Don't Be Discouraged
1997 single by Megumi Hayashibara
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"Don't Be Discouraged"[a] is a song by Japanese voice actress and recording artist Megumi Hayashibara. Written by Hidetoshi Sato with lyrics penned by Hayashibara,[b] the song was released as a single on April 22, 2009, via Starchild.[1]
| "Don't Be Discouraged" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
8-cm CD single cover | ||||
| Single by Megumi Hayashibara | ||||
| from the album Feel Well | ||||
| Language | Japanese | |||
| B-side | "Breeze" | |||
| Released | April 23, 1997 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:11 | |||
| Label | Starchild | |||
| Composer | Hidetoshi Sato | |||
| Lyricist | Megumi | |||
| Megumi Hayashibara singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "Don't Be Discouraged" on YouTube | ||||
It is one of Hayashibara's most popular singles, coming close to the commercial success of her earlier Slayers single "Give a Reason."[2]
Background and release
"Don't Be Discouraged" served as the ending theme for the television anime series Slayers Try, the third season of the Slayers franchise.[1] For the single release, the song was coupled with "Breeze", which was used as opening theme for the same series.[3] This became the first Slayers theme song single released by Hayashibara in which the lead track served as ending, as opposed to the opening theme for the series. Hayashibara wrote the lyrics for "Don't Be Discouraged," while Satomi Arimori—lyricist of the two previous opening themes for Slayers, "Get Along" and "Give a Reason"— wrote the lyrics for "Breeze."[4]
Both "Don't Be Discouraged" and "Breeze" were first included on the compilation album Slayers Try Treasure Box released on June 21, 1997.[5] The soundtrack album of Slayers Try released on August 21, 1997, included the TV-size versions, in addition to two previously-unreleased remixes of each track.[6] "Don't Be Discouraged" was fist included on a solo album by Hayashibara in Feel Well released in 2002.[7] As for "Breeze," the song was first included on a Hayashibara album in Plain released in 2007.[8]
Both songs were included on Hayashibara's Slayers theme-song compilation albums Slayers Megumix (2008)[9] and Slayers Megumixxx (2020),[10] while only "Don't Be Discouraged" was included on Hayashibara's greatest hits albums Vintage White (2011)[11] and Vintage Denim (2021).[12]
The original single was made available for streaming worldwide on March 30, 2021, along with the entire Megumi Hayashibara discography.[13]
Commercial performance
"Don't Be Discouraged" achieved significant commercial success, debuting and peaking at number 4 on the Oricon charts,[14] and selling 105,590 copies on its first week.[15] Its first-week sales marked the first (and to date, only) instance of a voice actor's solo single surpassing the threshold of 100,000 copies on the Oricon charts.[16][17] The single charted for eight weeks in total, with reported sales amounting to 211,340 copies.[15] It is Hayashibara's second best-selling single to date after "Give a Reason," and it was also her highest-charting single until being surpassed by "Northern Lights" in 2002.[18]
The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan in May 1997.[19]
Track listing
All music is composed by Hidetoshi Sato.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Don't Be Discouraged" | Megumi | Keiji Soeda | 4:11 |
| 2. | "Breeze" | Satomi Arimori | Soeda | 4:26 |
| 3. | "Don't Be Discouraged" (off vocal version) | 4:11 | ||
| 4. | "Breeze" (off vocal version) | 4:24 |
Charts
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Japan (RIAJ)[21] | Gold | 200,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Notes
- Stylized in lower case on the Japanese release.