Saturday 21 December 2013

12 Days of Idols: A Parallel Winter Story

All thoughts and opinion within this post are, totally and obnoxiously, my own. Hopefully you don't care about it enough to be bothered by it~ By it, I mean my opinions. YEAH!

Christmas, Christmas~ It's only a few days away! I can't wait, but we still have some time to go before Santa-san breaks into our homes, steals your milk and cookies and then leaves you with unnecessary amounts of gifts, mince pies and whatever else he feels like giving you. Ah... so until that day approaches, why not pull out another Christmas themed song and PV from the sack and review it? That sounds like a plan!

On the 4th Day before Christmas, my Idols sent to me...
A Twinkling and Parallel PV

I will be honest with you all; I had no clue what to do for my next review, as in, I had no clue what song or group I would go for. I do have a list for this actually, because planning ahead what 12 Idols to review for this festive, fun and happy series makes writing ahead of time a lot easier. But the final few left me wondering what groups to do...

And then Nia, my beautiful hero in disguise who does't even know the power and answers she holds to my questions and anguish, saved me by posting about a Perfume song that reminds her of Christmas, and also dropping a certain song that she has previously reviewed with the perfect name and theme for this series. So, to my Nia-pocket... THANK YOU!!! You saved me with your Perfume love and knowledge, and now I have a new post to talk about for the Winter season! WOOHOO!!!

So all of my thank you's finished, I will now be taking a look at Perfume's music video for their 2006 winter song, Twinkle Snow Powdery Snow, one of the cutest, most idol-like titles I have ever seen or heard from Perfume. Of course, given that this is Perfume and also during the days where they had shed that Idol like image and went onto better things, this is no Idol song filled with Christmassy, sugary sweetness that we are all used to. Oh no, this is, of course, a different kind of PV with a different view of the wintery days we love to hate. But what could they do to make the winter season so different to the season we know so well?

Twinkling and smiling, watch as Perfume show s a Parallel Winter Story in Twinkle Snow Powdery Snow. Are you ready for a ne adventure with Perfume from the past?


That title and the effects used on it make my eyes go funny. Whoo!


HOLY CRAP! It's a POKEMON 8D <3 <3 Which one is this one, PokeDex!?


Good lord, that overlay of saturation is really hurting my eyes... who told the editors that would be a good idea?


Nocchi is so pretty in this. Why don't I notice her more?


Oh wait, now I remember... the amazingly beautiful and downright adorable Kasiyuka! <3 Gawd, you're so sweet!


And then A~chan, in all of her awkward, smiley glory! D'awww~


Kashiyuka, please show me your legs! Don't crouch down and hide them!


This looks like it could be a scene from a Final Fantasy game, I swear! And damn, I would not mind seeing Kashiyuka in Final Fantasy!


... I sometimes question the wardrobe department or whoever is in charge of Nocchi, though she does suit jumpsuits.


PERFECTION!!! <3 And damn, younger Kashiyuka is so adorable and ksnckscnskacnkjsns <3


But little A~chan is just so cute, too! She looks lonely though, like a small, saddened China Doll who has been left on the shelf at Christmas ): d'awww


Cutest dance move ever! And damn, Perfume were so adorable! They grew up beautiful, though!


I don't like seeing A~chan lonely, it's rather saddening. She does that depressed look so damn well.


I sear, Nocchi is just... she has a perfect face. And that little smile!


A~chan: "... What the Christmas Pudding? SNOW!?"

A~chan, you look amazed... actually, it's the same amount f amazement some kids at school once had when, for the first time in their 12 years of their life, they saw real-life snow for the first time. No joke.


Kashiyuka looks so damn fluffy, I want to hug her! -squidges-


A~chan: "... Are you sure this is real?"
Nocchi: "I dunno... it might just be sherbet and glitter?"


Kashiyuka, why so adorably perfect?


Gawd, I love the idea of this world being a Parallel Universe experiencing their first snow. Of course this only my theory~


Tough I think that A~chan is sceptical of the snow around her. She is unsure of what it is, or the damage it can do.


A~chan, stand up. You're butts going to get cold.


Nocchi: "This stuff makes my hands cold..."

That's called frostbite. Get some gloves on, girl!


... An egg? What, are we going all Shugo Chara Egg on the viewers? Or is this just the planet telling me that it only allows cute girls it inhabit it because we all have embryo's or whatever?

TMI Chii, TMI


Perfume: "The embryo... what is it telling us?"

It's telling you to find the male species. Life's too boring with one gender.


Kashiyuka, paving the way to the Embryo! Or something... >o>


... Yeah, is it just me, or is Perfection in he form of Kashiyuka the centre of this song and video? Either way, I won't complain... I like it!


Though much more Nocchi is appreciated!

But where is A~chan?


Kashiyuka, why are you alone? And why are most of your gloriously long legs covered up? -sobs- I know it's winter, but... the legs... </3


OMFG, it's A~chan! Quick, grab the caption!!1


A~chan is relishing in this moment of glorious solo shots. Seriously, she's not shown enough in this video.


Kashiyuka: "Operation Twinkle Snow Powdery Snow is a GO!"
Nocchi: "... I kinda want sherbet..."

A~chan looks like a robot in this scene. It's creepy.

A~chan: "Beep beep..."


HOLY CRAP! Is that... is that Perfume watching Perfume!? Are... are they in a parallel universe within a parallel universe!?

OH MY GOD!


Look! Kashiyuka sees Kashiyuka! It's almost like looking in a mirror... a weird parallel mirror seeking into another Universe!


Nocchi "This looks like sherbet. Is it sherbet?"


Kahsiyuka: "This snow... reminds me of cheap H!P PV's..."

Thankfully this effect works better, given it fits the title of the song and does not look overly tacky.


Oh crap, A~chan with a smirk! The emotions of overwhelming!!!


The trio that is Perfume are rather happy with their achievements of creating twinkling, powdery Snow. Yay!


Oh wow, those are some snazzy effects, and once again, remind me of Final Fantasy. Sweeeeeet!


Oh shit, A~chan's on fire! THROW WATER ON HER!!!


... Yeah, that's totally ripped off from inspired by Final Fantasy VII. It reminds me of Midgar, actually. A rather beautifully destructive metropolis of despair.


And BOOM, goes the world. We're screwed!


... Wait, what? It's only snow? Well okay! Better than blowing up the world, aye Nocchi?

Nocchi: "... Sheeeerbeeeet!!! <3"

... Erm, it's snow, Nocchi.


Nocchi has GOT THE POWA!!! Oh yeah~


Holy crap, that snow really does twinkle!


And Nocchi has finally realised that it isn't sherbet but, in fact, cold, flaky snow that melts on your hands and gives you frostbite. YAY!


Looking at Kashiyuka's face filled with pure joy is like watching a child see snow for the first time. It's pure wonder, I tell you.


It's time to dance in the snow! Now whip those legs out, Kashiyuka!


Heading towards a new Parallel Universe, I see. But don't worry, they'll be back! Perfume are just bringing twinkling, powdery snow to each world, one Universe at a time!


I don't know why, but in this scene I can imagine A~chan taking over the world and just being a bad-ass mastermind. I would cower under her reign, though.


And... BOOM! The planet blows up, we become shells of our former human selves, and live in a world of anguish and desolate, dark and unhappy memories. All for the sake of Snow. Youch!

... Let's just say that, going into this video, I really did not expect to see what I saw. Then again, this is Perfume, and I must always remember to prepare myself for the unexpected. Still!

After watching the video for Twinkle Snow Powdery Snow however, I can safely say that I really like the take on a parallel winter to what we are used to. Instead of taking the Idol route and showing us a cutesy, cheap and fanservicey PV, we are instead treated to a delightful piece which shows off a more mature and dark vibe that we aren't used to, creating a greater atmosphere than I expected from the video. It really was wonderful to watch, and it gave me something to think about when I watched it, such as what does it mean, is this a different world, are these parallel universes, and are these different forms of Perfume from another time or world to the ones we see, or in the same world but instead in the future? A lot of questions ran through my head with this one, and of course, I decided on this theory:

A Parallel Universe where the members of Perfume bring snow and happiness to their past selves, creating a brighter and more joyful time to the girls they used to be by using their future knowledge and mechanisms, and thus bringing a new kind of light to the world that they live in.

I personally like that theory, but I also like the idea of a parallel universe anyway. It's fun, and I don't think that a group other than Perfume could have pulled it off like they did. Of course, I think they did it well, and I like that they used the themes of a sparkling snow to bring happiness and joy to their former selves, creating a lighter world for them. It kind of represented how for us as people, snow can bring joy to our darker days if we want it to, because it is so pretty regardless of how cold (and dangerous) it can be. So hey, there's some meaning behind that video, too! YAY!

Anyway, as I said, I like this video and I like how it was done. I'm not exactly the biggest fan of CGI in videos, because it can look cheap and tacky, but whenever Perfume do it they seem to do it right. I guess it's because their CGI is never supposed to represent anything realistic, just pure fantasy and new worlds that we have yet to discover. It's as if they are portraying their own world, a word only they can travel to, which allows me to enjoy the video more. When it is just pure CGI for the sake of it though, and not for the fun and creativity of it all... yeah, I don't like it. But, again, Perfume do it well, and Twinkle Snow Powdery Snow is no exception in my opinion. It looks good and fits with the look, sound and style of Perfume themselves; it's different, in a good way.

It's like the PV has been set in an alternative universe, one where it is easy to seek out the past and bring something from the future to create a better universe for years that have clearly gone by. What's even better is that this universe is rather deserted, dark, dingy... it's a desolate, lonely metropolis where it seems like the girls of Perfume have no real clue as to why they even exist, because there is nothing for them to enjoy in the world any more. It's as if the world itself is at a loss until the future members of Perfume bring back light and happiness in the form of snow to the planet by looking at their past selves and realising they need to become happy in order to continue showering happiness for their past selves when they eventually grow into what they are in the future. At the end of the video, we see a different world, one that has been covered in shining, sparkling snow that has brought the girls of Perfume happiness, changing their views and their world for the better.

It's a great video, with a mature and fun aura around it that just shows us how things can get better no matter how dark and dismal we may think things are. It really brings across that idea of how much joy snow, a simple, small thing, can bring to people during dark and cold times (the winter), and how no matter what our age, it can deliver us great happiness with its beauty and simplicity. The premise of the video, a different universe that is a destructive beauty in its own way, becomes lighter and happier thanks to the snow that has come during the dark days. To me, it has been done so well, and so beautifully.

The song itself, whilst it sounds like a few other songs by Perfume to me (I seem to jumble them all together) is a really fun sound. Sure, I have no clue what the girls are saying thanks to all the effects and synthesiser used on their vocals, but whatever they are singing sounds pretty in its own distorted, robotic way. Their voices are pleasant, even behind all of those effects, and the girls really captured me in the song. It fits the scene of the video as well, creating a rather unearthly, distorted reality to the one that we already know as humans. It makes the whole idea of this world a lot more believable in my opinion; if the world itself is like a fantasy, parallel universe, then so are the girls, and the use of effects used on their voices further proves how different and distorted this world is to our own.

Together, I find that this song and video fit together perfectly. It creates a new, fantasy-like view of the winter and the happiness that winter snow can bring us during these dark and dreary days, whilst still keeping the meaning behind the video strong and true. Instead of the easy, well-known and traditional ways of recording a Christmas video, Perfume took it that one step further and produced this alternative, parallel vision of a new world where snow is at first sparse, but then becomes a new way of light and happiness in this darkened land full of woe. It is beautiful, destructive, mature and all around fantastic. Really, no other group could have done it better.



This is how the snow came to be in this Parallel Winter Story... will you become a part of this enchanting story, too?

Much Love,
Chiima~

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