Happily Ever After

Nakagawa Shoko's song 'Happily Ever After' delves into the complex emotions surrounding love, loss, and the pursuit of happiness. The lyrics reflect a deep sense of longing and introspection, as the narrator grapples with the memories of a past relationship. The opening lines suggest a desire to forget both the self before meeting the loved one and the memories of the time spent together, highlighting the pain of loss and the difficulty of moving on. This sets the tone for a song that is both melancholic and reflective.

The recurring theme in the song is the realization that happiness is often only recognized in its absence. The lyrics, '幸せはいつだって失って初めて 幸せと気付く小さな不幸' (Happiness is always realized only after losing it, a small misfortune), underscore this sentiment. The narrator acknowledges that the small moments of happiness were not fully appreciated until they were gone. This universal truth resonates deeply, as it speaks to the human condition of taking things for granted and only understanding their value in hindsight.

Despite the sorrowful tone, there is a glimmer of hope in the song. The narrator believes that it is not too late to find happiness again, as expressed in the lines, '今だってきっとまだ間に合うはずだから 願いはたったひとつ' (Even now, it should still be in time, so my wish is just one). This hope is a driving force, suggesting that the pursuit of happiness is a continuous journey, one that involves chasing after it no matter how elusive it may seem. The song beautifully captures the bittersweet nature of life, where happiness and sorrow are intertwined, and the quest for a 'happily ever after' is an ongoing endeavor.