Okay! Musume Digest #89

Minna, what time is it? IT'S DIGEST TIIIIIMEEEE~

This Week, in Idol News...

A whole fucking bunch of Single Announcements! Sasshi opens a Twitter account! MoriMusu to hold their first performance! UUG vs. TGS!!! KojiHaru STRIPS!!! And a tad bit more! Are you ready to DIGEST!?!?!?

Fukuhara Kyoka to Withdraw from her Class in Houkago Princess

Houkago Princess is one of those indies groups that never stops changing. Much like AKB48 and its sibling groups, HouPri seems to lose more members than it gains, and once again another member has announced her withdrawal from my favourite indies unit.

Fukuhara Kyoka, the girl who could not yet decide her position within the group, announced that she would be leaving the group after suspending her activities with the group back in December. The decision was made based on family circumstances after she took time away from the group.

Here is the English translation of Kyoka's blog post, kindly translated by Steve from Selective Hearing.

Notice:February 16th, 2014

Long time no see, everyone.

I haven’t posted anything in a few months since I’ve been off from my activities, I’m sorry.

I’ve had this time away because of my family circumstances, but I’m afraid that now I have to withdraw from being a Houkago Princess cadet.

It was really hard to sort out my feelings and come to this decision, and it made me feel very uneasy about the future, but I didn’t want to say anything official about it without being completely sure that I wanted to quit. I’m really sorry for making everyone worry so much.

I really wanted to dance on many more stages and continue improving to become a full-fledged member faster than any of the other 5th gen cadets. I’m sorry I couldn’t uphold that promise to everyone.

However, I’m really happy to have met everyone! Even though it was a very short time, I’m thankful for all the support I got. I’ll remember you all for the rest of my life.

-Fukuhara Kyoka 

(Translation courtesy of Steve Summers)

...

I can't say that I didn't expect this, because in all honesty I did. When I saw that Kyoka had stopped updating her blog in December, I actually thought she had already graduated, but to see the confirmation now, well... it's sad, but I am also a little happy to see that she wrote out the post for her fans so that they knew she was going, rather than keeping it quiet and letting the staff explain that she had left.

I am sad that Kyoka is leaving, I really am, because she is a beautiful girl who was cute to look at, but she wasn't my favourite. I didn't see enough of her or read too many of her blog posts to learn more about her, but knowing that she will leave the group this month is very sad and yet another giant loss to HouPri.

All we, as fans of Houkago Princess and Kyoka, can do right now is hope for the best for her. Who knows? Maybe she'll do what most other HouPri girls have done after leaving the group, and join a new Idol unit or possibly become a gravure Idol? Only time can tell...

Fukuhara Kyoka Blog Notice
Houkago Princess Staff Blog Notice

On the same day, the Houkago Princess Staff announced that 6th generation Apprentice member Kawamura Shiori had withdrawn from the group on February 15th. Shiori joined Houkago Princess on February 2nd, however left just shy of 13 days within the indies unit.

Below is a rough translation I took from Google Translate. Apologies for how bad the translation may be.

For personal reasons, the 6th stage Apprentice Candidate Kawamura Shiori proposed to withdraw from the group on February 15th. She was here for a short period of time, but we thank you warmly for your support.

Houkago Princess Staff Blog Notice

This news was more surprising, as I actually didn't know about Kawamura Shiori until I found out that she had graduated. However, I have learned that she became a part of the group around February 2nd, making her tenure in HouPri one of the shortest at just 13 or so days within the group. Strange, I know.

I can't say I have many feelings towards the sudden withdrawal announcement other than that I wish I had known about her beforehand... however, knowing that she has graduated is still rather sad to think about, but given she left for her own personal reasons, she obviously knew that being a part of Houkago Princess was just not for her, and I would rather a member leave than be miserable within the group they are a part of.

Both of these announcements were rather surprising in their own ways, and of course we as fans do not want a member we adore to leave the group we like so much, but after reading that Kyoka would leave the group and confirming my own suspicions of her departure from Houkago Princess, I have come to realise that I have now gotten used to the fact that HouPri is one of those groups that loses members all the time, and always be like that. I know I follow groups like AKB48 who always lose members, but they are members I have no clue about most of the time, or a group like Morning Musume who have the graduation and addition roster where we always have new members coming in and old ladies going out, but typically these groups don't lose a member every 2-5 months like HouPri do. I find that it's sad for me as a fan that I have become so used to HouPri's alarming drop-out rate, but even if I don't like it, I know that in general no girl will stay an Idol forever, especially if you belong to an Indie Idol unit like Houkago Princess.

This is the way the Idol industry works sadly, and whilst I am unhappy to see Kyoka go after being in HouPri for such a short amount of time, I do feel that it's better if she leaves the group now when she knows she needs to leave, rather than later. It's also easier for her to leave the group now as they are still only indies, which is a positive for any member of a group leaving for whatever reason, but it's still sad to see that she won't be there any more.

Kyoka was such a sweet looking girl, and I was really looking forward to seeing her become a full-fledged HouPri member with Riho and Marina, but that day will never come, and that is one of the saddest parts about her departure from Houkago Princess...

Good luck Kyoka, may you find what you want to do in life, and may you be happy and healthy.

Chiima~

Okay! Musume Digest #88

Chiima, you're late! -slaps round the face with a frying pan- DON'T DO IT AGAIN!!!!

... Happy Post-Valentine's Day, yo!

This week, in Digest Times...

Graduations from READY TO KISS and Prizmmy☆! Design costumes for Morning Musume '14's concert! Iikubo Haruna starts a Manga column in Top Yell magazine! Wada Ayaka to release an Art Review Book! LinQ's Himesaki Ami to become a Vocaloid Idol! X21 TO FINALLY DEBUT!!!!! AKB48 star in a Zombie game! Kyary to hold a student-only event! Yokoyama Rurika to release her first Album!!! AND MORE!!! Are you ready to Digest!?

Of Revivals and Disbandments

This may all be old news by now for everyone, but I have been taking days off from the internet again (only for like, a day or two... don't worry!) so I'm talking about the news a little later than everyone else is. But hey, who says I have to be on time? NOT ME!!!

Of course, given I was away there just had to be some big news buzzing around the Idol world that we all know and love so dearly, shocking or surprising the fans who read about it. Upon finding out one piece of 'big' news, I was pretty surprised by it but I can't say that I really jumped for joy either. The other piece of news came as shocking to some fans I think, but I was unfazed by it because I had read about it a week or two before.

... Let's get to the rather surprising news, shall we?

Country Musume is reviving? Whaaaaaaaaaat?

Okay, so Country Musume is basically coming back and they are holding auditions, as told by Satoda Mai, the last remaining member of the group. This was pretty big news on Facebook, with much excitement from the H!P fans because, well damn it's a revival of a very old unit! Why shouldn't we be excited?

Okay, so maybe I'm not as excited as everyone else is, but I will say that I am pretty damn stoked about Country Musume being brought back. That was an era of Hello! Project I was never a part of, and whilst I haven't really delved into Country Musume much (my sister adored them for a while, and tried to get me to like them too) I did find them good, though the better songs of the group were during the times Morning Musume members supported them in my opinion... but to know that new members will be reviving the group does make me a little more interested in Country Musume (2.0) and what it will have to offer for us.

Of course there is a little bit of scepticism about what this group will do and if they will produce new music or not; if they are anything like the current Satoyama and Satoumi units, then they may not do much other than produce one single, or if they are like the UFP acts, then they will merely perform instead of producing music videos and singles. Or they could be a part of the H!P boat and produce singles, videos, do concert venues and basically be Idols, which would be nice and is probably the option most fans are rooting for.

 But there is also the added kick that the new group members must be willing to do farming and other agricultural activities, which allows me to think that maybe this group will do a little bit of Satoyama? Who knows, and given the Satoyama show is dead we wouldn't see them do anything farm-like anyway, but it would be fun to see a group specifically catered to farming that would hopefully stay in the H!P family and show off their farm and land skills on TV, or heck, create their own show! Yeah I know, Satoyama 2.0 and all, but Tsunku's in a recycling mood right now so why the heck not?

To be honest, I find the idea of reviving a dead group more interesting than exciting. There are many ideas and opportunities to toy with here; Country Musume (2.0) could be a part of the soon-to-be-finished Satoyama project with H!P, they could do more in terms of working around and in the land of Japan and even hold fan events where they plant their own crops, till the land and so on so forth, and they could do farming music videos! That would be interesting, at least a little more fun than the cookie-cutter PV's H!P release all the time during this era (hi, MM'14!).

That all said and done, I am happy for Country Musume to revive, given it was still around but dead for a long time. It seems like Satoda Mai just wants to keep it going, even if it is for the sake of Media attention. What they will do is up to Tsunku or UFP management or even Satoda herself, but hopefully they will actually have activities rather than laying around dead for a while like the H!P Eggs before the revamp into Kenshuusei or laying like doormats waiting for things to happen like with Aika. I don't know, I'm not Tsunku or Mai or a UFP manager, but hopefully they will do something with this group and make them exciting.

It's a fun idea, and hopefully it will work. My only problem with these auditions is that the age range is once again fucking stupid, but I hope we'll get a few older girls in there to spice things up a bit. Imagine, 10 year olds doing some country labour for the sake of being Idols?

That all said and done, let's get onto the less-than-surprising piece of news, shall we?

BiS will disband this July. On the 8th. At Yokohama Arena. WHAT THE FUUUU----!!! -rage quits!-

Okay, so I actually found this out a week or so ago, and I was very shocked when I saw the post that said they would, at some point this year, disband and part their ways as members. It wasn't until a few days ago that the article popped up with the confirmed date and venue they would disband. Sure, it's not Budokan, but damn they are still going out big.

The thing is that I don't even watch BiS much or listen to their music, but they still manage to surprise and impress me like the Idols I love do. I am rather intrigued by them I believe, which is why I so shocked when I realised that at some point in 2014 they would disband. I didn't expect it, then again you really need to expect the unexpected with BiS, and this was extremely unexpected and I am pretty sure that many fans are extremely sad about this right now, because I know I am. And I don't even follow them as a dedicated fan, just a 3rd part person who sometimes sees something she likes. But damn, I am rather upset by their disbandment, and now that it's confirmed I have that date looming ahead.

This group is unique and they are strong, so it's a shame that they are going out so early on in their career, especially when they were just starting to get recognised and known more by the public for their weird but wonderful ways of performing. Their originality is their strongest factor for them, and they are a great group who have something so special about them, and they are so hard to place it's amazing... but they are going off on a high, which is a good thing as well. I would rather BiS leave on a high note than a low note, because they deserve that. They have met their success, and whilst they may not be going to Budokan to disband like they had originally planned, at least they have decided to disband at Yokohama together for whatever reasons they may have. They know what they want, and they know that this is the place for them to disband.

It is really sad to see them go, and in a way I am sad that I didn't pay more attention to them as a fan or a standard listener, but I am glad that I was able to find out about them and learn about them. They are a unique group who have made a stamp on gross and weird Idols, and I highly doubt that anyone will be able to outdo the weird and wonderful world that surrounded BiS.

...

That is pretty much all I have to say regarding the news for these two big announcements, and whilst I am leaving this short, I will be going now. I have not been sleeping well lately so I am basically going to go and rest... I hope I can bring you a Digest tomorrow, but really, I have been so tired lately I won't be doing it tonight XD Apologies >o< Lame excuse is lame, Chiima!!! GAWD!!!

Toodlepip and bye bye, take care and see you again!

Chiima~

The Fresh Innocence of a First Love - 'Love' by AAA

All thoughts and opinions within this post are my own as always. Please respect whatever opinions I may have, no matter how absurd or stupid they may be. No, we will not see eye to eye all the time, but you can pretend I don't exist if I annoy you that much. THANKS!!!

I have decided that I need more spa in my life. So, let's get a bit mushy! Are you ready for Sappiness and Mush? I AM!!!

Valentine's Day is upon us, and whilst some fools are out there celebrating the day with chocolates, flowers and whatever else that may be deemed romantic or sappy with their beloveds, there are souls out there like myself who celebrate the Hallmark holiday alone... bitter and probably not sober, and possibly alone in their room. Ahh, Valentine's Day. You truly do bring out the best in us singletons, do you know that?

STILL!!! During these dark days we do have some form of light shining on us, a light that is called Idols. You know, those beaming beacons of happiness, sunshine and love? Yeah, them. We also have Artists as well to aid us through the darkness, namely: AAA. Aaa, I do love them (See what I did there? See it? Yes, it is funny, yes) because they are a truly talented group, with music that can be epic or absolutely beautiful. I do love them. A lot.

This love may be a bit unhealthy though, so don't follow in my footsteps, Reader dears.

Which is why it is rather appropriate to talk about their latest song and PV, Love. Even more appropriately, it is going to be released this month (February) the month of the emotion and gesture that is LOVE!!!! Sadly the release date is not the 14th, but still, I find the release of the PV and the theme behind it appropriate for this time of the year, and thanks to the loveliness that is Love and the story behind the video, it is the very music video that I will be reviewing for you all today! So kick back with your chocolates, ice cream or that sneaky bottle of wine you have been hiding behind your Idol goods and watch Love, a sweet PV that reminds you that it isn't just us adults who feel this emotion, but the youth we see today as well. Are you ready for Love to pull at your heart strings this Valentine's?

No matter what this PV tells you, I would advise that you never leave your child alone in a park, no matter how desolate or safe it may seem. Rule 1 of parenting, people!!!!

For everyone's sake, let's just call the boy Shiro and the girl Mai, okay? KAY!!!

Shiro: "Well Hello, female~"

Mai: "Maybe if I ignore him he'll go away..." -scribble scribble-

See what I mean? Predators are everywhere, even in lonely parks!!!

Shiro: "Heeeey guuuurl, can I get your Number?"
Mai: "Oh God... HEEEEEEEEEEY, BOOOY!!!"

I swear, these little playboys are relentless nowadays!!!

Shuta: "Hello, children..."

I do like your Fedora.

Give it to me.

... NOW!!!

Good Lord, Shinjiro is sexy o-o

Nissy is also damn fine, though he's made it hard for me to obtain attractive screen grabs of him in this MV. DAMNIT, NISSY!!!!

Shiro: "Aye gurl, what's that your drawing there?"
Mai: "Yaoi..."

Mai: "Er, I don't play football a lot, but thanks I guess..."
Shiro: "Can I have your number now? My ball warrants for a number, right?"
Mai: "... No."

All weirdness aside, this is a seriously cute scene. The namida's ;A;

Shiro: "Well, I have to go... babes to call, people to beat up. See ya, toots!"

Mai: "... Good Lord, you're obnoxious."

Even our sex bomb is shedding a baby tear at the sweetness of the Innocent Love.

Mai: "Dear Diary... I met this weirdo boy today, he tried to get my number... but I don't have a phone. I'm like, 5. So is he. How did he get a phone? Why was he preying on me? Why are men so weird? Ahhhh, oh yeah, My Little Pony: Fridnship is Magic is on today. YAAAAY RAINBOW DASH!!!!"

Why does that kid have a Letter Box in her bedroom?

You know, Naoya and Chiaki would make such a cute couple. I also love Chiaki's hair in this. SO CUTE!!!

Also, Naoya baby, whenever I see you now I just remind myself of this scene...

YES!!! I BROUGHT IT BACK!!! I HAD TO!!!

Erm... what?

Holy crap girl, don't go tearing your art up! A child's artwork is precious!!!

Oh wait, you were tearing a letter? What, are you going to send it to someone to have them decipher your words?

... Yep. Also, girl, you do know that the Postman has no clue there is a stolen Letter Box in your bedroom, right? Right? RIGHT!!!

Good lord Chiaki, you are pretty! I also love your outfit in this <3

Hell, Misako is gorgeous in this. Not as sweet or innocent looking as Chiaki, and Misako also looks damn forced sometimes, but whatever. Still pretty.

Misako: "Director-san, can I stop smiling now..."
Director-san: *Polishing gun* "What was that about stopping the smiles Misako?"
Misako: *Forces grin* "N-Nothing, Director-san... Nothing. At. All."

Shiro: "Awww yeah, that Chick has finally sent me her number! GET!!!"

Shiro: "Wtf is this? Some kind of code to get her number?"

This scene is shot so well I can't even...

Shiro: "Damn this girl is playing hard to get with me... she better be worth it!!!"

Those two colours are wrong, Shiro, all wrong!!! They aren't even the same shade of red!!!

Good lord, they are gray-looking here o-o I didn't really notice that until now! XD

AND MITSU-SAMA!!! Oh my LORD where have you been, you sexy beast of a man you!? This PV has lacked much sexual tension without you... well, Shinjiro provided some too, but STILL!!!

Shiro: "THIS IS WHAT I THINK OF YOUR DAMN CODES!!!"
Mai: "What the HELL are you DOING to my MASTERPIECE!?"

Such a damns sweet scene... well, if you ignore the dialogue I have for it o-o

Good Lord man, I want to do things to you that I can not say on this blog for fear that people will think I'm a bit mad...

Oh wait, they already think I'm crazy.

Mitsuhiro: "What was that, Chiima? I'm the sexiest?"

Damn right you are, Mitsu-sama!!!

Mitsuhiro: "Well thanks baby, I really appreciate it."

No thanks needed, you deserve the compliments ;) Damn sexy beast of a man... <3

Fixing a broken Heart... d'awwww ;w;

Holy crap, please don't tell me that the song has underlying meanings of being broken hearted then falling in love again? Does it?

For once I would actually be happy to see stupid Engrish Lyrics hardsubbed onto a video. Sadly, this isn't H!P. It's Avex.

Shinjiro: "Jesus, this is boring..."

I didn't know that Avex enjoyed the idea of using 50 Shades of Gray as a theme for their new Music Video...

HOLY SHIT IT'S A HEART!!! IT'S A HEART!!! OMG THEY FILMED IT IN A HEART -sobs plenty-

... And that perfectly sums up my reaction of when I first saw the end of this MV. I am not kidding ._.

Anyways...

If you're wondering 'is that all?' regarding the pic spam, then I will answer you right now that yes, that is pretty much all I have for the pic spam today, because in all honesty this is what I felt was the best in terms of images for this review. Not because the PV is bad or anything, because it is far from bad if you ask me, it's just that I felt these images represented the video better than what a million (erm... 60) of them could. For once, I chose the 'quality' of the image over the quantity. That is completely not my style, as we know I like do things in excess here, but I really felt that you could not have an excess of images with this video to show off how pretty it is. Just so many could do it, and these are the 'so many' images I chose.

That, and this review was not meant to actually be a pic spam, but instead one of my more condensed PV reviews. It just sort of happened (the pic spam), and the pictures spoke for themselves in my mind... which is why we now have a mini-spam of images for you all to view!

With that all said and done, going into this PV I really did not expect to see the story that I did. I mean, I expected a Love story of sorts (because come on, what else would a song called Love feature? Blood and gore? Totally!) but I actually expected something more along the lines of Koi Oto to Amazora had, a bitter-sweet love story perhaps between some of the members of AAA or even a few different actors. What I least expected was a video that represented the idea of 'innocent love', otherwise known as the love between two children. No I did not expect it, but after watching this video multiple times I have found that I have truly fallen for the video concept of Love and the sweet representation of the emotion that we think about during this time of the year.

The video for Love is extremely simple in its concept, however it brings across the idea of a fresh and new experience of being in love with someone, with the children portraying that idea of 'new' and 'innocent' love thanks to their age and the ways they express their affection for each other, such as the boy giving the girl his football or the girl creating the torn images to create the heart that they piece together towards the end of the video. It shows us the process of their affections, from the boy waiting for the mail patiently whilst the girl sends it off in small steps, all coming up to the point where they both finally come together again to put the heart together and fully commit to the love that they share for each other. The way the story is set out, it could have easily been pulled off by adult actors or even AAA themselves, but it is undeniable that it would not have had the same effect as what the child actors had, creating that thought of a sweet love that is so new, fresh and innocent that it has to be first love, rather than simply being a 'new' love with a new lover after you lost love with someone else.

This PV, though it has its faults such as a few lip-syncing issues and the giant lack of Mitsuhiro during a good portion of the video, is very well done. It takes on the use of a one-shot take (which explains the lip-sync problems) throughout the entire video with the members of AAA taking turns to appear in order to tell the story of the two youngsters as they watch over what happens between them and their youthful first love. The idea of a one-shot take is not a new one, but it is a very effective way of making a video and takes a lot of dedication, patience and good timing to get right, and in the end it creates a beautiful video with an on-going story that simply does not stop to show off other aspects of a singer or the platform they are performing on, and that strikes true for AAA's Love; we see here the story between the lovers, and we see the storytellers, but we do not derail from the story being told at any point.

Love is a beautiful PV in my mind, and whilst it may be a bit too bland or devoid of colour for some, I find the use of little colour a great way of showing off the main characters of this video, the children. Given that they are the only ones with a good amount of colour on them in the video, it's pretty clear to me that they are the characters of importance and the main focus of the MV. Even the members of AAA do not have a lot of colour on them and wear mostly grey, though I put that down to them acting as 'Shadows' in the entire Music Video rather than actually being characters (after all, they are telling a story, not re-enacting it). It took me a while to actually see this, but now that I have picked up on it it is really clear that anything with a good amount of colour in the video is important for the progress of the storyline, which is pretty nice to see in a Music Video if you ask me, especially one as sweet but simple as Love is.

As a song, I really do adore Love. It's a beautiful ballad that tells a heartfelt story of love from what I suspect is a third persons view of a relationship blossoming between two people. Because I don't know Japanese (nor can I find the lyrics, Kanji or otherwise) I have no clue about the actual story of the song, however I would love to know what it means because the emotion behind the song seems strong but also saddening during certain parts (mostly during Misako's solo's). It is sweet and gentle with an enjoyable sound, though there is no denying that it will possibly bore a few people when they listen to it, however as a lover of ballads in general, I found this to be a pleasant and beautiful song from AAA. That said, I do think it sounds a bit too much like a Christmas song at certain points in the instrumental, but that is my only issue with it.

Love is a gorgeous PV with a simple but sweet setting that will never get old, perfectly portraying the idea of a first love that is innocent and fresh as well as showing the viewers that love is timeless and happens even when we are young and so new to the emotion that we willingly share with other people as we grow older. In Love we are shown that even with our inexperience of being in love, we can still fall for someone no matter what our age may be. Love comes in many forms, and in this video it is shown through the story of these two innocent youths and the start of what is their first, pure feeling of Love for each other.



Love is a strong force, but it is also innocent and true. Will you fall in Love too?

Chiima~

   

Of Unity and Maturity with Morning Musume '14's 'Kimi no Kawari wa Iyasahinai' PV!

All thoughts and opinions within this post are entirely my own, and not yours. Yeah, I said it. They are MINE!!!! And I shall be selfish and keep them all to myself!!!! MY OPINIONS D8< Hiss, Hiiiiissss!!!!

When I thought about what sort of Post I would basically 'Return' with after my short-lived Hiatus, I could only think of doing a Pic Spam PV Review for you all, and of course that is what I have... Pic Spam AHOOOY!!!!

I find it quite fitting that I return with a Morning Musume ('14) PV Review now that my break away from blogging has ended, because that is how this blog started after all. And really, what better to review than the third and final PV from MoMusu's latest single, Kimi no Kawari wa Iyashinai? I mean I've reviewed the other two already, What is LOVE? on this blog and Egao na Kimi wa Taiyou sa on Selective Hearing, so of course I just had to review this one. Sure, it's a little late, but so what? Better late than never as they say!

So right now I am sitting here, ready to churn out this bad boy for you. Whether the review will be utterly crap or splendid is up to you to be honest, because I have not written in first person for a while (unless you count fanfiction) or given my opinions much except on Twitter, and as we all know it is very limited to what we can type when Tweeting. So, this is basically my second Review of 2014, and the first since coming back from my break. Are you ready? If so, LET'S GO!

NIPPON! NIPPON! NIPPON NIPPON NIPPON!!!

And so the PV begins, with a sea of what looks like BLOOOOD!!!! Oh no wait, it's a scarf. Sorry!!!

Oh good Lord, we have stepped into Morning Musume's first official Lesbian love story... today's couple; Dayashi and her Baby Predator, Ayumin.

Oh shit, Riho saw me! Quick, hide you fools!!! She does not take lightly to being watched when canoodling with her beloved!

Dayashi: "So, you caught us..."

Baby Predator: "... Well fuck."

The look on Ayumin's face tells me Help, I am trapped! whilst the claw-like grip on her shoulder that is Riho's hand tells me I am not allowed to go anywhere the fuck near her.

Yeeeep... flex those muscles, Haruka. You're gonna need them when you have that inevitable punch up with Riho in the near future for lines and spotlight.

Really though, I can practically hear the instrumental of the Village People's Macho Man when I look at Haruka in this video. And Eripon, of course

Dayashi: "You will fucking DIE if you saw what happened behind those curtains..."

I saw nuthin', I tell ya, nuthin'! Would a mobster ever lie to ye, Dayashi, baby?

It's pretty clear which duo takes control of this video. And Dayumn, that Ayumin ponytail is defying gravity there!

... From now on within this post, I will call Ayumi... Dayumi!!!

Dayashi: "I wonder how many seconds it will take to kill this weak excuse of a human..."

Girls, girls... why are you checking your watches when you clearly have none on? You confuse me!

I think Sayumi just fangasmed all over herself. I mean how could she not? If I was her, even I would be in pure ecstasy by just knowing that I am Sayumi Michishge! Hnnnng!!!

Sayumi: "Hnnng....~"

... Mizukingdom, on the other hand, is having no fangasms. Why so boring, Oh Dull One?

Zuk: "Bitch, please."

Holy crap, Zukki looks damn hawt in this!!! I think the costume really suits her, and that confident I-am-better-than-YOU look is just so bad-ass and gorgeous, I can't even...

Zuk: "Shut the fuck up, and wait for it..."

... Wait for what?

Zuk: "... Hey, baby."

Holy shit HNNNNNNGGGGG!!!!!

Dayumi: "Oh no you DI'NT!!!"

OH YES I DID!!!! -snaps fingers and acts sassy-

Sakuranbo: "... What the fuck happened to my hair?"

Trust Sakura to distract us from being sassy by pointing out the most mundane of things... but yeah, what did happen to her hair!? Is that a weave?

Masaki does not look impressed, Mizuki is having a premonition about Dayashi and Dayumi's Doomed relationship, and Eriman is just... well, flexing. Isn't that all Eriman needs to do?

Eriman: "Yeah baby, that's right... I am buff. You should see my 10-pack."

How is it that even when trying to pull a Winky Fail (Hi, Reina) Sayumi still manages to maintain ultimate HAWTNESS and absolute perfection?

I'll tell you how... IT'S BECAUSE SHE'S SAYUMI, SON!

Sayumi: "Awwwww yeeeeeah~"

Riho looks amazing here, it actually makes me want to cry.

Dayashi: "Fuck what you think, simpleton, I am gorgeous AND fabulous!!!"
Eriman: "Urgh, this chick is vile. Where's my Sakuranbo at, I miss her."

Eriman getting a face full of hair. Bet you aren't missing yours Eriman, are ya? It just means trouble.

Eriman: "Er, hello? Can you calm these fucking scarves down for a second? They're blocking my camera time..."

Eriman is certainly channelling his inner Gaki today. I am liking this!

Haruman: "Well hellooooooo Camera-man!"

Finally! We have some much needed Haruka exposure! Next time this happens H!P, I am filing a complaint!!!

Gurt damn, look at all them LEGS!!!! It's nice to see so much flesh in one video, I tell you!

Dayashi: "Yes, that's right... bow down to me, your Master, you lowly creatures... All Hail Riho!! Er, I mean Nippon!!!"

This looks a little like the line of evolution, but instead of apes we have beautiful, leggy young women and a few men... <3

Sakuranbo: "Bitches, the princess is coming through!"

Oh yeah, you go Sakuranbo! Get yo sass on, gurl! TWERK IT!!!! I mean WORK IT!!!

Eriman: "Oh Hell Naw, you did NOT just tell me what to do!"

Eriman does not like Sakuranbo's sass, or her weave-whatever-it-is.

Haruman: "Ahahahaha okay guys, pipe down a second. We don't wanna get into any unnecessary fights now..."

Haruman, the peace maker of it all, and one of the cutest boys I have ever seen! D'awwww <3

Is this dance move meant to represent the holding of the Olympic Torch aloft, and then the ceremonial burning of the ground? Wait, that's not a part of the Olympics? Then why are they even doing that move!? It makes no sense!

... If I ever doubted that Dayumi would never look like a shark again, well, all doubt is gone. I am reminded of why I called her Baby Predator all those years ago through this one screen cap.

Please don't kill me!!! -quivers in corner-

FINALLY!!!! I have some of my Harunan, who admittedly looks a bit drunk here, but whatever. HARUNAN!!!

Harunan: *hick* "Schaaaayuuumeeee ghave me shumthing fhunnee... to dhriinnk..." *hick*

...

Haruna, why have you passed out on me? Hello? -prods with stick-

I absolutely love watching this scene because it makes me giggle so much. Why? Because I am evil and find it hilarious to watch Ayumi jump and look so tiny against everyone else. It's bloody humorous, and I LOVE IT!!!!

-cackles relentlessly- Tiny people like Ayumi are so cute and fun to watch sometimes >8D

Masakins: "And this is how we cradle the baby in my family."
Zuk: "Wait, you don't lift it onto the top of your head?"
Eriman: *Lugs weights around* "Why the fuck are you all talking about babies?"

Dayashi: "Holy fuck, I am just so goddamn perfect."

I have to say, Dayashi really does take the cake with this video. She is pretty much nailing every one of her scenes, and yes, she OWNS IT!!!! Dayumn!!!

Masakins: "Wha-what about me?"

Awwww, how cute! Masaki truly is the baby of the group, it's so sweet. She really has no clue how to pull off being mature at all, does she? Don't worry though Masakins, we love you no matter what!!!

... HOLY ISHIKAWA RIKA!!! How the fuck did you... wha...? She seems a lot more mature here... ?

Masakins: "You were saying?"

Haruman: "Arrrrr, there be the Camera-man!"

Haruka's happy to find the camera again, though she's going a bit Hulk SMASH on whoever is shooting this scene right now.

... Wait, why is Zukkini doing a bit of the Egao no Kimi wa Taiyou sa dance? Wrong video, girl! But you look good, so who cares right?

Zuk: "I don't give a fuck what you think, I play by my own rules. Psht!"

This girl is rocking her scenes, let me tell you! Daaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!!!

Sakuranbo: "All dem bitches bow for me."

... It looks a little like a Zombie mosh pit, if you ask me. Especially Eripon. She has just lost all care.

Haruman needs no one! Haruman is satisfied with just touching himself!

Haruman: "Oh yeah, baby... right there..."

I feel like this scene represents something, and I will be honest with you, I have no clue what it represents. I just loved the angle of the shot and how they are positioned!

Sakuranbo: "Okay bitches, the shows about to start and I am the STAR!!!"

Sakuranbo: "So don't not one of you DARE to fall out of fucking line, or I will break your ovaries so hard you will be wishing you were never born! Got it!?"

Look at Sakura, owning that line. She knows she is workin' it and owning it! Yeeeeah gurl, go get 'em!

Dayashi: "Sakura, baby, if you come anywhere near my ovaries, then be sure to know that I will eat your fucking intestines and CRUSH that almighty skull of yours in the process, kay? KAY!!!!"
Haruman: "I see a camera..."

I think that Haruka has her hunting skills down, she has totally zoned in on Camera-man-san!.

Haruman: "Awww fuck yeah, the camera's back! I missed ya, baby!"

I can understand your happiness at being in front of the camera, Haruman. It does not linger on you enough...

... Say Hello to Morning Musume's very own rendition of the Mexican Wave.

Haruman: "Awwwww yeah, let's get down and freaky!!!"
FukuHime: "YEEEEEHAAAAW!!!"
Eriman: "Ayyyye, what you fuckin' lookin' at boy!? You wanna PIECE O' ME!?"

Zuk: "You want a piece of THIS?"

Zukkini expresses her anger at not having the camera on her enough, and for one I totally agree with her anger! You shake that fist, Zukki baby!!! Grrrr!!!

Dayumi: "You are feeling sleepy, ever so sleepy..."

Dayumi, what sort of Hocus Pocus trick are you pulling now?

Dayumi: "... A trick that will make me taller?"

Hahahahahhaaha not gonna happen any time soon, kid!

Eriman: "Hey gurl, wanna feel ma muscle?"

YES PLEASE!!!! -Fangirls hard- EEEEP!!!!

And so we're back to cradling babies or lugging weights, though Eripon clearly does not give a flying fuck right now.

I didn't know that this new song called for a bit of Stacy's choreography from the stage play, but clearly it does!

Okay, now we're doing the robot... Girls, make up your minds! Are we Teenage Zombie Killers or Robots!?

Wait, so now we're incorporating a bit of Wagamama Ki no Mama in there?

... Seriously? Help Me!! choreography? What are we playing now H!P, guess the Dance this is copied from?

Seriously, I could make a drinking game out this if I wanted to.

I would also be pretty drunk by now if I had thought of this earlier... hm...

Sakuranbo: "Oh my God..."

Sakuranbo: "I... I just want to touch myself, I'm so... so..."

Sakuranbo: "... Beautiful!!!"

... Did Sakura just fangasm all over herself right now? I think she did...

Sakuranbo: "You can look, but you can not touch!!! That privilege is for Eriman ONLY!!!"

Oi oi oi, girl, you're younger than me... Don't you DARE tell me off and wag that finger at me!!!

Dayashi: "Bitch, pipe the Hell down! It's my time to shine again!!!"

Raise your hands up for Dayashi!

Dayashi: "Oh God... I am so Hot~"

The rest of Morning Musume seem to be ignoring Dayashi's vanity right now, which is pretty understandable.

Dayashi: "My Desciples... RISE! RIIIIISE FOR MEEEEEEE!!!!"

... I had to, I just had to!!! This screen caption called to me like Jesus to his (her) disciples!!!

Masakins could totally be in a hair commercial right now...

Masakins: "Because I'm worth it!"

... And that is how you sneak into a Morning Musume concert inconspicuously, girls and boys!!!

Actually it looks more like they are doing those crouch-clicks from cheesy 1960's based musicals. Aye aye aye...

I really do wish I knew what the hell this dance move meant, but I don't, unless it's various forms of the Red Sun and how it rises and descends in Japan.

... Oh and look, once again Eriman gives little to no fucks!!! YAAAAY!!!

Eriman: "I am so done..."

Masakins: "... These fucking scarves are too bright, can't you dim them down a bit, editor-san?"

Harunan: "... Chiima, don't you love me any more?" *sobs*

Awww, guuuurl, of course I do! I just haven't screencapped you much cos this PV shows little of you, or you don't look very flattering...

Harunan: *cries more*

WHAT!? IT'S THE TRUTH!!!

Haruman: "... Did YOU just make my Baby Gurl CRY!?!?"

Eeep, Haruman is angry!!! HIIIDE!!!!

Fukuhime: "Hahahaha, that's what you get for thinking I'm boring..."

How is my offending Harunan payback for you being dull as dirt?

Fukuhime: "Erm, well... it just is!!!"

... Nice debate work there, Fukuhime.

Okay... why does Sakuranbo look like she wants to kill me?

Sakuranbo: "I DO want to kill you."

o-O

Sayumi: "Don't worry, I don't want to kill you <3 Teehee~"

That's because you're perfect, Sayu.

Sayumi: "I know~ Hehe~"

Oh will you look at that, we're back to our Lesbian Love Story. You know girls, if you weren't so... obvious about your affair, I wouldn't know about it. In fact, no one would know about it.

Dayashi: "Oh pipe the fuck down, you nobody!"

Charming!

You know, I never noticed this before now, but... WOW, look at those legs on Riho!!! Dah and YUM!!!!

Now if only they were wearing red, then I would say that it looks like they are representing the Red Sun of Japan. But nope. We are just a blue fucking circle. Great.

Oh good Lord... this is a really good PV. And yes, it is because of the amount of gorgeous shots it has, and also because of... well, everything!!!!

Okay, so Kimi no Kawari wa Iyashinai is not a perfect PV by any standards, nor is it a ground-breaking, original video. In fact it follows the same basic mould that every other Hello! Project PV has used, except with different costumes and a different setting. However, it is still a pretty damn epic PV in my eyes, and that is because of these critical elements:

The girls, and of course those beautiful solo shots and that dance sequence. My God, this is good. I can already feel the fangasms coming on... hnnnnng!!!!

Okay, momentary fangasms over and done with, yes I do like this PV. Even more so that Egao no Kimi wa Taiyou sa, which I actually didn't think was possible given how beautiful and glorious I thought that PV was, but honestly speaking I do think that this PV here beats it hands down. Of course we have different opinions on what is good and what is bad (and many may say this is bad) and we differ in what PV's are our favourites based on both style and how it looks, but for me Kimi no Kawari wa Iyashinai is probably the most polished, professional looking Promotional Video from Morning Musume to date... and that is a pretty big thing for someone to say if you ask me, but truth be told that is how I truly feel about this PV.

This PV is just gorgeous. It has a clean, fun look about it that is eye-catching and enticing for the viewer thanks to the beautiful colours used, which create a nice contrast and balance for the viewer. Whilst at first I wondered why Morning Musume were wearing blue instead of red, because this is of course the Olympic song, I actually find that the blue and black mesh costumes create a surprisingly calm balance between the red curtains and the white floor. Also, it allows the girls to stand out more, so this is a smart move on the costume designers part. It also helps that I find those costumes absolutely stunning as well.

In fact, all of the styling for this video on the girls was absolutely wonderful. None of them looked terrible, which is a first, and they all just looked good. Especially Riho.

Now, don't even get me started on Riho, because she was just glorious in this PV. And no it isn't April Fools, I assure you. I am being very truthful here when I say that the knock-out member from this PV was pretty much Riho for me, with Haruka coming close behind in second place, and that's because Riho is just absolutely stunning in this video. From her body language to how she looks at the camera and expresses herself is astounding, it's as if she has just totally found herself and immersed this new version of Riho onto the camera. She has wowed me in this video with that amazing confidence, that look of domination in her eyes and the feeling of 'Ace' that she has been exuding a lot recently, and to an extent it is rather scary to see Riho this way, but also exhilarating. To say that she has totally dominated my mind in this PV as well as how I feel about her now (which is: ACE 5EVER!!!) is rather frightening but welcoming as well.

In short, she has amazed me and completely dominates this PV. The other girls can just go home, she is that captivating!

Of course the other girls were amazing too, don't get me wrong, it's just that Riho was better than they were, but it doesn't mean that the others were bad either. In fact, everyone was pretty much on-point in this video, from their looks to how they nailed the dance and their solo shots. Seriously... wow. I don't think that I have ever seen Zukki with as much sass in this video, or Eripon with this amount of attitude. There is also Haruka, who at some points looks like that darling little girl we adore, and then suddenly she becomes this boyish looking girl who is pretty damn hardcore and just knows how to switch on when the camera is trained on her. Let's not forget Masaki either, who is so darned adorable it hurts, but then suddenly she pulls an Ishikawa on us and becomes incredibly charming, similar to that of Ishikawa. Masaki surprises me a lot with how quickly she can switch between cute and mature.

Honestly, I was really surprised by the members of Morning Musume ('14) in this video, because I didn't expect everyone to act the way they did; sassy, cool and full of attitude and charm. I seriously did not expect to see all of them as in-tune with the song as I did, but they were, and they continue to amaze me through my re-watches even now with how jaw-droppingly gorgeous and amazing they are. To say that their abilities as performers has improved is a bit of an understatement, because their performance abilities on-camera have sky-rocketed, or at least in terms of their presence on-camera. If I thought that they were great in their last MV's, then they are absolutely amazing in Kimi wa Kawari Iyashinai, and they are shining like stars! They all look awesome, and they are emulating all types of attitude and ability.

Honeslty, I could talk more about how I think the girls have blossomed into amazing performers, but I need to talk about the dance as well, because I kind of have yet to speak of it. So no more drooling over the girls Chii, it's dance time!

And what a cool dance it is, right? RIGHT!!! I mean sure, it steals a few dance sequences from past singles (Kono Chikyuu, Help Me!!, Wagamama and probably more) but I still rather like the dance itself. It';s fun and catchy, and I have many-a-time found myself to be copying the catchy dance from the chorus where they wave their hands and then bounce up and down. It's cute and captivating, though of course there are a few questionable dance moves thrown in there like when the girls headbang to the parts that include Irony in the lyrics.

Whilst there are a few questionable parts though, there also some pretty amazing parts, namely Sakura's dominating solo line where she pretty much catwalks her way down the line of members whilst blitzing that perfect line of hers... Oh yeah, it is fantastic, and it works. I don't think I have ever seen Sakura sound or look so stunning and confident, and it was beautiful to see it embraced in the way of dance, showing off that amazing confidence perfectly. It worked, and it had me on the edge of my seat.

Also under the amazing banner in name of the choreography for this video has to be Haruka; praise Riho and Ayumi all you want for their crisp, perfect moments, but for me Haruka is where it is at; every time watched this dance shot, my eyes were always drawn to Haruka because she pretty much owns this dance. Have you seen her move? I have, and when I watch Haruka dance it is filled with attitude and happiness, all combined. She has this pure look of love and enjoyment on her face, you can see every ounce of enjoyment for the performance aspect etched on her face, especially during those parts where the girls beat their fists onto their legs and weave from side to side frantically. It is so spectacular to see Haruka, who is a diamond to watch anyway, have so much fun and love for what she does. Of all the members in Morning Musume, Haruka was my favourite of them all to watch during the dance shot, and she was just incredible in it.

As a video Kimi no Kawari wa Iyashinai is a fun video with a crisp, clean look that will truly appeal to a viewer. It may not have much going for it in terms of its imagery, having only dance and close-up shots, but what it does have is a lot of attitude, confidence, sass and enjoyment from the members that is just so wonderful to watch. The girls look and feel amazing, and their performance level has truly grown since their last video which is amazing in itself. Kimi no Kawari wa Iyashinai is a polished video that is quite refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish, and in my eyes it is the perfect video to represent Japan's Sochi Olympics of 2014; it brings energy and happiness to the viewers, and it shows the amazing unity and talent of the Morning Musume members.



Let's all come together as one with the red sun of Japan, and the blue waves of Morning Musume ('14). Are you ready to cheer for NIPPON!?

Chiima~