Green PV Discussion

[Delirium-Zer0]

Originally Posted by ImpactBreaker

People are just creating excuses because some of them still can't stand/get over the fact that was ayu dancing with a woman and picturing a woman x woman relationship.

SO glad someone else sees that x_X

Oh, and Midori's not dressed like a MAN strictly-speaking. She's a gangster. Slicked-back hair, suit, cigar, chauffeur, and front-row seats to the most heavily promoted show in town. And this is Shanghai in the late 20's (this is the late 20's btw, dunno if that was mentioned already - i consulted a friend who is VERY well-versed in asian history & art to make sure), when alot of gangster activity was happening. The club in the video could be likened to a gangster-era Las Vegas hotel.

Her being dressed like that isn't to masculinize her, it's to add another forbidden element to the forbidden love.

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

SO glad someone else sees that x_X

Oh, and Midori's not dressed like a MAN strictly-speaking. She's a gangster. Slicked-back hair, suit, cigar, chauffeur, and front-row seats to the most heavily promoted show in town. And this is Shanghai in the late 20's (this is the late 20's btw, dunno if that was mentioned already - i consulted a friend who is VERY well-versed in asian history & art to make sure), when alot of gangster activity was happening. The club in the video could be likened to a gangster-era Las Vegas hotel.

Her being dressed like that isn't to masculinize her, it's to add another forbidden element to the forbidden love.

Lmao I thought that was quite obvious! People didn't get that?

[bluegie]

Actually I don't really have problem about ayu x Midori. We've seen weird things from her before so I don't think it's surprising (or shocking) to see her dancing w/ a female dancer intimately. Rather, to me it's dancing turns me off. Well, we dunno if she didn't have enough time to practice that tango or stuff. But it's not watchable. I really wish she would practice more for that.

Maybe next time she should hire another director and see if the outcome will be the same (or similar). I mean, let's make Pride as an example. Not many one likes the pv because it's just plain beauty of ayu and it's quite boring. BUT the way they execute the pv was quite wonderful (except the part when ayu was in "normal" motion while making the others in "slow" motion...didn't make it precisely). Honestly I would prefer watching Pride anytime than watching GREEN. The prettiness of the scenes doesn't work for me. I want good executions and transitions.

This is like.. if ayu looks really pretty on musicstation, yet she sang quite badly a few times... will you think it's a really good performance?

[Delirium-Zer0]

Originally Posted by jbrat2219

Lmao I thought that was quite obvious! People didn't get that?

I thought so too XD But i haven't seen it mentioned, everyone just keeps talking about the "man" clothes. I mean Midori being a gangster is MUCH more of an issue, in my eyes, than her being a woman, but like I said, if anyone mentioned it, I apologize - I missed parts of the thread, but I didn't see it. And it's a big source of drama so i'm surprised more people aren't all over that aspect of the story.

And for the record, my ONLY two issues with the video were the unnatural lipsync on the streets (that scene is way too gritty & dirty & natural for her to be lipsyncing like a diva there) and the really stiff dance (it's a daydream sequence, the dance NEEDED to be more fluid than that, and it wasn't).

Everything else, to me, especially the art direction, was very deliberate and well-thought-out. It's a very artsy video really, but Kazuyoshi Shimomura has NO CLUE how to properly direct human movement.

[panda87]

i liked it... but Ayu isn't so good at acting that she comes out a bit cheesy. other than that, i loved the setting and time period!!! i'm glad she's coming out with more MVs with some kind of plot/storyline with a love interest. she rarely has that. i found it awkward in that one scene where she danced with Midori in a men's disguise... that was great though! no Shuya this time! hope its like that in her next concert tour! kyeahahaha. i dunno, but i found something really sexy about that scene maybe b/c Midori plays a gangster and/or the forbidden aspect of it... kekeke...

so overall, i enjoyed it could've been better though if there was more background detail on the plot with more scenes rather than pointless dancing.

[Sundae]

Like others have said, it was pretty and glamourous. It's not my favorite video of hers and it's not her best video but it was good. I'm surprised not alot of people got what the video was saying. I got it pretty much the first time thru. Especially when you add the lyrics in. At the beginning of the video when Ayumi is walking thru the crowd so are her female dancers. You can see them behind her. Then the dancers get to the theatre first but Ayu is still walking thru the crowds and they aren't behind her anymore. Yeah for continuity!!

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

I thought so too XD But i haven't seen it mentioned, everyone just keeps talking about the "man" clothes. I mean Midori being a gangster is MUCH more of an issue, in my eyes, than her being a woman, but like I said, if anyone mentioned it, I apologize - I missed parts of the thread, but I didn't see it. And it's a big source of drama so i'm surprised more people aren't all over that aspect of the story.

And for the record, my ONLY two issues with the video were the unnatural lipsync on the streets (that scene is way too gritty & dirty & natural for her to be lipsyncing like a diva there) and the really stiff dance (it's a daydream sequence, the dance NEEDED to be more fluid than that, and it wasn't).

Everything else, to me, especially the art direction, was very deliberate and well-thought-out. It's a very artsy video really, but Kazuyoshi Shimomura has NO CLUE how to properly direct human movement.

You and I are definitely on the same page...

[Amrai-chan]

I Agree with what Delirium-Zer0 has said.

You cant really notice the heels either~~

I suppose you have a point, but that was one of the first things I noticed.

But perhaps I was just being observant.

People are just creating excuses because some of them still can't stand/get over the fact that was ayu dancing with a woman and picturing a woman x woman relationship.

I also agree with this.

It's taboo subject for some so they either deny or make fun of it.

Anyway, I'm glad Ayu has touched on the subject of forbidden love in general.

[Andrenekoi]

Ayu is the boss... If Green turned out like that, it's cause she liked it... Well, she already said she did, didn't she?

I now what's the problem here... Green is not a mainstream PV... MW wasn't also... they are more artistic and less popish... All the "bad editing" was just bold editing (and not bad, just diferent from what is seen in pop music). No wonder people don't like it, Green and MW are both very risky videos...

By the way... there's not only a way of acting... I really think Ayu is a awesome actress... but a stage one, not a TV or cinema... Some time ago I took part in a acting group, and in theater, things are that way... people "overact", that's why people the back seats see the acting...

The dancing... right or wrong... it was made to look that way... Sorry, if it was wrong, they could just repeat a scene or two....

[LEOyumi]

Originally Posted by Tom Punks

Ugh. I hate this guy as a photographer and even more as a director. -____-"

I really like the first two minutes of it (even though Ayu bouncing up and down makes me sooo dizzy). As soon as we get to Ayu on stage though... it completely falls apart. I hate how the PV is like, 2 minutes of Ayu doing one thing, then another 2 minutes of her doing something else, and then another 2 minutes doing something else, and then 2 minutes doing something else...

The PV reminds me sooo much of Mirrorcle World. Obviously the plots have nothing in common, but both of them are like, Ayu sits there doing something, changes costumes and does something else for a minute, then she does something else in a new costume, and then she does something else... It's like watching 4 completely different PVs mashed up into one.

I also hate the coloring. Like Mirrorcle World, it's all like random and messed up. Parts of it are all blue, then it's all brown, then it's super colorful...

I just don't like this guy at all. I wish she would stop using him. :< The PV could have been much, much better if directed by someone else. Oh well, hopefully Days will be better.

I just have to say you took the words out of my mouth! XD
I agree completely with you, the director just can't get the different shots together, and that's really bad imo >_> I know it's his style and all, but I don't like it.

And the dance between Ayu and Mido is so stiff. I don't really like it.. It could be really beautiful, and if Ayu wasn't miming the words it would look better as well.

At least it's better than MW.. And the homossexual theme is really a positive point for it. It could have been worked better, but anyway it's nice to see Ayu working with these kind of themes. She could do it more.

[[taskin.ayu]]

I hate this director too. D: I think he has a lot of good ideas, but since he's such a rookie at directing music videos, he can't exactly make it come out good on film. It just comes out as awkward. Everything in this PV just reminded me of MW as well. XD It's only a 5 minute video, and the director spends too much time on a singular idea, and not enough on the plot of th PV. The story of the PV wasn't clear, but I don't mind the whole theme of it. It's just badly expressed, like the MW PV.

[bluegie]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

..

By the way... there's not only a way of acting... I really think Ayu is a awesome actress... but a stage one, not a TV or cinema... Some time ago I took part in a acting group, and in theater, things are that way... people "overact", that's why people the back seats see the acting...

That's why lots of us said she EXAGGERATED too much. This is just a pv, not a stage acting. I know that people must overact in order to show the audience about what they act. If she and/or the director thought using that type of acting in that scene, then I guess they put the wrong choice in.

[SunshineSlayer]

Ok, since we don't have too many Japanese perspectives in here, I thought I'd post this.

My boyfriend (who is a native Japanese) watched the PV with me tonight. He is neither an Ayu fan or an Ayu hater, he's in between. Honestly, he laughed through the entire thing.

Some of his choice comments that I remember were "Why must she be touching her neck all the time?", "the $*#& is this? Asian Chicago?", "What a homosexual comedy this is."

So, it's safe to say he didn't like it. When it was over I said, "I don't think it's terrible, but it could have been better" to which he replied, "If this isn't terrible, then everything else in this world must be extremely good."

He kept laughing at the PV and I kept laughing at his blunt outbursts of hatred for the PV.

Originally Posted by Ayu_desu

I agree. I became a fan during her RAINBOW period and I LOVE every one of her PVs then till Memorial Address. I've also noticed the turning point in the quality of her work (PV/music/cover art) after the release of MA. haha, I still remember the complaining during the Moments era.

Compared to these though, the My Story era PVs are absolute gold.

[panda♥]

The thing that bugged me most about the PV is when Ayu changes into the Chinese dress but they cut in a scene where she was in the showgirl dress again AFTER she changed into the Chinese dress LOL.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by ImpactBreaker

Everyone blames the director, but well, what if ayu didn't feel like doing another take again? What if she just thought: "I don't mind the flaws, I'm tired and I don't want to redo that scene again".

That's what I've been mentioning. With all that we hear about Ayu's work ethic, I'm sure she should be back watching the monitors between takes, so why weren't some of these things fixed? It is quite possible in my mind that the director MAY be asking her to act in this more divaish way since that attitude is apparent in both MW, Green and the photo shoots he does. But still that doesn't explain why the dance shot where there heads are so out of sync was not redone or why in editing they didn't use a long shot for that moment instead of a close up where it would be more apparent...

[s1012h]

^aka execution and directing was HORRIBLE!

Ayu is really not doing anything for me this year...

[perfectodub]

if you don't like her video, JUST LEAVE IT...if you like it..LOVE HER
THIS IS AYU, THE SUPREME QUEEN OF J-POP, LIKE IT OR NOT.
little opinions not going to change anything

[Delirium-Zer0]

Originally Posted by perfectodub

if you don't like her video, JUST LEAVE IT...if you like it..LOVE HER
THIS IS AYU, THE SUPREME QUEEN OF J-POP, LIKE IT OR NOT.
little opinions not going to change anything

There's no virtue in loving everything ayu does just because. There are some genuine criticisms of the PV in this thread, and there's nothing wrong with that.

I think the big issue in the thread is too many people concerning themselves with who to blame. Is it ayu's fault, is it shimomura's fault, is it shared responsibility.

WHO CARES. That sort of finger-pointing needs to stop. Give your honest opinion, but stop blaming one of them or the other - without being behind the scenes with them, you have no idea if it was just Shimomura insisting that "it'll look great" if ayu overacts, or if it's ayu saying "meh, it looks cheesy, but whatever".

You have no idea, and some of you are scared to death of it being ayu's fault.

For whatever reason, ayu overacts to a cheesy level in this video. Criticize that aspect of the video, agree with others who say it, and leave it at that. There's no way the ayu vs. Shimomura argument will ever end, so why participate?

[perfectodub]

the video is done and works, the video going to be a success, the song will be on TOP ONE..ayu keep her crown
and talking about "cheesy"
ayu is the real cheesyness on a woman body, what's the problem

[lovelism]

One word can describe the PV
DIVA