I'm going to post today the lyrics and chords of one of my favorite Japanese songs, Planetarium by Ai Otsuka. Planetarium in turn is a theme song of one of my favorite Japanese drama series, Hana Yori Dango.

By the way, Hana Yori Dango (2005) is actually a live-action version of the manga (and later anime) of the same name. It has only nine episodes, but each episode is fun yet touching to watch. If you start watching the first episode, you will get hooked into watching the second and later episodes. The manga ("Japanese comics") was earlier adapted as Meteor Garden (2001), the very popular Taiwanese series that caught Asia by storm. Both HYD and MG feature the super-rich, super-handsome all-guy group F4, consisting of Tsukasa Domyouji (Dao Ming Si in MG), Rui Hanazawa (Hua Zi Lei in MG), Soujirou Nishikado (Xi Men in MG) and Akira Mimasaka (Mei Zuo in MG), as well as the poor-but-very-brave girl Tsukushi Makino (Shan Cai in MG). But the Taiwanese version had a different ending than the manga, because the manga was not yet finished when MG was filmed. I've watched both Hana Yori Dango and Meteor Garden, and I like Hana Yori Dango better. Rumor says that Hana Yori Dango II will be filmed next year (2007).

(And by the way, for those who are familiar with Gokusen, another Japanese live-action series, the actor who played Tsukasa Domyouji is also the actor who played the handsome badass student Shin Sawada, Jun Matsumoto. And the actor who played Rui Hanazawa is also the actor who played the blondie Haruhiko "Uchi" Uchiyama, Shun Oguri.)

The song Planetarium is played whenever Tsukushi Makino is in her sad or heartbroken moments. You can listen to it by clicking the triangle below:

Planetarium by Ai Otsuka

Planetarium is actually played in piano, but I was still able to transcribe the chords. You can definitely use a guitar to play these chords. Here are the "broken" chords used in the song:

And now, here's the lyrics and chords:

Planetarium
By Ai Otsuka

Dm   C BbM7
Dm   C BbM7
Dm   C BbM7    C Dm   C BbM7

(Stanza 1)
Dm Am  BbM7
Yuuzukuyo   kao dasu

  Dm Am   BbM7         C
kieteku kodo - mo no koe

  Dm  Am BbM7        Am
Tooku tooku   kono sora no

Gm           C7
doko ka ni kimi wa iru n darou

Dm    Am  BbM7
Natsu no owa - ri ni futari

Dm   Am      BbM7          Dm       Am   BbM7
de nuke dashita   kono kouen  de mitsuketa

      Am  Gm         C7
Ano seiza nan da ka oboeteru?

(Refrain 1)
Gm                      C
Aenakute mo kioku wo tadotte

Am                      Dm
onaji shiawase wo mitai n  da

Gm                      C
Ano kaori to tomo ni hanabi ga

         F    Csus C
patto hiraku

(Chorus 1)
    F   C      Dm7       Am7
Ikitai yo kimi no tokoro e

    BbM7      F/A        Gm      C
ima su - gu kake dashite ikitai yo

    F    C      Dm7      Am7
Makkura de nani mo  mienai

    BbM7        C     F   C
kowaku - te mo daijoubu

    F    C    Dm7       Am7
Kazoe kirenai hoshizora ga

    BbM7    F/A         Gm        C
ima mo   zutto  koko ni aru n da yo

A/C# Dm   C      BbM7        F/A      Gm
Na-kanai yo mukashi  kimi to mita kirei

      C           Dm    C BbM7  C Dm  C BbM7  C
na sora datta kara

(Stanza 2)
Dm  Am    BbM7         C
Ano michi ma - de hibiku

   Dm    Am      BbM7        C
kutsu no ne ga mimi  ni nokoru

 Dm  Am   BbM7        Am
Ooki na jibu - n no kage wo

Gm          C7
mitsumete omou no deshou

(Refrain 2)
Gm                        C
Chitto mo kawaranai hazu na noni

Am                     Dm
setsunai kimochi fukurandeku

Gm                   C           Csus   C
Donna ni omotta tte kimi wa mou inai

(Chorus 2)
    F   C      Dm7     Am7
Ikitai yo kimi no soba ni

     BbM7  F/A        Gm      C
chiisa - kute  mo chiisakute mo

     F   C      Dm7        Am7
Ichiban ni kimi ga suki da yo

     BbM7   C   F   C
tsuyoku   irareru

    F     C  Dm7       Am7
Negai wo nagareboshi ni

   BbM7   F/A        Gm      C
sotto   tona - ete mita keredo

A/C# Dm   C   BbM7       F/A
Na-kanai yo todo-ku darou

    Gm    C
kirei na sora ni

(Instrumental)
Eb  Dm  Eb  Dm
Eb  Dm  Eb   F

(Refrain 1 with variations in chords)
Gm                     Am
Aenakute mo kioku wo tadotte

D9                     Dm7
onaji shiawase wo mitai n da

Gm                     Am
Ano kaori to tomo ni hanabi ga

        BbM7
patto hiraku

(Chorus 3)
    F# D#      D#m7       A#m7
Ikitai yo kimi no  tokoro e

    BM7   F#/A#     G#m        C#
chiisa na te   wo nigi-rishimete

     F# D#      D#m7         A#m7
Nakitai yo sore wa   sore wa kirei na

BM7   C# F#   C#
sora datta

    F#   D#  D#m7      A#m7
Negai wo nagareboshi ni

    BM7   F#/A#       G#m      C#
sotto  tona -  ete mita   keredo

A#/D D#m  C#   BM7     F#/A#
Na-kita-i yo todokanai o - moi wo

G#m     C#   A#/D
ko - no so - ra

(Coda)
  D#m   C# BM7   C# D#m   C# BM7   C#
ni…(ahh)

D#m   C# BM7   C# D#m   C# BM7
(ahh)

Hi folks.

Here's another chords transcription of mine for the song Paano, another classic APO song performed by Shamrock. The song's simplicity suited Shamrock's slow-rock style very well, and Mark Tupaz's singing is full of emotion. The band did it absolutely well.

Before I proceed, here are the "broken" chords used in the song:

And now, here's the lyrics with the chords:

Paano
by Shamrock

D  Dadd9 D  Dsus
D  Dadd9 D  Dsus

(Stanza 1)
D             Dadd9  D
   Paano mo mala-la-man

 Dsus     A    A/G     F#m
Itong pag-ibig ko  sa 'yo

           Bm
Paano mo mararamdaman

Em          Em/D          Em/C#
Ang (ang) tibok   ng puso ko

                 CM7
Kung lagi kang kinakabahan

F#m            Bm7
    Na ika'y masasaktan

   Em           CM7
Pangako ko, ang puso mo

   Bm7         A7 A7sus A7
Hindi pakakawalan

(Stanza 2)
D            Dadd9 D    Dsus
  Paano mo mai-in-tindihan

     A      A/G  F#m
Na ako'y nana-nabik

             Bm         Em
O kelan ko kaya madarama

      Em/D             Em/C#
Ang tamis ng iyong halik

                CM7
Kung lagi mong inaatrasan

F#m                 Bm7
    Ang sugod ng nagmamahal

  Em              CM7
Sana nama'y pagbigyan mo'ng

   Bm7          A7 A7sus A7
Hiling ng puso ko

(Chorus)
         D         D/C#
Subukan mong magmahal

  Bm       A
O giliw ko

      G      E/G#     A7sus A7
Kakaibang ligayang matatamo

          D        D/C#
Ang magmahal ng iba'y

      Bm      A
Di ko gagawin

          G
Pagka't ikaw lang

E/G#            A7sus   A7
     Tanging sasambahin

          Bm7         F#m
Huwag ka nang mangagamba

          A
Pag-ibig ko'y ikaw

Em             A7sus A7
   Wala nang iba

(Repeat Stanza 1)
(Repeat Chorus 2x)
(Repeat Chorus till fade)