The Beginning

"The Beginning" is the seventh single released by Japanese rock band One Ok Rock. The title track was used as the theme song for the live-action movie of Rurouni Kenshin. The first pressing comes with a sticker. It received a digital download single certification of Gold from the Recording Industry Association of Japan for sales of 100,000. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 and stayed for 45 weeks. The song also reached 5th place on the Oricon chart and charted for 20 weeks. Composition and lyrics According to vocalist Taka, the demo of "The Beginning" was made on a piano before Zankyo Reference was released. The lyrics then written in mid-2012 after they were asked to make a song for a new live adaption of the popular manga Rurouni Kenshin that his friend, Takeru Satoh, was the lead actor. "The Beginning" is an emotional track with a powerful and loud sound, tells about a person's struggle to never give up and change for the better for the loved ones and risk everything to stay together in any situation and condition. The second track "Ketsuraku Automation" begins with two string melodies open up the song, brings melancholic mood to the track. The tempo of the song then increases as the drum beats kick in, guitar melody takes on a heavier, fuller tone while the bass delivers quick jabs. "Ketsuraku Automation" means "automatic disappearance", telling about someone who is lost and doesn't understand all the events in the world which are just fakes. The last track "Notes n' Words" is an all-English ballad. The song gives a romantic feel with an acoustic touch at the beginning of the song, then gentle bass, soft drums and breezy strings comes in the middle. This song tells about someone's feelings of love that may be difficult to express directly and freely, a kind of love that is restrained and can only be expressed through this song.