[2016.11.23] Morning Musume '16 - Sexy Cat no Enzetsu / Mukidashi de Mukiatte / Sou Janai

[rallyleo]

I like it mainly because it's the most structurally and sonically coherent thing they've released in a good while that is also simultaneously enjoyable to listen to. Kind of a feat, all things considered.

[DonJuan]

Sou Janai's preview on H!S. https://youtu.be/CAeajVBgSws?t=43s
 
Get ready for a Maria overdose.

[JPope]

[quote="DonJuan"]
Sou Janai's preview on H!S. https://youtu.be/CAeajVBgSws?t=43s
 
Get ready for a Maria overdose.
[/quote]
 
I'm okay with this. It's long past the time they should have taken the training wheels off these girls. Maria is the only 12th gen with any semblance of presence, so pushing her makes sense. Let's see what she's got.

[Elpis]

I'm fine with the Maria overdose as well. She's pretty much the only 12ki that can really do much. I don't really like the danceshot in front of the red screen though and there are too many close ups. But I'll wait to see the final version.

[showraniy]

Maria is definitely ace material, so I feel happy seeing that she's getting a push. I think she and Ayumi are the best centers right now, as long as centers mean we get to see them in the middle of the dance shot, but don't have another Ai-Reina line hog arrangement.
 
The music video so far shows more of this effort stuff I'm loving! Whether or not the end result is all that great is unimportant to me here, just because I just want to see the effort ffs, so thank you, MM staff.

[Noa]

I love it ????????

[Anderei]

[quote="DonJuan"]
Sou Janai's preview on H!S. https://youtu.be/CAeajVBgSws?t=43s
 
Get ready for a Maria overdose.
[/quote]
 
You can tell they originally meant this to be the original a-side. Too bad the song is bland garbage. They were smart to change it.

[Derby]

I don't know if I should expect Mukidashi to have no effort put on at all because this 2 MVs already got all of it or if it should be equally as good-looking as both videos since they are already putting budget on a non-main-A-side...
And because of the ridiculous recycled The Vision outfits I was expecting this to be super super super boring but is actually really listenable

[rallyleo]

Thoughts about this single so far:


Thanks MM'16, but ANGERME has it covered.

[JPope]

[quote="Rally"]
Mukidashite radio rip:
https://youtu.be/0b5b1I4DVG8


I quite like it.
[/quote]
 
<div>I like the updated Eurobeat feel here. This is really good.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>You know what's weird? While I was listening to this, I kept thinking, "man, this song feels wasted on MM. I kinda wish this had gone to ANGERME."</div>

[arcobaleno]

[quote="JPope"]
You know what's weird? While I was listening to this, I kept thinking, "man, this song feels wasted on MM. I kinda wish this had gone to ANGERME."
[/quote]
 
Common sense and good taste aren't weird.

[DonJuan]

I guess most of us feel the same in terms of which group does a better job at the moment. They have more character and get the best out of their voices (considering they've lost their two best singers in about half a year). I'm a bit happy though that MM gets at least one interesting song after me being bored by them for nearly 2 years now. 
 
That being said, I'm totally in for Maria becoming the center. She's probably the most average member of the group in terms of singing and dancing but she is a bit interesting and seems like she tries stuff to become popular. That might be annoying but after most of the other members basically just tagging along and not doing anything it's kind of refreshing haha.

[arcobaleno]

[quote="DonJuan"]
That being said, I'm totally in for Maria becoming the center. She's probably the most average member of the group in terms of singing and dancing but she is a bit interesting and seems like she tries stuff to become popular. That might be annoying but after most of the other members basically just tagging along and not doing anything it's kind of refreshing haha.
[/quote]
 
I agree with you.
 
I make no bones about it; I do not like Maria. But she's the only one of her generation, and really, the group, with actual ambition, a plan, and a character to put to use. She's the idol member. I very much dislike her burikko loli character, and it skeeves me how she attracts the gross kind of wota in, but she's successful at it and it's paying off. None of the other girls have drive or ambition to challenge her, so her path is basically pre-paved, much to my own eternal chagrin.
 
Remember when there was friendly rivalry, for real, in MM?...

[rallyleo]

A huge frustration for me, and why I feel it's necessary to bring ANGERME up so often, is that ANGERME looks like they're legitimately having fun. And a lot of it, at that.


I get very strong impressions from each member of ANGERME and their places in the group:


Ayaka is the only original member of the group, but has been growing with the brand and the music, rather than growing out of it like Kanon did.


I love Rinapuu's resting bored face as much as the next fan, but she seems to be ALWAYS smiling or laughing off camera when she's not in the center or focusing on singing. It's even evident in their recent videos that she's a goof.


Kana named the group and has put in the effort to improve drastically.


And everyone else is just super weird and funny. They all seem like actual friends, and a great performance team.


Then you look at Morning Musume:


All the girls I do like (Erina, Haruna, Masaki) are losing their identities that once made them so special. And everyone seems unsure about how to act. The 12th gen is pure dead weight, with only Maria and Miki seemingly interested in being a part of it (seriously, why are the other two still there?).


It's frustrating to watch a group that I love, so much that I went to Japan to see them 3 years ago, sucking this badly. Something isn't working, and they can't find that electric chemistry that ANGERME has.

Music and "better" or "worse" songs aside, that chemistry is what makes these groups.

And Morning Musume doesn't have it. I'm worried they might not find it again.

[JPope]

[quote="Rally"]
It's frustrating to watch a group that I love, so much that I went to Japan to see them 3 years ago, sucking this badly. Something isn't working, and they can't find that electric chemistry that ANGERME has.

Music and "better" or "worse" songs aside, that chemistry is what makes these groups.

And Morning Musume doesn't have it. I'm worried they might not find it again.
[/quote]
 
This relates to the convo in the OG thread about not being able to imagine the 9-12th gens hanging out 10 years hence like the OGs still do. I don't get the feeling that the girls of MM even like each other all that much. I'm sure there are a few specific friendships amongst the girls, but the old groups lead by Yuko through Takahashi seemed like family. I figured a lot of that was just posing for public consumption, but as the years roll on and photos of those girls getting together continue to roll out, I think it really was genuine. That sense of family seemed to dissipate the further the group became removed from the Golden Age members, to the point now where it seems to be the complete opposite. Granted, I don't know any more about the inter-relationships of the group today than I did in 2003, but certain funk can't be faked, and tbh, they don't even appear to be trying to fake that funk. 
 
That having been said -- and as much as I like the idea that these groups are tight-knit friends -- I don't think such closeness is necessary for them to be successful as an idol group, although I do think the necessity for it is inverse to the overall level of talent in the group. So you have a mostly untalented group of girls who don't appear to be very close with one other. It's no surprise that they're boring as fuck.

[Farrah]

I think what it comes down to is that the current lineup doesn't really have enough individual talent or charisma to make up for having shitty chemistry as a group LOL.  There's really nothing available to distract one from how mediocre they are.  I am very much ready for new blood in the group, although it feels like they'd have to pretty much do a complete overhaul to keep me interested considering that at this point I literally only care about maybe two members.

[JPope]

Yeah, at this point, no one is sacred to me, at least in terms of a mass graduation/replacement -- say, 3 or 4 members within a year. If Kudo and Masaki are part of such a purge-and-replace plan, I'm cool with that. Kudo's voice has gotten so bad recently that my attachment to her has grown pretty weak. Losing Sakura or Maa is about the only thing that would bum me out, but if it leads to a stronger group, it would be worth it.
 
I would love a drastic makeover of the group, though, to include the removal of 12th gens Ogata and Haga, along with Iikubo and Ikuta at a minimum. If you want to cut Ishida and Fukumura with them, even better. Name Kudo the leader with Maa and Sakura as sub-leaders, add three decent talents -- no more dead weight; only girls who can hold their own in a performance -- and get on with it.

[sayu1991]

Honestly, the only members I care about at all are Maa, Ayumi, and Fuku. Losing Sakura's voice would be sad for the group but I never got attached to her as an idol/person honestly. In terms of voice and personality though I really only have Masaki left who I actually care about even though they don't utilize what she could bring to the group. I really hope that she's not the next to go and that they add some girls who can actually being something back to this group for me.

[momoirosaya]

Sayumi made the group work, and then they added 4 failures and 9,10, and 11th gen don't have the power to bring failures up so they were dragged down with them.

[Derby]

Sou janai live

[DonJuan]

The song is still forgettable but I like the dance.

[smtmissin]

Seeing MM now is like seeing Berryz in the past. I used to like Berryz, but over time they become so boring, the members seem out of it and they can't function as the group any more. Even though there are members I still like within the group, the group is as good as dead.

[Farrah]

[quote="smtmissin"]
Seeing MM now is like seeing Berryz in the past. I used to like Berryz, but over time they become so boring, the members seem out of it and they can't function as the group any more. Even though there are members I still like within the group, the group is as good as dead.
[/quote]
This is exactly where I was with Berryz in their last couple years and exactly where I'm at with MM'16.

[JPope]

[quote="DonJuan"]
The song is still forgettable but I like the dance.
[/quote]
 
Like many of the songs they've released the past couple of years, it's a solid album track. Too bad they don't release albums anymore.

[Elpis]

[quote="smtmissin"]
Seeing MM now is like seeing Berryz in the past. I used to like Berryz, but over time they become so boring, the members seem out of it and they can't function as the group any more. Even though there are members I still like within the group, the group is as good as dead.
[/quote]
 
This pretty much explains how I feel about them as well. Its kind of gotten to the point where if the whole group ended up graduating, I wouldn't be that upset. I like most of the girls individually, but they aren't functioning well as a group. Especially compared to how Kobushi, Angerme, and C-ute are.

[TicTacAnyone]

Here'sthe same live of Sou Janai but with the talk beforehand. Masaki kills me during the practice they show XD

[JPope]

Sakura's shirt, tho

[Derby]

They now uploaded the full MV for Sou janai and it's 6 minutes long

[rallyleo]

I knew Sou Janai sounded familiar.


The chorus is basically Berryz' "Dakishimete Dakishimete" chorus.


I swear I'm not on a hate campaign with this single. I know I'll love Mukidashite. Its just that these other two filler songs are so underwhelming that I almost refuse to accept them as part of their discography.

[JPope]

[quote="Rally"]
I knew Sou Janai sounded familiar.


The chorus is basically Berryz' "Dakishimete Dakishimete" chorus.
[/quote]
 
I dunno, I wouldn't call it "basically the Dakishimete chorus." It's just that one bar that it borrows, and the rest is completely different. There are way worse examples of Tsunku lifting from himself or others.