Before Christmas dares to come to our doorsteps and eat away time in writing anything but winter themed tunes, I hope to dedicate a little of my time to a few PV's I have recently enjoyed a great deal, and share my thoughts - and spam - on them here. Because time is pressing, however, I'm pretty unsure as to how many reviews I can throw out? We shall just have to wait and see.
Well, before any more time runs out, I'm going to take a look of one of my most recent favourites in videos today, and share with you all my thoughts and feelings on it, and just why I find myself loving it so very much. Are you ready to let the Orchestra cry out and pull at those heart strings?
I am not one for BiSH. I was hardly one for BiS before they disbanded (then subsequently revived, all thanks to the existence of BiSH. Ha!), however there are times where I will sometimes get curious and check something out by them. In this case, during my usual PV scroll-through, I came across Orchestra; the title appealed to me, the thumbnail looked promising, and for a second, it did not click that this was by BiSH; the group who basically debuted with a music video to gross out its viewers. When it did register who had made this video, however, I was further intrigued. Also, that thumbnail was damn cute, and I wanted to know if it was of a member in the group that I could fangirl over.
Well, turns out the thumbnail girl is an actress used in the music video, but, still; it piqued my intrigue, and here I am today, completely and utterly besotted by the very essence that is Orchestra.
Admittedly, I'm quite surprised; as the 'successor' of BiS, I really don't expect much in terms of a typical seriousness from this type of group. More or less, I think that they might intrigue or confuse me, possibly deliver a sense of difference and other in their videos and songs. If I were to look at BiSH, I would kind of want to feel like I'm being put in a disruptive world, or maybe I would want to feel disturbed and uncomfortable during a viewing. Certainly, I would not hope to expect something so tame, if you will, or something as serious in a vanilla sense, like what AKB would do. I expect 'the other' from a group like BiSH, and hope to be surprised and taken away from the usual Idol fare I deal with daily.
Well, they certainly surprised. They also delivered something 'other' that I did not expect, and they've intrigued me a great deal. Though this is something I might see from another group - because Idols and their managements are getting exceedingly good and 'real' in what they produce lately - it is not a video I would expect from BiSH. It's unexpected, but it is highly welcomed, and they've shown me they can be 'serious' in a real sense, and that they can provide something strong, relevant and necessary just like every other Idol group and their founding mother can.
That, and BiSH have now taken my pre-conceived thoughts on what I thought they were, and shown me that I really should not judge a book by its cover (again), because they are not the group I thought they were. They are actually a lot more, and they are very, very good at what they do.
Before I ramble further and fall deeper in love with BiSH, I'll stop and let you look through all the screen shots taken during my (possibly 100th) viewing of the music video, comments included. Because this is a heavier spam - 81 images, gifs included - I probably won't comment on every picture, especially if and when no words are needed to describe the beauty and sorrow held within the frame, because this is truly a video to be appreciated and adored for its aesthetic, its story, and everything it reveals to the viewer, and I do not want to ruin that very beauty with my incessant commentary.
This is Orchestra by BiSH. Will your own orchestra ring out at the sound of their voice?
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And already I'm in love. This is such a beautiful shot.
Heck, I can feel the thoughts running through her head, I can hear the loneliness... and it feels so powerful, just in this opening scene.
Hello, establishing shot. Thank you for showing me who I have to care about.
Good grief, you are pretty! She has the features of a doll!
... It always happens in the outdoor corridor, doesn't it? Everything to do with school story lines always happens in; the gym, classroom B-1 or something, and the outdoor corridor.
Okay, this is an amazing shot. I really feel like the world is revolving around BiSH right now, and rightly so!
Now that's an interesting angle, and it makes me happy
Atsuko: "Can we... can we stop hugging yet?"
Chicchi: "Didn't our contract say no talking during huggy times!?"
Atsuko: "But you smell like garlic!"
Most awkward hug goes to... Atsuko and Chicchi! Aina and LingLing are seriously convincing, though.
And another pretty shot! Aina is a natural born conductor, it seems.
Okay, y'all know somethings gone down. She is looking guilty AF and can't look the other kid in the eye.
Aaaaand she either really does not give a shit, or she is a little bit done with life and feeling downtrodden.
I pick the latter.
Intriguing. Wish I had a drummer playing for me, myself and I.
Good gravy, she is gorgeous. Of all the members, Aina is the one I would most likely date, given the chance. She is haaaawt.
Is it just me, or do these two have amazing chemistry? Also, I love this scene. I really could not deal with leaving it out.
Suzumi: "... I'd tap that."
This is playing out like a slice of life manga. It's so damn obvious, but you kind of can't help but enjoy it.
These are really well shot scenes, and Ayuni is really channeling her inner sorrow, here.
I really like this dance move, though I don't know what it's about. Are they playing baseball? Are they pelting Ayuni D with paper wads and chalk erasers? Are they throwing bread to the ducks? We shall never know.
Also, how in the heyll is Suzumi (bottom) 16, yet looks 12, and Rion (top) 19, yet looks 14??? HOW!? Do they bathe in the fountain of youth, or what?
Atsuko ever so slightly reminds me of Seneca Crane from The Hunger Games.
You can really feel the power coming through once the instrumental hits its high, here. It practically shakes the room.
This is developing, and it's quite sweet. Like raspberries.
Suzumi: "Let's bang!"
Rion: "... Wait, what?"
Suzumi: "The drums. Let's bang them!"
Can we just appreciate the magnificence of these camera shots and angles, and the orchestra that Aina is basically owning at this point?
I kind of want to award this MV an Oscar. Might have to make a Chiima x O!MT equivalent, one day, because this is spectacularly directed and edited.
Praise the BiSH and All Hail the Orchestra!
If this isn't a metaphor for chaos, I don't know what is.
This scene makes me want to write a poem.
Momoko is freakin' cute, and she looks tiny. I like tiny!
Also, I love the chairs and how orderly they are here. Are how the chairs positioned to do with emotions and organisation? How straightforward or chaotic people are? It looks like it.
So many interpretations, so few answers. Sigh.
Cute. Suzumi is really adorable here, whilst Rion is just like 'Pls, child, calm down'.
It actually says a lot about how they are in showing their emotions, thinking back on this MV; and it says a lot about how they will react later on, too, to certain developments. Hmm...
Jeebus Cripes, they really developed these characters and defined everything to a T. Well freakin' done, Avex o-O
This scene just breaks my heart ): LingLing might not sing as emotionally as Aina, but holy shit, her reactions and expression tell a damn story, here., and she is hurt. Cripes.
Huh. I only just really noticed this, but they are hiding from others and eating alone. Oh, boy, this can't end well.
She faces the world head on, but hides her feelings. That's the vibe I'm getting from the chairs.
Also, Mihotan vibes. My baby Mihotan... she's been Idol reincarnated in the form of LingLing. Is this a sign?
Just realised that all three scenes above are quite possibly a metaphor for 'Forbidden Fruit', and Seneca Crane / Atsuko is eating said fruit, too. Note, she does not have chairs.
Basically, Atsuko will do as she pleases. She does not need the world to care about feelings or fronts, so long as she's okay with it.
Seneca Crane died for the sins of Katniss and Peeta, you know.
I just really love how powerful this scene feels, and how much Atsuko / Seneca is clearly enjoying that very power coursing through her veins as she screams to the skies.
Forbidden Fruit. Forbidden Fruit...
You can kind of see the hesitancy with Rion in this scene when you watch the video, but how assured Suzumi herself is. That speaks so many volumes for their characters and how they are approaching their attraction towards each other.
The amount of raw emotion and power Aina has in her is absolutely mesmirising, and I really cannot stop watching her. This girl is incredible.
These scenes hurt me so much, especially when you come to realise that Suzumi is fighting for the girl she likes, whilst Rion just...
Chicchi looks so broken up here ):
I can't help but tear up. Once I learned after a few re-watches of the video, I figured out why this PV is so powerful; Suzumi loves Rion so much that she is fighting for her, but Rion either did not love her back enough to fight, or feels so deeply ashamed, she won't fight back.
No matter what the scenario, though, it's deeply saddening, and I can really feel my heartbreak whenever the scene replays in my mind and on my screen...
So many striking, memorable scenes, and all so perfectly orchestrated.
...
One of the most powerful and emotionally crafted sequences in the choreography. So simple, but so perfect, and so well tuned to the song, the video and the vibe. It really does hurt to watch it, sometimes.
And we are now back to the beginning, where it begins. Where it ends.
Aina is absolutely incredible. She was truly the best choice for such a powerful, heart-wrenching display.
Why don't you fight!?
Suzumi... ):
... I actually never realised that these two scenes are in perfect harmony. Both looking up to the sky, atop the chaos of they have created, searching for an answer to the dilemma they have situated themselves in.
This video is so damn beautiful, and it is brimming with meaning and metaphors. It's so thought-provoking.
Is she facing all she wants head on? There is nothing behind her, so she might not see what happened in the past, but instead faces everything in front of her, because the world is at her feet, not at her heels.
This is just a visually stunning masterpiece.
The memories, and the orchestra begin to mesh together as you remember their voice and look up to the sky that you shared together.
And where we began, with Rion looking down, then towards the sky, we end with Suzumi looking towards the sky, and then to the ground, because it is a sky she no longer shares. Because Suzumi will no longer hold onto the memories.
I will never forget
The sound of your goodbye
We should have stayed so close
But now all that connects us
is that sky
(Source)
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When looking at the very essence that is Orchestra, I can't help but think to myself that this was one heart-wrenching journey. Much like DEEP GIRL's I Kill, BiSH's Orchestra delivers a string of powerful emotions deeply rooted into a powerful story with thought provoking imagery, and some tough consequences for the characters in question. Visually it's stunning, but the small details that have been ingrained into the imagery here makes the video so much more than a cinematic piece. As a product, Orchestra not only looks great, but also has depth, humanity and extreme self-awareness of the story it is aiming to portray.
I have watched this video a great deal many times. A good portion of those views were for enjoyment, but some were to see what I had missed out on, to dissect and learn. More than anything, I've found that the more I watch Orchestra, the more I fall in love with it; the little details especially allow me to appreciate this story more. The use of the fruit bowls when the girls are feeding each other, how the fruit is placed right next to their entwined hands. How Rion's reactions differ greatly to the extreme emotions of Suzumi Kanon. How Suzumi is the one to move on whilst Rion stays firmly rooted to the past. How Rion is the one to look towards the sky whilst Suzumi's gaze falls to the ground, and how that very scene seems to mimic the opening sequence, but in reverse. There is so much that goes on this video, and all of it can be so subtle, but once you notice it, it really does open the video up so much more, and you begin to understand it better than before.
One of the great things about this video is that, all information fed to us is not unnecessary, Everything happens for a reason, and the development of the two lead characters is relevant until the very end. How each girl acts, from Suzumi's carefree nature to Rion's more reserved demeanor, you are able to get a good idea of what they are like, and why the other reacts the way she does when their relationship is found out. Because of such amazing character development, the story becomes so much more emotional, and you become so much more invested in what has been produced.
Another amazing thing about Orchestra is, of course, the performance aspect. Looking back, my initial thoughts on this video were, for the most part, based on BiSH and how I perceived them here. They were raw, but in a way, they seemed to lack the emotional depth vocally for such a powerful video. Indeed, I still think this a little bit, but after watching it so much... it's not about the vocal performance, but the interactions between members and what their expressions portray. After watching this so many times, and coming to find the vocals actually so enhance the song even more (because in a way, they are emotionally raw and distinct), I have also realised that when performing such an intense piece visually, how these members look during both the choreography and solo sequences is pivotal; without such interactions, and without those looks of pain or sorrow etched deep within their features, we would not receive something so incredibly moving.
There is so much beauty in this video and song together, and a lot of it, I really felt that I could not capture. It is truly like a movie, echoing the sorrows of the past and the regrets of the future, and it was captured in such a way that is moving, memorable and heart-wrenching. Orchestra felt real, and its story is something we hear about every day, from friends or family, or in the online world, and for these people we grieve their loss, we hope for their happiness, and we wish for a world in which the can feel safe to say they loved someone who their community, family, schools or general lifestyle did not - would not - accept. It is absolutely heartbreaking, but what makes this video so beautiful and so damn bittersweet is its reality, because this is not some made up story - its brutal, and for some people, this is their world.
There is so much that goes on in Orchestra, but it has been beautifully crafted in every way. From the story sequences to the performance piece, everything is placed together in perfect harmony. We see the emotions of the characters in how they interact and react, and we see the chaos of BiSH's emotions through the rooms they sit in and how their chairs - or lack of - are placed. We learn how, of the two girls that fell in love, that one truly did want the world to see who they were and what their love meant, whilst the other just wished to hide away. We experience the hurt of the BiSH members as they sing this song, how they look at each other in their choreography, and how they long to reach out to one another. We hear in every lyric the beauty and sadness etched deeply into this song, and all throughout the performance of both characters and members, we come understand the pain of the memories this song brings, because Orchestra is all about that; the memories of lost friendships, love and relationships, and the heartache that such memories being.
Orchestra is a personal piece. It can invoke in you many things, and it can connect you in a way other videos might not be able to. It is more than an ordinary music video, and it is more than a story. The saddest thing about this entire piece, however, is that this is reality; sometimes, when you love someone to the point where you will fight for them, and that person you love has just given up, you find yourself giving up, too. It is then that you step away and leave behind everything you had believed in and fought for. This is truly the most heart-wrenching thing.
This is an amazing music video, and it has quickly become one of my favourites for 2016. Thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, real and absolutely stunning in all it reveals, Orchestra is right next to I Kill for one of 2016's best music videos, period. The impact it has had on me is greater than even I could imagine, and I honestly urge everyone who has yet to see it to take a look, because this was a game-changer for me. Now, I have immense respect for BiSH, and a great deal of love for a song and video I might have otherwise ignored, simply because I never really cared to watch anything by the group that produced such a piece.
"I will never forget
Holding your hand
And laughing together
The oh so many tears I’ve she
And the voice with which I speak
Are my orchestra"
(Source)
Until next time. Take care.
Much love,
Chiima∼
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