[This Is Duu!], also known as [A Week with Duu], is a series of posts dedicated to Kudo Haruka and her impending graduation on December 11th 2017. It is a series that will look at the wonders of Duu, whether it is in the form of a music video, sketches, live performances or even her photo books!
To celebrate all that is Duu, let's take a look back at everything she has given us, and remember the joy that she has delivered since debuting in Morning Musume, all those years ago! Are you ready to celebrate all that is Duu?
When looking back at the glory of Duu in music videos, I wondered which video I would use for the penultimate music video review. It had to capture aspects of Duu that made her so lovable and sweet, a moment that displays her humanity. As many fans already know, Kudo Haruka is a compassionate and honest person, a girl who will not hide her feelings and will always run forward with her emotions present at all times.
I know that there are a lot of videos out there that show the cool and mature side to Duu, but it is that delicate, girlish side of hers that I adore most, and that is the Duu I wish to capture. So, after looking back at some videos - The Vision and ENDLESS SKY especially - I finally decided which one I would review, and of course, it has to be ENDLESS SKY.
Because Duu cries, and Duu's tears are a precious embodiment of her character. She is one of the only members who has really cried during any graduation single, not for herself, but for the members she will no longer be performing beside.
It's time to continue our road towards Kudo Haruka's graduation date, but before we get to that crossroads and part ways, let's enjoy the little time we have left with her.
Even though this world has an endless sky, it is an ever-changing canvas. Soon, Duu's own canvas will change, and she will look up to see a sky that is different from the one her peers are watching. That is when she knows her own Endless Sky is no longer theirs...
Hidden Behind That Smile...
I'm glad H!P eventually decided it was better to do nice title cards that match their MV's. This one, though a little plain, looks like an endless, moving sky... <3
DUU!!!! <3
The fact this opens with Duu, delights me like crazy. What a perfect way to begin the PV <3
Whenever I see those costumes, I just think of chocolate wrappers now. That damn chocolate CM parody someone made with this song and PV keeps springing to mind XD
Also, check it out!! Ayumin and Eripon holding hands! Yaaay <3
So peaceful. So sweet... ;A;
Angels in a blanket <3
Whilst this dance does look like utter shit, it also seems like a lot of fun. Look at the smile Eripon has on her face! She's so delightful <3
Maria's heart is pounding... It feels lonely, now that the Graduuation date is drawing closer...
Maachan: "Is it a bird?"
Nope, it's one of the Inoue's flying into space!
ZYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Here, have some sweet, sweet Sakura hair stroking, courtesy of me ;)
Mizuki looks so good in this, the Potato Princess is really appealing to me.
Oh my days, OOHaa is gorgeous <3 We got so lucky when she was added, didn't we?
RIHOOOOO!
That was a flawless transition, tho, and a flawless emergence a la Riho!
Those costumes are butt-ugly, aren't they?
Ayumin looking up towards Superman in the sky, no doubt.
That, or she's looking out for her brotherin in the on-coming Sharknado.
This is a pretty shot. I love how peaceful everything feels, here.
The inside of my heart is hurting, thanks for asking. DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! ;;
Look at her, standing in the center back there ;; So perfect!
I already told ya, Mizuki, IT'S HURTING! D8<
Potato Princess looks cute here, too.
ZUKKI! <3
I hate how she looks in this outfit, tbh. It's not flattering on her (or a few others) at all.
Duu is so perfect in this, oh my gosh, how did we ever deserve such beauty and wonder in our lives? ;;
And look at OOHaa in the back there, as delightful as ever <3
Honestly, if I didn't know that this was a Riho Grad single MV, I would have thought this was Duu's graduation song. I mean, it features a lot of Duu, after all.
There is no smile, though ;^; Where is your Endless Smile, Duu?
GDI, OOHaa, why are you so beautiful? <3
Favourite scene with Miki, who sadly doesn't get a lot of screen time in this. She's a delight, though, and I love the smile on her face <3
Zukki is so beautiful, even in the atrocious outfit <3 Gosh, I miss this girl ; 3;
HONEY!!! <3
Harunan looks like a robot in this sometimes, but otherwise, I adore her <3
Hey, it looks like a scene from a high school drama flick, and both Sakuranbo and Maria are the most popular girls in school.
And damn, look at Eripon in the back <3 Gorgeous <3
MIKI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3
-Throws self onto laptop-
It looks like Duu wants to escape. Wait until the 11th of December, girl! Then you can go wherever your big heart desires.
...
-sobs at realisation that the 11th is too soon-
Gosh darn, this PV has some beautiful OOHaa moments. I'm being spoiled with her today <3
This scene is cute, I just love how happy they look.
Sakuranbo: "Yesss, I'll get all of Riho's lines!"
Potato Princess: "Me, too!"
Best Documentary Voice Ever: "And here we see the baby Maria, rear it's giant bobble head when it smells the fresh scent of 'solo lines'."
Maria: "Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiines."
My first thought when seeing this GIF I'd made was: Maria looks like a baby dinosaur rearing it's head from its egg >->
ERIPON! <3
Sleeping Beauty <3 Oh, and she's in purple! It's been a while since I saw her rep the original character colour <3
Akane is just adorable. She is actually in this quite a bit, too. Amazing!
Oh, look at that smile! Masaki is so adorable.
DUUUUUUUUUUUU! Look at her own this dance, these scenes, and of course, our hearts <3
Oi, Ayumin! I thought you were holding Eripon's hand? Stop flirtin' with OOHaa D8<
Oh, cripes, it looks like Morning Musume are ready to do their version of a turf war a la West Side Story >_>
Gosh, Riho looked like she was having a blast with this. She looks so pretty, too.
More Duu, because Duu <3
DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! <3
These two <3 OOHaa is just so flawless, such a wonderful performer, and Akane looks so happy and vibrant and sweet <3
Oh, wow, I love seeing them line up like this <3 The colours are just so aesthetically pleasing <3
Riho: "Ah, there's my plane. The one that will take me to America...~"
Riho is dreaming of where her Endless Sky will take her.
Oh, some of them have awoken! But I see Maria's still snoozing away, same as Eripon...
Good grief, girls, it's late! Get up!!!
Ayumin: "You ma homie."
Everyone is Ayumin's homie.
Maria; "Please give me lines. All the lines..."
Then please, learn to sing, first o 3o
I swear, Sakuranbo captures some of the nicest solo shots. Not as good as Ogata mind, but still.
#backhandedcomplimentsAHOY
Masaki owning her scenes, as per the usual <3
OOHAAAAA! <3
GDI, she's breath-taking. I love seeing her in this music video <3
Aww, look at Eripon, being a proud mom! And Ayumin's just embarrassed she has to take this stupid family photo. OOHaa, on the other hand, is the good child. The 'perfect daughter', if you will.
Riho: "Just five more minutes... zzzz..."
Welp, looks like filming has put Riho to sleep. Better let the girl have a nap, she must be exhausted.
Duu, you will find someone to fall in love with, I don't doubt that <3 Whatever girl or guy snags your heart, will be damn lucky <3
The Princesses are awake! <3
Eripon just looks delightful here, she takes my breath away, no matter how few scenes she has. This girl will always catch my eye <3
HARUNAN <3 The Honey Bear is back <3
She really is gorgeous, isn't she?
Okay, enough of the others: BACK TO DUU!
Really, I should have just done a back-to-back Duu version of ENDLESS SKY. But, I like variety, plus I do love seeing the other members.
Sakura, what in the heck do you think you're doing?
Still a better poto editor than H!P XD
It's a future we are all thankful you chose, Sakuranbo! MoMusu would kinda sound shit without your voice.
Yeah, I get frustrated by your voice, too, Maria.
Maria: "Oi, fuck off."
;________;
Memories of Zukki </3
Harunan: "Ah... I see it...~"
What? What do yous see, girl?
Sakuranbo: "Urgh, fucking feathers."
Now, now, feathers are beautiful. They remind me of Angels and happiness, after all.
Masaki just looks so pure and innocent here, it's delightful.
Delightful:
Wow, this so beautiful and serene. A glorious moment of Duu, captured for our viewing pleasure.
I have a feeling someone just dumped a bucket of feathers, at this point. So much for grace and pretty imagery.
Okay, someone knows my love for Double-Haruna, and clearly they wanted to please me. So, YAY, Double-Haruna!
They are so flipping gorgeous, how are we so spoiled by their mere presence?
These two <3 The Editing Overlords are looking out for us, guys.
Riho: "Look, Mizuki! It's so beautiful!"
Potato Princess: "Yes. You are..."
Okay, this moment is just too cute. Mizuki ;; Riho ;; <3
Oh, Akane, you frekain' cutie. I understand why people love you <3
I love when scenes like this happen <3 So serene. So perfect. So gosh darned beautiful and magical.
Riho is completely owning this moment, as she should. Mizuki is very beautiful in the back there, too.
Sharknado looks really impressive from afar, doesn't it, Baby Predator? >o>
And all the fans will collectively cry, because this lyric is definitely about Riho's choice to leave the group.
Look at Duu, all up in the front there <3 I like this view, guys.
Don't. Cry. Please! ;_; My heart cannae take it!
When the clips aren't being cut too quickly, I do like watching this dance, because the costume colours look so pleasing against the backdrop of an endless sky.
Lord, these solo shots, I thank you for them. They're gorgeous <3
Is it a bird? Is it a plane?
NO!!! It's Detective Pikachu, played by Ryan Reynolds!
DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! ;_______________;
My heart is breaking... ;^; My poor Duu baby! </3
Okay, just look at that perfection! Look at how wonderful OOHaa is, how picture perfect, how giffable. She is a gem.
I love all these shots in this video. Everyone looks so good, despite those costumes.
This sky is your endless road. You just have to choose the path you want to walk.
All of these flawless beauties, ready to take on the road that is their endless sky...~
But which path will they decide to take on alone?
B-B-BONUS ROUND!!!
Because Duu.
Even when sad, she is precious and beautiful.
Duu, you precious, precious child ;; I wanna hug you <3
Don't smile at me with such sad, woeful eyes, sweet Duu ; A; </3
... ;_____________;
-the sounds of hearts breaking worldwide: begin-
This Is Her Endless Sky...
I love watching ENDLESS SKY, because no matter how ugly those costumes may be, the colour scheme is beautiful, the song is divine, and the members are absolutely beautiful. I really can't find anything else about the video to dislike, because ENDLESS SKY is enjoyable as is.
I guess the cookie-cutter editing and layout could be considered a downside, however, I like simple videos when they are done right (and well), and this one is nicely crafted, so I can't gripe about that aspect. Of course, simplicity and style choices are all a matter of taste, at the end of the day.
ENDLESS SKY is really beautiful, though. Despite the fact it embodies just how simple H!P were with their layout choices before (they've come far, when you think about it), this video is still very pure and serene in its look, showcasing an almost Heavenly atmosphere with the blue-white backdrops, the falling feathers and the soft sky behind the girls. It's a very gentle video from beginning until end, and even the harsher colours of blue and purple blend into the scenery beautifully.
Whoever did the colour scheme, I have to applaud them, because it's so beautiful.
Of course, with these kinds of elements of the video in play, ENDLESS SKY is obviously a graduation song. From the sound to the look, it reads: departure. The song itself is all about a chosen future and the members realising that they're growing up and changing as people. It's all about moving forward, no matter how frustrating this change can feel.
ENDLESS SKY has a great message, as well as a great sound. And I am glad that this song looks and sounds as it should, delivering this almost bittersweet sound that feels hopeful but sad, just like a graduation. This was actually a wonderful send-off song for Sayashi Riho, despite this song not being the definitive goodbye track on her final single. Actually, that's why I reviewed it for this Week with Duu series - plus, it had the crying scenes, and I needed at least on PV to review that included Duu's tears, that wasn't Wakain da shi!
Plus, as Duu cries in this, and because the video shows a lot of her, ENDLESS SKY sometimes feels like Duu's final release. I wouldn't have objected to this kind of song for her, actually, but yeah... It's hitting to close to home at this point, and I'm feeling all woeful and in need of tissues. I don't want Duu to go, guys! ;^;
Duu is beautiful in this - of course she is -but so is everyone else. I love how everyone's hair was styled for this, and how flawless each member was. The only gripe in regards to their looks, would be that wardrobe mistake they had to wear. It was fine on a few of the members, but some it just didn't flatter. Of course, this will always happen; when you're in uniform, it's bound to look shit on at least one of the members. Sad to say, Zukki was definitely the most unflattered by those outfits. Well, what can you do? :/
Also, in another surprising twist, there were a good amount of solo shots in this for everyone. Yeah, some had a lot less than others, but the high volume of solo scenes actually amazed me. I've not watched ENDLESS SKY in a while, so to see Zukki, OOHaa, Harunan, etc, receive a bunch of solo shots was both pleasing, and overwhelming.
But, yeah... There is a great amount of Duu in this, so much so, I was having a hard time thinking about what to screen grab. I honestly didn't need the bonus GIF's from her solo version of the PV, but because they included some sweet, sentimental Duu moments, I wanted to grab them for the review and include them for you guys. Plus, it's Duu Week on O!MT - Any extra bit of Duu, is a nice treat for the eyes (and our hearts).
I love ENDLESS SKY, for its beauty and shots of Duu it gives us. Here, Duu is delightful and beautiful, despite her subdued and saddened state. She really took this song to heart, and you can see in the end what the lyrics mean to her. Even though it isn't a song for her own graduation release, ENDLESS SKY hits home, and allows us to see just how sensitive and compassionate she is.
Duu is divine here, and now that we are inching ever closer to her own Graduation date, ENDLESS SKY feels like the perfect song and video to look back on and review.
I hope that one day, Duu's own Endless Sky becomes a canvas of possibilities, because this girl deserves the world and beyond.
The road of an Idol will soon come to its end for Kudo Haruka, and she will walk down a new path, away from Morning Musume '17. It's a path that she will take on with confidence, a bright smile, and the world at her feet.
Kudo Haruka's own Endless Sky is changing. I wonder what she will see, now that her Graduation date is coming closer?
Until next time everyone. Thank you so much, and please continue to love your Idols.
Be happy, and take care.
Chiima~
No comments:
Post a Comment