Falling for Fudanjuku

Fudanjuku is quite a unique group, as the members are all women who dress as men. Now, whilst this sort of concept may not appeal to everyone, it appeals to me, especially as of late. Sometimes, I wonder why, but other times I simply do not care - I find Fudanjuku a great group, and so I just tell myself to not question it, though sometimes I just end up doing that.

I didn't really care for Fudanjuku at first - I knew about them through my sister, who was actually really into their female counterpart group, the Nakano Fujoshi Sisters, but at that time I took no interest in either group. I was pretty much strongly rooted to H!P and nothing else at that point, and had no desire to break away from the groups I had decided to like. However, around the end of 2011, when I really started to take notice of different groups outside of the Hello! Project mold, I actually went back to a few groups - Fudanjuku was one that I accidentally found again, though I am happy that I did.

The first song that I properly listened to from Fudanjuku was actuak Katsunda!, and unsurprisingly, I was freaked out by how weird it was. This was the start of me taking notice of them, however my first impression was not a good one - after listening to this song and watching the video halfway through for the first time, I didn't want to listen to this group again. But... that song...

Somehow, it got stuck in my head and I wanted to listen to it more. I didn't know why, because honestly, it did freak me out, however, after finally giving into the weird bliss of this song, I decided to search more on this group. The concept was interesting enough, however I wasn't convinced that I would like them any more than I did then. But I was wrong.

I searched for more songs from Fudanjuku after that, and found a few, though most were previews of the PV's which really did annoy me - if I wanted to listen to this group, I wanted to see the whole PV and hear the full song, and experience the group fully. This failed, and after a day, I gave up caring about finding anything by this group other than a really weird song that had somehow gotten stuck in my head.

I did, however, manage to find the PV for their debut single, the song Otokozaka, which I really did not take to or like. It wasn't something that was to my tastes, and made me even more determined to not follow this group at all. However, I was surprised by how deep some of these girls could make their voices, and the chorus of the song was catchy - but I didn't like the PV or the song enough to like the group themselves. So, I once again failed to recognise the greatness of this group, and decided to return to fangirling over Hello! Project groups whilst still trying to get into other groups that were outside of the UFA umbrella.

It wasn't until a while later that I began to search for Fudanjuku again - In fact, it was during my time where I was writing up my Johnny's Entertainment 3 Day Challenge, or when I was trying to get into boy groups. In the comment section, someone had suggested that I check out Fudanjuku - a group where the girls dressed as guys, as a suggestion to try and ease myself into become a fangirl for boy groups. I was reminded of the group, and whilst I wasn't overly keen on trying to find out more about them, my curiosity got the better of me, and I found a video which drew me into the group.

Love Spider was the first song from Fudanjuku that I really began to enjoy - I loved the vocals and how wonderful it all seemed. It was a beautiful song by a group of great vocalists. It was amazing to hear such low voices, and to know that this group was made up of girls and not boys, but still, I wasn't entranced by Fudanjuku, I had not fallen in love...

That was until Fudanjuku had released their 7th single, titled Kaze Ikki. This was posted up on Tokyohive when it came out, and a little curious, I decided to have a listen to the song to see how it fared, and it was then, the moment that I had clicked that play button, I began to taste the love I had for Fudanjuku. It was that moment that I fell into a whirlpool of absolute amazement. I was caught up in a web by the group, finally, and I started to like them more and more, and then I began to fangirl over them.

Kaze Ikki started it all for me - the catchy beat, the way the girls moved and how they looked really caught me - I was amazed by how entertaining this group was, and how they made the PV theirs and no one else's. They looked like a group, and they really made use of their surroundings, despite how little they seemed to be working with. There was no story line, no effects, just them and a cold background where they danced and walked around. But I was still amazed by it all.

Since then, Fudanjuku have become the group that I fangirl over the most besides Hello! Project - they are the group that I would buy singles to support if I could, because I like them so much. I think that they are amazing, and ever since listening to Kaze Ikki, I have realised that one of my favourite songs from this group is in fact the weirdly wonderful Katsunda! which I originally detested so. It was strange to realise that, however it is such a fun, cheeky song that makes me happy, and I love it.

I have since watched and listened to almost all of their A-side PV's, and have fallen for both the funny and the serious sides of Fudanjuku. I have also taken to watching clips of the group where they talk to each other, and have realised that I really like Renji as a personality. He is a funny and charming character, and I really like how he acts, especially when he converses with Vanilla Beans member, Rena.

I still need to listen to their B-sides, and listen to their albums that they have released, but I am still at a progressive stage where I am learning about the group itself, however I adore their music and how they present themselves. Whilst I am still fairly new to Fudanjuku, I have realised that I am falling in love with the group. Despite the rocky start that I had with the group beforehand, I have come to realise that I really do like this group, and that I want to continue supporting them as a fan from now on.

Fudanjuku are a great group, and right now, I am anticipating their 8th single. This is just the beginning of my love for this group...

Chiima~

Creeper Stares and Smiley Faced Coffee - YuiKaori's 'Kimi no YELL' PV Review!

All thoughts and opinions on this group, their songs and videos are my own and no one else's, unless it is otherwise stated. Please respect how I think and feel, and I will in turn respect your thoughts on such matters. Please do not bash me for how I think. Thank you.

YuiKaoi are a cute duo who started as singers for an anime titled Kiss x Sis with their debut single, Our Steady Boy, and have since spawned into something brilliant. These girls are a duo under UFA (believe it or not) and are one of my favourite smaller groups because of their music style and how the girls are overall presented. I think that people should look out for these girls because of their talent and presentation, as well as the wonderful PV's that they create, so if you haven't heard of them before, or have failed to check them out, you really should - because I don't think that you will be disappointed. (Though sometimes, people are)

Recently, their single Kimi no YELL came out and I impatiently awaited the release of the full PV for the song - a teaser of about 2 minutes had been brought out previously, but for a while there was no sign of a full video. However, I finally found one, and was surprised by the small storyline present, as well as the overall cuteness of the video.

With that said, let's get into the fun and colourful cuteness that is Kimi no YELL!

The PV opens up with a beautiful image of Kaori in all of her gloriousness...

Oh, school girls, you never fail to age~ Especially in Japan...

... Mayuyu and Yuukarin's love child is back, and boy, she looks pale...

Okay, that's one cute room.

I find it hard to believe that Yui is the waitress...

... And Kaori is the school girl. Is it just me who wants them to switch roles?

Kaori is pained by the fact that the younger one has a job before her! Waaah!

Whilst Creeper-smiling Yui is absolutely fine by it!

By the way, this girl doesn't stop freakin' moving in these scenes, it's annoying when you wanna screen cap something.

Oh no, if you play Peek-A-Boo, I won't be able to find you like that!!!

Kaori is a hard-studying student! She's been taking tips from STUDYxSTUDY by StylipS!!! Good going, girl!

Wait, why are there foam hands here? Are we at a football match?

Yes, because Kaori knew right away what she wanted, and where it was on the menu before it hit the table.

Telepathy, maybe?

Yui: "Give me candy, please!"

Kaori: "Give me the candy, or I won't get in the van."

Kaori, being the priviliged studious student she is, whilst Yui has to slave away to earn money day in and day out to go to college... ah, the life of the rich and the poor...

Nice pose, Yui - Kaori, looking as gorgeous as always~ <3

Even though her smile is slightly creepy, I still think that she is a gorgeous girl <3

Yui: "I have never seen such perfection before my very eyes until this day..."

Yui looks creepy just staring at her customer...

Kaori: "Why do I get the feeling that someone is staring at me...?"

Yui: -stares intensely-

Kaori looks good in glasses! <3

Kaori is tired from all of her studying! Maybe she should take a sip of that juice.

Wait, why are we back here!?

Lord, you're pale... You look ill, woman.

This scene was really cute - Yes, you Yell to the world, Yui!

... But Kaori's is cuter. You go, Kaori, you yell! Profanities for ALL!!!

A cheap, but effective, scene! Omg so awesome!!!

Yui: "Screw the fact that you've not even touched your orange juice and have some tea."

Kaori: "..."

Yui: "That will be $5.00~"

She has juice!!!! That she has not even sipped you interfering waitress!!!

Yes, Yui, because sitting down and conversing with a random customer on the job is a sure way to not get fired...

Looking cute as a waitress. I think she is adorable...

Maid costume please?

Kaori, looking wonderful and creepy with her smile <3 I adore thee~

A cute way to end a cute dance in a cute room...

Yui: "Bye bye, thanks for your moneyz!!!$$$"
Kaori: "I am never coming back here..." -leaves-


She still has YET to drink the OJ!!!!!!!!!!


Hey wait, that was a really short pic spam from me... Oh well, onto the review part of this post! Mwahaha, we are not done yet!!!

So, what are my overall thoughts on this video and song?

Well, considering that I have listened to the song more than I have watched the video for the song, I like both of them, but understandably, I like the song a tiny bit more. I enjoyed the PV, despite the good amount of Yui focus that the video has going on, and the song is just adorable and really nice to listen to. It probably isn't their best, but I rank it quite high.

This PV is really cute and colourful - something I would expect from an energetic and happy song like this. I enjoyed the dance shots, where the girls are in a polka-dot room with bright red outfits that stand out against the walls and bring focus to the girls. It's like the costumes themselves are shouting at the viewers to look at the girls rather than the background, which is what we want to do. What we do see of the dance is a really cute, energetic and rather busy dance which uses a lot of jumping around and arm movements, especially when it comes to Yui's parts. Ii really enjoyed the dance scenes, and thought that they were really cute, though it was rather Idol-ish, something that you would see from a girl group that portrays a cute image. However, that doesn't really bother me - I thought it was cute.

But I think that the one thing I really liked about this video was the story line. Whilst it isn't a very large storyline, it still depicts a sweet relationship between the two girls and shows a bond between them, despite the two being strangers at first. I did at first wonder why Yui was the waitress and not Kaori, as Kaori is about two years older than her partner in crime, however it became a lot clearer when I realised that this video is pretty much showing off Yui more than Kaori, creating an Angelic image of the girl and creating a persona of a Waitress who cares for her customers when they are in need of a little pick-me-up, hence the smiley coffee/tea that she brought to Kaori when she became frustrated with her studying. I thought that the scene was sweet, though I wished that the focus wasn't pushed mostly onto Yui, especially as these two are a duo.

But, that aside, I did like the message it gave - That there is always a friend there when you need them to make you happier. I liked that the video showed off the good relationship that these two girls have, even though they are supposed to be strangers throughout the video (or not, who knows, this is how I interpreted it). So, whislt this story line wasn't so big or even the greatest plot of all, it was nice and made the video more interesting that just a video with dance and close-up shots.

I enjoyed this PV - it may not be the most fantastic video out there, or the most splashed out on, but it is definitely worth the watch, because I find YuiKaori really entertaining. They create great expressions and have a nice relationship that you can relate to in a way, with how close they are. I sometimes get lost in how well these two work together, they seem like one rather than two, and I like that. It's better for people to blend than for a group or duo to look like they are just people who were stuck together for money making purposes.

These two girls really made the video work, and though it is rather simple, it is still really cute and sweet, much like the song itself.

Kimi no Yell is a really cute song - I think that's mostly because of Yui's voice, but I really love how the song sounds. It somewhat reminds me of my favourite YuiKaori song, Shooting Smile. It has that cute and happy beat to it, with a sort of soothing element added in there to give it that extra something. I enjoy how peppy the song itself is, especially on the more energetic beats in the instrumental, and how it can change from cute and happy to a slower and more calming beat that you could easily sway to.

I also love how beautifully Yui and Kaori blend together when they sing - their voices really mix well, though sometimes I think that Yui is kind of overpowering. But, these two really sound great together. They both have great voices, with Yui's being much more cute and higher than Kaori's softer and lower voice, and they create a nice contrast for each other whilst still making a great combination when they sing together. They are enjoyable to listen to, and I absolutely love their voices.

At least UFA are doing something right with some of their groups...

Anyway, it is time for me to Peace Out! and leave you to watch this cute video, and get a taste of this lovely song. Peace out guys~



Chiima~


PING!!! Idol Minded Recommended Reading: 30th March, 2012

Falling into The Honey Trap♪ - Ebisu Muscats 'Honey Trap♪' Single Review

All thoughts and opinions of this group, their songs and/or PVs are my own and no one else's, unless otherwise stated or quoted. Please respect my opinions, and do not offend me or anyone else in any way just to get your own opinions across. If you want to debate, please do, but please do so respectfully. Thank you.

I am not unfamiliar with Ebisu Muscats, however I do not follow them as closely as I would probably like to. For those of you who don't know, Ebisu Muscats (not to be confused with Ebichu, which I often to when I am talking to my sister) are an all female group consisting of Gravure and AV idols. They are an all adult group who show off their womanly charm, and do not have a fixed line-up.

Now, whilst I don't follow any of these girls or the group itself, I do like the music that they produce - their first single is quite catchy, and the same can be said for their latest single, Honey Trap♪, which was just recently released in Japan, and ever since I first listened to the title song, I have been pretty hooked on it for its catchy beat and the cute voices of the members.

So, let's get into a track-by-track review of this single, and see how the songs fare with my tricky tastes!

01. Honey Trap♪


The title track is a really catchy, cute song that is easily stuck in your head, and for an odd reason, reminds me slightly of SKE48's song Hanikami Lollipop. The song is upbeat and fun, with cute talking parts added in after a certain part of the song has been sung, giving a cute follow up to the lines in a more questioning tone. This song is something that is easily stuck in your head once you have heard it, and I really enjoy listening to it - I like the cute voices that we hear, as well as the rather old-fashioned type of beat I keep hearing in the background. It sounds like Idol music, but with a hint of nostalgia added to it to give the song some distinction. Because of how cute and poppy it is, especially with the cute 'Kowai Kowai, Honey Turappu', I think that this will become my favourite song from this group.

However, I do find the voices slightly annoying because of the overly cutesy voices used here - some sound forced, and it's a little bit irksome that grown women are pretending to be 'Kawaii desu~'.



02. Okaasan

Okaasan is the second track which is featured on both the Regular edition single and Limited C. This song is soft and pretty, like most slow songs, and starts off with the members of the group giving a message in soothing voices to their mothers, before singing as a chorus. The song pretty much switches between the girls talking and singing, but I like how soothing the song is throughout. It is peaceful, and gives you a sense of happiness because of how these girls sing and express their emotions throughout the entire song as they thank their mothers and express their gratitude and love. This song is very sweet, and it will make you happy as you listen to it. I think that this is a very lovely song, one that I could listen to over and over again. The girls sound beautiful, and I love how they come together like a chorus when they sing, rather than giving off a more childish vibe like they do in Honey Trap♪.



03. Katte ni Gonzalez

Katte no Gonzalez is the third song and is introduced on the Limited A single. The opening of the song reminds me of Koharu Kusumi's Oha single, Asaasamba, but the rest of it reminds me of, wouldn't you know it, samba music. This song has a lot of talking throughout it, and is pretty much a very long-winded instrumental without much importance to it. I don't find this track particularly appealing, as there is no singing going on throughout it, only someone instructing at certain points in the song, with the added group Samba! thrown in there to add more to the instrumental.

For e, this is probably the worst track, and the weakest. I see no point in it, and it bored me. However, I do like how it reminded me of Asaasamba in the beginning.

04. Go Go ... Purakawa

Go Go ... Purakawa is the last track feature don this single, and is available on the Limited B edition. If there was a song that I needed to remind of the Power Rangers or any super hero team, it would be this - the song reminds me of the days where I would watch Sailor Moon, Power Rangers and Dragon Ball Z as a child, heck, even the Powerpuff Girls. This song is quite cute and rather nostalgic, with catchy beats and rifts added to it, and catchy little lines such as Go Go Go Go Purakawa, which just add to the whole Super Sentai feel of the song. I actually wouldn't be surprised if this song was inspired by that annoying MomoClo song about Superheroes.

This song is really catchy, with some great vocals and really great effects added into the songs mix. It's an interesting listen, with a few talking parts that give a bit more of that cute Super Ranger feeling to the song. I really feel like these girls are singing about their adventures, and about saving people and I get that image of nostalgia in my mind. It makes me want to watch the Power Rangers, and I really do enjoy this song. It's catchy, fun, childish in a good way and very very cute. If you miss the days where Power Rangers was good (yet kind of tacky) or just want the nostalgic feel of a song, then give this one a try.

... Why does this one not have a PV out yet?

So, that is my take on this single - I think that all of the songs (except one of them) are all really strong and have a certain charm that will appeal to different people. Whilst I adore Honey Trap♪ for its catchy beat, I really like Go Go... Purakawa for its nostalgic feel and the whole cuteness of the song as well as how well it was made. It sounds like a song that was made for a TV show, and I adore it. If Honey Trap♪ manages to get out of my head, Purakawa might become one of my favourite songs.

Whilst I may not follow this group a lot, I do think that they are good - I would prefer that some members layed off the fake cute voices, however sometimes those voice do make the song. This single is good, and the songs are brilliant, albeit one mishap that needs to be taken off of the track listing, and the overall finish is nice. Ebisu Muscats are a good group, and I look forward to future singles from them.

And, to end this post, have you ever heard of the group? What do you make of their concept, and do you like their music?

Chiima~


PING!!! Idol Minded Recommended Reading: March 29th, 2012

Get Out The Wine, Party Poppers and Balloons, cos Haturs' Gunna Celebrate...

If you take the title seriously, then wow... xD My opinions = my own!

So a surprising news article appeared today, stating the graduation announcement of AKB48's leading lady, Maeda Atsuko. I wasn't intending to post anything about it, because really, I don't care about AKB enough to write about who is graduating (unless it's Takamina or Yuko, ofc), however as there is a lot of hype around it, why not jump into the deep end and swim with the fishies as well?

Now, I have stated on several/millions of occasions that Acchan is in fact that member of AKB48 I do not like. There is something about her than genuinely irritates me, and I don't mind admitting that. That said, I do not hate her - so anonymous comments who say 'OMG U HATE AKB, U HATUUUR!!!' - please go and play butthurt somewhere else. I don't hate the girl, I just don't like her like you do. I won't follow her just because you want me to. End of.

Okay, getting back on track - I was quite surprised to see this news pop up, though at first I thought it was a rumour. I was on my facebook account, and one of my friends on there had written a status in french, and it said 'Maeda Atsuko... leaving...', and that was how I first found out about it, but put it past my mind as Arama or Tokyohive hadn't really said anything about it, and I couldn't find news articles online about it (not even in Japanese, then again, my research sucks). So, a few hours later, guess what popped up?

Yeah... and I was enjoying the comments on Arama, but that's mostly because I like to take on the role of being a sadistic cow once in a while and revel in other peoples' misery. Okay, that's a joke - but it was fun looking at all of the reactions people were having concerning this news. Especially one that said 'The Acchan haters will now have something to celebrate...', and honestly, that makes me want to go and get a glass of wine to toast to her departure. But I won't, because I am not wasting any of my wine on Acchan.

... I also don't have wine to waste, so yea...

Anyway, let's cut to the chase - I wasn't expect Acchan to go now. I actually expected her to be in AKB until it disbanded, to be quite honest. Actually, I was more so thinking that Mariko would graduate (a lot of people seem to think so), so this was somewhat surprising for me. It also makes me wonder what will happen to AKB48 as a whole after she leaves...

When I was talking to my sister about, she gave me her speculations on the matter, and said that, because of this, she has a feeling that AKB may start to dwindle popularity wise, as Acchan was their biggest money maker and the girl who pretty much lead them to their victory for a while now. She is the face of AKB48 and the most recognisable member - even when I didn't know about AKB48 that well, it was Acchan who I always saw, and because of the amount she was plastered on the internet on English News sites that were Japanese based, I became more aware of who she was and the group she was associated with. That is pretty much how powerful/popular the girl is. So, it really does make me wonder if AKB will be able to go on without her?

Well, my guess is yes. I mean, if Morning Musume did fine with Gotomo, Abe Natsume and Ai-chan, then I think that AKB will do fine without Maeda. Considering Yuko's popularity as well as Mariko's kind of 'eh' popularity, AKB still has a lot of strong front girls. And, I hear they are bringing in SKE48 member Jurina and an NMB48 girl who are also popular? Aki-P is probably trying to do a lot for AKB now that his front girl is going off into the wilderness to seek fame and fortune in, apparently, acting (lol).

So, what do I think of this move, overall?

Honestly, I am pleased. I don't like Maeda Atsuko as an idol much at all. I find her acting rather crap (Hey, I speak the truth - you hate it, then go somewhere else where people praise Idols) and I don't care for her. However, she is the face of AKB48, the centre, the girl that everyone knows in the Wota world (if you don't, can I move into the rock next door to you?) and one of the biggest money makers in terms of being an Idol right now, I think. She is popular, and I think that her graduation might hurt AKB48 a little bit. I don't know how much, so I estimate a little bit.

Anyway, let's just say this - I'm gonna be quite happy to not see her face in future PV's, however, there will probably be a small feeling of 'WHERE DAFUQ IS SHE?' for the first few videos that she isn't in, and I am saying that truthfully. Also, to add to that, her graduation message was quite nice. It's weird to think that an Idol has mood swings...

Now, it's time to kick back, relax and watch the reactions of this news roll in, or to read existing comments...

Chiima~

I feel like a bitch, MWAHAHAHAHA

A More Sympathetic post is Here: Nia's Wonderland!

PING!!! Idol Minded Recommended Reading: Catch Up

Lord Gaki: Lustful Hunter - Morning Musume's 'Renai Hunter' PV Review

All thoughts and opinions on this group, the song and PV are my own, and no one else's unless otherwise stated or quoted. I have the freedom of thought, and so do you, however do not take advantage of this right by openly bashing my opinions just to make yourself feel good/righteous. If you do not like my opinion, then simply do not read what I write. If you want to oppose how I feel, please do, but please respect my opinion at the same time. Thank you~

Earlier, I did a small, rather excited, review of the video. There are no screen caps, just a small amount of writing and the video to the song and PV itself. Yes, I was that excited that I had to voice my opinion and love for the song and video before I actually could screen cap it. Is it really that awesome? Well, to me it is - a few people on Arama think differently, but I'm going to respect what they say, whilst slightly ignoring what they say, but taking into account that everyone has a different view of a video that I absolutely love.

So, with that said and done, I will get onto the pic spam - I will warn you all that this is a rather... healthy bout of pictures. I actually screen capped about 60 of them, with the first 20 being under the 2 minute mark of the entire PV. Yes, I was that excited that I screencapped the shit out of this amazing song! I love it that much! So, you will get a whirlwind of love!!!

Which is, wonderfully enough, mostly made up of Gaki. So, prepare yourselves and get out your love arrows, because this Renai Hunter!

The minute that the PV opened up with the title screen, my sister said 'OMG it looks like the Peace!' xD

Already looking badass...

Gaki is freaking gorgeous in this, js...

Lord Gaki and her Minion army! Just how we want it!

You work it girl!!!

Am I the only one who thinks that she looks like Yossie here?

Reina looks freakin' beautiful in this video, no lie!

The light of Awesome is just too much for Gaki to handle...

The wind blowing in their hair? Much love for it <3 Especially when it makes Gaki look even more beautiful than she already is.

Riho is seriously cute, but there was only one part where she actually impressed me in this video...

Gaki needs YOU!!! And she's pulling the 'come hither' gaze! -drools-

Looking sexy, and delicious... <3

Again, Reina is wonderful in this - such a beauty! <3 Flawless, effortless, winky-ful...

Aren't those curtains from Yume Miru 15sai?

These scenes... oh boy... -sighs dreamily-

Sayumi is, as always, extremely beautiful and tasty. No one can deny it!

Baby Predator is freakin' beautiful, as always <3

Gaki is enjoying the amount of awesome that she is, and loves the spotlight!

OMFG, A WILD AIKA APPEARED!!!

Throws Pokéball

... Do I need to even say how sexy Erina is getting lately? Especially in this video <3

Oh man... dat dance! xD

I think that Ayumi should be a model <3

Finally! Some Kanon, looking extremely wonderful and rather... alluring...

Haruka is also extremely flawless - all hail Queen Haruka!

-nosebleeds everywhere- Oh, Harunyan... <3

Magazines on badly CGI'ed sheets? Nice choice there, especially as they are sucking lollipops...

Oh, and Reina's smokin'.

But Gaki is the most epic here. She looks so. Damned. GOOD!!!

Lord Gaki: "Pervert~ I am innocent..."

Not so sure if she is... lawl, jokes ;D

Oh... DAT LOOK!!! That look screams 'come to bed...'

Mwahahahahahaha

Sayashi does a rather generic, but cute, pose~ Let's see how many others are the same...

Lord Gaki: "BITCH please!"

She knows she's awesome, hence the all-knowing smirk...

The amount of gorgeousness in the Winky is SO HIGH!

Aika is so damned cute, it's awesome <3

... And this scene <3 Oh man, the amount of love for this scene was rather damned high... <3

Two flawless beauties, together... yes!!!

Reina with wind-whipped hair is a rather sexy Reina~

The little wink she adds to this specific scene is adorable, and she looks rather divine~ <3

Mizuki is absolutely gorgeous in this, her innocence is a great contrast to how grown-up and cool everyone else seems.

... -dies from Eripon being too sekushii-

Oh man... two beauties, one after the other, giving me come-hither stares... -explodes-

Haruka, don't look so worried!

Kanon... is just... perfect <3

Ayumi looks wonderful, she should seriously be a model!!! <3

Oh, Kanon, you just get even more grown-up with every video... This is simply gorgeous, and professional model work <3

Sayumi looking absolutely gorgeous, and the two little dancers bowing down to her.

Sayumi is just precious <3

So... freakin... pretteh!!!

Haruna... is... FLAWLESS!!!

Omg... Haruka, you are so cute, but that pose is so... generic... xD

Gaki looks, as always, gorgeous with wind-blown hair... <3

Dat... STARE! <3

This video has convinced me that Eripon looks absolutely amazing with short hair! <3

Chokubo modelling... This is, of course, pure love because this is wonderful BUT, very generic pose wise Dx

Eripon... this... is... AWESOME

Masaki is so adorable,her smile is pure love <3 but her pose is very similar to Riho's haha

Morning Musume: "All hail, LORD GAKI!!!"

Lord Gaki: "Bow down to me, bitches!"

Fukuhime is just gorgeous in this <3 Especially these scenes~

Lord Gaki: "I'm the mother-f*cking Queen of Hello! Project! All hail ME"

Kanon is so innocent in this picture... <3

Oh... so beautiful...

Lord Gaki: "Ai-chan, I'm returning to you, baby <3"

Oh man, her wink <3 <3 <3 -explodes-

This scene made me want to cry like a baby!!!

So, I already did a rather quick, flustered and excited review on this PV already, but I am ready to do a better, probably more in-depth review where I basically tell you what I think, what others are thinking and how I am reacting to all of this. So, let's get started~

First off, the wonder that is the PV - you know I love it, I have stated that quite a bit already, and that's because it is so good!

The first time I watched this, I was pretty much in awe - I loved how all the girls look, how Gaki was presented and how she was the centre of the entire thing. Gaki was definitely the Queen Bee in this, and this is probably the only PV in UFA which focuses mostly on a graduating member. Even Ai-chan didn't get this much. Whilst Ai had a great amount of lines, Gaki definitely camera whored this video. This video definitely screams a lot about the graduation of a great Morning Musume member, and whilst she may not have been as prominant as Ai was in most singles, Gaki was definitely always noticed and focused on a lot more than other members were, even when she was new. You can't deny it.

Anyway, I like this PV for how much focus is on (certain) members, and not the video itself. I have stated before that I like it when a group is more noticeable than the backdrop, and recently, C-ute has done this with their latest PV, but it's Fudanjuku who I mostly think of when I start to think about groups that entertain you without the use of a lot of props or pretty backdrops. And this is the sort of video that does that. When I watch this, I pretty much see the members. Yes, I notice the backgrounds, but seriously, these backgrounds do not distract from the members themselves like Pyoko Pyoko Ultra did. So, I am very glad that UFA took that sort of approach, and made the background simple but still quite effective for the video.

And that will kind of bring me to some controversy in the internet world with the video itself - a few individuals seem to like to nit-pick on the whole cheap idea (once again) with this video. Obviously, it's because of the background where they dance, as well as the recycled curtains that were used from Yume Miru 15sai. Honestly, I don't see why people like to complain - they bitched, moaned and screamed over Pyoko Pyoko Ultra, and then they do it all over again for Renai Hunter, just because they can. Okay, I bitch and whine when I don't like something, but I at least try to find good things about something, not just point out all of the negatives. I guess that is what irks me really.

So, brushing that dust under the rug, I think that the outfits are awesome. When I first saw them, I did like them - they just reminded me of tin foil, or space cadet outfits. I like the concept of the outfits, though, and they suit the cool, edgy tone of the song more than I expected. Then there's the dance shot, another point of controversy in the Wota world. A lot of people find this dance rather embarrassing, and probably stupid, and I guess I agree in a way, but I find it funny rather than stupid and embarrassing. That, and I like how most of it centres around Niigaki and puts her in the centre position for the world to see. The dance works for the song, no matter how silly it may seem, and at some parts it looks quite cool. In all honesty, I think that the dance itself works well with the song. It doesn't look out of place, and I think I've seen worse dances.

Moving on... the close-up shots are, you guessed it, wonderful. I like that every single girl gets a bit of screen time. Granted, Eripon, Zukki, Harunyan and Fukuhime didn't get enough screen time like they deserved, but the rest got a decent amount - especially Gaki. I mean, she probably has the most close up shots in the entire PV which is epic, but also a tad unfair to the girls who aren't as pushed as the others. Yes, it is nice to see Gaki getting a lot of spotlight in her graduation single, but it's also really unfair to push certain members rather than others. Seriously, UFA, where is your logic in that? If you want girls to sell, push them all and not just a few.

Er...

The close-up shots were awesome, anyway. I thought that they were all done, and whilst the Yume Miru 15sai curtains seem to be an issue for some, I am glad that UFA are promoting recycling. The girls all looked amazing, and there was even a point where I thought 'Damn, Riho, you sound and look good here!'. But I think that the biggest surprise was the amount I noticed Reina in this - yes, she is always dominant in singles, but I rarely take notice of how pretty she is unless she really stands out, which she did here. I liked the more natural hair that she had going on, and how pretty her face is. She really just stood out, much like she did in ONLY YOU. Heck, I noticed her more than Sayumi, which is kinda not good on Sayu's part, but great for Reina herself.

I also noticed a lot of Haruka - she stood out more than I thought she would, even my sister was surprised by the amount that she stood out. When I was talking to my sister about the PV, she said that she was surprised by how much she remembered Haruka in the PV as opposed to the others, and I agreed. Haruka left a big impact. For an 11 year old (or 12, who knows), Haruka did a better job than nearly all of her senpai's - she has no solo's, less screen time than others, and yet she had the best shots out of everyone. She really is a star, and I hope that she gets pushed to the front, because she is someone to watch out for, and I am pretty sure she could steal the other members' spotlights.

Another big push to the front was, quite obviously, Ayumi - and yet she never left an impression on me in the PV, other than that she should definitely take up modelling. But she really doesn't stand out against other members to me, however a lot of people will surely oppose me on this, because I have read comments where people talk about Ayumi a lot and how she stood out to them. But, for me, she didn't. As for the rest of the members, I was sad that they got less screen time - Even Sayumi was shafted for Ayumi and Riho. I do wish that Zukki, Fukuhime, Eripon and Haruna had more screen time, because these girls have killer looks and interesting facial expressions (especially Zukki) which stood out to me. Eripon looked especially mature here, and she really rocked her solo shots. She looked simply amazing, and it does annoy me that her screen time was very little, the same with Zukki. Fukuhime and Haruna - in fact, for all the members who got shoved in the back, I am unhappy. But this is something that UFA will always do, because they like to push certain members.

Actually, all of the shots were good - the modelling shoot like shot was beautiful. I loved the wind-whipped hair that was going on throughout, and the beaded curtain scenes were lovely. I think that each girl rocked their individual shots, and I think that they all really looked cool. Well, Fukumura looked more angelic compared to the rest, but other than that, they rocked their outfits and really brought focus on themselves rather than the backdrops or the main singers. Even the random magazine shots that come into play are wonderful - each of the girls did interesting poses, with Eripon and Ayumi rocking theirs. I thought that it was really interesting how they did that, and whilst I find the effect rather cheesy, it worked with the video and just showed off the members a little more in an interesting way.

Overall, the PV is really good - I love that Gaki is a centre and takes up most of the lines, and I was really happy to see a lot more Aika here. Whilst she wasn't dancing, she looked great and her interaction with Masaki was wonderful. She really left a good impression on me, and it makes me hope that she will dance again in the next single. I am glad that she wasn't left out here, and you could really notice her, too. I like that Gaki brought on a more mature, leader-like face than when she was in Pyoko, and how she rocked this video. She really owned it all, and watching this video, I could really tell that she was Morning Musume's true leader.

The song itself now, and I will try to keep this short because I spent so long trying to explain things, is wonderful. I didn't expect it to be this cool and edgy, but it is pure wonder. I love that Gaki does get a lot of lines, but the main issue here would be the horrible line distribution throughout the entire song, and that does take away from how good it is. Only Niigaki, Reina, Sayumi and Riho get solo lines, and even then Sayumi only gets the one, which is sad. I wish that the line distribution could have been better, even if only two other members received lines. But, this is what we get, and it is something that I am still getting used to...

That said, I thought that the lines that were given were well sung. I was surprised by auto-tuned Sayumi, however I felt it seemed appropriate. It works with the mood and tone of the song, and it was really good. Only one solo line really struck me as not so great, and that was Riho's first line. Now, to me, Riho has a rather whiny voice - but that is what I hear, it does not necessarily mean that you hear it, too. But, her second solo line was absolutely mind-blowing. She sounded strong, determined and powerful, a total contrast to her first line in this song, and I was really impressed by her at that point. But, still - that first line she had was not my favourite, it sounded strained, nasally and whiny. But that is what I heard.

I think that the song and the PV are a great match - I love the PV, and I can see that there was a lot of effort put into it. Was it cheap? Maybe, but when I see these girls performing rather than entertaining, like in Pyoko, then I really don't give a crap about the back drop. You could see that they were working hard, and that the focus was on them in this video and not on their costumes or their backgrounds. I think that, because of this, the PV is great - one of the better graduation singles, and one of the best that Morning Musume has come out with in a long time. It isn't perfect, no, but it's darned good and finally, the PPU whiners can stfu!

Oh, and the last clip of the entire video? Yes, it made me want to cry. Because we all know that Niigaki does truly love Morning Musume, and for me, she is Morning Musume.

What do you all think of the video, and who did you notice the most?

Chiima~


PING!!! Idol Minded Recommended Reading: Catch-Up