tactil
また惰性だ / 悟性はぼやけたまままただせいだ / ごせいはぼやけたままmata dasei da / gosei wa boyaketa mamaIt's inertia again / My intellect remains blurred
tactil is a poignant exploration of post-intimacy stagnation. Through a unique blend of electrical metaphors, rhythmic wordplay, and a shift from denial to acceptance, the track depicts a character struggling to calibrate their “self” after the warmth of another has faded.
The Cycle of “Dasei”
The song is anchored by the concept of 惰性だせいdaseiinertia / force of habit. The protagonist is moving forward not out of will, but because they haven’t stopped yet. This listlessness is blamed on the “off-duty” state of the self-symbolized by the セーラーせーらーseeraasailor suit (school uniform). Taking off the uniform suggests a transition out of a defined role into a vulnerable reality where the 悟性ごせいgoseiintellect / understanding remains clouded, and the 左手の温もりひだりてのぬくもりhidarite no nukumoriwarmth of the left hand is dismissed as a trick of the mind.
Hardware Metaphors for the Human Heart
The lyrics employ technological language to describe raw human longing, treating the body as a device in need of maintenance:
- Charging and Discharging: The cycle of 放電ほうでんhoudendischarge and 充電じゅうでんjuudencharge suggests an emotional battery that only finds power through physical contact.
- Storage and Seclusion: The phrase ストレージ手伝う寂寥感すとれーじてつだうせきりょうかんsutoreeji tetsudau sekiryoukanloneliness assisted by storage evokes the digital clutter of memories-photos and texts that take up space without providing actual companionship.
- The Electrode Layer: Using 電極層でんきょくそうdenkyokusouelectrode layer to describe the point of contact between two people turns a touch into a biological circuit.
Phonetic Rhythms and Wordplay
The track uses alliteration to mimic the spinning of a mind caught in a loop. The rhyme scheme of 惰性だせいdaseiinertia, 悟性ごせいgoseiintellect, and セーラーせーらーseeraasailor suit flows into the ラッセーラーらっせーらーrasseeraaNebuta festival chant and the nihilistic “Que sera, sera.” This repetition creates a trance-like quality, suggesting that the narrator is trapped in a rhythmic, habitual loneliness.
Additional wordplay, like comparing a falling phone ストラップすとらっぷsutorappustrap to a ストラックアウトすとらっくあうとsutorakkuautostruck out (baseball term), frames the end of the relationship as a failed game.
Fragility and the “Unclear Recipient”
The middle section shifts to imagery of discarded items: 包装紙ほうそうしhousoushiwrapping paper and 卵の殻たまごのからtamago no karaeggshells. These are “outer layers” that have been broken or peeled away, leaving the narrator 裸のままはだかのままhadaka no mamaremaining naked. The 割れたMOONLIGHTわれたムーンライトwareta moonlightbroken moonlight serves as a beautiful metaphor for a light that can no longer illuminate the way home. The 宛は不明瞭あてはふめいりょうate wa fumeiryourecipient is unclear of the text signifies a desire to communicate that no longer has a destination.
From “Captive” to “Diving In”
The emotional arc concludes by breaking the cycle of the opening verse. While the song begins with the narrator asking their future self, ねえ大丈夫ですか？ねえだいじょうぶですか？nee daijoubu desu ka?hey, are you okay?, it ends with a definitive shift:
- Initial state: 虜とりこtorikocaptive / prisoner (trapped in the afterglow).
- Final state: 飛び込んでとびこんでtobikondedive in (moving into the unknown).
The final さようならさようならsayounaragoodbye is not necessarily happy, but it is functional. The narrator decides that 多分もう大丈夫だからたぶんもうだいじょうぶだからtabun mou daijoubu dakarabecause I'm probably okay now, it is time to move beyond the inertia.