The world’s most kawaii polygamist organization is back for another go. Well, we definitely get more marital affairs in this PV. Unfortunately we trade off a lot of fun from their previous releases to get it.
Probably the most standout thing about this PV is the focus on Kiyoshi Ryujin. I’m not really going to call it a negative. He’s a good performer and pulls off some above average dance moves, but being as idol-oriented as I am, it can be… uh… let’s call it an artistic choice that doesn’t strike my fancy. Yeah, that sounds mature.
Luckily, we do get plenty of shots with the girls hanging out with the player. This PV features a lot of husband-on-wife contact, and I do mean a lot. I guess it makes sense in marital terms, but it’s pretty jarring in the idol world. Some of it goes pretty far, too. There are a generous amount of scenes of very close dancing and going in for the kiss, but for better or worse the deed is never fulfilled on screen. Still, some of these scenes get so close I’m pretty sure the girl felt some of Kiyoshi’s wacky mustache. The MVP for these scenes is easily Kiyoshi Kanon. She has some of the most erotic of expressions in the most dire of positions with her on screen husband.
For a majority of the PV, the outfits for the lovely wives are pretty standard dresses. They’re very colorful and nice. Kiyoshi is decked out in casual khaki attire and looks fashionable enough, as far as I can judge. We also get some poolside bikini shots toward the end of the second verse. Most of these shots remain playful and light hearted. The bikinis themselves are nice enough and the girls look great. One member in particular gets a very nice shot in a red bikini. I’m pretty sure it’s Kiyoshi Momoka, but it’s hard to tell for sure since there was a ton of make-up in play, and the shot was quite short. Bummer.
Toward the end of the PV, we start to see people hooking up. Yeah. Most of this is done through perfectly lit curtained window shots or Kiyoshi walking off with his ladies in shots than panning away like a cheesy sitcom. It’s just so weird to see this in a supposed idol PV, but alright. It’s presented in as tame a way as such a thing can be.
There’s really no choreography to speak of aside from a well presented walk down a sidewalk as Kiyoshi greets his various wives at the beginning of the video, as well as a dance shot featuring Kiyoshi only. The rest of it is mostly just interaction shots, a few driving scenes, and the poolside play. Luckily, to counteract this lack of technicals, everything is very well shot. Transitions could use some work, though. Quite a few of the shots are too short to get a handle on what’s going on, but maybe we don’t want to, huh?
Unfortunately, this PV does have one massive flaw. It lacks something the previous one had in spades: fun. While “LOVE&WIFE&PEACE” was very similar in that it focused on just interaction shots, this one is kinda betrayed by its attempt at sultriness. It ultimately doesn’t lead anywhere and the whole thing feels like a tease to something we’re not going to see, and probably don’t want to see. I can appreciate the presentation but the idea for this one doesn’t work with me.
As for the song, I have very mixed feelings about it. The instrumentals are a huge improvement over their previous song, and are wonderful to listen to. It’s so good that the vocals honestly feel in the way, and that’s not good at all. They’re not bad, but they just don’t match the music in a very glaring way.
Kiyoshi Ryujin 25’s 5th single drops July 13th.
Watch: YouTube (Official)
Buy on Amazon JP: Limited Edition [CD+DVD]
| Premium Box Limited Edition [CD+DVD]+[LIVE DVD]
Buy on CDJapan: Limited Edition [CD+DVD] | Premium Box Edition [CD+2DVD]
