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The Elusive Samurai Season 2 Ending Theme: Hinatazaka46 Collab Wins Over Fans

逃げ上手の若君 第二期ED 日向坂46コラボに日本ファンの反応

Source: YouTube28 of 578 comments translatedOriginal text alongsideJapan Reacts editors

The Elusive Samurai Season 2 Ending Theme: Hinatazaka46 Collab Wins Over Fans
@としかず桜井
I don't know the first thing about anime, but… is this song riding some kind of divine wind right now?

アニメには全く疎いのですが… もしかしてこの曲、今神風吹いてます?

The ending theme for The Elusive Samurai Season 2 — "Romantic ga Hoshii Nara" by Bocchi Boromaru featuring Nao Kosaka, Yoko Shogenji and Kaho Fujishima of Hinatazaka46 — has pulled in a crowd that does not normally turn up for anime songs. Across 578 comments on the music video, the most-liked one (211 likes) is from exactly that crowd: "I don't know anything about anime at all, but… is this song riding some kind of divine wind right now?"

What makes the thread worth reading is that two fandoms are standing in the same room. Anime viewers arrive from the show and are startled to find it sitting at number one on the hype chart; idol fans arrive for the three members and spend the thread taking each voice apart — Kosaka's as pure healing, Shogenji's as the one that gets addictive, Fujishima's as cute with a core of steel — and marvel at how three completely different tones lock together. Several point out that the lyrics are colour-coded so you always know whose part you're hearing, and one flags the timestamp where the MV goes sightseeing in Kamakura and works in Elusive Samurai references.

Underneath it all is a quiet campaign to make this the breakout hit of the year, complete with comparisons to last year's AiScReam, people who already have the live crowd chant worked out, and one commenter who simply gives up and admits what they actually feel.

This titleJapanese reactions to The Elusive SamuraiRead all 4 roundups on the title page
YouTube · ぼっちぼろまる(Official Music Video)

Japanese fan reactions (excerpted from 578)

  • @kontenakuwaneeka_baseball77 likes
    Came here from Elusive Samurai — number one on the hype chart? That's an insane level of popularity.

    逃げ若からきたが、ハイプ1位って人気エグいな

  • @ゆーき091144 likes
    Congrats on number one on the hype ranking! Yoko's voice is so beautiful.

    ハイプランキング1位おめでとう! よーこちゃんの声がとても美しい

  • @工藤-kr78 likes
    It's a great song on its own terms, and it still fits Elusive Samurai perfectly. That's impressive.

    曲としてめっちゃ良いのに逃げ若にピッタリあってるのすごい

  • @斗稀-t7q52 likes
    A god-tier song I've had on infinite repeat on Spotify since it dropped. Thank you, Elusive Samurai season 2.

    公開から一生Spotifyで回してる神曲 逃げ若2期ありがとう

  • @みずいろインキ58 likes
    2:38 — going sightseeing in Kamakura is so on-brand, and they even worked in Elusive Samurai elements. Legend.

    2:38 鎌倉観光してて推せる 逃げ若要素も入れてくれる神

  • @ヒーター-t2a37 likes
    Great song, and the anime's fun too — I want more people to find both!

    いい曲だし、アニメも面白いしもっと見つかって欲しい!

  • @rU_rA-061 likes
    I love these guerrilla moments where idols get to sing a song with a completely different concept from their own group's.

    こういうアイドルが自分のグループとは特色が違ったコンセプトの曲歌うゲリライベント大好き

  • @9nine大好きコバ52 likes
    Nothing but gratitude that they cast these three.

    3人を起用してくれて感謝しかない

  • @hijj_NGS42 likes
    Getting another ED from Bocchi Boromaru would have been enough on its own, and then Hinatazaka's voices are in it too — this is such cute pop, I'm so happy!!!!! So cute!!

    またぼっちぼろまるさんでedを聞けるだけで嬉しいのに、日向坂さんの歌声まで入ってくれてほんとめちゃかわPOPで嬉しいです!!!!!かわいい!!

  • @nerogatto493963 likes
    To be able to take in this much of Nao's healing properties in one go — Boromaru is too much of an inventor.

    こんなに菜緒さんの声の癒し成分を 摂取出来るなんて ぼろまるさん発明家過ぎる

  • @mbamaru116864 likes
    Kosaka's voice is genuinely healing 😊

    小坂さんの声は本当に癒し😊

  • @ヌスーP-s9w53 likes
    Nao's voice has this natural transparency to it.

    菜緒ちゃんの声、天性の透明感なんだよな

  • @かほりん降臨-n1r50 likes
    Yoko's voice is so addictive~

    陽子の声が癖になる〜

  • @しおれもん20234 likes
    Kahorin's voice is cute but has this core of steel to it, I love it ♡♡

    かほりんの声かわいいのに芯があるかんじしてめっちゃすき♡♡

  • @にじゴリ56 likes
    The three of them have completely different vocal timbres and they harmonise so well it makes my chest tighten.

    3人の全然違う声質があまりにも調和してて胸がギュッとなる

  • @ragamuffin9838 likes
    All three of them have real character in their voices and their vocals. So good.

    3人とも声とボーカルのキャラが立っててすごくいい

  • @ningensikaku28 likes
    Each of their voices' individuality is used so well, and it comes out so cute! My ears are happy!

    3人の声の個性がめっちゃ活かされてて、めっちゃ可愛くなってる!耳が幸せ!

  • @ten-pre51 likes
    Blue: Nao Kosaka (Kosakana) Green: Yoko Shogenji (Yoko) Red: Kaho Fujishima (Kahorin)

    青:小坂菜緒(こさかな) 緑:正源司陽子(よーこ) 赤:藤嶌果歩(かほりん)

  • @mkt642935 likes
    So glad they colour-coded it by who's singing which part!!

    歌唱パートごとに色分けしてくれるの嬉しい!!

  • @marco-cameko7 likes
    Using the colour of the lyrics to show whose part it is — genius!

    『歌詞の色』で誰のパートか分かるようになってるの天才!

  • @corn_supe45 likes
    I'm getting something close to last year's AiScReam from this. I really hope this song blows up more this year....

    去年のAiScReamに近い何かを感じる 今年この曲もっと流行らないかな....

  • @nexus405427 likes
    It's got a Pop'n Music feel to it. Makes you want to hear it again and again.

    ポップンミュージック感あるね 何度も聞きたくなる

  • @なまらチョス23 likes
    It's not that long is bad — a pop and lovely song like this hits harder at around three minutes! Bocchi is the best!

    長いからダメじゃなくて、こういうポップでラブリーな曲は3分ぐらいがインパクトあってよき!ぼっちさん最高!

  • @ColdBrewJasmine33 likes
    The cute animation and the beautiful vocals leave me completely full!

    可愛いアニメと綺麗な歌声に、めちゃくちゃ満たされる!

  • @SelfSecurityGuard31 likes
    Apparently they've already learned the choreography, so I'm expecting them to perform it somewhere soon.

    既に振り入れもしてるらしいから 近いうちにどこかで披露してくれると期待

  • @yamaken614827 likes
    I can already hear the crowd chant for the chorus 😊 I want to do that call at a live show 😊😊

    サビの部分のコールが、既に思い浮かぶ😊 ライブでコールしたいなぁえが😊😊

  • @ふじ-coto473325 likes
    Being liked by girls this cute — I'm so damn jealous.

    こんなかわいい女の子たちに好かれるのクソ羨ましい

Read next · The Elusive Samurai

The Elusive Samurai Season 2 Episode 1: Live-Action Takauji Scene Splits Fans

Live-action evil-god Takauji is way too scary — I'm watching this live at night, please stop doing that 😭 It's genuinely bad for my heart.

Read this roundup

FAQ

What song is this?
"Romantic ga Hoshii Nara," the ending theme for The Elusive Samurai Season 2, by Bocchi Boromaru featuring three Hinatazaka46 members: Nao Kosaka, Yoko Shogenji and Kaho Fujishima.
Why are people who don't watch anime in the comments?
The Hinatazaka46 collab brought idol fans in, and the song charted — commenters mention it hitting number one on the hype ranking, and the top comment is from someone who says outright they know nothing about anime. Anime viewers arriving from the series are reacting to how big the song already is.
Does the music video connect to the anime itself?
Yes — commenters point to the 2:38 mark, where the MV goes sightseeing around Kamakura and works in Elusive Samurai elements, and others praise how well a bright pop song fits the series despite the tonal gap.

This is one of 4 Japanese-reaction roundups for The Elusive Samurai. See them all

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