[PV Roundup] Cupitron, Morning Musume ’16, ANGERME, Itano Tomomi, AyumiKurikaMaki

by Mike

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This edition of PV Roundup is brought to you by Murota Mizuki’s shoulders.

(Legal disclaimer: Not really. But they’re nice, right?)


 

Cupitron – “Ginga Tetsudou 999”

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Cupitron has been around for a couple of years now, and while they can be fun, they’re a little hit or miss for me. I can dig their electronic sound, but sometimes they lack the energy I think the genre requires. In any case, the group is back for the first time this year with a cover. For reasons Google and Twitter haven’t revealed as of yet, they’re performing a cover of the ending theme to the 1978 anime “Galaxy Express 999”. It’s hard to get too hype about covers, but this one is alright.

Presumably since this is a song from a space anime, the video lends itself to dark sets and night time shots. Makes sense, I guess. The dance shot is filmed on a set with some fluorescent lights on the floor and an array of string lighting for a wall. The shots aren’t exactly spectacular but everything is filmed very cleanly with minimal obstructions, and the outdoor shots are done in open areas, so they look nice.

The attire for this PV feature some retro-futuristic outfits for the dance shots, and civilian wear for the outdoor stuff. It’s worth noting that the outfits were designed by the creator of “Galaxy Express 999” and various other anime, Matsumoto Leiji. You can definitely tell it’s his style, and it’s a cool touch to add some authenticity to the PV. Matsumoto is a legendary producer of some era defining anime, including “Space Pirate Captain Harlock” and “Space Battleship Yamato”, which by the way, is one of if not the best anime series ever made.

Anyway, my bias in anime aside, the outfits all work well for the PV. The civilian clothing also gives us a good look at how generous time is being to this group of girls. They look noticeably more gorgeous than before, most notably Yamakawa Nichika. Looks and outfits aside there isn’t much to rant or rave about in this PV. The choreography is alright, the camerawork is alright, the editing is alright…it’s simply alright.

The song itself is, well, a cover. The tempo is a bit faster than the original, and the instrumentals are typical Cuptitron. I think they work okay for this song, but don’t really add a lot to it. No risks or variations in the formula for this one. It definitely maintains the retro feel and is a nice homage. It’s decent, but I was hoping for something original after a nine month absence.

z3stars

Cupitron’s 4th single drops May 25th.

Watch: YouTube (Official)

 
Buy on Amazon JP: Type A [Regular Edition] | Type B [Regular Edition] | Limited Edition

Buy on CDJapan: Type A [Regular Edition] | Type B [Regular Edition] | Limited Edition