すき、きらい

This study guide supports JLPT N3 learners (intermediate Japanese) in analyzing the song ‘すき、きらい’ by ファントムシータ. The intended reader is comfortable with basic kanji and grammar but needs support with contemporary slang, internet language, and idiomatic expressions common in J-pop lyrics. This document provides linguistic breakdowns, cultural context, and practice materials to deepen comprehension.

Proficiency Prerequisites:
Students should have completed JLPT N4 or equivalent before attempting this material. Specifically, you should be comfortable with:

Basic verb conjugations including て-form, た-form, and plain forms.
Standard particles such as は, が, を, に, and の.
The potential form (~られる) and passive form (~られる).
Approximately 300-400 kanji (N5 + N4 levels).

How to Use This Guide:

Complete Pre-Listening Activities (Section 3)
Do Active Listening Tasks (Section 4) with the audio
Study Line-by-Line Commentary (Section 5) with lyrics and audio
Review Slang Glossary and Grammar Appendix (Sections 6-7)
Complete Practice Set (Section 8)
Do Production Activities (Section 9)
Follow Next Steps (Section 10)

Important: This song is best used to reinforce and practice grammar you’ve already studied, not to learn new structures for the first time. You should interact with this song 5-7 times across different activities for maximum learning benefit.

2. Full Lyrics Display

The complete lyrics explore dark and obsessive themes, portraying a love that blurs the line between affection and possession, life and death. The narrator’s feelings are intense and unstable, swinging between “like” (すき) and “dislike” (きらい), culminating in a possessive desire to be with their beloved forever, even if it means resorting to extreme measures. The song uses imagery of pain, tears, and blood to represent a twisted form of intimacy.

Key structural elements include:

Intro: Establishes the central conflict of “suki, kirai” and questions the nature of love.
Chorus: A recurring refrain expressing a desire for eternal, inseparable connection, even until death.
Verse 1 & 2: Describe a shared pain and sadness, framing physical and emotional suffering as a form of connection.
Pre-Chorus: Builds tension with imagery of suffocation and a racing heart, blurring pain with excitement.
Bridge: A spoken-word section that shifts to a deceptively gentle and reassuring tone, masking a possessive threat.
Outro: Fades out with haunting, wordless vocals.

Audio Integration Note:

Audio source: The official audio or music video can typically be found on YouTube or streaming platforms like Spotify by searching for “ファントムシータすき、きらい”.
Total song length: Approximately 3:30
Recommended listening approach:
- First listen: No lyrics, focus on overall impression and emotion.
- Second listen: With gap-fill exercise (Section 4).
- Third+ listens: With full lyrics and commentary (Section 5).

Tempo and Difficulty Rating:

Tempo: Moderate (approx. 110-120 BPM)
Pronunciation clarity: Clear, with some spoken-word parts that require careful listening.
Vocabulary level: Mostly N4-N3, but the thematic content is mature and complex.
Cultural reference density: Low. The themes are psychological and universal.
Overall difficulty: Mid N3. The grammar is manageable, but the emotional and thematic depth requires careful interpretation.

3. Pre-Listening Activities

Before You Listen: Preparation Activities

Complete these activities before your first listening to maximize comprehension and reduce frustration.

Vocabulary Preview
Familiarize yourself with these key terms that appear frequently in the song:

貴方 (あなた): A formal/polite way to say “you.”
もしも: A word used to emphasize a hypothetical “if” situation.
殺める (あやめる): A literary/formal verb for “to kill.”
永遠 (えいえん): Eternity, forever.
血潮 (ちしお): A literary term for flowing blood.
お仕置き (おしおき): Punishment, often used in a disciplinary or chastising context.
雛菊 (ひなぎく): Daisy, a flower often used in the “he loves me, he loves me not” game.

Thematic Warm-up Questions
Think about these questions before listening. You don’t need to write answers yet—just activate your thinking:

The song title is “Like, Dislike.” What kind of relationship or feeling does this suggest?
In stories or songs, what does it mean when love is connected to pain or suffering?
How can the desire to be with someone “forever” have a dark or negative meaning?

Grammar Alert
This song features these grammar patterns you should recognize from JLPT N3 studies:

Conditional form (~ならば): A formal conditional used for hypotheticals. Listen for 「殺められたならば」 (if I were able to kill you).
Passive form (~られる): Used here to mean “to be able to do something” (potential) or to be the recipient of an action. Listen for 「殺められた」 and 「触れられる」.
Casual speech patterns: The song uses many features of casual speech, like dropping particles and using plain verb forms, which is common in music.

First Listening Goals
On your first listen (WITHOUT reading the lyrics), try to identify:

General mood/emotion of the song (Happy? Sad? Angry? Unsettling?)
2-3 Japanese words you recognize clearly.
Whether the song is: telling a story / expressing feelings / describing something.
Any English words used in the song.

4. Active Listening Tasks

Progressive Listening Activities

These activities build your skills from general comprehension to detailed analysis. Complete them in order.

Listening 1: Global Comprehension (without lyrics—audio only)

Play the song once without looking at any lyrics. Answer these questions based only on what you hear:

What is the overall mood? Circle one: happy / sad / angry / nostalgic / unsettling / melancholy
Is this a fast or slow song? Circle one: slow / moderate / fast
Do you hear any English words? If yes, write them: Baby, Daisy, like, love
Does the singer sound: male / female / multiple voices?
Wild guess: What do you think this song is about? (One sentence)

Listening 2: Targeted Information (with partial lyrics—gap-fill exercise)

Now you’ll listen again with a gap-fill exercise. Fill in the missing words.

[Verse 1, Line 3]:
泣いた数好きこと

[Verse 2, Line 3]:
もっと繋がってたいに

[Pre-Chorus, Line 5]:
浅くなる息胸のときめき似てる

Gap-fill strategy tips:

Focus on what you HEAR, not what you think should be there.
Pay special attention to particles (は/が/を/に/で/と).
Listen for verb endings (-た/-て/-ている/-たい).

Listening 3: Detailed Analysis (with full lyrics)

Now you’re ready for the complete lyrics and detailed commentary in Section 5 below. As you read through the line-by-line analysis, play each section of the song to hear how it sounds.

5. Line-by-Line Commentary

Intro

Line 1: すき、きらい、すき、きらい

Translation: “Like, dislike, like, dislike.”
Grammar note: A simple repetition of nouns. This evokes the image of pulling petals off a flower (a daisy, or 雛菊, mentioned later) in a game of “he loves me, he loves me not.”
N3 Connection: Reinforces basic vocabulary. The contrast sets up the song’s theme of emotional instability.

Line 2: それは like ですか、love ですか

Translation: “Is that ‘like’, or is it ‘love’?”
Grammar note: A simple question using ですか. The use of English “like” and “love” is common in J-pop to add a modern or stylish feel.
Cultural note: This line questions the nature of the narrator’s feelings, a central theme of the song. Are they simple affection or a deeper, more consuming love?

Line 3-4: 私が貴方をもしも / ああ殺められたならば

Translation: “If I… ah… were able to kill you…”
Grammar note: This uses the potential passive form 「殺められた」 (from 殺める – to kill) plus the formal conditional 「ならば」. 「殺められた」 here means “to be able to kill.” The sentence is structured as “If I [subject] you [object] could kill…”
N3 Connection: This is a key N3 grammar point. The 「~られる」 form can be potential, passive, or honorific. Here, context points to potential. 「ならば」 is a more formal version of 「なら」.

Line 5: 永遠のはじまり

Translation: “It would be the beginning of eternity.”
Grammar note: A noun phrase, implying this is the result of the previous conditional statement. Killing the person is framed not as an end, but as the start of an eternal connection.

Chorus

Line 1: Baby, baby, dear my baby

Translation: “Baby, baby, dear my baby”
Grammar note: Use of English terms of endearment. Creates a jarring contrast with the dark themes.

Line 2: ずっと一緒だよね死ぬまで

Translation: “We’ll be together forever, right? Until we die.”
Grammar note: 「ずっと一緒」 (together forever) is followed by the casual confirmation particle 「よね」. 「死ぬまで」 (until dying) specifies the duration. The casual tone is unsettling.
N3 Connection: 「~まで」 (until) is a key particle. 「よね」 is a common sentence-final particle combination used to seek agreement.

Line 3: Daisy, daisy, dear my daisy

Translation: “Daisy, daisy, dear my daisy”
Cultural note: The daisy directly connects to the “suki, kirai” flower petal game, symbolizing the uncertainty and obsessive nature of the narrator’s feelings.

Line 4: 貴方と同じ気持ち

Translation: “I feel the same way as you.”
Grammar note: Noun phrase. 「~と同じ」 (the same as~) is a common N3 pattern. The narrator is asserting a shared feeling, whether it’s true or not.

Line 5: ずっと離れられないのもっと

Translation: “Even more, we can never be apart.”
Grammar note: 「離れられない」 is the potential negative form of 「離れる」 (to separate), meaning “cannot be separated.” The 「の」 at the end nominalizes the phrase, and 「もっと」 adds emphasis.

Line 6-7: すき、きらい / すき

Translation: “Like, dislike… like.”
Grammar note: The game concludes on “suki,” suggesting the narrator has decided on their feelings, at least for now.

Verse 1

Line 1: 苦しいね

Translation: “It’s painful, isn’t it?”
Grammar note: An i-adjective 「苦しい」 (painful, agonizing) followed by the sentence-final particle 「ね」 to invite agreement.

Line 2: 貴方の流れる涙

Translation: “Your flowing tears.”
Grammar note: A noun phrase. 「流れる」 (to flow) is a verb in its dictionary form modifying the noun 「涙」 (tears).

Line 3: 泣いた数だけ好きってこと

Translation: “The number of times you’ve cried is how much you like me.”
Grammar note: 「泣いた数だけ」 means “just as much as the number of times you cried.” 「~だけ」 indicates extent or limit. 「好きってこと」 is a casual way of saying 「好きということです」 (it means that…).
N3 Connection: The 「~だけ」 pattern for expressing extent is an important N3 concept. 「~ってこと」 is a very common colloquial nominalizer.

Line 4: 痛いよね

Translation: “It hurts, doesn’t it?”
Grammar note: I-adjective 「痛い」 (painful) with 「よね」 to seek agreement.

Line 5: 貴方の溢れる血潮

Translation: “Your overflowing blood.”
Grammar note: Noun phrase. 「溢れる」 (to overflow) modifies the literary noun 「血潮」 (flowing blood).

Line 6: 私にもながれてる

Translation: “It’s flowing in me, too.”
Grammar note: 「ながれてる」 is a casual contraction of 「ながれている」 (is flowing). The particle 「も」 indicates “also.” The narrator sees the other’s pain and blood as their own.

Verse 2

Line 1: 悲しいね

Translation: “It’s sad, isn’t it?”
Grammar note: I-adjective 「悲しい」 (sad) with the particle 「ね」.

Line 2: 肉体は離ればなれ

Translation: “Our bodies are separated.”
Grammar note: 「離ればなれ」 is a set noun phrase meaning “separated” or “apart.”

Line 3: もっと繋がっていたいのに

Translation: “Even though I want us to be more connected.”
Grammar note: 「繋がっていたい」 is the 「~たい」 (want to) form of 「繋がっている」 (to be connected). 「のに」 is a particle used at the end of a clause to express frustration or regret.
N3 Connection: Using 「~のに」 to show a contrast between a desire and reality is a key N3 function.

Line 4: 辛いよね

Translation: “It’s agonizing, isn’t it?”
Grammar note: I-adjective 「辛い」 (painful, bitter, agonizing) with 「よね」.

Line 5: 誰かに触れられるのは

Translation: “Being touched by someone else.”
Grammar note: 「誰か」 (someone) 「に」 (by) 「触れられる」 (to be touched – passive form). The phrase is nominalized with 「の」, making it the topic of the next line.
N3 Connection: This is a clear example of the passive voice 「~られる」.

Line 6: これはただのお仕置き

Translation: “This is just a punishment.”
Grammar note: 「ただの」 means “just” or “mere.” 「お仕置き」 is punishment. The narrator frames their actions as a justified punishment for the other person being touched by someone else.

Pre-Chorus

Line 1: もっと締めて

Translation: “Tighter…”
Grammar note: The て-form of 「締める」 (to tighten, to strangle), used here as a command or request.

Line 2: 遠い水面に

Translation: “On the distant water’s surface…”
Grammar note: A noun phrase setting the scene. 「水面」 (suimen/minamo) means water’s surface.

Line 3: 貴方の顔が霞む

Translation: “Your face grows hazy.”
Grammar note: Simple sentence. 「霞む」 (kasumu) is a verb meaning “to become misty/hazy.”

Line 4: ぎゅっと締め付けられる

Translation: “I’m being squeezed tightly.”
Grammar note: 「ぎゅっと」 is an onomatopoeia for squeezing tightly. 「締め付けられる」 is the passive form of 「締め付ける」 (to squeeze, to constrict). The subject is implied to be the narrator.

Line 5: 浅くなる息が胸のときめきと似てる

Translation: “My shallowing breath resembles the throbbing of my heart.”
Grammar note: 「浅くなる息」 (breath that is becoming shallow). 「胸のときめき」 (heart’s throbbing/excitement). 「~と似てる」 is the casual form of 「~と似ている」 (resembles/is similar to).
N3 Connection: The pattern 「~くなる」 (to become) is N4, but 「~と似ている」 is a useful N3 expression.

Line 6: ドキ、ドキ

Translation: “Thump, thump.”
Grammar note: Onomatopoeia for a heartbeat, often associated with excitement, fear, or love.

Bridge

Line 1: 「ねえ、ごめんね

Translation: “Hey… I’m sorry.”
Grammar note: A spoken, intimate line. 「ねえ」 gets attention, and 「ごめんね」 is a casual apology.

Line 2: 苦しかったよね

Translation: “It was painful, wasn’t it?”
Grammar note: Past tense of 「苦しい」 with 「よね」.

Line 3: 悲しい？私も

Translation: “Are you sad? Me too.”
Grammar note: A simple question followed by 「私も」 (me too), again asserting a shared emotional state.

Line 4: 一緒の気持ち、ずっとだよ

Translation: “We feel the same, and we always will.”
Grammar note: 「一緒の気持ち」 (the same feeling). 「ずっとだよ」 emphasizes that this state is “forever.”

Line 5: これからもずっと

Translation: “From now on, forever.”
Grammar note: 「これからも」 (from now on as well).

Line 6: 絶対離れないで」

Translation: “Don’t you ever leave me.”
Grammar note: 「絶対」 (absolutely) adds strong emphasis to the negative request 「離れないで」 (don’t leave/separate). This is the て-form of the negative verb + で, a common N4/N3 pattern for negative requests.

Second Pre-Chorus

Line 1: どちらかなんて

Translation: “Something like which one it is…”
Grammar note: 「どちらか」 (which one of two). The particle 「なんて」 is used to downplay or express slight contempt for the thing it follows. The choice between “suki” and “kirai” is dismissed as unimportant.

Line 2: 測れないのに

Translation: “Even though it can’t be measured.”
Grammar note: 「測れない」 is the negative potential form of 「測る」 (to measure). The phrase ends with 「のに」, showing frustration that something immeasurable is being questioned.

Line 3: 落ちてゆく雛菊の数だけ

Translation: “As many as the falling daisy petals…”
Grammar note: 「落ちてゆく」 (to fall away). This again uses the 「~数だけ」 pattern to indicate extent.

Line 4: 想いは募るばかり

Translation: “My feelings only grow stronger.”
Grammar note: 「想い」 (feelings/love). 「募る」 (tsunoru) is a verb meaning “to grow stronger/more intense.” The N3 grammar pattern 「~ばかり」 means “only” or “nothing but,” indicating that the feelings are continuously intensifying.

Line 5: 後悔があるのなら早くこうしたかった

Translation: “If I have any regrets, it’s that I wanted to do this sooner.”
Grammar note: 「後悔があるのなら」 (if there are regrets). 「早く」 (sooner/earlier). 「こう」 (like this). 「したかった」 (wanted to do). The narrator’s only regret is not taking this extreme action earlier.

Final Chorus

The final chorus repeats the previous one but adds new, spoken lines that reveal the true horror of the situation.

Line 9: 「ずっと一緒って言ったよね」

Translation: “You said we’d be together forever, right?”
Grammar note: 「言ったよね」 is the past tense of 「言う」 (to say) with 「よね」 for confirmation. This is an accusation.

Line 11: 「約束したじゃん、約束したじゃん」

Translation: “We promised, didn’t we? We promised!”
Grammar note: 「約束した」 (promised). 「~じゃん」 is a very casual, assertive sentence ender, equivalent to “didn’t we?” or “isn’t it?!” It implies the listener should already know this.

Line 13: 「絶対に許さないよ」

Translation: “I will never forgive you.”
Grammar note: 「絶対に」 (absolutely). 「許さない」 is the negative form of 「許す」 (to forgive). The 「よ」 particle adds strong emphasis and assertion.

6. Slang Glossary

~じゃん (~jan)

Usage: A very common, casual sentence-final particle used to state something the speaker believes the listener should already know or agree with. It adds a sense of friendly assertion or emphasis. Roughly translates to “…, right?”, “…, isn’t it?!”, or “y’know?”.
Appropriateness: Highly informal. Use only with close friends and family. Avoid in formal or polite situations.
JLPT Level: Not officially on the JLPT, but essential for understanding casual conversation.
Examples:
- 「これ、おいしいじゃん！」 (This is delicious, isn’t it!)
- 「もう時間だよ。早く行くって言ったじゃん。」 (It’s already time. You said we’d go early, remember?)

~ってこと (~tte koto)

Usage: A casual, colloquial way of nominalizing a preceding clause or sentence. It’s often used to summarize or define something. It’s a contraction of 「~ということです」 (it means that…).
Appropriateness: Informal speech. Common in conversation among peers.
JLPT Level: N3.
Examples:
- 「彼が来ないってことは、もう興味がないんだよ。」 (The fact that he isn’t coming means he’s not interested anymore.)
- 「つまり、君がやったってこと？」 (So, you’re saying you’re the one who did it?)

ぎゅっと (gyutto)

Usage: An onomatopoeic adverb (擬態語 – gitaigo) describing a tight action. It can mean to hug, squeeze, or hold something tightly and firmly.
Appropriateness: Used in all registers, from casual to formal writing, to add descriptive vividness.
JLPT Level: N3.
Examples:
- 「子供の手をぎゅっと握った。」 (I squeezed the child’s hand tightly.)
- 「寒いから、もっとぎゅっとして。」 (It’s cold, so hold me tighter.)

ドキドキ (doki doki)

Usage: An onomatopoeic adverb (擬態語 – gitaigo) representing the sound of a fast-beating heart. It’s used for feelings of excitement, nervousness, anticipation, or fear.
Appropriateness: Very common in all registers.
JLPT Level: N4/N3.
Examples:
- 「好きな人に会う前はいつもドキドキする。」 (I always get nervous/excited before meeting someone I like.)
- 「お化け屋敷はドキドキして怖かった。」 (The haunted house was scary and made my heart pound.)

7. Grammar Appendix

Potential & Passive Form: ~られる (~rareru)

Rule: For Godan (Group 1) verbs, change the final ‘u’ vowel to ‘e’ and add る (e.g., 書く -> 書ける). For Ichidan (Group 2) verbs, add られる to the stem (e.g., 食べる -> 食べられる). This form can express potential (“can do”), passive voice (“is done”), or respect.
Meaning/Function: Context determines the meaning. In this song, it’s used for both potential (殺められたならば – if I were able to kill) and passive (締め付けられる – am being squeezed; 誰かに触れられる – to be touched by someone).
JLPT Level: N4 (basic potential/passive), N3 (distinguishing between meanings).
In this song: It appears multiple times, highlighting the N3-level challenge of interpreting the form based on context (particles like に often signal passive voice).
Example from lyrics: 「誰かに触れられるのは」 (Being touched by someone else)
Additional example: 「この漢字は難しくて、なかなか覚えられない。」 (This kanji is difficult and I just can’t seem to memorize it.) [Potential]
Practice: Create a sentence using the passive form to describe something that was done to you.

Expressing Extent: ~だけ (~dake)

Rule: Attach to a noun or a clause to mean “as much as,” “to the extent that,” or “just.”
Meaning/Function: While it often means “only,” in this song it’s used to show a direct correlation or extent. 「泣いた数だけ」 means “to the same extent as the number of times you cried.”
JLPT Level: N3.
In this song: It’s used twice to link an action (crying, falling petals) directly to the intensity of the narrator’s feelings.
Example from lyrics: 「泣いた数だけ好きってこと」 (The number of times you’ve cried is how much you like me.)
Additional example: 「努力しただけ、結果はついてくる。」 (Results will come in proportion to how much you’ve worked hard.)
Practice: Create a sentence using 「~だけ」 to say “You will improve as much as you practice.”

Expressing Frustration/Contrast: ~のに (~noni)

Rule: A conjunction placed at the end of a clause to connect it to a following clause that expresses an unexpected or frustrating result.
Meaning/Function: It expresses a feeling of surprise, complaint, or regret, similar to “even though…” or “despite the fact that…”
JLPT Level: N3.
In this song: It shows the narrator’s frustration that despite their desire to be more connected, their physical bodies remain separate.
Example from lyrics: 「もっと繋がっていたいのに」 (Even though I want us to be more connected.)
Additional example: 「たくさん勉強したのに、試験に落ちてしまった。」 (Even though I studied a lot, I failed the test.)
Practice: Create a sentence using 「~のに」 to express frustration about the weather.

8. Short Practice Set

Question 1: Listening Discrimination
Listen to the first line of the second Pre-Chorus. What particle did you hear after 「どちらか」?
a) は (wa)
b) が (ga)
c) なんて (nante)
d) も (mo)

Question 2: Thematic Interpretation
What is the significance of the daisy (雛菊) in the song? Support your answer with references to at least two different sections of the lyrics.

Question 3: Grammar Identification
Find an example of the grammar pattern 「~ばかり」 in the lyrics. Write the line and explain:
a) What this grammar pattern means.
b) What feeling or nuance it adds to that specific line.

Question 4: Vocabulary Application
Use the onomatopoeia 「ドキドキ」 in an original Japanese sentence about studying for the JLPT. Then translate your sentence to English.

Question 5: Cultural Reference
The act of pulling petals from a flower and saying “like, dislike” (すき、きらい) is a common trope. Explain:
a) What this action typically represents.
b) How the song uses this image to create a darker, more obsessive feeling.

Question 6: Production Task
Rewrite the line 「絶対離れないで」 (Don’t you ever leave me) from the bridge into a more formal, polite request you might make to a superior.

Answer Key:

Answer 1: c) なんて (nante). This particle is used to downplay the idea of choosing between “like” or “dislike,” suggesting the distinction is trivial to the narrator.

Answer 2: The daisy is significant because it represents the “he loves me, he loves me not” game. This is introduced in the Intro (“すき、きらい、すき、きらい”) and directly mentioned in the second Pre-Chorus (“落ちてゆく雛菊の数だけ” – As many as the falling daisy petals). It symbolizes the narrator’s unstable emotions and their obsessive need to confirm their love, with each falling petal making their feelings more intense.

Answer 3: The line is 「想いは募るばかり」.
a) The pattern 「~ばかり」 means “only” or “just,” indicating that a certain action or change is continuously happening and nothing else.
b) In this line, it adds a sense of inevitability and uncontrolled escalation. The narrator’s feelings aren’t just strong; they are continuously growing stronger and stronger, with no end in sight.

Answer 4: Model sentence: 「JLPTの結果を見る前は、いつもドキドキします。」 (I always get nervous and my heart pounds before I look at my JLPT results.)

Answer 5:
a) This action typically represents youthful innocence, uncertainty in love, and a hopeful desire to know if one’s feelings are reciprocated.
b) The song subverts this innocent image. Instead of being about hopeful curiosity, the game becomes a justification for the narrator’s intensifying obsession. The outcome isn’t just a happy realization; it’s a decision that leads to the song’s dark conclusion.

Answer 6: A formal, polite version would be: 「決して離れないでいただけますでしょうか。」 (Would it be possible for you to never leave?) or more simply 「どうか、離れないでください。」 (Please, don’t leave.) This changes the demanding, informal tone to a formal and humble request.

9. Production Activities

From Analysis to Action: Production Activities

Now that you’ve analyzed the song thoroughly, use what you’ve learned by creating your own language.

Activity 1: Sing-Along Practice (Speaking/Pronunciation)

Goal: Improve pronunciation, rhythm, and internalize the emotional tone of the song.

Instructions:

Choose the first Chorus for your practice.
Listen to this section 5 times while reading the lyrics.
Focus specifically on:
- The rhythm of 「ずっと一緒だよね」 (zutto issho da yo ne).
- The smooth connection in 「離れられないの」 (hanarerarenai no).
Sing along with the recording 5-10 times.
Challenge: Record yourself singing the chorus and compare it to the original. Pay attention to the contrast between the sweet melody and the dark lyrics.

Reflection question: How does singing the lyrics change your understanding of the song’s mood?

Activity 2: Personal Response Writing (Writing/Grammar Application)

Goal: Apply vocabulary and grammar from the song to express your own thoughts on a related theme.

Instructions:
Write a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) in Japanese in response to this prompt:

Prompt: The song says, 「泣いた数だけ好きってこと」 (The number of times you’ve cried is how much you like me). Do you agree or disagree that strong emotions, even painful ones, can be a sign of deep affection? Explain your opinion.

Requirements:

Use at least 2 vocabulary items from the song (e.g., 気持ち, 苦しい, 悲しい, 同じ).
Use at least 1 grammar pattern from the grammar appendix (e.g., ~のに, ~だけ, ~られる).
Write in plain form to practice a more direct, opinionated style.

Model start: 「泣いた数だけ好き」という考え方は、少し危ないと思う。… (I think the idea that “liking someone is proportional to how much you’ve cried” is a little dangerous….)

Activity 3: Creative Extension (Creative Writing/Speaking)

Goal: Demonstrate deep understanding by creating original content inspired by the song.

Choose ONE of the following:

Option A: Write a Response Verse

Write a 4-6 line verse from the perspective of the person being addressed in the song (貴方). How would they respond to the narrator’s words?
Try to match the song’s tone. Is this person scared? Do they share the narrator’s feelings?
Use at least 3 vocabulary items from the song and 1 grammar pattern.

Option B: Rewrite the Bridge

The bridge is a spoken, manipulative apology. Rewrite the 6 lines of the bridge to be a genuine, healthy, and reassuring message between two people who care for each other.
Your new bridge should express support and understanding, not possession.
Use plain or polite form as you see fit for a sincere tone.

10. References and Suggestions for Further Practice

Next Steps: Extending Your Learning

1. Research the Artist and Genre

ファントムシータ (Phantom Siita) is a Japanese idol group known for exploring darker themes, often referred to as “yami-kawaii” (dark cute) or “menhera” (a term related to mental health struggles). Researching these concepts will provide cultural context for why this type of song is popular.

2. Explore Similar Songs

If you found the theme interesting, you might enjoy songs by artists like:
- Ado: Known for powerful vocals and emotionally intense or dark themes (e.g., 「うっせぇわ」).
- TUYU (ツユ): A group whose songs often tell stories with dark psychological elements.
- Kikuo (きくお): A Vocaloid producer famous for creating songs with unsettling themes and catchy music.

3. JLPT N3 Connection

This song is excellent practice for these specific JLPT N3 areas:
- Grammar: Distinguishing the uses of the 「~られる」 form (passive vs. potential), understanding conjunctions of contrast like 「~のに」, and using 「~ばかり」 and 「~だけ」 to express extent.
- Vocabulary: Words related to emotions (苦しい, 悲しい, 辛い) and literary terms (血潮, 永遠).
- Listening: Accustoming your ear to casual contractions (てる for ている) and sentence-final particles (よね, じゃん, よ, ね) that convey nuance.

Recommended follow-up study: Review the passive and potential verb forms in your textbook. Then, listen to the song again and try to identify each usage and explain why it’s passive or potential based on the sentence structure.

11. Teacher’s Note

For Teachers and Tutors: How to Use This Material

Document Design:
This guide is designed for self-study or classroom use with JLPT N3 learners. The song’s themes are mature and may be disturbing to some students; please use discretion and be prepared to discuss the portrayal of obsessive relationships.

Recommended Sequence:

Pre-class: Assign Sections 3 & 4 (Pre-Listening and Active Listening) for homework.
Class time (Session 1): Review the gap-fill answers. Work through the Line-by-Line Commentary (Section 5) together, focusing on the key N3 grammar points. Use the song’s audio to check pronunciation and emotional delivery.
Class time (Session 2): Discuss the Slang Glossary and Grammar Appendix. Have students work on the Practice Set (Section 8) in pairs. Conclude with one of the Production Activities (Section 9) as a collaborative writing or speaking task.

Differentiation:

Struggling students: Focus on understanding the chorus and the main grammar points (~られる, のに). The thematic interpretation can be guided with leading questions.
Advanced students: Encourage them to tackle the creative writing tasks in Section 9. They could also be asked to compare the song’s lyrical themes to other media they know (anime, manga, film) that explore similar “yandere” character archetypes.

Cultural Sensitivity Note:
The song depicts a highly toxic and dangerous relationship dynamic, often associated with the “yandere” (ヤンデレ) character trope in Japanese pop culture. This can be a valuable opportunity to discuss:

How entertainment can explore dark psychological themes.
The difference between fictional portrayals of love and healthy relationships.
The use of “kawaii” (cute) aesthetics to package unsettling content, a hallmark of the “yami-kawaii” subculture.

Ensure the discussion remains focused on linguistic and cultural analysis rather than glorifying the behavior depicted in the lyrics.