It's not even Halloween, and yet we're already been given a music video worthy of the Horror genre! Tonight, in this wonderful playground of Zombies and fear, let's enjoy a cinematic experience, and enjoy a wonderful fright-fest!
For the first Review of the year, let's take a seat, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the on-coming onslaught of J-pop music videos...
MUAHAHAHA!
After doing such a post-heavy month like December, January usually feels pretty slow. It's a little weird to go back to having no series or plans for my reviews, and honestly, it's one of the more frustrating things. Writers block doesn't help, either, and my desire to blog has waned a little because of the heavy schedule December usually brings, what with essay deadlines, Christmas Posts, and also work and anything else I might need to do.
Of course, I do all these things because I love them, and also, because I want to. I like the challenge, and having so many things to write and look forward to.
In general, though, January is a bit of a slow months in terms of Music Videos. I don't really expect anything amazing to come out of the Idol groups until a bit later on (Though last year, DEEP GIRL was the eye-opening exception to the usual expectations), aside from one or two decent music videos. So far, I've not been bowled over, which is another reason why the month has been slow for me in terms of blogging, but there are some videos that have made me chuckle and nod my approval, with PlayGround being one of them.
Who doesn't love a good Zombie Horror every now and again, aye?
It's time for a cinema experience, so grab your popcorn, candy boxes and soda pops, and get ready to enjoy the first Review of 2017, courtesy of PASSPO☆ Airlines! It's time to board and take your seats, and be sure to fasten your seat belts, because this is going to be a bumpy ride...
Passengers Beware: Zombies just might be on-board tonight's flight, so have please your weapons ready~
.｡.:*☆*:.｡.☆.｡.:*☆*:.｡.
... Is that one Ai? I'm sure it's Ai, the lips look familiar xD
Zombie: "Waaaah, gimme a kiss, sweet cheeks!"
Ai; "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW, Garlic Breeeeeath!"
Well, that's rude XD
It looks like someone edited that scene via paint onto the tablet, why!? xD
... MioMio, are you wearing a popcorn container skirt?
Okay, MioMio, if you didn't wanna get into any trouble, you kinda went with the wrong airline. I mean, I wouldn't exactly trust someone who put a giant skull on the plane, with eerie, dripping font, but, hey, that's just me o3o
Such an uplifting title, for a music video that may contain a few zombies xD
... Wait. WAAAAIT, what the feck is in that sippy cup, missy!?
Also, daaaaaamn, PASSPO☆, you got some hotty stewardesses!
MioMio: "Shiiiiit, I've been roofied..."
MioMio: "... Where the shit am I?"
Dude, the cute little motif on her sweater is a pair of 3D glasses! Hello, little cinema motifs!
A nice and disorientating shot here, I do appreciate~
Anna(?): "Come on, little girl~"
MioMio, don't go through that door, I don't trust it!
No, MioMio! Don't go to the liiiiiight! D8
For an assumed cinema lover, you'd think she'd know the dire meaning of the bright, white light at the end of the tunnel / hall, yeah?
Good grief, PASSPO☆ are a good-looking bunch, though one of them has a hirstyle I really don't like xD
Ah, well, I'm not the one wearing it.
MioMio: "The fuu----"
Classic Horror shot.
The discovery!
The terror!
THE EYES!!!
Holy shit, this is a party! It's like looking at the life of a University student!
Hey, look, MioMio is me, watching my friends have fun whilst I stay sober! :3
MioMio: "... You zombies drink?"
Don't let them peer pressure you into drinking, MioMio! Stay sober!
Pretty much First Year, for a great many Freshers xD Ah, the memories...
... Or lack thereof >o>
Anna: "Heeey, pretty lady, wanna dance?"
Ah, the mating call of the drunkard...
MioMio: "B-But I like boys! Boys, I say!"
That pure look of terror when an absolute minger (translation: fugly, gross, not even in your league) approaches you in the bar, and your beer goggles aren't strong enough yet to make them look good enough.
Anna: "GET THE HOTTIE!!!"
MioMio: "I don't want you!"You're all fugly!!!"
All the guys going after that one girl in the bar, pretty much xD
This is horrible lighting, which actually helps in this disorientating, unsettling feeling the MV exudes.
Now, MioMio, throwing around a stick and trying to bat away the grimy drunks of the night clubs won't do you any good. Those buggers are persistent!
Anna: "DRINK WITH MEEEEEE!!!"
Oi, mate, MioMio has standards!
Natsumi: "Hey, baby~"
MioMio: "ARGH!"
Natsumi; "Got you a present, gorgeous~"
Is this a Zombie's form of exchanging a phone number, or...?
MioMio: "YAAAAAH, FUCK THIS SHIT!!!"
RUN, MIOMIO! RUN!!!
MioMio: "... Ah, crap, I think the Vodka's finally kicking in..."
No, MioMio, don't give in! Don't let the drink take over! Don't join them!!!
Well, that clearly explains a lot. This is why you should pay attention to your surroundings, MioMio!
So, we don't need a Zombie to bite us to become one of them, now? Damn, Zombies have become advanced...
MioMio: "E... Ew, I drank some cheap ass shit."
Y'all drank Zombie spew, or something, girl.
MioMio: "I... I can't hold on... Vodka overload... zzzz"
All da Drunks in da Club; "Preeeeeeeey!"
Wow, that makeup is crap XD The dance is fun, though!
Swim, swim, swim and ROCK!
This is better than the Thriller xD
Natsumi, why is your face so tiny? And why that hair? DX
PASSPO☆: "Come at us, bro!"
Flat PAAAARTAAAAY!!!
Pre-drinks round mine, k?
Okay, but seriously, who wouldn't want to party hard with PASSPO☆? It actually looks like fun! xD
Anna: "Ahahaha, no, sweety, you've already had enough..."
MioMio: "Don't yoooou fuckin' tell meeee what I've had too much of..."
Shimmy shimmy, Zombies.
Shimmy. Feckin'. SHIMMY!
Anna: "... Awww, shiiiiiiit, had too muuuuuuch..."
That one friend that gives up halfway through xD (aka: me)
Anna: "Puke it out, kid, puke. It. Out."
Anna's a good friend, once you get to know her XD She is the caring drunk :p
Party like it's your final year, guys!
These dance moves are fun xD I might try this dance the next time I dare to go out and get drunk xD
MioMio: "... FUU---!!!"
Shit,t he world's spinning! You really shouldn't have mixed those drinks!
MioMio: "No... not the desperadoes! Gimme the tequila and gin! Tequila and gin!"
Naomi: "Miss, everything will be fine. Miss, please awaken. Miss."
MioMio: "Wait, so... there are no vodka shots or drunk Zombie invasions on a Plane?"
Naomi: "No, Miss, that was simply a dream. This isn't Hollywood."
MioMio: "Well, fiddle sticks!"
Naomi: "... Hehe~"
Dreams can sometimes become reality, though...
.｡.:*☆*:.｡.☆.｡.:*☆*:.｡.
I swear, the more I watch PlayGround, the more I think of it as an allegory for University students on a night out. Well, for anyone on a night out, because this music video - though clearly about Zombies - happens to include a great deal about partying and joining in, drinking merrily, and having a good time. Despite its horror roots, this video seems to imply a lot about going out and having fun, meeting new people, and making friends who share your partying habits.
... And maybe a little bit about drugging, which isn't good. This could totally just be me looking way, waaaay too deep into the PV, though. Still, it's illegal, so DON'T spike someones drink with Zombie Virus or anything else. Not cool, bruh.
When I'm not looking into this a little too damn deep, though, I do enjoy PlayGround by PASSPO☆ a great deal. It's fun, it has some classic horror elements, from the disorientating camera angles and shaking sequences, to a bit
Even the costume for MioMio is a great nod to cinema, as a whole, whilst also appealing to the title of the album this song is from. As an entire music video, though, PlayGround reminds me of Thriller so much, from its beginning, where we see MioMio invested in a movie, to how she changes into something as creepy as what she sees in the movies, with her joining in a dance sequence with the other Zombies, much like MJ does with the monsters of the night. Of course, MioMio awakens, realising it was all a dream, only for us to see that it's not exactlythat when Naomi looks up to the camera, eyes white and void of life, a sinister smile creeping upon her lips.
... Wait, this is basically Thriller, isn't it? Well, damn. PASSPO☆ did a whole homage to Thriller, in their own little way. It has so many elements that are like the original classic Horror MV, except, crappier makeup, no girlfriend, and no cinema scene.
Still, this is a damn good nod to the classics, and I do appreciate PASSPO☆'s homage to one of the greatest, even most influential music videos of all time. They have done an interesting take on it, whilst also adding their own elements, such as the plane (which just makes me think of Snakes on a Plane) and the drinking, as well as the band that is PASSPO☆. They've not detoured too much from Thriller's source material, but enough that it can be seen as a 'homage', rather than a carbon copy, scene by scene.
As a music video, PlayGround is fun. It encompasses so many core elements of the old, B-rated horror elements, and has some wonderful camerawork and nods to one of the most classic of music videos in the music industry. It also feels so right that this video was released this month, because in the film industry, January (or, one of the few dump months) is typically seen as the month where companies release their horror movies... and not the good kind. So, it feels fitting that they release a horror themed MV this time of the year, instead of Halloween / October, allowing the idea of Cinema Trip as an album, and PlayGround as a music video and song, to fit this idea of 'cinema release' adequately. Even the release date of Cinema Trip is set for February, another dump month for Hollywood... so, yeah, it feels damn fitting, and I'm about 95% sure this is all on purpose. Someone in Management is following Hollywood damn close.
A clever little release, with a fun video that is a nice homage. PlayGround will also serve as a nice Halloween track come that time of the year, because even the song contains strong elements of 'the horror', with its soft howls and what sounds like a wind whirling outside going on throughout. It's not my favourite song, but it is growing on me, however, the video definitely keeps my interest. It's entertaining, and it will definitely give you a good dose of old-school horror feels.
Are you ready to board PASSPO☆ Airlines? If you are, just be sure to check your surroundings. You never know, there could be a Monster about...~
Until next time, everyone, stay happy and healthy, don't drink that suspicious Zombie juice, and love your Idols, no matter what kind of Monster or Human they might be. ;)
Much Love,
Chiima~
Great review, and I'm glad you're giving Passpo☆ another chance! I agree that they had a slump in their music for a while, so no wonder you lost interest, but they have majorly picked up the slack.
ReplyDeleteThey are probably one of the most involved idols groups ever: Mio designs all of their costumes, the members can play their own music live with instruments (Band Passpo), and they wrote the lyrics to their songs on their "beef or chicken" album!
Glad you enjoyed it, and honestly, the chance was long overdue! I just get to a point where I have to wait until my interest returns, or, I never go back XD Luckily this has solidified my intrigue in the group again.
DeleteIt's nice that they are so involved. Honestly, they're getting to the point of 'artist' status, with the way they are going. Idol artists... huh.