Sexy Zone - Sexy Summer ni Yuki ga Furu PV review

Well this single is out, and had a rather lackluster first week of sales by not even managing to break 100k in sales for the first week. I cannot say I am surprised as this single did not have as many tie-ins as the previous one and the title song has to be their weakest A-side yet. I hope Johnny's has a plan to get this boys promoted more or I do not see them doing much better with their next single.

I do not think there is anything that is going to change my mind about this song. I have listened to it several times over and still think it sounds like B-side material. There really is nothing about it that sticks with you after listening like Lady Diamond, and musically it sounds like a mess. And it does nothing to show off the vocals of the members even though Nakajima Kento and Kikuchi Fuma have voices that are strong enough for more challenging songs. Overall I find this song a let down and the B-sides of this single are what saves it from seeming like a complete waste.

Love him or die.

I guess we should get used to all Sexy Zone PVs starting off with a solo shot of Sato Shori. Johnny's really seems to want to make him being the Ace of the group work no matter what.

Interesting looking mold on those outfits.

We then get a group shot to see all the Christmas themed outfits. I still do not like seeing a Christmas themed single being released so early. Sure they also bring up the other seasons and all but Christmas is still the main theme and until winter hits I do not want to see it.

There seems to have been an accident in this PV.

We get a quick look at the main sets of the PV which showcase one of the four seasons, winter, spring, summer and fall. As well as the group of Juniors that will be featured in the PV.

True star of this group.

Nakaken then gets the first of his solo lines in. I do like they are continuing with letting Nakaken and Kikuchi vocally carry the songs of the group. I feel the two have been improving steadily since debut and they both have nice vocal tones to their voices which makes them nice to listen to.

There's nothing for you to feel there Marius.

Kikuchi gets his turn at solo lines as well as we move to the fall set that apparently has a runway as its main feature. Perhaps because I do not follow the world of fashion but I would not think a runway had much of a specific fall feeling to it.

I wouldn't want anything to do with them either Matsushima.

While I am not a fan of the winter outfits the summer outfits in this PV have to be the worst. They look like something Johnny's would force the Juniors to wear. In fact I will be disappointed that years from now there are not Juniors wearing them.

Not ready for Christmas.

There are plenty of scenes to see the Juniors in for this PV. I am still not familiar with most of them but a there a few I am getting to know finally and I am glad to see them getting extra exposure by being in the SZ PVs.

Nakaken, the piano man.

Nakaken gets to show off his piano playing skills with this PV. I feel like this song does not deserve it, but hopefully this will not be the last time Nakaken gets to play piano in a PV for the group.

ADORABLE!!!

And we get pure cuteness from Yo Marius and Matsushima So. Seriously, it is like watching a group of puppies or kitties and could give you cavities.

CUTE!!!!

Then we get cute with the summer set with the dance forgotten for just the group and the Juniors jumping around. Kikuchi tries to give one of the smaller Juniors more screen time by lifting him up.

Matsushima has cannibalistic tendencies?

There is even more cuteness with the boys goofing off with the over-sized apple prop. Matsushima looks more like he is biting into Kikuchi's shoulder instead.

Rooting for the underdog.

Going to have Matsushima shown in his quick solo shot as I feel like he gets overlooked a lot. Rather sad as he seems to be one of the better vocals for the younger members. Though he also has to go through his voice changing so hopefully nature will be kind to him on that front.

Aw, it's the snow in summer.

I am not really impressed with the dance for this song. There is really nothing about it that stands out and it looks rather simple.

My eyes hurt.

Then we get a group shot as each members says a line. After this is another group shot then the end of the PV. And I do not like how they make the white so gleaming. I think it is an eyesore, not to mention it washes out the color in the boys' faces to an unnatural degree.


I really do not want to repeat myself too much but I really do not care much for this song or the the PV. Sure there are a few moments that I did like but it was mostly boring for me. It seems disappointing that this is bound to be the final release for the group this year and we probably will not get anything new until spring of next year if they follow the typical release pattern of the most recent FIVB groups. I hope we do get something sooner but I will not be holding my breath.

I have nothing really against Shori, but I do wish Johnny's would stop pushing him so hard. I think he has potential but until he starts living up to that potential he is going to remain overshadowed by the older members that are hitting their stride as performers. Give him a year or two more to grow a bit more and get more experience under his belt before pushing him as they have been. Nakaken and Kikuchi are both more than ready to be the ones to carry the group for now.

ZONE - treasure of the heart ~Kimi to Boku no Kiseki~ PV review

I ordered this single with Hey! Say! JUMP's album and I plan on waiting until I can get the RE version of that album before I do a review for it. This single though is nicely contained with everything on the RE on the LE plus having the PV for the title track, treasure of the heart ~Kimi to Boku no Kiseki~ (treasure of the heart ~Your and My Miracle~). I would have done this review sooner but there were a few things that I wanted to research about it to see if I was right about some of the things I initially guessed at.

This single is ZONE's comeback single after they disbanded back in 2005. In 2011 they made a sorta comeback with a tribute album and touring, mostly to raise funds for the Tohoku region after the March 11th disaster. But with this single they are down to two members, Miyu and Maiko, and has been heralded as an actual comeback for the girl band.

I love this song, not only because it sounds like it could so easily have been a single before the band disbanded in 2005 but because the lyrics are just beautiful to me. From what I understand of the lyrics the song is basically about keeping those you have lost in your heart because they will live with you that way, so when you want to see them again you can in a way and that of course is the miracle of the treasure of the heart.

What really drives the emotional impact of the song is the connections to the Tohoku region as in the thank you section of the booklet two schools are thanked and they are both from the region that the earthquake/tsunami hit in 2011. And me being the sentimental person I am find myself incredibly moved by this. So much so that I do confess to crying each time I have watched this PV.

Miyu

Maiko

I guess to get it out of the way, the girls have really grown since 2005. They are both beautiful young women and I am glad to see them continue on, especially since it seems mainly fueled for helping the Tohoku region.

The PV itself is simple but effective with getting the message of the song across. The basic scenes it toggles between are those of Miyu and Maiko and the students out in the field.

It goes between just focusing on the students as well as having them in the background behind the girls.

Another major part of the PV are scenes of the students in various locations acting out small scenes. Like in the first one you have the boy on the street listening to music.

He sees a girl from his school and he is shocked by it.

And of course the girl disappears in a blink of an eye as she is only supposed to be a memory.

These scenes work very well with the song with only of the themes in it is being able to want to see someone again as the word 出逢い (to meet) is used frequently in the lyrics.

Thankfully they have these scenes in the field to give you a break from the heartache. Though you cannot completely forget it with the students with desks and chairs there in the background.

Probably the scene that got me the most, so much so I had to pause for a moment because I was crying too much by then, is this one. Just seeing the two two figures across the horizon and then the lone figure looking back at the girl no longer there just hits me hard.

Like I mentioned earlier the booklet thanked two schools and I have the feeling that is because they used them for these school shots. And they are pretty eerie as so much of it is empty classrooms, but again it is another way the PV tugs at the heart strings.

I love this shot and the fact they held off on putting it in until the end. It is just one of those shots that you just expect to either be at the start of end of PV.

And to make a note of it, watching the making of that was on the DVD as well shows that it was raining, well mainly sprinkling and drizzling, throughout the entire shooting. Not to mention it also being windy as well, so the weather was not really with them when they were making this. And of course you can tell they played with the look of some of the shots and it mainly has to be because of the weather.

And when we get to the end and see the girl give a small smile of hope my heart breaks in all the right ways. I feel it is a symbol of hope for the region in general, that after all they have lost they will keep living, keeping what they treasured the most but lost in their hearts so they can continue to live in them. (And yes I had to pause at this point because of my tears again.)

And then we get the end shot, and I love how the weather decided to work in their favor at some time during the shot so you get the sun there in the background shining through the clouds. It really gives you the sense of hope, seeing that beyond the clouds that the sun is still there shining.


So yea, this PV makes me cry but in a good way as I feel that just means that it worked for the message the song is trying to send. Because even though there were tears I still felt hopeful by the end.

Looking at the booklet that came with the CD Miyu is listed as writing the lyrics for this song. The other two songs have their lyrics written by her and Maiko, which I am happy with as I love it when idols move past just having all their songs handed to them and begin to be a part of the writing process for them. But I think Miyu did a wonderful job with this song. I may not understand it all but from what I can I can easily follow what is being sung and the general meaning of the song and it is really touching to me. This is a song that really moves me and the PV for it only helps cement the feelings it brings up in me which to me is a sign of a good PV.

My favorite lyric being　ずっと宝物だから。。。僕は歩いてゆく , which I believe should translate to something like "Always because of this treasure... I keep walking." I think these two lines sum up the song so well in terms of its theme and message.

And I think it is pretty understandable why this group would attach themselves to the Tohoku region, as they are from Hokkaido which is not far from it and it was probably a region that the girls are familiar traveling through from going to Tokyo to home in the past. That and so much of their initial reunion was in the region that I am sure it has left a lasting impression on them.

Overall I am so glad that I bought this single and the LE version at that. I not only feel that ZONE is back but feel the maturity that the girls are bringing to the group now that they have grown older since their days with the group years ago.

NMB48 - Oh My God! PV review (repost)

(Should have done this yesterday but did not think of it. I will try to get my review of the 6th episode of Bakaleya up tonight so this is not the only post I will make today.

But basically I am moving this PV review from my My-Kei blog to this as I switch that over to a video blog (of sorts) and this become my more general idol blog. The original post was done back on 19 November 2011.)


Since I found doing this kind of review fun for the Sexy Zone PV over at my Johnny's blog I figured I'll go ahead and start doing that kind of thing for this blog as well. The first PV I'll be doing for this blog will be NMB48's Oh My God! PV, because I just reviewed the single.

She sees you~.

Honestly I can't think of a better way to start a PV than with a shot of Yamada Nana. I'm already to give this PV my seal of approval from this opening scene even though I'm not as much in love with the song it's meant for.

Why yes, this is going to be a Nana-centric screen cap review. 

I kinda hate to say this but I'm kinda glad Watanabe Miyuki is not a part of the senbatsu for this single. It sounds cruel but I know everything Nana has in this PV is because Milky isn't there and even though I do like Milky I just like Nana so much more.

I have to wonder if they all met up before they go to practice
together, and of course, why?

And we get to see the rest of the senbatsu for the single, minus the two centers. I have to say they do a good job with the set up for the story line that goes through the PV. Sure the scenes are all pretty standard but they do the job effectively to show who everyone is and what the conflicts will be.

The other star of this PV, Team N captain, Sayaka.

If Nana was not enough Yamamoto Sayaka helps bring in the perfection for this PV. I can't figure out why I was so indifferent to her at first but she's become one of my favorites so easily since.

I'm sure if he had something bright and shiny they would be just as impressed.

There really doesn't seem too much of a point to this scene other than to add some humor. That and maybe show that this is hardly the kind of team that worries about going to tournaments and championships with how easily amazed they are with their coach's simple soccer tricks.

Nana's heart and popsicle breaks.

And of course before we can get to the PV we need to move past the introduction and into the actually plot lines which is done about as well. My only issue is that it's never explained who the girl Nana sees the boy she's crushing on is. It makes me wonder if the guy she's crushing on is really worth it unless that girl is a younger/older sister that Nana didn't know about, as that's a common enough trope but still it's not explained and it just bugs me.

Come on Jo! You need to be able to outrun the wota.

Of course there needs to be more to drive the story and we get that with Jo Erika, a member destined to be either an Ace or Captain in NMB48 once they get around to announcing Team M. Of course my Japanese fails me here and I can't figure out why she's having a hard time keeping up with the group but the couch gives her a hard time.

Shun the non-believer, shun!

And then she's given a hard time by Nana and a few other teammates and runs off in tears. And thus we can finally start the music portion of the PV.

Sayaka/Nana double center FTW!

The dance moves in this PV are rather interesting to say the least. I guess you can say they fit the group image of being pretty energetic and out there and they do seem to fit the song, though I'm not sure if there would be many fans trying to copy the moves.

Yuppi, the girl with a smile that could light a sun.

And this screen cap exists solely for the fact that Yamaguchi Yuuki (on the far right) is actually in the front line up for the few seconds this lasts. As much as I love Nana and Sayaka my love for Yuppi is also strong and I wish that she would get more chances to shine.

NMB48 is falling down~ falling down~

For the actual PV it does a lot of switching back and forth between the girls dancing and the soccer game they are playing. Though I think it's a pretty liberal use of the word 'playing' as there is an awful lot of falling down by the girls.

NMB48's pedobait, Jo Erika and Yogi Keila.

And my favorite of the 2nd generation KKS, Yogi Keila, who I'm still in denial about for being only 12. But in any case she is cute and I'm glad she's getting pushed with the other 2nd gen KKS in this PV.

Making sure you remember the name, the whole two letters of it.

And of course we get our turn around when everything looks down and out with Jo making her return. 

You will become one of us. One of us!

And everyone is of course pumped up and all is forgiven and wonderful. But I do like these kinds of shots but not when there are faces that are cut off. Those are a bit creepy and I can't help but feel sorry for those girls as this is a pretty good shot of all sixteen faces if all the faces could actually be seen.

Why are there red pompoms when there is no red on their uniforms?

And then suddenly cheerleaders. This is the one part of the PV that makes no sense as it not only adds nothing to the narrative but has no place in it. But the girls are still cute in it and it fits the peppiness of the song.

We're going to nationals!

I will admit that I do really like this part of the PV. Even though singing like that looks really awkward and difficult it's still an unique idea and really makes the live performances stand out. Though that doesn't counter how odd it looks to have Jo there standing on the side but someone would have to be the odd one out no matter what with sixteen girls to make a pyramid with.

Or not.

I do like how they still make sure to use Jo by having her be the one to do the bow once they collapse the pyramid, as it also works to tie this PV with their debut PV that ended with them all bowing like that. 

In a way you can say that they still have one.
(Feel free to groan at the pun.)

When we finally return to the story for the end of the song we get an important goal shot made and then the song portion of the PV ends. I'm used the underdog coming back to win it stories that when the short version of the PV came out I had assumed that's what would happen with this as well so I was a bit surprised to find out as the drama played out that while the shot was made they still lost badly. 

Sad Sayaka. ;_;

We get sad girls on the field as Sayaka returns with her narration. 

Pray the wind doesn't change and your face gets stuck like that Maachun.

While Ogasawara Mayu isn't as pushed in the PV as the other three girls, Sayaka, Nana and Jo, she gets her moments to shine as being the "mood maker" and in the story. And I can't help but find her impersonation of the coach cute.

And this is here because Sayaka just looks gorgeous. Of course the whole PV has some really nice shots in it. It may not look as slick as their first PV but it's still pretty solid for the feeling of simplicity it has.

Nana's love can be bought with cellphone charms.

And of course we get wrap up of Nana's story line here as she receives a gift from her crush. I still think there should have been an explanation of who he was with earlier for Nana to still be that happy to receive something from him. Resolving that conflict off screen is pretty bad story telling which stands out with this PV  as the rest is solid even if not original. 

And they all lived happily ever after.

And speaking of solid yet unoriginal we get the final scene of all the girls walking together to somewhere. Again I wonder where they are coming from and where they are going as I would think that they have different schedules so they wouldn't be able to just walk around school like that.

In summary I like the PV. Sure it's nothing really new but it's done well and I'm more than willing to forgive that fallible for that. As even for none Japanese speakers it's easy to follow who is who and what is motivating them to do the things they do from how everything is shown and sticking to the basic tropes that are common in media from pretty much the world over.

Of course I know a part of it also might be because I am a big Nana fan so having so much of her in a PV was a wonderful treat. But she's not the only girl that I'm biased with in the PV and I can imagine that if it was another group of girls I did not know in the video instead I would still think it was a good solid video. It's not the best I've seen but far from the worst. I still would prefer something like their debut PV to be for their next PV over another one like this though something completely different would be nice too.

So hopefully a new NMB48 single gets announced and we can see what they come up with next.