RnRC PV interpretations

[Misa-chan]

Here's my humble take on what all the recently released RnRC PVs might mean.

Posted previously, here's what I thought Microphone was about:

Originally Posted by Misa-chan

Hmm, as for the meaning behind the PV, I'm not quite sure but it seems like the PV is "unmasking" the hidden/ugly nature of humans. First, she shows us the normal perceptions that we have of people: a responsible soldier, a happy family playing cards, a "sister", a janitor, a white-faced clown, ayu herself as a calm sister. Then all these perceptions are swept away and the horror and violence comes out: the soldier tears her uniform off, the family's dysfunctional, the sister is a brother in gag, the janitor able to dance so well, the clown turns out to be a pyromaniac, and ayu herself goes slightly mad.

The guy in the white box during the first verse of the PV is kinda symbolic, like how at first, he's trapped inside the box, but manages to come out in the end. So maybe he's symbolizing the ugly side of us that's always hiding and trying to get out??...

For SLT, I feel that it's the complete exact opposite of Microphone.

What I can tell from SLT is that its trying to be scary/serious, but it turns out to be funny instead. The bleeding and screaming electric jack is actually linked up to a weird and funny-looking stereo eye. Runway models and that row of soldiers, who are always serious and unsmiling in real-life, are jumping and prancing around crazily instead. The horse-balloons/balloon-horses are self-explanatory. The band has silly make-up on their faces. Even ayu herself, who's dressed so fashionably/gothic-ly, acts a little silly herself with those cute/funny little dances. The only scary part was when the giant burst through the wall, but the high-pitched "1,2,3,4" squeak immediately following it spoiled the scary moment.

Like how Microphone is "unmasking" the scary/mutant side of people, SLT seems to throw it right back in your face, saying that no matter how scary things may seem, there's also a silly/fun side to it.

Both PVs (esp SLT) make very very heavy usage of the contrast between BLACK and WHITE. I guess the main idea behind the entire thing is that, nothing is single-sided. Everything has 2 faces. And now, just where have we seen this before?....

Don't Look Back

DLB: 2-faced ayu, plus A BEST 2 cover has both BLACK and WHITE versions.

They're all linked I tell you!

Anyone has any other thoughts?

[AngelSenshi]

That all makes loads and loads of sense.

One thing about the Sexy little things video, my thoughts on the plug and stuff were odd but somehow I think they fit. I guessed, on first watching the video, it really made fun of the straight faced people, the ones that don't smile, don't move, like the models and the soldiers. And I think it also is a sense of 'fitting in' since they say that those that are one sided (like Microphone/SLT proves things aren't like you said) are the people that fit in the most.

The scream and blood-looking like stuff that came out of the socket, is my interpretation of her plugging in a scary/odd looking stereo. The symbolism on people fitting in, and it not being a good thing, is in the socket. The scream and blood-like stuff, comes out just as she pushes a two pin plug in a three pin socket. That...sounds really odd put out like that but maybe someone will understand it.

[AyUmIXx]

wow this is the thread that i've been waiting for!
thx misa-chan! i love your thought

i don't really quite understand about Microphone, left alone Slt
but as for Microphone, what's its connection Microphone with all those human nature thing?

as for don't look back, hmm i think it's like Ayu doesn't want to go back to the old Ayu but she can't, the old ayu will keep on haunting her? (with the laughing Ayu etc)..
that's why, this album, Ayu said that it's like back to her old-self.. (if i'm not mistaken)
it's like no matter how hard Ayu want to bury the old AYu, but it's still the part of her that's not easily changed..

well, i'm waiting for better ppl with better interpretation than me, of course~~

[AyuHamasaki01]

i'm not good a this but I wanted to try XD

About Microphone. I think that it's about control.
First there the touchscreen (Ayu's finger 'touching' the PV). Touchscreen is kind of a way to control things. To go back and forward whenever you want.
Then we see a woman (at least I think it's a woman) in a box. I think this symbolizes control: To keep people in a box, to make sure they don't move freely around. The next scene we see 4 people sitting around a table playing cards, I think these are the 'higher forces', they people who keep control of everything and they have this look on their faces as if they want to say 'if you don't do it the way we tell you to do it ...'. Next we see a lady with a child and they are walking happily but infact they are not happy at all, they are just pretending to be happy. - Ayu tears this image -
Notice how all people shown are 'different' from 'normal' people. They dress differently, their makeup is different etc. - Ayu tears this image -
Then those 4 people playing cards get into a fight, I think they try to blame eachother for something and Ayu -white wig one- doesn't take it anymore and steps out of the game. -this image, again, is teared apart-
And at the end, everything is reversed and we see SLT Ayu holding something that looks like a phone (with touchscreen!) and I also believe this stands for control.

At least, I believe it's something like this. XD But some parts I don't understand either: Such as why Ayu, when she is walking on the runway, starts over each time (at the beginning of the runway). And I don't understand the meaning of the lady in the white sailor outfit ...

[gallowsCalibrator]

Everyone's opinions are so well-thought out~!

I enjoyed reading these, they make so much sense!!! I just re-watched them all and I can tell what they're about now, but I don't see what they have to do with the lyrics, lol~

[wildconnetta]

I believe:

Sexy little things: The elctric jack in the beginning is screaming, as though it's being killed or something. Then the models and the soldiers, people who are usually expressionless, are leaping/jumping/going crazy, proving that not everything is as it seems.
Microphone: The pictures are resembling normal people, but then they chnage, like the family argues, the soldier screams, the janitor dances, the clown is a pyromaniac etc. etc, proving that not everything is as it seems.
Don't look back: The one side of Ayu is immaculate, it's perfect etc. etc., but then show the other side, her face is all mangled, so proving that not everything is as it seems.
Lady Dynamite: It shows Ayu in a (possible) gay bar, therefore proving that guys aren't the only ones allowed in gay bars, thus changing our point of view/that everything is not as it seems.

My prediciton for the PVs of Rock'n'Roll Circus is that they are all linked with the underlying theme of that not everything is as it seems (i.e. the screaming soldier, woman in a male gay bar, the jumping models, the 1/2 mangled face).

Now just hope that AHS doesn't save the world

[Heavenly]

I could be perverse, but when i saw the beginning of SLT (scream-plug-blood), i immediately thought about the first s*e*x*u*a*l relation of a girl, that could be painful and bleeding....

Sorry about that
but actually, that doesn't really matter, and doesn't really fit to the whole thing.

[jbrat2219]

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Misa, now I feel I can enjoy this PV a bit more!!!!!! Glad I found this thread. Thanks

[ayumisrael]

Thank you misa-chan!! That's a way to look at it. =D

Originally Posted by Idealist

For the sake of clarity, the men in the red jackets in SLT are not soldiers. They are wearing fox hunting outfits. This becomes important when considering what I believe the video is actually about.

This seems to me to be a video, much like my name's WOMEN, about the objectification of women. The screaming, bleeding electrical socket in the beginning is likely to be a reference to a woman losing her virginity, to the loss of innocence. The men are fox hunters because they are chasing after women as objects, prizes, and not as people.

That's, a great interpertation, you really think out of the box!

Can you please share your interpertations about all the album's PVs please?

[primavera♥]

Originally Posted by Idealist

For the sake of clarity, the men in the red jackets in SLT are not soldiers. They are wearing fox hunting outfits. This becomes important when considering what I believe the video is actually about.

This seems to me to be a video, much like my name's WOMEN, about the objectification of women. The screaming, bleeding electrical socket in the beginning is likely to be a reference to a woman losing her virginity, to the loss of innocence. The men are fox hunters because they are chasing after women as objects, prizes, and not as people.

this too makes great sense. and follows the lyrics well too.

[ayumisrael]

Originally Posted by Idealist

That's my plan, as soon as I get to look at the videos and the song translations a bit more.

Thank you! I'm highly looking forward to it. =D

[Calico]

Well I can honestly say that the beginning of Slt didn't make me think of "loss of ~innocence~"

More like something that happens to chicks about once a month. Granted I know things are exaggerated in videos for better visuals, but that makes more realistic sense to me.

[jean-baptiste]

Originally Posted by Cherrilove

I believe:

Sexy little things: The elctric jack in the beginning is screaming, as though it's being killed or something. Then the models and the soldiers, people who are usually expressionless, are leaping/jumping/going crazy, proving that not everything is as it seems.
Microphone: The pictures are resembling normal people, but then they chnage, like the family argues, the soldier screams, the janitor dances, the clown is a pyromaniac etc. etc, proving that not everything is as it seems.
Don't look back: The one side of Ayu is immaculate, it's perfect etc. etc., but then show the other side, her face is all mangled, so proving that not everything is as it seems.
Lady Dynamite: It shows Ayu in a (possible) gay bar, therefore proving that guys aren't the only ones allowed in gay bars, thus changing our point of view/that everything is not as it seems.

My prediciton for the PVs of Rock'n'Roll Circus is that they are all linked with the underlying theme of that not everything is as it seems (i.e. the screaming soldier, woman in a male gay bar, the jumping models, the 1/2 mangled face).

Now just hope that AHS doesn't save the world

this and Misa-chan's interpretation, really caught my attention.
quote from her most recent interview from Vivi: "this album is not just about rock. There is this feeling of anxiety and excitement, of fear and suspicion, that is unique to a circus. It's colorful, and it's lovely, but is it real, or just a fantasy, nobody knows."

very interesting.

[truehappiness]

BLAH EVERYTHING IS LINKED

-goes crazy-

Haha.

To add to the juxtapositions in Don't look back:
Messed up Ayu face vs. cleanly made up Ayu face
Half clean/half ruined A BEST 2 poster
Ayu sitting at one end of the table, with the other side empty
Photo of Ayu smiling ripped in half to show Ayu looking somewhat forlorn
Wilted/rotting fruits and vegetables vs. the images of fresh ones

And others...

The title of this album is a bit like what Misa-chan has been talking about.

The ROCK N ROLL vs. the CIRCUS. The serious vs. the fun, and so on, if that makes sense.

I have to bring this up again, but the person who is coming out of the box in Microphone is a woman, haha.

[freedreamer]

Can i bring this thread back?

LOVED UR INTERPRETATIONS...now it totally makes sense. THE contrast in life omg...The entire concept for the album is genius now.

[waterballoon]

Seems like many people have given their interpretations for Microphone, Sexy little things and Don't look back. I shall contribute what I think of Lady Dynamite then.

I think Lady Dynamite has been a pretty straightforward with perhaps nothing much to talk about, or even having no symbolism whatsoever.

However, I feel like the message behind the PV is often overlooked due to obvious flaws like the horrible directing and editing, as well as Ayu's overtly-exaggerated facial expressions in most of the video.

So, I would like to highlight this scene in Lady Dynamite, where Ayu is in this scene full of lockers, and she goes on knocking on them and even trying to open up some of the lockers.

This is the crux of the PV, where everything comes together and the message comes out:

DON'T BE AFRAID OR ASHAMED OF WHOEVER YOU ARE

The reason to the lockers reminds me of this simple and common saying for homosexuals, 'Come out of the closet'. This is further emphasized by the cut-scene where a fellow gay man shuts the toilet door as if saying, "No don't try to know more about me. I'm uncomfortable being who I am, I don't want you to see me in this form."

I mean, unfortunately a lot of homosexuals face a problem where we are almost ashamed of who we are due to social stigma and stereotypes... I think the reason why Ayu chose a gay club as a setting isn't because she's a hot diva who's richer than you - it's because homosexuals fit the message of the video, and only in a gay club, do gay men feel most like themselves, and can find people who are just like themselves. It's like... being normal, you know? That sort of feeling where you're finally acknowledged and respected, instead of being despised and shunned...

Now, this also leads me to my next point where most of the PV involves Ayu happily dancing with many homosexuals in the gay club - happiness, freedom, joy. These feelings... can only be felt by gay men in a gay club because they don't get despised there. And so the message comes again, "Be comfortable with yourself."

And I think why the first scenes of the PV are shown Ayu and other people being impatient to enter this gay club is because, these people are sick of the looks that other people give them - that look of despise, that they can't wait to go this place where they can have freedom and happiness.

The best thing is - this message doesn't only affect or relate to the homosexual community. In fact, anyone faces a problem of being ashamed or almost afraid of who they really are... and I think that's a big problem in society right now, and Ayu definitely has observed that to use it as a theme in the PV for Lady Dynamite.

Unfortunately, I've not understood the significance of the lollipop-Ayu... but I suspect it might be just eye-candy since this is not a really symbolic or deep PV anyway, so yeah.

[ストロボ・EdGE]

Originally Posted by Idealist

This seems to me to be a video, much like my name's WOMEN, about the objectification of women. The screaming, bleeding electrical socket in the beginning is likely to be a reference to a woman losing her virginity, to the loss of innocence. The men are fox hunters because they are chasing after women as objects, prizes, and not as people.

I wondered what that could possibly mean for a while and no one else had really given a believable explanation but that makes total sense.


Misa-chan, I agree with the whole theme of those videos, although it's hard not to since it's pretty obvious after seeing it exposed like that.


Waterballoon, I always like your interpretations of videos and was impressed by that one since I thought of it only as a fun albeit shallow PV.

[terra]

I've been waiting for this thread to appear, great comments guys! I really love to talk about PV interpretations XD

Originally Posted by Idealist

For the sake of clarity, the men in the red jackets in SLT are not soldiers. They are wearing fox hunting outfits. This becomes important when considering what I believe the video is actually about.

This seems to me to be a video, much like my name's WOMEN, about the objectification of women. The screaming, bleeding electrical socket in the beginning is likely to be a reference to a woman losing her virginity, to the loss of innocence. The men are fox hunters because they are chasing after women as objects, prizes, and not as people.

I agree with the plug-in cord part and the fox hunting thing. I, too see it as losing virginity, losing innocence.

This is my personal interpretation :

Sexy little things
The plug-in cord resembles losing innocence, then the cord is connected to eyeball machine which rotates, maybe it interprets that after a woman loses innocence, people will 'approve' her existence. I see the laughing people voices as the usual people's opinion about how shameful you are if you're still virgin in this age (sorry, in my country this thing is a very strict thing to talk about).

I notice the whole black and white thing and interested of the fact that maybe it is connected to A BEST 2. The thing I realized is that the women who walks around and turns her back and walks again, is showing her white side in black background and do the opposite. I don't really know what does this means but I think of being inconstant about things or being different from her surroundings despite of the A BEST 2 theme. I also see the fox hunting man prancing and dancing between the horses as the concept of unable to decides or acts. He holds the horse whip in hand (he's ready to choose and ride a horse), but instead picking horse, he played in the middle of those horses.

The woman with tattoo of her face in her hand means that even if women cover their face with 'masks' they still show their true form or in other words they are shallow (did I put it right?). There are more men than women in the sofa and in the box, imo it means that men are overpowering women and that a small number of women is dominated with much more number of men.
The giantess probably resembles that despite of the usual stereotype of women being weak to men, actually they are more powerful than men themselves. The last Ayu who threw the guitar suddenly is self-explanatory

"No one can read
A woman's mind and the sky of what-is-it "

I still cannot interpret the other models and the two lips though.
I will post my other interpretation of other PVs later since I'm in college right now

[Picaflor 7/4]

I'm not sure...

You were...: I don't think there is much behind this pv. I think it was supposed to be strictly artistic. moving sculpture people, ayu in a glow dress in a popup book. not sure what else there is to it.

Ballad: ayu loves shuya, shuya loves ayu, forbidden love, cry cry, tears tears, yadda yadda yadda, nothing we don't already see on stage.

Lady Dynamite: The only thing there is to interpret in this video is why ayu is in front of the camera the entire time and blocking our view of the hot guys in s&m gear at a gay bar.

Don't look back: nothing is as it seems.

Sexy little things random weirdness? not all videos have to have a point.

Microphone: again with that whole "nothing is as it seems" thing. Kind of in a crazy world but not.

[truehappiness]

Something about the Sexy little things PV had me wondering.

There are a lot of random placements of "parts" in strange/different places than usual.

"Reproductive organs" - the plug and electrical outlet
Eyes - the giant eye radio that plays music, eyes on that woman's hands and eyelids
Lips - on top of those two sitting individuals' heads as hairpieces and a sofa they're sitting on, that woman's hands

I'd mention the blackface giant claw arm woman and masked bird-person too, but I'm not exactly sure how they fit into my observation. (missing face and arms?)