The video for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s newest single Family Party,ファミリーパーティー, has just been released! The single itself will hit stores on April 16^th, just in time to tie in with the release of the new Crayon Shin-chan movie on the 19^th. Family Party is the official ending song for Crayon Shin-chan: Serious Battle! Robot Dad Strikes Back.

Coming fresh off the heels of Yume No Hajima Ring Ring, it’s tempting to

compare the two, but Family Party is not even in the same league as Yume. The narrative power of that single is just not even a factor here, though the video is still high quality, and the lyrics still have a slight hint of melancholy.

The song seems to posit Kyary in the role of holding up a family, keeping things together during the hard times and the good. It makes sense in light of the Crayon Shin-chan movie, which is the first to feature Shin-chan’s father as the main character and apparently wrestles with some thoughts about fatherhood and family and supporting each other.

All of these themes resonate nicely, especially after the growth displayed in the previous video, as well as the father figure Polar Bear. Kyary is now in a way the father figure, the adult, and foundation for the family. This seems to hold well with the prevailing thought that she’s growing up a bit and examining the process in her music. Of course, the lyrics are written by Yasutaka Nakata as usual, but it’s nice to see a coherent thread to her musical themes.

It does sound like she feels a bit of the pressure of responsibility, and the line “Family Party Alone” sticks out to me. These touches of melancholy keep the song from being purely bubblegum pop, though just barely.

The video is fun as usual, following Kyary in a futuristic battle game with a robot. It’s a little bit like Squash meets Pong meets Tron, with colorful stylings and futuristic fonts. The video is very playful and well designed, and there’s quite a few humorous moments—turns out there’s actually a robot Kyary inside Kyary’s head, piloting her like a Mecha. So she’s a robot inside a robot, fighting a robot. Seeing as the Shin-chan movie is about his father being turned into a robot, this all makes sense. Yo dawg, heard you like robots…

Overall it seems like the budget for this one was pretty high, perhaps that movie money helped out. There’s just a touch of backup dancers during the match’s half-time entertainment (Kyary provides her own halftime show, of course—Yo dawg, we heard you like KPP, so…), and my favorite part is the referee with the smooth moves. How about you?

What do you think of this new song? Is it as good as Yumenohajima Ring Ring, or is it even fair to compare? Are you a fan of Crayon Shin-chan? Will you see the movie? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to share this post with your KPP loving friends! If you like these, you may like my other translations for Tsukema Tsukeru as well as Pon Pon Way Way. And if you post these lyrics anywhere else, please link back to here and give credit! 🙂

My translation of Family Party

Always playful, no going back

The type to act when it’s time to act, Hey Hey goin’

Sorry for being a messy fool

I know the truth but I can’t say it

I protect my treasure

To keep everyone’s smiles unbroken

 

Family Party Party Party

Family Party Party Alone

Can’t see the things that are felt now, I’ll protect you

Family Party Party Party

Family Party Party This Dream

Straight on, won’t break up

If you are hand in hand

 

You don’t always show this earnest face

The type to act when it’s time to act, Hey Hey goin’

It’s scary sometimes, but necessary

I know the truth but I can’t say it

I’ll protect your treasure

To keep everyone’s smiles unbroken

 

Family Party Party Party

Family Party Party Alone

Can’t see the things that are felt now

Family Party Party Party

Family Party Party This dream

Straight on, won’t break up

If you’re hand in hand

If you’re hand in hand

 

Japanese lyrics, via JP Lyrics

いつもはおどけて帰りがないよなすりて

やるときにはやるタイプほらほらｺﾞｰｲﾝ

だらしがないとかばかにしててごめんね

ホントは分かっているよあんまり言えない

ボクの宝物も守ってくれてるの

みんなの笑顔が壊れないように

 

ファミリーパーティーパーティーパーティー

ファミリーパーティーパーティー一人では

見えないもの今感じてるからキミと守るよ

ファミリーパーティーパーティーパーティー

ファミリーパーティーパーティーこの夢が

ずっと先もバラバラにならないよ

手をつないでいて

 

いつもはそんなに真剣な顔お見せない

やるときにはやるタイプほらほらｺﾞｰｲﾝ

たまに怖いけど必要なことだけは

ホントは分かっているよあんまり言えない

キミの宝物も守ってくれてるの

みんなの笑顔が壊れないように

 

ファミリーパーティーパーティーパーティー

ファミリーパーティーパーティー一人では

見えないもの今感じてるからキミと守るよ

ファミリーパーティーパーティーパーティー

ファミリーパーティーパーティーこの夢が

ずっと先もバラバラにならないよ

手をつないでいて

手をつないでいて