# 放課後PODCAST #394 「世界で一番いい"ペア曲"総選挙」真の完結！

- Show: アフター6ジャンクション 2
- Published: 2026-10-22
- Canonical: https://podc.club/en/episode/1505337177_cf87ef48ccd3.html
- Audio: https://pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/TBS4041075664.mp3
- Source: Edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. Not an official summary.

A spinoff of the "World's Best Pair Song General Election" from Ato Roku Junction 2 (アフター6ジャンクション2), this episode shares the listener comments for the three songs tied at 11th place that didn't make it into Monday's main broadcast. The second half clears leftover mail, including a memorable scene from the 2002 drama Hito ni Yasashiku and an introduction to a global-inequality simulation game.

## What this episode answers

### Which three songs tied for 11th place, and what comments did listeners send?

The three songs tied at 10 votes each for 11th place were "Defying Gravity" (Wicked), RHYMESTER's "Once Again," and Okamura Yasuyuki's "Ai wa Oshare Janai." "Defying Gravity" drew comments including "the ranking up to here was a farce — it was obvious this song would be #1" and "the world's most emotionally complex song."

### How did Utamaru react to the listener comments about RHYMESTER's "Once Again"?

Utamaru, a RHYMESTER member himself, introduced the segment self-deprecatingly, saying he was "embarrassingly in a Misha-like state." In response to testimonials like "I cried listening to this in the shower every day during the worst period of my life" and "there were nights I survived only because of this song," he said: "It's already public property, beyond our hands — all we can do is keep singing it carefully at live shows."

### Why do Heisei-born listeners know "Sannenme no Uwaki" (3年目の浮気)?

According to Heisei-born listeners, a large number of MAD videos on Niconico Douga — featuring anime character couples confronting each other about cheating — went viral, spreading the 1980s hit to younger generations through 2000s internet culture. The hosts agreed: "So that's why young people know it."

### What listener stories were shared about Showa-era kayokyoku and vintage duet songs?

"Showa Kare Susuki" (昭和枯れすすき) by Sakura to Ichiro received a heartfelt story about a couple getting through exhausting childcare shifts by singing the song together and laughing; "Azusa No. 2" (あずさ2号) by Kariudo (狩人) prompted reflections on the train line's retirement and the duo's dissolution; and "Otoko to Onna no Love Game" (男と女のラブゲーム) by Hino Mika (日野美歌) was reported to still be sung by someone at every snack-bar visit.

### What was the scene from the drama Hito ni Yasashiku introduced in the leftover-mail segment?

In the 2002 drama Hito ni Yasashiku (starring Katori Shingo / 香取慎吾), the protagonist watches the detective played by Jinnai Takanori (陣内貴則) lavish praise on a child's handmade mug at a charity bazaar, buy it, then immediately drop it in a trash can on his way out — triggering the protagonist's suspicion. Utamaru vaguely remembered the scene and noted the drama is now available on Netflix.

## Article

## Three Songs Tied for 11th Place: Listener Comments

Monday's main broadcast covered only songs ranked 10th and above, but three songs tied at 10 votes each for 11th place. This spinoff episode devoted time to the listener comments those songs received.

"Defying Gravity" from the musical *Wicked* drew sharply worded responses: one listener declared that "it was obvious this song would be #1 — the ranking up to here was a farce," while another noted that "although it's primarily Elphaba's theme, Glinda also has her part, making it a duet in a broader sense," and a third called it "the world's most emotionally complex song, blending Cynthia Erivo's powerful voice with Ariana Grande's wistfulness."

RHYMESTER's "Once Again" was introduced by Utamaru — himself a RHYMESTER member — with self-deprecating humor: he said he was "embarrassingly in a Misha-like state" (a reference to being visibly moved by one's own work). Multiple listeners sent in testimonials: "I cried listening to this in the shower every day during the worst period of my life" and "there were nights I got through only because this song existed." Utamaru responded with evident emotion: "It's already public property, beyond our hands. All we can do is keep singing it carefully at our live shows."

Okamura Yasuyuki's (岡村靖幸) "Ai wa Oshare Janai" (愛はおしゃれじゃない) received the comment: "There is no song more fitting than this for the top spot in Ataroku's pair-song project." The hosts admitted, "It's true — the song has deep ties to this show. We somehow overlooked it."

## Karaoke Staples and Showa Kayokyoku: Diverse Listener Episodes

"Sannenme no Uwaki" (3年目の浮気) gathered multiple votes. One listener cited its three consecutive weeks at #1 on the weekly chart as their reason for voting. A Heisei-born listener explained that a wave of MAD videos on Niconico Douga — featuring anime character couples confronting each other about cheating — had carried the song to younger generations, and the hosts agreed: "So that's why young people know it." Utamaru also reflected: "Even as a kid, I sensed something logically strained about the lyric — 'if even guys who can't get dates like her, I'll reconsider.'"

"Showa Kare Susuki" (昭和枯れすすき) by Sakura to Ichiro (1974) prompted a heartfelt listener story: a working couple, whenever their child fell sick, would alternate all-night nursing shifts before heading straight to work in the morning — and they got through it by singing this song together and laughing. "The song's mournful atmosphere matched our desperation at the time," the listener wrote. The hosts were moved: "The lyrics are about being driven to the very edge, and yet it gets used this way."

"Azusa No. 2" (あずさ2号) by Kariudo (狩人) prompted thoughtful reflections on the train line's retirement and the duo's dissolution. "Otoko to Onna no Love Game" (男と女のラブゲーム) by Hino Mika (日野美歌) came with trivia about its origins as a commercial jingle and a report that it remains in active rotation at snack bars.

## J-Pop and Indie Highlights

Mihimaru GT's (ミヒマルGT) "Kibun Joujou" (気分上々↑↑) was introduced alongside the show's legendary anecdote that "Mihimaru GT themselves lost the Mihimaru GT Award" in a past program segment. Its vote count reflected the song's reach: "Everyone in their late twenties or thirties can sing the chorus."

tofubeats' "Suisei" (水星) received the enthusiastic comment: "I heard it billed as the 21st-century 'Konya wa Boogie Back' and it exceeded even that expectation. It might be Japan's first candidate for world's best song."

Early two-member KIRINJI's (キリンジ) "Akudama" (悪玉) drew multiple votes praising "the joy of distinguishing Horigome Yasuyuki's brilliant voice from Takagi's resonant one." KIRINJI collected votes across several songs in the overall election.

Kieru Makyuu's (消える魔球) "Hakoniwa" (箱庭) featured a standout moment: the pivot from an intellectual opening to CQ's line "Is it hollow, or an asshole? If you're out of gas, farewell to your farts" — praised as "beautiful rhyming." The hosts added: "Every time you listen to Kieru Makyuu, you find something new."

## Leftover Mail: A Drama Scene and a Game Introduction

In the leftover-mail segment, the 2002 drama *Hito ni Yasashiku* (人に優しく, starring Katori Shingo / 香取慎吾) came up. A listener described a climactic scene: the protagonist watches the detective played by Jinnai Takanori (陣内貴則) buy a child's handmade mug at a charity bazaar — lavishing it with praise — only to drop it in a garbage bin on his way out moments later. "I was stunned even as an elementary schooler," the listener wrote. Utamaru remembered it as the breakout role for child actor Kan Kenta (菅健太) and said he would rewatch it now that it is available on Netflix.

The second piece of leftover mail introduced a simulation game called "80-oku bun no 1" (80億分の1, "1 in 8 Billion"). Drawing on UN and other statistical data, the game lets players experience the life of a person born somewhere in the world, with the birth country determined at random according to actual birth rates. "You can feel global inequality through gameplay rather than statistics," the listener wrote. The segment ran long and will continue next episode.

## Takeaways

- RHYMESTER's "Once Again" moved member Utamaru to call it "public property beyond our hands," after multiple listeners testified the song carried them through the worst periods of their lives.
- "Sannenme no Uwaki" reached Heisei-born listeners not through radio but via Niconico Douga MAD videos, revealing how a 1980s hit traveled to younger generations through 2000s internet culture.
- The hosts expressed enthusiasm for continuing the "World's Best" series, confirming the large-scale polling format as a clear success.