Gingham Check Digital Release
by Pitra Satvika · June 10, 2014
Today several fans find out that the new JKT48 single is available on iTunes. Wow, finally JKT48 Operational Team released the song in digital format. However, after finding this out and the info was spread through Twitter and many Line groups, the album was taken off from iTunes. Several people have actually downloaded the song successfully.
Currently, you can still download the songs if you want to. Just search the keyword “jkt48” and 6 songs will appear. You can purchase each song individually. It seems that the album was unpublished but you can still search each song individually and purchase it.
Before it was taken down, the Gingham Check album was sold for Rp. 30,000 (Indonesian market) or 900 Yen (Japan market). Each song was sold for Rp. 5,000 (Indonesian market) or 150 Yen (Japan market).
The Gingham Check mini album tracks consist of:
- Gingham Check – 5:25
- Utsukushii Inazuma (Kilat yang Indah) – 4:43
- Kondokoso Ecstasy (Kali Ini Ecstasy) – 3:17
- Boku Wa Gambaru (Aku akan Berjuang) – 4:29
- Sakura no Hanabiratachi (Kelopak-kelopak Bunga Sakura) – 5:17
- Gingham Check (English Version) – 5:23
It seems that the English version is also translated by @hasief, just like the previous Fortune Cookie in Love and Summer Love Sounds Good songs.
Don’t forget to watch tomorrow’s JKT48 Gingham Check Concert. I’m sure all of these songs above will be performed tomorrow.
The by-hearing lyric for Gingham Check English Version, we really apologize if the lyric somehow different then what it supposed to be since we do this by hearing.
This is the official English lyric by @Hasief.
Thanks Hasief Ardiasyah, the man himself, for the lyric!
Though I really really do
Have a great big crush on you
I can only hide it deep inside
As you walk by while you push along your bike
You laugh but you don’t know what it feels likeAs we make our way to work
On the street next to the shore
The sun is like it wants to flirtGingham Check
Those short sleeves on your shirt
That shirt you like to wear
Looks so cool that it hurts
Mixing feelings of love and despair
That check pattern is what you’ll see in my heartGingham Check
Is the pattern of love
Blue-white-blue
Tell me where do I start
Should I tell you how I feel inside?
Can’t decide
I feel just like Gingham CheckAs the sea comes into view
In a single shade of blue
It will tell me all I have to do
All it takes is just one word inside my mouth
But I try to speak and nothing will come outIt’s because I am afraid
This thing between you and me
Is enough to make me happyGingham Check
And now summer has gone
So when do I get to put my cardigan on?
But it does not mean for both you and me
We’re on this road to wherever it may leadGingham Check
Even love has its time
Yes No Yes
If you go I’ll be fine
It’s because you mean so much to me
Next summer again I’ll see
Gingham CheckYou see the twinkles on the sea
From sun rays as they glow
Just like how my heart feels when it breaks in two
Between light and shadowsGingham Check
Those short sleeves on your shirt
That shirt you like to wear
Looks so cool that it hurts
Mixing feelings of love and despair
That check pattern is what you’ll see in my heartGingham Check
Is the pattern of love
Blue-white-blue
Tell me where do I start
Should I tell you how I feel inside?
Can’t decide
I feel just like Gingham Check
And if you are wondering how the process of translating the song from Japanese –> Bahasa Indonesia –> English took place, Hasief explained it in detail in the comment form below. Or for the sake of less scrolling time, here’s the process:
1. They send me the original song, the Indonesian version,
a rough English translation of what the original lyrics meanand a breakdown of how many syllables there are in each sentence.2. They tell me to translate the original lyrics into English, using the same number of syllables in each sentence of the original. If it rhymes, consider it a bonus.
3. I try to make it rhyme anyway, while coming up with words that might not be exactly the same as the original but convey a similar meaning in a different but hopefully still interesting way. I could translate it word for word but it would probably be less catchy and make less sense. I also have to do some research for the various Japan-specific cultural references that might be unknown to non-Japanese people.
4. And yes, I do sing the words as I write to make sure they sound good and are easily pronounced. Well, for me anyway. You have to cut the girls some slack because English isn’t their native language. And since the lyrics have been posted here you can always give it a shot and see if you can sing it better.
5. I submit the lyrics, wait for approval, get paid. Since they hired me to do this job there have been almost no revisions, so I guess they like my work and so far quite a lot of fans like it too. Some even say they prefer the English version, which is a pretty cool compliment. As for the ones that don’t, well I don’t really lose any sleep over it. Their inability to like it isn’t really my concern, which applies in general to any work I do. You can’t please everyone, so at least try your best to please the people that actually matter.
6. And that’s pretty much it. It sounds easy enough but if it really were that easy they wouldn’t ask me to do it.
Enjoy the song. Cheers!
And if you are wondering how the song sounds like if it was sung by a native speaker, Sammy or better known by her online alias on Tumblr as Ojou-Sammy, a JKT48 fan from United States, cover the song and upload it into her YouTube Channel. Thank you Sammy!
今日（6月10日）、JKT48のニュー・シングルがiTuneから入手できることに気づいたファンがいました。ついにJOTが曲をデジタル形式でリリースしたってことです。でも、このことがわかってTwitterや多くのLineグループでその情報が広まった後、このアルバムはiTuneから削除されました。実際にうまくダウンロードできたファンもいます。
今は曲のダウンロードが可能です。キーワード｢jkt48｣で検索すれば6曲が出てきて、それぞれの曲を個人で購入できます。アルバムはまだ公開されていませんが、検索と購入はできる状態のようです。
削除される前で、ギンガム・チェックのアルバム価格は、インドネシア向けでRp30,000、日本向けで900円。それぞれ一曲ごとの価格は、インドネシアでRp5,000、日本は150円でした。
ギンガム・チェックのミニアルバムのトラックは以下の通りです。
01. Gingham Check – 5:25
02. Utsukushii Inazuma (Kilat yang Indah) – 4:43
03. Kondokoso Ecstasy (Kali Ini Ecstasy) – 3:17
04. Boku Wa Gambaru (Aku akan Berjuang) – 4:29
05. Sakura no Hanabiratachi (Kelopak-kelopak Bunga Sakura) – 5:17
06. Gingham Check (English Version) – 5:23
英語バージョンは、KFCや真夏のサウンズグッドと同様に@hasiefさんが翻訳したようです。
皆さん、明日（6月11日）のギンガム・チェック・コンサートを見逃さないでくださいね。明日はこの曲全部がパフォされるはずです。
以下が@Hasiefさんからの公式英語歌詞です。
Hasief Ardiasyahさん、ありがとうございます。彼こそこの英語歌詞を書いた人なんです！
Though I really really do
Have a great big crush on you
I can only hide it deep inside
As you walk by while you push along your bike
You laugh but you don’t know what it feels likeAs we make our way to work
On the street next to the shore
The sun is like it wants to flirtGingham Check
Those short sleeves on your shirt
That shirt you like to wear
Looks so cool that it hurts
Mixing feelings of love and despair
That check pattern is what you’ll see in my heartGingham Check
Is the pattern of love
Blue-white-blue
Tell me where do I start
Should I tell you how I feel inside?
Can’t decide
I feel just like Gingham CheckAs the sea comes into view
In a single shade of blue
It will tell me all I have to do
All it takes is just one word inside my mouth
But I try to speak and nothing will come outIt’s because I am afraid
This thing between you and me
Is enough to make me happyGingham Check
And now summer has gone
So when do I get to put my cardigan on?
But it does not mean for both you and me
We’re on this road to wherever it may leadGingham Check
Even love has its time
Yes No Yes
If you go I’ll be fine
It’s because you mean so much to me
Next summer again I’ll see
Gingham CheckYou see the twinkles on the sea
From sun rays as they glow
Just like how my heart feels when it breaks in two
Between light and shadowsGingham Check
Those short sleeves on your shirt
That shirt you like to wear
Looks so cool that it hurts
Mixing feelings of love and despair
That check pattern is what you’ll see in my heartGingham Check
Is the pattern of love
Blue-white-blue
Tell me where do I start
Should I tell you how I feel inside?
Can’t decide
I feel just like Gingham Check
さて、どうやって日本語の歌→インドネシア語→英語と歌詞が翻訳されるかご興味ある方、Hasiefさんが一番下のコメント欄にある通り、その詳細を説明してくれました。（コメント欄まで画面を）スクロールしていただくのもなんですから、ここにそのプロセスを転載しておきます。
1. インドネシア語バージョンのオリジナルと、それぞれのパラグラフの音節数が送られてきます。
2. オリジナルのパラグラフそれぞれについて、インドネシア語から英語に同じ音節数になるように翻訳すという指示です。韻を踏んでる部分があれば、それもおまけに。
3. どっちにしても僕は韻は付けるようにします。オリジナルと完全に同じ意味にならない単語が浮かぶと、違うけれども似た意味に持っていきます。面白い形になるといいんですが。単語ごとに訳すこともできますが、たぶんキャッチーさに欠けて意味も薄まります。日本人じゃないと知らないようないろいろな日本独特の文化背景も調べなくてはなりません。
4. もちろん自分が書いた通りに僕が歌ってみます。耳ざわりがいいか、簡単に発音できるかを確かめるために。そうですねぇ、僕からみなさんへのお願いは、メンバーは英語が母国語じゃないから大目に見て欲しいですね。このサイトに英語歌詞を載せちゃったので、みなさんも歌ってうまくできるかやってみてほしいですね。
5. 歌詞を提出し、承認を待って支払を受けます。僕がこの仕事に採用されて以来、ほとんど修正指示をもらったことはありません。だから僕の仕事には満足してもらってると思うし、すごくたくさんのファンにもこれまで気に入ってもらってると思います。英語バージョンの方が好きだというすごいお褒めの言葉も頂いちゃったりしてます。（英語の歌詞が）好きじゃないないって人がいても、僕はあまり気にすることありません。好きになれない人は、基本的に僕の仕事のこだわりに入ってないんです。万人を喜ばせることはできないから、少なくとも現実的に大事な人たちに喜んでもらえるように努力してます。
6. それが大事なんです。すごく簡単に聞こえますが、本当にそんなに簡単なことだったら僕のところに依頼は入ってきていないでしょう。
どうぞお楽しみください。ありがとう！
Japanese Translation by Japarta
Wow kondokoso ecstasy and utsukushi inazuma?! Just curious about how the girls bring that songs into JKT version especially kondokoso ecstasy
Oh God… The lyrics kind of make me cringe. An improvement from previous English versions (Summer Love, Fortune Cookie), but it still makes no sense to me. OTL
No no no, it was my fault since I really can’t make it with my hearing. The lyricist himself for the English Version, Hasief, already warned me before about doing it by hearing, but I kept on going knowing that perhaps some overseas fans already buy the song and would like to know the English lyric.
Fortunately, Hasief, bless him, gave us the correct lyric for the song. And if you try to refresh the page, you’ll see the lyric as it intended to be by him.
This is why I said don’t do it yourself, too many complications.
Sorry
I think the English lyric is good. Somehow it make more sense than the lyric written in bahasa. Haha.. Just my personal opinion.
Thanks!
the eng ver is quiet alright i guess, i mean the original lyrics are cringe worthy enough. i like it how the english lyrics rhyme with another better than the prev english version songs. the lyric that caught my attention the most is “That shirt you like to wear, Looks so cool that it hurts” bcs as a fangirl i could totally relate to that haha
looking forward to the sakura no hanabiratachi since it’s one of the classic tune in akb, it even had two versions of it
See below for the process. Honestly I also cringe when reading the original lyrics, but mostly because I am an Indonesian adult male trying to interpret things from the perspective of these Japanese teenage girls (or at least what Yasushi Akimoto writes for these Japanese teenage girls to sing). But this is what I have to work with, and so I try to make my work sound true to the original. If you like this latest one better than the ones before, then hopefully that means I’m improving with each project. At least you like the shirt line.
Actually, as a japanese learner, I’m pretty sure that most of AKB48 songs are written from a boy’s point of view (the word “boku” which means “I” in japanese is mostly used by boys). JOT probably thought that this would cause confusions so they decided to reserve the gender in the translation. I was surprised by the girl’s POV in the english version of “Manatsu no Sounds good!”, but I guess it sounded ok for the people who had never listened to / understood the original version. Of course it’s still a good work, but I enjoy it less than KFC & Gingham Check (which was, FYI, also written from a boy’s POV).
Oops, I mean “reverse”, not “reserve” :p
i really like the lyrics. they should make english version for every single. spread the virus even further
utsukushii inazuma was my favourite ske’s song. great music, great lyric and of course…*ahem* great mv *ahem*
I’m amazed with the popularity rate of all the song in itunes. I’ve never seen an album that has all of its song with fullbar popularity in itunes.
This is how it works:
1. They send me the original song, the Indonesian version, a rough English translation of what the original lyrics mean and a breakdown of how many syllables there are in each sentence.
2. They tell me to translate the original lyrics into English, using the same number of syllables in each sentence of the original. If it rhymes, consider it a bonus.
3. I try to make it rhyme anyway, while coming up with words that might not be exactly the same as the original but convey a similar meaning in a different but hopefully still interesting way. I could translate it word for word but it would probably be less catchy and make less sense. I also have to do some research for the various Japan-specific cultural references that might be unknown to non-Japanese people.
4. And yes, I do sing the words as I write to make sure they sound good and are easily pronounced. Well, for me anyway. You have to cut the girls some slack because English isn’t their native language. And since the lyrics have been posted here you can always give it a shot and see if you can sing it better.
5. I submit the lyrics, wait for approval, get paid. Since they hired me to do this job there have been almost no revisions, so I guess they like my work and so far quite a lot of fans like it too. Some even say they prefer the English version, which is a pretty cool compliment. As for the ones that don’t, well I don’t really lose any sleep over it. Their inability to like it isn’t really my concern, which applies in general to any work I do. You can’t please everyone, so at least try your best to please the people that actually matter.
6. And that’s pretty much it. It sounds easy enough but if it really were that easy they wouldn’t ask me to do it.
Enjoy the song. Cheers!
Nice translation Hasief. I really like your translation since the Fortune Cookies in Love. Please do more English translation of JKT48 song if they ask you to do.
Btw, do you understand Japanese? If you do, I think you will make better translation in bahasa than JOT do now.
Thanks! No, I don’t know Japanese, which makes it quite a weird process because I’m being asked to write English lyrics for Japanese songs based on Indonesian explanations of them (correcting my previous comment in which I said it was from rough English explanations).
As far as Indonesian lyrics go, well that’s up to them. If they ask me, I’ll be glad to give it a go. But it’ll probably be even trickier because a lot of Indonesian bands I know tend to write English lyrics because they say it’s easier and cooler-sounding than Indonesian (though their English lyrics are usually shitty). So add that challenge to all the aforementioned aspects you have to consider when translating these songs, and you have to admire anyone who can do a half-decent job with it.
Good job,sir!
but, I wonder why the pronunciation of GINGHAM CHECK not so english. is it fixed and cant be changed? client request?
many fans questioned that too…
I only translate the lyrics, I’m not involved in how the girls sing. Again, remember that English isn’t JKT48’s native language, nor is it AKB48’s, either. Also add the fact that the way “gingham check” is pronounced in the song isn’t how you pronounce it in everyday conversation. So it’s always going to sound strange even when sung by someone who’s fluent in English. Not to mention that their schedule might not necessarily have time for intensive work on the pronunciation before recording.
So I don’t really have a problem if how it ends up sounding isn’t exactly how I planned. I try to be realistic about it, because not all JKT48 fans will listen to the English version, and a lot of them won’t like it for various reasons that may or may not have anything to do with me. The main thing is I do something that I’m happy with and the production team is happy with, and hopefully doesn’t make JKT48 want to kill me for putting in all those unfamiliar words and phrases. Anything good beyond that is a bonus.
Thanks for the long explanation
though I only ask about “GI-NG-HA-M-CHE-ECK” hahaha,,,,,
I do not doubt you work sir.
Great
That is from the original AKB48 version. If certain parts of the Japanese song (usually in the chorus) remain untouched in the Indonesian version, then I make sure they stay that way in the English version as well and work around it. For instance, the Japanese and Indonesian versions of “Fortune Cookie” both have the word “cafeteria” at the start of a sentence, so for the English version I also put that in the start of a sentence and tried to figure out how to make it: 1. retain the original meaning, 2. grammatically correct, 3. sound good.
The English version of Gingham Check and its lyrics translation is GOOD!!!!!! well done sir!!!!!!
Thanks!
Oh my God! I’ve been addicted already with the english ver. of Gingham Check. The translator to english did a great job in my opinion and the girls did quite well for the singing. I really appreciate for the job well done!
Thanks!
Not buy the songs yet. I’m very curious with sakura no hanabiratachi in Indonesian version. Hope can buy the songs or maybe the CD ASAP
i love the english version of gingham check, thank you mr. hasief
You’re welcome!
Nice tracklist, but isn’t that too much for a single? Or all those songs will be released on a mini-album? IIRC JKT have never released one before, haven’t they?
It’s interesting to read about the process of writing the english version of the songs. So far Mr Hasief has done very well, he smoothly turned some tricky parts in japanese into english with creativity, while keeping their orgininal meaning. GC is probably my favorite, followed by KFC. As a foreign fan, I look forward to his future english works for JKT
Yep, that’s why it’s an EP
It consist more tracks than a single but less tracks to be called an LP/Full Album.
And correct, it seems like this is their first release in a form of an EP.
But JOT officially named it as the 6th SINGLE on yesterday press conference and their website.
I’m not sure it’s their first release in a form of an EP. Flying Get Alfa Midi version consist of 9 songs (though some of them are songs that were also inside previous releases such as: KFC, RIVER, Hebirote, Baby3x)
I think we can categorize that as an LP? Well 9 songs is enough I guess for an Album.
Well, if they decided to call this one a single then…*shrug*
I agree with you Angga. Flying Get Alfa Midi ver. with 9 songs should have been named as an album and both Gingham Check regular version (6 songs) and theater version (5 songs) should have been named as EP.
will the CD release in Alfamidi again? i pray for the God xD
Yes, of course. Gingham Check theater version have two different methods of distribution:
1. JKT48 theater distribution with a Hand Shake ticket and a random trump card inside as bonuses.
2. Alfa Midi and Lawson distribution with a Gingham Check Calling Card and a random trump card inside as bonuses.
The answer for your question is number 2.
Buru – uwai – buru
It sounds like “uwai” to your ears. But it’s not “uwai”. It’s “howaito” [ ホワイト]. That’s how Japanese pronounce the english word “white”.
sometimes people forgot, dat the things they only need to do are sit down, shut up, listen and enjoy..
all of the complaints just reminding me at koisuru english version..
comentator.. comentator everywhere.. :buzz face:
Good job JOT, with this iTunes release JKT48 has one step ahead of her sister in Japan
So far JKT48 has released 3 english-version song, I hope they will be ready to go international outside of Japan & Indonesia soon.
Another job well done, Sir Hasief. Even though some undeserved criticism is bound to surface every now and then. I’ve worked as a translator once, so here’s a toast for you. Cheers, mate!
a GC cover by JKT48 fans from USA