[2018.06.13] Morning Musume - Are you Happy? / A gonna

[Anderei]

[DonJuan]

Honestly, I think they made the MV so tacky (the whole moving into the scene from space in the beginning too) because that's hot right now thanks to Da Pump.

I actually like this one better than A Gonna. A Gonna is try hard cool while Are You Happy is what H!P does best: lame. To the point that it's funny again.

[Anderei]

[quote="DonJuan"]
Honestly, I think they made the MV so tacky (the whole moving into the scene from space in the beginning too) because that's hot right now thanks to Da Pump.

I actually like this one better than A Gonna. A Gonna is try hard cool while Are You Happy is what H!P does best: lame. To the point that it's funny again.
[/quote]
 
 
These MVs were filmed before Da Pump's MV came out. They started posting photos from the set weeks ago, and actually taped a performance of Are You Happy on the 17th.

[momoirosaya]

I think A gonna is a great song, but for like the opening song of an album. It’s like Wakacchanai or CHO DAI, awesome song, but better live.

Also what does A gonna even mean? Also are they pronouncing A wrong? Should it be “Uh” gonna??


I just, don’t like Are you happy. I know it will grow on me, but I’m tired of the songs melodies that jump all over the place, especially when they aren’t that good.

[Zoe]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Saya" data-cid="213962" data-time="1527793706">Also what does A gonna even mean? Also are they pronouncing A wrong? Should it be “Uh” gonna??</blockquote>
It's Kansai-ben: えーがな or いいじゃないか in standard

Around the lines of "good, isn't it?"

[Zange]

[quote="Saya"]
Also what does A gonna even mean? Also are they pronouncing A wrong? Should it be “Uh” gonna??
[/quote]
 
Pronouncing it "Uh" gonna just reminds me of someone with a weird accent saying 'agony'... which is what this release is boiling down to for me because it's just not that good.

[momoirosaya]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Zoe" data-cid="213964" data-time="1527799869"><blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Saya" data-cid="213962" data-time="1527793706">
Also what does A gonna even mean? Also are they pronouncing A wrong? Should it be “Uh” gonna??</blockquote>
It's Kansai-ben: えーがな or いいじゃないか in standard


Around the lines of "good, isn't it?"</blockquote>
Thanks! It was low key bothering me everything time I heard it. I wish they did it Eegana! or something that makes more sense to my native English speaking brain. I can’t unsee weird word patterns. Or Anger Me.

[Zoe]

They used A Gana for the name of one of the patterns of the winter tour where 9ki were announced.


(B Kuri for the other IIRC)

[GaleKakumei]

A Gonna is a level of cringe I am not at all comfortable with. The "hip-hop" stagger is so annoying, and embarassing. If they had more shots of the girls exploring the set instead of just sitting, the MV would have been elevated. Just the Mizuki shots, while walking, helped. The editing for the video is significantly better than what I'm used to from H!P, even if they went a bit overboard with the color-grading. I would say A Gonna had potential, but the flaws are pretty much fundamental, probably from the rush. I want to see them retry this style with more resources, tbh.
The UFO uniform for Are You Happy is a treat. I'm convinced they restitch the same chrome outfit over and over. The funny thing about how it's shot, is this is how most cover groups record their videos. Are You Happy is the superior song, in my opinion. 

[JPope]

[quote="honey"]
Is it true Morito didn’t go to college to focus on this flop? She never looks happy to be any of these MM videos. Why does this release seem SO bad??? Like legitimately does anyone have some insight?
[/quote]
 
She really does seem to be the anti-Yokoyama, who just always seems to be having the time of her life. 

[DonJuan]

Yeah, Yokoyan is a cute sunshine. Then again people always wanted Morito to be cool so now she has to be.

[Anderei]

What they did to Country Girls was bullshit, I’d still be mad too.

[DonJuan]

Indeed, indeed. 
 
In general, her whole history with MM. Joined the audition for 12ki to see someone like Oharu*, who is graduating this month after reaching nothing within the group, being picked over her, then getting shoved into Country Girls - which was a great group, good concept, great overall harmony, but around the time it was formed it was the "loser" group of 12ki rejects (Uta, Ozeko, even 2nd gen Yanamin; Manaka was a 9ki reject, Risa and Funakki took part in the first 12ki auditions without winner). Then they did the thing with CG, and after seeing that 12ki except for Maria isn't going anywhere they throw in Morito as a solo gen.
 
Sorry for pushing this stuff even though it's off topic, but it still puzzles me 
 
*I feel like I'm one of the few people here on the BBS that doesn't hate her, but honestly her tenure was so unnecessary. They did put her in the front line in some group pictures but she didn't even get a photobook so the whole visual member stuff is bs too. 

[Anderei]

Almost everyone who failed the 12th gen audition was better than the girls they actually chose. Any finalists who were actually worse?

[Mukuro]

Wasn't Ami a finalist? I'd say she's on par with Ogata.

[momoirosaya]

Just because a girl gets rejected for Morning musume doesn’t mean she isn’t good, they just might have something else in mind for them.

[Anderei]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Mukuro" data-cid="213985" data-time="1527887525">
Wasn't Ami a finalist? I'd say she's on par with Ogata.</blockquote>


Wasn’t she from Nice Girl Project? I hardly remember she exists, I actually forget her name sometimes.

[DonJuan]

^Ogata Risa was the one from Nice Girl Project (like Hirose Ayaka and Inoue Rei). But yeah, she was a finalist, just like

• Kamikokuryo Moe
• Shimamura Uta
• Asakura Kiki
• Onoda Saori
• Ozeki Mai

(in the audition that actually brought us the 12th gen in the end). 
 
^^ That's true of course. And in the end im 100% happy that Moe joined ANGERME and Ozeko CG. However Moe was basically gone until she heard Taiki Bansei and ANGERME actually had another audition. I couldn't imagine Uta in MM but I think her joining CG instead of the big-name group was one of the reasons why her mother pulled her out. 
 
And that's where i don't get their plans. So far, even though they've grown quite a bit and aren't unpopular per se except for Akane, 12th gen is still full of weird surprises. Except for Maria, I totally get why they chose Maria: Loli-like cutie girl that could win the wota's hearts with her big tears. But that's it. Miki is an okayish performer, but not outstanding (also, it seems like "English speakers" are now popping up left and right). Akane was a member for the future - and while I get that there have to be younger ones in the back that need to be built up, well, you can only do that when you actually work with them. And for putting someone in the back in hope of them suddenly blooming - every younger KSS would've done as well. (Don't get me wrong, I love Akane.) And then Haruna: The most tonedeaf member since Sayumi and the stiffest since Harunan with her best quality (being a weirdo) being suppressed by management. She could have grown into something Harunan is now, a spokesperson etc., but it's not like they have that many opportunities to let the girls talk after all. They didn't even make real use of her looks, as I've mentioned before (no photobook and only few photoshoots). 
 
I know I'm ranting, but to me it always looked like they didn't know what to do with 12th gen. 

[TicTacAnyone]

They need to just let the group naturally shrink at this point. No more new gens for a year.
 
There's just too many girls in both MM and H!P as a whole to get good face value for all of them--at this point you have a few stars and 70% background.
 
Every time I see MM dance the past year half the time it looks like a giant, clumpy, un-formationed mess.

[Anderei]

Never mind, some of those finalists aren’t great.

[Revangelis]

And here is the PV for Are you Happy ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGKGT91D9dI

[Derby]

why is this single so weird?

[momoirosaya]

Because it’s a single they pulled out of their ass so Ogata willould get another single before leaving.

[Zange]

OK the Are you happy? PV is at least better than A gonna's so this single (barely) passes in my book. Yeah it's still a bad single, but the songs themselves are okay enough that I'd listen to them occasionally instead of avoiding them outright.
 
...If there's one thing I can say about this single as a whole, it's that unless the Ogata wota somehow pull through, this is probably gonna become their new lowest-selling single. Unless the Japanese fandom actually likes it; I have no idea what their thoughts on this single are because I rarely (if not, never) venture into that side.

[Zoe]

AYH is so Tsunku with all the 'wow's and beatboxing instead of percussion

[Anderei]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Zange" data-cid="214019" data-time="1528128670">
OK the Are you happy? PV is at least better than A gonna's so this single (barely) passes in my book. Yeah it's still a bad single, but the songs themselves are okay enough that I'd listen to them occasionally instead of avoiding them outright.


...If there's one thing I can say about this single as a whole, it's that unless the Ogata wota somehow pull through, this is probably gonna become their new lowest-selling single. Unless the Japanese fandom actually likes it; I have no idea what their thoughts on this single are because I rarely (if not, never) venture into that side.</blockquote>


Even if it was an amazing single they screwed themselves over by announcing it in such a short time before the release.

[Mugi]

Ok I like both songs but wtf is the dance break in Are You Happy?  Lets just have them jump in place that will totally work.  I can forgive the other parts but that was just awful. 

[DonJuan]

Yeah, it will be nothing extraordinary but they still have enough events to pass PPU or Mikan. 
That being said there are people who love this single. I don't get why but I also love The Manpower so it seems my opinion is invalid. 

[strawberryjam]

I gave both songs a listen, but couldn't remember how they sounded immediately after the songs were over.
Seriously, the worst singles in MM's discography are better than this. Seishun Collection is terrible, but I could remember it at least..

[honey]

the jumping. the noodle limb wobbling. the groin thrusting. the arm flailing. what is happening with this single. what. is. HAPPENING. what an amazing exit for our shining star ogata haruna