【Translated Summary】
SCANDAL DOCUMENTARY "her" Diary 2021 SPECIAL EDITION

Part 1


From MIRROR DVD Edition

Opening

•The band sits around a table at their office. HARU talks about how as of the time they're filming this (November 2021), there have been 10 "her" Diaries that have come out so far, with the rate of one per month and released on their YouTube channel at the end of every month in 2021. TOMO says that they're grateful to simply have things on record since it can be easy to forget the little details that have happened. The videos really are like diaries that organize what has happened. HARU says that she's able to learn quite a lot about herself. RINA says that you're able to see yourself objectively, which HARU agrees with. MAMI says that it's felt like it's only been an instant since they recorded "eternal," but it feels like everyone's changed a lot since then. She also talks about how recording even the little details makes for an interesting rewatch.

•HARU says they've also changed up how they record songs and challenged themselves to do something new. They used to always go to the studio together and each direct each other, but now, depending on the song, they will go in to record by themselves and leave it up to each member to do their own parts. The way they enjoy each song is also different for each of them. All of that was also a change for them, which RINA agrees with.

"eternal" Vocal Recording

•Footage from "her" Diary ＃01 of HARU recording vocals for "eternal" is shown. Here are the lines shown:

For now, I think I should go through it once more. Our recorded songs and the band's sound have changed a lot, but the way I sing hasn't changed that much. That's why we have a lot of songs we write with concerts in mind. It'd be best if we could include that feeling as-is. That's probably why it doesn't feel that difficult. I'll do it while trying out a few different things.

•The video then switches to a split-screen view with the band at the table being shown on the left side and footage from "her" Diary ＃01 shown on the right. HARU talks about her experience recording vocals for "eternal":

With "eternal," I started with the desire to record vocals by myself, but I still felt a little unsure. Up until now we would record songs under the direction of the members who wrote the song, like MAMI would direct the music since she wrote it, and RINA would direct vocals since she wrote the lyrics. I was used to doing that. However, I wanted to take responsibility for myself as a vocalist at least once. On top of applying everything that I know, I challenged myself to try to create something using just my sensibility. So I was really nervous when I started it and wondered if this really was okay to do. I was okay with my takes, but I didn't know how [the other band members] would react to it. That was a challenge. That's why I said in the Diary that I was still quite unsure at the time.

•The focus goes back to footage from the Diary:

HARU: About singing... This also applies to when the other members write songs. There are specific ways that the members producing the song would like the vocals recorded, and there are times when they suggest how something should be sung.

Staff: You've been stuck in that style for a long time, right?

H: Yeah, exactly. But at the same time, it opens up possibilities to sing differently, which is totally fine by me. I don't mind it, but I also think it's time to start exploring my own style.

S: I think it's very important to be true to yourself, too.

H: Yeah, exactly.

•New footage of HARU not seen in the Diary is then played:

H: I feel that the first one was surprisingly good.

S: It was. I think the first take is really good. It'd be nice if there was a new kind of nuance there.

H: I hope it feels new to others.

•The video then goes back to the band at the table. TOMO talks about how they realized they could go about recording separately and listen to the finished song with all of the parts later, and that it is a challenge on its own since you're recording on your own. She says that this style has helped them to come up with a lot of ideas they'd like to try doing, and that she's liked how true to themselves they've been able to be these past few months.

•RINA says that the members have changed a lot and that it feels like they've become even more reliable when it comes to putting on live performances. That's also changed the way they record. She says that it's a pretty big thing that they've come to think that it's okay to complete a song the way they want to. HARU says that her conclusion after a year has passed is that it's been more about just being able to love yourself rather than trying out different approaches.

•MAMI says that it's a good thing that they've become more 'sloppy' when it comes to certain things. The others chuckle and RINA says, "In a good way, right?" MAMI says yes, and that they had been trying to force themselves to do everything in the past. They would do things they couldn't or didn't want to do, without saying that they couldn't or didn't want to do it. It was a given for them to think that they could handle everything, and that they thought had to do them. Now, they can say things like "I don't want to do this," or "I can do it about 50%, so I'll try it," I know I can't do this, so I will say that I can't." It's made them feel like a weight's been lifted off their shoulders.

•RINA says that MAMI wants things to be done in a certain way because she's written the music for many songs, and since MAMI and HARU have different strong points when it comes to singing, there can be times during recordings when they're unsure what merits to apply or what the goal should be. That's why RINA thinks that this stance of letting everyone do their own thing is a good thing that has made it a lot easier on MAMI. MAMI says that she used to feel a lot of pressure and so thinks it would have been nice in the past to have taken on different challenges while keeping things really simple. Now, she feels like the vibe's one where she can say things like "I can't do this." RINA agrees and says that they're now in the mindset where if you're not able to do something right now, you'll try it again next week. HARU says she's never said that before, but RINA says that she has. MAMI says that it's becoming possible for everyone to work together and managing to unite. RINA jokes that maybe she's no longer as strict as she used to be. MAMI goes, "Well...I don't know about that! I might still be a little stoic," while the others laugh.

"Ivory" Recording

•Footage from "her" Diary ＃05 of the band recording "Ivory" is shown. It starts off with RINA adjusting her drum set and then shows MAMI talking to one of their roadies:

S: What’s your shared image of the song?
M: Today...
S: What's the overall atmosphere?
M: The overall atmosphere... It would be the setting sun.
S: Ah, okay.

•The video goes back to the band at the table. MAMI talks about how they've been with their roadies for a long time now, and conversations [like the one just shown] may only be possible because they've been together for over 10 years. She says she doesn't think there are many people who can understand what kind of sounds and vibes they want from just being told nuances. They've established a kind of communication that they didn't used to have before.

•The video switches to a split-screen view with the band being shown on the left side and footage from "her" Diary ＃05 shown on the right. At the table, HARU agrees with what MAMI said and says that there there a lot of changes compared to the past, and that it's likely felt different ever since they started their "her" imprint label. She does clarify that they were writing their own songs before that change, though. MAMI says that the staff knows what kind of vibe they want to go with. HARU says that they used to more frequently express what the outside arrangers they used to have work on their songs wanted to do [likely as opposed to doing something that they themselves wanted to do].


•The video then shows Diary footage:

R: It seemed like the mute wasn’t effective when I was drumming on the other side, so I feel like you can’t hear the ghost notes at all. Is that not the case when you listen to it on this side?

*

T: It may be good to mix [the bass sounds], and I think it’d be nice if it sounded more like how our live performances sound.

*

R: The bass drum does feel pretty strong, but I like it.

*

*They listen to playback of "Ivory"

H: I want to reduce the distortion a little more.
S: Ah, okay.
S: It's important. We need to discuss things together.
S: Reduce the distortion, bring the acoustic guitar back, perform again...
M: The guitar shouldn't be stoic either.
S: Hold on - let me look for that expression.
S: Okay, understood. I got it. So loosen the snare a bit and make it lighter.
S: Shall we try it again?
M: Let's do it.

•RINA says that she thinks that songs like "eternal" and "Ivory" were made after they seriously reflected on what music they they could continue to perform for a long time as adult women without feeling weird about it. They didn't know at the time if they would be able to always do that way of writing songs. They also didn't know what kind of album they would be making, so for the time being they just finished up "eternal"—now, though, they realize that making such a new kind of album for them all started from there.

•HARU adds that the band did most of the direction for instruments and vocals for "one more time," which was why the environment was completely different from the recording methods they had used so far, and that it was fun. RINA says that everything was different.

"one more time" Recording

•Footage from "her" Diary ＃09 of the band recording "one more time" is shown. It starts off with RINA and MAMI trying to figure out something related to the song on a laptop. Next, TOMO is shown in the recording booth while MAMI telling her what part to do and what it should sound like.

•The video switches to a split-screen view with the band being shown on the left side and the Diary footage of the band recording the song shown on the right. MAMI says that this song has a cheerful vibe to it and were pretty laidback when it came to recording it. Due to that vibe, they were able to complete it while feeling happy themselves.

•The view switches to MAMI recording guitar parts for "one more time."

M: How did that sound?
R: It sounded a lot like alternative rock. It’s cool, though.

•The video then goes back to the band at the table. MAMI says that they wanted to make listeners have fun the moment they hear songs like this, and so thinks it's amazing that they were able to include that vibe in the recording. TOMO talks about HARU's singing style and how different it is now compared to 10 years ago. She's challenged herself to different things and the way she sings now has a completely different charm to it than before. She says that both new and old styles existed when they were recording "one more time," and that she really understood it when HARU said that that was the most fun she's had when recording in the past 10 years. As also mentioned in Diary ＃09, she says that was like HARU from 10 years prior was there. MAMI goes, "Her dancer era?" TOMO says yes, which MAMI and HARU laugh at.

•HARU says that before their debut, she didn't really put much thought into singing. TOMO says that she probably just thought music is fun to do, and she likes singing so she sang. HARU agrees and says that after debuting she felt a sense of responsibility and a desire to improve many aspects of herself. She worried about it constantly and came up with different methods, so in the 10 years following their debut (2008-2018), she gradually lost that part of herself that wouldn't think about anything, though it feels like it's back again. That's why she had a lot of fun recording this song.

•The video switches to HARU recording vocals for "one more time."

M: What do you think?
H: The part right after "Chigau" sounds pretty short right now. Did it sound okay?
M: Yes. What do you guys think?
R: I think it's totally fine. By the way, the line that starts with "Ai," can you sing the first syllable more enthusiastically?
H: The first syllable?
R: Yeah. Like, "The chorus is coming up!"

*HARU does a take

M: Very fun. I'm going to cry.
R: I'm seeing a lot of HARUNA's good points.
M: It's good. Very good.

*HARU does another take

T: Wow, too good! That was a huge success.
R: Way too good!
M: Feels really good.
T: So nice.
M: We should go with this!
T: Yeah.
M: Am I right?
S: It's good.
H: This is probably the best one. Seriously. This was so much fun, and I'm so happy!

"eternal" Teaser Shooting

•HARU talks about how cameras were constantly rolling for a year since the Diaries were released at the end of every month last year. She says that there are things they filmed that didn't make into any of the Diaries. RINA mentions there are a lot of things that weren't used, such as them rehearsing in large studios or rehearsing with just the four of them. She says there's also footage from when HARU filmed the teaser video for "eternal." HARU says that that was filmed in the early morning, though it looks like the sun is actually setting in the teaser. TOMO asks if it was still dark out when they started. HARU says that they met up at 3 am, she got her makeup done, got there before 6 am, and had to fight against time and the cold to film it. MAMI says that getting the rising sun in the video was important.

•Footage from the teaser video shoot is then played. HARU is shown in a big puffy jacket at the beach walking to the sand to film the teaser. It switches to the split-screen view and HARU talks about how it looks very calm in the video, but it was actually extremely cold. TOMO says that the light can be different in each shot due to the sun rising. HARU agrees and says that it was because they filmed it when the sun was actually rising. She also says that this made things so that they didn't know what shot could be used since it depended on the lighting. TOMO says although she and the other members weren't there, she feels like she experienced it too just by hearing HARU talk about it. They all laugh and HARU and MAMI go, "That's scary!" TOMO says that that happens to her sometimes, where someone will tell her a story of what happened to them and it's like she also experienced it. Someone could be like, "It was really cold," TOMO would be like, "I know!" HARU says that that definitely doesn't happen to her. RINA says that in contrast, TOMO doesn't remember what you want her to remember. TOMO says that it's like she's making others' experiences her own. They all laugh and HARU says she doesn't need to do that.

•The video switches back to the teaser video shooting. HARU walks on the sand while a staffer films her. The staffer asks her what she's thinking about while filming. She says she's not thinking of anything and thinks that she should keep her head clear. The scene cuts to her looking at the sun and her saying that it's very orange-colored. She says that it's been 15 years and that the band's doing very well—or rather, she thinks that being an all-girl band for 15 years is very close to being a miracle. She wants to cherish the songs they make right now, which means that they're going to be very particular when it comes to this teaser and the music video for "eternal." She watches playback of a take and everyone agrees that it's the one they'll go with. She's then filmed jogging away from the ocean while she and the staffer filming her laugh about how cold it is.

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【Translated Summary】
SCANDAL DOCUMENTARY "her" Diary 2021 SPECIAL EDITION

Part 2


From MIRROR DVD Edition

MAMI's Solo Live - Rehearsal

•RINA says that speaking of doing things on your own, they also recorded footage of MAMI rehearsaling for her solo live performance back in March. She says that MAMI was nervous, which MAMI confirms that she was.

•Footage is then shown of MAMI rehearsing. The split screen returns shortly and MAMI talks about how she sang quite a bit for these rehearsals + kept discussing details with everyone. She says it might not be that interesting to talk about. HARU says that she was really interested in what MAMI was doing since she had always rehearsed alone and the rest never got to see it. RINA says that after those rehearsals, MAMI would tell her that they were really tough and her voice was dying. MAMI is surprised and says, "I did??" RINA laughs and confirms that she did.

•The video goes back to MAMI rehearsing. She is shown talking with the staff about how she should introduce herself at the concert. The staff asks her if she wants to go with "MAMI from SCANDAL." She says she thinks so, since introducing herself as only "MAMI" isn't something she's used to [you can see in "her" Diary ＃03 that she does actually introduce herself as just "MAMI"]. She then says that her set is definitely likely to go over her 30-minute slot. A staffer confirms that it'll be okay since she actually has a 40-minute slot.

•The band view comes back and TOMO says that MAMI was really nervous going to the dressing on the day of the performance since she didn't know anyone [you can also see that in "her" Diary ＃03]. HARU says that MAMI's shy side has been coming out now and again recently. RINA agrees with this. MAMI says that she didn't think she was that shy. TOMO says that it can depend on the people that are there, or it can depend on the day. MAMI says that she does regret being shy that day and not being more proactive about talking to others, but she wasn't able to do it. TOMO says that she has a different, separate video of MAMI being shy, which they all laugh at.

•RINA says that when the four of them are together, there are a lot of things that she, TOMO, and MAMI don't tell HARU directly, which is in reference to what MAMI mentioned in the Diary about thinking that it's awesome that HARU's been the frontman of the band and doing things like MCs for the past 15 years. She says that they don't directly talk about like how awesome HARU is, or how reassuring it is to have everyone at each others' sides. MAMI says that being the frontman isn't something that the other three of them could ever do, and she thought so even more with her solo performances.

MAMI's Solo Live

•Footage from Diary ＃03 is played where MAMI is on the bullet train headed to Osaka for her solo performance:

S: How do you feel when you're to put on a solo performance?

M: For now, when I have a solo performance... Honestly, I feel anxious.

S: Ah, that's understandable.

M: I had a bit of baseless confidence until I did my first solo performance. I was like, "I can do this."

S: I see.

M: I gave it a go, and I realized that for HARUNA to do this for 15 years—doing MCs front and center—is so awesome, and that speaking to everyone and hyping them up, and responding back with instruments are all very important things.

•MAMI is shown arriving at the video and entering the dressing room (shown in the Diary from 3:03-3:57).

S: How does it feel coming into the green room by yourself?

M: Oh man, I really feel like the new kid. Feeling like the new kid makes me remember when we'd regularly play at live music clubs in Osaka.

S: Ah, that's true.

M: All of the groups were in the same clubroom.

S: That sounds nice. It's like you went back to your roots.

M: Oh man!

•The video split-screens into the band on the left and footage of MAMI walking to the stage + performing on stage on the right. RINA says that there are a lot of lead vocalists in bands who also do solo activities—of course, not in their case—and asks HARU what she honestly thinks when she sees that. HARU says that she's always thought it's awesome when that happens. She mentions how they all attended a dance and vocal training school and learned dancing + singing together, and now she's a songwriter—she knows that she has a lot of talent, but to stand on stage as a lead vocalist as a band with the other members is already an amazing thing in and of itself. It makes her realize once more that going solo is the only thing that wouldn't be possible for her to do.

•The video then shows MAMI exiting the stage before cutting back to the band at the table. HARU says that she's not the type to want to sing and play guitar solo on stage—she likes being in SCANDAL and performing as a band. That's why she thinks MAMI is amazing for getting up on stage alone with an acoustic guitar. She says that MAMI has complimented her for being amazing, but she thinks that MAMI's just as amazing. RINA laughs and says they're each complimenting each other. They all laugh and HARU says that that's true.

•MAMI is then seen in a taxi after leaving the venue.

M: It doesn't really cross your mind when a performance is happening, but by changing who's singing and paring down a band to one acoustic guitar, of course it does feel different. There are many things you can understand by trying them, so this was...another learning experience.

•RINA says that seeing the relationship that the band members have with each other is really amazing. They can be like, "For this song, it might be better if MAMI sang it," and HARU will be like, "Okay, let's try it out." That's how they get songs done. RINA says that a lot of people take pride in their main positions in the band, so it can be difficult thing to relinquish things like lead vocals in particular. MAMI says that everyone in SCANDAL sings lead vocals, but that doesn't negate the fact that HARU is in fact SCANDAL's official main/lead vocalist, and they all have the biggest respect for that. She says it's true that they wouldn't be SCANDAL if HARU wasn't the one standing in the center. They're a band that can play around in different ways because they know that fact. On MIRROR there are songs that feature the others on lead vocals, but she reiterates that HARU is in the main vocalist of the band and so they're able to do things with an absolute sense of security and respect.

SCANDAL 15th ANNIVERSARY LIVE "INVITATION"

•Footage from "her" Diary ＃08 of them arriving at Osaka-Jo Hall on the day of their anniversary concert is played.

S: Were you able to sleep?

H: I did get a decent amount of sleep.

•RINA is shown signing a concert poster addressed to the venue.

S: Oh! This is so touching.

R: Our 15th anniversary.

S: Thank you very much.

•Rehearsal footage is then shown. RINA is sitting on a riser facing the stage while looking at livestream test comments from their staff shown on a screen on stage.

R: The comments look adorable.

M: Right?

R: They're testing them out. They wrote "Happy 15th anniversary!"

H: That's so cute!

•The band is shown rehearsing "eternal" and "SCANDAL BABY" before the staff says rehearsals are now complete.

S: Okay. Thank you very much. We'll be wrapping up the rehearsals now. Is that okay?

SCANDAL: Yes, we're okay.

S: Okay.

•HARU stands in front of her mic on stage and says this to their staff:

Everyone worked so hard for this day, and stayed healthy while doing so. Thank you so much for celebrating our 15th anniversary with us! We've played at Osaka-Jo Hall twice during the past 15 years, but honestly, those past two times we ended up playing in a very disconcerted state. I have nothing but regrets when I look back on the past. I wasn't in a place where I was able to put on a good performance. However, I think today I'll absolutely be just fine. We've cultivated a uniqueness over the past few years—or rather, we are absolutely confident in what only we can produce, and I think we're up to the challenge today. So, let's have fun, and so that the staff that's here today will be glad they came and will go home feeling happy, we want to have fun with all our body and soul. We're looking forward to working with you today!

•The band is then shown in the dressing room. A staffer asks them if they're ready and then leads them out of the room. They and their entire staff do their customary group huddle and then head off to the stage. The band is then shown looking nervous and waiting for their cue to go on stage.

R: We've been together for 15 years!

T: 15 years, that's amazing!

R: 15 years. We can do this!

•They're then led up to the curtain to wait. They talk about the audio that's being played with the opening video, which consists of instrumental versions of a handful of their songs.

T: I don't think anyone's realized it yet.

H: This song?

T: That this melody is from "DOLL."

H: There definitely isn't.

T: Has anyone noticed?

T+H: *pointing upwards* This part! It's from "DOLL."

S: Oh, it really is! Oh no, I'm going to cry!

H: Now this is "Shunkan Sentimental."

S: Wait, now I'm laughing!

T: The filmographer's tearing up. Oh no, I might too!

R: Cut it out!

S: Sorry, sorry!

•The video shows a split-screen view of the band at the table on the left and clips of the band performing on the right. HARU says this performance at Osaka-Jo Hall was the one where they've felt the most relaxed so far. She had been struggling with things when they held their first two performances here (likely referring to her vocal problems), but this time she was really happy to be standing on stage while thinking that she's the best version of herself that she's ever been. And compared to the past two performances, she felt that this time she was able to feel the presence of each and every member of the audience. RINA says that all of them probably feel that way. She felt that they were able to put out the vibes that they did because of everything's that accumulated until now, and that she was really happy to stand on stage as well as all of them living their lives in the way that they do.

•Footage of the band closing out "INVITATION" is shown.

H: We say this so often, but we look forward to seeing you guys again. Thank you very much! This has been SCANDAL!

•RINA says that the day before the concert they got together in a hotel room and discussed what the title of their album should be, which was the first time they did so. They couldn't decide on one at the time, but words like "light," "softness," and "femininity" were ones that kept coming up. The word "mirror" didn't come up then, but they all shared the same image of what they wanted the album to be. After the meeting, RINA went back to her room and started writing the lyrics to "Prism." She thought that it wasn't enough just for them to speak about what they're currently feeling, and express what they're feeling—she wanted to encase that mindset in a song.

•HARU agrees that writing a song like that right before they got to the thick of production probably was a good thing. "eternal" was the first song written for this album and it was like a precedent for what was to come for themselves. She says they also adapted the flow from their fan club tour in April 2021. They wanted to make those who came out to the tour happy, and they also wanted to express their gratitude and give everyone some help/comfort. It was also a big thing that they were able to play these concerts during this time.

•MAMI says that it was also a great thing that there wasn't any time for them to stop doing activities. They had a lot of things they had to do next on their schedule, such as filming music videos. They also had their concert at Osaka-Jo Hall on their important anniversary date. She thinks that they had a good flow of playing tours and live performances (i.e. solo concerts, festival performances), and that flow was also adopted for recording songs.

•RINA brings up how during the OJH performance, HARU mentioned that they needed to write three more songs before the album was complete. They laugh and HARU says that if she didn't mention it, then nothing would get started. MAMI says that she thinks it's good to be able to talk about things like that. RINA agrees and says that they started writing those remaining songs right away. She goes, "I'm proud of us." They laugh and HARU says that they barely made it. RINA says that they did make it in time.

Closing

•TOMO talks about something she recently realized:

For 15 years, I feel like we had been searching for something that was "SCANDAL-like." I'd look at other artists and be like, "Oh, this melody is ___-like," or "This outfit is ___-like." I was envious that they had their own kind of colors.

But we ourselves have done really great things, right? A single album of ours can contain such differing music that you don't know everything's done by the same band. We've gone through a lot of changes visually as well. Though I always felt that we were missing something that was "SCANDAL-like."

But the other day a friend told me, "When the you four are together, everything you do is SCANDAL-like."

I was like, "Oh, is that what it is?" and it made total sense to me. It made me really happy. It made me really happy to realize that we already had something that was "SCANDAL-like" without us realizing it. I think it's probably the vibe we have. It's amazing to realize that we also have our own colors. That was something big for me. It's something that's given me confidence.

•TOMO says that she's nothing but grateful to the fans who have always continued to like them, despite their songs having the tendency to sound completely different from one to the next. RINA agrees and chuckles at this. TOMO says that there seems to be a lot of fans who have continued to like them for a long time, which they're grateful for. RINA says that they're extremely grateful.

•HARU says that they had been working towards their 15th anniversary for quite a few years prior and somehow made it to 2021. She says that from 2022 onwards they'll go win more people over. RINA laughs and agrees, saying that they're truly heading into unknown territory when it comes to being an all-girl band. TOMO says that from their 10th anniversary, they as a team, which includes their staff, have been tackling things as a unit and helped to create this path they're moving on—that was the only thing they could do. She says that they'll make their own path and carry the team with them. They all laugh and RINA says they'll start with making things by hand again. She also laughs and says that space is the next thing for them to go to. They mention their 20th anniversary and RINA says they'll have to book Osaka-Jo Hall then. TOMO says, "It's probably already booked" while they all laugh.

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etwee wrote:....Always wondered if they would have somehow got their greatness across to us...