before, and then guesses "Hime" (*bzzt). HARU says that she thinks that Hina does seem to be popular. Their director says that Hina is in sixth place, but the first place name does start with "Hi." TOMO then guesses "Hinata" (*bzzt). MAMI guesses "Hima" (*bzzt). TOMO guesses "Himari," which is the correct answer. She says that it gives off a warm feeling (maybe since it contains 'hi,' which means 'the sun'; or becauce it's close to 'himawari,' the word for 'sunflower'). The band says that this ranking was interesting.

•HARU reads the next message from a 37-year-old listener from Brazil who is writing in for the "Life before SCANDAL" segment, and who happened to ask earlier on SH what the title of the segment is in Japanese. They say that they used to listen to L'Arc-en-Ciel, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, Chatmonchy, etc., and that SCANDAL has been by their side during difficult times these past 10 years. They say that they're planning to go to SCAFES in 2026, which confuses the band (since SCAFES was their 10th anniversary event). TOMO goes, "We never said we have plans to hold another SCAFES," which makes them all laugh. MAMI goes, "But he has plans to go to it...", which makes them laugh again. HARU mentions that the listener is close in age to the band, so it makes sense that their former favorite bands were L'arc, AKFG, etc.

•The next quiz question is asked:

Carnival, the world-famous midsummer festival, took place last month in Rio. Rio = Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city in Brazil.

What does Rio de Janeiro mean in Portuguese?

•RINA guesses "Taiyou no Machi (City of the Sun)" (*bzzt). MAMI guesses "Mizu no Miyako (City of Water)" (*bzzt). RINA goes, "Wait a minute - we're all thinking of Parque Espana," which makes them all laugh. HARU goes, "It's because it's also Portuguese." A staffer seems to go, "Is that right?" HARU then thinks about it for a second and goes, "Oh, it's Spain." TOMO then goes, "Taiyou to uta motomete... (Seeking the sun and songs)", which are lyrics to Parque Espana's theme song. They all laugh and the buzzer is sounded. Their director seemingly says that a hint is that "Rio" is describing that belongs to "de Janiero." HARU wonders what "rio" means. RINA says that once they hear it, they'll all be like, "Oh yeah." HARU asks if they're close to it with what they've said so far. The staff says they're surprisingly going in the right direction. MAMI guesses "Jounetsu no Senshi (Warriors of Passion)" (*bzzt), which she and the others laugh at. RINA asks if the word "sun" is in it. The staff says no. They're surprised at this and feel like it would be in it. TOMO guesses "Honoo no Miyako (City of Fire)" (*bzzt). RINA guesses while laughing, "Koori no Dance (Ice Dance)" (*bzzt), which makes the others laugh as well. HARU guesses "Ame no Machi (City of Rain)" (*bzzt). RINA guesses while laughing again, "Tsuki no Sekai (Moon World)" (*bzzt). MAMI guesses "Yami no Iriguchi (Entrance to Darkness)", which makes everyone laugh hard. HARU says that that has a total different image from what one would picture Rio to be. TOMO guesses "Tamashii no Shinden (Temple of the Soul)." Everyone laughs at this too. HARU goes, "How mystical!"

•TOMO asks if it's the opposite of the sun. The staff says that it's not related to the sun at all, and then seems to say that it's related to water. TOMO says while thinking, "Mizuumi...no......Machi (Lake Town)" (*bzzt). They laugh at this. RINA goes, "It's gotta be related to Lake Biwa (in Japan)," which they laugh at. They joke that it must be "Shiga" (the prefecture in Japan that Lake Biwa is located in) (*bzzt). HARU guesses "Kawa ga nagareru machi (City with a river running through it)" (*bzzt). The staff seems to say that they're close, and that the correct word was said. MAMI guesses that "kawa" (river) was the right word. TOMO guesses "Kawa no Miyako (City of Lakes)" (*bzzt), and then "Kawa no Shinden (River of the Soul)" (*bzzt). They laugh at how TOMO used "shinden" (soul) in her answer again. TOMO wonders if "kawa" is one of the correct words. HARU says that it seems so. The staff seems to give a hint as to what "Janiero" refers to. MAMI guesses "Michitarita kawa (River that is full of water)" (*bzzt). The staff tries to explain the hint more, but it's not really audible. They seem to get the hint, and then guess "Ichigatsu no Kawa" (River of January), which is the correct answer. HARU says that it's probably warm in Brazil in January since they're in the Southern Hemisphere. The staff seemingly explains why it's called that but it's inaudible (the real reason: Portuguese explorers first started exploring the area in January). HARU says that they've been saying the name without knowing what it meant. MAMI says that they weren't able to guess it correctly [without hints]. HARU and RINA poke fun at MAMI's "Yami no Iriguchi" answer, and HARU says that that would have been pretty cool if it did mean that. MAMI then laughs at TOMO's "Tamashii no Shinden" answer, and then says that there's probably a temple of the soul at the entrance to darkness, which they all laugh at. HARU says that sounds like fun.

•HARU reads the next and last message from a listener from India who is also an SH member They say there are two Japanese teams that they support: SCANDAL and the Japanese soccer team. They ask SCANDAL what their favorite sport is. RINA says that she was pretty sporty before she joined the band. She played soft tennis in middle school, and did track-and-field in elementary school. Her favorite one might be soft tennis. It's something that she wants to do even now. She says that they had done a shoot once before at a tennis court, which she enjoyed. TOMO says that she didn't play any sports; the only thing close she did was dance, which is what she chooses as her favorite. The staff seems to ask about any sports they watch. HARU says that she did watch some World Cup games. RINA says that she thinks they had all watched a World Cup game while they were overseas. The others all remember that too; they had watched it while eating after a concert.

•The next quiz question is asked:

It is said that India will overtake China to become the most populous country in the world.

How many people are there in India?

•They say that this is a simple yet difficult to answer question. TOMO guesses 700 million (*bzzt). MAMI guesses 1.36 billion. There's a pause after she answers, which makes her go, "Wait, wait?!" The staff then says that it's close. TOMO then guesses 1.34 billion (*bzzt), and then 1.47 billion (*bzzt). MAMI guesses 1.58 billion (*bzzt). RINA guesses 1.42 billion, which is correct. They all go, "Wow!" The staff then lists more info about the population growth and etc. that is not very audible. The band says that they'd like to visit India one day. They also encourage overseas listeners to keep sending in messages to the program.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here. I've made a guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries can be found here

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#front-page #catchup

Is it strange to not fall in love? HARUNA says to the listener feeling uneasy about love, "You don't have to fall in love like everyone else."

Episode ＃158 blog

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HARUNA: This week...we'll be reading lots of messages.

Rira

I have never been in love before. I still have no desire to fall in love with anyone.

I used to watch romance dramas. Somehow I saw falling in love with someone and taking special care of someone as things that happen because it's a drama series.

But now that I'm older and learned that I don't fall in love, I've realized that when I watch romance dramas, it's not that they're special cases--it's that I'm different, and that I can neither sympathize nor agree with the drama.

Because I don't know, I'd like to know if there is a fine line between the feeling of being special to someone, and the feeling of being in love.

When I watch romance dramas, I feel lonely and empty because I don't understand them, but that's why I'm so interested in them.

SCANDAL, do you think that love exists and is possible because it crosses that borderline?

HARUNA: This one is regarding love advice.

RINA: I think that it can be assumed that dramas are works of fiction, but if you ask if it's happening to a lot of people in real life, I don't think it's equal. However, I do think that dramatic things like grand romance do happen. I don't think it's possible to make a blanket statement on this.

HARUNA: I don't know if there's a borderline between the feeling that someone is especially important to you, and the feeling of being in love...

RINA: This is difficult to answer.

HARUNA: We talked about this before, but I think it's similar to the difference between love and romance...

RINA: You might feel lonely wondering if you have any romantic feelings for someone, but it's possible that you haven't met the right person. Also, asexuality is a trait that some people have where they don't experience romantic feelings. Perhaps you have that trait, but that doesn't mean it's strange at all. I don't want you to blame yourself.

MAMI: We don't live our lives with boundaries in mind. That's why I think it's better not to think too hard about it. The more you keep thinking about whether these feelings mean that you're in love with someone, or whether it's different from not romantically liking someone, the more you'll feel like you're stuck between the two and unable to choose either... That might be what it feels like.

TOMOMI: Not all love is dramatic, so I think there are some romantic feelings that are very difficult to recognize. There may be times when a person you love and care for as a friend develops new feelings for someone else. You may not notice it by an obvious trigger, but rather by a gradual change that is difficult to notice. I think there are cases where there are no boundaries.

HARUNA: I think there are many people who feel the same way as Rira. I think there are types of people who don't take pleasure in being devoted, or wanting to touch and be touched. A little bit of love can be an uplifting feeling. Just because you are in love doesn't mean you have to have physical contact. If you meet someone with similar values, it might be more liberating. I don't think you have to fall in love like everyone else.

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 158

•The episode starts with this.

•TOMO reads the next message from a male listener who says that they're in love with a junior colleague of the same sex. They've been trying to forget about him, but they really can't at all. They recently heard that he might be moving away for a new job. They ask SCANDAL to help them forget about him. TOMO then says that she'll read another message from another listener. They also happen to be a male listener in love with another junior colleague of the same sex. Every time they see him, they fall even more in love. However, they're in a lot of pain because of this one-sided love. They also ask SCANDAL how they can forget about him.

•RINA says that she can tell they're very caring, kind people, and that they're trying to get to a place where they're trying to work out what's happening within them. She also says that it's miraculous how they both found people that they like. TOMO says that the first listener should just go ahead and tell the guy since the guy might be moving away for a new job. If he really wants to forget the guy, then he can take the first step in doing so. Even if it doesn't work out, he might be able to forget about it since they'll then be far away from each other. MAMI says that she thinks if they want to forget about someone you like, then telling them your feelings could be a good way to do so. TOMO says that if you don't tell them, you'll keep thinking about it and will be stuck in a rut. MAMI seems to talk in the pretense that the listener(s) told the people they like and were possibly rejected, and that it might make things awkward between them after. HARU says that if they tell them their honest feelings, they probably will understand them. They all say that it's probably best to tell the people they like what they feel about them. RINA says that if they could convey that they care about them in a way that includes how they feel, it might get through to them.

•MAMI says that My Melody (the Sanrio character) would probably say to tell your feelings to the treasure box in your heart, and no matter what the result is, if you keep those feelings in the treasure box then they'll keep shining. HARU giggles in the background and RINA says that those are some nice things to say. TOMO says that My Melody really helps you out in your 30s. HARU goes, "Have we talked about this topic on this program before?" MAMI says they haven't, which makes HARU laugh. HARU says that MAMI's addicted to Sanrio right now, and it probably surprised their listeners to suddenly hear about MyMelo all of a sudden. MAMI says that she loves listening to "My Melody's Secret Room" radio program and listens to it every week. She goes, "Maybe those two [the listeners that sent in the messages] should try listening to it." TOMO agrees that they should. MAMI says that MyMelo's mindset is really something and her vocabulary is so impressive that it'll make you see things in a positive light, so she'd love for people to listen to the program. TOMO asks the two listeners to listen to it, which makes them all laugh.

•RINA reads the next message from a listener whose message was read during episode 140 (the first one) about how they started listening to SCANDAL because of their girlfriend. They say that they've known each other for 3 years and have been dating for 2 years, and are currently in a semi long-distance relationship. They see each other at least twice a month, talk to each other almost every day, and get along well. They do fight occasionally, and lately they've been fighting a lot about their future. The listener works in the medical field while the gf works at a corporation. The other day the gf said that she's paid a low salary and doesn't have much money saved. The listener is hoping to have enough money so that they won't struggle to make ends meet. The listener heard from their parents that they fought about money after getting married, which makes the listener think that it is better to have money saved up. The listener loves the gf, and the gf loves the listener. They don't want to leave the gf, but they sometimes worry that they'll have a hard time financially if the laws change and they're able to get married (they're both women, and same-sex marriage is still not recognized in Japan). They hate that they're weak-willed and how they can't say anything to reassure the gf. They ask SCANDAL if they should continue to put love first in their relationship.

•Both TOMO and MAMI say that that's fine. MAMI says that though money may be a concern as well, feeling love is the most important thing. It would be very heart-breaking to break off the relationship due to just money issues. TOMO says that things are fine as they are if they're okay with staying together with little money, or if they want to live a more abundant way of life together, there are different ways of changing that, including finding new employment. She also says that the most important thing is that they love each other, so it would be kind of sad to break up over money. She thinks there are many ways to go about things. RINA says that it seems like they're trying to be realistic about things since they're looking at things in the long term. They're thinking of these things right now because they're considering things seriously, and something like staying together for life is a difficult thing to do. TOMO says that they're not thinking of breaking up at all. RINA says that being able to talk about money isn't something you can really talk about unless you've reached a certain level with someone, even in a relationship. If you both understand each other and want to stay together, then you should talk about it. MAMI says they should find something positive to do. If that's not realistic, then try to think of other ways to make things better a little at a time. If their relationship is strong enough to the point where they're worried about money, it might be a good idea to try and work together and do what they can do. HARU says it's a matter of what the gf is going to do. She's okay with how things are now, so it's also important for the listener to find out how to reassure her when she's worried. They basically say to reassure the gf how they feel and discuss what they should do to be able to be in this together.

•MAMI reads the next message from a listener whose message was read during episode 151 (the first one) about how they met someone at SCANDAL's anniversary event and are dating them now. On the day they submitted this new message (January 25), they had a meal and listened to the episode together. They say it was embarrassing to hear their message being read, but as a SCANDAL fan they couldn't be happier. The band gets all excited and MAMI goes, "You listened to it together?? Oh my god!" RINA says that that sounds like fun. HARU goes, "Wait, but they couldn't have known their message was read until they listened to the episode, right?" RINA says that maybe they listened to it together because it was read (as in they had already listened to it on their own, but then they listened to it together after that). MAMI says that it's so awesome that they listened to it over a meal. A staffer says something in the background, which makes HARU go, "Oh, katsudon, perhaps?" (since it contains the word "katsu" 勝つ, which means "to win"), while MAMI laughs. They keep going, "That's so nice!" TOMO says that that's the only thing they've been saying, and don't really have anything special to say, which makes the others laugh.

•They then close out the episode. HARU mentions the increase in messages about love advice. RINA goes, "Love is a pretty tough thing!" HARU says that this makes her think once more about how everyone worries about love, and apparently there are a lot of people worrying among their listeners. She says to send in a message to them if there's something troubling you and can't figure it out on your own. RINA says that even if the band can't fully answer something, it's nice to be able to talk about different topics and to let people know that others do worry about the same kinds of things that they do. MAMI says that there are a lot of things that'll make you feel better after getting them off your chest, and to please send in any messages like that as well.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here. I've made a guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries can be found here

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#front-page #catchup

TOMOMI says, "I'd love to be praised!!" for the band name "SCANDAL" that was chosen by the four of them

Episode ＃159 blog

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HARUNA: We're doing that segment this time!

All: ...??

HARUNA: Song titles that sound like they could be SCANDAL songs!

RINA: I didn't know this segment was still alive...

HARUNA: Yes, it is. Various segments are disappearing here and there.

RINA: Maybe it was on the verge of extinction...

HARUNA: The content remains the same. We ask the listeners to come up with song titles that sound like they could be SCANDAL songs, starting with an intro to the song. We've received a lot of submissions, but...we'll be wrapping it up with this.

RINA: So it's the final one.

HARUNA: So let's get started.

Takepiyo

From the time we started the band and up until the present,
This is a song that expresses our determination and resolve for the future.
Give it a listen:

SCANDAL ZERO

All: Ohー!

TOMOMI: It's like episode zero.

All: It also means that you've never had a "scandal," in the original sense of the word.

TOMOMI: Ahー! Meaning that SCANDAL has never had a scandal.

HARUNA: So that's what it is...

MAMI: It is...

HARUNA: Indeed, there hasn't been one.

RINA: Ahー! Like we've never been photographed by weekly magazines and such.

MAMI: Yeah, they're talking about that kind of scandal, right?

TOMOMI: Yes, but I'd love to be praised for that.

RINA: Isn't there a Guinness record for that type of thing? Should we apply for that Guinness World Record?

MAMI: That record is going to really be updated...

HARUNA: Like, "A band with no scandals."

RINA: ...but it must have been fate that led us to having this band name. It's a band name that can only be given by four people who can live this way of life.

TOMOMI: In our early days, people would often tell us to be careful because if anything happened, others would be like, "They say SCANDAL causes scandals."

RINA: Yeah, that's true.

TOMOMI: "Not anymore"...you know.

RINA: "Not anymore"! Yeah, we can afford to live a normal life.

TOMOMI: There aren't even any rumors surrounding us.

HARUNA: No one tells us to be careful.

RINA: Because we haven't done anything wrong.

MAMI: Yeah, we haven't.

RINA: Interesting--this is a strong song.

MAMI: It's deep if you know the meaning.

TOMOMI: It kind of has a finality to it.

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 159

•The episode starts with this.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener: "When we first met, I was able to say this as a matter of course, but now I can't get the words out. But I want you to remember to tell me. If possible, I'll do my best to answer first, not last. So please give it a listen: Hey! Teacher." The band laughs at this. A staffer says this was about how the band constantly forgets to say the phrase when a message from a teacher is read on the show. MAMI jokes that they're reprimanding the band in a roundabout way, which makes the others laugh.

•RINA starts reading the next message from a listener but laughs before she can really say anything. The others wonder what's up, and RINA goes, "What's up with this person's radio name?? I can't read it!" She then reads the name, which sounds like "Sweets Kyuuinki" (inhaling sweets). They laugh and wonder if this person likes sweets a lot. RINA then reads the message: "I believe that everyone suffers from the difference between their own values and those of those around them. But it's a wonderful thing to be true to yourself! No matter what the situation is, you should go forward as you feel. I hope this song will give you a push forward. Give it a listen: Smental Nanka Buttobase (Sending Smentals Flying; a riff off of SCANDAL's song "Scandal Nanka Buttobase" [Sending Scandals Flying])." RINA says that Sweets Kyuuinki is a good name, which makes the others laugh. They say that it's a good song title. TOMO says that it would mean that the Smental segment would be gone. RINA goes, "We mustn't send it flying," making them laugh.

•MAMI is to read the next message, and before she does, she gets surprised and says how this person also made up an album of "Song titles that sound like they could be SCANDAL songs," with 12 songs in total. She says this person also indicated which songs have music videos, and even which are tie-in songs. The band is surprised at the latter and wonder what they could be. MAMI seems to look at what the tie-in songs are a part of, and goes, "Wow, thanks for having such confidence in us!" As MAMI starts to read what the lead song is, HARU asks what the title of the album is. MAMI says that there isn't one. HARU and TOMO are surprised and go, "There isnt'?!" TOMO goes, "They should have thought about that!"

•MAMI lists the first song, which is the lead one and features lyrics by RINA, music by MAMI: "Fiesta!" They all agree that that sounds like a possible song of theirs. The second song features the same songwriters, titled "Kireigoto Distortion" (Ideal Distortion). They also say this sounds possible. The third song is a single written by MAMI: "Mikansei Kansei" (Incomplete Completion). The others go, "Ah..." The fourth song is written by HARU: "Setsuna" (Momentary). They laugh hard at this and say it sounds HARU-like. HARU goes, "I don't like it!", which the others laugh at. She keeps saying that she doesn't like it. MAMI laughs and goes, "Sounds like she doesn't like it." The fifth song features the RINA/MAMI songwriting duo again, and MAMI guesses could have been written at the same time as the second song: "Yon-mai-goto Compressor" (A Compressor for Every 4 Sheets). This doesn't really get a reaction from the others (probably because it's weird and doesn't make sense lol). The sixth song features vocals, lyrics, and music from TOMO: "Jellyfish." TOMO says, "Yes, I wrote that song," which the others laugh a little at.

•The seventh song is a single with lyrics by HARU, music by TOMO: "Kimi to Mita Shikisai" (The Colors I Saw With You). The others laugh. HARU is surprised is supposed to be a single. The eighth song features lyrics and music by RINA: "Kokoro Dake Yorisotte." (Only Our Hearts Are Getting Closer). RINA goes, "Only our hearts are getting closer. Our bodies are far away," which makes everyone laugh. The ninth song features lyrics by RINA, music by TOMO: "Meltykiss" (in reference to the Meiji sweet of the same name). MAMI goes, "You guys wrote it, right?" They say that they did. The 10th song is written by MAMI and titled "Singing Ringing." RINA laughs and says that the rhythm of the title sounds nice. MAMI goes, "'Ring!Ring!Ring!'?", perhaps trying to connect it to their past song. The 11th song MAMI says is a complicated one, and is a single featuring lyrics by HARU+RINA, music by MAMI+TOMO. The band is impressed with the setup of who wrote the song and says it's a very cooperative one. TOMO says that's sounds like a difficult method of writing a song. The title is "Kansei na Finale" (A Complete Finale). RINA laughs and goes, "Ah, I'm glad we finished it." But then they realize that the "kansei" is supposed to mean "cheering" (歓声), which would then make the title "A Cheerful Finale." The 12th and final song is a physical CD-only track: "SCANDAL ACTION."

•MAMI says that the songs with MVs are the single songs (Fiesta!, Mikansei Kansei, Kimi to Mita Shikisai), plus "Kansei na Finale." Also, "Meltykiss" is used in a commercial for Meiji. The band laughs hard at this and says that's awesome. Also, "Fiesta" is used as a theme song for a daytime news program. This also makes the others laugh hard. The "Kimi to Mita Shikisai" song is used as a movie theme song. They also say that's great. TOMO says that they'll write this song if they get an offer to do a movie theme song. "Mikansei Kansei" is a theme song for a sci-fi anime. MAMI then reads that "Kansei na Finale" is the theme song for the Tokyo Olympics, which surprises the band and makes them laugh. They say the tour in support of this album would be amazing. HARU goes, "Think of a title for this album, would you?!"

•HARU reads the next message from a listener who also submits a fake album of 11 songs. The title is "Pale Green," which makes them go, "How do they know about that??" They say that the band has been in a 'green' mood lately. The first song is called "Hitoshizuku" (A Drop of Water), with lyrics+music by RINA. RINA says that sounds pretty. The second song is a single called "Backstep," with lyrics by RINA, music by MAMI. They laugh and say that sounds like a dancy single. The third song is called "Kibun = Tenkiame" (Mood = Sunshower), with lyrics by RINA, music by MAMI. RINA says it sounds like a ONE OK ROCK title, which makes them all laugh. The fourth song is "Eye Contact," with MAMI on lead vocals and lyrics+music by MAMI. TOMO says that sounds probable. The fifth song is "Minus 1%," with TOMO on lead vocals and lyrics+music by TOMO. TOMO says that sounds possible, and RINA says that sounds like the title of song you'd want to listen to. The sixth song is "Me Collage," with RINA on lead vocals and lyrics by RINA, music by MAMI. The seventh song is "Twins Rule," with lyrics by RINA and music by TOMO. The eighth song is "Futarigoto" (Soliloquy for Two), with lyrics by TOMO+RINA and music by TOMO. TOMO says that sounds possible. HARU points out how the songs go from "Twins Rule" to "Futarigoto." The ninth song is "Moon River Poolside," with lyrics+music by HARU. They say it sounds cool. The 10th song is "Matataita" (Twinkling). The 11th and final song is a secret bonus track called "Sono Naru Hou e" (Towards That Direction), with lyrics+music by RINA. The band says this was a really good album and that they made sure that every member sang and wrote songs. RINA says it's very close to how SCANDAL is right now. They again say how this segment is over for now, but to still send in any messages for it if something comes to mind.

•They then close out the episode. Before they do, though, HARU reads one last message from a listener who is writing in regarding Meiji. They say that there's a Meiji factory in their hometown of Fujieda City in Shizuoka Prefecture. The unique symbol for Meiji sweets made there is "+5," and ask SCANDAL if there are any Meiji sweets with that number in front of them. They also mention how they immediately raised their hand when SCANDAL asked at BEST Xmas who had come from the Tokai region, but when they later talked about which region Mie Prefecture is part of, and that it's part of Tokai, they as a Shizuoka resident wondered where Shizuoka fit in. However, since the Meiji factory in Shizuoka is called the "Tokai factory," they say that Shizuoka can also be included as part of the Tokai region. The band laughs and MAMI goes, "On the contrary, is it okay for Shizuoka to join it?" HARU says that depending on their location in it, some probably think it's part of Tokai and some probably think it's part of Kansai. TOMO says that Shizuoka is a pretty wide prefecture, after all. She mentions that when she goes back to her hometown via car, a large portion is spent driving through Shizuoka. She also says that they should cut it in half. The band then checks their Meiji sweets to see if any are from that factory. After looking for a few minutes, they do happen to find some Galbo chocolates that are from there.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here. I've made a guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries can be found here

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#front-page #catchup

End of the fiscal year! A big giveaway special of program merch! There's an important announcement at the end!

Episode ＃160 blog

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HARUNA: This episode is: "SCANDAL Catch up! End of the fiscal year! A big giveaway of program merchs! Special!"

"Catch up" is celebrating its 3rd anniversary...
As it is the end of the fiscal year, we will introduce some of the messahes we have received from you guys and give away a lot of program merch (program stickers, guitar picks, etc.). We'll be putting out more and more items. If you are introduced this time, it means you are very lucky. So, let's get started!
 

Hiiragi
 
Hello, SCANDAL.
(I'm sure you don't remember me, but) I am the medical student who asked for advice on dreams and career paths in episode 104. I am sending this message to say thank you.

I was troubled by the gap between my dream of being involved in disaster medicine and being timid, and I couldn't stop crying when you told me that I don't have to feel inferior to my being timid, and that I'm not wrong for being confused right now. I had been obsessively thinking that I had to break away from my weak self, so I felt relieved.

I thought about what I was suited for and what I wanted to do, and decided to become a psychiatrist to take care of the mental health of the disaster victims. I passed the national examination, and from this April I will start working as a doctor at a hospital that is well suited for training in such a field.

I was able to reconstruct my dream from such a positive perspective because of the seriousness with which SCANDAL answered my questions. Thank you very much.

Sometimes I feel like I'm losing myself in a world where things are happening too fast, but the way you guys are enjoying change and continuing to make music freely is a compass and source of hope for me.

RINA: You worked hardー!

All: Congratulations!!

RINA: I'm so happy...

HARUNA: It's great that they found a new path for themselves.

TOMOMI: They found a wonderful path.

RINA: It's really wonderful.

HARUNA: I think it's a great confidence boost to have found another way to help people. It means that the path you thought you were on wasn't the wrong one.

RINA: It means you found a good answer on your own.

TOMOMI: Yes, let's give them 100 stickers!

HARUNA: They don't need that many!?

TOMOMI: They don't, huh...

RINA: Well, how many should we give??

MAMI: Let's give them all kinds. Program stickers, program guitar picks, and also Kyoukai-sen Kyoukai stickers!

RINA: A set - that's nice.

Staff: One of each?

MAMI: No, no, no, let's give them more. They worked hard, and they passed the national exam.

TOMOMI: Yeah, it's totally fine. Let's give them about 20 of each item!

MAMI: They can give them out to the people at the hospital.

HARUNA: That's a good idea.

TOMOMI: Have them put them at the reception of the hospital,

MAMI: FREE!?

HARUNA: Okay, then 20 of each.

RINA: I didn't know we were going to have such a big giveaway at this level!? That's more than I expected...

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 160

•The episode starts with this.

•RINA reads the next message from a listener whose message was read during episode 158 (the one whose message had to do with money). They say they were very happy to hear SCANDAL's advice and warm words, and their gf was happy to hear the listener's honest feelings as well as SCANDAL's kind words. They had a positive conversation on the phone and talked about how they should cherish their feelings for each other if they are planning to be together forever. They want to be a little more supportive of the gf's not-so-positive thoughts [about money], and they don't want to ever let her go. They say they're glad that SCANDAL is always there for their fans, even those in the minority, and listens to what they have to say. They say they are very excited they will be attending SCANDAL's concert in Sendai together. HARU comments how the listener sent in this message right away. RINA says that it seems like they found a path forward, and that she could feel the positivity even though the text. She also says that she thinks it's important for the two of them to talk about things head-on. HARU agrees that it's good to have a relationship where you can talk things out. The band then tries to decide how many items to give them. MAMI says to give them 60, which makes the others laugh. The staff then seems to tell them they don't have many left over after they already gave away a lot to the first listener. They then ask if they could send 20. The staff says to go lower. Next, they try 10. The staff still says to go lower. TOMO says to give them one of each. The others laugh. MAMI says they could give them two of each since there are two of them, which is OK'd.

•MAMI reads the next message from a listener who saw SCANDAL recently at the event held at Abenos Harukas in Osaka. They also mention how they discovered SCANDAL when they were 15 years old and are now 30 years old, which makes her feel like they grew up together. They talk about all the changes they've gone through, much like SCANDAL, and seeing how the band changes/evolves, they feel like it affirms that they can change/evolve too.  RINA says she's glad they're all of the same generation. HARU says that like how them being a fan hasn't changed, SCANDAL remains the same band at the core of what they do. They decide to give them two of each item as well. TOMO again says how they overdid it with the first listener.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener writing in for the "GyouColle" (Gyoukaiyougo Collection = A collection of industry terms) segment. HARU goes, "What was GyouColle again??" RINA goes, "That segment's still alive?" MAMI says that all of them are technically still alive. The message starts off with a quiz: "What food is called 'marujuu' (丸十)? Those well versed in Japanese food might know it." TOMO asks if she should read the hints. MAMI asks if they would give away too much. TOMO says it doesn't, so they tell her to read them. The hints are that the listener works in the confectionery department of a supermarket, and that the food is a vegetable that is strongly associated with autumn. TOMO guesses right away that it's satsumaimo (sweet potato), which is the correct answer. The correct answer sound effect plays, which makes TOMO pause and go, "Eh, I got it right?" The staff says that it's called that because it's the family crest of the Satsuma Domain (maru = circle, 十; juu = 10; literally, 'the number 10 inside of a circle'). The band decides to send the listener 10 of each item, which is apparently barely doable.

•HARU reads the next message from a listener who says they'd like to visit Aichi Prefecture when COVID settles down and asks HARU and MAMI to give them recommendations. RINA laughs and says that MAMI has such an unpleasant look on her face. HARU sounds annoyed when she goes, "Please listen to past episodes of 'Catch up' for those!" RINA says they should go over them again. MAMI says that she doesn't really know what's going on in Nagoya right now, but she's been seeing a lot of people on Instagram have been posting about going around to different cafes in Aichi. She says how there's apparently some place that looks like a straw or barrel-looking house near Okazaki (a city about an hour outside of Nagoya). HARU goes, "What's with that?" MAMI says that she'll try to look it up. RINA says that they'll read the next message in the meantime.

•RINA reads the next message from a listener who is 16 years old and in their first year of high school. They're in their school's dance club and get nervous before an event or recital. They ask the band how to relax before performing in front of others. The band says that they still get nervous even now. RINA says that nervousness is a feeling that grows out of the desire to make that time important and to make it a success. That's why it's a good thing above all. HARU says that it means you're taking it seriously. RINA says that you can be nervous because of the feelings you put into it. HARU says that nervousness can be reduced if there's a strong bond between the students. They again say how they don't think being nervous is a bad thing, and that it means you're preparing for something with a high level of awareness. RINA thinks that it's a good idea not to be too rigid, but to push your body to the point where you can move without really being aware of your body's movements, so that you can be on stage. They wonder how many items to give them, and wonder how many people are on the team. RINA decides that there are perhaps four of them, so they will give them four of each item. She then goes, "There may be dozens on the team, but we're giving four of each item." MAMI says that she's still looking for that cafe.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener who attended SCANDAL's Mystery Tours 2 event last year, which was a great opportunity for them to make some good friends who also love SCANDAL. Since the event, they've been doing all sorts of stuff together such as going to karaoke. There is one thing they've wondered about. They say that they've always dimmed the front of the room when doing karaoke and thought it was the normal thing to do, but when they went with their new SCANDAL friends, they were surprised when one person said to turn up the lights. They wondered if your preference has something to do with where you're from. They are from Kanto while the other person is from Hokkaido, for instance. They ask SCANDAL if they sing karaoke in the dark or in the light. The band seems to agree that they like it dark since it reminds them of a concert. They also think that the preference depends on the person rather than where they're from. MAMI then suddenly yells out, "I can't find it [the cafe]!" The others laugh and TOMO says that it's okay to give up. RINA wonders if MAMI actually dreamt about it instead. The band then decides to give two of each item to the listener.

•MAMI says that the cafe might not be in Okazaki after all. RINA says that she'd think that an offbeat cafe that is apparently shaped like a barrel would be easy to find. MAMI says that it might have been ranked as the most popular place to post about [in Aichi, I guess? lol] in 2022. HARU agrees that it seems like it should pop up right away. TOMO says that the place must be a mirage. A staffer then finds the cafe: Oasis Coffee located in Nagoya. They say that it looks like a really nice place. HARU says that there is one thing she'd like to recommend, which is fumanju. She says it's so delicious and would really like people from all over the country to try it. RINA asks if she (RINA) has ever tried it before. HARU says she doesn't think so, but she'll buy some for her next time. She mentions that there's a shop called Anpu-sankira near the entrance to the shinkansen entrance at the station. She says it's really good with a little bit of salt. They decide to give the listener two of each item. HARU says that they apparently gave out 126 items today. RINA wonders how the listeners are going to use them.

•They then close out the episode and say they have an announcement. They thank everyone for listening to this program and that it's been a fun three years being surrounded by Meiji sweets with Apollo on top of the list. HARU says that each band member will say a brief comment about Apollo or their favorite Meiji sweets.

•RINA: "To Macadamia Chocolate: Thank you so much for supporting me for three years with a wonderful amount of sugar and such a rich feeling. When I was ready to work hard again, I'd eat a piece and it would give me such power and support. Thank you so much for the past three years! Thank you very much!"

•TOMO: "To Yan Yan: Thank you so much for being there for me since I was little. We have spent these three years so closely together and made many memories. Yan Yan, don't ever forget me!"

•MAMI: "To Poifull: Thank you for spending three years with me. I was kind of surprised when I heard more hearts were added to your shapes, but I was so happy. I know your love has reached me. I look forward to seeing you again. I love you, Poifull!"

•HARU: "To Kinoko no Yama: I'm sorry for making you fight on your own, always calling it a kinoko vs. sato war. But in my opinion, Kinoko no Yama is number one. Thank you so much for the past three years!"

•They all clap and laugh after they finish reading their comments. HARU laughs that no one made one for Apollo. They then say that a new season of "Catch up" will start on April 3, 2023. They say to look forward to what kind of 'changes' the new season will have.

*As always, you can send in a message to the program here. I've made a guide as how to input your info and message for those who need assistance (click to enlarge):

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*A list of all episode summaries from ＃1-160 can be found here

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Since the program has been slightly renamed to 『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt』, all episodes after this one will now be posted in this thread!

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#front-page #catchup

Episode 157 - Rio de Janeiro: