Before I start the main part, an intro! Hello readers! I'm Meika, the new writer for PIH, and this is my first post! As Gaki has said earlier in my intro post (Or at least I think he did, I don't remember >.<), he's been busy with him and his daughter's music and due to that fact, he doesn't have as much time as he did before to update the blog and be up to date with all the latest idol news. So I've joined the team to try and lighten his load.
With that being said, this is also the first post of a new segment on PIH - Meika's Music for Thought. In this section, I will be reviewing Jpop music videos and giving my personal opinion on them. Originally, this was supposed to be a section for both Gaki and I to do, but he suggested that I make this my section as a way to introduce myself to the reader of Pure Idol Heart. So please enjoy this post and give your personal thoughts on this segment!
I would also appreciate it if you would treat me kindly! After being a reader for a while, it's great to finally contribute to this wonderful blog! ^w^
Roman Stars - ICHIBANBOSHI
Regarding the song, it definitely reminded me of "one formula" that a general idol song would follow; it starts out sort of slow and "innocent" and after, picks up speed. I love those kinds of songs because it introduces the song really well and sort of shows a preview of what's to come. The instrumental is cute and upbeat even if it sounds familiar to another, general idol song with the pauses in the climatic parts, the sound effects used, and the fading out at the end. The members' voices are pleasant to listen to and though they could work on putting more emotion into their voices instead of just trying to sing well, it was overall a nice effort!
At first glance, I thought the star background behind each girl was magical and that they fit each girl nicely in their close-up. I felt that they put the most emotion and effort into their close-ups out of all the shots taken.
During the dance shot, the background was, again pretty and magical, but I would've been satisfied without the giant star that they have to dance on, especially when it's flashing like it is. During their dancing, the different energy levels and skills of the members kind of made the dance look bad. To make it worse, sometimes their faces looked uninterested and the effort they put in some moves was lacking. And the dance routine itself was already not the best I've seen.
The room scenes were probably my favourite because they added variety to an otherwise boring PV. The camera angles were interesting to watch and the settings were reeeeeeeeally adorable! I would SO want to have at least one of those rooms in my house. Sometimes they were awkward to watch due to, again, their facial expressions, but overall, they did really great in those scenes. And them looking out the window to the stars made it even more neat, with the whole star theme in the song and video.
Overall, I give it a 7.8/10.
PINQ - We are PINQ!!
Hmmm... I really don't know what to think of the song. (Well, I do, but you know what I mean.) The instrumental sounds really boring and the bad mixing distracts from their voices, which are probably decent at the least. I understand it's due to budget restrictions but... Let's just say I wouldn't put this song on my iPod. The solo lines sound okay, (Even then, it may be only one person, but I didn't listen to it again to find out >.<) but some of the group lines don't sound united or something. The only part I liked was the fast-paced singing part before the last chorus.
The PV... is interesting. They definitely are PINQ, pun intended. Maybe too much pink. I've seen pink used more than this, but even so, the girls in those videos put in a lot of effort, energy and emotion into their performance to make the pink the least of their problems. I think they (sort of) put that emotion into the close-ups and car shots, but during the dance shots... That was kind of a mess, in terms of effort, energy AND emotion. They were smiling, but I felt their smiling was kind of forced and awkward because it looked like they were trying to focus more on getting the moves right. The majority of the PV and song was just a whole disaster.
Overall, I give it a 4.3/10, and even THAT may be a bit too generous.
Sakulove - gyutto
Another song with bad mixing, but even if it had good mixing, I don't think I'd like the song that much. It reminds me of Dorothy Little Happy's Winter Blossom in some aspects which I don't like that much. The instrumental is a snooze fest and the only thing that made up for it were the pixel-like sound effects in the chorus. That's it. I didn't find their voices pleasant to listen to, either.
What I said when the PV started: "OOOO, nice intro, VERY nice intro!" XD The effects were well done and the magical sound effect made it sweet! I also found the hand with the flower cool and thought that that would signal the coolness for the whole PV. The scenery was beautiful and probably the best part about the PV. I thought that the pictures added in would make the PV look bad, but in fact, I thought they added a cute touch to it.
The dancing was okay as the unison was there... Mostly... And their smiles were naturally cute... Again, mostly. But I found it weird how they just danced in random scenery. I preferred the inside, studio dance shots more. One of my favourite parts were the hand holding and hugging scenes, as that's what the title of the song suggested in terms of the theme. Another favourite part of mine was that handshake thing at 2:51-2:54. That was pretty awesome, if you ask me! <3 Their outfits were also really angelic and innocent. I'd steal a lot of the clothes they wore.
Overall, I give it a 6.1/10; the PV saved some of the song, for me, but not all of it. XD
Idol College - Ame Nochi Hare
In the beginning, with the piano starting it off, I was scared it was going to turn into another PINQ or Sakulove disaster. Luckily, that wasn't the case. In fact, when the vocals came in, I thought, "Awwwww, how innocent and cute!". Ihe instrumental was, personally, well done, catchy, cool and nice. I was kind of surprised when it came to the music after the first set of vocals because of the more electro-like effects, but I came to like it when it reminded me of other songs that were like that. In the first verse, the "Perfume"-like, robotic voices also caught me off guard, but they sound nice enough with the cool instrumental backing it up. Their natural voices are really like little angels and I would seriously put that in a jar and cherish it forever. XD I'd definitely put this on my iPod!
The PV... O-M-G, the scenery is so nice and they remind me of little wood elves or something. XDD If you can't tell, that's a compliment. XD It's sort of awkward to see them during their close-ups since they're mostly just looking around and so. But when they sing and smile and laugh (Being that they're natural, which they are for the most part), their charisma pierces through my heart and spreads all over it like a disease. That is seriously enough for me to enjoy this PV. Probably little to no budget used, but if they have the right energy and effort put into it, which they did in my opinion, then I can enjoy it fully. The last bit was a bit cheesy, but I couldn't hate it with their smiles! >.<
Overall, I give it a 8.7/10; Simple, but nicely executed.
Time for Questions~!
1. Which song is your favourite and least favourite?
2. Which PV is your favourite and least favourite?
3. What could be done to your least favourite PV to make it better?
3. Do you prefer in-depth or shortened reviews better? (Probably will be hard for me to cut down on my writing since I have a lot to say... But I'll try my best. ;O)
4. What kind of music would you like to see reviewed? Indies, Major, J-rock, Visual Kei etc.
Please share what you thought; every thought counts!
Links
Roman Stars
http://www.roman-stars.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/romanstarschannel#g/u
PINQ
http://pinq.tv/
Sakulove
http://www.tsuyama-idol.com/
Idol Collegehttp://net.idol.ac/member/fresher/index.html
http://ameblo.jp/idolcollege/
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