°C-ute - Sakura Chirari PV
Why is it that we've got the full PV for a single coming out way later than "Egao YES Nude," and still only an 8-second preview of the latter? Ahh well, I'm not going to complain, as I've been waiting for both rather anxiously, checking for them on Youtube every day for the past week and a half or so.
There are things that I like about this PV, and things that I dislike about it. I'll get the dislikes out of the way now: firstly, its budget doesn't appear to be any larger than that of their indie PVs. I'd expected a far better quality PV for their first major single, but by the PV alone, I don't think a new fan would be able to tell the difference between their indies and major singles. The part that looks the cheapest is the dance shot. But really, I don't like much of anything about the dance shot. Aside from the cheaply computerized background and annoyingly unoriginal costumes, the dance is just lazy on the choreographer's part. It's not particularly fun at all - it's just bland. Boring. Meh.
That said, this PV isn't boring to watch. While the dance shot and some of the other shots look cheap, much of it still looks pretty. And of course, the girls look extremely cute and pretty every second that they're on screen. The parts of the PV that actually seem to be about anything show the girls doing simple activities together in pairs, like drinking tea (or some such thing) and telling secrets; by their outfits, activities, and settings, it sort of looks like they're having slumber parties. Which actually feels like a pretty obvious PV theme for °C-ute PV, though I'd like to see it done more obviously in a future PV, maybe.
The duo closeup shots are a great touch, very adorable; Airi and Maimi seem especially comfortable with each other. I like the little thumbs-up Airi gives Maimi during one of their tea-drinking shots, and the way Kanna tosses away a flower petal during one of her shots with Airi. Chisato and Mai whispering secrets to each other is very cute, and Saki and Erika seem a fun duo in their shots with the heart pillows. Aside from all of these interactions, the solo closeup shots are a highlight of this PV, as just watching the girls sing is wonderful. I'm finding Airi and Kanna to be the most interesting and enjoyable to watch during their solo shots. It doesn't surprise me with Airi, but I'm a bit surprised to discover that with Kanna. It really does feel like she belongs in °C-ute, though - the fact that she wasn't one of the original Hello! Project Kids doesn't make much of a difference now. I find it a bit stupid that Kanna still shows up at the end of lists where the rest of the group are listed in order by age. She's not really a new member anymore, so it seems pointless now.
This isn't my first time hearing the song, fortunately. While I like it, it isn't quite what I'd hoped for. This being their first major single, it needs to be really good. Something in the vain of "Massara Blue Jeans," or at least "Soku Dakishimete," would probably have been a better bet than something in the vain of "Ooki na Ai de Motenashite," which this basically is (though it's not as sugar-high as its Kirarin Revolution ending predecessor). But what's probably the most important thing is that it doesn't fall short vocally, and thus serves its purpose to introduce °C-ute to the Oricon singles charts as a unit with vocal strength. And the song itself is catchy enough that it gets the job done.
There were basically two ways this single could go: cutesy-kawaii (but not in a childish way, ie. kiddie-style Berryz), or part kawaii part pre-sexy (aka as sexy as a group of this age can get away with without raising many eyebrows). The way a PV and dance routine go depend on the style of the song; cutesy songs get cutesy dances and PVs, while more mature songs get more mature treatments overall. For example, the uber-cute "Ooki na Ai..." got a PV of hearts and pinkness, while the older-sounding "Massara..." got thrusts. You get the idea. One may wonder why Tsunku chose to go the cutesy direction with this single. Personally, I think that he probably did this to appeal the group to a larger audience, while the other style risked scaring off those who would be turned off by any obvious level of sexuality being displayed in a group of this age. Let the poor sales of SweetS's first mini album be a reminder that the whole lolicon thing doesn't always sell, to the mainstream Jpop audience anyway. Still, I'll be curious to see how future °C-ute releases might look and sound. They'll surely do more material of the other style in the future, and it will be interesting to see how that sells in comparison to something like "Sakura Chirari."
After speculating about how the group dynamic of °C-ute would change after Megumi's departure, "Sakura Chirari" really doesn't give any hints as to who might become a new co-lead to Airi and Maimi, or whether there will be a new regular lead singer at all. The only lead in this song is Airi, as she is the only one to get more than one solo line, and opens the song almost single-handedly. Only two other girls get solo lines in this song: one each for Maimi and Mai. Maimi's an obvious choice, as she's one of the group's regular leads, but Mai is a bit more interesting. She seems to get more to sing in °C-ute than I'd have thought she would, considering this and her leading on the album track "EVERYDAY YEAH! Kataomoi." In any case, her line and Maimi's both sound great, and Airi is amazing, the end. She always sounds beautiful, and in this PV, she both sounds and looks breathtaking, especially for such a young age. This girl has true talent and charm, and there is no way that she won't be one of the major soloists of H!P one day.
I am pleased with this PV overall. I'll enjoy its colorful cuteness during future viewings, and I hope to see it sell well and gain °C-ute some popularity. And, let's hope for lots of Oha Star and Music Fighter performances in the near future! Not to mention a speaking part on Music Fighter - it's gone so well with Berryz that it's surely a recipe for TV success with the rest of the H!P Kids, too. Finally, °C-ute are getting their real start as a major single-producing H!P unit. Ganbatte, Kyuuto! =)