Masayuki Suzuki -- Tatoe Sekai ga Soppo Muite mo（たとえ世界がそっぽ向いても）

For all of us "Kaguya-sama" fans, there are only a few more episodes left in Season 2 which means just a few more chances left to see the opening credits with the King of Love Songs belting out "DADDY! DADDY! DO!" featuring Airi Suzuki（鈴木愛理）.

Not that folks will especially go into premature withdrawal when things do wrap up (hoping for that Season 3) since the fans of the songs have most likely already purchased their CDs of "DADDY! DADDY! DO!" and even Masayuki Suzuki's（鈴木雅之）"All Time Rock n' Roll" album. And of course, there are plenty of YouTube videos with the song. I don't comprehensively follow reaction videos for all anime by any means, but I have been doing so for those for "Kaguya-sama", and maybe it's the first time that I've seen a reaction video just focused on the theme song. Yes, "DADDY! DADDY! DO!" is indeed catchy catchy, too.

However, I remember in the weeks leading to the beginning of Season 2 that my anime buddy and I were wondering what the opening theme would be and would Martin be returning to do it. I'm sure that a lot of fans were doing much the same.

Then, in February this year, Suzuki came out with a digital download single, and I jumped the gun and immediately assumed before listening that this would be the opening theme for the new episodes of "Kaguya-sama". After all, the first opening for Season 1 of the show had been "Love Dramatic", a banger of a tune that I thought would have been great for a live-action drama from years previously, let alone a late-night anime.

And "Tatoe Sekai ga Soppo Muite mo" (Even If The World Turns Away From You) does have that wonderful urbane soul for which Martin has been famous for decades. Plus, it was written and composed by Masayoshi Oishi（大石昌良）, a singer-songwriter who is a known figure in the anime industry. I then assumed that it was going to be the ending theme for "Kaguya-sama" because of its more ballad-like feeling.

However, this soulful ballad didn't go to the anime. It actually became the theme song for the second season of a TV Tokyo live-action series based on some detective fiction titled "Chuuzai Keiji"（駐在刑事...Local Detective）that had its run between January and March.

"Tatoe Sekai ga Soppo Muite mo" is as cool and silky as the natty suit that Suzuki is wearing in the short music video and on the cover of the single. He is suaveness personified, and knowing that NHK's Kohaku Utagassen is probably going to be vastly different at the end of this year, I would still love to see him perform this one or "DADDY! DADDY! DO!". Both songs are on Disc 3 of the 4-disc "All Time Rock n' Roll" album that came out in April 2020. Also happy to realize that it peaked at No. 4.

Like a lot of folks, I can hardly believe that Suzuki is approaching the usual age of retirement. I certainly hope that he keeps on singing and comes back for the opening theme for a Season 3 of "Kaguya-sama" if there's one.