The Conventions of Unconventional Idols

It's tenth-grade biology class again, and you, reader, have been assigned with your lab mates to dissect a frog. So you get out your lab manual, follow the instructions, and everything is going according to the teacher's plan as it has every year the tenth-grade biology class does this experiment. But then you look over to the table in the back corner and notice something odd. A few of your classmates aren't dissecting the frog, as per the lab instructions. Instead, they've attached wires to the frog and are attempting to bring it back to life a la Dr. Frankenstein. Blood spatters everywhere, utensils fly across the floor, yet this group of students remain completely enthralled with their little experiment. You yourself cannot understand why these students decided to completely ignore the instructions and wreck havoc on the classroom, but they aren't interrupting your group's experiment, so you do your best to ignore them. Other classmates express their outrage and annoyance, and a few classmates even admire this strange little group of lab mates trying to resurrect their dead frog buddy. For better or worse, they have left one hell of an impact on the lab assignment today.

I like to think of unconventional idols as that frog-resurrecting lab group.

Ah, unconventional idols. They're almost as divisive as Youtube idols! But what exactly is an unconventional idol? According to the Miriam-Webster dictionary, the definition for unconventional is:

"very different from the things that are used or accepted by most people; not traditional or usual; not conventional"

So the very broad definition of an unconventional idol could be an idol who is different from the traditional idols. When I say "unconventional idols" I'm simply referring to idols that purposely defy the current standards set by popular idol groups. Said idol groups being AKB48 and all its sister groups. However, I should also distinguish that when I say unconventional idols, I'm not talking about idol groups like Momoiro Clover Z and Dempagumi.inc. While both those groups do have a lot of quirks and rather unconventional idol music, neither one of those groups is constantly and intentionally trying to defy the traditional concept of idols. They're playing with the concepts, yes, but in a safe and market-friendly way. Actually, there are a lot of idol groups today that are straying away from the "pop" sound that's defined idol music (in other words, everything that AKB48's been releasing). And in that special little niche are the idol groups produced to have a sound and image about as far from friendly as possible. I'm talking about the idol groups like Alice Juban, Bellring Shoujo Heart, Babymetal, and of course, Brand-new Idol Society. You know, those idol groups that make everyone uncomfortable!

Something really cool about the idol industry of today is that a lot of idol groups are backed by producers willing to experiment in different sounds, such as popular producer Hyadain who's produced both Momoiro Clover Z and Dempagumi.inc just to name a few. Other groups like Rhymeberry and Tokyo Girls' Style also have very distinct music styles that don't fit with popular idol music. My point is this era of idols is a producer's playground for music styles and gimmicks. I like to think of these producers as artists with the idol groups they produce being their canvases. So with all the different sounds to try out on a pile of girls who have little to no creative control, why produce them with a more unconventional sound? I'm going to ignore the obvious answer that it's to make money, because everything in the idol industry exists to make money. I swear to god, if I hear that complaint one more time from an idol fan, I am going to set something on fire. Idols are products and if you can't wrap your head around that, you are following the wrong industry. I think there may be some self-produced indie idols you can find if you look hard enough, but at the end of the day this industry is not known for being one with self-control.

Anyways, back to unconventional idols. I think it's pretty easy to understand the appeal of traditional idols. They represent an idealistic portrayal of youth, the purest and cleanest facets of adolescence. For young girls, idols are role models; for older men, they're a picture of innocence hung against the backdrop of harsh reality. The objective of an idol is to stir feelings of hope and happiness in people. Many idol songs convey some form of positivity whether it be in love, friendship, perseverance, etc. Said positivity is typically presented through catchy pop songs meant to appeal to wide demographic. Idol groups like Super Girls and of course, AKB48 exemplify these traits. Even if Super Girls is more-or-less a punchline on my blog, I can at least acknowledge that they embrace all the cliches of idol music and imagery with such commitment. And AKB48 is the most popular idol group on the market right now, even if their welcome may be overstayed depending on whom you ask. As the most popular idol group (at least for female idol groups, male idol groups are not my department), AKB48 sets a precedent for other companies looking to cash off idol groups the same way AKS has.

Unlike Super Girls and all those other idol groups that look and sound exactly like them, unconventional idol groups exist to defy the norms of idol music from the look to the music to even the objective. Traditional idols represent a positive, innocent set of ideals so that they can appeal to a wide range of demographics. But unconventional idols often do the opposite. They're not trying to be positive or be role models or roll with the tropes of traditional idolry. Most of these idol groups have very small niches and never achieve widespread success. They're a stark contrast, and for a lot of people, it's a contrast that's too different and sometimes too disturbing. Sometimes the lengths an unconventional idol group goes to be unconventional can be too much. After all, is an idol group really an idol group if they exist only to subvert every common element of idol groups? So what is the appeal then? Even as someone with a tendency to gravitate toward unconventional idols, I couldn't really figure out an answer to this question for such a long time. Now I'm not even sure if I have the right answer. I think trying to fully dissect the appeal behind unconventional idols and why they exist is the equivalent of opening Pandora's box. It won't be easy fully explaining why, but as someone who is a fan of more unconventional idol groups, I want to at least try.

To understand where the concept of an unconventional idol originated, we have to dig into a little history. The Japanese idol concept originated in the 1960s, but really hit its boom in the 1980s. So much that the 1980s is referred to as "The Golden Age of Idols in Japan." Left and right were idols debuting, some of them never to be heard from again. Others quickly rose to the top of the idol hierarchy. And the golden girl perched at the top was Matsuda Seiko. Even if you're like me and don't look into older idols, you've probably heard her name before. With more than seventy-five singles under her belt and a string of high-charting singles, Matsuda Seiko is one of the best-selling idols in Japan. While she isn't anywhere near as successful today, in the 1980s, Matsuda Seiko owned the idol industry. There's a reason that she's called "The Eternal Idol" and Oricon ranked her as the number-one everlasting idol in Japan. Matsuda Seiko was the quintessential, girl-next-door, smiling, shining idol in the 1980s. Even when her popularity started waning after the 1980s, Matsuda Seiko still maintained a legacy as the face of this "Golden Age" for idols.

I've listened to a few Matsuda Seiko songs from when she was in her prime, and I can see why she was so popular. She had a very sweet voice, with just enough power to carry her songs. And her songs are just a nice as her voice. Matsuda Seiko's songs have all the sugary sweetness that you can find in idol pop. Watching her performances, I get a sense of deja-vu. Because her demeanor and performance style is so reminiscent of many idols of the future. Take this performance of her debut single, Hadashi no Kisetsu. So many idols of today are probably crafted around that same approachable friendliness that Matsuda Seiko popularized in the 1980s. And at the time, Matsuda Seiko helped set the standard for what the conventional idol was at that time. An idol was pure, but not distant the way they were in the 1970s. Idols of the 1980s were mostly sweet in that girl-next-door kind of way. And there are many idols in the 1980s vying for that top spot. As many as 60 idols could debut in a year and be gone the next. I can imagine that this time period is similar to the boom of idols today. So surely not all idols during this Golden Age were cookie-cutter copies of Matsuda Seiko, right? Wasn't there at least one idol trying to defy the norms of the Golden Age of Idols?

Enter Togawa Jun.

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Togawa Jun is an artist that started out as a idol in the early 1980s. Outside of her solo work, she participated in a variety of side projects, including lead vocalist for band Guernica and lead vocalist for Yapoos in the late 80s and early 90s. In her idol career, she was never the universally adored dream idol that Matsuda Seiko was in the 80s. However, Togawa Jun did have a large underground fanbase who admired and respected her work. Why? Because her music was insane. Togawa Jun wrote about murder, parasites & insects, sadomasochism, even menstruation, and a plethora of other dark, bizarre topics all while maintaining a grim sense of humor. Her debut album, Tamahime-sama is basically an exploration of insects and the human body, and you should all totally listen to it. And she was the same age as Matsuda Seiko when she did all this. There's a live performance on Youtube showing her performing the title track from Tamahime-sama, clad in insect wings and twitching around like a dragonfly squished by a boot. I think it sums up pretty well her angle of approaching the idol industry. Togawa Jun was (and probably still is today) strange, grotesque, and most importantly, unconventional. Can you guys think of any idol groups today that are strange and grotesque? I'll give you a hint: they're about to disband soon.

Back to Togawa Jun for a moment though. In my opinion, Togawa's album that most clearly twists the concepts of being an idol is Suki Suki Daisuki, released in 1984. While her previous three albums forayed into rock, enka, and even electronic, Suki Suki Daisuki had a much more pop-oriented sound. However, combined with that saccharine pop is Togawa's theatricality and strangeness. The songs range from the sarcastically straightforward Angel Baby to Osozaki Girl which is about "late blooming" if you catchy my drift to Sayonara wo Oshiete which is about Togawa loving a boy so much she swears to come back from the dead as a ghost to be with him. But the standout track of Suki Suki Daisuki has got to be the song that shares the title of the album. There's a reason BiS Kaidan covered it! Suki Suki Daisuki is probably my favorite idol song, if you can count it as one. I suppose that's a little ironic, considering how the song is mocking every idol long written ever. But Suki Suki Daisuki goes from cutesy and adorable to harsh and operatic so quickly, I think it really showcases how well Togawa Jun plays with the conventions of idol music back then. Compare the chorus of Matsuda Seiko's Akai Sweet Pea to Suki Suki Daisuki.

Kiwi Musume's translation of Matsuda Seiko's Akai Sweet Pea:

"I will follow you 

I want to follow you 

I will follow you

Even though I'm a bit weak-willed 

Because you're a wonderful person 

My red sweet pea 

Growing on the shore of my heart"

Jun Togawa Collective's translation of Togawa Jun's Suki Suki Daisuki:

"Kiss me like thumping, as blood clots on my lips 

Hold me, as my ribs breaking 

I love you so much 

I love you so much 

I love you so much 

Say you love me or I'll kill you!"

In the 80s, Nakamori Akina was always pushed as the "rival" to Matsuda Seiko, for her more mature and sensual image being the opposite of Seiko's sweet and innocent image. But I think Akina doesn't quite serve as the complete antithesis to what Seiko stood for in her peak days. I think Togawa Jun takes up that role. What makes Togawa Jun so unconventional is that the conventional standard of that time was a stark contrast from the way she presented herself. Honestly, Togawa Jun seems like a very interesting person. No doubt an eccentric person, but still fascinating. I've read several of her translated interviews, and she just has so much interesting stuff to say. Even better, I think Togawa Jun presented herself the way she did because she wanted to. Not because some management company realized "Hey, anti-idols make money!" and produced her with that image. And I think that's what separates her from the idols of today. Sure, Babymetal and BiS and Bellring Shoujo Heart can be as unconventional as they like, but at the end of the day they're still idols produced to maintain a certain image that appeals to a certain demographic. That doesn't mean it doesn't work for them, but compared to Togawa Jun, all the unconventional idol groups of today seem downright tame.

So let's fast-forward to the present day. AKB48 sits at the top of the idol pyramid with all its sister groups (and Nogizaka46) not far behind. Just below them is Momoiro Clover Z and then below them all the other idol groups ranging from mildly popular to practically nonexistent. My point is that AKB48 is in a position where they've set new precedents and enforced old ones for new idol groups. It's the same position that Matsuda Seiko was in during the 1980s. What an unconventional idol relies on is taking whatever is currently popular/standard in the idol industry and doing the opposite. Brand-new Idol Society exists to be the "anti-idols" but ironically, if idol groups like AKB48 weren't around, then neither could BiS be, at least not with the concept they have now. Same for Babymetal. The difference between BiS and Babymetal are their gimmicks, with BiS actively defying idolry and Babymetal embracing it, only adding metal and headbanging. However, both exist under the umbrella of unconventional idol groups that have been emerging these fast few years. In fact, I think that BiS and Babymetal actually helped kickstart that. After the controversial My Ixxx music video, BiS got a lot more attention than previously, and ever since then, they've been getting crazier and crazier going more and more out of their way to maintain unconventionality.

In the wake of BiS and Babymetal's debuts, a slew of other idol groups created with similar unconventional gimmicks have also popped up, such as New Idol Order, Death Rabbits, Passcode, Fruitpochette, Next Shoujo Jiken, and my personal favorite (and the only one that really interests me) Bellring Shoujo Heart. I am noticing a pattern in a lot of these unconventional idol groups that have emerged though. A lot of them either copy the aesthetic of Babymetal or BiS. New Idol Order for instance, defines themselves as a strictly "metal" group, a Babymetal sans the idol pop. Death Rabbits has pretty much the same description. These groups are all described nearly the same with a few different spins like "Lolitas and metal" or "a metal duo" or something of that nature. Generally, all these new unconventional groups are abrasive, morbid, and weird. They hold live concerts with blood and dead animals and other crazy antics that separate them from the "conventional" idol groups their producers are satirizing. But here's what happens when a group of people trying to be different do the same thing: they create a new set of conventions to abide by. It's kind of a paradox.

And it brings up another question: is an idol still an idol if they're doing everything that idols weren't conceived to do? Or are these unconventional idol groups changing the criteria for what an idol has to be? How much can you strip away from the standards of being an idol until you've created a shell that's only an idol in name only? The answer is debatable. BiS is not a well-liked group in Japan. Oh yes, they have their fanbase, but they still get a lot of flack for their concept and performances. Just go and look at any of the comments sections on their Youtube videos to see what I mean. So why go to so much trouble to attract fans when there are easier and more conventional ways of doing so? I know what draws me in personally to BiS and other unconventional idol groups is the sheer audacity of them. It's interesting seeing an idol group strive not to be like an idol group. To see all these creative variations and odd songs and music videos. And I have to think that there are BiS fans out there who feel the same way I do. BiS (and every other unconventional idol group I've mentioned) will always be divisive for disturbing concert performances, un-idol like behavior, and taking risks. But even if it's all manufactured like every other aspect of the idol industry, unconventional idol groups still draw me in at least a little bit.

I don't think unconventional idols will ever have real, breakthrough success the same way idol groups like AKB48 and Morning Musume and Onyanko Club have. So why do the producers of today go to so much trouble to create an unconventional image for certain idol groups when the alternative is much more marketable? Well, obviously there is at least a small niche for unconventional idol groups. I mean, look at Babymetal. They started out as a subgroup from Sakura Gakuin, then blew up over the Internet, and now they're performing in Europe and Canada and all over the world. As of now, they might even be more well-known than Sakura Gakuin. Sure, Babymetal's international recognition primarily stems from the mindset I like to call, "Look at this weird Japanese thing!! Hot diggity-dog, Japan is so gosh darn wacky and strange!" But attention is attention, regardless of where it stems from. And these unconventional idol groups do garner a good deal of attention. It's not always positive attention (BiS for instance is not a revered group amongst Japanese otaku). Nonetheless, it's enough attention for these unconventional idol groups to carve niches for themselves. And sometimes, that all producers strive for. Not every idol group needs to sell millions to stick around.

What I'd like to see is another idol like Togawa Jun. No, not a rip-off of Togawa Jun but an idol with her own vision of being an idol that's maybe a little weird and a little strange but nonetheless her own idea. As of now, this is the best time to try out these more different idol groups. The market is ripe with other idol groups trying out different music and concepts. Self-produced idols may not be the most well-known, but they're out there doing their own thing. BiS wouldn't even exist if Pour Lui hadn't the idea of making her own idol group. I'm not just sad that BiS is disbanding because I enjoy their music and style. I'm sad because of what they represent in the current idol industry. They weren't always great, but they were always interesting and vivacious. And they kept me sane when AKB48 was driving me crazy with all their bland music. Unconventional idol groups can be hit-or-miss with idol fans and for good reason. But I find something exciting and intriguing in listening to idols like BiS and Bellring Shoujo Heart and Togawa Jun. And maybe hardly anyone else does, but I don't care. At the end of the day, it's my own personal taste. I do hope that unconventional idols can always find a niche though.

Who knows? Perhaps someday a crazy idol like Togawa Jun will come along.

An EP You'll Love to Death

I don't know what it is about reviewing TGS's latest PV that's got me going on all these morbid puns! But oh well, this is Bellring Shoujo Heart's Killer Killer EP!

Bellring Shoujo Heart sure likes their extended plays, don't they? This is like the 5th EP they've released! Well, as long as those EPs have good music on them, I'm perfectly happy! As I have expressed in the past, Bellring Shoujo Heart is a group that I'd like to get more into. They've got cool music and a weird, unconventional image, much like BiS if BiS were inspired by 1960s rock and alternative. And some of their music can get so delightfully creepy! I can't wait until October comes around; then I'll really feel like listening to Bellring Shoujo Heart. Anyways, this is their latest single, Killer Killer EP. As none of the songs have PVs (that I know of), I've opted to review the entire single. And why not review the whole single? Killer Killer EP's has got three songs on it that are all worth talking about! So keep your eyes above the ground, because we are going six feet under into Bellring Shoujo Heart's Killer Killer EP!

Covers/Outfits

Killer Killer EP's cover isn't quite as colorful as Untouchable EP's was. But I like the black/white/red color scheme and the way the girls are posed too. They look like they're reaching toward the camera like zombies! All they need is some fake blood and they can re-enact Night of the Living Dead! I noticed that Bellring Shoujo Heart has six members. Or is it seven? I know they have one international member who's having trouble securing a visa. I guess she couldn't make it for the jacket shooting of this cover. Well, everyone else looks adorable. In fact, I've noticed Bellring Shoujo Heart has a tendency to look very adorable, even when they're performing they're creepier/weirder songs. I have to say, it kind of works. It works on the cover for Killer Killer EP at least!

Crimson Horizon

The first song on Killer Killer EP is a song that's pretty much what you'd expect from Shoujo Heart. It's alternative rock that sounds like it's from the sixties, bad vocal production and all! Crimson Horizon was the song on Killer Killer EP that took the longest to grow on me. I didn't think it was a terrible song when I first heard it, but I did feel like I'd heard it in other Bellring Shoujo Heart songs before. And I probably have. Crimson Horizon reminds me most of Bokura no Wednesday and yOU Rari from their Bedhead album. Luckily though, Crimson Horizon isn't a carbon copy of either song. And I actually think the production quality is a little better on Crimson Horizon than it's been on other songs! I don't have the ear for sound mixing as well as other people do, but when the girls sing individually, they sound clearer. Then they sing together, and that fuzzy vocal quality comes back. I think that may have to do partially with the way they're singing though. I wonder if that's how sixties girl bands sang. Sixties girl bands were a thing, right? I hope so. I know that there's one girl band that was formed that was so terrible that they became ironically good. Wouldn't it be something if Bellring Shoujo Heart paid an homage to that band?

Back to Crimson Horizon, I think it's a good song. Not my favorite from Bellring Shoujo Heart, but it has a cool melody, especially in the chorus. Some of those high notes are a little too strained for my liking, but that's the price you pay when you get into idol music. Crimson Horizon shows how remarkably consistent Bellring Shoujo Heart is with their sound. Even though it sounds similar to a few of their other songs, it's still enjoyable. And for me, a song can sound similar to another song as long as both songs are good. And with BiS disbanding, I find that I'm slowly gravitating toward Bellring Shoujo Heart. I think it's some sort of coping mechanism. Admittedly, I can't think of much else to say about Crimson Horizon. If you don't like Bellring Shoujo Heart, then this song isn't going to win you over. But if you are curious about their general sound, then Crimson Horizon may be a good starter. It perfectly captures the messy psychedelic rock sound of the sixties that Bellring Shoujo Heart emanates so well. I think Crimson Heart grows on you the more you listen to it, and the sound becomes more memorable. Even if you can't bring yourself to like this song, you've gotta admit that is one killer song name. It sounds like a nail polish or a horror movie.



Despite the awesome name, I think I'll still give Crimson Horizon 4 apples. It's a good song, but not the greatest I've heard from Bellring Shoujo Heart. That doesn't mean I won't listen to it in the future! It's a pretty fun sixties-style song. It could have been a little trippier though!

Plastic 21g

After the slightly lackluster Crimson Horizon, Plastic 21g grabbed me with that opening riff. And then the girls started singing, and Plastic 21g held my attention with an iron fist. I think what I love most about Plastic 21g is that it has a very interesting vocal structure. The song is in minor key, and the way the girls sing is slightly creepy. Not super creepy though, but I think if you rearranged the instrumental, Plastic 21g has the potential to be unleaded nightmare fuel. The vocals also have some very catchy hooks, especially in the chorus. The way the girls hold out those end notes just makes them stick in your head somehow. The vocals aren't the only interesting thing about Plastic 21g though; the instrumental is really neat too. There are a lot of different sounds and instruments that the producer dabbled into with Plastic 21g. There's the usual psychedelic guitars and drums that creep into every Bellring Shoujo Heart song, but I also hear a lot of different percussion like a xylophone to some softer instruments as well. And then at the end of the song, this random male voice gets sampled! I'm not sure whose it is or what language it's in. It kind of sounds like it was taken from an old Western film, but I could very well be wrong. Maybe it's Bellring Shoujo Heart's producer!

I will admit I'm a little split on the sampling at the end, but I think it's grown on me over time. It's just when the first time you hear those deeper vocals, it comes off as a bit of a shock. But I like the build-up towards the end of Plastic 21g. As the song progresses, you get more and more different sounds and samples. The final result is something that is a little bit clustered but nonetheless interesting. I guess my one complaint about Plastic 21g would be that at parts, it does feel like there's a little too much going on in it. But Plastic 21g mostly remains messy in a way that works. At the end of the day, too much instrumentation doesn't take away from my enjoyment of Plastic 21g. It could be a music producer's dream or nightmare, but to me, it makes the song cool. I actually wonder which song will get a music video (if any of them) off of Killer Killer EP. I'd actually like if Plastic 21g was the song that got a music video. I think the song is crazy enough that a crazy, random music video would match perfectly with the song. I mean, c.a.n.d.y. got a music video even though it wasn't the first song off of Untouchable EP so who knows? I can hope for Plastic 21g! Even if it remains PV-less, Plastic 21g is still a pretty awesome song, even if it's a bit overwhelming at times.



I was caught between 5 and 4.5 for Plastic 21g, but I did end up going with 4.5 It's a great song, it really is, but as I said before, there are a few parts that could have been cleaned up. But as always, I am all for experimentation in idol music and the experimental sound of Plastic 21g is highly entertaining to listen to.

kUMA GOQLI

Okay, did Bellring Shoujo Heart's producer just mash a bunch keys together and say, "Okay, that sounds like a cool title!" and call it a day? Because I don't think kUMA GOQLI is a real word in English or any other language. How would you even pronounce that??? Well, after the two energetic songs on this EP, kUMA GOQLI calms things down. I wouldn't say this song's a ballad, but it's a very chill song. It kind of reminds me of The Velvet Underground's Sunday Morning. But kUMA GOQLI is nowhere near as chill as Sunday Morning. Many songs aren't. I was actually thinking that kUMA GOQLI was going to speed up and get noisier and more energetic toward the middle. But for the most part, the song retained its laid-back atmosphere. There's a brief crescendo in the bridge, but it's not much of an increase. I actually like having this song last on Killer Killer EP, since it's like the denouement after the rising action and climax in a story. kUMA GOQLI is a short song, but I feel like the length is just right. I'm glad the producer didn't decide to drag the song out and make it a full ballad; I think that would have made the song lose some replay value.

There's some cool stuff done in this song too! For instance, something I liked was the producer mixed a lot of chatter from the girls of Bellring Shoujo Heart into this song and even a little bit of laughter. It should have come off as very creepy, but it's actually kind of calming. It sounds very much like normal chatter from teenage girls to my ears, but maybe it means something creepy in Japanese. Who knows? They just sound so soft and relaxed, it makes for a very relaxing effect. The producer was also rocking that theremin in the song, which again, should have made the song sound creepier. Like many other Bellring Shoujo Heart songs, kUMA GOQLI sounds like it belongs in the sixties. Probably the drug side of the sixties, I could see counterculture hippies high on pot listening to this song. Vivid image I know but still, I could! Luckily, I don't need narcotics to enjoy kUMA GOQLI. It's another effortlessly cool Bellring Shoujo Heart song. What makes kUMA GOQLI stand out is that it is such a calm song, coming after the two more hectic songs on Killer Killer EP. I guess I could say that kUMA GOQLI kills those two other songs that closes the coffin on this single. And also closes the coffin on my puns, because that was terrible.



Yeah, I'll give the final song on Killer Killer EP 5 apples. Despite the short length, kUMA GOQLI is a cool, chill song that you should listen to if you wanna chill. And that's pretty much the last I can say about it, now let's see how all three of these songs hold up together!

The Verdict

So are you guys still alive? If so, I'm disappointed! That was not what Killer Killer EP was supposed to do! Whether Killer Killer EP is as killer as the title lets on, I enjoyed this single! Probably a bit more than I did Untouchable EP (although I liked that single too!). I'm glad that Bellring Shoujo Heart's producer decided not to included another remix on this single. I like having entirely new content much better! The three songs that were included on Killer Killer EP I all liked to varying degrees. Crimson Horizon was the weakest song on the album, but even then, that was still a pretty good song that stayed true to Bellring Shoujo Heart's sound. Plastic 21g was definitely the funkiest of the three singles and tried a lot of different sounds. Those sounds didn't always work, but they did leave a lasting impression. And then kUMA GOQLI was the perfect song to close the EP, a nice combination of trippy and soothing. I think what I like most about Killer Killer EP is the contrast between these three songs. They all sound so different from each other. If you want to listen to a slow song, there's kUMA GOQLI. If you want something weirder and more experimental, there's Plastic 21g. And if you just want traditional Bellring Shoujo Heart, there's Crimson Horizon.

This single has such a great variety of sounds and styles that stay true to Bellring Shoujo Heart's musical style. So overall, I am mostly pleased with Killer Killer EP. It's a strong consistent single that'll leave you dying for more Bellring Shoujo Heart music. If you like there style, that is. Like with all their other music, their production quality can be a little... off-putting to a new listener. There production isn't polished like a lot of other idol groups, even the more unconventional ones. It's very messy and that can be a turn-off for some fans. For me though, it's grown on me, and I'm okay with it. Killer Killer EP has all the sixties sounds combined with idols that make me enjoy Bellring Shoujo Heart so much. It marks another consistent, highly enjoyable, and interesting release from Bellring Shoujo Heart as well! I do wonder when the group will release their next album. As of now, they've released two singles since Bedhead. I could see them releasing one more single than making an album. Whenever that is, I'll be waiting and trying my best to keep up with their releases. I think with BiS's disbandment date growing closer and closer, I've been gravitating to Bellring Shoujo Heart more.

Even on their own though, Bellring Shoujo Heart still stands as an interesting, unconventional idol group! So I think I'll give Killer Killer EP 4.5 apples. 4.5 apples to die for. Seriously, for all you know, I poisoned those virtual apples. But don't let that deter you from checking out Bellring Shoujo Heart's latest single, especially if you're into BiS. It's like listening to an idol group if it came from the sixties in the form of a girl band. Seriously, can sixties girl bands be more a thing in modern media please?

Bellring Shoujo Heart is Untouchable

God, Bellring Shoujo Heart is such a cool name for an idol group. It just sounds to creepy and weird and psychedelic. I think of decaying mansions and abandoned theatres and foggy mornings in a graveyard and bats and all this other spooky shit when I hear the name Bellring Shoujo Heart!

Guys, meet Bellring Shoujo Heart. They're one of the many "unconventional" idol groups that's emerged since BiS got popular. But what separates them from all the BiS/Babymetal wannabes? Well, Bellring Shoujo Heart's music is inspired by the psychedelic rock bands of the 60s like The Velvet Underground. Their songs are cool, retro, and have endearingly terrible production quality. Seriously, the vocal mixing on some of Bellring Shoujo Heart's songs sounds intentionally bad. I think for some of them it is, but the production quality does add to that genuine 60s rock sound. Bellring Shoujo Heart can also be a rather creepy idol group. A lot of their songs range from psychedelic and dreamy to discordant and nightmarish, and I've heard their lives are pretty unsettling too. As I said, of all the BiS-wannabe groups that have emerged into the idol market, I think Bellring Shoujo Heart is the most promising. They're not trying to copy BiS' sound, but they still maintain a very distinct, unconventional image of their own. Their Bedhead album is awesome if you can dig unconventional idol music. I wish I'd reviewed it! To make up for not reviewing Bedhead though, I've moved on to their first single of 2014, titled Untouchable EP. It'll be strange, it'll be moody, and probably very, very retro. So put on your heart-shaped sunglasses and grab some magic mushrooms (Please do not, that was a joke and I do not want to be responsible for encouraging drug use) and let's dive in!

Covers/Outfits

There's not too much to say about the cover for Untouchable EP. It's cool. The girls are all chilling on their grungy couch with their shoes off. Maybe they're watching television! And then there's a bunch of retro filtering done over the picture so that the picture looks like it was dropped in a lake, fished out, and blow-dried. I think it's a decent cover; nothing iconic, but it fits with the look and feel of Bellring Shoujo Heart. Same for the outfits. It's hard to see them anyways, but I wager it's the black uniform I keep seeing in group pictures of Bellring Shoujo Heart. Said uniform consists of a black school uniform along with crow wings. It's pretty creepy, but again, it works for the group. Okay, I'm bored, moving on to the first song!

Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita

So starting off Untouchable EP is Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita, a title so long I copied and pasted it! Well, nothing can beat Suzukake Nanchara but that bland single of blandness is behind us. Now here's the not-bland, super-60s Bellring Shoujo Heart song with a long title! I guess Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita is the leading track off the EP but...? I'm not sure, it maybe c.a.n.d.y. since that song got a PV, although I couldn't find a HQ version of the PV anyways... Oh well, Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita is a mostly-familiar trek into the weird, trippy rock music of the 60s with a few twists. What immediately grabbed me about Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita was the opening. Was that 1920s swing music I heard? It sounded quite old and I almost thought Bellring Shoujo Heart was going to do explore a music period even older than the 60s! But after that, Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita went into the style of music prevalent on the group's Bedhead album. So if you dug Bedhead (as I did), then you can definitely get into Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita. However, the song doesn't bring anything new to the table for Bellring Shoujo Heart, even if it is an enjoyable song to listen to.

It depends on how much you like the retro sound of Bellring Shoujo Heart. If you were sick of it after Bedhead, Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita may seem as a retread of everything on that album. If you were completely entranced by the 60s sound of the album and are craving more, then this song is a nice continuation of it. Personally, I am more than okay with Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita. It does have its really nice moments. Again, the sampling at the very beginning of the song was really cool. And there's a small instrumental break in the middle that sounds like someone's playing a music box. It's enchanting in a very, very creepy way. I think that's the best way to describe Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita: delightfully creepy. It's a perky song but perky in the way that Kyarypamyupamyu is perky: served with a side dish of unsettling strangeness. Honestly, I think that's why I've taken to Bellring Shoujo Heart; because they don't just do solely dark, loud, scary stuff. Their music is a quieter, uncannier kind of scary. And Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita perfectly embodies that sound, even if the song may not showcase anything too new for Bellring Shoujo Heart.



I think I'll give Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita four and half apples with my handy-dandy shiny new Apple Rating System (again, thanks to Kioku). The song is a delightful trip back into the 60s that thankfully doesn't require hallucinogenic drugs.

c.a.n.d.y.

Veering from the 60s and going into the 90s is c.a.n.d.y. a grunge-rock song inspired by Nirvana! Ah, I remember my own grunge phase. It was about 20 years too late from the 90s grunge era, but still. Fond times those were indeed (although I mainly just listened to Garbage and The Cardigans on repeat). I actually haven't listened to much Nirvana, other than the expected songs like Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As You Are, All Apologies, etc. But I like c.a.n.d.y. a lot! It's a short song (less than three minutes) but it was probably my favorite song off the single! I love how it starts with this music box-like opening, then the guitar starts, and then the song explodes. The riff is great and I love how it keeps building and building as the song progresses. Honestly, I feel like the instrumental is more emphasized in c.a.n.d.y. than the vocals are. The vocals are pretty minimal for such a short song. It still keeps the verse-chorus structure, but it's all very fast and quickly segues back into the grungy instrumental. I mean, I'm perfectly okay with that; that was just an observation. If anything, that adds to the 90s grunge feel of the song! Man, I wonder what the idol market would have been like back in the 90s if all the groups were emulating Nirvana... pretty surreal, I'd imagine.

Personally, when it comes to idols and rock, I always like when idols stray more towards grunge and alternative than metal music. I guess because those are the genres of music I've liked for a really long time, and neither one is quite as abrasive as metal is. C.a.n.d.y. has a fantastically grunge-rock feel to it, which is probably why I like the song so much. I don't even mind the song's short length because it works so well. I do wonder if Bellring Shoujo Heart will do another song like c.a.n.d.y. or if this was just a one-time experiment. I kind of hope it isn't. I love the group's 60s sound, but I am all for experimentation into other decades of music. Maybe they'll explore other eras like 70s rock or the 50s rock! Maybe even jazz... or just more grunge! I'd love to hear more grunge-rock in idol music in general. Well, if this was just a one-time thing, I think Bellring Shoujo Heart pulled it off very well! As someone who jams to grunge, c.a.n.d.y. plays straight to my musical tastes and will do the same for any other idol fan into grunge-rock! It's definitely the highlight off Untouchable EP for me despite being such a short song.



So yeah, c.a.n.d.y. totally gets five apples from me. I wouldn't change a thing about the song. It's got a lot of energy, explores grunge-rock well while still maintaining the creepier sound of Bellring Shoujo Heart. Also, did I mention the mixing is slightly better? Not much, but at least a little bit better than Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita's.

Rice to Tuning (Sange Mix)

The final track on Untouchable EP is a remix of a song from Bedhead, the group's first album. It's done by some guy named Sange, and the original song can be found as track #6 on Bedhead. Admittedly, Rice to Tuning was one of my least favorite tracks on Bedhead. Now I use the term "least" subjectively, because I liked most of the songs on Bedhead quite a lot. Rice to Tuning is a good song, but in comparison to many of the other songs on Bedhead, it doesn't stand as my favorite. Still, the original was a pretty fun song. The deadpan rapping was kind of quirky, even though I'm not a huge fan of rapping in general. It was a fun song, but I never would have been begging for the song to be remixed. So what does the Sange Mix change in Rice to Tuning? Well, the song is much shorter and faster. At first, I thought it was kind of cool... but then the male backing vocals kicked in. I assume that's Sange's voice I keep hearing in the background? Whomever's voice it is, I don't like it. If I want to hear gratuitous male backing vocals, I'll just go listen to a Morning Musume song. In Rice to Tuning (Sange Mix) they just sound really annoying. I guess I just don't like the vocal distance between the girls' voices and these really deep gravelly guy voices.

There's also the tempo of the song; it's much faster than the original. What made the original Rice to Tuning an interesting song was the nonchalantness of the Mizuho's rapping combined with the laidback sound. The song sped up a bit during the chorus, but for the most part, Rice to Tuning is pretty chill compared to the Sange Mix. In contrast, Rice to Tuning (Sange Mix) is practically bouncing off the walls. The sped-up tempo gives the song a lot more energy, but in my opinion, it's too much energy. There are a few parts where the faster-paced beat of the song works (like in the very beginning, the song sounded awesome until the chorus ended). It does make the song sound perkier, but perky in the way a three-year old child is perky at six at night when you're trying to get them to go to bed. The original Rice to Tuning wasn't a huge hit with me, so the Sange Mix of Rice to Tuning won't be a song I constantly replay on my iPod. In fact, it's probably my least favorite track on Untouchable EP, and I could have done without it. I just don't like the changes made to it. I guess in a weird way though the changes made me appreciate the original more! Gosh, I'll never get why artists feel the need to remix songs, especially songs that are good enough that they don't need a remix.



Rice to Tuning would have been perfectly fine without a remix, and the Sange Mix is far from my favorite remix. I do like the idea of speeding up the song, but the extra male vocals were unnecessary. I'm afraid I can only give Rice to Tuning (Sange Mix) two and half apples. In comparison, I would have given the original song four apples had I reviewed the album...

The Verdict

I think I'm going to like reviewing Bellring Shoujo Heart. Yes, they are becoming a staple on my Idol Whitelist (opposite of Idol Blacklist, you do the math) as long as I can get my hands on their singles and they continue releasing music. Bellring Shoujo Heart is an indie group, and I'm not a huge fan of following indie groups. My problem is that it's difficult to follow them since they usually have smaller fanbases. Still, I'll do my best because the group's music is worth it. Untouchable EP proves that! And so does Bedhead. Did I mention you should all listen to that album? I just love the sound of Bellring Shoujo Heart; I like their aesthetic and how it's still unconventional but without trying to be like BiS. Who knows? Maybe Bellring Shoujo Heart can fill the void that BiS is going to rip out of my heart when they disband. As long as they keep releasing stuff like Untouchable EP, I think they will! The two new songs on Untouchable EP are both awesome. Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita plays to the strengths of the group's musical style, and c.a.n.d.y. is a well-done grunge-rock song that I can absolutely jam to. Together, both songs are great. This single is great- oh wait, Rice to Tuning (Sange Mix) is still on this single, isn't it?

Right... Untouchable EP would be great. If Rice to Tuning (Sange Mix) wasn't on it.

Yep, of the three songs on Untouchable EP, the one that I could have done without was Rice to Tuning (Sange Mix). I'm not completely against remixes, but most of the ones I find in idol music end up being kind of unnecessary and not as good as the original song. That isn't more obvious than it is with Rice to Tuning (Sange Mix). The original Rice to Tuning was a good song (maybe not my favorite, but still a good song), and while I do acknowledge the mixer for trying a different direction with the remix, it doesn't work for me. It's too fast, sporadic, and the extra vocals don't mix well with the original vocals. And I should mention that like Bedhead, Untouchable EP's production quality is... kind of bad. The girls still sound like they recorded their voices with a potato and sloppily mixed them with the instrumentals. The production's a little bit better with c.a.n.d.y. than Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita. Still, the production quality can be a little jarring when you first listen to Untouchable EP. However, over time it kind of works, especially with the more 60s-oriented Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita. If you can look past that though, Untouchable EP is a single with two really good songs and one not-so-good remix that I'll just pretend doesn't exist. Well, except for averaging out the Apple Rating for Untouchable Ep.

In total, Untouchable EP gets four apples from me. The only thing I would change about the single is removing Rice to Tuning (Sange Mix), but the other two songs on the single are great. Tsuki no Mashita de Ookami-san ni Tazunemashita is delightfully trippy and strange, and c.a.n.d.y. is a nice foray into a later genre of music for Bellring Shoujo Heart. In short, give this single a listen if you're craving something darker and grungier from an idol group!