Tuesday 28 May 2013

Okay! Musume Digest #53

D-D-D-DIGESTO!!!!!!

This Week in Idol News...

Tanaka Reina Graduation footage!!! S/mileage promote their second album and new single! UFP allow some H!P girls to use Twitter!? Album details released for Ono Erena and Kyary! Mari Yaguchi cheats? WHAT!? The return of Ogawa Mana! The Surprise of Team Surprise? AND MORE!!!!

Sunday 26 May 2013

Fighting for my Hero - Ono Erena's 'Fighting☆Hero' PV Review

You know what I think about opinions and such... my opinions = MY OWN, and your opinions = YOUR OWN. Don't like mine or anothers opinion? Well, suck it up and get over it, cos we ain't changing our views for you. Can't handle it? Then please, get out, and let the door kick you as you leave. Thanks.

Holy moly, I think I am in love... and not just my 'I love every Idol Love', no, I mean my 'Gaki Idol Love'. You know the one where Gaki like, is my one and only love forever? Yeah, well, I think that I've found a second 'Coming of Gaki' in terms of love in an Idol, which is admittedly very strange, and even now I still feel weird about it... but yeah, the love is there, and I swear that it is growing stronger ever second...

It's Idols like this girl that make me so happy I came across the Path of the Wota, ya know?


So Idol in Question is, obviously, Ono Erena - and it's all because of her new PV and song for her starring drama, Tank Top Fighter. Now, I have followed Erena since her solo debut, and I really like her. A lot. But I never gotten to that degree of Wota Love, where I compare my love for her to my love for Gaki (a big, big deal, Chimian dears), up until now. And I kinda have her new song Fighting☆Hero to thank for that, I guess.

I honestly don't know how to explain it, but that could be a mix of both awe and sleepiness helping with that, though I do know this; I really am in Love, I believe. The way Erena just portrays herself in this, how she moves, her charisma, charm... everything about her in this is pure love for me, and when I watch her again and again, I just can't help but be continuously be blown away by her, taken in by her voice and personality. Each time I watch Fighting☆Hero, I manage to fall in love with her over and over again...

... And I need to stop talking until I have finished my pic spam, because you know, I ramble. And I ramble a lot, especially when sleepy. So, nail hit on the head (ow!), let's get into the Pic spam. I will also introduce a drinking game to you that will start pretty damn quickly during the pic spam, so get your Vodka, Jack Daniels or rum out and prepare yourselves, because this could get pretty crazy...

Or you could just pass out. Who knows? Either way, this'll be fun! 70 pics AHOY!!!! Yup, 70! Can you blame me, though?


Erena really has a thing for hair extensions, doesn't she? Also...

I WANT THAT GIANT CUPCAKE!!!!!


I swear to Lord Gaki, you could make a drinking game out of all the winks Erena does in this one video. So, up for the challenge, anyone? I call this 'The Winking Game'. A Wink gets you a Drink, so... bottoms up, this is Shot number 1 of Vodka, or Glug Numero Uno of Jack Daniels, your choice. -knocks back the vodka-


Holy heck, Erena looks pretty damn sexy o-o


Erena: "Get in my Happy Place, get in my Happy Place, I am now in my Happy Place, om...."

She looks so at peace here, it's amazing. And hey, is that a billowing flag in the background!?


D'awww, she looks like she's concentrating, how cute!


I do love these snazzy backdrops she's got going on here, by the way. They're pretty amazing, aren't they?


Oh look, Wink number two! Sure, it looks like a twitch, but I know my fail winks anywhere. Now... DRINK!!!! -glugs Vodka-


Whoa, Erena's a footballer! Or Soccer player!... Whatever she is, I don't care, because wow, nice. Also... dat Backdrop.


Ahhhh, so she's drawing what she inspires to be? That's pretty cool, actually! YAY, FOOTBALL! AND SOCCER!!!!


Mhm, Lip biting... Pretty easy to miss, but once you see it, it never leaves your mind.


I can't help but think of America when I see the billowing flag, or Captain America... hm, Captain Erena of America/Japan... hm...

Who would actually have Erina as the Captain of something? I WOULD!!!! -hand shoots up-


Whoa whoa, back up there lass... did we suddenly time warp back over to Erepyon or something?


... We just might have done, though Erena looks undeniably younger here, and the gloves are yellow in Fighting☆Hero, and her hair is longer... yeah...

... BUT STILL!!!!


Erena: "I want to thank my fans, for always being there, and the Wota, for all their dedication when buying my goods... no, not my 'goods', my Idol Goods... urgh, you know what I mean..."


Footy Erena: "Well, you see, I just had to dribble the ball and then knock some of the other players out without them noticing..."

Who here agree's me with when I say this: Ono Erena looks pretty damn smokin' in a Footy/Soccer shirt? Anyone?

RAISE YOUR HANDS!!!! -raises hand and waits for your hands to raise...-


Boxer Erena: "And then I knocked 'em out! POW, RIGHT IN THE KISSER!"

Admittedly, she does look tougher here than she did in Erepyon, doesn't she?


My Lord, she is gorgeous. And perfect... we can not forget perfect.


A drink for a Wink, so drinky time! -chugs-


Erena: "... Chiima, you should not drink that much for the sake of Winking."

Yes, Erena, I know. But it's fun, so I will do it.


Even her profile shots are beautiful. How beautiful can one person be!?


Aaaaand DUCK LIPS!!! Chuu~


Holy heck, that is one determined look on her face! FIERCE, BABY, FIERCE!!!!


... From fierce to sexy in a second, daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!!!!


Looks a lil' bit like the ol' Lazy eye, but nope, that's a wink I think. So, time to have a drink. Cheers! -raises glass and then drinks in one-


Erena demonstrates her awesomeness by doing a few footy moves! You go, Erena!


Have I ever mentioned how pretty I think she is? And hey! I think that I have some bows similar to hers...


Oh, oh, what will Erena's next dream-Hero be, I wonder!?


... THE PRESIDENT!?

Also... GLASSES FTW!!!! Digging them specs there, President Ono!


Ooooh, and a baseball player? I keep forgetting that baseball is so big in Japan, but hey! Erena actually looks male here. Maybe she should go audition for Fudanjuku whilst she's at it? She cross dresses in her PV's enough!


President Ono: "... What? You expect me to take this crap from you?"

HEY!!! STOP THROWING PAPER AT THE PRESIDENT!!!


President Ono: "Bitch, please... I'm the President." -throws paper ball back-

I love that all of these scenes are actually television reports, rather than just 'scenes'. It shows how Erena is imagining herself in scenario's that are from the views of a viewer, watching media hero's whom we look up to, and idolise...

Wait, am I even making sense here? Hm...


Erena: "You never make sense, Chii..."

I know... I know... -cries-


Bitch, she looks FABULOUS!!!! And I do like them snazzy tights she's wearing, don't you?


Looks a bit like she cricked her neck, but hey, it's a wink! So, guess what it's time for, chaps? That's right... DRINKING TIME!!!!! -swigs from the bottle-


Okay, that come hither look... yes, Erena, just YES!!!


Erena: "Om nom nom..."

It looks like someone skipped out on her breakfast, so now she's having a bit of a nom on the microphone. Nice.


From eating the microphone to looking sweet as pie... daaaamn this girl is amazing, and perfect, and beautiful... My Lord <3


Erena: "Hmph, of course I'm perfect. I am Ono Erena, Preside of the ONE!!!"

... And now she is smug!!!! She truly is awesome, isn't she?


Confident, cool and sexy one second...


... And absolutely LOVIN' IT the next second! I can't get enough of this girl, she can just switch her personality so beautifully and just make me think 'cooooooor blimey girl, I LOVE YOU!' no matter what!!!!


Captain Erena: "I am so proud to be awesome... I LOVE YOU ALL!!!"

Baseball was never a sport I liked, but whatever, I'd support Erena's team if she played the game!



She still looks damn snazzy with those glasses on. Erena, I love you! Please become the President of whatever country you want to become the president of!!! ONEGAI!!!


Yes Erena, do the Fighting☆Hero pose! I will fight with you!!!!


AHAHAHA Oh god yes, this is so cute it's... Erena, you pull so many faces in this video and then there's just this adorable fluff of cuteness with your puffy face! Adorable, girl, ADORABLE!!!! -hugs her-


Erena: "My dreams are not far, I shall reach them soon, and so will you..."

Is that hope she is reaching for, her dreams, or her fans? We will never know...


Is it bad of me to think that she's sexy as heck? Oh, she's turning 20 this year? Okay, good, I don't feel bad now.


... hnnng!


How is it that she can be cute, then sexy, then cute again, then absolutely d'awwww before turning on the sexy charm again? Is it even possible!?


... Oh, and then she turns on the male charm, too. Erena, what are you doing to me!?


Yes, Erena, pointing WILL HELP YOU WIN!!!!


HAHAHAHA omg, this bit of the video had me dying! Wiggle wiggle, Erena, wiggle!!!


Oh look, shoes!!!! Are they a subtle hint to her Idol persona in the video?


My gosh she does look pretty here, though. She is a gorgeous looking girl... -sigh-


Erena: "Om..."

Are we going back to meditating or finder our inner chi, Erena?

Also, to me, she looks quite holy here? Or Perfect. Both are good for me.


Gaargh, how can she look so cute and innocent and then turn into...


This stunning, beautiful and haaaawt thing? Hnnng.... <3


Oooh, wink... -hic-... to drink... -falls unconscious onto a table somewhere whilst attempting to down another shot-


... Wait, duck lips again? Do I need to add Duck Lip Pout things to my Winking Drink game or something? It would certainly add to the fun, I guess...


I just really like this part of the video, so yes, I did have to screen cap it!!!


Footy Erena: "Yes, I know... I am amazing, so of course I wo. the trophy for my team..."

Ooooh, confetti!!!!


Boxer Erena: "Yuuuuur, winning!"

Looks like all that time training in Erepyon finally paid off!


She just looks so damn cool in these scenes. Admit it, she does.


Wait, is she kissing the microphone!? Erena, don't do it, save your kisses for meeeeeeeeeeee!!!


What shirt is she wearing under her dress? I want to know!!!


Holy heck, that is one serious face our President has got on there! But whatever... she still looks hot ;D

Also, I do love her hair like that!


Yes, Erena, you are awesome, but please don't punch me!!! -cowers away-


Her confidence in this video, even in the scenes where she plays as different people, is absolutely amazing in my eyes...


Yup, still freakin' amazing!!! And damn, I can't get over those tights.


This is all of you, right now, after taking those shots for the Winking Drink game. I bet you don't regret it either, you drunks.


Look, even Erena's passed out from all the alcohol she had to take whenever she saw a Wink in the PV.


Foreshadowing~~~~~~~ Her first album is titled ERENA, derp

Now, where to start with this review... beginning a review is always the hardest part for me, because I want it to flow, you know? So this is always difficult, trying to construct a semi-decent sentence, especially for a PV I like/love/bow down to... hm...

Anyway, as you have probably guessed from the pic spam (70 of the beauties, YAY!) and my dithering about earlier on in the post, I have a bit of a crush on this song, and the singer, that absolutely adore Fighting☆Hero Wait, saying that I adore it may be a little bit of an understatement, but I can't find any better word to describe how much I like this song, but really, I do adore it a lot, and I really want to try and express this sense of adoration through this review, through the pic spam... through dithering about... Well, you get what I mean; I ultimately want to try and share with you how much I enjoy this song, and why I enjoy it. Easy-peasy Lemon-squeezy, as they say.

So, beginning with the song itself, I feel that whenever I listen to this song, I feel inspired to just, y'know, do things. Like try and accomplish something to the best ability that I can, and be proud of myself for what I have done. It's the sort of song that I find, as a listener, very uplifting and motivational, which is how this song should be I think - what does a title like Fighting☆Hero say to you, because to me it says 'Motivation and Inspiration', and for me, the title of this song fits the sound perfectly. It seems to motivate me to do something, and inspires me to be the best that I can be, no matter what I choose to do... and I find that pretty awesome. I love that the song and the title just fit together so perfectly, you know?

I also want to take a moment here to just appreciate Erena's beautiful voice. My lord, I swear that this is the best she has sounded since... well, I guess since her debut. She sounds so strong here, and so mature as well. It's like there is someone else singing in a way. Her confidence and pure joy when singing this is so noticeable to, and it truly is amazing for me. I just can't help but fall in love with her voice over and over again with this song, it's just incredible... My goodness, Erena, just... just marry me already!!!

It's as if she is singing to you specifically, actually. It's like she is speaking to you, and motivating you to go forward and do what you can to achieve your very own dreams, fight for what you want and to become a Hero in your own right. So, it's amazing really, that Erena can create a motivational song in sound, but also a song that sounds motivational through her voice as well... and I think that that is why I love Fighting☆Hero as a song so much, because it's not only catchy and pop-rocky, but also because it sounds like it was created to motivate the listener to do what they want, as well as to inspire them to become great in their careers, and the fact that Erena herself sounds like she is motivating the listeners through her voice... well, that's a bonus and just shows how awesome she is, doesn't it?

Moving onto the PV now that I have expressed my love for the song, I do need to say that yes, I love it. Then again, I love nearly everything that Ono Erena produces it seems, but this PV... well, I just really like it, and it has to do with the little bit of humour that Erena throws in there, as well as how god-damn-sexy she is. But she is always damn attractive, though in Fighting☆Hero she truly does take the cake in how gorgeous she is here, am I right?

So, the video; there are actually two video's for this one song, the first being the 'Original ver.' and the second being the 'Drama ver.' and I chose this one because, honestly, there is more variety in it and I like the 'Idol' look to it. I found this video, whilst not as dramatic or cool as the Drama version, was quirky and great in its own way, and I liked the idea of Erena taking on these roles of 'Heroes in the Media' where she portrayed four different figures and the situations she was put in as one of those heroes. I also enjoyed that she put her own spin of humour into this video, because it did make me laugh and enjoy it all the more, especially when she did that little basbeball hip-wiggle. Very funny and cute!

However, I think that one of the aspects that I enjoyed the most about this PV had to be the fact that, out of all the Media Heroes Erena could have chosen, she actually chose jobs that are usually catered towards men - it was interesting, to say the least, and I liked that she took on those roles. Yes, I know that we get female footballers, baseball players, wrestlers/boxers and, very very rarely, female presidents, but tell me this honestly; how many of these female footballers, wrestlers and baseball players do you see in the Media? For me, very rarely - in fact, I only ever hear bout female football players on the Radio, and that is only a brief moment in the mornings when I go off to college, so to see Erena take on these roles that mostly men are praised for in the Media was extremely interesting, but I did like it. I found it enjoyable and nice that Erena, as a girl dreaming at her desk, was dreaming of these different careers that she aspired to be, regardless of her own gender, and how she aimed to become a Hero in her own right with those careers. It was very refreshing, and great to see what Erena, as a normal girl, aspired to be in the future.

And I think that's what is so great about this PV; that Erena is reaching out to the girls who watch this, to everyone actually, and basically saying 'Reach out for your dreams and aspirations, regardless of who you are, and fight for them. Become the Hero you dream to be'. She is just telling us viewers to get motivated and go for what we want, because we can do it if we persevere.

Admittedly I did think that this was just another 'Idol PV' when I first watched it, but after seeing it over and over again and seeing the message that I do, I do think that this song and video go beyond that. This is not, to me, a simple Idol PV - it's a motivational video that is there to help you motivate and inspire yourself to become something amazing, and to go on and reach out for your dreams, no matter what they are. Erena has not only written and sung an inspiring and motivational song, but has also been in a video that shows that you can become who you want to be, regardless of your gender, and to go for it no matter what your dream is, big or small. Yes, all of the roles she takes on are media-orientated, but for me I feel like the message is to become your own Hero, and to go for everything you want, and to me that is a pretty amazing message, and this song and video do both make me want to aspire to become better at certain things, and to basically fight for what I want to do.

All in all I do think that this is one amazing song and PV combination, and I think that Ono Erena is an amazing Idol. I think that, so far, this is my favourite A-side from her to date. It sounds great, it has some originality, the video is motivational and absolutely brilliant, and Erena sounds amazing. I don't think that I could ask for more, really.




Now, I shall leave you, because I want to Fight for some tights like Erena's!!!! And THEN I shall truly be a Hero! Hya!

Chiima~

PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: May 26th 2013