As I’m sure most idol fans or just Hello!Project fans already know, a short PV preview was released for Morning Musume’s upcoming new single Maji Desu ka Ska. This is the second PV preview we’ve gotten and the second time the fan’s reactions have been split. Of course the reactions are split for all PVs. Opinions differ, personal preferences are taken into consideration, and quite honestly you can’t please everyone. Despite, how hard you try some fans will always be disappointed by a PV due to their own high expectations. But, when I saw the PV previews for Maji Desu ka Ska I was impressed. I was honestly impressed. The song is upbeat, the dance is simple but high energy and cute, the outfits are vibrant, vivid, and cute. But I still found that a lot of Morning Musume fans still thought the PV was terrible. Because it follows the same formula that Morning Musume PVs have followed lately.
But then I started to think, why do fans hate this formula so much? Do they not realize this is how Morning Musume has always made their PVs? If they haven’t, were they following the same group as I was? Morning Musume is my absolute favorite idol group. I follow them the closest, and I critic them the closest. When I dislike something they are doing I strongly voice my opinion about it. But it seems fans are negatively voicing their opinions just to voice their opinion. If you go back and watch all of Morning Musume’s PVs they all follow the same formula. Close-up shot, dance shot, and then random scenes of the girls when no one is singing, which is usually a mixture of close-ups or full body shots.
Morning Musume has hardly ever made a PV with an actual story line, or something else going on besides this formula. I can literally only name a handful of Morning Musume PVs that aren’t like this. And those PV are: Aruiteru, The Peace, Namida Tomaranai Houkago, Roman My Dear Boy, I Wish, Morning Musume no Hyokkori Hyoutan-jima, Do It! Now, Mr. Moonligh ~Ai no Big Band~, and Koko ni Iruzee.
You could also argue that Egao Yes Nude, Go Girl ~Koi no Victory~, Naichau Kamo, Souda! We’re Alive, and Ambitious! Yashinteki de Ii jan count as well. But I don’t count rolling in a bed, saying suki up-close, crying up close, jumping in heigh, or breaking fake glass as a story line.
I’m sure a lot of people reading this find that hard to believe. Since a lot of fans are waiting for them to make interesting PVs again. But all of their PVs have been the same. Even if you’re consciously unaware of that fact. But make no mistake, Morning Musume follows that formula and so do most idol groups. And when I say you might not be consciously aware of this, I mean because directors have tricks to make a seemingly boring/low budget PV look more exciting or entertaining.
Now, that might be them having their close-ups in a more exciting setting then the rest of the PV.
Showing more shots of the setting/having them look like they are doing something. That eludes to a storyline without actually establishing one.
Have more than one shot of the dance. Seeing the same dance in different outfits adds the illusion that you’re seeing something new, even though you’re not.
Have them do something more interesting during their close-ups. Just because they are spinning and not standing doesn’t make it less of just another close-up.
Have them wear more than one outfit, having another outfit makes the PV more dynamic. It also makes it look like it has a high budget and fans will often over look the lack of a storyline if there is more than one outfit.
Now, all of this might have been visually appealing and exciting but that doesn’t make it a storyline. A storyline has dialogue that lets you know what’s going on in it. Or it silently follows a storyline. Like falling in love, going to the beach, committing suicide, or just about anything really. Something that actually tells you a story while you watch it. Apparently Morning Musume fans want of all of Momusu’s PVs to be Michael Jackson’s Thriller video. But aside from AKB48, most idols aren’t making PVs like this. Name the last idol PV you actually saw that had a storyline. I mean like the ones you see in American music videos. I honestly can’t think of any. Within or outside of H!P.
Then if the storyline isn’t a problem, what is? If you take the storyline out of a PV you’re left only with the other pieces. Which are the dance shots and close-ups. Which are the PVs that JE and some 48 groups and subgroups are making, as well as lesser know idol groups. But I hardly ever see any of those fans complain. And I have to wonder if it’s because the fans like that formula, or is it that these groups are so popular and on top of their genres (male and female idols separately of course) that they have nothing to complain about? I’m going to go with the second one.
Here are some idol PVs that are the same caliber as Morning Musume’s PVs.
KAT-TUN-Ultimate Wheels
Hey! Say! JUMP-Arigatou Sekai no Doko ni itemo
SDN48-GAGAGA
Idoling!!!-Eve
Canary Club-Daisukki
Not Yet-Shuumatsu Not Yet
AKB48-Chance no Junban
And of course there are plenty more. But these are just the ones I could think of on the top of my head because they are recent.
But despite all this, it always seems like Morning Musume are judged more harshly. That Morning Musume is the only group making bad PVs. I don’t understand the bias between fans. And I don’t understand how harshly PVs are judged. I understand that sometimes a PV is so awful you have to complain. But every single Momusu PV gets judged harshly. No matter how much better it is than a previous PV or how similar other idol PVs are. It makes absolutely no sense to me. I might like H!P and JE the most but when their PVs suck I’m the first one to say it. And when their PVs don’t suck I’m there praising it. These are idol PVs, and to expect them to be a masterpiece is ridiculous.
It seems like fans are also judging Momusu too harshy is because they have been around for a long time and are dwindling a bit. And hating on them is the cool thing to do in the idol fandom. But what about Arashi? They hardly ever release interesting PVs or ones that break the standard formula. But they have been around nearly as long as Momusu and sell significantly higher than them. And yet rabid Arashi fangirls hardly complain about anything they do.
I don’t know, this is basically just a rant. And I’m sure I’ll get a lot of comments telling me I don’t know what I’m talking about. Or that they are an unbiased fan, so that in some way means all fans are unbiased. I think I might actually be one of the few truly unbiased fans out there. And I know that sounds extremely arrogant, but sometimes it does feel that way. I just really wanted to get all of this off of my chest. So, what does everyone think? Thoughts, opinions, disagreements. I’d love to hear other fan’s inputs.