Sometimes it is just nice to watch it snow...
Merry Pic-Spam, and a Giffy New Year!
Corny? Yes, but it had to be done, because this is acting as my Christmas Eve / Christmas Day hybrid post, and also 'cause it includes a few gifs and pics in a smaller quantity than usual. Which leads me to my next bit...
This is a Quick-Spam, a brand new kind of post that I may never return to, because I am a one-off kinda gal with these sorts of posts. With that said, the reason for this being a Quick-Spam kind of post is mostly due to the fact that the PV in question - SODA's ILLUMINATE☆SNOW - is very short at only 1 minute and 40 seconds long. And I will be whizzing through this, so please don't expect a hefty post this time around.
My main reason for choosing such a short music video for review (which I never do) is mostly down to time, but also because I found this one pretty endearing. Sure, it doesn't have that much depth in terms of story line or editing, but it has charm. It's an easy video to watch as well, and the song is darned cute. So, yeah... I chose it because it's cute. What more do I need for Christmas Eve / Day? After all, it's a day that is about fun, spending time with others, eating food and spending stupid amounts of money on sometimes pointless presents.
And before I head into this Quick-Spam Review, SODA is a 3-piece Idol unit that was created for the purpose of singing for and promoting AppFreaks' smartphone game, Idol Girls. Each of the girls are voice actors for the game itself, which will explain their high-pitched, chipper tone of voices. Debuting just this year, ILLUMINATE☆SNOW is the groups second single. They are managed by SubZero.
Now it's time to start the review. In order to celebrate Christmas, let's get into the spirit with something cute, fun and... foody! Are you ready to celebrate Christmas the right way this year by eating plenty of delicious food, just like the SODA girls? Or will you spend it watching Idol videos all day long, singing and dancing to the beat...
It's time to dig in and have a Merry Christmas!
❅ The Magic Of Winter ❅
This is an adorable intro.
Cheap, cute, endearing. I love it when the opening title at least has something to it, and this one continues to charm me, even if it does look like a kid used the 'erase' button in Microsoft Paint on the picture they drew for their parent.
Presents, pizza and wine? Sign. Me. UP!
Oh, it helps that there are cute idols here, too. But let's be honest here: Pass me that wine and pizza, girls! It's time to get trashed!
Sana: "Th-that's now how you do it, Momoko..."
Momoko: "And this is how you feed a baby!"
Yuri: "bis bismt hwow woo woo ib, schtup..."
Honestly, Sana has every right to be concerned. Momoko is a hazard in and of herself.
Yuri: "Here, Sana-sama..."
THIS is how you feed people, Momoko. The proper way.
Momoko: "EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"
Look at that adorable derp. LOOK AT HER!
Yuri is a Princess, confirmed.
That little hat is an adorable touch, but dude... why is it snowing inside? Is there no roof on the house or...?
If you hadn't guessed by now, then lemme say it for you: Sana is my immediate favourite.
I like my idols with long noses, it seems.
Seriously though, Sana is hella pretty. Such a doll. I adore her ;;
Also, not surprised to find out that she has modelled beforehand. We gotta stan a modelling queen.
Look at that smile! Her eyes are so cute, too, and her hair!
Her hair.
Momoko is adorable too, in an awkward kind of way. It's pretty endearing though, how awkward she is. It also makes sense to have the one who looks like she's permanently nervous to act as the group centre.
Awkward = cute, at least when it comes to Idols. So yeah, there's my logic for the day.
She is a Princess though, let's be real.
Sana stealing the show here, just sayin'.
Absolute cuteness. How can you not enjoy this adorable PV?
Kira Kira~ Catch the snow, girls, catch it all!
Momoka: *grits teeth* "Uh huuuuuuh...."
This is the face you make when the Idol you're not a fan of gets the most solo lines in a new song...
But this is the face you make when your favourite is finally given a solo line in a single release!
I just love how cute this whole scene is, and how Yuri pretty much just owns the simple choreography.
S-A-N-A!!!
The true Shiroyuki-hime of this entire PV.
But Yuri truly is stunning. They got such an elegant looking girl to join this group of cute girls, and she really gives them a great balance.
Marvel at her beauty, peasants!
She's so beautiful she GLOWS!
This choreography is so cute and appealing, I just want to learn it for the sake of learning it ;;
♡❤♡❤♡❤♡❤♡
Idol Costume☆CHANGE!
And now we have three adorable Santa Girls!
Given their name is SODA, I would have loved some coca cola representation here. Just all of the members on cola cans, in Santa outfits... because SODA GIRLS!
Ohh, this shot is travelling from the opposite side... So we're closing in on the end of the PV, huh?
Food ish GOOD, BRUH!
Now I want pizza o 3o
I dunno why, but watching Idols eat food is weirdly appealing and makes me want food, too.
The power of media influence is strong!
Sana: "My cake..."
Momoko: "Mine, now~"
Yuri: "Oi, be sure to share some with me!"
... And that's it.
That's the PV.
❅ Love, Love, Chu Chu ❅
As I said, this was going to be pretty short as a Pic-Spam based Review, something I don't really do on this blog because I like making these posts image-heavy. But I wanted to review this because I enjoy it, and also because it fits in with my current time issue thanks to work and life. So for a quick post that pretty much serves to bulk up my Idols Of Advent series, as well as to curve my desire to write and be silly, ILLUMINATE☆SNOW was the perfect PV to review.
It's also cute, which only furthered my desire to review it. Plus it's vastly different from the other two PV's, Snow Dome and Snow Memory, with both of those PV's having a distinct story line as well as a reason for showcasing the snow. This is just cute, and there's nothing wrong with that.
And hey, sometimes we need pointless cuteness in our lives. Whether it's in the form of a pointlessly cute Pokémon like Emolga, or in the form of a Christmas PV that has very little depth to it other than 'dude, it's a Christmas music video by some Idols', the relevance of this PV lies in how appealing others find it. For me I simply like how cute and simple it is, but for others it may be a way to continue supporting SODA as they release things by watching their videos over and over again.
Moving on... I think that SODA's ILLUMINATE☆SNOW is enjoyable. It's simple, the editing - though not groundbreaking - is pretty decent, and I like the connection these three girls seem to have when together. Their individual charisma is nice as well, with each member bringing a different kind of charm to the video. Yuri is the elegant type, Sana is beautiful and Momoko is awkward but cute. There's a harmonious balance to the group thanks to the members, allowing them to stick out on their own whilst still bouncing off of each other well without having to overshadow each other.
That said, I still pin-pointed my favourite as Sana, but I honestly think all of the members of SODA are appealing. Everyone has their merits, and all of them stand out in this PV quite well.
In regards to a few other aspects of the PV, I think that the location is used is pretty nice, and I'm glad that we're given a few different scenes outside of the stereotypical dance and solo shot. Sure, it's only eating scenes and trio shots we get as a bonus, but it's more than some music videos offer, so I'm appreciative of that small amount of effort put into adding something else here that is reminiscent of Christmas festivities.
For something that was shot in a small space, the set design is pretty nice and I'm glad to see that the space was used efficiently. Yes, it's restricted, but there was some effort put into this video in terms of how it should look. I also like how they basically got rid of all the decorations and the table for the dance shot part in order to create a more open looking space.
Oh, and I like how they frame the shots for the members when they are doing their solo parts - viewed from the left for Sana, the right for Yuri and the central camera point for Momoko. It's a subtle use of framing the camera, but given how the girls are positioned throughout the PV - Momoko centre, Sana to the left of her and Yuri to the right in both the trio shots and the dance shot - it works really well as a technique, and differentiates the shots a little bit for the viewers.
Effects wise, I like the filter placed over the screen for the duration of the PV. Sometimes the use of solar flare looks a little like the girls a puffing out air from their mouths, as if mimicking the cold weather, and at other times its simply just nice to look at. It gives off a nice sparkle and 'illuminates' the PV, if you will.
Oh, and the transitions are cute. Simple, but cute all the same.
... And that's it. That's the review.
In short, I like ILLUMINATE☆SNOW. It isn't groundbreaking or unique by any means, but it's cute for what it is. A simply, charming PV that puts you in the mood for Christmas dinner is always a winner in my book, and despite its short run time, I think that this is now one of my new favourites in terms of Christmas tracks. It's adorable, and SODA are quickly making their way through my bloodstream. I look forward to their future releases after watching ILLUMINATE☆SNOW and enjoying the heck out of it.
Cute, perhaps a little pointless, and perfect for the Christmas season, SODA has charmed me and may even make a fan of me in the New Year, but for now I will simply enjoy their Christmas jingle as a casual listener.
What do you think about ILLUMINATE☆SNOW by SODA? Would you continue watching and following this groups content, or are they too generic and short-winded for you as an Idol fan? Please let me know!
For now though, please enjoy your holidays, whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah or a general day off! I hope that whatever you are doing, it will be a day well spent with those that you love, or a day centred around joyful, cute Idols you support with all your heart.
And until the next time everyone, please take care and stay happy. Happy Holidays!
Many thanks and much Love,
Chiima~
No comments:
Post a Comment