1. いつか僕らの上をスレスレに 通り過ぎていったあの飛行機を

Romaji: Itsuka bokura no ue o suresure ni / toorisugite itta ano hikouki o

Cultural Nuance: I still vividly remember that airplane that once passed right above us, so close it felt like we could touch it.

🗣 Japanese Insight: "Suresure" (スレスレ) is an onomatopoeia (gitaigo) describing a state where there is almost no gap between two things. The description of an airplane passing "suresure" symbolizes a vivid shock that shakes one's daily life or a vague yearning for the future.

This is thought to refer to the intense longing felt in childhood or a memory of an unforgettable moment. By recalling that scenery, the song expresses an attitude of reaffirming one’s pure childhood heart and former self to move forward. For the adult "me," "that airplane" is a symbol of reuniting with the pure dreams and the heart that lacked "terai" (affectation) during childhood.

2. 君が二度と悲しまないように笑える そんなヒーローになるための歌

Romaji: Kimi ga nido to kanashimanai you ni waraeru / sonna hiiroo ni naru tame no uta

Cultural Nuance: A world where you, who are so precious to me, will never shed a tear again and can laugh from the bottom of your heart. I will become a "hero" strong enough to protect that. This is the song of that resolve.

🗣 Japanese Insight: In the Japanese concept of a hero, more importance is often placed on "not letting someone feel sad" than on flaunting one's own strength.

The phrase "Nido to" (二度と - never again) contains remorse for one's "weakness" in the past—having made "you" sad or simply watching your tears without being able to do anything. Using that regret as fuel to fight for your smile is the essence of a Shonen manga hero and the driving force Yonezu wanted to portray.

3. さらば掲げろピースサイン 転がっていくストーリーを

Romaji: Saraba kakagero piisu sain / korogatte iku sutoorii o

Cultural Nuance: Bid farewell to your weak self and proudly hold up a peace sign to push through this irrational, beloved story that keeps rolling forward unpredictably.

🗣 Japanese Insight: "Saraba" (さらば) is a word for parting that sounds more archaic and determined than the modern sayonara. Rather than denying the past self, it carries the weight of showing respect: "Thank you for everything; I'm moving forward as a different person now."

The imperative "Kakagero" (掲げろ - hoist/hold up) is a cry to inspire oneself. One doesn't smile because victory is certain; one hoists the peace sign as a banner first to face the harsh "story" that is about to begin. That proactive stance moves the hearts of listeners.

4. 守りたいだなんて言えるほど 君が弱くはないのわかってた

Romaji: Mamoritai da nante ieru hodo / kimi ga yowaku wa nai no wakatteta

Cultural Nuance: I knew you weren't weak enough for me to say something as presumptuous as "I want to protect you."

🗣 Japanese Insight: Relative to the word "Mamoritai" (守りたい - want to protect), acknowledging the "strength of the other person" is a very modern and quintessentially Yonezu-like observation.

Instead of looking down on the other person as a "weak being to be protected," he respects them as an independent individual. Based on that, the lyrics convey a deep attachment and friendship born from an equal relationship, rather than a one-sided sense of justice.

5. 衒いも外連も消えてしまうくらいに 今は触っていたいんだ　君の心に

Romaji: Terai mo keren mo kiete shimau kurai ni / ima wa sawatte itainda / kimi no kokoro ni

Cultural Nuance: To the point where all my affectations and flashy displays no longer matter, I just want to reach out and touch the essence of your heart directly.

🗣 Japanese Insight: This line uses somewhat sophisticated vocabulary: "Terai" (衒い - vanity/affectation to make oneself look better) and "Keren" (外連 - staginess/flashy gimmicks to appeal to the crowd).

When trying to become a hero, people often fall into the trap of acting "noble." However, what is needed in truly important moments is a "naked heart" that has stripped away such armor. This phrase expresses a desperate wish to face the other person purely, without hiding one's uncool side.

6. 僕たちはきっといつか 遠く離れた太陽にすら手が届いて

Romaji: Bokutachi wa kitto itsuka / tooku hanareta taiyou ni sura te ga todoite

Cultural Nuance: Even if we are currently crawling on the ground, one day we will go high and far enough to reach even the distant sun.

🗣 Japanese Insight: The "Taiyou" (太陽 - Sun) symbolizes overwhelming talent or an unreachable ideal. Stating that our "hands will reach it" (手が届いて) is a declaration of making the impossible possible.

This links to the spirit of My Hero Academia—the "Plus Ultra" philosophy of surpassing limits through effort and passion, regardless of the qualities (Quirks) one was born with.

7. 蛹のままで眠る魂を 食べかけのまま捨てたあの夢を

Romaji: Sanagi no mama de nemuru tamashii o / tabekake no mama suteta ano yume o

Cultural Nuance: Awaken the soul that fell asleep in the middle of its transformation, and the dream that was cast aside half-finished.

🗣 Japanese Insight: A "Sanagi" (蛹 - Chrysalis/Pupa) is a state of silence, incomplete and cut off from the outside world, but it holds the potential to become a butterfly—meaning it can eventually become a "beautiful and magnificent being."

The word "Tabekake" (食べかけ - half-eaten/half-finished) realistically depicts the "incomplete pain" felt when one gave up on a dream in the past. To become a hero means to "reclaim" the passion discarded in the process of becoming an adult. It suggests that rescuing your past self and allowing it to "eclose" (emerge as a butterfly) is the condition for moving into the future.

🎤 Emotional Summary

Kenshi Yonezu’s "Peace Sign" is an anthem for all "those who have nothing," a song about saying "saraba" to a pathetic self and opening a dirt-stained fist into a "peace sign."

Carrying the purity of the day we looked up at that "airplane," stripping away all "terai" and "keren," we wish to be strong for someone precious. That sentiment lights a blue flame in our hearts as we struggle in the real world. When this song plays, we gain the courage to roll out powerfully into a new story.