Friday 27 May 2016

[A Week with Zukki] A Cool Smile Amidst the Crowds of Tokyo - 'Tokyo to Iu Katasumi' PV Review

All thoughts. All opinions. All that may said. It's my own. Such mine, so yours. Everything here is subject to my own opinion. Don't hate, and I won't hate on yours either. Let's love and respect. LOVE AND PEACE!!!
 ... This whole disclaimer is a mess, just like my mind xD

*[A Week with Zukki] is a series dedicated to the and only Suzuki Kanon, to both celebrate her and to prepare for her up-coming departure from both Morning Musume and Hello! Project. Here I hope to appreciate and adore the Idol who has brought me such joy, as well as to share with you some of her best works in her time as an Idol. So in order to celebrate all that is Zukki and her wonderful smile, let's take this journey together and think of her with fondness and joy. Before she dares Graduate, let's enjoy this wonderful Idol as much possible, and smile as we do so!

In which Chiima sorely wishes that she had decided to review The Vision for the sake of her ears, but chose not to because once she starts something, she refuses to change it for any damn reason.

Thanks, stubborn Chiima brain. Thaaaanks o3o


Of the three latest Music Videos to come out of Morning Musume '16, this one is probably my second favourite, but it's also the song that I like the least of the three thanks to how cookie cutter it is for the group in sound and style. It hurts my ears sometimes, too, and if it wasn't for the fact that I find The Vision pretty but boring, I would be reviewing that, because it shows off a little more Zukki, though not that much.

Still, I started this, and I'm gonna finish it, because there are only so many hours in a day, and I do need to write this out. Also, I think this PV is pretty stunning. It has some decent shots, and everyone looks damn awesome here. So yeah, I'm sticking with it through both sheer stubbornness, and because I don't know what other video to review for this [A Week with Zukki] series.

In all honesty though, I had a lot of fun screen grabbing images from this, and surprisingly, it isn't gif heavy like everything else I've reviewed lately. Big shocker. I liked a lot of the stills in this though, and it wasn't stupidly heavy on moving cameras, which helped a lot. So yeah, I'm a happy bunny in terms of screen grabs here.

Okay, that's enough incessant chatter. We're going to look at one of Suzuki Kanon's final music videos within Hello! Project and Morning Musume '16, and try our best to find the cool smile amidst the crowds of Morning Musume '16, because even when she is hidden in the back, that beautiful smile will never cease to exist, and one day, you will find it for yourself...


Okay, H!P, THAT'S more like it! Keep those decent opening titles comin'!


MoMusu Formations: 70% ramdom flaily arm movements.

... Yeaaaah, that about sums up their choreography as of late, dunnit? o3o


MoMusu: "Oh Lord, please deliver unto us all a better song, so that our fans might not stray."

Yes, please, H!P, do give us a better song o3o

Also, damn Masakins is well into her prayers, she lookin' sassy as she begs the Lord for better song compositions.


MoMusu: "Hallelujah, Praise the Lordeh! He Hath sent us Utakata Saturday Night! and saved us all!"

The Lord above won't save y'all if Tsunku keeps giving you shitty reboots of colorful era songs, kiddos.

Also, Masakins gives no fucks and refuses to look to the Heavens.


Start your day the Duu way and steal all your boys' girlfriends!


Eriman: "Not unless I steal 'em first!"

OOOOH, Duu got some sturdy competition1 (And Eriman would most likely win ;D She hunkier, HURR! <3)


Her voice ain't my fave here, but yeah, she got that charisma goin' on! Knock us out with that flare o' yours, gurl!


Mizuki has really blossomed, hasn't she? I can finally see that naturally sexy aura everyone was going on about once upon a time! OvO


A sultry Sakura appears!

Also, heeeeyll, I am in awe of how amazing everyone's skin looks here! DAYUMN!


If Masakins didn't have, like, 2 miliseconds of screen time, I'd gif her so hard, cause she is damn gorgeous here!

Also, could Ayumi please stop shrieking One Two Three carbon copy WOA-OOOOOH'S in my ears? It hurts owo


OOHARUUUUUU!

And hey, look, a Wild Zukki has appeared! OwO FINALLY!!! D8<


Duu: "Oh, hai there, Camera-san!"

HA, Duu! XD


Little motherfuckin' head bops.

Because looking like a bobble head doll is the best way to show off how cool and chic this song is failing to be.


Here's some Sakuranbo for all you fans out there, because Hell, it's basically her, Duu and Ayumi I'm getting so far. No one else has really been given a chance to shine at all :/

Still, she lookin' fab here, and definitely killing those vocals.


Oh look! More Duu.

Surprise surprise, but hey! At least she's getting the spotlight she deserves now that Shit-Vocals-McGee has graduated :3


Ah, Mizuki, you are a beauty, however your face shape seems weird to me o-O

... Reminds me a little of Miyabi, actually, and her long face kinda freaked me out a bit XD


Finally, a Masaki clip I can gif! But awww, she's with Sakura );

She lookin' so damn fly, though!


MaaSaku: "We're always watching..."

OwO


OH HEY, LOOK WHO I FOUND! :D The Graduating member D8<

Fuck sake H!P, you could at least show her a little more, y'know!?


Okay, this is a really nice shot, I like it! And so High Def, too owo


Good grief, you can really tell the choreographer had a hard time coming up with something 'fresh' and 'original' for Morning Musume '16, because seriously, it's all just para para at this point XD


They do all look pretty, however, and again; DAMN this high definition! I am ba-la-la-la-la, Lovin' It!


YASSS, MY ERIMAN!

She looks so damn perfect, in this doom and gloom filter they've shoved over her gorgeous face.


And HELL TO THE YEAH, my Zuk-Meister has finally appeared! Thank you for gracing us all with your awesome presence <3


... Okay, time to go through all the prison mugshots of these girls, now.

TBH, this would have made a pretty cool cover, right? Mugshot Musume =3=


I am not letting this Eripon moment go to waste!


Oh hai there, little Miki o3o Getting ready to become MoMusu's Ace? o3o


I love yoooou! ; A;


This girl is fabulous, and anyone who says otherwise... well, that's just your opinion, right? o 3o


But look at that sass she has! Girl, you look the other way and ignore them haters, you are amazing! <3


Okay, these scenes are pretty cool, and heck, I am luuurving that camera angle!


Hot damn, Harunan is fierce here!

And yet I doubted her in Oh my wish!. I take it all back now owo


Duu: "MoMusu Jesus has risen!!!"

Welp, looks like Duu's the next H!P Jesus! Move aside, Karin!


YASSSS, TO THE SEQUENCES!!!


Maria trying to be 'sexy' and 'cool' is one of the most awkward things you might ever experience, right next to watching TakaMina or Acchan try and be sexy.

Good grief, this is second-hand embarrassment right here. -puts head to hands-


Now that is cool!

You rock that eyebrow raise, Masakins.


Okay, Duu, you look great. Please never grow your hair out or change any aspect of yourself. You ish perfect as you are <3


And dayumn, Eriman! Please don't kill me with that stare! Be still, my heart! BE STILL!!! <3


My Zukkini baby ;w; ;w; <3 <3 Why so perfect? Why so lovely? Why you leave me!?


Hello, ears >o> No wonder I love you, Ogata, you have the perfect balance of ear to tiny face ratio, and an abundance of personality and sass to boot. Thank you for joining MM and making my life a lot happier <3

Also... when you realise the word 'Ephemeral' is in this song quite a bit. Ephemeral is the English form of 'Utakata', so... Utakata Saturday Night! ties, anyone? >o>


Awww, Hagachin, you cutie! Why they forcing you to do this gloomy shit? D8 You too good for this! </3


Miki could totally audition for a horror film and get the lead role as the spirit, fo' sure.


OOHARUUUU! <3 Such a freakin' beauty, the best of the 12ki, for sure! <3


Oh, shiiit, Ayumin looks high as heck here, ha XD You been on those brownies again, kid?

Oh wait, no, now she looks like a robot. This girl looks scary here though, and a tad dead inside. I guess that's what happens when you become an Ace, right?


Zukkini looks a tad dead inside, too, however that's what happens when H!P and the media are basically dicks to ya.


These mugshot scenes are fab, they honestly are. A nice contrast to the bright dance sequences, too owo


Masakins: "Yer want a knuckle sandwich?"

Okay, what the heck did I do now!? I've pretty much praised you this entire video! D8


Wow, Sakuranbo looks tired. I blame the filter for that.


Honeyboo, oh my days, you look stunning! Not even the gloom and doom filter can change that! Wowzers! *^*


Masakins: "You fuckin' lookin' at me?"

Shit, Masakins is in yankee mode today o-O Better keep away from her... -skulks to the side-


But honestly, Masakins looks fuckin' kick-ass in this video!


HA, still find this choreography funny and simple as feck. I mean, I bet I couldn't do it, but for such a dance-orientated group, this looks to be piss easy and weak in comparison to other songs and formations.


Ooooh, this a nice scene! Hey, Eriman! :D


Backstage shots are pretty damn cool, actually, and they fit the idea of the video nicely.


Zukkiiiiii, why don't you face meeeee? ;;


Macho Macho MAAAAAAN!

Legit what I think whenever I see this move XD


Yass, Eriman, SLAAAAY! <3


Hot damn, Mizukingdom has a nice profile here!

And nice arms! No wonder Riho and the others liked her skin so much, it looks so plush and smooth! owo


Honeyboo is so damn gorgeous, how did H!P get so lucky!? ;A;


Yes yes, Duu, we see you, and H!P finally see you for the Idol you are, too :3


I hate water, but if OOHaru advertised it, I'd probably buy it. I'm a sucker for OOHaru, y'see.


Hello two favourites! Glad to see you in a scene together ;D


... No. No. Don't you smile and walk away. NO!!!

Don't pull at my heart strings ;w;


... You knew I'd gif these scenes at least once, right? o3o


... ;w; </3 My heart will never cease breaking for you...


HIT IT, GIRLS! Make those mugshots stylish and cool!


And yes, I can still see you, no matter how much you try to hide behind your hands! :D

.。.:*☆*:.。.☆.。.:*☆*:.。.

Do you know what would have been cool? If Morning Musume '16 had actually been filmed somewhere in Tokyo, a corner, the street, outside a building... anywhere, basically, and shown looking through the crowds of Tokyo to the camera, staring before turning and walking away slowly. That would have actually been awesome to see, instead of sticking them in yet another studio or warehouse and spending little money to save on Country Girls' next music video.

That said, what we have here is pretty decent, and hey! I love those mugshot sequences and their freestyle dance scenes. It was different, it fit the pace and it looked cool. So yeah, can't fault them on that, because it fit the video nicely and worked with creating contrast between the bright studio scenes, which I also like, too.

And yeah, I'm a fan of the costumes. Sue me.

This is actually a pretty good Music Video, and a favourite of mine from this single release. Okay, I'm not a huge fan of the doom and gloom filter used (way too blue and murky), however I found that those shots where the girls stood backstage and in front of the garage door were edited quite nicely together with the bright studio dance scenes and solo shots, creating the perfect balance between a warm setting and a cold one. The costumes, too, worked in favor of the video, because they brought a splash of life to the video that the alternative costumes possibly couldn't, given how cool toned and dark most of them were. Everything was tied together nicely in terms of colours and tones.

Also, I like how they actually tie the two costumes together in this video; though they're vastly different, both costumes from the dance sequences and the mugshots include small triangular gems  on some part of their outfit. For the mugshots, it's show on the collar or lapels of their shirts and jackets, and in the dance dresses, it's on the belt. Pretty subtle, but still really nice.

Also, am I the only one who thinks that Zukki's jacket is a little bit similar to the orange one she wore in her debut? It's pleather and has some form of embellishment on it... it just so happens to be blue owo


In terms of the Zukki within this video... well, what Zukki? Tokyo to Iu Katasumi is basically like any other Morning Musume PV that includes my beloved 9ki member, in that it doesn't really feature her. This is why reviewing The Vision would probably make a little more, sense however it's boring, and it also doesn't have this scene or one like it:


Still, despite the lack of Zukki, I do think this is a nice little send off video for her. I didn't expect anything like Riho got in her last release for my darling girl, because let's face it; Zukki was not, and won't be, popular within the Japanese Idol community. She's under appreciated, and even in her last release, she still stands as the groups least liked member, no matter how much the Westerners adore her.

Really though, at least she got a solo line in this one, as well as that little smile before she turns. It's also a chance for us to see that cool idea of Zukki we briefly knew, and to appreciate just how awesome she can be in a more mature and serious setting.

Also, damn, she is beautiful here! I love her <3

So yeah, even though her solo shots are far and few between here, I do think Zukki is at least somewhat appreciated in the video, even if it's only a little bit. Of all the members, she's the only one to get a scene like one above, and up until Maria's smug look, she was the only one to have smiled at all in any of the backstage scenes from what I saw. So in certain ways, she stood out from the rest, and she was the only to have physically 'left' the viewer by turning her back from them. It's short and simple, but it definitely gives an impact, especially if you're a Zukki fan.

Overall, it's a good video, it just has a sub-par song attached to it that causes its originality to lack. Still, I like the overall feel of its visuals, and in the few scenes we do get a glimpse of Zukki, I think they do her some sort of justice and show her off in a positive light.

It isn't the dedication PV we'd hoped for, however that one little smile and turn is enough to send us off into a small blubber. Simple and sweet, and so very Zukki.



I'm going to miss Zukki, and all those small snippets of screen time that allowed me to appreciate her even more throughout her Idol career.

And before I go, what are your thoughts on the recent single release from Morning Musume '16? Do you have a favourite song? Which song and video best represents Suzuki Kanon to you, and would you purchase this release? Think about, and if you want, comment and let me know.

Until next time everyone, please treasure your Idols, love all you enjoy, and stay happy and healthy always.

Much Love,
Chiima~

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