Saturday 12 May 2018

Visions of A Vivid Midnight - Juice=Juice's 'Vivid Midnight' (MV Review)

My recent posts have taken a more serious turn, so to bring back a little fun to the blog, it's high time I screen captioned and gif-ed the heck out of a really colourful, cute PV with some questionable choreography!

Yeah, y'all already know which one it is. Are you ready for a burst of flavour and juicy colours to brighten your day?


It's been a while since I did one of these, so naturally it feels refreshing to come back to my long-time love of screen capping and commentating for what is one of H!P's most colourful PV's in a while! It's such a blast of happiness and delight, I can't help but love it, and yeah, it actually makes sense that this would be the PV I returned to my screen-capping ways with... it's just so bright and fun, and I could gif and print screen so many scenes! I actually had to control myself, just so it didn't go over I don't how many... (haha).

Honestly, I think a lot of people love Juice=Juice's Vivid Midnight. With its K-pop twist, explosion of colour and bright sound, I can see why people are taken with this video. It's such a change in pace for Hello! Project and UP-FRONT, but it also allows us to see a new way of editing, techniques and style from the company, whilst also introducing us to new sounds and visuals from their groups. It's different, and it's unique to H!P, but it's a very welcome turn of events, in my opinion.

I had a lot of fun with this, as one would expect, and it makes me stupidly happy whenever I see it! I've even found a fondness for a certain member through this, someone who truly stood out in every way possible. Others, I felt a tad disappointed, but thankfully the video and its bright setting make up for any 10%-giving members.

... Okay, I'm rambling. Bad habits never die, y'all, but we'll stop chattering and get on with the commentary. This is Vivid Midnight, a damn cute and fun music video, and it's time to entertain ourselves a little to a lot more with it, because why not?

It's time to get groovy and enjoy a vivid, energetic midnight tryst! Are you ready? Let's get to

Kickin' It!

It looks like someone went into CardFactory and bought the entire selection of wrapping paper.

I'm already in love *^*


YO, this is already cute. I am impressed with H!P's flare for editing as of late.


Whoever designed this set must have a headache, but damn, that headache was worth it. SO. DAMN. PURDY!

Also, I see they're in a V, and they look like cheerleaders. Will there be back hand springs, front hand springs, -insert all moves mentioned in Bring It On here-


Yes, Karin, throw all the balls at the innocents >o>

THERE'S A DUTCH ANGLE *^* -loves dutch angles-


Erm, er...

Is someone gonna tell them, or do I have to explain the awkward placement of their hands? Me? O-Okay...

Well, girls, you see...


i feel so happy seeing this edit, and I don't know why. Maybe because almost everyone except Nanami looks like they're having a blast, and are all being adorable as they attempt to be sexy?

And, -ahem-, DAMN-bara Ruru!


This such a cute freakin' dance (sans that horrid hand-mouth move), and look at Aarii! Girl is killin' it!


Aarii: "Hehe~"

Ma girl Aarii knows what she's doing, god damn =_=


Okay, hOLD UP!

Let's all just appreciate how cute little Jesus is right here. How was one person created with such cuteness?


-puts on best Tsunku impression- Kanazawa Tom-WHOAH-ko, boys and girls!


Aarii: "Whatever,"

Them hips don't lie and that head flip don't give a shit about what y'all think, GIRL!


Sayubee, pretty much voicing Aarii's inner voice as she walks away now that her sass moment is over.


DAMN, ma girl Sayubee is killing it with these lyrics, but no, she's not that great at being sexy. She's better than others, but... yeah... XD

SHE LOOKS SO HAPPY AND COMFORTABLE DOING THIS, THO, and I give a million points for that.


DAMN-bara: "Time for the real star to shine!"

OKAY, now the party's starting!


What is it with Ruru? How is she so dazzling? She is such a delight, and it's so refreshing to see her energy and joy, the sheer enthusiasm she exudes as she sings in this! She's adorable, playful and sweet, and I can't get over how perfectly she matches this song.

Vivid Midnight was made for Ruru, and damn-bara, she is rocking her tiny lil' socks off! Such a freakin' delight!


... Oh, hey, Nanami! She was kinda swallowed up amongst the others in this, wasn't she?

She's adorable, though, but her energy is kind of 10% in this.


No, I don't understand this scene either, girls. I mean, am I tripping? Did Austin Powers take a time tumble into 2018? Is your juice spiked to the nines with drugs?


Yukanyan: "AO!'

Yeah, AO! is right, girl. That psychadelic time warp is giving me a giant migraine...


This choreography is great, AND LOOK AT THAT COLOUR CHANGING BACKDROP, Y'ALL!

I be trippin'. Y'all be hatin'~


I'm surprised by Tom-WHOAH-ko's lack of screen time, believe me, but here. Have a pretty picture of her with her scary smile and soul-draining eyes.

Isn't she lovely?


Yukanyan is gorgeous in this, as per usual, but much like Nanami, she's putting in a lot less effort than usual. Sadness.

ALSO, we don't get nearly enough of her, as we should. SHE IS A BABE, UP-FRONT D8< gimme more, damnit!


I'm delighted by the copious amount of Sayubee enjoying herself with this choreography, though. HOW IS SHE SO LOVELY?


I feel like that backdrop would make a great candy box design.


Look at her!

Feel her energy!

Adore her!

Become her fan!

SUPPORT DAMN-BARA RURU UNTIL THE END OF TIME!

Truer words hath never been spoken.


this is the 'powder my face before I bring you your pizza order' move. Pretty popular in cafe's, I hear.


AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA...

NO! >8(


It's like looking at a really cute deer caught in the headlights...


I really love this part, but wait... why are their skirts cut in half and belted to shorts?

Who the fuck thought up this wardrobe, and why did they let their malfunction be the final design? wHY?


Karin is trippin', but eh, whatever, she's having fun with it.

... WAIT, why am I suddenly getting flashbacks to Uni lectures about 'Midnight Movies'?



i love how dorky they all are, Karin especially. This is such a cute little scene, and DAMN, look at Yukanyan killing it with cuteness. Why is she this adorable?

I actually wouldn't be surprised if Aarii turned out to be the Master in any relationship... >o>


Good grief, Ruru and Sayubee are just killing it for me. I love them both, why are they so funny and cute?


I LOVE THEM. LET THEM BE TOGETHER FOREVER.

Aarii: "HANDS OFF MY CHILD, HEATHEN!" -breathes fire at Sayubee-


THAT. SMILE.


-okay! banner time-

RURU IS SO PRECIOUS, WHY?


The room revolves. It's so trippy in its own way. I love it.

What drugs did the director take to get such a... vivd video >o>


Baby Jesus is just so adorable, I love her so much now.

But literally, this is what I do when calculating money at work, realising I fucked up, and being like 'shit, I dun goofed, WAAAH!'.


... Nanami, girl, NO!

There's is so much nope in this scene in general, though, except for Aarii. Aarii rocks it all.


THESE CAMERA ANGLES, THO!

I never knew a Dutch angle could become so invigorating and fun, actually.


This is an adorable scene, and reminds me of karaoke bar meet-ups. It's such a comforting, wholesome scene.


I want someone to look at me like Damn-bara looks at Aarii.


Sayubee in the back is so freakin' cute, and Nanami, look at you finally giving a fig about how you act!

Yukanyan: "Wait, no, DON'T FILM ME YET!"


Are we high yet?


YUKA IN THE BACK, YASSSS! Aarii in general, though. WHY IS SHE SO SILLY?

Guys, legit, just watch Sayubee and Aarii's expressions, they're funny as all heck and just reminds me of how cute they are.

Actually, they're all cute. Why are they such a fun group? WHY?


I love these juice scenes, but honestly, what is in them? Why is smoke literally pouring out of them? I wouldn't drink that shit , if I were y'all.


Aarii: "Eehehehe... Juice~"


... Karin, what?


Baby Jesus: "Was zeh juuuuish~"

I don't doubt it was the juice, to be honest.


HOLY SHIT, YUKANYAN SOLO'S! QUICK, GET THEM IN WHILST I STILL CAN! -gifs and screen grabs-


The lack of Yukanyan is actually ridiculous, so I shall treasure this little bub of joy as much as I can right now.


-Okay! Banner Time-

Sayubee is precious, hence why she's my banner right now.


Aarii, the QUEEN of Slaying us all with cuteness, sexiness and dorkiness.


Tom-WHOAH-ko is a joy to watch. Sadly, we don't get as much of her this time around like we usually do. Damn.

She looks delightfully glee, though, and I love a smug looking gal.


She's really relishing the song and how fun it is, isn't she? I love that about her.


I'm getting Mean Girls (2004) vibes.

I could totally see Aarii as Regina George, and Tomoko's my Gretchen.

Nanami is our Cady, and PLEASE, can Damn-bara be Karen? Or Karin as Karen, that actually works a lot better cause nAMES.


How is Ruru such a QUEEEEEEN in this? She truly slays the game, and leaves us wanting for more.

This video. This song. It was made for her, right? That's why we get copious amounts of her, thank goodness.


It's a trip, but at least it's a trip alongside Yukanyan and Tom-WHOAH-ko~


Nanami putting in the effort and reaching out for her paycheck like:

Yanamin: "Mine~"


I really love that they did the lyrics 'Ai ga ai ga ai ga' with Karin brandishing the giant 'i'. That honestly amuses me, because puns.


YANAMIN, YOU PERV >O>

Sayubee's enjoying this far too much, let's be real.


Okay, these lyrics about playfulness really suit the choreography. It is playful, and that's the best part of it.


Why do they all look like drunk friends at karaoke?

Because they are drunk friends at karaoke. Didn't y'all see the smoke coming from their drinks?


Damn-bara delights me. They all delight me, but Damn-bara shines and slays.


Aarii, you freakin' gem, you're so damn entertaining.

Damn-bara: "Shhh, we're not drunk! Tehehe~"
Yanamin: "Fight me, Leader-nyan!"
Yukanyan: "I think we should switch your juice to water, Yanamin..."
Aarii: "YAY, FIGHTING!"
Baby Jesus: -sleeps drunkenly against wall-


Can this be my favourite scene, right next to my million other favourite scenes?

Look at Nanami though, giving zero = zero fucks, yet again.


DAMN, Sayubee, look at that pose! Where you been hiding that sexiness all this time!?


Aarii: -pouts-

-falls in love all over again-


ALTOGETHER NOW:

DAMN-BARA RURU!

Perfect. Well done, everyone! :D


I swear, Aarii has far too much glee for this move to not know what it represents.


Yukanyan: "Bye. y'all! Have fun finding multiple shots of me in this video!"

YOU WERE IN HERE SO LITTLE, THO!


Sayubee, however, graced us with her thinned out fringe so much. I love her.


Nanami once again giving us 10%. I love her, but damn, she really doesn't try in this.


And Karin, looking so cute, and really rocking that K-pop hairstyle. I'm kinda scared by how much it suits her...

Well, she's Baby Jesus, of course it suits her >o>


AAAAND I want that colour scheme, those patterns and the giant letters for my decor. Where can I buy the wrapping paper they used here? >o>

~ Bi Bi Bi ~

What can I say to this, that hasn't already been said? It's adorable. It's a bright, cheerful affair that is full of vibrance and life, and it's vivid as all heck. It feels like its own little party, and the members are inviting us to join them. No matter scene we see, there is always something entertaining to see, whether it's the blissful smile of a member, a funny face or the pop of the backdrop. We are never given a dull moment, and we will never get bored when we see this video.

One of the best things about it though has to be how much you get from it the more you watch it. Little scenes like the playfulness of the members, how the background switches colours and the patterns used are things you might notice on a second, third or fourth watch. You get something new from Vivid Midnight the more that you watch it, and as a viewer and a fan of editing, films and the like, it makes me incredibly happy to see that such fine little details are easily missed, but just as quickly picked up on during further viewings. It makes the video that much better, and a lot more entertaining in my eyes.

It makes me incredibly happy that H!P have created such a joyful video, one where the members can really shine and show off their eagerness to entertain. Though it doesn't translate through all of them - Nanami and Yuka especially - I can't deny that it seems the members had fun filming this entire MV. There are times where we see just how much of a good time they're having, or how well they get on. I especially love the scenes where we see them all together, singing and messing about in the rotating room, because it's here that the groups chemistry shines. It feels so effortless and real, and you get a good look at just how perfectly these girls work together, and how friendly they are with one another. It makes for some great scenes, as well as some nice fan fodder who want to see their friendship and chemistry blossom.

Gosh, this music video really makes me love Juice=Juice. Not that I didn't love them already, of course.

From the camera angles to the use of colour, I really like Vivid Midnight. It's one of Hello! Project's best music videos to come out in a while, and showcases the directors, camera crew's and editors talents really well. It's expressive, energetic and everything flows and fits perfectly, even the jarring psychedelic chroma key scenes. Throwing in some quirky camera angles and tilted tracking shots only enhances the jarring nature this video seems to be representing, but it only fuels that energy and quirkiness that Vivid Midnight has. There is a constant use of movement here, whether it's in the choreography or the camera work, and I feel like it needs to be that way - something this bubbly and over the top needs it, because being so static would just drain it of its energy high.

Of course, I love the use of the camera a great deal here - it has such a huge role in how the video plays, too, so it makes sense that I would give it some focus. Yet it's the use of the dutch angle that intrigues me the most, because that's typically used in horror or thriller, even mystery films or videos. It's not the most comforting of shots, but here, it's disorientating in a fun way, creating a sense of unbalance in a dizzy way. It makes me think I'm having so much fun, I'm about to fall from my giddiness, and I love that the camera crew and director have worked together to create that effect for the viewer. It's super interesting, and I love how it's been implemented throughout Vivid Midnight to swerve and throw our balance off in the most entertaining way possible.

It also makes me think of being a little drunk, too, or maybe a tad bit high. Generally, this video feels like it's drunk or on a high, and I can't say it's because of the lyrics - they're not about being drunk on love, or tipsy about a crush. They're actually pretty vain and standard lyrics, so, I guess the director just wanted to have a lot of fun with it and created something eccentric, but aesthetically pleasing.

Ah. The aesthetics. Vivid Midnight really does feel like a K-pop music video, one from the cuter side of the music scene. From the bright colours to the clothes, the hair and even the makeup, I can see the inspiration and how H!P have implemented it. It's nice to see H!P trying new things, but I can definitely see their own influence shining through, more specifically with the wardrobe and the use of words on screen. In terms of the wardrobe, it is - of course - a hot mess. A cute mess, but a mess all the same, because H!P really can't style to save their lives (most of the time). Here, the members of Juice=Juice all sport this half-skirt half-shorts style that is just odd and infuriating. The shirts, however, I do like.

Still, it's all very K-pop in its style, and fits the tone of the song.

There is a lot more to like about this video - Ruru. Sayubee. Aarii. The colour, the backdrop, the rotating rooms and everything else - but I think there are some things that brought Vivid Midnight down in its enjoyment factor, and it's mostly to do with Nanami and Yuka, sad to say. Now believe me when I say that I like both members, but they were just so serious or cold in this, at least in some scenes. Nanami didn't look like she was 100% with the video or its tone, and felt far too serious or bored at times. Yuka, on the other hand, just didn't feel like she gave a flying fig. It's a little disconcerting, because both of these members are generally high in energy, and would suit this colourful video beautifully if they were actually excited about it. Sadly, I can't say they seem excited or even happy about it, and that's a real bummer, because they're both such joyful members.

Looking back at the video, I'm actually a little glad neither of them get that many scenes if they're looking this serious or bored. It's a harsh thing to say, but honestly, I'd rather see Danbara's energetic smile and relish in the atmosphere she creates than watch a music video filled with half-assed smiles and serious expressions. This is a vivid song, and it feels like a vivid nature was needed to match the tone of the song and its visuals.

In general, the members worked with the song. They all had scenes where they looked like they were having a blast. Aarii, Sayubee and Danbara especially had a lot of fun with this, relishing in each and every moment and showing off just how charismatic and entertaining they are. I can't help but want to dance along to the music because of these three members, and I can't help but smile whenever their scenes come up! Sure, they have some questionable moments (Sayubee especially), but at the end of the day, it's entertainment, and these girls delivered what we ordered.

Vivid Midnight is a fun video, and I really enjoy it. Like any video it has its problems, but it still gives us something charming and cute to offset all the serious that H!P throw our way these days. This one was made purely for our entertainment, and to give us something to smile along with, and I love it for that. It's such an interesting, energetic creation that tickles my fancy, and I can see why so many people love it.

It's a lot of fun, and I can't fault it for that.


What are your thoughts on Vivid Midnight, and which scenes stood out to you the most? Which members kicked ass and who failed to meet your expectations? Let's discuss the video, and share our opinions and views! It'll be fun, I'm sure!

To all who have read my rambles and sat through this screen captioned bizarre, thank you! I hope you enjoyed your time here and I appreciate everything you guys do, whether it's reading, commenting or simply strolling on through! Now, until we meet again, please take care of yourselves, stay happy and healthy, and love your Idols!

Au revoir, mes amours~
Chiima

3 comments:

  1. TBH I enjoyed the video very much (except for some horrid font choices and horrid psychodrugadelic colors) but this mediocre k-poppish song was very disappointing. Like, I could forget it ever existed and eventually I will. The girls were good though.

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    Replies
    1. I do enjoy the video as well, but c'mon, H!P love the horrid font choices as of late! Remember Fiesta! Fiesta! and it's tacky layout and awkward comic sans-esque font floating around, harassing us every two seconds? Yeah. Nightmare inducing.

      I do enjoy the song honestly. It's a fun bop for me, but I know it won't appeal to everyone. The members seemed to have fun singing and performing it, however, and that's what matters I suppose?

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  2. I am not big on the song but the MV is... So nice.
    Ruru is literally impossible to dislike. Liked her as a KSS, L O V E her now holy /shit/ girl gives it her all and loves doing it. My favourite from Ju=Ju was undecided (dey all gud) , and with the new additions i thought it would be Nanami... It was nanami for a while... But Ruru is just... Just wow

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