Morning Musume - Wakuteka Take a Chance

[neshcom]

[quote name='Myst' timestamp='1349306682' post='135131']

I think the Maki thing was said by her after she was officially out of contract with UFA. It may have been after she joined avex, but I don't know.

[/quote]

I think it was when she announced her hiatus with avex. She didn't like having to maintain the Gomaki image. (unless we're talking about an earlier quote).



Watched the PV again and I didn't really see much sexualization either. There were some really innocent and vulnerable moments (and I can totally see where someone would find that sexual), but nothing was obviously sexual to me. To each their own, though. :shrug:

[Farrah]

For those interested in the Maki interview, it's here. Bare with me, this was a site I opened when I was 12, so it's chock full of spelling errors (oh god, so many) and grammatical disasters LOL. But she mentions that she thinks the whole sexy thing is fun, although it doesn't come naturally to her. It's not the interview I had in mind, but alas, the only one I could still find.

[Zoe]

[quote name='Farrah' timestamp='1349305762' post='135130']

I don't get why people are saying Maki was uncomfortable acting sexy, because I actually translated an interview she did while promoting Some Boys! Touch that said she was uncomfortable with the cutesy, childish image of songs like Te wo Nigitte, and how she enjoyed acting more grown up and less idol-like. I'll try to dig it up but it's from years ago so I can't guarantee success. It was a very interesting read. Plus, despite having more control over her image at Avex, her image became MORE sexual.

[/quote]



I'm pretty sure I remember an interview from the time of Te wo Nigitte that said the opposite. It was the first two singles that didn't fit her <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' />

[rob]

I've been in Japan for almost 10 years now and I can only speak about England... but..



In other western countries, are the adult magazines in the convenience shops in plain sight for everyone to see?



In Japan they are next to all the other magazines, it goes - Womens - Mens - Games - Cars - Hardcore Porn



With some comic books usually underneath.



So... I'm curious, is it things like this that Japanese people see every day when they go to the local store that makes them less sensitive about sex or is it in western countries where sex is a taboo subject and all adult material is shoved in the dirty corner for the dirty people?



You see, to me this PV has literally zero sexiness in it, the girls look adorable, cute, cool but not sexy, not at all.



Is it this hiding from sex that makes seeing a girl on a table conjure up some ideas of BDSM wota fetish..... ?



Anyway, just some thoughts I had while walking home from the store last night.



-----------



On a separate thought train, I teach tons of kids every week, and they are always rolling about on the tatami or on the tables etc, so when I see MM girls on a table I just think "some kids on a table" .... my thought process ends there.



Anyway, super long post, and kinda OT!

[Ap2000]

[quote name='rob' timestamp='1349325632' post='135143']

I've been in Japan for almost 10 years now and I can only speak about England... but..



In other western countries, are the adult magazines in the convenience shops in plain sight for everyone to see?



In Japan they are next to all the other magazines, it goes - Womens - Mens - Games - Cars - Hardcore Porn



So... I'm curious, is it things like this that Japanese people see every day when they go to the local store that makes them less sensitive about sex or is it in western countries where sex is a taboo subject and all adult material is shoved in the dirty corner for the dirty people?

[/quote]



I'm not sure if you're correct about the "hardcore porn". You probably mean stuff like Playboy, which can be easily bought here in Austria (or Germany) pretty much everywhere.

As for hardcore stuff, there are sex shops, just like Japan usually has adults-only areas in video rental stores and the like.



Sex is much more a taboo in North America than it is in Europe, from my experience. Nobody here gives a crap if you show a nipple in a movie for teenagers, but for the MPAA that's a horrid thing to do and the movie gets an R rating (warning, exaggeration).

[Shoujo Q]

Apparently the final version of the MV is being released today. Which, I'm sure will result in another 5 pages of conversation. Hurrah!



I think this is the most we've ever talked about a single, ever! <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... R#>/8o.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='8o' />



Actually, not me. I've just been sitting here watching. I'm not going to begin to unweave this thread.

[rob]

[quote name='Ap2000' timestamp='1349343076' post='135148']

[quote name='rob' timestamp='1349325632' post='135143']

I've been in Japan for almost 10 years now and I can only speak about England... but..



In other western countries, are the adult magazines in the convenience shops in plain sight for everyone to see?



In Japan they are next to all the other magazines, it goes - Womens - Mens - Games - Cars - Hardcore Porn



So... I'm curious, is it things like this that Japanese people see every day when they go to the local store that makes them less sensitive about sex or is it in western countries where sex is a taboo subject and all adult material is shoved in the dirty corner for the dirty people?

[/quote]



I'm not sure if you're correct about the "hardcore porn". You probably mean stuff like Playboy, which can be easily bought here in Austria (or Germany) pretty much everywhere.

As for hardcore stuff, there are sex shops, just like Japan usually has adults-only areas in video rental stores and the like.



Sex is much more a taboo in North America than it is in Europe, from my experience. Nobody here gives a crap if you show a nipple in a movie for teenagers, but for the MPAA that's a horrid thing to do and the movie gets an R rating (warning, exaggeration).

[/quote]



Actually, playboy is with ghe tv and gossip magazines....

[tsukinobyouin]

[quote name='Ap2000' timestamp='1349343076' post='135148']

I'm not sure if you're correct about the "hardcore porn". You probably mean stuff like Playboy, which can be easily bought here in Austria (or Germany) pretty much everywhere.

[/quote]



Perhaps "hardcore" isn't quite the right word, but Japan generally has a lot broader porn industry than the U.S. so it's hard classifying their porn by the terms we use here (not sure what the standard is in England for rob's reference). You can certainly find magazines and manga more explicit than Playboy easily in any Japanese bookstore without having to pull back a protective cover or show someone your ID.





[quote name='Shoujo Q' timestamp='1349348884' post='135151']

Apparently the final version of the MV is being released today. Which, I'm sure will result in another 5 pages of conversation. Hurrah!

[/quote]



I'm betting that they add so many extra sparkles that we can't tell whether or not the girls are laying on tables anymore. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... nceman.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':danceman:' />

[masa]

Dance Shot Ver.

[Vikitty]

I like the completely black set. It makes the dance really stand out even during the parts I originally thought were kind of lame.

[Miss Moonlight]

I like how the black parts of their costumes (and Eripon's ridiculous hair) disappear into the background. Makes them look marginally better.



Poor Haruna is still the most awkward dancer ever <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/sad.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':sad:' />

[andrewmarlin]

I am in awe over the black set. They almost blended in. I was waiting for some random flashes of light to do with the music and it never happened. :( Well I like it a lot and I love the dance. Although there may have been a couple errors, but then again who am I to judge. I don't think I could do half the stuff they do...Ready for the official MV now!!!!

[yuzuriha]

I love Japanese porn.



But OMG I'm so happy Ayumi and Haruka got to be in it after all! Even though Aika was not even close to my favorite it always made me really sad when she couldn't be in the dance shot.



I agree about the black background making the costumes more bearable.



Haruna should not be anywhere near the front though. :(



/edit Somehow Reina managed to look even more bored than usual.

[NekoKaiSai]

The black background made Zukki's skirt look like it went with everyone else's, except for Eripon who I just noticed doesn't have a black skirt. I wonder if Reina has started to feel too old(physically) for some of the dance moves, in the sense that she doesn't bend her knees much.

[Ap2000]

Took the OT stuff into the spam thread.

[Shoujo Q]

[quote name='Ap2000' timestamp='1349370465' post='135174']

Took the OT stuff into the spam thread.

[/quote]



Why? It was perfectly fine here.

[Ap2000]

[quote name='Shoujo Q' timestamp='1349375667' post='135181']

[quote name='Ap2000' timestamp='1349370465' post='135174']

Took the OT stuff into the spam thread.

[/quote]



Why? It was perfectly fine here.

[/quote]



Because it wasn't about the video anymore, but sex stuff in shops. lol

[momoirosaya]

I'm glad that Kuduu and Ayumi made it into a dance shot!

Looks good but there were those handful of moments when the girls looked offset and threw me off. I mostly noticed Maachan and Harunan do that.

[Melon]

I'd tell you what I think of the new version of the PV, but I think I seized halfway through from the blinding pulsating lens flares of doom.



L-O-L at whomever said "we can't tell they're laying on the tables in the final version because there will be sparkles that cover it up" or however it went, too lazy/sleepy/derpy to look it up right now.

[al kusanagi]

Masaki + English = ZOMGADORBZ!!!!!

[al kusanagi]

And yet another version!



The best one so far.

[rob]

I think she might have been reading it.......

But i'm no expert!

[cadmonkey]

I'm gonna have to agree about the strobolights. I wasn't sure if it was because I've been staring at a dark screen all day combined with the fact that it's 2 in the morning here, but I couldn't watch more than a minute of the video without my eyes begging for mercy.

[momoirosaya]

I like it even better! But it could still use more dance shot. :P

[Shoujo Q]

She was reading it, but the fact that she said it all without stopping every other word with a long pause is better then most of the other girls would have done. Keep at it Masaki, learn that English good!

[Shoujo Q]

Sad they got rid of that giant set piece though. I do believe more sparkles and lens flare were added. I think the next single PV will just be all white with the sparkles acting as the musume members.



Actually, it will be next year before we see a new MM single. I'm sure Tsunku will have moved onto something else for the girls to sing. Enka Funk Pop Electro Slide!

[neshcom]

It looks like they added some mroe sparkles to the table shots (looks like more hexagonal bokeh) and they replaced the dance shot with the new on-black one (which has more sparkles and circle bokeh). They also did some doubling/editing on the fire shots.



I sort of like that they replaced the set piece dance shot. It was really prominent and made it feel like it had anything to do with anything when it didn't. Still too many sparkly effects going on. Use some discretion, editor! <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... dammit.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':dammit:' />

[Miss Moonlight]

I knew that solid black dance shot background would be a blank canvas for more sparkles...

[tsukinobyouin]

[quote name='Petit Hulk' timestamp='1349424674' post='135225']

L-O-L at whomever said "we can't tell they're laying on the tables in the final version because there will be sparkles that cover it up" or however it went, too lazy/sleepy/derpy to look it up right now.

[/quote]



Look, I was practically right! <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... >/rofl.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> There's so much bokeh now that between that and the strobes in the dance shot I feel pretty blinded.



I'm really sad about what they did to the dance shot. The plain black background worked well with the costumes and made everything look sharper, cleaner, cooler. I guess now it's less noticeable that they aren't very tight with the line formations, but I'd rather see that than be blinded by strobes.

[aine]

This new version sucks, I'm disappointed. The lack of the set for the dance shot leaves a gaping void. Instead, they added even more fail fire scenes. Apart from the sparkles, this is almost as bad as the few infamous PVs shot on only an empty stage with lighting stands. And while until now I didn't mind the sparkles unlike some people, this makes them stand out in a really bad way.



The photos on the wall and the empty chairs in the background did provide some frame or context for what was going on. Without them, the PV is just a random slideshow of flashing images. At the same time, the gang rape light table scenes come from the previous shot, so you can still see pieces of the set and the chairs in them. This creates a jarring visual and conceptual discontinuity. We basically have three different footages - the dance on the black stage, the light bars, and the light tables - that don't stick together in any way.



This is apparently an "almost complete" version, so I don't expect more than cosmetic changes in the final one. I was getting excited about the direction things were taking, but it feels like we're back to square one now.