1 post tagged “farewell”
Before I start my review, I must tell a story. It is a story of my run-in with Hello! Project in a place where Hello! Project generally would not be found at (not the actual members...like their music.)...this place being MSU (Michigan State University). I was there for the "World Language Day". It was fun, but I'm positive I learned more about Korea than Japan...I already knew everything in the Japanese classes >___< The best part about my Japanese classes was that the lady decided to play some more "Hip and Popular" music...so..what does she play? No, not Morning Musume...she plays Chokotto Love by Pucchimoni...I was really disappointed that I didn't learn anything that day, so her playing Pucchimoni made me really happy XD.
Anyway, onto the review!
Song: This is an incredily fun song! It appropriate for spring, in my opinion. I think its a bit high for a lot of the members...but they still end up making it sound fun/good. This has defintely been said before by others...but this sounds very simliar to Koi no Dance Site. I like Koi no Dance Site (I own the single, woooo), so clearly I would like this song, right? Well, I do...haha >_< The bass really stands out to me. Its more of a "moving" bass...a much more interesting thing to play for the bass-player. Yay real instruments! ...As you can probably tell, I generally have a lot more to say about the PV and the girls than the song. I like the song, its fun, moving on!!
The PV: my love for this PV runs deep XD. Once you get past the Risako (who doesn't totally dominate this PV! she's a big part, but she doesn't totally piss me off). the 'lesser' berryz actually get decent screen time!!!) I like the way/screen/editing they used/made for this PV. It makes it look 'vintage'. My favorite part (mostly everyones favorite part..) is the 'riding on a cart through the halls of a school' scene. The girls all look like they're having fun filming it...so does the audience in the gym-stage-scene! You can tell that they're just kids. It seems as though the setting is that of when Morning Musume visited Kusumi Koharu's school...or maybe its just me? Well....this PV is very well put together. I really like it!
The Dance- Man, I love this dance. Its very easy and very fun...Its mostly just "oo-haa" movements and silly other arm movements. Seriously, if you are going to learn a H!P dance, this is the one to learn. Its very easy and very fun.
Darling I LOVE YOU (Berryz Ver.) - When I first heard this song I got really confused when I picked out Hagiwara Mai's voice out... "What!? Since when has she been in Berryz?" Then I looked up the lyrics at projecthello.com and realized that all of the Hello! Project Kids sing this! This is most likely one of those songs that will be inserted randomly at concerts as a "Look Hello! Project Kidz are singing together yay!" thing. So, while its a fun song, it'll probably never be very notable for me.
Member Review!
Shimizu Saki: One thing is for sure, this PV brings out the Lesser-Known-Berryz a great deal. Saki is really stunning and plays a great role! She is unfortunately demoted to the keytar, though...But she makes up for it with her awesome arm movements (You know what I'm talking about!). Saki is quite possibly the most underrated member of Berryz...Maasa seems to have more fans than her, even! Saki probably would been great to get a solo line in this song since she has a lower voice...but she of course didn't get this opportunity D: I'm really hoping UFA/Tsunku decide to actually give her GOOD ammounts of attention in the future..she has so much potential!
Tsugunaga Momoko: As I watch this PV...Momoko isn't really in this PV much...is she? Other than the dance-shots, we don't get to see her a whole lot. Well, maybe she has the even ammount of screen time as everyone else...it just doesn't seem like it because she doesn't have very many interesting shots...oh well. Momoko really shines on her solo line, showing that she can sing without her 'baby' voice to her. Thats a good thing! Another thing to note is that she sports an acoustic guitar with a heart shaped...sound cavity (is that what its called? I am unfamiliar with guitars). She also has some pretty awesome sun glasses. she definitely got into the "80's" feel to the PV/Song :D
Tokunaga Chinami: She seems to be having the most fun in this PV. She's the one truly enjoying herself, not having to be any serious character. I love her pseudo 'gangsta' moves...unfortunately, that is completely something I would do when 'dancing'. <_<. Her other highlight was her hand-jig thing...before Saki's cool arm wavy thing..These things don't have names! Give me a break! Welllll, anyway, Chinami's props are maracas..and in my opinion, they totally fit her. Maracas are generally considered percussion instruments...in my band, the members who play the maracas if needed are generally the people who are just "here for the rid eand to have some fun". I don't mean this in a negative way at all, Chinami handles her role with perfection! I love it! She definitely has charisma!
Sudou Maasa: Woo! She got the bass! The cool member always gets plays, or in this instance gets, the bass. Her "I am rocking the bass" parts are very amusing. She seems to know that the bass is awesome...Perhaps this is a sign that we will see more Maasa! Maasa is truly wonderful, and UFA/Tsunku must know the meaning of the bass guitar...the member with the bass guitar is generally (I know not all bands are this way AKA The Pillows) awesome and is considered the most attractive of the group. This may or may not declare the future for Maasa....Will she get more lines!? Probably not, but we can wish.
Natsuyaki Miyabi- It is hard for me to have anything to say. She was one of the few girls to get a solo line, woo? Rightfully so, she sings quite nicely, in my opinion. Miyabi is not seen much throughout the PV...she's there at the beginning, and then a bit towards the end. And...then....where does she go? It is unfortunate that she seems to have slipped into the cracks for this PV, but its probably better, so members like Maasa, Chinami and Saki can shine. *nods*. Her props raise some questions about Miyabi. They are a tamborine and little-kid-yellow-heart-sunglasses. Generally the tamborine is a useless instrument to a band (Partridge Family...). I certainly do not think that Miyabi is a useless asset to Berryz Koubou...but maybe she was for this PV. She doesn't do anything super-supesharu...so perhaps this prop, if only for this PV seem correct. Her sunglasses portry her as childish. Maybe Miya is? I wouldn't know...I don't follow Berryz Koubou very well. Maybe I will learn in the future.
Kumai Yurina- She seems to have fallen into the cracks of Berryz Koubou more than any other member in this single...In my opinion, I think her voice would have been great for this single, but of course they gave the fourth solo to Risako again >_<. Yurina is definitely visible, since she is much taller than the other Berryz and sticks out, but she simply doesn't have as much 'unique' funess as the other Berryz seem to have. Her props are little silver pompoms. This probably fits her fairly well...being the "Happy Cheerleader Yay!" style seems to fit her well...although I do not know a whole lot about her, honestly. Well, hopefully Yurina will play a more prominent role next time!
Sugaya Risako- Goodness, I wish she had not set up this obnoxious persona for herself (or I wish no one had, if she didn't do it). She is constantly begging for attention, and her prop totally fits this. A pink megaphone? Perfect for Risako. More "Mee!" time for her. Although she is certainly not dominant in this PV,although she is a bigger part of it. All of her close-ups and 'running through hallway' scene make me want to smack her. Unlike the rest of the girls, she looks like shes just doing it because someone told her to, not because she likes it. If she doesn't like it, she should leave...I want to not dislike her, I feel as though she was forced into this position...but at the same time, its really hard not to dislike her.... D:
And so...with a fun song, a great PV (and dance!) and a nice C/W, I'll have to give this and A-...lost a few points for making Saki bad with a keytar....
As a closing note, both Mutou Mika and Ayaka Kimura graduated from Hello! Project this week. I am happy for both of them. Mutou never seemed to be the idol-type...it seemed as though she was only in it for the Futsal...and she probably was. She will be happier without a time-consuming schedule. Ayaka...it was about time! I felt so bad for her, just sitting in the back while all of her friends got attention. She's definitely loyal to Hello! Project (or maybe she just didn't know where to go) but it was about time she got up and moved on XD. I hope she's happy with her decision!
Until next time!
-Hotaru
(I can't wait till summer break, then I can have more timely posts)
