Forum - View topicNEWS: ANN's Jonathan Carrera Directs New AKB48 Music Video
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GATSU
Posts: 15570 |
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Just give 'em the parts of the students in the LA Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, and be done with it.
 Anyway, I guess John wanted to cross Stomp with Patriots fans. 
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HeeroTX
Posts: 2046 Location: Austin, TX |
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ugh, I classify that in the what the **** were you THINKING?!? category. SLIGHT hyperbole here, but I apparently don't have a good filter for what sort of comments draw the line!. You're making a video for a song from cute Japanese idol singers and it's basically feet and faces that are covered in paint? REALLY? Just my opinion, but terrible video.
mod note: tone down the hate, please |
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Fallen Wings
 Posts: 160 Location: Australia |
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Oh boy. I really wish that I could have seen your stupidity before the mod changed it. Not only did you harshly insult someone's hard earned work, but you did on THEIR website in PLAIN site. Normally if you had done that on another forum, you would have been suspended or banned. Look, you are clearly allowed to like or dislike what you like. But please consider the person's feelings, or at least try to either A) do it calmer or B) back it up with evidence. Or think first. Anyway ... that out of the way. I must admit when I first flicked through the video, I too, thought it wasn't the best. Then I watched it again. And I analyzed it for what it was. Ahh ... I'm probably sounding like a total douche. Let me re-word that. This is a brilliant video for what it is. And the director did the absolute right thing in what he made. The strong point for this video is how well cut it is. The actors acted brilliantly and he was able to arrange the video in the way that it timed exactly with with music and was able to play with the characteristics of each person. I believe the image behind this is tribal. With that said, I believe if the director had more resources, he might have tried for costumes or backgrounds. So he attempted the best with what he had, and he did great. It isn't a million dollar music video with the best special effects, or the best make up artists at hand. It is a PV with clear intentions and with dedications on both parts. Congrats to the director, congrats to AKB48. It is amazing. |
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Tofusensei
Posts: 365 |
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Hehe, love the hate.
There are two other music videos for the same song that are done "traditional" J-pop idol group style, did the world need a third? Think about that before you get all angry "ZOMG they didn't show the girls dancing in unison in front of a helicopter!!!!!! they ruined AKB48 forever!@!!!! Oh the humanity, the horror!!" etc 
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HeeroTX
Posts: 2046 Location: Austin, TX |
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My edited comment followed the time honored fan tradition of hyperbole simply following the standard outrageous cry: "Michael Bay should be shot..." http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1002448-birds/news/1681355/comments/all/naomi_watts_joins_bays_birds_flock "George Lucas should be shot..." http://www.yp-forums.net/index.php?showtopic=13082&st=20&start=20 "James Cameron should be shot..." http://www.criticker.com/profile/davebirch etc. etc. (Except I actually prefaced my comment with the note that it WAS hyperbole, as you can see from the quote. If the very small number of people who read that comment took it literally, I offer an honest apology but also a warning that you should either get off the internet (with much harsher geeks) or learn to recognize literary ploys like: sarcasm, hyperbole and maybe even metaphor)
OK, let me start by stating (believe it or not) I like AKB48's music (I like lots of insipid American pop music too). I don't claim to be a music afficianado or advanced music critic, but I like the catchy music. Also, AKB48 is a pop idol group. They sing catchy tunes written by someone else and dance choregraphed moves, heck most of the time (if they're all visible) more than half the group are just "backup dancers". It's not fair, it's not RIGHT, and it's probably a sad commentary on our society (people in general, not just US or Japan) that if all the girls weighed over 200 lbs. no one would buy their music. So, that said, as far as I know, "River" (this version) is their first (made for) US video. (The Japan intended video is different) If I am incorrect and this is NOT their first "for the US" video, I welcome a correction. But, assuming that is accurate, this video is more "experimental" than a "cute pop idol" group should be doing for a debut (IMO). Brittany Spears began with the cute/"sexy" (depending on how you want to define it) look for her debut and saved the "weird"/artsy stuff for after she was established. Same for Madonna, same for Christina Aguillera, same for the Spice girls. You can say Pink or Suzanne Vega or Alanis Morisette didn't do that, but none of them were "pop idols" nor were their main audience the target demographic that wants to see cute girls sing and dance. You can say all you want about "I see what he was trying to do with this video" but at the end of the day, I think it makes a lousy sales pitch for a group that is essentially new to the US. It doesn't provide an image that would appeal to the obvious demographic (males 18-34) and I don't THINK it's particularly appealing to what would seem the other demographic (girls 12-17), altho since I'm not in the latter demographic I can't say that definitively. You can say you respect/understand/appreciate what the Wachowski Bros. were doing with "Speed Racer", but whether or not YOU understand it it still failed to hit it's demographic. For the record, I don't think the Japanese video is all that great either, but it does a better job of playing to it's audience, and to be fair, I'm also not particularly fond of "River" as a song. Whether that's because this video was my first exposure or just the overall feel of the song itself, I can't say, but the video didn't help. At the end of the day, AKB48 are a small step "up" from the Laker Girls. They're cute girls/women who sing and dance. They don't write their own songs or play their own instruments and near as I can tell most of them don't have ambitions to do either of those things. How interested would you be in seeing the Laker Girls again (and granted, you may not be all that enthused to see them now) if the first time you saw them they were in boxes that only showed you their faces and feet (nothing from 6 in. above the toes or below the chin) and their faces were covered in "war paint"? I'm saying IN MY OPINION the video is terrible because it does nothing to showcase the group's "strengths" (or at least their main attributes: ie "looks", "choreography" and costumes) and instead chooses to go with a "theme". I'm not an educated Hollywood (or theater) professional, but that doesn't seem to be a good way to INTRODUCE a foreign group that has other hurdles to selling in America. And since I assume Jonathan Carrera (as the director) plotted this sucker out, *I* think he did a terrible job. (Seeing as Jonathan Carrera is not the "owner" (AFAIK) of ANN, it seems silly to say any criticism of his work on here (even if harsh) should be a bannable offense, or at the very least, seriously frowned upon. I KNOW Zac got scathing comments every week over Answerman and Justin has gotten some harsh words over his columns. Heck, back in the day (if not still) Adult Swim actively provoked their forums, even doing so on air) EDIT:
I never said they ruined AKB48 (and as noted in this reply, I think the Japanese video isn't "great" either), I said it was a terrible video. I prefaced that with a SMALL piece of hyperbole re: Jonathan Carrera (how many times can I repeat the guy's name?) but as noted I ALSO explicitly stated that it was hyperbole. I think it's sad if we can't take a LITTLE sarcasm & hyperbole in internet comments, but it's absolutely RIDICULOUS if we can't take it when it is actually clearly NOTED as such. (so watch out everyone who adds the "[/sarcasm]" tags defensively) |
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Fallen Wings
Posts: 160 Location: Australia |
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Ahhh ... why didn't you give that long explanation before? At least now I understand which direction you are coming from.
True, the video most then likely fails to try to reach it's demographic. But let us consider these possibilities ... the music video was recorded in one day, and we don't know how restricted or not he was allowed to do. Even if it was his idea at all. Though I really wish you would stop referencing stuff I haven't seen or heard of X3 *goes to look up Laker Girls* Wait cheerleading? ... Anyway true AKB48 is pretty much just a pretty face. And what you say is more likely true, but since I don't normally follow j-pop groups (Or any groups) I have little knowledge on the subject. But anyway, while I'm in the other demographic (12- 17) girls, personally I just think the music does it and I think it does what it attends to do, catch attention. While it doesn't appeal to me as a person (I'm more of a arty, unusual angles person myself), I'm sure it still catches other people's attention. But I do respect what he intended to do. While I haven't seen "Speed Racer", it is rather like me saying I hate Naruto and I think it is one of the lowest forms of entertainment. While I think that, I still respect what the author tried to create ... even though I might not like the end product. Then again I'm like a grumpy old man and generally have a negative look on 70% of anime ... including the one in my avatar ... surprise I have it still really. Well still. Considering the title is "ANN's Jonathan Carrera ...", I wouldn't have been so forthcoming of my opinions in that manner. While, true. He does not own the site, he does still have some power over it. And more than likely, he is more than on good terms with the other staff. True, Zac and Justin get crap over their columns. I think they basically signed up for it by doing them. Generally the internet have this little issue called "Tall Poppy syndrome", where they bring people down purely because they have a chance. While I myself have been an idiot in the past, I believe we should try to at least try to be considerate and keep things in perspective. While I do think you should be able to state your opinion, just at least try to do it thinking of the other person's feelings. (Saying that ... I think I need to go fix up one review right now ...) So don't think I'm purely bring you down, I'm not. Your views do have reason behind them, but in the future just imagine that people have a high chance of reading your comments. It makes you seem ten times more dignified then you really are.
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Tofusensei
Posts: 365 |
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This was made in the US, it was only released in Japan.
It's not meant to be a sales pitch for anything.
clearly
This only aired in Japan. Who says it's introducing them to America? It seems your entire argument was based on a false assumption... |
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HeeroTX
Posts: 2046 Location: Austin, TX |
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I stand corrected, the article implied otherwise, but apparently I read it incorrectly. I still do not think it's a good video, but I'll file that under "for reasons I do not find aesthetically pleasing" rather than anything else. |
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