Lonely on a Friday Night? - Resonant Blue Review
I got this a while ago...and I am just now reviewing it. I feel kind of bad for not reviewing this sooner...but at least I'm doing it now! I now realize my problem. I procrastinate like crazy! I will try to stop such a bad habit. With no other comments to say, on to the review!
Song: I have really liked this song ever since I first heard it, which is the main reason why I bought it. Its very...danceable. A lot of Morning Musume songs make me feel like I should learn the dance because I wouldn't know how to dance to them without it...but not this song! Which is...very different, but a good different. Anyway, more about the song itself. I really enjoy how the song is "Kuuru" at the verses, but sad at the chorus. I also really liked the beginning...it reminds me of Roman ~My Dear Boy~ for some reason XD. So basically, the song is everything is great in my opinion, right? I do really like the song, but I really feel like something is missing. That something is probably Mitsui, Junjun, and Linlin. I seriously thought Koharu's solo lines were Mitsui's at first. I was incredibly disappointed when I found out they weren't. As much as a ReinAi duet was a given with this line up, I still want the rest of the girls to have their own solo lines, also. The lack of them nearly ruined it, but...fortunately for the purchase of the single, I still liked it a lot. I really hope to find singles in the future featuring more than just Reina and Ai, but I guess if this really is "The start of a new Musume", having Reina and Ai start it is good.
Oh, and I asked my boyfriend what he thought of the song and he just says "It sounds like a "look, we're speckxy" type of Musume song. There are only three types of songs by the Musume: ZOMG Kawaii Genkiiiii!, I'm an angweee guwrl, or "RAPPPPEEEE MEEEE"".....I tried explaining to him that the song was more about being lonely but being surrounded by people, but he didn't get it. He's not really into Hello! Project, so...oh well.
PV: I was really disappointed when the dance shot was put up on Dohhh Up!. It was like my hopes were shattered in the two minutes it took to buffer the whole video...It features no one but Reina, Ai, (nooo) Koharu, and a split second of Sayumi (which frightened me, really). Although I do like the hand thingy the girls do in the intermission, I'm not very impressed... I was so happy when "Another Ver." was uploaded onto Dohhh Up!. I love that they show the girls in a "rehearsal". Its very different from other dance shots (and not cheap looking!). The Rehersal Dance Scenes and the Showing-The-Girls-Alone-Or-In-Their-Free-Time-Scenes make the PV worth it. I really think that the PV would have left a better impression if it was just the Rehearsal and Free Time scenes, but noo, we must milk the icky dance shot for all its worth! I wish UFA would make better decisions. I think we all wish that.
The C/W: Sono Bamen de Bibiccha Ikenai jan!
First of all, I am very excited to see Junjun and Linlin getting solo lines...even though its only on the C/W. I am happy that Reina and Aichan did not play a very prominent role in this song, since they basically stole all of the light in Resonant Blue. Although the C/W is always much less known, I can imagine this being a song to appear in a few concerts. The best part about this is probably Eri getting more lines. I really love Eri! She has a very nice voice; I really don't understand why she is not represented better in the A-sides (main song?). Although this is really your average C/W from Morning Musume with the happy positive lyrics, I really like this song.
Member Review Time!
Takahashi Ai: I feel as though she is going towards the "friend" leadership position. Thats fine really, but not being in control at all will leave you sad in the end! (Someone else *cough* Reina *cough* will try to take your position). She will most likely never read this words, but...they must be said. Hopefully she will get the picture and step up. But, knowing Aichan, she may just let Reina take the reins (ohoho, I made a pun.). Back to the PV. For Aichan's special scene in "Another Ver." , she gets to excercise. Woo. Although her scene is a bit bland, maybe it shows her determination? She certainly looks extremely serious about her excercising. I know these scenes are supposed to show the girls outside of work/potentially loneliness, but really now...I'm sure they could have come up with something better for Aichan to do -_-. But, its okay, because it fits very well for the beginning of the PV.
Niigaki Risa: I was disappointed she didn't get much recognition with this single, but I'm happy she got more than nothing (8th Gen D:). I love her and Kamei at the "Dakedo" part (who didn't?)...She got some "Oo's" and "Whoa's" also, but those aren't as notable. In "Another Ver.", Risa is seen alone in a taxi (I'm assuming its a taxi...). Its very dark, so it is hard to actually see Risa. That is disapointing... D: She appears to be texting someone at one point, so maybe she tried to hang out with them but was denied in the end. Maybe it was Aichan! Her and her need to excercise, jeez. Risa does look a bit lonely...aside from just looking bored. Her representation in this single is about the same ammount as Mikan, not much, but she wasn't thrown to the side either. I really hope there is another single where Risa will have a larger part, like in Egao YES Nude....
Kamei Eri: Her representation was about as much as Risa's, but a bit less. She didn't get any "Whoa's" or "Oo's". It is sad she didn't get any solo lines, but at the same time, it doesn't feel as though her voice would fit anywhere except for the "Dakedo" part in this single. Which is unfortunate D: In "Another Ver.", Eri is with Sayumi at an amusement park eating crepes (I've always wanted to eat one of those...). Perhaps the two are lonely because they can't really go to the amusement park without being spotted by paparazzi and being chased by fans...but this is all speculation. I don't really know how the two are sad and lonely, being at an amusement park and all...hm. I wish there was more of everyone thats not ReinAi/Koharu *sob*.
Michishige Sayumi: Unfortunately, this is basically the same as Eri's, but...Sayumi did get a line "Help Me!". She came out of no where! She startled me at first! Sayumi is very pretty, and that is shown throughout the PV where ever she was randomly shoved in. She is in the same Carnival-Crepe scene as Eri...I already covered that, but I will say that I like Sayumi's outift a lot more than Eri's. I also love her Kitty Ear Sweatshirt that she wears in the Rehersal Dances Shot. As a closing note on Sayumi, I really hope she gets a couple lines in the next single, since she really has improved as a singer ._.
Tanaka Reina: Although Reina is my favorite, she is loosing favorite points quickly! I honeslty don't like her a whole lot in the Dance PV. If I just listen to the song, its fine...but not the Dance PV. Well, "Another Ver." isn't so bad, but watching her in the dance version is painful. She is either representing/exemplifying the songs lyrics in her actions too well, or just being really fake. I don't like fakers, be real Reina! She really is a big part of "Another Ver.", isn't she? She is shown first in the beginning walking through a graffiti'd alley (or something) and then on the city streets. She represents the songs direct meaning the best, I would think. Even though she is surrounded by a city of people, she can't find anyone, and is therefore lonely. I think of the girl in Resonant Blue as being a city girl, so its fits my impression well :D
Kusumi Koharu: Okay, seriously, whoever made the choice of giving Koharu the extra lines that ReinAi didn't sing, that...was a bad idea. In their performance on Music Fighter...its pretty obvious she wasn't singing. *sigh* With that aside, lets talk about the good stuff. I personally find her "Another Ver." scene to be the best. Although Koharu is surrounded by people giving her lots of attention, taking pictures and asking her questions, she still has sad eyes. She is lonely (at least the Koharu in the PV) even though she is surrounded by people. I actually wrote a short story-ish thing about feelings like that a few years ago. Perhaps I can relate the most to Koharu in this PV, since the "Being surrounded by people yet being incredibly lonely"-feeling plagued me for a year or two. I really do like that I can relate to the girls in this PV, instead of it being a "Look at the idols in their crazy costumes doing strange dances yay!" PV..
Mitsui Aika: I was so disappointed when I found out that it was really Koharu singing the miscellaneous solo lines. I really thought (at least one of them...) was Aika D: Well...at least she has the spotlight at the very beginning of the dance shot PV (and rehearsal?). Her point and walk backwards thing was very well done, but unfortunately we don't really get to see her much for the rest of the PV. Her "Another Ver." scene is depressing. Poor Aika is alone waiting for a train on a dark night. At one point she looks annoyed, as if thinking "Where is that train!? I'm so bored!", haha. There really wasn't enough 8th Gen. in this PV :( I want more!
Junjun: I considered doing both her and Linlin in the same paragraph, but I opted not to. Did you notice that in "Another Ver.", the scenes are mostly of Kamei or Junjun doing something? I really liked that XD. Her special scene is with Linlin (surprise, surprise) at some resturaunt. I would think Junjun to be the most lonely at the moment. Although she has Linlin and can speak rather good Japanese (she is learning quickly!), she must feel homesick a lot, and might not be able to eat some of the same cuisine (this is what I'm getting out of the restaurant-ness), and is therefore sad and lonely (this goes for Linlin too). Maybe I am wrong...but this is how it seems! I really love Junjun! I love her little clap when the food arrives :D.
Linlin: Although most of my comments on Linlin are in Junjun's paragraph thing, I will make a few comments! First of all, I really like the outfit she is wearing in the restaurant scene. Its something I would wear, thats why! I also think that the outfit she wore during the rehearsal scene fits her well. It looks good on her. Oh! I also like her curly hair in the dance scene. That also looks good :D Haha, I hope my reviews on Linlin aren't always like this! I wish I had more to say.
So, Resonant Blue is a pretty good single. I really like the song and the "Another Ver." PV, along with Sono Bamen de Bibiccha Ikenai Jan! This single is definitely a A-! 95% (I hate the dance version, and it was the first one to be released...)
:D
-Hotaru <3
