It Sucks! It's Awesome! It Sucks! It's Awesome! The contradictions of Chiima and AKB48's Gingham Check PV

All thoughts and opinions are most definitely my own, and I have a feeling a lot of people will hate my opinion, as this post concerns AKB48 - but yeah, guess what? My blog, my freedom~ Huhuhu~

Aki-P certainly has a talent - and by that, I mean he has a talent in presenting something so plain and generic, but somehow makes it look a lot greater than it really is. How else does he make shitty songs like Gingham Check, or even Everyday Kachuusha, sell so well when they really aren't that great?

I will be rather blunt and admit that I find Gingham Check to be one of the laziest songs Aki-P has written for AKB48, or at least the ones that I have cared enough to listen to, as well as one of the laziest songs with the laziest cover art for each limited/regular release. However, props to the Cinematography for this PV - it makes the entire thing somewhat worthwhile to care about.

So, much like Everyday Kachuusha, Gingham Check sucks song wise (even though I do find it catchy, woohoo~) but really makes up for how generic and over-used the song itself is with a pretty good PV, though I personally do have a few issues with the MV itself, but really, it's up to the person how they see it, isn't it? A lot of people love it, but there will be those who have their differences - and guess who's one of them?

Blatantly me, duh.

Anyway, before I get into what I find wrong with the video, let's get into the PV and embark on a movie extravaganza! Let's GO!

The most boring way to open a PV, isn't it?

Oh, look! Hard Gay's made an appearance!

Oh, wait, it's only Atsuko... No need to get excited, guys, it isn't really Hard Gay ):

... Hard Gay has returned!!!

Cop Guy: "Ima blow a hole in yo head for hittin' me, gurl!"

Nice title, very creative xD

...

These names ain't gonna get any better, are they?

Though WOW, Yuki doesn't look boring and plain for once! She looks pretty badass!

...

Dafuq is this, Grease meets West Side Story?

But I don't wanna fear Mayuyu! D8

Okay, I don't give two fucks how old she is, Jurina riding that bike is so HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWT! You ride that bike, baby!

...

Why does this PV try to fail in so many ways when it looks so good!?

Okay, this just has to be the icing on top of the fail cake... CHICKEN SCRATCHES? Seriously now, choreographers!?

You have just made Pyoko Pyoko Ultra look a whooooole lot less embarrassing, just saying x3

Y'know, Yuko-Hard Gay, I would be screaming my head off and crying like a baby if someone shot at my window, not sitting there as calm as toffee!!!!

...

Can Toffee be calm?

PRETTY!!!!! *^*

Mariko: "Bitch, please. Haturs gunna HATE."

Oh... my... GAWD Mariko is HAWT!!! And when you see her, Jurina too

I don't think I've ever seen someone pull off a one-piece skin tight suit so well. Please, Mariko, for the love of Lord Gaki, wear a cat suit and play cat woman for the sake of the fans!!!

Even Yuki and whoever the hell he is thinks that you're smokin'!

... Erm, whut?

With a love as contrived as theirs, I bloody well hope not.

OOOOH, BITCH FIGHT FOR NUMBER ONE!

Go on Mayuyu, slap dat Ho!

Nice shot, I really like the view, though I still feel like I am watching West Side Story meets Grease x3

Clearly, Yuko enjoys being tied up whilst lover boy wonders if 50 Shades of Gray had anything to do with this sudden predicament...

Er... What the fuck did I just watch? Fairies... what?

Moulin Rouge reference...? Er... what, anyone?

Yuki, what the fuck have you been smoking to make these things appear? Why are fairies in this already plot-less PV!?

Okay, admittedly, the best bit x3 It made me lol a lot~

DAT SMILE!

The smile of a killer, people. The smile of a killur. You can clearly see that she is enjoying this

I'm digging the pipes in the background. Girls, get outta da way! You is blockin' ma view!

No, not Mayuyu! Take Atsuko instead! She's not wanted any more!!!

How the Hell do you fit romance in there!? And pay attention to poor Godzilla Kitty!!!

Now that's a porno title! Ready to hit a store near you!

...

I don't even wanna know what this porno has in store for its viewers...

Thrilleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer Thriller NIGHT!

I half expect Freddy Kruger to pop out of nowhere, for some reason.

And blatant High School Musical/Generic musical about romance and whatever jump! YEEEEAH!

Okay, so before I begun my pic spam, I said that I had some personal issues with the video, and I guess you're wondering what the heck they are?

Well, for me, I find the PV to be a bit clustered - there is a lot going on in Gingham Check, so much that you don't really know where to look, or what to even think about. It's one whole big mash up of different movies, which is all fine and dandy, but there is no plot, no consistency, no way to tie everything together, and it's all just really quite random and when I watch it, it doesn't just look messy, it feels it too.

There were points in the video where I was drawn in, and then parts where I wondered what the hell was going on, like when the Fairies and space girls came into the Godzilla based scenes. What was their purpose in the video other than to fit the other girls in? In the Ring styled scenes, we had girls being dragged away by ghosts, so that tied in. In the Police scenes, we had a gang of girls in one piece suits coming in to shoot everyone, and that tied in pretty well. So why the hell did they have to throw in fairies and space cadets just for the sake of it? It made no sense, and it really made me think about how much I truly liked the PV, and what its flaws were.

Cinematography wise, this PV is really beautiful - the scenes, locations and editing style really fit with the movies that the settings are based on, such as dark and chilling for the Ring based scenes, or sepia-toned filters and bad green screen effects used for the Monster Kitty Godzilla shots. Yes, it was filmed and edited wonderfully, and I applaud the director for how well he did the video, but honestly, it's all a mess and quite confusing at some parts, and it makes me wonder just why people think that this is the most amazing video to come out of AKB48's PV history.

Well, in my opinion it isn't - I award that honor to Flying Get, no matter how much I hate the song. At least that PV had consistency and plot, and didn't confuse me at all like Gingham Check does at certain points.

Again, the PV is filmed beautifully, and I do like it - the scenes which were supposed to be 'horrific' or terrifying certainly had me laughing loudly for a good few minutes, and I love the locations they use and how these scenes do look like a movie. I just don't like how clustered this all is. There is too much going on, and it can get overwhelming.

Though, another thing to pin point (which isn't a major deal, considering the girls are all idols) is the fact that these girls can barely act - most of them, especially during the scare-scenes, these girls look like they are smiling and laughing despite being in peril. I never bought their act - Oh, especially Yuki's. Her relationship with that guy is so contrived. Honestly, the only girl I bought in this entire thing with her acting skills was Yuko. You go girl!

And before I start talking about the song itself, let's just a take a moment to remember that dance...

Yeeeah, what the hell? Why is there a Chicken Scratch move in there? I didn't know that AKB48 had been so inspired by Pyoko Pyoko Ultra, did you!? Next thing you know, they'll be in Chicken suits clucking around, though of course, AKB can currently sell anything because of their name...

Anyway, it's a really well shot PV, but it has its bad points like any other PV. It's got great locations, the girls look so damn fine (especially you, Mariko) and it uses some of the most memorable and iconic movies of all time that came from Japan to help set this PV apart from the rest, and if anything, it will be the PV that sells this single, not the song.

Speaking of which...

Ue Kara Mariko, anyone?

Honestly, this sounds quite like that song, and if you hate Ue Kara Mariko, you might not like this one. It has that same generic, plain instrumental that doesn't really stick out against other singles, and the girls actually start to sound quite annoying at some parts of the song. So, does that stop me liking it?

Fuck no! I love it, actually! I'm the sort of person who likes to listen to generic songs every now and again, even the sucky, over-rated Everyday Kachuusha. No matter how over-used or boring the song can be, if it's generic, I will surely like it! And that's pretty much the case with most of AKB48's recent songs now. Most of them have the same instrumental with a few different beats added into it, and a new name attached, and voila! New song~ Though yeah, it doesn't bother many people, because AKB continue to sell well, but it honestly doesn't mean that the song is amazing.

Because it sucks. I really think it does, no matter how much I contradict myself and tell you I love this song. I still think that, by AKB48 and Idol standards, this song sucks badly.

But it's too damn catchy to not let go! Honestly, Ue Kara Mariko.2 is just as infectious as the first version, which I do absolutely adore, but even I know that Aki-P got lazy with this song. With something as amazing as Manatsu no Sounds Good!, I really did have high expectations for this single, and whilst I am relatively happy with this song, I do wish that there had been more to it, because let's be bluntly honest here - this song does not shine a candle to the PV. In no way does the song make the PV look good, it is the PV which makes the song sound good, even when the two don't fit together at all.

The PV and song put together is actually quite weird, in my opinion. Something that was shot quite nicely, with a few muck-ups going on here and there, has been paired with a very plain and over-used song, something you can hear on probably one or two other AKB tracks, and that cobination is questionable, though very clever for Aki-P. I think that he did good in investing in a high budget PV, because even if the song isn't favoured by fans, I know that the PV will be - in the end, sex video's sell - why do you think they're called Promotional Videos?

When a song sucks, just get a good video - people like that. We are easily appealed visually, so get in lots of visuals, Aki-P! So, the song is lazy? Yeah, who cares, have a high budget PV, the prettiness of it will make up for the crap song.

It's how the Media industry works, y'all.

Oh lord, I'm giving a lesson... urgh...

Anyway, my final thoughts: The PV and song don't match, but Aki-P really does know how to sell his girls, even when the song is as generic as this one.

Now, why are there fairies and space cadets in the video? Can anyone explain other than to blatantly put the girls in there?

PEACE!!!

Chiima~

PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: August 27th, 2012