Thursday 20 October 2011

Bringing me Nostalgia - Sea☆A 'DELI-DELI☆DELICIOUS' PV Review

All opinions regarding the song, PV and the group are my own. Your opinions are also your own, and even if we conflict, we must remember that everyone, at some point, is an opinionated person~


Sea☆A made their debut back in August this year with their song Dream Shooter. Under the label LantisSea☆A are a Singaporean group of girls who love anime and manga and the Japanese culture. Their debut single was compared to SNSD's single Oh! for the similar costumes and look the girls portrayed, however have been well received since their debut, though some people do like to pick at what girls wear in videos.

Seriously, costumes aren't owned by a specific company. That's kinda like nit-picking that anyone who wears sailor fuku or a school uniform in their PV is copying from AKB48, or anyone who wears gold sparkly stuff is stealing from Morning Musume's THE PEACE!

Anyway, getting back on track - I was seriously surprised by the sudden appearance of a new single from this group. I really loved their debut, Dream Shooter, because of how playful the video was and how nice the song turned out to be. I thought that they had a pretty good debut, however being a new Idol group, I thought that it would take a while for the girls to get another single.

2-3 months later, and we have one! And Oh my lord, this is so good! I absolutely adore it!

This is probably going to be my favourite Happy-Love-JoyJoy song since Hetappi Winku. Seriously~

Time to hit up the pic spam! (Warning: References are used in this post)


The opening brings back some Puyo Pop Fever nostalgia thanks to the colourful and cute font for the title.


I'm loving these outfits - the girls really suit yellow and orange/coral. It's bright and fun, a nice contrast from Dream Shooter in my opinion.


Oh, my childhood is coming back to me... cartridge games ;~; <3


This just reminds me of Cooking Mama xD


Character time! Let's see who has the better stats! (Though I'm a shallow player, I choose based on favourite colours and their looks, or based on their magic ability)

Beryl's pretty weak: 25 HP? Then again her Magic is at 40 MP, so that makes up for it.


52 HP! WHOOT! Go Valerie for high Health Points! But D'awww, no MP D;


Wynnie, with 45 HP and 20 MP. Fair does.


Estelle's the same as Wynnie!? WHY? Give some damned differentiation, geez!

Anyway, based on stats, I'd most likely go for Beryl because of her Mage Powa, or Estelle because she's my favourite. Mwahaha, shallowness~ Though 20 MP and 45 Health is good for me, so Estelle~


Oh! GAME START!

Why the fuck am I Wynnie?


Wynnie shows you how big her Lolly Pop is - wanna have a suck?


I love the graphics on this, just so ya know~


Oh no, Valerie's hungry! Quick, Wynnie, let her suck on your lolly pop!


I said Lolly pop! Don't Kami-Hami-Ha!


Oh well, it seemed to work - High five!


Reality? What? NO!!!


Oh good, game time~ These scenes are really fun, in my opinion~


Yes, Beryl, you are delicious - though your outfit is rather hideous, to be honest.


Yay! We made it to Bowsers Castle! Time to save Princess Peach!


Oh wait, Mobey Dick's decided he wants to have a good old NOM!


Gamer Girls <3 Wynnie, so serious <3


LAWL favourite scene. Seriously, I want a head-nomming cake as a pet.


Valerie kicks the shit out of the cakes and cream puffs (is that what they are?) and saves Beryl and her hideous outfit.


Damsel in Distress syndrome~


HEART ARROW!!! (blatant Mew Mew Power/English Tokyo Mew Mew reference)


YEAH we effing WIN! Peace out, yo!


Shit just got worse...


Why you cheering, you're gonna be decapitated by a fecking plushie!


Oh wait, they all whipped out their lolly pops and are now pounding him with Lolly POWA!!!


YEAH we won!!!


Personal space issues, Wynnie :/


What's that over there!?


Faking the smiles :/


Wynnie, you almost made Estelle drop the drink on the games console! How could you!


Yeah, face palm - epic fail, Wynnie, epic fail.


The orange juice made it rain! Damn, now we smell of orange! Waaah!~


Okay, let's fly!


In-game and real life scene? Epic!!! <3 Now I feel like I'm watching them actually play the damned game and experience it, too~


Fudge, Valerie's pregnant - bun in the oven!


Oh wait... they're just hungry. Boooring :/


Beryl shows her magical abilities from the game and produces fecking CAKE <3

And no, it is not a lie :D


Stats are going up, OMYGAWSH YES!!!!


Estelle thinks 'It's over 90000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'


My screens gone choppy! Now, what's happened? Save point, FECKING SAVE POINT!!!


The girls are now in-game! Oh my gosh! Yes, best fecking game EVER!


Wynnie, he doesn't wanna be poked sweety.


Cutest... screen... EVER!


Now that's one colourful place - I wanna go, it looks like my ideal Candy Land!


Epic poses, one of which Wynnie ROCKS!


Fuck. YES! I pwned this game! -throws console to the ground and does a victory pose-

Okay, getting back to reality and the review, I will finish off this post with my overall opinion of both the song and the video and what it has meant for me in terms of how it was created:

The first time I watched this video, I was thrown back to my childhood. Nostalgia overtook me, and memories of playing Super Mario on the NES, Puyo Pop Fever and the experience of 90's video games came crashing back. Watching this video was pretty much like seeing my childhood in the format of a video: The graphics and the absolute childish simplicity of it all, the fun and excitement of finding an item, and the absolute adrenaline you get after defeating a boss. Heck, seeing the cartridge and screen stats were enough to send me into a nostalgia-filled state of bliss.

The video itself is exciting, even without these elements of nostalgia to help pull it through. The stop-motion picture and cartoony effect really give the video a childish and creative feeling, so even if you don't recall playing Super Mario Bros as a child or experiencing games at all, the video is a bright and colourful affair that really sets itself apart from Sea☆A's debut single and is something that is really fun to watch and look at. Not only is it visually appealing for the audience, but there is also a really cute story line going along that all gamers can relate to when remembering the games of the 90's. A hero, a damsel in distress, certain items to use for power ups or special abilities, and that one mage character you use for magical and healing purposes (personally my favourite type of character) as well as the archer.

The video is adventurous and, though it's taking on the CG effect that most videos seem to go for now, it works for the song and the girls. What we have been given from Sea☆A is a colourful, fun, adventurous and relatable video that a lot of people will surely enjoy, no matter what age or gender.

Personally, what I love about it is the nostalgia it brings me and the happiness. The video is something which, for me, reminds me of how I used to spend my summer with my older brothers, one of my older sisters and my youngest sister. We would always play Mario on our NES, and then when I was a bit older I played Puyo Pop Fever with my nephew and niece and younger sister. These parts of my childhood are something I treasure and miss deeply, because I no longer play games like I used to, so seeing a video like this which throws me back to my past like it has done is something that I will love and always smile at because of how well made and how nostalgic it can be for a person. This is a truly well made video, with great graphics and a beautiful use of stop motion, and whilst some fans may compare it to the likes of Mini Moni videos, I feel that it represents so much more and, quite obviously, has better graphics.

Now, regarding the song, I loved it from the get-go. The song is a positive and happy tune that is really catchy and really memorable. I find myself already singing to some of the lyrics, mostly the English ones, that are present in this energetic and up-beat song.

The starting point of the song is a lot calmer than what the rest of it is, but it picks up very quickly, and once the lyrics start there is this very game-like feel to the song, especially from the first lines that we hear, which sound like they've been corrupted in a way, and honestly reminded me of something that is pixelated and distorted, like when your game freezes. All the way from the start until the very end, the song is playful and fun, and when you watch the video with the song you can really see how well these two pair together. The scenes and the song flow so well together, and with the infusion of English and Japanese lyrics displayed in both the video and song, you get something that is both very fun to listen to as well as something that is entertaining to watch.

At the end of it all, I think that it is the video that is the winner for me. I absolutely adore the song, but the video is just something that really takes me back to my childhood and helps me to remember the things that I used to love, and also makes me realise how much I have changed as a person. I still love games, but I don't play them like I used to. This song and the video make me realise how much I want to play games again, and reminds me of the addiction I had as a little girl. Though I still love to play Pokémon, I can no longer recognise myself as a gamer girl. Once, I spent my summers playing Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Pokemon and other fantasy based games religiously, staying up until late just so that I could kick Demyx's puny little ass. This video has brought back an excitement for games that I haven't felt in a long time, and it makes me feel really happy and energised in so many ways that I can hardly explain myself.

There are so many things about the video that I love: The way the story goes, the blocky but beautiful graphics, the cuteness of it all, the real-life girls in-game, the English lyrics like 'Video Game, Oh My God, Excuse Me, Go Fight etc', the group effort of defeating a boss, the friendship and competitiveness you gain through a game, the rush of happiness and relief when you defeat that boss, the sheer joy of playing the game, the real-life impact it can have on myself and the nostalgia that it brings me back to.

I thought of a lot of things when I watched this video, but my final thoughts were that I was so happy a video was created during the beginning of my life as a  Wota. I couldn't help but think that this is one of the best videos I have ever seen, and for a group that is still really new and fresh on the scene, Sea☆A have created a really big impact on me, and I am really happy that a group like this has appeared on the Idol scene.

I loved their first song, Dream Shooter, but not even that song can compare to the absolute wonder that is DELI-DELI☆DELICIOUS, one of the best videos, in my opinion, that has ever been created. No game has impressed me so much like this one has, so I really give it a high recommendation purely because of that.


Enjoy, everyone, and experience the gamer-like awesomeness that is DELI-DELI☆DELICIOUS.

Power up!!!

Chiima~

2 comments:

  1. Wow, this was a really cute and entertaining PV - I doubt I'd have come across it if it weren't for your post, so thank you!

    It seems like an odd concept for a group (I almost wasn't expecting the song to be in japanese, hearing that they are from Singapore). I have to say, they're really fun and cute. I'm a sucker for fun groups.

    It's also nice to see a PV that had real effort put into it, unlike so many these days that are just close-ups mixed with dance shots. This one was a nice blast to the past and super fun. Thanks again for the introduction, I will have to keep an eye on them!

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  2. @BeForJess
    Oh my gosh that makes me happy xD I introduced you to a group, so really I am happy :D <3

    I was surprised when they debuted because of their roots - three are actually from Singapore, whilst Wynnie is from Malaysia, so none of them are Japanese, however they're a pretty strong group from this single already, and I adore them!

    And I know what you mean - if H!P did a PV like this, I would be ecstatic! But alas, that is not the case.

    Anyway, I am glad that this group has interested you! I am going to impatiently await their next PV!

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