This comes in at a weird time, as I’m going to be completing a comprehensive rundown of how bad Morning Musume PVs have gotten. It’s more negative than I like to be at a place called “Happy Disco,” but it’s things that I think need to be said. However, I’m so excited because, much like Abed from Community, “I guess I just like liking things.”
Yes I am just using this as an excuse toput Community in Happy Disco. Go watch the show if you aren’t already.
So while I’ve been pretty positive as a whole about Morning Musume lately, I’ve been wondering about their future. I was, thus, pleasantly surprised this morning when the new dance shot for Morning Musume’s newest single, “Brainstorming,” came out.
Here are just a few of my immediate thoughts on this.
Dancing Musume
For the most part, current Morning Musume feels very dance heavy. This has also been noted by others (in Chiima’s look at it she calls this the dancing era of Morning Musume). However, it is notable that for the past few singles that the first thing to come out is a dance shot, which for other groups might not even be a thing. This shows that one of the first thing management wants you to see isn’t the actual girls, but the dancing skills, which says something about the values and focus of the current group.
This is really reinforced by this dance shot. This dance is strong, there is a good amount of parts where stronger dancers are emphasized and put forward, and there’s even the lovely mini dance battle with arguably two of the best dancers of the group, Riho and Ayumi. I’ve wanted dance solos for so long, because in Hello!Project often the lead singers get put in the front and the girls who are strong in dance don’t really get to shine. So this mini dance battle makes me hopeful that Hello!Project is starting to get it.
No Crummy Greenscreen!
One of the things I’m writing a lot about right now is how terrible the greenscreening is for Help Me. Which it is. But I’m glad to see that’s taken a break and they’re back to good sets. The production values look decent here, with good looking costumes and a good looking set. I’m really hoping they don’t mess it up with terrible effects in the post-production phase (a la 1 2 3 and Wakuteka Take a Chance), but nothing here looks cheap and terrible. Which is a good thing.
I Like the Song!
While I’ve seen other people calling this song a rehash of other Morning Musume songs and their recent style (which may be true; the section that’s very similar to Wakuteka Take a Chance is telling), I think this might just blow the others out of the water. While it is very similar in style to Morning Musume’s past efforts, it’s a step up. They’re keeping similar styles while improving and breaking new ground. The instrumental feels fuller and more complete, and the melody is immediately catchy. I honestly don’t mind that this is very similar because it’s just good.
They’re Finally Starting to Use More Girls!
By far my biggest surprise of the song was Haruna’s (albeit heavily autotuned) solo line. While yeah, MM is still the Reina and Riho show, this overall feels much more like a group effort than anything in the Reina and Ai era of Morning Musume. While the part that gives everyone short solo lines is very reminiscent of Wakuteka Take a Chance, it is still a great way to integrate the rest of the group together. I was personally happy for the bigger Ayumi solo line, and even the dance felt like Morning Musume was an integrated whole. This is something that Morning Musume really has lost for a while, and it feels good to have it back. The only lines that really felt out of place were the Sakura lines, personally; I didn’t really dig the sudden belting singing. But hey, it’s nice that they fit her style into Morning Musume’s current overall style.
So ultimately, I’m honestly really positive about this release. I’ve felt issues with Hello!Project in the past, but if this is the future of Morning Musume, the future looks really bright!
Last week I read the very well done article on Pure Idol Heart about being an idol fan and picking a favorites. If you have yet to read what Paul wrote, look here. It’s well worth a read if you’re at all interested in thinking about the nature of being an idol fan.
Personally, I agree with what Paul writes, in theory at least. I think you should like who you like, despite the predominant idea in idol culture that you should pick an oshimen. Being a DD, someone who likes everyone, is all fine and good, I think. However, I consider myself to be an MD (Minna Daisuki) which means that while I like pretty much every idol in groups I like, that I support one as my oshimen.
However, one reason I pick an oshimen, and this is a bit of a confession to make: I have a hard time following/supporting idol groups without a firm favorite member.
I’m not quite sure why this is the case, but there are some idol groups where I can get behind them as groups, but since there isn’t an idol that stands out to me that much as an individual I just can’t have that group be one of my favorites. This was a problem for me with SKE48, for a while; I had an oshimen in the group I was a fan of, Yagami Kumi (who, for the record, I think is super fantastic), but since she wasn’t at the level of my other 48 oshimen SKE48 became the 48 group I followed least, even though I think they’ve put out really great stuff. However, now that Kuumin is leaving SKE48, I expanded my horizons, and after a couple of missteps (mainly becoming a fan of Ogiso Shiori… who then announced her graduation), I’ve become quite a fan of SKE’s Hata Sawako. So we’ll see if Shawako is enough to make me follow more of SKE48.
This also came into play with Morning Musume. While I have a blog post planned about my on and off again relationship with Hello!Project and Morning Musume in particular, in short I’ve thought about completely quitting Hello!Project for some time now. However, recently my interest in Ishida Ayumi has grown to the point where she’s one of my top current idols. I’m now actively supporting Morning Musume (through merch purchases, mostly; I bought Ayumi’s birthday shirt), and this is entirely because of one girl and the fact I think she’s amazing.
I also think that having an oshimen is helpful in larger groups that have a lot of merch. While Momoiro Clover Z, for example, is really great about having merchandise for Hako Oshi (MomoClo fans who support the whole group), not every group may have that, and it might be easier (and financially more viable) to support one member. For example, for a while I supported the second generation of S/Mileage as a unified whole, and while those are still four of my top five current Hello!Project members (2-5, Ishida Ayumi being #1). However, this made me resistant to getting merchandise because four girls is kind of a lot on my college student budget. However, once I decided on being a Meimi fan, I felt more able to get merch.
The idol industry also supports the whole “you have to pick an oshimen” idea through songs like Team B Oshi, which not only tells you to pick an oshimen, but to support Team B. (Interestingly enough, it also says that changing oshimen, also known as oshihenning, is OK, but only if it’s to that individual girl. Most idol fans look down on someone who oshihens a lot.)
That being said, while having a specific oshimen is important to me liking an idol group, I think the “Minna” part of my Minna Daisuki thing is important, as well. Occasionally I see people who only like one girl and one girl only, disliking almost everyone else. While that’s your choice, it still feels like that would make liking that idol group frustrating and flat out not fun, especially if you’re not a fan of the group.
One thing of note, however, is I think that the oshimen dynamic changes depending on what group you’re supporting. If you’re an AKB48 fan or a fan of those groups, so much rides on the senbatsu election and the Request Hour Setlist Best 100 election, so that not choosing an oshimen would pretty much disqualify you from this part of the AKB48 fandom. Larger groups or popular groups, where there are elections or rivalries within the groups, it’s hard to not have an oshimen because they encourage you to support your particular member of choice. On the other hand, I feel it’s a lot less vital for smaller, indie groups (like the ones mentioned in the Pure Idol Heart article), and that it’s honestly less important to focus on one girl in particular. The biggest factor, though, is the word of “support,” whether that means one particular girl or your favorite group.
Ultimately, though, it is your choice, and regardless of what other people feel you should enjoy idols however you want to. Because really, idols are meant for fun.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Happy Disco readers! Whether you’re single or in a relationship, I hope you’re having a nice day. Even though love is a common theme in many idol songs, here are some ones that I find outstanding, and fitting of the day.
Valentine Kiss – Kokusho Sayuri
If you don’t listen to this every Valentine’s Day (either original version or Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 version), I don’t know where your priorities are. Seriously, this is THE quintessential Valentine’s song of idol music. It’s hard to say much more, because it’s pretty clear. I’m personally fond of the Warota version (understandably so, given the fact that I’m very fond of Oota Aika and Iwasa Misaki), but this song is just a classic song about Valentine’s Day.
Chocolate Damashii – Matsuura Aya
Another song that’s completely about Valentine’s; in Japan, chocolate is really the only gift given on Valentine’s, and it’s given only from girls to boys (who reciprocate on March 14th, White Day). I am super fond of Ayaya, and while this isn’t my favorite song by hers, it was a late single released right before the Elder Club graduation as a gift to her fans. Ayaya’s voice is beautiful as always, and it’s a beautiful song for Valentine’s.
Choco no Dorei – SKE48
I debated on whether to include this in my list, because the lyrics are a bit suspect. However, it’s one idol song that’s very directly about Valentine’s Day. The title literally means “A slave to chocolate” and it directly deals with the custom of giving chocolate as a way of confessing your love. It’s direct, but “A slave to chocolate” sounds kind of suspect, like SKE48 are forced to work in the chocolate factory (Gasp, so is Watarirouka Hashiritai 7!). However, I do get the meaning, and there’s no doubt as to the meaning.
Hashire – Momoiro Clover
One of the things that really sets Momoiro Clover apart as an idol group is that they don’t really focus on romance quite as much as other idol groups do. It honestly makes a lot of their music refreshing to hear; even songs that have love in the title aren’t really about confessing love to a boyfriend or anything, but feel more like large, grand declarations. However, MomoClo does have a few romantic songs, and my personal favorite is Hashire. The first lyric “I can’t stop smiling, my dancing heart isn’t stopping, I’m moving to you, Run! Run! Run!” is honestly one of my favorite idol lyrics. Even despite the lyrics, however, the whole song has a feel of a genuine expression of feelings. It’s a very sweet song, which makes it one of my favorites.
Hyadain – Hyadain no Kakakata Kataomoi – C
Speaking of sweet, genuine feelings! Hyadain’s first two singles he did are duets, and they’re both fantastic; however, the first one is the romantic one. Even though it’s a duet with himself (yes, the female voice here is actually Hyadain, but with pitch changes), this is a really cute song about first love ,suddenly falling for someone, and realizing your feelings. In my opinion, the duet aspect really adds to the song, in a way I don’t normally hear as an idol fan. It’s one of Hyadain’s best, and given the fact I consider him to be the next big idol composer, that’s saying a lot.
Ki ga Tsukeba Anata – Matsuura Aya
OK, I love Ayaya. But there were honestly too many songs I wanted to put on this list that weren’t hers. Do I go cute, happy earlier route and go with Momoiro Kataomoi? Or do I go with the later, serious route with stuff like Only One (from her most recent album, Click You Link Me). I honestly love both super idol Ayaya and more serious singer Matsuura Aya, so it was tough to pick. So, I went in between with something from what was kind of the transitional phase. The one thing that kind of amuses me about this is that this song was primarily used for iced tea ads, but yet it’s one of the most sweet, genuine love songs from Hello!Project. The lyrics are about realizing that the perfect person for you has been by your side all along (a trope I’m absolutely a sucker for), and the song itself (both Ayaya’s great vocals and the instrumental) fits the theme perfectly.
Akai Sweet Pea – Matsuda Seiko
Another classic! Not much to say about this, other than it’s one of Japan’s classic love songs. Matsuda Seiko is one of the most famous idols of all time in Japan, and this is one of her most famous songs, and for good reason.
Since I wrote my small take on the Minegishi Minami scandal, this thing has blown up, big time. I’ve seen news about the scandal hit various publications worldwide, and all over the internet. I was browsing Reddit (even though I occasionally comment in the JPop section, this is a primarily non-idol experience of mine) and I saw people referring to pop stars shaving her head. It’s no wonder, I think; it’s hard not to be moved by Miichan looking into the camera, crying, with a shaved head. That being said, this new wave of interest has made me think of even more things about this scandal.
The one thing that really stood out to me in this English-language look is that, unless the source is one that already primarily looks into idols, that there is a general misinformation and general lack of knowledge of Japanese culture, Japanese idol culture, and AKB48 as a whole. This is a topic that I once actually considered covering on Idolminded; giving a scorecard of sorts and holding these ‘news’ sources accountable. Because a lot of articles are poorly researched and clearly just focus in on “oh, it’s weird/crazy/perverted Japan” when there’s fairly reasonable explanations for a lot of things.
One aspect that obviously got people interested is Miichan cutting off her hair. This is what gets people most appalled, and understandably so; it’s shocking and a very visible reminder of Miichan’s status in the scandal. However, there are a couple of things. One is that shaving ones head does already have a precedent in Japanese culture; I won’t go into too much detail, but it is a sign of remorse. For a bit more on this, you all should check out this article at Shoujiki Media which is just in general a really great take at this situation and looking at Japanese culture. I’m not saying I agree with this situation, because I am not for the dating rules by any means, but it’s important to view this situation in its proper cultural context, instead of taking it out of context and saying “look how disgusting AKB/idol culture is.” People also forget that the rule against dating isn ‘t just enforced within AKB, but idol groups in general; remember Kanou Kaede of Super Girls? Really, if we accept that Miichan cut her hair off by her own accord, the punishment of a demotion is lighter than being completely fired.
Another question that has also been understandably brought up is the question of if Minegishi really chose to do this herself; this has been debated a bit in Idolminded, and I see this being a really tough question. Ultimately, I do believe that this was Miichan’s choice that she made. While she has never been my oshimen, I’ve always had a bit of a fondness for Miichan, and this really strikes me (and my friends who are fans of hers) as something she would do; she likely feels responsible and guilty. That being said, if we think about management potentially influencing her decision, we want to ask why. The consensus is that it would make fans feel sorry for Miichan and increase her popularity, which could be true, but shaving her hair is a pretty big risk, one that I don’t know the 48 group would take. We’ve already seen idols in the face of scandal survive (Sasshi, Sayaka) and the public does feel sympathy without this. The move to kenkyuusei is shocking enough that I don’t personally believe management influenced Miichan. The word from both Miichan and management is that she chose it on her own, and everything else is speculation.
One kind of alarming thing I’ve seen on tumblr especially is a call to get the apology flagged and removed from Youtube because it allegedly shows abuse (this is assuming that Miichan wasn’t the one who chose this. While there has been a great deal of misinformation, the one thing I worry about in this case is the effect on Miichan. the video getting removed could be see as a symbolic rejection of her apology, when I’m sure at this point she made her point and just wants to move on.
I’ve also seen criticisms of AKB48 fans, and I have to say that in following this in both English and (slightly limited) Japanese, I’ve yet to see one person negative towards Miichan; the only thing that comes close is that, in regards to the dating rule, idols know what they’re getting into, and to an extent I’d agree with that. I’ve seen people referring to the fans as being very disappointed and outraged when an idol dates, and I’ve yet to see this. So I think that while dating rules have been pretty stable, idol fans themselves have become more lenient (though, this has been the case for a while; I remember Fujimoto Miki fans were very upset with the tabloids, not Miki, when her scandal broke).
If you’re thinking or even wondering if you should stop being an AKB fan because of this, or have seen people ask something like that, I refer you to one of my favorite blog articles of all time, How to be a Fan of Problematic Things. While this isn’t about idols at all, it’s a really good look at being a fan of something, even if you disagree with some things in it. So even if you find this whole thing problematic and distateful, you don’t have to quit AKB or even idols.
Ultimately, it’s the time to support Miichan above all else, and if you’re a fan of AKB try to gently stop the spread of misinformation.
I’m at the point where I’m sick of scandals. Yeah, they’re pretty interesting and add a lot of gossip to the idol world, but it’s at the point where it’s been ridiculous. My personal theory as to why so many scandals have been popping up in the recent months is just because AKB girls have had so many years on top that stress is at an all time high for many of the girls, which leads to them wanting either an easy out or some semblance of normality. That, and it pays the bills of the Shukan Bunshun staff.
If you follow AKB48 news at all, you’ve likely seen that Minegishi Minami was recently photographed after spending the night at a presumed boyfriend’s house, and has since been demoted to kenkyuusei and shaved her head.
From what I’ve seen, this has lead many people to wonder about the severity of this assumed punishment. Which is an interesting question, really. If at this point we’re assuming that the dating rule is here to stay, there are really a few things that could happen.
1. It gets brushed under the rug and no one pays attention to the scandal (i.e. pics of Oshima Yuko)
2. There is some punishment but the girl ultimately stays in the 48 family (i.e. Sashihara Rino, Minegishi Minami, Akimoto Sayaka, Watanabe Miyuki, etc.)
3. The girl has to leave the 48 family. (i.e. Masuda Yuka, HKT48 members).
There seem to be a lot of factors on why different punishments happen. The first is really the “severity,” or rather publicity. The NMB48 girls who were a part of scandal pretty much completely recovered, because there was zero photographic evidence, which wasn’t really the case with most of these other publicized scandals. They all got a bit of punishment, but have left it mostly unscathed.
Another big factor (possibly the biggest?) is the popularity of the girl. Losing a bunch of unknown HKT48 girls could be seen as not a big loss, in the grand scheme of things, to the 48 groups. Oshima Yuko, though, would be a huge blow to popularity of the group, being the current most popular member, so not acknowledging the photos with guys is a plus.
However, the one factor I don’t think gets enough credit, personally, is the personal choice of the girls. One of my slightly controversial opinions has been that Masuda Yuka left the group on her own volition, because she was already one foot out the door with AKB48 (she even skipped the Tokyo Dome concert to focus on her own solo work). With Miichan’s scandal, when I saw that her head was shaved it seemed almost clear that this was her own doing, as was possibly the video. Perhaps this is a big reason that punishments vary so much over the various girls.
At this point I wish that, if we still have to have a dating rule, that there would be consistency. However, considering all the variables, it seems near impossible.
In any case, I’m sad to see Miichan leave the incredible Team B for the kenkyuusei. Being one of the original AKB48 members, she’s a very valuable member to the makeup of the group. However, that being said, I can really see her bouncing back quickly and returning to her team in no time.
I like a lot of idols, and follow a lot of groups out there. However, some groups just don’t appeal to me very much for various reasons. The members might not click for me, I might not like the style of the group, or I might not like the management. However, despite this, I find that some of my favorite songs come from groups I don’t follow (hence why I will eventually get started on that review project I keep putting off.) In a weird way this almost makes these songs more special, and will occasionally drive my interest in the group (this was originally the case with Nogizaka46 and Hashire Bicycle, but I’ve since become more of a fan of that group in question).
So here’s a list of songs that have become some of my favorites without being one of my favorite groups; note that if I list a group/artist you like, please don’t think I have anything against said artist, but just that they haven’t clicked with me.
Don’t Think, Feel! – Idoling!!!
I’ve liked Idoling!!! songs in the past; I really like Me ni wa Aoba Yama Hototogisu Hatsukoi and S.O.W. Sense of Wonder. However, Don’t Think, Feel really stands out to me. It has a kind of unique sound with some vocals that at least sound more mature than your average idol vocal, and the whole group sounds really great together. Other than that, though, it’s hard to explain why I love this as much as I do. It’s the right level of upbeat that tends to make me like a song, but it doesn’t have some of the other things that make me really like a song. Still, this is a ridiculously catchy fun song that is one of my favorites.
Hatsukoi Cider – Buono!
If you’ve seen my top songs of 2012 list you know that I loved Hatsukoi Cider to an almost ridiculous degree, despite generally not being a big fan of Buono! I don’t really fan over any of the girls in the groups, most of their stuff is just not my taste in idol music. However, Hatsukoi Cider was one of my favorite things to come out of 2012 because it was just a really good song, and beat the odds of coming from Buono (if you want a more detailed explanation, see my top 25 list).
Konna Watashi de Yokattara – Kikkawa You
There’s a pseudo joke one of my friends and I have about this song, in that we go “oh, Konna Watashi time” and basically marathon the song. I like Kikkawa You just fine, but this song alone made me briefly consider saving my money to go fly to see Yuu in concert. That didn’t happen because I’m not nearly a big enough fan of hers. But seriously, this was one of my favorite songs of 2011 (if I had ranked 2011, this would absolutely be in my top 5). The way the whole song fits together, from Kikka’s main vocals to the harmonies, to the various instrumentation, is perfect. The song keeps up a great pace, and builds up perfectly, especially in the section before the last chorus (“kimi no yaeba mo, etc.”). Also, not talking about it really now, but this is seriously one of my favorite PVs of the year as well.
Pera Pera Perao – Not Yet
Not Yet’s one of the AKB groups where I like all the members, but none of them are even close to favorite status (probably my highest ranking girl here would be Yokoyama Yui). Most of their other songs I like, but don’t love. This is possibly one of my favorite idol songs EVER. And I have no idea why. I only really discovered when it was performed in a shuffle at a concert featuring one of my 48 group oshimen, Oota Aika. And I was hooked. I think some of my friends got sick of just how obsessed I got with Pera Pera Perao. And even still, I have trouble quantifying or explaining just what I hear in the song. I think this is a situation where the sum’s greater than its parts, because everything about Pera Pera Perao just works for me. Also, I completely kill at this song at karaoke, so there’s that.
MAX Otome Gokoro – Super Girls
I have issues with Super Girls. The girls themselves seem fine, but I’m not super fond of certain things doing with the management and Puri Puri Summer Kiss bugs me in many many ways. But man, MAX Otome Gokoro was pretty much on repeat all of summer 2011 for me. It’s just a good/fun song, full of energy, and is a perfect song for the summer.
One of the things that I’ve found completely interesting with my idol fandom is how interested in music videos as a form I’ve become. As a fan of indie/alternative rock, I’ve honestly not paid much attention to it. If you asked me what my favorite non-idol/JPop PV was before I became an idol fan, I’m not sure I could tell you; probably Myriad Harbour by The New Pornographers (If you think idol PVs are weird, this might beat them out). Still, that’s really because music videos aren’t really used that much in the US. Sure they’re viewed on YouTube and people rush to see the newest Lady Gaga music vid, but it’s not as heavily monetized and people just don’t care quite as much, as a whole. However, at least for idols PVs are part of the package that gets sold (on singles/albums), and are considerably more important, especially since idols focus a lot more on image than bands do. 2012 had some excellent PVs, which I’m ranking here (I’ll talk about some of the stinkers later).
Honorable mentions:
Manatsu no Sounds Good – AKB48: I wanted to love this PV; the effects are great, it looks fantastic, and I like the tone. However, there was just too big of a disconnect between the dance shot and the main story. I don’t mind a tonal shift, or even that it didn’t make much sense, but I wish that it felt more cohesive; even editing some of the story among the dancing would have helped. The elements were there, but in my opinion it’s not as effective as it could have been.
UZA – AKB48: It looks incredible, but there wasn’t really enough to interest me in multiple viewings. It’s essentially a prettied up dance shot + close ups. And this isn’t a dig at it; it’s one of the best looking PVs of the year. But it’s not quite as ambitious as I would have liked. While I don’t need a story with my PVs, I do need something to keep my interest, and UZA didn’t have it.
Cha Cha Sing (flashmob version) – Berryz Koubou: It’s kind of sad when the best lit H!P PV of the year was done in a public area. This was a fun, interesting idea that I liked a lot, but can’t really justify to put on my top list.
Kimi wa Jitensha Watashi wa Densha de Kitaku (Maimi version) – C-ute: Similarly, I don’t feel I can really put a solo version of a PV on a list, and the normal one didn’t quite grab me. But I really liked the longer Maimi PV, where she’s basically dancing by herself after a breakup. It’s really sweet, and made me want more drama PVs from H!P.
12. Parade – Aso Natsuko
I know the “running on the street and people start following” PV was done by Mano Erina, and done very well there, but Parade did it earlier and IMO is a lot more fun. Nacchan is at her best here with a fun, well-made PV that spoofs karaoke videos and bad monster movies. There’s some visual effects, but they don’t get in the way of a really fun time. All the extras in the PV do great, and it really is Natsuko’s best PV of the year.
OK yes I’m going there. This is my controversial choice of the list, and I’m sticking by it. Lots of people thought this was a boring PV, and it might not be the most interesting PV by any means (which is why it’s so low on here). However, it is a very well-made PV that is just beautifully shot. I really love the juxtaposition of the black and white classroom and the colorful dance shot. The contrast in the black and white scenes is really lovely and the close up shots look fantastic. It might not be the most interesting PV of the year, but it’s one of the most well made and is just beautiful, which is why I personally thought it was fantastic.
10. 20112012 – Hyadain
Hyadain’s one of the most charismatic figures in modern JPop; while he’s made a name for himself in writing a lot of fantastic JPop music, often I find myself liking his solo stuff more. 20112012 was one of my favorite songs of the year, and the PV is very well served by Hyadain’s natural charisma. Hyadain’s a lot of fun here, and his energy is contagious. Aided by the dancer TAKAHIRO, Hyadain goes through a busy schedule, what I assume is very loosely based off of its own. It primarily takes place in a fictionalized apartment, and it’s just a lot of fun, mostly because of Hyadain’s charisma and energy. He’s just fun to watch (and Hyadain waking up is way more adorable than it should be). I especially like the various places he dances with TAKAHIRO, and the changes in rooms to the house. It’s creative and fun.
Mayuyu kicked off her solo career with a bang this year. While I didn’t rank any of her songs on my top songs list (they just didn’t impress me that much, and Mayuyu’s voice isn’t my favorite), her PVs have been excellent. The thing that I loved about Synchro Tokimeki is that it combines something of Mayuyu’s (her manga drawing) to be personal to her. Adding some great costumes and the whole standard “warrior saving a beautiful woman” storyline is pretty cute. It’s a very beautiful PV, as well, and I especially like the color balance in the storylines, with somewhat muted colors and gold in contrast to Mayuyu as an artist with bright colors everywhere. This is a really well-made PV and is a lot fun to watch, even though I don’t follow Mayuyu very muuch.
8. Hanikami Lollipop – SKE48
I love this PV so much; I think that using “France” as a backdrop is a great idea, the set’s beautiful, and I love the cute concept of Jurina having to help the people turn from black and white to color (very similar to the plot of the underrated film Pleasantville). I really also like the choice of making the colors kind of muted instead of bright; it has a very unique aesthetic. It’s not perfect (I have an issue with some of the editing in the PV), but purely on the aesthetic choices of the costumes, the colors and the sets, it was one of my most memorable PVs of 2012.
7. The Stardust Bowling – Team Syachihoko
OK, I have to admit that there’s a bit of a bias in putting Team Syachihoko on any list, since they’re currently my favorite idol group. However, that favoritism’s for a reason, and this is what kicked it off. This is Team Syachihoko’s debut PV, and while it’s clearly made for not a lot of money and is kind of a cheaper PV, it’s just fun. The most notable and memorable parts are the grown men in sunglasses in bowling pins. It’s weird, but really what did you expect from Stardust (Momoiro Clover Z’s company) idols? Some found this a bit creepy, and it kind of is, but I liked the “story” of the girls fighting off the bowling pins; any other idol group would have had the girls go bowling for the PV, but this is a step up. In addition it’s edited well (Kind of interesting that they only add in dancing near the end), and the girls themselves are energetic and incredibly fun to watch (my bias is towards Yuzuki, the one in purple, but seriously all these girls are great). It just made me want to follow Team Syachihoko and anticipate their releases, which is a great thing for a debut PV.
6. Show Fight! -AKB48 Future Girls
This is just a great looking PV. I really like the dark look they have going on and the muted colors. However, where this PV shines is just how the girls look. Whoever made this PV wasn’t afraid to make the girls look dirty, bloody and absolutely ruthless in beating each other up. This PV wins because it’s probably the grittiest idol PV I’ve seen. The triangle set is pretty interesting (allowing for good fights between three members at a time as well as an interesting dance shot set up). This simultaneously has some of the best lighting in a PV I’ve seen (which is an issue for a lot of groups) as well as being really daring as a PV. It’s a very interesting PV and one of my most watched ones of the year.
5. Headbanger!!! – BABYMETAL
2012 was the year Babymetal really came into their own. While Doki Doki Morning was all fine and good, Ii ne and Headbanger really set Babymetal apart with their sound, and it’s looking like 2013 is off to a great start with Ijime Dame Zettai. Headbanger was a really excellent PV, though. The black, white and red aesthetic, while perhaps stereotypical, looks really great in the dance/close ups. Seeing the transformation of Suzuka from school girl to metal singer due to the magical neck brace (yes, a thing that happens in this PV) is very entertaining, and the rapid pace editing (especially at the point when Suzuka first starts her headbanging) is excellent. I especially like the lighting choices in the dance shot bits. It’s not the most elaborate PV in the world, but all the elements really came together to make an excellent PV for Babymetal, and Babymetal’s best PV yet (though Ijime, Dame, Zettai has since been a better PV).
4. Hikaru Monotachi – Watanabe Mayu
I admit, the first time I saw this PV I didn’t really see what all the fuss was about. I think the song’s alright, but it’s not my type of song. And I really wasn’t into the opening bits with seeing Mayuyu on Youtube/NicoNico and just performing. However, once you’re past the first chorus, you get a really well done PV with Mayu as a cyborg. This is when the YouTube/NicoNico comes into play well, as you see the fan backlash at Mayu being “fake.” This is kind of brilliant in how it plays off Mayu’s existing cyborg persona (I can’t see another idol pulling this off like Mayu did). There’s cool parts when Mayu is animated, and other parts where you see real Mayuyu with pieces of her missing (an error with Mayu’s CG). It also pretty brilliantly uses pieces from Mayu’s past two solo PVs, and the combination of animation, CG and Mayu mix together extremely well and feel cohesive despite having these various elements.
3.Moretsu Uchu Kokyokyoku Dai 7 Gakusho “Mugen no Ai” – Momoiro Clover Z
Momoiro Clover Z really had a great release this year with their first one, and while I ranked DNA Kyoushikyoku over Mugen no Ai in my song rankings, one of the initial things that really blew me away was the Mugen no Ai PV. While I usually am not a fan of PVs that rely too heavily on green screened graphics, Momoiro Clover Z did it perfectly here. The space setting works perfectly, and I love the very stylized graphics when Momoiro Clover Z are on their bikes. The lighting feels a bit too strong, but they really make it work here. The costumes are also some of the best of the year, with clear thought made to the quality of the garments. Momoiro Clover Z is also one of the most energetic and exciting idol groups out there right now, so the girls themselves do a lot to make the PV really click. Like I mentioned, I’m not usually the biggest fan of too much computer graphics in my PVs, but this really did a great job of proving that you can have a green screen heavy PV while maintaining great quality.
2. Kataomoi Finally – SKE48
It hurts to put this so low, and I wish I could put this at number one. The top two PVs of the year were completely obvious to me in their excellence, and Kataomoi Finally really was on another level. All the elements really came together to create a fantastic PV. The story components are really fantastic, and are one of the few times that a lesbian relationship in a PV was really done in a tasteful and classy way, not trying to appeal to the male gaze. I honestly really admired SKE48’s willingness to do this PV, as it’s possibly more daring than any other 48 group PV (with the exception of Keibetsu Shiteita Aijou and Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru). The choreography, which I named my top choreography of 2012, really plays well into the the song, and really works well with the editing. Honestly, every single element, from the lighting to the editing to the cinematography really works and is done perfectly. SKE48 has been putting out a lot of quality stuff, but man it’ll be hard to beat Kataomoi Finally.
1. Gingham Check – AKB48
Like I said, there was definitely a struggle between Kataomoi Finally and Gingham Check. However, Gingham Check won just because of the fact I like it so much. I love the clever look at film genres and their trailers, looking at cop movies, horror movies and giant monster movies and exploring romance within those boundaries. It also helps that Joseph Kahn had a really good visual style within the whole thing, almost exaggerated within their respective genres (lens flares and shining lights in the cop movie, a muted color tone that feels straight from the 50s-60s in the monster movie, and a dark feel with the horror movie). Various shots are vary reminiscent of certain movies (Godzilla and the Ring come to mind), but in addition to all this it’s just a lot of fun, it’s edited well, filmed well, and is done incredibly well, which made it my favorite PV of 2012.
Hey; moving my album reviews for Monday, so I can have weekends to work on them.
One of the things that I’ve been thinking a lot is how fortunate I really am to be an idol fan. Earlier today was listening to the two Nerdist podcasts featuring Gabe Newell of the video company Valve (which has made a lot of really high quality games, including the incredible Half-Life 2 of which I’m a big fan). One of the big questions brought up was that since there’s more and more content being provided, how there’s less of a sense of community. Gabe mentioned something that now, with the internet, there’s a lot more ways to find community, and I really took that to heart with idols.
The fact is, without Youtube and other content providers, I wouldn’t be a fan of idols. And before the internet, you almost had to live in Japan, visit Japan or know someone who liked Japanese music. It was a lot more difficult to find content that you like, and now music is more international. I mean, sure it happened before (see: British Invasion), but I’m grateful for the internet.
I also really connected to the idea of finding a community online, because I don’t know anyone offline that likes the music that I do (at least the Japanese music), but now I’m connected to people through Happy Disco, Facebook and other sites. Hell, the MomoClo Facebook book I co-admin has been a really great resource for both Japanese and foreign fans to meet up and talk. Twitter too; while I get that AKB has their deal with G+, but twitter is really a great tool for companies.
Certain idol companies also do it better than others. I think one of the things that makes Hello!Project so popular with international fans is that they have worked with international fans in the past; I can buy new H!P tracks off iTunes, they used to have Hello!Store USA (which I spent a bit too much money on), and they have done a fairly good job of appealing to international fans. This wasn’t always the case; I remember distinctly when Takahashi Ai (or someone) said that Morning Musume members didn’t blog, and they sure realized that that reluctance was a bad idea. BABYMETAL has actually done, IMO, the best job of it, with an official Facebook page that updates in English, an official merchandise store and all their stuff on iTunes.
Slowly it’s becoming more and more possible for international fans to enjoy things, which also makes it more frustrating that other things aren’t international. I absolutely hate when a YouTube channel is region-locked, or the fact that I can’t spend money on things like AKB48 LODs; it’s understandable that not every place will ship internationally, but it’s when things are region locked that I think that some companies don’t get it.
I’m not sure where I’m going with this, other than the fact that without the internet international idol fans wouldn’t be where we are, and that I can see things only getting better/easier for us from here.
Well, whenever I go back and look at my top ten idols list, it always seems like things change a lot. I know things have since I started Happy Disco (my original list was all Hello!Project, wow). This list is always pretty difficult to make, because as an idol enthusiast I have a lot of favorites. Even if someone slipped down my list at all or is omitted, that only really means that I have another idol I like better, not that I like them less.
10. Tamura Meimi (S/Mileage)
S/Mileage’s second generation are four of my top five members in current Hello!Project. While I like Kanyon and Ayacho, if S/Mileage’s second generation formed an idol group on their own I think it would be one of my favorite idol groups ever. I think they all have a lot of strengths, are a lot of fun, and are super adorable. Picking one as my favorite is hard; however, it ends up as being Meimei. She’s just so energetic and excited, that Meimi was actually the one to open me up to Hello!Project after being a bit cynical regarding them for a while; Meimi felt and still feels fresh. I love her energy, her enthusiasm, and just how mischievous and fun she is. One of my favorite things was when she basically trolled everyone by setting up a blog entry sounding like she was graduating… only revealing she was graduating from using “-chan” to refer to her friends. Meimi not only loves her fans, she trolls them. She’s cute, energetic, fun to watch, and just a weirdo.
9. Ishida Ayumi – Morning Musume
For most of 2012 Meimei was my favorite in Hello!Project, so putting Ishida Ayumi over Meimi is a pretty big change. Ever since Morning Musume’s 10th generation has debuted, I’ve been fond of Ishida Ayumi, and she’s been my favorite Morning Musume member for a while. However, since I don’t really follow much of Morning Musume, it didn’t really click with Ayumi as a favorite member until recently, and even then it was a slow build. I first became really impressed with her when the dance shot to One Two Three came out, since Ayumi’s performing strength is in her dancing. Slowly I began to find out more about her personality, and found out that while she’s a sweet person she’s almost a closet wota/creeper of her fellow members. In one blog post in particular she took pictures of all of her fellow 10th generation members sleeping and posted them on her blog, saying how cute they all are. She’s a hard worker, a strong performer, and has a really sweet personality. She’s making me follow Morning Musume, which is what qualifies her as one of my top idols. Honestly, if I followed Morning Musume more closely than some of the other groups, Ayumi could move up my list because I like her that much.
8. Watanabe Miyuki (NMB48/AKB48)
Putting Milky this low is ridiculous for me. Honestly, this is a tough spot. Once you get past the two Hello!Project girls (who I really love, but aren’t my favorites), my top 8 is really where I have strong feelings. My top 3 48 girls shift around places a lot, so one day Milky might be my #1 girl in AKB and one day she might be my #3, like today. Normally, within AKB48, I tend to go for the lesser popular girls (though the one girl who just barely missed this list is Kashiwagi Yuki, AKA #3 in AKB48), but I’ve been a Milky fan since the early days of NMB48. I can wax poetic about how perfect I find Milky (and have, on my tumblr HERE) but basically she’s a natural idol who loves idols. She has tons of charisma, has been able to endure a scandal and come out on top, and ultimately really loves what she does and being an idol. She’s also really funny and strange (I adore the whole “chapu chapu’ movement), and is a fan of Ishikawa Rika, which does help. She’s one idol who’s a natural, and it’s definitely appealing Plus her photobook, Mirugami, was my favorite of 2012 and possibly one of my favorites ever
7. Oota Aika (HKT48)
Lovetan is a very adaptable member, which is probably her biggest strength. She went from being one of the cute younger members of Team B to being one of the middle-range Team A girls (as well as center of the Undergirls for a while). She started off young and as one of the cuter members of AKB48, but she’s been able to adapt to more mature things as she’s gotten older (look how cool she looks in that outfit from Show Fight!). And finally, she’s moved to HKT48, where she’s now the most experienced member. The thing I’ve always liked about Lovetan is just how natural she is, and how honest she really seems. Perhaps that’s her “tsundere” personality, but she doesn’t shy away from showing her emotions or expressing them. She’s a real sweetheart who I always love watching. I was really disappointed to see her huge drop in the AKB48 election (though not in her; she’s been doing great), so I’m hoping that she can shine in HKT48 through the future. I honestly think this is a good move, and I can’t wait to hear more from Lovetan! Seeing her growth as an idol from Team B to today has been a privilege, and I’m proud to be a Lovetan fan.
6. Natori Wakana (AKB48)
Wakanyan’s not an easy idol to have as my AKB48 oshimen. She only recently was promoted to Team B, and before that was a kenkyuusei that missed the whole Team 4 thing. Despite that, Wakanyan is really fantastic. I initially became a fan of hers because of her performance skills; she was Kashiwagi Yuki’s under and performed as Yukirin in kenkyuusei shows, which shows that AKB trusted her to do a lot. She was also the first person of her generation to perform the solo kenkyuusei song “Romance Kakurenbo,” and has proven herself both an excellent singer and an excellent performer. However, aside from this I just love her personality. She’s worked so hard since her debut as a kenkyuusei, and on the 11th generation special of Ariyoshi AKB Kyowakoku she won my heart by being brave enough to not only pick up one snake (in a test where they had to put snakes back in their containers, to “test bravery) that bit her, but going back again. She also seems to have a good personality whenever I see LODs or look at G+.
5. Mizuno Yui (BABYMETAL/Sakura Gakuin)
Look at that face and tell me she isn’t the cutest thing you’ve ever seen. In all seriousness, I love watching Yui’s enthusiasm when performing and in PVs, both in standard idol group Sakura Gakuin and heavy metal unit Babymetal. While I adore every member of Babymetal and I enjoy both Suzuka and Moa a lot as idols, something about Yui sticks out to me. Probably how happy she looks singing metal music. If anyone can have a huge grin on her face while performing metal, it’s Yui. But she has a level of happiness and enthusiasm that I just love in an idol, and has the cutest smile ever.
4. Aso Natsuko (soloist)
If you missed it, yes that is me and Nacchan at the Hyper Japan event this February in London. 🙂 (read my post about that HERE) Putting Nacchan this low really sucks, and I think is a real testament to how strongly I feel about other idols. However, seeing Aso Natsuko live was amazing; she has such crazy charisma and energy. It was an incredible experience I hope to experience again. She’s a real sweetheart and a great performer, and an all-around great idol. It takes a lot of charisma to be a successful solo artist, and Nacchan definitely qualifies.
3. Sasaki Ayaka (Momoiro Clover Z)
A~rin is in the “natural idol” category. Seriously, if there are any girls who are born idols, A~rin is one of them. Every time I see her performing, I can tell that she’s obviously loving what she does and that she’s having a great time with what she’s doing. I personally also love her performance; while she may not have the best voice or dancing, what she is good at hamming it up during her solos and giving a good performance. I also have a strong affection for cute idols and idols that have an “idol-like” personality (and she is referred to as MomoClo’s idol in her introduction). While all the MomoClo members are good in their own way and I’m fond of all of them (especially Reni, who’s really weird), I’d argue that A~rin’s the most fun and playful member. Not to say that she doesn’t take her job seriously, but she has just a fun personality that shines, on and off stage.
2. Ishikawa Rika (ex-Morning Musume/v-u-den)
She’s topped every single list I’ve ever had until now. This might be a surprise to you if you know me, and it surprised me when I realized it. However, I think this is mostly a result of not being very active any more (I’d tentatively still call Rika my all-time favorite, as this list is primarily current). Simply put, Rika is one of the most driven idols ever, a hard worker, a role model for younger members, and is one of the strongest performers (not vocally, but on pure strength of dance/performance skills). Rika, is in my opinion, the gold standard for idols everywhere; there’s a reason that two of the top idols in the 48 empire, Watanabe Miyuki and Kashiwagi Yuki are huge Rika fans. She has a great personality, great performances, and I’m proud to be a Rika fan, which has not wavered at all since I became a Rika fan. That being said, when deciding this I couldn’t ignore the sheer power of my #1…
1. Ooguro Yuzuki (Team Syachihoko)
Yuzuki is the first idol to surpass Rika since Rika became my favorite near the end of 2008/beginning of 2009. Which, as a big idol fan, says a good deal. I initially pegged Yuzuki as being my least favorite of Team Syachihoko, because she didn’t initially stand out to me in my initial viewing of The Stardust Bowling’s PV. However, despite this, when I first watched a live performance, I saw how strong Yuzuki really is. The thing about Yuzuki is that, even though she’s probably in the middle of the group in terms of skill, you can tell she’s clearly giving a huge effort every time she performs. She has a ton of enthusiasm, and every performance you can see how hard she works and how much she enjoys herself. She is a sweetheart, clearly loves being in Team Syachihoko, and is the most fun idol to watch right now.
Honorable mentions: Kashiwagi Yuki (AKB48), Iwasa Misaki (AKB48), Matsui Sakiko (AKB48), Miyawaki Sakura (HKT48), Yajima Maimi (C-ute), S/Mileage’s 2nd generation, all the other members of Team Syachihoko and Momoiro Clover Z, Kyao (MMJ),
Hey everyone; now that I’m finally done with my top songs of 2012 list, I’m going to just do a quick check in.
Lots has happened since I started my blog February 2010 (nearly 3 years ago!); I have switched majors, studied abroad (and met Aso Natsuko!), I joined Intl Wota, moved my blog here, went from Intl Wota to Idolminded, and now I’m looking to the future, with graduation looming and the eventual move to the workforce (hopefully in media).
Ray posted an excellent post on Idolminded about becoming a better blogger, which got me to thinking. While I’ve done a lot on Happy Disco, there’s a lot of ways where I could personally improve to make the blog a lot better.
So, to do this, the first step is to make this a lot more of a regular blog than my occasional sounding board for idol ideas. Starting immediately, Happy Disco is going to have regular posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (though this is only my bare minimum). They may not be long posts necessarily, but this will ensure I keep putting up content here. I think ultimately I work a lot better with some structure.
In addition, I’m going to be resurrecting my review series of albums from artists I’m less familiar with, and posting those every Friday.
I’m also thinking of starting a PV feature/review series for Mondays, to use my film studies background (also I have a ton to say about whoever does the lighting for Morning Musume PVs).
Ultimately, I want to keep the feel of Happy Disco with a more set schedule. If you have any suggestions of what you’d like to see from me in the future, let me know!
