Toshiro Omi -- Kanojo wa Iya to Iimashita (彼女はイヤッと言いました)

Rather slick-looking fellow, if I don't say so myself.

Source: J-Wiki

Toshiro Omi (近江俊郎) is a name I see quite often whenever I'm digging around YouTube for enka or ryukoka to listen to due to his melancholic "Yu no Machi no Elegy" (湯の町エレジー) sitting among those fondly remembered kayo of yesteryear - I talked on it a little in Part 1 of the Masao Koga (古賀政男) Creator article, so you can check it out here if, you like. He seemed like a pretty cool character to me (just like a few other artistes from his era) and I quite enjoy his vocals, so I was keen to get to know more of what other songs he had recorded in his career besides his smash hit. Quite by coincidence, I stumbled upon "Kanojo wa Iya to Iimashita". It's not one of Omi's more well-known entries in his discography as, besides this video, I am not able to find it anywhere else on the web. I do, however, find it entertaining.

Unlike "Yu no Machi no Elegy", this isn't your cry-in-your-sake-at-the-bar tune. In fact, it's a stark contrast with its happy-go-lucky and charming score that is quite refreshing and easy on the ears, brought to you by Shigeru Tamura (田村しげる). And then there's the lyrics. "Kanojo wa Iya to Iimashita", translates to something on the line of "My girlfriend/She said no", so what's the girl saying no to? Well, it's not explicitly mentioned, but from what 青戸隆幸 (I'm not sure how his name is pronounced) had written and that sweetly coy manner in which Omi sang the "no/iya" bit, I believe it's quite apparent that our leading lady here is not rejecting an offer of a cheeseburger. Instead, she's shutting down the hopeful advances of her sweetheart as they take a stroll down a (most likely) secluded forest path, much to his increasing frustration. Despite that, it looks like she finally relents in the end after he got miffed by the prospect of not hitting first base... or maybe he was gunning for a home run?

Whatever intentions the fellow has in mind, it gives quite an honest look into what goes down in a young/new relationship, I must say, but with its undertones and premises, I wonder if Omi got some flak from the powers that be for "Kanojo wa Iya to Iimashita" when it came out in 1952. And then again, with all the scrutiny going on in the recent years, I'm pretty sure if it came out at this day and age there'll be netizens (among others) pouncing on it and tearing it to shreds.

Anyway, since this is the first proper article for Omi, here's some background info on him. Omi, whose real name was Toshihiko Ohkura (大蔵敏彦), was born in Tokyo on 7th July 1918. He debuted as a singer under the name of Toshihiro Sameshima (鮫島敏弘... I also don't know if that's the right pronunciation) with the song "Suberoyo Ski" (辷ろよスキー) in 1936. However, he did not produce any hits for a good decade, and had revised his stage name multiple times only settling on "Toshiro Omi" in 1942. It was only in 1946 when he finally had his big break via "Kanashiki Takebue" (悲しき竹笛), a duet with Mitsue Nara (奈良光枝), and then "Yu no Machi no Elegy" came out a couple of years later, and its success allowed Omi to join the ranks of Haruo Oka (岡晴夫) and Yoshio Tabata (田端義夫), who were collectively known as the Sengou Sanba Garasu (戦後三羽烏... Postwar Trio). In 1955, he made his directorial debut with the movie "Youki na Tengoku" (陽気な天国) which he starred in and was produced by his own company, Omi Production (近江プロダクション). In 1992, at the age of 73, Omi passed away after battling prostate cancer for a few years.

P.S. Y'know perhaps this lady's lover would've backed down if she had this wonderful postcard courtesy of the nutso character Sam, played by the crudely hilarious YouTuber Brandon Rogers - only look up his stuff if you don't have a weak heart.

imgrum.org/media/1231347142924833161_2410543715

... Okay, okay, I'm kidding. Please don't come after me.