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【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 15

•The episode opens with the band saying they're again recording all together + eating Meiji snacks. This reminds HARU of something and she mentions how their fans seem to now associate Catch up with Meiji Apollo chocolates (i.e. they hear the words "Catch up" and they immediately think of the chocolates).

•After "Living in the city" plays, they start their "STAY HOME HOME-TE" segment. RINA reads a message from a listener who likes to make bracelets and necklaces as a hobby. They had only been able to make simple ones, but they improved so much during quarantine that they're now able to make them at a level where they could sell their stuff. They've been using RINA's YouTube videos and SCANDAL's live DVDs as inspiration and encouragement as they're making their jewelry. They ask the band if they have to psych themselves up when it comes to making songs, or if they just relax and let songs come about naturally. What follows is what is talked about here. RINA also mentions that the lyrics for "Platform Syndrome" and "OVER" were pretty much both completed in one day.

•Next, they mention their livestream to be held on August 21st, their 14th anniversary. To anyone who needs reassurance: RINA mentions they're setting up a way that fans overseas can also watch it--it's a livestream that anyone around the world can watch.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener who is, not surprisingly, a teacher. One of their "HOME-TE"'s is a paper shredder (MAMI: "This is basically me!"), and they hold "shredding parties" occasionally (MAMI: "It's a one-person party").

•They then announce a new segment: "A.D.A.N.A. Corner" (Nickname Corner, which they first talked about doing during episode 12). It's stylized after, of course, their "A.M.D.K.J." song. The segment is about listeners' nicknames and how they got them. HARU reads a message from a male listener who got the nickname "Kinoko" (mushroom) in their first year of high school. "It's not because I loved mushrooms; it's because I had a mushroom-shaped hairstyle...actually, that's not it either." The band is surprised by the latter sentence (TOMO & RINA: "I thought that was the reason..."). The real reason was because he and his friends were asking each other if they were "Team Kinoko no Yama" or "Team Takenoko no Sato." The listener said Kinoko, and his friends were like, "Eh, you're Kinoko?" To this day he's still called that by a few people. RINA says that she could totally imagine that naming process happening between guys. MAMI says that she thought it could have come from a mushroom-style haircut, and TOMO and RINA say so too. They also say that "Kinoko" is a cute nickname.

•MAMI reads the next message from a listener who got the nickname "Anpanman" in elementary school because they were told their face looked like the character. Since then, and even now as a graduate student they're still told that their face looks like Anpanman's, and have been convinced that it does. While wondering "What does it mean to have a face that looks like Anpanman's?!", it has now completely become part of their identity. HARU says she's interested to know what they do look like. RINA says that it sounds like they're a good sport about it.

•TOMO reads the next message from a listener who got the nickname "Hiromi" from a male classmate in elementary school after letting her classmates know she loves cats. She asked the classmate why, and he said, "You like cats, don't you?" She said she still didn't get it, and he said, "It's like the female version of Neko Hiroshi." The listener also wrote in her message, "Well, it's fine to be called any name by the boy you like." The band laughs and goes, "That's so cute!" RINA says that it has a lovey-dovey feel to it. RINA then starts talking about something that happened in elementary school that this message reminded her of. In the first or second grade she used to use the pronoun "uchinaa" to refer to herself, which she says is common in the Kansai area where she grew up in (but in standard Japanese, "uchi" means "[your own] home"). During a field trip she was talking to the boy she liked and used that pronoun, and the boy was like, "What? Then just go home." That really hurt her and she stopped referring to herself in that pronoun. RINA then laughs and says, "That's what this story reminded me of!" She was shocked that that happened, but also glad because he--her crush--talked to her.

•The band closes out the episode after "A.M.D.K.J." plays and goes over the segments covered today as well as asks listeners to keep sending in their messages for their many different segments.

How do SCANDAL songs come into being? Talking about how they each write songs!
 
Episode ＃15 blog

---

For this episode we had each of the members talk about how they make songs and their secrets of music production.

MAMI: I write music, but I also like making clothes using a sewing machine. So, during quarantine I tried making a satin shirt.

But it was difficult to handle and you can only get rid of wrinkles by putting a cloth over it and ironing it at a low temperature, so I sprayed it completely with water. For songs, I use my head/concentrate more than I do when making clothes, and my ability to concentrate breaks in about two hours...

I'll be like, "Ah, I can't do this anymore." So if I want to take a break, I need to be able to slack off for at least double the time I spent focusing. If not, I no longer feel motivated.

RINA: I see. Like, if you feel really motivated, start making music on the computer, and concentrate on it for two hours, you'd then take a break for four hours?

MAMI: That's right.

RINA: So you're the type to make music by flipping on a switch?

MAMI: I think switching it on is important, but I can make clothes all in one go.

RINA: As for me, I'll have the mentality like, "Okay, I'll be able to make this on this day"--or rather, I'll feel like I'll be able to make it. I haven't been able to analyze this cycle myself, but there are times when words will just come flowing to me.

I'll aim for that time and keep switching myself on when I get into a groove.

It's not tiring at all--it's actually fun. But on the other hand, there are also times when I'm not able to write anything for a month. I might be the type that concentrates on finishing something when it seems that I'm able to do it.

HARUNA: When you're fast, you're fast. We're like, "You did this amount (of lyrics) in a day?"

MAMI: I can't catch up. Like, RINA will write the lyrics to a one-chorus demo, but she'll also write them for the second chorus so I'll be like, "I'm not able to write [the music for] the second chorus right now..."

TOMOMI: I save up lyrics when they come to me, but for music I can't do it unless I want to do it, and sometimes I can't even do it when both the lyrics and music come to me at the same time.

RINA: What about "Living in the city"?

TOMOMI: The lyrics came a little earlier, but the melody also came around the same time as well as the chorus. I can do things I like, like making dried flower swag and candles endlessly, and I can also play "Animal Crossing" without sleeping. I went to fans' islands and got a lot of materials for DIYs. My island was made with the help of the fans.

MAMI: You're grateful, aren't you? (*All laugh)

TOMOMI: I am grateful. Thank you so much.

HARUNA: I'm also the type to do things suddenly. I'm not one to normally save things up. I'm more likely to focus on it all at once when I think, "I need to do this now." That applies to songs, but also for the period of time I was making earrings. I suddenly had a moment when I was like, "I'll make earrings," and started doing so.

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 14

•The episode begins with what is talked about here. After HARU says that they should do a recap on the little things that happened during the two-and-a-half-month quarantine, she then says, "By the way, this is news from our [program] director Yoshioka-san: Sega announced on its 60th anniversary that they are releasing a handheld Game Gear Micro to mark its 30th anniversary. I don't really know what this is all about, though (laughs)." MAMI asks if that means that it's a game, and TOMO says that it's more like a Game Boy. They're also surprised that Sega has been around for 60 years.

•Getting back to news about the band: RINA says that, like a lot of people, she started cleaning up around the house when quarantine first started. When she started tidying up her closets, she found matching t-shirts that the band bought at a supermarket and that they had worn back when they played street shows on Shiroten Street [in Osaka]. TOMO and MAMI go, "The one with the skull on it?" (it's this one). TOMO describes it and says how there's lots of threads coming out of it. RINA goes, "We really had no money at all and it was cheap, cool, and kind of flashy." They also recall that they cut them up with scissors to give them a damaged look (RINA: "We were playing street shows in worn-out clothes!"). RINA also recalls how they washed them so much that they shrank a bit, and when that happened they pinned rabbit pins on them. She says that she didn't want to throw these shirts away so she's taken them with her whenever she's moved. When she took them out this time they were still all clean and she was getting all emotional by herself at home (MAMI: "That's quite emotional"). TOMO says that she can clearly remember that time in their lives, and also says, "I remember it now, but I had forgotten all about it until now."

•MAMI also talks about nostalgic things, and how she found some old lyrics while shredding papers. These lyrics (from unreleased songs) were from around the time when they started writing their own music. When she looked at them, she started feeling embarrassed (also, she filed these away rather than shred them). She also mentions how she found lyrics to a song called "Don't Stop" that they wrote right around when the band first formed. This whole experience for her was pretty emotional.

•HARU says that she too was cleaning up and found pictures of her when she was little. She also found a picture of them taken when they played the ESAKA MUSE venue in Osaka while wearing those skull shirts that RINA found (pretty sure it was this show). She too says that this was pretty emotional, and that she doesn't know why that picture was among her childhood pictures. She also mentions how their makeup back then was completely different. "That, our skull-print shirts that we thought was so rock-like, and mini skirts...that was pretty crazy." They then recall other things they wore like pink and black armwarmers, thick belts with studs, knee-high lace-up shoes. MAMI says that they were in a dance school so their outfits were reflective of that--a kind of a hybrid style. TOMO goes, "That was probably a fashion no one else was doing. They never thought of doing something like that. It was so tacky."

•TOMO also talks about finding old things like music scores such as when they performed with Chisato Moritaka. She found a lot of scores for songs they performed for TV shows, which felt very nostalgic for her. RINA says that it's hard to throw away things like that, and that you have the same feelings for it when you find it years later. HARU then talks about how they've all hard to start spending more time on the computer after quarantine began and her computer got a little too full, so she's also been trying to tidy up her pictures on there as well. The band laughs and says that sounds awful. She further says that the pictures have just continue to increase so she recently realized that she has around 10 years' worth of them to go through, like pictures from their first ever tour in 2008 when they went to the US (MAMI: "No way!") and pictures from her old flip phone. She too says that is pretty emotional. She also says, "I say I'm tidying them up, but I've only gone through and looked back on them." RINA mentions that they all wore the same outfits every day when they did that US tour. TOMO goes, "Well, thinking back on it now, our casual clothes were way too lame."

•HARU sums it up by saying how all of them discovered the same kind of things at home during quarantine (RINA: "It really gives you the sense that we've been together for 14 years"). She also says that they can easily throw away recent stuff but not this older stuff. RINA says that that was a special period of time. HARU also says, "No matter how much time passes, our formation days will always have the most impact on us. Like, we musn't get rid of these memories. We'll always feel that way." MAMI says, "We were super serious back then, but now we think of it being an amusing time."

•After "Living in the city" plays, the band reads a message from a soon-to-be 36-year-old female listener. She says that hearing about how TOMO said that she wants to take a solo trip after turning 30 made her remember that she too wanted to do that. She wasn't able to, but has traveled solo to see SCANDAL play in many places. She also says that SCANDAL is their favorite first musical artist that they discovered on their own, they started playing the guitar because of SCANDAL and is in a cover band, and that they now have a lot more fun things in their life after entering their 30s and discovering SCANDAL for the first time five years ago. They also ask HARU, who was the first person in the band to hit their 30s, if there's anything new she's started doing [since hitting her 30s]. HARU says that her 30s have been fun, and she's had more time to spare compared to her 20s. She also mentions that she took a solo trip to New York when she turned 30, got a dog, and started studying English pronunciation. She sums it up by saying that she started doing a lot of new things in her 30s--she wants to take in all kinds of things. TOMO says that she's become proactive, and HARU agrees and also says so many things that were right in front her in her 20s, but she didn't understand herself that well back then. "It's not about having a mindset to learn about things--it's about enjoying these things. Like, when I went to New York, I wished I had been able to speak a little more English. And this year, since we had planned to go overseas, I thought I'd try a little harder with my pronunciation. I want to learn what I can give back to the band--my job--and that's what I want my life to be. That's how I've been living my life lately. Your 30s is a great time." TOMO says she's looking forward to it. HARU also asks TOMO where she'd want to take a solo trip to; she says Morocco. She likes Moroccan interior designs and would like to see them in person. HARU also realizes that this day they're recording this episode is the first time they've all seen each other since both MAMI and TOMO turned 30 back in May (TOMO: "Nice to meet you! It's the 30-year-old me"). MAMI says that she'd like to challenge herself a lot. She also says that in her 20s she wished that she studied more when she was a student, but in her 30s she does want to study/learn more.

At last...the quartet meets up to record together!
 
Episode ＃14 blog

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HARUNA: It's been so longー!

TOMOMI: I'm so happy!!

HARUNA: Yayー!!

RINA: Has it been about two and a half months?

HARUNA: Yeahー

RINA: We've never gone this long without seeing each otherー

HARUNA: This was the first time!

RINA: I'm so happy!!

HARUNA: Since the emergency declaration has been lifted for the time being, we have decided to record Catch up in a new format. The four members got together for the first time in forever. Now we don't have to worry about slight lag...

TOMOMI: When we were recording remotely, if someone talked over another person who was talking, one of them would be muted. There were a lot of times when we'd go, "What? What did you just say?" so I'm glad we were able to meet back up...

HARUNA: We only recently discovered that we knew we could of course do it.

RINA: I'm glad we got to use remote software.

HARUNA: Yeah. Well then, we've gotten together for the first time in forever and will be delivering a noisy episode.

(*Following a song)

MAMI: I'm glad HARU-chan looked so happy introducing that song today.

RINA: She's filled with happiness.

HARUNA: This really is great. I'm happy that the four of us got together to record.

HARUNA: Now, onto this segment... 「Living in the home de... Aenai, Tsumori ni Tsumott...Genki datta? (Living in the homeで… 会えない、つもりにつもった…元気だった？)」 [Note: This doesn't really make sense, which the other members also comment on. If I had to try translating it, it might be something like, "Living in the home and...I thought we couldn't see each other...Have you been well?" but that's also not really close lol. It's supposed to be a play on the song titles "Living in the city" and "Awanai Tsumori no, Genki de ne")

TOMOMI: I don't understand that...

RINA: It's really jumbled.

MAMI: What's mixed with what?

TOMOMI: I could understand it if I saw it in writing, but I have no idea what that means just by hearing it.

MAMI: There are too many elements to it...

HARUNA: In one of the previous episodes we used the title 「STAY HOME HOME-TE」 to describe how the four of us spend our time during quarantine...and we've somehow been given names.

「Home cook HARUNA」
「Ukulelist TOMO」
「Shredder MAMI」
「YouTuber RINA」

MAMI: There are no changes to the latter half...

HARUNA: I talked about how I now cook for myself more.

TOMOMI: I learned to play the main theme of "Animal Crossing" on the ukulele...

MAMI: (I bought a paper shredder) and am getting rid of a lot of documents that I couldn't dispose of easily.

RINA: I started a YouTube channel.

HARUNA: Since we finally got together, I wonder if we should do a briefing session on the little things.

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 13

•The band begins the episode by talking about how they're still recording these episodes at home but are looking forward to when they're able to meet up and record again.

•After "Living in the city" plays, RINA reads a message from a listener who says that hearing this song at this point in time is very moving. They ask what the first line in the chorus is (apparently they don't understand what TOMO is singing). TOMO says she's saying "Living, living, living in the city" and there's no real meaning to repeating "living"; she thought that repetition would fit the flow of the lyrics. The written lyrics have "living" written only once, so if you don't understand what she's saying in the song and try to look at the lyrics, you might be confused. MAMI mentions that during their past weekly IG Lives they had a hashtag that fans could use to post about misheard SCANDAL lyrics, and someone thought that those LITC lyrics were "Everybody living in the city" instead (RINA: "It makes it more lively"). MAMI and RINA are surprised that a lot of people seem to mishear that line, but even HARU says that she didn't know what was being said at first (MAMI: "No way! Really?!").

•They then talk about the Meiji snacks they have. After that, they have their love advice corner as talked about here. TOMO says that as they've gotten older, those younger than them have also matured as well. RINA agrees with TOMO and says that now that she's older, her mindset's changed and is now completely open to the idea of dating someone younger. She says that she used to be like their listeners and was only open to the idea of dating someone older, but she's come to realize that talking to someone younger is totally something doable and can be enjoyable now. HARU says that that's a big change, and RINA says that this also surprised her. MAMI says that those younger than them have matured to an extent as well, which is a big thing. She talks about how when you're a student, dating someone who's even a year younger than you makes it feel like a senpai/kouhai thing; however, it's completely different when you're an adult. RINA says, "I think it's totally doable as long as they're like, older than your younger brother. I have a younger brother, and dating anyone younger than that..." HARU goes, "He's quite a bit younger than you, right?" RINA says yes, and that he's eight years younger than she is. She's currently 28, and someone who's 20 is someone she considers to be pretty young. HARU says that the main thing is that women want someone they can rely on. They might automatically associate reliable with someone who's older, but being older doesn't always mean reliable. Someone who's younger could be reliable as well. TOMO says that you really start to understand yourself when you become an adult, but if a little bit of leeway is born then a kind of maternal instinct is born at the same time. Having someone support you at that time is a big thing, but you don't necessarily need someone who's older and has more life experience. She says there are times when she's seen guys younger than her and thought they were cute, and wished that they'd invite her to go eat somewhere--the other members start laughing (RINA: "As a romantic interest?" - TOMO: "I don't know!"). Going back to the listeners' stories, MAMI says that with Parupon it's either maternal instinct or romantic love that she's feeling, and that it seems like maternal instinct did come out. RINA says that those two need to talk more to each other to find out what it is. MAMI brings up what the listener said about shey'd probably feel jealous if the guy got a girlfriend, so it probably is romantic love that she's feeling. HARU says that age shouldn't matter if you truly have feelings for a person. MAMI says that the listener should probably give it a little bit more time. TOMO brings up how unsure they seem with their constant use of "however." RINA says, "It seems like they've considered this a lot." She feels the same as MAMI and says that the listener should give it a little bit more time to confirm things while also determining if this will make her happy ("Deciding for yourself is important"). TOMO says the same thing goes for Sawa-chan, the second listener.

•The band was also asked if there had ever been a time when a guy younger than them had their hearts skipping a beat, or did something memorable. RINA says that it seems like it would be hard for someone to make MAMI's heart to skip a beat. MAMI says there have only been guys who have made her ticked off while she and the band laugh. She then recalls a time when she was a high school student. Her friend group usually hung out in school uniforms and would only dress in casual clothes on days off from school. There was a guy who was in middle school, and on one of those days off when their group hung out dressed in casual clothes, he told MAMI that she should dress more often like that since it suited her well. He probably thought that was a positive thing to say, but MAMI was thinking to herself, "How annoying." TOMO says that a guy younger than her told her, "You come to me just like a dog!" TOMO says that it didn't make her heart skip a beat, but it was certainly memorable. MAMI says that you have to be brave to say that, but that was probably just due to innocence. HARU goes next and says it isn't something specific, but she mentions how people in Tokyo usually speak in standard Japanese, so when she hears someone here speak in her home area's dialect, it makes her heart skip a beat.

•After "Mabataki" plays, they read a message from a listener whose boyfriend is 48 years old, which is twice as old as she is. They met each other via a friend of a friend at a SCANDAL show, have been dating for about a year, and are currently living together. Her parents are surprised that she's dating someone who's older than them, but they support the two. Her current situation is different from others she knows, and gives it an odd sort of feeling. The band thinks that their situation is completely fine. MAMI says that someone who's 48 gives off a dandy, refined sense. TOMO says that their parents support them, so there's nothing to be worried about there. RINA goes, "It's already been resolved!" HARU mentions the "maternal instinct" they talked about earlier, but this would be a different kind of "maternal instinct." The band reiterates that this is perfectly fine, and that they're rooting for them.

Love the members! 「LOVE SURVIVE　〜SCANDAL's Love Advice〜」
 
Episode ＃13 blog

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HARUNA: We'll read some messages as we eat our snacks. 「LOVE SURVIVE　〜SCANDAL's Love Advice〜」

All: (Getting excited)

TOMOMI: (Reading a message)

Harupon (from Osaka)
I'm a 26-year-old working at a deli. It's a shame that I can't go see you guys live, but I look forward to listening to you talk on the radio and on Instagram. Today, I'll be asking for love advice that I haven't talked to anyone about yet. 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?

MAMI: That's adorableー

All: I seeー

TOMOMI: They're very shaky, aren't theyー? How many times did they say "However"? There were nothing but those...

RINA: This is already "love"; she's fallen for him.

※One more message was read

RINA: (Reading a message)

Sawa-chan who LOVES SCANDAL (from Osaka)
I am an elementary school teacher in Osaka. I have loved SCANDAL since I was in middle school, but did you know that you have a lot of teachers among your fans, and I was drawn in as well? It's been four years since I became a teacher, but until the last year all the men at work were married, so I didn't have to worry about romance at work. However, some of the new arrivals this year include unmarried people and younger men. That's when this happened. I basically work with my hair down, but I put it up for cleaning and doing PE. The other day when I finished cleaning the classroom and undid my hair, a younger man who started working here this year suddenly went, "Your hair's down!" That surprised me. I inwardly panicked a bit and went, "Eh!? What do you mean!? What are you trying to say!?" in my head. But instead, with a really serious look on my face, I said, "It was in the way of my cleaning, so I tied it up." When I thought about it later, I thought that maybe I should have given a reply with a little more leeway, like, "Which style suits me better～?" That was the first heart-pounding thing to happen to me in a while. Is there anything that men can say to you that will make your heart pound or leave an impression on you?

HARUNA: They're all falling for younger guysー

TOMOMI: Right?

MAMI: It might be an offhand remark to call that pure... Even so, this older woman has been swayed...

HARUNA: Hasn't that been a trend recently, going for guys younger than yourself?

TOMOMI: It's a trend??

HARUNA: It has been for a lot of people I know.

RINA: Reallyー?

HARUNA: There are quite a few women who have been won over by guys younger than them...

Does this mean that SCANDAL has also been charmed by younger guys...??

Find out the rest in the episode...together with some snacks!

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 12

•The band begins the episode by talking about how they played the full version of "Living in the city" during the previous episode. They also mention that TOMO talked a little about it last time, and this time they'll be talking even more about it.

-H: "'Living in the city' is a song we made during this stay at home period."

-T: "Yeah. We originally wrote this song when we were working on Kiss from the darkness, and releasing it now gives it another meaning. We thought it'd be great if we could release it during this time, so that's what we did."

-H: "After our Instagram Live two weeks ago, our manager suddenly pulled out TOMO's demo of the song and was like, 'Wouldn't this be good [to release]?' We relistened to it and realized that it overlaps with many aspects we're going through now, and thought that it'd be a great song that could support everyone's daily lives right now and rewrote it."

-R: "The way we recorded it is very in-line with the times. This was our first time recording at home, right?"

-All: "Yeah."

-T: "We had Shun, an artist who is part of the same managing office, arrange the song. Additionally, at the same time we put in my vocals while having MAMI do harmonies and adding in the guitar parts. We then put in each of the members' voice memos at the end."

-R: "The outro's pretty emotional, isn't it? Enough to make me say so."

-All: *laughs*

-T: "It is."

-M: "If someone just listens to it normally, they wouldn't expect our voices to be included at the end. So, there are some fans who have told us it was like a surprise for them."

-R: "Each of us didn't know what we would be saying and recorded them separately, but it turned out to sound like a real conversation."

-H: "I think it's crazy how we all decided to end it with 'Goodnight.'"

-R: "Right?!"

-H: "We did a lot of different takes to cover different kinds of situations, but we all decided to use 'Goodnight.' It was like we had one mind."

•After "Living in the city" plays, they talk about the HOME-TE as talked about here. After HARU and TOMO talk, MAMI goes next. She talks about how she moved a little bit before everything got crazy. Since she had to stay at home and couldn't go out after things started to get crazy, she learned how to properly organize and put things in their proper places (TOMO: "We're proud of you!"). She also mentions how, when you spend a lot of time at home, you start to be bothered by things put in places you weren't bothered about before, so she started organizing everything all at once. HARU says that there are certainly a lot of people who are tidying up their houses during this time. MAMI says that her cleaning-out included things like clothing, books, and old things. She also bought a paper shredder, which she says is really fun to use (RINA: "That's so cool!" - MAMI: "No way!"). RINA then asks MAMI to let her use it (MAMI: "*laughs* Like, let you come over to use it?"). MAMI then talks about how there are different kinds of shredders like compact ones, ones that shred three sheets at a time...basically a lot of talking about shredders lol

•RINA goes next and talks about how she started a YouTube channel due to wanting to do something new while staying at home. Their manager said starting one would be a good idea after RINA asked them about it, but RINA was really nervous about whether or not she'd be able to do it. She decided to just go for it and hope that she gets good at it while she's doing it (All: "You're doing great, sweetie!"), and that she's doing her best to study up on editing. HARU says that you usually do have to edit your own videos if you're on YouTube. RINA says that there are people who can edit for you, but she decided to edit for herself (HARU: "That's a good skill" - MAMI: "It's useful"), and that she'll do her best. TOMO asks her if she's going to have an intro, and RINA says she won't (the band laughs). And speaking of YouTube, HARU also mentions that SCANDAL's YT channel made it to the ＃25 spot of Nikkei Entertainment's "most subscribed-to Japanese performer/entertainer channels in 2019" ranking. The other members are surprised by this. RINA says that their subscriber count grew a lot after they established their "her" label (more like because they finally had a region-free channel lol). The band is grateful and thanks everyone.

•They then close out this segment, mentioning how there were quite a few things that qualify as "HOME-TE," and that they hope these things will continue in the future. TOMO asks if there's a place she can perform the "Animal Crossing" theme at in the future. RINA says that she can do it during an MC once they resume playing shows.

•After "Laundry Laundry" plays, they briefly talk about the snacks they have this time. MAMI is eating Yoguretto, and asks the rest if they're the type to bite into it right away or let it dissolve. RINA and HARU say let it dissolve while TOMO and MAMI say they bite into it right away. TOMO says she lets it dissolve for five seconds and then bites into it (RINA: "So fast!").

•MAMI reads a message from a listener who says something about they went first at a karaoke tournament and sang the song "Apollo" by Porno Graffitti (SCANDAL's radio program is sponsored by Meiji's Apollo chocolate snack, so I guess they were trying to draw that parallel? lol). TOMO goes, "This story had nothing to do with us!" MAMI: "It's a story to recall while eating Apollo."

•Near the end of the episode, HARU asks the others if they should add a "mysterious nickname" segment (which they say is something they did a while ago) to the show. The band says it's a good idea and that it could be interesting.

Happening just this time? 「STAY HOME HOME-TE」
 
Episode ＃12 blog

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HARUNA: You probably won't understand the word "home-te" (ホメテ; home technology--more specifically referring to something close to you that makes your life easier) just by hearing it. If you were to write it out...

MAMI: "Home" is read in the same way as in "stay home," and then add "te."

HARUNA: We've been staying at home for two months now, and I'm sure there are people wondering if we each learned how to do something or discovered a new side of ourselves during this time. During this segment we'll reveal how we've grown.

TOMOMI: What does that even mean...

MAMI: How we've grown...I don't know if I have.

RINA: This is kind of embarrassing...

HARUNA: One thing is that we made a new song!

MAMI: Praise us for that!

TOMOMI: As a band, right?

MAMI: I really want us to be praised.

HARUNA: We attempted something totally new, for one. Please just advocate for yourself.

MAMI: All right; how have I grown...

HARUNA: It could be something small.

RINA: HARUNA, you should start things off.

HARUNA: All right. I'm sure this is the same for people around the world...but I feel like I've gotten better at cooking. I live alone, and in the past there had been a lot of times after getting off work when I couldn't be bothered to cook and ordered delivery instead. But during quarantine I've been cooking for myself every day. That's been a big change for me.

TOMOMI: Good job!

RINA: We're proud of you!

TOMOMI: You did so well, HARU-chan!

RINA: So healthy!

HARUNA: You feel really good when you cook for yourself, don't you?

All: Right?

MAMI: You get to eat a well-balanced meal.

HARUNA: I feel like I can sleep well at night. It's nice waking up in the morning and feeling hungry. I think I'll be able to keep this up even after quarantine.

MAMI: Cooking's now more fun to do.

HARUNA: You're next, TOMO-chan!

TOMOMI: For me...well, I can now play the main theme of "Animal Crossing" (the game) on the ukulele.

All: (Laughs loudly)

TOMOMI: I thought I could copy it by ear on the ukulele... The nylon strings are really hard and are completely different from bass strings. The thinner the string, the more it hurts and digs into your fingertips. I realized once again how great guitartists are and made me want to complement them.

MAMI: What? Are we supposed to praise you, TOMO-chan?

TOMOMI: Ah, is that what it is...

HARUNA: You're not just playing a game.

MAMI: You're studying music.

TOMOMI: I didn't think playing the ukulele would be this hard.

MAMI: You're doing so well, TOMO-chan.

HARUNA: You're doing great!

RINA: That's a musician for you!

TOMOMI: It's such a good track! Maybe I'll play it somewhere if I get a little better at it...

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

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

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

•After the song plays, they read this message.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MAMI: We were congratulated from people overseas too!

TOMOMI: What a lovely and romantic composition.

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

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

RINA: But we do understand them.

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

HARUNA: It is fun.

TOMOMI: Even HARUNA says so.

MAMI: They're finally here.

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

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

All: ...what??

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

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

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

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

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

All: Yeah!

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

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

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

TOMOMI: I think it's wonderful.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TOMOMI: What does that mean?

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

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

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

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

MAMI: Yeah, we have.

RINA: It's really an honor.

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

HARUNA: We totally get that.

RINA: Totally.

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

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

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

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

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

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

HARUNA: There it is!

RINA: Yeah, I get that.

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

HARUNA: This was very empathetic.

RINA: It's an honor.

TOMOMI: Truly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RINA: So strongー

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

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

All: Thank you so much!

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

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

RINA: That makes me really happy.

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

HARUNA: You never really come across those like that.

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

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

MAMI: Rightー

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

MAMI: Eh?

HARUNA: How come?

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

MAMI: Ah, they're worried about you.

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

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

HARUNA: They do proper analyses of them.

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

TOMOMI: Thank you so much...

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

MAMI: That's right.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Little by little
Theme：RINA

Since we'll be playing a livestream concert on 8/21,
We've added tour merch that had sold out on our online store〜!

---

The satin stickers with a backstage pass-like design
That are popular each time we come out with them
Can now also be bought
On our online store〜!
We had planned to sell them at the venues only,
But this time is special︎



▽
▽
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rooftoponlinestore.com

Seeing the venue names lined up
Is really nice〜
Get some as a commemoration◎


Also, meet and greet!
On this tour
We were to invite SCANDAL MANIA members chosen by lottery
To the backyard after each show [in Japan]
And take some time to communicate
With each other︎

I'm sure the winners were worried
About what would happen with this.
We wanted to do something about it,
And we will now be able to do it online
Using Zoom!

Although it's different from what we had planned,
We're making preparations for you to be able to enjoy itー!
We too are happy that we'll get to talk about all sorts of things.
I'm excited︎

Ah, members of our mobile fan club
CLUB SCANDAL will also be able
To apply for M&G
Until 6/3 (Wed) 23:59 JST.
Members, check it out


Little by little
We've recently been able
To make plans such as recording outside our homes
Yep〜, that makes me happy.
It feels like things are progressing little by little.
I can't wait for next month♩



RINA

2020/5/29 16:55

Spoiler:

Going forward
Theme：RINA

Yesterday,
We released all sorts of new info.
I'll try sorting it out a little at a time.

---

First,
All of our domestic (Japan) performances on our world tour
Have been canceled.

For 『Kiss from the darkness』,
The first album we completed
After establishing our private record label "her,"
We were able to record many songs
That exude our feelings right now.

We went, 「All right, let's take this with us
And go deliver our music to the world once more〜!」
Shifted into the next gear,
And started preparing for that.

We put together the tour schedule
Around one year ago,
Booked the venues,
Revised the setlist many times,
Did trial and error with our stage production.
We also had videos, the stage set, outfits, lighting,
And new equipment on standby.
As we finished final rehearsals for the tour,
We reviewed recorded footage of us for confirmation.
It seemed like this stage
Was something that we needed to do right now.

That's why
We couldn't just skip this
And move on to what's next.
We wanted to deliver it
In any way we could
To everyone who had been looking forward to the tour,
And we decided
To hold a livestream concert
On 8/21 (Fri), the band's 14th anniversary!



The title has been updated to
「SCANDAL WORLD TOUR 2020
"Kiss from the darkness" Livestream」,
And we are moving again towards this day.

To give you a recent example,
We performed on Choushidoukan, which was streamed on YouTube at the end of March.
At that time,
We started preparing about three weeks before it,
And although everyone was figuring it out as they went,
The limited time, space, and number of people
Felt really great and intimate.

However,
Our livestream on 8/21 will be a different type of stream and on a different scale,
And we've decided to go with a paid livestream.
There will be around 20 cameras,
Which will completely recreate our phantom tour.
We'll do our best to make it worthwhile even through the screen!

Tickets are available here

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https://eplus.jp/sf/detail/0236750009


Also,
Our weekly Instagram livestreams titled ＃水曜日のSCANDAL (Wednesday SCANDAL),
Which we established out of a want to be able to create even a small amount of fun as we stay home,
Came to a close yesterday
Since emergency measures have been liftedー!



There was a total of eight streams.
Thanks so much〜!
Both the title and the logo came from your ideas,
And it was so much fun
Getting excited every week with our hashtag project,
And also how it felt like we were creating a program together〜!



Since we had this established,
We wanted to change it up but keep it going...
And we've decided to make it into a program
That will be on the site
Of our fan club "SCANDAL MANIA"!


We'll keep preparing for it
And might be able to start streaming most likely from July〜
(You could even join the fan club now︎)
Look forward to this too

And also,
Our 15th anniversary year
Is swiftly approaching,
And we've already begun planning all sorts of things〜!
Although each day is still uncertain,
Thank you for working hard
On all sorts of things today too.
There will be a ton of things
To look forward to



RINA

2020/5/28 17:20

Spoiler:

A spring love advice special! Talking about the band's love lives and the best timing to confess
 
Episode ＃8 blog

---

The band responded to love advice sought by listeners.

HARUNA: This episode too is being brought to you remotely due to the state of emergency declaration in response to the coronavirus as the members stay home! Has your time while staying at home been fulfilling?

RINA: When I put down small goals, like, "I'll do this today," on a to-do list, I've realized that it makes me feel a little more at ease.

MAMI: I've added quite a bit to my cooking repertoire. I hadn't properly made any standard dishes in the past, like stir-fried vegetables, omurice, and hamburger steak. Like, rather than making my own dish, I'll look up someone else's recipe.

RINA: I totally get that! Like making snacks too.

HARUNA: Yeah! I've started making sweets!

TOMOMI: Yeah, that's true.

RINA: What have you made?

HARUNA: I had two chocolate bars on hand. I saw on Twitter a recipe for yaki chocolate (baked chocolate) made with chocolate bars and wheat flour. It seemed easy to make, so I started making it.

HARUNA: We got a lot of responses to RINA's request to send in love-related messages.

RINA: I'll read one.

「I am in a SCANDAL cover band at school. Regarding love advice, I'm secretly in love with a female member of my band. However, I'm scared that telling her my feelings could break down our band relationship. How should I tell her?」 (Nickname: Mamama-san)

RINA: Ah, a fellow band member.

TOMOMI: How excitingー.

HARUNA: That's so fun!

MAMI: You're so close to each other. You know each other's endeavors, worries, and anxieties... When you talk about things like that, you're apt to fall in love...

RINA: I wonder what they should do...

MAMI: In high school, there was a mixed girls and guys band formed by upperclassmen. They were dating. A female upperclassman on vocals, a male upperclassman on guitar...

HARUNA: That's basically [Ai Yazawa's manga series] "NANA"!

TOMOMI: That is "NANA"...

RINA: Being in love with a fellow band member means that it's important to share with the other members rather than keeping a secret between the pair.

TOMOMI: It's also related to whether or not to seriously continue the band.

RINA: Isn't it important to get a little more of a feel for each other?

HARUNA: What a mature opinion!

RINA: Like, try going out to eat and see how that feels. If you don't feel that it's romantic at all, maybe it's better to refrain for the sake of the band.

MAMI: How long have they liked them?

HARUNA: Wouldn't that mean they like them a lot!? (*Note: This is a Japanese grammar-related thing. MAMI said "どれぐらい" [dore gurai = could mean 'how long' or 'how much'], which in the context of what she said could either mean, "For how long have they liked them?" or "How much do they like them?" HARU thought it was the latter while MAMI meant the former.)

MAMI: Oh, I meant for what length of time have they liked them...it might be recently, or it might have been since last year.

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 7

•HARU opens the episode by talking about how this is another ep recorded remotely. She's once again at their managing office with a few other staff members (and are doing social distancing) while the other members are recording at home.

•After the first song, "Mabataki," plays, HARU asks RINA to read some fan letters. She reads the first sentence of the first letter before what is mentioned in the episode blog happens. HARU then asks RINA to restart reading the letter. She does, and the first letter consists of a fan telling the band they're a really big fan and sings their songs daily after returning home from their job at a hospital. RINA says that singing music loudly can really make you feel supported and assured. HARU says that she thinks singing (producing sound with your voice) is really important. She also says that she hasn't really used her voice that much ever since she's had to stay at home and isn't able to meet face-to-face with anyone, so when the band's doing their weekly Instagram Lives and laughing really hard, she feels very refreshed. RINA circles back to how the listener says they work at a hospital, says that each day for them must be tough, and all of them say that they're grateful for people like them. MAMI mentions that her mom is also working hard every day, listens to their CDs/plays their DVDs during her breaks, and sings along to them. She says that she thinks that there are people for whom music gives hope and supports them, which makes her happy. She also says that since everyone's at home, it's okay to sing your heart out.

•After the second song, "A.M.D.K.J.", plays, HARU mentions that a fourth-year graduating college student wrote each of the members a letter. They thank them and say that fan letters really give the band strength. HARU also says that they wrote that they were supposed to go see them live for the first time on their now-postponed tour. She then says that although it's still out in the future, the band is still making preparations so that they're able to see everyone again, and that they'd like everyone to come and see them once they're able to play shows again. TOMO says they hope to deliver music that'll cheer everyone up. HARU says that they're currently in the middle of testing out recording at home (*Note: This episode came out on April 20th--we now know that they were in fact successful at trying out home-recording lol), such as trying out different software and making sure they can get the same kind of quality while recording at home. HARU also says that she didn't know something like this, like simultaneous playback, could be done at home. They say they'll do their best.

•TOMO reads the next message, which is from another college student who is aiming to be a teacher and is studying for licensing exams in the summer. TOMO goes, "There are so many teachers [among our fans]!" She also wonders if it would be possible to hold a live show restricted to just teachers. The band laughs and wonders if it would be possible. HARU says it might be if they held it at a live house (which is usually pretty small--a capacity of a couple hundred). MAMI says they'd put together a setlist to encourage teachers, and wonders if they should ask teachers to tell them what songs they like (RINA: "Give out a questionnaire to teachers!"). HARU says that setlist would probably be no different from their current setlists. MAMI says that maybe the teacher-fans should now start including their favorite songs in their messages to the program. HARU says that the songs they're currently making songs that would really stick with teachers. RINA says that she thinks the lyrics she writes might be close to a teacher's mentality. MAMI says that maybe it's RINA herself that's close to being like a teacher's mentality.

•The band closes out the episode after "Masterpiece" plays. HARU again mentions that this was another episode recorded remotely and asks the others how it was. MAMI says it went surprisingly smooth, more or less, and mentions her connections problems from the start during the previous episode. HARU says that they're going to continue recording the program like this for the foreseeable future, asks listeners to keep sending in messages, and says that they'll have an episode where they discuss messages sent in for the love talk topic as established by RINA during the previous episode. HARU also asks teachers to send in their favorite SCANDAL songs. The band laughs and says that they'd love to know.

Recording remotely as SCANDAL stays home... Who exactly is the visitor that suddenly appeared?
 
Episode ＃7 blog

---

Following the previous episode, this one is also being brought to you remotely due to the state of emergency.

HARUNA: This episode too is being brought to you remotely due to the state of emergency declaration in response to the coronavirus as the members stay home! There may be some noises, but let's have fun.

All: Yeah!

HARUNA: Let's read some messages...RINA, would you do the honors?

RINA: Yes, I will (*She takes a moment to read them...)

HARUNA: (*Surprised at some noises) Ah! Hold on a second. Stop for a second...

RINA: All right.

All: ...what?

HARUNA: A visitor just arrived... (*HARUNA was recording at their office to use the recording equipment)

MAMI: That's what you're talking about?

TOMOMI: Visitor?

HARUNA: Fan letters arrived...

All: Thank you! That makes us happy!

HARUNA: Thank you to the courier too! How fastー; they're bustling aroundー.

A courier arrived just as the recording started. What they delivered were fan letters! They decided to make public a few of those letters. What did they contain? You can listen to the episode for more details on JFN PARK/Spotify, so check it out!

【Translated Summary】
『SCANDAL Catch up supported by Meiji Apollo』 - Episode 6

•This is the first time the band is recording the program remotely due to the state of emergency declaration in Japan in response to the coronavirus. MAMI has connection troubles right off the bat as mentioned here.

•After the first song plays, it seems like MAMI's connection has gotten better. As HARU announces the song that just played ("Tonight"), meaning that they will be moving on to the rest of the show, MAMI says while laughing, "Oh, we're done with the opening?" They laugh and say yes, and HARU says that they decided play the first song while MAMI's video was frozen.

•HARU asks TOMO how her time staying home has been. She says it's been surprisingly fulfilling, and since it's been getting warmer recently, the plants on her balcony have started to sprout anew. HARU says that TOMO told her the other day about this--more specifically about her rubber tree plants. HARU also mentions mineral candles [that TOMO made during one of her recent IG Lives]. TOMO says that she got hooked on making candles a few years ago, but stopped making them for a while and still had materials leftover, which is why she decided to pick it up again (HARU: "They're really pretty." - TOMO: "Really?"). TOMO mentions the IG Live she did, and that her mineral candle-making wasn't conveyed well (meaning that people couldn't really tell what she was making). The rest of the members tell TOMO to show the candles to them next time they're able to see each other.

•HARU then asks MAMI what she's been doing recently. She says she's been cooking and has been enjoying it. She also mentions that she moved at the beginning of last month, so she's also been setting up stuff. TOMO asks if the cardboard boxes are gone from her place now. She says yes, and TOMO congratulates her on that. She says thanks, and that she had boxes lying around for a while. HARU then asks her what sweets she's eating today--more specifically, she asks what Meiji (the sponsor of this program) sweets she has. She says she has Takenoko no Sato and Kinoko no Yama, Kajyu Fruit Gummies, Galbo Chocolate, Poifull Fruit Gummies. MAMI also mentions that there are DIY kits for making your own Apollo Chocolates, and that these are things that adults can also enjoy, surprisingly. TOMO chimes in that it is a lot of fun, and HARU says that the two of them have made some of these kits before live shows. MAMI says that there's also a kit for Kinoko no Yama. HARU asks if she's made that before. She says yes, and RINA says that they made them at the Namba Hatch venue in Osaka. TOMO says that putting these kits in dressing rooms seems to be a common thing in the Kansai area. HARU says that it would be a fun thing to do while at home during this time.

•HARU asks RINA if she's been doing well. She says yes, and that she's watching all kinds of movies like always. She also says that since her family works in essential jobs, she's been staying in contact with them as much as possible. They're working hard every day amidst this unease, so she wants to talk to them and give them time to have peace of mind each day as much as possible. She says they've been doing this via video calls, and HARU asks if the whole family goes on these calls. She says that she does this with one of her little sisters (the one closest in age to RINA, presumably, who is four years younger than her) and their other siblings are on that same call since two of them are a lot younger (RINA has four siblings in total: Two little sisters, ages 24 and 14; and two little brothers, age unknown for the older one but is younger than the 24-year-old sister, while the youngest is 8). She mentions that it was her youngest brother's birthday the day before this was recorded, and that he had turned 8. HARU goes, "Already?!"

•HARU reiterates that they're all spending time at home differently, and also that MAMI recently sent them a new song. HARU says that they're stockpiling songs while they're not able to perform live shows in front of audiences right now. MAMI says that they're getting all kinds of things ready, and that they hope to make a bunch of good announcements once they get to see everyone again. As they get ready to head into the first break, HARU asks the others what song should be played. TOMO goes, "We didn't choose one beforehand, did we?" MAMI says, "Since we're staying at home, wouldn't 'Laundry Laundry' be good?" The rest agree and HARU asks TOMO to introduce the song. TOMO: "Please listen to this while you're doing laundry: 'Laundry Laundry.'"

•Next, they read a message from a listener. The first listener says they empathized with the person from the previous episode who said that SCANDAL is the first band they've been hooked on since the end of the last century, which is basically the same for them as well. They discovered SCANDAL by chance when watching the channel WOWOW a few years ago and went to a show of theirs, even though they don't really like going to live shows. The first song they had played was "LOVE SURVIVE," which made them start to cry (TOMO: "They cried during 'LOVE SURVIVE'?!"). They say that they think SCANDAL is the coolest band in the world. The band is surprised and thanks the listener. They wonder how many other fans are like them, and why SCANDAL is a common point for them. They circle back to how the listener mentioned crying during "LOVE SURVIVE." RINA says that since they discovered the band through WOWOW, a channel that often plays live shows, they started off knowing about them first through their live shows. HARU wonders if they saw them at their 10th anniversary outdoor show in Osaka in 2016, since LS was the first song they played for that show and they could imagine people tearing up for that. MAMI comments that there are a lot of comments about how cool HARU is. HARU says that since the previous episode, she's been getting a lot of those kinds of tweets and the like.

•The band then closes out the episode. HARU says that even recording this remotely it's fun to read messages from the listeners. She also mentions that they've been doing IG Lives every Wednesday. MAMI says that it feels like they can be more organic since they're doing it from their homes. HARU says that this first remotely recorded episode for this program was kind of hit-or-miss, what with MAMI's connection problems, but they'll keep continuing to record it in this format. They then talk about adding a new topic as mentioned here. They decide to go with the love talk topic and ask people to send in messages.