1. 肩書きの上で踊るシルエット 本音は胸ポッケに仕舞っておこう

Romaji: Katagaki no ue de odoru shiruetto / honne wa mune pokke ni shimatte okou

Cultural Nuance: I am a silhouette dancing on the stage of my social status (titles). I’ll keep my true feelings tucked away in my chest pocket, hidden from sight.

🗣 Japanese Insight: "Katagaki" (肩書き) refers to social labels like one's job title or status. We all play roles—as parents, employees, or good neighbors—appropriate for the situation. Storing one's true feelings in a "Mune Pokke" (a cute, casual term for chest pocket) suggests a Japanese sense of "modest self-restraint." It implies that one hasn't discarded their true self but is choosing to carry it carefully and quietly, even if it feels a bit lonely.

2. 誰もが着飾り踊るアクター それでも何処か君と僕の会話の隙間 見え隠れしている想い

Romaji: Daremo ga kikazari odoru akutaa / soredemo dokoka kimi to boku no kaiwa no sukima / miegakure shite iru omoi

Cultural Nuance: Everyone is an actor dressed up and dancing. Yet, in the gaps of our conversation, true feelings are flickering in and out of sight.

🗣 Japanese Insight: "Miegakure" (見え隠れ) describes something that appears and disappears periodically. Even when we intend to play a role perfectly, our true heart reveals itself in unexpected moments. In SPY×FAMILY, Loid and Yor play a family for their respective missions, but genuine affection leaks out through their casual dialogue. This phrase highlights Lilas Ikuta’s keen observation that truth resides in those small "gaps."

3. 別の顔を纏って夜を駆ける 完璧にみせた不可能はまるでないような

Romaji: Betsu no kao o matotte yoru o kakeru / kanpeki ni miseta fukanou wa marude nai you na

Cultural Nuance: Wearing a different face, I race through the night, acting out a perfect version of myself as if nothing were impossible.

🗣 Japanese Insight: The verb "Matou" (纏う) means more than just wearing clothes; it refers to enveloping oneself in an atmosphere, a vibe, or a "role." It evokes the image of Loid shedding his daytime face as a psychiatrist to race through the night as a spy. Acting as if "nothing is impossible" conveys his professional pride, but also the tense, solitary pressure he carries behind that perfect mask.

4. クタクタに疲れてデコボコに擦り減る心を繋ぎ止める光は何時かの僕との約束

Romaji: Kutakuta ni tsukarete dekoboko ni suriheru kokoro o tsunagitomeru hikari wa itsuka no boku to no yakusoku

Cultural Nuance: When I am exhausted and my worn-down heart is on the verge of breaking apart, the light that holds me together is a promise I made with my past self.

🗣 Japanese Insight: This phrase combines several crucial Japanese expressions:

• "Kutakuta" (クタクタ): An onomatopoeia describing being so bone-tired that your body feels heavy and powerless.

• "Dekoboko" (デコボコ): Meaning an uneven or bumpy surface; here, it is a metaphor for a heart that has been repeatedly wounded and has lost its smoothness.

• "Suriheru" (擦り減る): To be worn down or depleted through friction or pressure. It represents the mental erosion caused by daily tension and deception.

• "Tsunagitomeru" (繋ぎ止める): To bind or fasten something that is trying to pull away or is about to break into pieces.

When combined, these words vividly depict a state of "spiritual limit." Through the act of constant performing, the heart has become rough, eroded, and weary to the point of collapse. What "binds" this broken spirit together and prevents it from shattering is the pure vow made by the protagonist as a young boy—to "create a world where children don't cry." This promise to his past self is the only light supporting his grueling performance in the present.

5. 見上げた空を満たすステラ その一つ一つが違う記憶抱えて浮かぶ

Romaji: Miageta sora o mitasu sutera / sono hitotsu hitotsu ga chigau kioku kakaete ukabu

Cultural Nuance: The "Stellas" (stars) filling the sky each float there, carrying their own unique memories that cannot be told to anyone else.

🗣 Japanese Insight: While "Stella" means star in Latin, it also refers to the "Stella Stars" (merit badges) awarded at the prestigious Eden Academy within the story. Just as stars shine in isolation from one another, people carry their own private pasts and memories. Even in a sky full of stars (or a world full of people), each memory is one-of-a-kind. It is a beautiful metaphor that acknowledges and validates individual solitude.

6. 誰もが 誰にも見せない顔を隠してる それは大事な人を想う優しさの証

Romaji: Daremo ga / darenimo misenai kao o kakushiteru / sore wa daiji na hito o omou yasashisa no akashi

Cultural Nuance: Everyone hides a face they show to no one. Those secrets are actually proof of a deep kindness—the desire to protect someone precious.

🗣 Japanese Insight: This is the core message of the song and the series. In Japanese, "Akashi" (証) means proof or evidence. While secrets are often viewed as dishonest, Ikuta defines them as "proof of kindness." They hide their true identities because they don't want to destroy the happy family life they now share. This idea—that a "kind lie" is told out of love—resonates warmly with the modern listener.

7. 揺るがない想いはいつしかシナリオを越える

Romaji: Yuruganai omoi wa itsushika shinario o koeru

Cultural Nuance: An unwavering love will eventually surpass any false setting or predetermined fate (scenario).

🗣 Japanese Insight: This describes the process where the "act of playing family," which began according to a "Scenario" (脚本), transforms into something irreplaceable and "real." Even if the relationship started out of mutual interest, the time spent together begins to rewrite the prepared script. The song concludes by powerfully affirming this "happy accident" where genuine love blossoms far beyond the original role.

🎤 Emotional Summary

Lilas Ikuta’s "Actor" is a hymn for everyone who lives their life behind a "mask" to protect what they love.

Even with a heart that is bone-tired (Kutakuta), bumpy (Dekoboko), and worn down (Suriheru), one continues to dance, held together by the light of a past promise. The unwavering emotions born on that stage eventually rewrite even the most elaborate scripts. We are all "Actors" on the stage of life, and at the root of our performance, there always flows a warm light of love for someone else.