Todome no Ichigeki – Vaundy feat. Cory Wong | 2023

Todome no Ichigeki – Vaundy feat. Cory Wong | 2023
トドメの一撃 [Todome no Ichigeki]
Vaundy feat. Cory Wong [Vaundy feat. Cory Wong]
Words & Music : Vaundy [Vaundy]

“Todome no Ichigeki” is a song written by Vaundy as the ending theme for Spy × Family Season 2.
Cory Wong is a guitarist based in Minneapolis, USA. He is known for participating in Vulfpeck’s recordings and tours and might be actively collaborating with other artists.

とどめ [todome] : finishing blow
一撃（いちげき） [ichigeki] : blow, strike

The original title “Todome no Ichigeki” means “finishing blow.” It’s unclear whether the method of attack is with bare hands, a sword, or a gun. It might even be a “blow” of words.

視界に目前映る深い真紅
shikai ni mokuzen utsuru fukai shinku
この先およそ 40000km
kono saki oyoso yonman kiro mētoru

視界（しかい） [shikai] : sight
目前（もくぜん） [mokuzen] : in front of one’s eyes
映る（うつる） [utsuru] : reflect
深い（ふかい） [fukai] : deep
真紅（しんく） [shinku] : crimson
この [kono] : this
先（さき） [saki] : ahead
およそ [oyoso] : approximately

(translation) “A deep crimson reflects in front of my eyes
Approximately 40,000 km ahead.”

It’s a mysterious description. I imagined a scene where someone is diving into the sea, searching for prey.
40,000 km is the circumference of the Earth. Maybe it’s just a random number. Shall we lightly touch on the numbers?

１・一（いち） [ichi] : one
２・二（に） [ni] : two
３・三（さん） [san] : three
４・四（し・よん） [shi・yon] : four
十（じゅう） [jū] : ten
百（ひゃく） [hyaku] : hundred
千（せん） [sen] : thousand
万（まん） [man] : ten thousand

Both Arabic numerals and kanji are written above. In Japanese, Arabic numerals are often used even within sentences, possibly more so than in English. Once you learn up to ten, you can move on to hundred and thousand. By combining these, you can express all numbers. This is easier than in English.

後ろに迫る互いの傷が
ushiro ni semaru tagai no kizu ga
迷う道をさらに迷わせてく
mayou michi o sara ni mayowaseteku
見えず匂わぬ、違えぬ未来が
miezuni niowanu, tagaenu mirai ga
背中を突いた！
senaka o tsuita

後ろ（うしろ） [ushiro] : behind
迫る（せまる） [semaru] : approach
互い（たがい） [tagai] : each other
傷（きず） [kizu] : wound
迷う（まよう） [mayou] : to get lost
道（みち） [michi] : road
さらに [sara ni] : further
見える（みえる） [mieru] : to be visible
匂う（におう） [niou] : to smell
違う（たがう） [tagau] : to differ
未来（みらい） [mirai] : future
背中（せなか） [senaka] : back
突く（つく） [tsuku] : thrust, stab

(translation) “Wounds approaching from behind
Further confuse the lost road
The unseen, scentless, unchanging future
Stabs at my back!”

だから
dakara
今日の夜は隣にいさせて
kyō no yoru wa tonari ni isasete
今夜だけは本気だからね
konya dake wa honki dakara ne
こっちにきてもっと
kocchi ni kite motto

だから [dakara] : so
今日 [kyō] : today
夜 [yoru] : night
隣 [tonari] : beside
いる [iru] : to be
させる [saseru] : to let
今夜 [konya] : tonight
だけ [dake] : only
本気 [honki] : serious
こっち [kocchi] : here
来る（くる） [kuru] : to come
もっと [motto] : more

(translation) “So,
Let me be by your side tonight.
Just for tonight, I’m serious,
Come closer, more.”

“ね / ne” is a sentence-ending particle that asserts one’s thoughts or feelings. “本気だからね / honki dakara ne” is a powerful phrase for wooing a lover—truly a “blow.”

祈りあった未来とて
inori atta mirai tote
道が違うのよ
michi ga chigau no yo
アナタ
anata

祈る（いのる） [inoru] : pray
未来（みらい） [mirai] : future
道（みち） [michi] : road
違う（ちがう） [chigau] : differ
あなた [anata] : you

(translation) “Even if we prayed for the future
Our paths are different
You”

From here, the melody overlaps, so the words might be difficult to hear. Listen carefully.

互いの殺意で
tagai no satsui de
トドメ喰らっちゃうね
todome kuracchau ne
やっぱりやめとくわ
yappari yametoku wa

互い（たがい） [tagai] : each other
殺意（さつい） [satsui] : murderous intent
喰らう（くらう） [kurau] : to receive (a blow)
やっぱり [yappari] : after all
やめる [yameru] : to stop

(translation) “With our mutual murderous intent
We’ll end each other, right?
After all, I’ll stop.”

The lyrics suggest that they would end up destroying each other, so they decide to stop. The phrase “やっぱりやめとくわ / yappari yametoku wa” is commonly used when canceling something, so it’s a good phrase to remember, especially if you’re indecisive.

行く、万年の困難が待つ道
iku, mannen no konnan ga matsu michi
内、四千は光死ぬ常闇
uchi, yonsen wa hikari shinu tokoyami
さらに続き、絶えぬ更地
sara ni tsuzuki, taenu sarachi
そこに現れた
soko ni arawareta
心見透かすちっぽけな魂
kokoro misukasu chippoke na tamashii
それは散らばるミクロ砂金
sore wa chirabaru mikuro sakin
手のひらに集め
te no hira ni atsume
密度高め万年を照らす光の矢を放つ、穿つ
mitsudo takame mannen o terasu hikari no ya o hanatsu, ugatsu

(translation) “Going forth, a road of eternal hardship awaits
Four thousand within the darkness where light dies
Further ahead, barren land continues endlessly
There appeared
A tiny soul that sees through the heart
It is scattered micro gold dust
Gathered into the palm of my hand
Densely packed, it releases an arrow of light that illuminates eternity, piercing through.”

This part is a rap. The focus is more on the sound of the words rather than the meaning. Therefore, I will omit the word explanations.

こういうのとか
kō iu no toka
そういうのとか
sō iu no toka
偽物じゃできないよね
nisemono ja dekinai yo ne

こういうの [kō iu no] : this kind of thing
そういうの [sō iu no] : that kind of thing
とか [toka] : etc.
偽物（にせもの） [nisemono] : fake
できる [dekiru] : can do

(translation) “Things like this
Or things like that
You can’t do it with fakes, right?”

“Spy”-like elements.

だから
dakara
今日の夜は隣にいさせて
kyō no yoru wa tonari ni isasete
今夜だけは本気だからね
konya dake wa honki dakara ne
こっちにきてもっと
kocchi ni kite motto

だから [dakara] : so
今日 [kyō] : today
夜 [yoru] : night
隣 [tonari] : beside
いる [iru] : to be
させる [saseru] : to let
今夜 [konya] : tonight
だけ [dake] : only
本気 [honki] : serious
こっち [kocchi] : here
来る（くる） [kuru] : to come
もっと [motto] : more

(translation) “So,
Let me be by your side tonight.
Just for tonight, I’m serious,
Come closer, more.”

祈りあった未来とて
inori atta mirai tote
道が違うのよ
michi ga chigau no yo
アナタ
anata
互いの殺意で
tagai no satsui de
トドメ喰らっちゃうね
todome kur acchau ne
やっぱりやめとくわ
yappari yametoku wa

もしもどこまでも続くなら
moshimo doko made mo tsuzuku nara
せめて今日の一度だけ
semate kyō no ichido dake

もしも [moshimo] : if
どこまでも [doko made mo] : forever
続く（つづく） [tsuzuku] : continue
せめて [semate] : at least
一度（いちど） [ichido] : once

(translation) “If it continues forever
At least let this happen just once today.”

今日の夜はワタシにさせて
kyō no yoru wa watashi ni sasete
今夜だけはワタシに守らせて
konya dake wa watashi ni mamorasete
今日の夜が明けたころに
kyō no yoru ga aketa koro ni
待ち合わせね
machiawase ne
明日の夜も守れますように
ashita no yoru mo mamoremasu yō ni
こっちにきてもっと
kocchi ni kite motto

わたし [watashi] : I
守る（まもる） [mamoru] : protect
明ける（あける） [akeru] : dawn
ころ [koro] : time
待ち合わせ（まちあわせ） [machiawase] : meeting
明日（あした） [ashita] : tomorrow

(translation) “Let me be by your side tonight
Just for tonight, let me protect you
When dawn breaks tomorrow
Let’s meet again
May I protect you tomorrow night too
Come closer, more.”

Did he learn a new way of singing? His style here is somewhat reminiscent of Tatsuro Yamashita. The song also has a City Pop vibe—it’s really cool.

The music video is also making waves, featuring the famous Japanese actress Masami Nagasawa ^wiki.