Moon Prism Power, Make Up!

Sailor Mooooooooooon!!!

Admittedly, I did not watch a lot of Sailor Moon as child. Mainly because the English dub aired before I was even born. I do remember watching bits and pieces of the re-runs that aired and loving the outfits and the sparkly transformation sequences of the show! I had no idea what was going on plot-wise, but I liked it! Now years later the reboot's come along, and I finally have the chance to watch the plot of Sailor Moon unfold with new animation, new voice actors, and new music!

Oh yeah, and Momoiro Clover Z is somewhere in the mix.

The Sailor Moon reboot has been common knowledge, as has Momoiro Clover Z's involvement with the reboot. The wacky idol group was selected to do the opening theme for the series way back in 2012. 2012... to think that the news of this reboot has been floating around for over two years. I admire any Sailor Moon fan who waited patiently for it! But I'm not an anime blog, I'm a J-pop blog, and I'm here to evaluate MomoClo's latest single. Said single just so happens to be affiliated with Sailor Moon. The only other single MomoClo's released this year is Naitemo Iin da yo, and I've written already about what a big giant dollop of boring that song is. I'm hoping that with the aide of love and justice, Moon Pride can be a step-up from the dull affair that was Naitemo Iin da yo! So is Moon Pride a worthy Momoiro Clover Z single and furthermore a perfect match with the Sailor Moon of 2014? Or is it a disappoint effort from an idol group slowing losing their quirkiness? I'm hoping it's the former. So brandish your Moon Tiara Boomerang and let's take a look!

Covers/Outfits

What more appropriate outfits for a Sailor Moon theme song than Sailor Moon-inspired outfits? I was downright expecting this! The outfits for Moon Pride showcase the girls as the Sailor Senshi, only with their own member colors incorporated into each outfit. Conceptually, they sound like really cool outfits. But the actual outfits look kind of tacky. The outfits are variations on the actual Sailor Moon outfits, and they look overdone. I mean, the poofy sleeves, the exaggerated seifuku look, it's all a little messy. I think MomoClo would have been better up straight-up cosplaying the Sailor Moon outfits. Other than that, the two covers are both nice. The other one shows the Sailor Moon characters against a giant moon. I actually like the animated version better, but the MomoClo edition shows the girls themselves. It's more appropriate for the review!

Moon Pride

I am not an avid watcher of anime, but of the few shows I have watched, one of the highlights has always been the theme song! Whether it be Rinbu Revolution from Revolutionary Girl Utena or Connect from Puella Magi Madoka Magica or Moonlight Densetsu from the original Sailor Moon, an opening song should get me pumped for the show I'm watching. My favorite anime theme song will always be Tank! from Cowboy Bebop. And just about any of Mizuki Nana's opening songs are a personal favorite of mine as well. Even some of 9nine's anime songs are decent listens! Now Moonlight Densetsu is one hell of a theme song, especially the catchy English version. Honestly, I thought MomoClo was just going to cover that for the new anime. Turns out that was not the case, which is for better or worse. Moonlight Densetsu is a song that I just associate with Sailor Moon. When I think of the song that goes with Sailor Moon, that's the song coming to my head. However, I think having a new song for a reboot with a different edge than the old anime is also a good way to go. Dwelling on nostalgia is an unhealthy activity, and a new anime should have a new song!

If only Moon Pride were an interesting song.

Moon Pride isn't an awful song. I like it better than Naitemo Iin da yo. The song has its strong points. The chorus picks up after the second go-round. Vocally, the girls sound pretty decent too! And the guitar composition by Marty Friedman is a nice addition to Moon Pride. But I'm not feeling it. Moon Pride sounds subdued, dull at times. I don't get a strong impression from Moon Pride, just a vague pleasantness. I thought maybe the song would grow on me after listening to it several times, but I'm not loving Moon Pride. I'm liking it. But that's pretty much it. I think my problem with Moon Pride is that there's no hook. Nothing about the song reels me in. There's a nice melody and a good instrumental, but nothing about Moon Pride reaches out and grabs me. Maybe if a group like 9nine handled Moon Pride, the song would work, but this is Momoiro Clover Z. For a group known for its craziness, their stuff has been so blah. Even their rendition of Moonlight Densetsu had more life than Moon Pride. Overall, Moon Pride leaves me lukewarm, but it's decent as far as anime openings go.

I was hoping the music video for Moon Pride would have the girls dressed as the Sailor Senshi, fighting their way through monsters and mayhem! Turns out, Dempagumi.inc got that music video. What did Momoiro Clover Z get? A lame-ass clip show. The PV for Moon Pride consists of clips from the rebooted Sailor Moon that you've already seen if you watched the first two episodes. Hell, most of the animation comes from the animated opening. I'm all for recycling, but for Momoiro Clover Z, this is such a disappointment. Half of what makes MomoClo so interesting is that they get some cool music videos. Even Naitemo Iin da yo in all its pointless cameos and meandering storyline at least had some cool visuals. And the girls were at least in that music video. MomoClo isn't in the PV for Moon Pride at all. Not even a cameo at the end. I wouldn't have minded if they'd done something cool like make an animated music video. But if you've seen the anime so far, you've seen the music video. It's a downright cop-out. And that leaves me very, very displeased.



So I'll give Moon Pride 3.5 apples. As a Sailor Moon theme song, it pales in comparison to Moonlight Densetsu. As a Momoiro Clover Z song, it pales in comparison to everything off of Battle and Romance. In the end though, Moon Pride is a nice song, and not a bad one for the anime. Still, I can't help but feel the song is lacking.

Gekkou

Featured on Moon Pride is not only the opening, but the ending! Gekkou (which very appropriately translates to Moon Beam) is a slow, melodic kind of ending. The uplifting calm after a wave of action. I'm not a huge fan of MomoClo's slower songs (save for Kimi no Ato), but I think Gekkou works for them. It helps that the girls don't have to screech out any high notes. Even the harmonizing they do in Gekkou isn't half bad. Again, Gekkou is a very calm, tranquil song. There's not much to it, but the pacing and the ambient nature work better than I expected. Yet there's still this underlying epicness to the song highlighted by the strings and the pick-up in energy during the last verse. The instrumental overall is very well-done; it's the right blend of orchestral and mystical. Gekkou is the kind of song that I'd expect to hear from Sailor Moon. The song sounds like it was made to be played during the ending credits. Watching the show, I think Gekkou fits right in with the rest of the episode. I don't think Gekkou is Momoiro Clover Z's best song, but it is a nice song.

Nonetheless, there are a few nitpicks I have with Gekkou. My two problems with Gekkou are the length and the vocals. Gekkou actually isn't much longer than Moon Pride, but after three minutes, it starts to feel longer than it actually is. That's the problem with me and slow songs. They've got to keep my attention, otherwise I'm going to start nodding off. Then again, that may just be because I'm typing this at two in the morning. Nonetheless, Gekkou gets a tad monotonous, which doesn't help with the pace. And as always, the weaker aspect of Momoiro Clover Z are their vocals. With their faster songs, it's a little easier to ignore. But for slow, epic songs like Gekkou, some of that epicness gets pegged down when you hear the squeaky voices of MomoClo. I do think the girls are trying though! And they sound better in this songs than they've sounded in several of their slower songs! Still, I think I'd have given Gekkou to a solo singer with a more resonant voice, maybe one of the female seiyuus acting in the reboot. As it is though, Gekkou works pretty well as an ending. It has that atmospheric slowness of an anime ending and that cosmically epic feel of Sailor Moon.



Gekkou gets 4 apples from me. I think Gekkou works better as an ending than Moon Pride does as an opening. The song still isn't without its flaws, but I like how calm and ambient Gekkou sounds. After twenty-six minutes of sparkles and monsters and Usagi's screeching, Gekkou is a nice song to close out each episode. For Momoiro Clover Z, Gekkou is one of their better attempts at a slow song.

Moon Revenge

This last song is featured on the MomoClo edition only! It's a cover of the ending theme to Sailor Moon R, originally sung by Peach Hips. I'm surprised that Moon Revenge was included on Moon Pride and not Moonlight Densetsu. I thought that was the more popular Sailor Moon theme song, and MomoClo's already covered it. You think their cover will ever get a CD release? Oh well, maybe MomoClo's version of Moon Revenge will be featured in the reboot at some point! I wouldn't mind. I listened to the original version, and I think it's a very fitting song for Sailor Moon. Momoiro Clover Z's version of Moon Revenge isn't much different from the original, beyond the vocals. I will admit, I do like the vocals of the original better. It doesn't help that the original is performed by the seiyuus of the Sailor Senshi. Can you imagine what the reboot would have been like if the members if MomoClo voiced the Senshi? I think that would be downright terrifying! Entertaining, but terrifying! Overall, I think MomoClo's cover of Moon Revenge is done well, but I also don't feel like they really added anything to the original. It's like they basically just made a karaoke version.

Still, it's a very enjoyable song and my favorite track on Moon Pride. Honestly, Moon Revenge gets me more pumped to watch Sailor Moon than Moon Pride. The sound fits well with Momoiro Clover Z. Moon Revenge reminds me a bit of Otome Sensou, but thankfully three minutes shorter. It's nowhere near as crazy as some of MomoClo's other songs, but there's enough bubbliness and energy to Moon Revenge that it works as a MomoClo song. Moon Revenge does sound like a 90s anime song (because well, it is) and that gives the song a nostalgic feel. It's like combining the past with present by having a song sung by the older voice cast get covered by a new generation idol group. Going through the history of Sailor Moon makes me realize just how much of an impact it had on the magical girl genre and what a juggernaut the original franchise is. Moon Revenge is just one of many songs from the original anime; I wonder if MomoClo will cover any of the other Sailor Moon songs! For now, I am happy with Moon Revenge. I think it's the most fun of the three songs on Moon Pride, even if as a cover, it's more-or-less the same as the original.



I've settled on four apples for Moon Revenge. For a cover, it's a pretty good one, and I do like hearing idol groups cover older anime songs. The Peach Gips version may be the one I prefer, but Momoiro Clover Z's cover of Moon Revenge holds up well! It's fun, vibrant, and fits right in with the rest of this single!

The Verdict

Overall, Moon Pride is a Sailor Moon single that embraces Sailor Moon, which is what this single needed to do. You've got the reboot's opening, the ending, and then a cover of an older Sailor Moon song. And the group performing all these songs are wearing Sailor Moon-inspired outfits. And the promotional video for the single is a clip show of the reboot itself. This single might as well be named The Sailor Moon single. I would have been okay with that! If you're a Sailor Moon fan and are looking for a collection of songs from the reboot, Moon Pride is a good single to check out. However, I need to separate Sailor Moon from the songs themselves on this single. In my opinion, the weakest song on Moon Pride is the title song itself. Not that it's an atrocious song, but Moon Pride is such an underwhelming song that lacks a good hook. The two B-sides, Gekkou and Moon Revenge fare better. While Gekkou can get really slow, it's still a nice-sounding slow song. And Moon Revenge is a fun cover of an older Sailor Moon song. I wouldn't have minded if Moon Revenge was the opening theme for the reboot. As things are, Moon Pride makes for a decent opening.

As a Momoiro Clover Z single, Moon Pride is not the best they have done. I don't think Moon Pride is a failure single by any means, but I do feel like it's missing something. I've felt that with a lot of MomoClo's more recent songs. It's like they're all missing a... spark. A spark present in their earlier music. Maybe that's nostalgia clouding my vision. But that doesn't stop me from feeling that Moon Pride is lacking compared to some of MomoClo's other singles. Overall, I do think Moon Pride is better than Naitemo Iin da yo, which I am ever-so-thankful for. And in comparison to some of the other songs I've looked at this year, Moon Pride offers up some good songs. The A-side is the weakest off the single, but the two B-sides are both pretty good. I will say that Moon Pride as a single does have nice variety. You've got the anisong orchestral A-side, the ambient anime ending B-side, and the nostalgic cover of a previous Sailor Moon song. Together, all the songs fit with the Sailor Moon theme but stand alone as different songs. So yes, Moon Pride has its weakness, but the single also has just enough going for it to be a decent collection of songs all revolving around the moon princess herself.

So in the name of the moon, I will bestow upon Moon Pride four apples! I don't think this is a perfect single, but I didn't dislike any of the songs on it. For Momoiro Clover Z, Moon Pride is a step-up from their last single but nowhere near the quality of some of their 5th Dimension and Battle and Romance singles. But as a Sailor Moon single, it's a nice blend of old and new! So are any of my readers following the reboot Sailor Moon? What do you guys think of it so far?

Under the Sea is Momoiro Clover Z

Okay, can someone explain to me what the hell is going on with Momoiro Clover Z?

It's like just when I decided to get into them, just when I decided to open up my heart and enjoy MomoClo, shrieking voices and all, they got... boring.

I mean, look at that single cover, that looks like something Dorothy Little Happy would release, not Momoiro Clover Z. Do you guys remember how when I last reviewed Momoiro Clover Z, I talked about how I was a little skeptical of all the criticism of them declining in quality? Well... those criticizers may have been right. The Momoiro Clover Z of today is definitely from the Momoiro Clover Z of the Battle and Romance era. But different doesn't always mean bad! Even idol groups can evolve (albeit it's probably a lot more calculated) and change their style, and that's clearly what's been going on with Momoiro Clover Z. The only problem is they're evolving into a much more toned down, smooth-around-the-edges group. The best and worst part of Momoiro Clover Z is how chaotic they are. Sure, their vocals sound like nails on a chalkboard, but musically speaking, their songs are always so chaotically entertaining, that it's kind of endearing. That and their weird, nonsensical music videos were what made MomoClo eventually grow on me. After I reviewed 5th Dimension, their follow-up single, Gounn had a great music video, but the song was a little boring. Now here we are at Naitemo Iin da yo.

And by god, this song is boring.

I have one simple rule when it comes to music: don't bore me. Oh, don't get me wrong, a terrible song is a terrible song. Hello Kitty by Avril Lavigne is a terrible song. But at least it's memorable. At least it leaves an impression on me, even if it's one of disgust and irritation. When I listen to music, I do it to evoke feelings and ideas, and a boring song doesn't do that. Naitemo Iin da yo is a boring song. It sounds like it's going to be epic a la Neo Stargate in the beginning, and even into the verse, but that's a sucker punch into a chorus so generic you could swap it with an AKB48 chorus. The thing is I feel like there are parts where Naitemo Iin da yo could be a really great song. Like there's this surprisingly cool saxophone break in the bridge between the second and last chorus. And there are parts of the song that carry this feeling of epicness, like the opening. But that potential is squandered by the fact that the chorus and verses of Naitemo Iin da yo sound like they came from two different songs. And the chorus, what is usually the biggest, most memorable part of your typical pop song is so generic. Okay, it's not the most generic thing I have heard, but it is the most generic thing I have heard from Momoiro Clover Z. This is the group that had Pinky Jones, Wani to Shampoo, Mugen no Ai for crying out loud! Hearing them sound this boring is... like being in an episode of The Twilight Zone.

Maybe the reason Naitemo Iin da yo is so mundane is because it's the theme song for a movie. And you know, movie themes can be hit or miss! Like Perfume compromised their technopop sound for the ridiculously light and kid-friendly Mirai no Museum or as I like to call it, The Doraemon Song. Naitemo Iin da yo is the theme song for Akumu-chan: The Movie or in English, My Little Nightmare: The Movie. Now MomoClo previously did the theme song for the television show the movie is based off of; that song turned out to be Saraba, Itoshiki Kanashimitachi-yo. Which is a good song. So this still doesn't make any sense! And from the summary I read on Wikipedia, Akumu-chan seems like a pretty neat television show. It sounds like it's got drama, action, fantasy, horror, the kind of television show where the stakes are high! I don't know if that's true, but Naitemo Iin da yo doesn't sound like the kind of song that brings to my mind drama, action, fantasy, or horror. I don't know what to make of this song. It isn't good, it isn't bad, it isn't weird, it isn't anything that I'd expect from Momoiro Clover Z. So yes, Naitemo Iin da yo is different for MomoClo, but only because it is so painfully normal for them.

The thing is... the girls don't actually sound that bad in Naitemo Iin da yo. One of MomoClo's weak points has always been their vocals, but here they sound pretty decent. The squeak comes back at certain points (like the chorus), but individually, they all sound frighteningly passable. Even Kanako and Ayaka's voices aren't anywhere near as cacophonic as they've been in some of their previous songs. I mean, don't get me wrong, the vocals aren't anywhere near as good as say, Tokyo Girls' Style's or Fairies. But for Momoiro Clover Z, they're... better. And that scares me too. But despite the fact that the girls of MomoClo sound not-terrible in Naitemo Iin da yo, they don't have enough vocal power to pull off the truly epic song that Naitemo Iin da yo is trying to pass itself off as. You need someone like Mizuki Nana, she's got the pipes to pull off cheesy epic anime songs. Momoiro Clover Z does not. I don't now, I don't know what else I can really say about Naitemo Iin da yo other than it's big pile of nothing. There's nothing that stands out about it other than the fact that for Momoiro Clover Z it is embarrassingly normal. I don't now what the hell happened with Momoiro Clover Z on this single, but whatever it is, I hope it gets fixed by the time their next release rolls around.

Oh well, if there's something I can count on with Momoiro Clover Z, it's a weird, interesting PV. Even though Gounn was an average song, it had a really cool, fascinating PV that was fun to pick apart. And the promotional images for Naitemo Iin da yo look pretty cool. Maybe the PV will involve underwater sea goddesses or something crazy like that. Just something to make the song interesting... anything... oh god, please let the PV for Naitemo Iin da yo be interesting.

Okay, a futuristic room... that can be interesting. Now utilize it!

Wow, they're showing us a clip from Akumu-chan: The Movie! Boy, I didn't know Momoiro Clover Z was being featured in it!

Why are they all dressed like Christmas presents? It's a little early for their holiday PV.

So MomoClo's now doing underwater rituals in Wonderland. Okay then.

And now we're underwater! What happened to that futuristic room???

This is Kitagawa Keiko, main character of the Akumu-chan series. She also appeared in a TV Special as the 6th member of MomoClo.

And this is her costar, Kimura Manatsu.

Why are they in this music video? Why do you think, to promote the movie of course.

Okay, these outfits looked a little bit cooler in the promo pic. Here, they look very costume-y.

Boy, I didn't know that clouds and the sun existed underwater! This is mind-blowing!

There's a lot of power-posing in this dance. I can't complain, it makes screencapping easier!

For a PV by Momoiro Clover Z set underwater not much is happening.

Okay, new dance shot, I guess that's different-

Wait a minute, is that the dance set from Shabondama!?

Oh look, these two again. Still running, I see. From what? Who knows!

MomoClo, what are you doing here!? Go back to the sea!

I admit these close-ups are prettier but very... serious. And normal. And not-weird.

Mmkay, now they're singing at school. Great. Very interesting.

Ooh, now they're running through a school. And it's raining. Dunno why. Don't really care why either.

Now I'm not a professional writer, but in common storytelling, if you want to draw you audience in it helps to show what your characters are running from.

Can we get like a giant octopus in this shot or something?

Do these two ever take a break from running!? Surely they need a water break by now!

Oh good, they finally made it out of that building. Because I was so invested.

Who the hell are these kids?

What the hell is MomoClo doing here?

Why the hell did they steal Perfume's apples?

How the hell are- oh, forget it.

Ah, I contributed nothing to this PV. Now give me an Oscar!

We contributed nothing to our own PV. Now give us a #1 single already!

So... was this all a dream?

Thank you, future room, for serving no purpose other than to bookend the PV!

What in the wide world of sports did I just watch? This PV is confusing. Not confusing in the fun, "I have no idea what's going on but I'm having fun!" confusing. In fact, I wish the PV for Naitemo Iin da yo was confusing in that way. At least that would be more entertaining! I am not sure what the producers were trying to convey with Naitemo Iin da yo. When I saw the promotional image released, I thought that the PV would be underwater-themed. And it was. Kind of. But man, that idea was really underused. I mean, you can do so much with an underwater environment. And the way MomoClo's PVs can take concepts and twist them into the craziest directions, I thought they'd do the same thing for Naitemo Iin da yo. But the underwater setting is pretty much only used for the dance shot. The rest of the PV is devoted to either showing the girls in a school building, the two main characters from the movie, or the girls dancing in an other water-esque set. How are any of these scenes connected? Does it have something to do with water? What about the futuristic set in the beginning and that weird ritual with the apples? Why does nothing make sense in such a boring way? I practically need an instruction manual to figure out what means what in this PV.

Would watching the Akumu-chan drama help me figure this PV out? I know the basic summary of the drama is that Kitagawa Keiko is this teacher who's really apathetic until this new student played by Kimura Manatsu. And this new student dreams of terrible events set to happen in the future. So the teacher and student spend the series trying to prevent these disasters from happening. And that is a really cool concept. Maybe the drama is better than the PV. Actually, it probably is. The PV for Naitemo Iin da yo is all over the place. I think if the producers wanted to include the main actresses from the PV, they should have either minimized the scenes with MomoClo in them, or just create two separate PVs, one featuring the actresses and their story and the other featuring MomoClo. Trying to interweave these two together makes the final result jumbled and clunky. I kind of get the beginning where the two actresses are sleeping, since that ties in to the concept of the drama. But everything else? Why are they running through hallways all the time? What does MomoClo have to do with any of this? What's the point of having the girls be underwater? Does that tie into the lyrics? Are the other students at the end cast members of the show? I feel like this PV was just a big giant ploy to get me to watch the show and buy tickets to see the movie. Which I can't anyways because I don't live in Japan.

What could have made the PV for Naitemo Iin da yo cooler would be more supernatural elements. For a PV that features the girls dancing underwater, everything is surprisingly mundane. The only really surreal part is the ritual at the beginning with the apples then the girls showing up at the end with those apples appearing on that giant tree. And yet there are a bunch of really cool ideas that are shown in this PV, but none of them are ever explored or utilized to their fullest potential. Like that futuristic room in the beginning. We never see that again until the end of the PV. Why did they feel the need to include that room? Then it shows the teacher and student running, but what are they running from? Why are they running? I get that this is a PV and that they don't always wrap everything up in a sensical way, but if you're gonna throw out these ideas, then I'm gonna expect some kind of explanation behind why. But instead, a lot of these interesting ideas, like showing MomoClo running through a classroom in the rain, are just glazed over so we can get to the next idea that won't be fully explored. I'm not sure if Naitemo Iin da yo was trying to tell a story or just incorporate elements from the drama into the PV. Either way, the final result is a meandering mess.

What made Gounn such a fun PV was that all the imagery in it felt like it was there for a reason. The PV revolved around Buddhism, so the PV was rife with Buddhist imagery. I think Naitemo Iin da yo had a better budget than some of MomoClo's older PVs, but their older PVs at least explored concepts in a cohesive manner. I'd rather take something like Mirai Bowl or Mugen no Ai over Naitemo Iin da yo. When you come down to it, do the girls really do anything in this PV other than dance? Okay, they sit down at desks and run through rain and perform a ritual but other than that, what else do they do in this PV other than dance and look pretty in their close-ups? I can't see any of the girls' personalities in this PV. They're all so generically serious. And maybe that's because the song is serious, or because they're not given any opportunities to utilize their personalities. You could have switched them out with any other idol group, and I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. In the end, I don't know what to make of the PV for Naitemo Iin da yo any more than I do the song. There are some visual effects that are cool, but visuals don't make up for the aimless storyline, lack of MomoClo-ness, and general feeling that I'm watching a prolonged advertisement for Akumu-chan: The Movie.

All in all, Naitemo Iin da yo feels like wasted potential. Two-and-a-half apples of wasted potential. I don't know what Momoiro Clover Z was going for with this PV, but I felt like I was reviewing a different idol group. Maybe they'll get a better single next time.

Holly Jolly PV Week: Momoiro Clover Z

Yes. That PV.

Before I start talking about the insanity that is Momoiro Clover Z, I just want to wish you all a merry Christmas! I hope wherever you are and whatever you're doing that you're happy right now! I myself will be with family all day so I haven't been able to publish this review until late in the evening. But technically it's still Christmas so there! And I figured there isn't a better PV to close Holly Jolly PV Week out with than a Momoiro Clover Z one! I can guarantee it will be wacky, insane, and weird in all the fun ways that Momoiro Clover Z always is! Naturally, I am referring to the one Christmas PV I know that Momoiro Clover Z has released: Santa-san! Pretty appropriate name for a Christmas song if I do say so myself! Honestly, I'm not surprised that MomoClo has a Christmas song. I'm more surprised that it took so long for them to do one! For an idol group that likes to take common idol concepts the craziest and weirdest limits possible, you'd think they'd get around to injecting a shot of insanity into a Christmas song. Oh well, better late than never!

Santa-san was released in late 2011, actually as a B-side to Roudou Sanka, a single released in November. I guess MomoClo just couldn't wait to get into the Christmas spirit! And November 2011 just so happens to be the time I started blogging, a time when I'd yet to get into Momoiro Clover Z, let alone know much about them. But I vaguely remember the divine and wonderful Chiima reviewing the PV for this and being generally weirded out but still providing a very entertaining screencap. Then stuff happened, I started listening to MomoClo, things got crazy, and here we are now! In hindsight, I wish I hadn't forgotten about Santa-san so easily because it is a really good song. I'm not even saying it's good as a Christmas song, it's good as a song in general. I almost regret never getting around to reviewing this PV back when it was released... then again, my reviewing skills were crap back then! Now I feel like I can provide a much more thought-out and developed review that I believe a song like Santa-san deserves!

In Santa-san, Momoiro Clover Z is just as crazy and lighthearted and fun singing it as they are singing many of their other songs; this one's just about Christmas! And I love the energy the girls put into it; they sound so excited. I haven't really said this, but I've always liked the way MomoClo sort of throws themselves into the songs they sing. Like it doesn't matter what style or sound, I always feel like the girls sing the songs with such commitment. I mean, I know the songs are composed by other arrangers and writers, but a song can still be boring if the singers sound bored. And even in their more boring songs, the girls of MomoClo never sound bored. With all the idol groups I review, a group that sounds consistently not-bored when they sing is such a blessing. And in Santa-san, I believe the girls are genuinely excited when they sing about Santa and Christmas! Even if it was faked and the girls didn't feel that way in real life, in the song, they at least convincingly act like they're excited! And I think that excitement is what makes Santa-san such a good song.

That and the arrangement. Oh my gosh, the arrangement for this song is crazy in the most entertaining way possible. I wonder if that Hyadain guy composed it... a-ha, I just looked it up and yes, he did! I'm not surprised. I know he composed a lot of MomoClo's intricate, Battle and Romance-era songs, and Santa-san definitely does have a very Battle and Romance feel. I feel like I've been hearing that guy's name a lot recently with other idol groups. The guy must be busy! Anyways, the arrangement, like I said, has so many different parts in it. It's a little jarring at first, like any of MomoClo's Hyadain-composed songs, but I can't help but get caught up in the excitement the girls profess throughout the song! When I listen to Santa-san, I just feel so happy. Sort of the same way a little kid feels on Christmas day. In fact, I'm sure this song existed when I was a kid, I would have loved it, because Santa-san is a very childish song. But childish in a way that both adults and kids can enjoy it! Kind of like Disney movies!

And I love that a Christmas song can get me so excited. As each year passes, and I grow more mature, I feel that I'm very slowly losing touch with the enchantment I had with Christmas as a little kid. Don't get me wrong, I still love Christmas and look forward to it, but no in the same way I did when I was a little kid. Maybe because I know the truth about Santa, because my brain has matured, I don't know, I just enjoy Christmas in a different way now. You know how little kids look at things differently than adults, and the way a kid looks forward to Christmas is an emotion so difficult to capture as an adult. All that wonder and joy and anticipation of waking up seeing presents underneath a tree. It's hard to feel that same way once you get older. But Santa-san reminds me of those feelings of Christmas as a child. It's the only song on Holly Jolly PV Week that really comes close to displaying the ecstatic joy of Christmas and everything about it. And that's why it's my favorite idol Christmas song.

I think it has so much enthusiasm and heart and sweetness and all the emotions that I've experienced around Christmas, whether it be now or as a little kid. The girls of Momoiro Clover Z deliver the lyrics of this song with such childlike happiness too. I think the lyrics to Santa-san also help make it such a great song. They're about what else? Santa! And a bunch other things surrounding Christmas. Really Santa-san covers a range of different Christmas topics. My favorite part is when Kanako and Shiori mention that in Australia, they're celebrating a midsummer Christmas and Reni goes "WHAT!?" in the song. Then the girls switch from repeating "Santa!" to repeating "Coco!" Just the way it's delivered at such a rapidfire timing makes it so funny. And there a lot of other nice touches to the lyrics, with the girls musing about presents, delicious Christmas food, believing in Santa, and a lot of other things! Santa-san is actually one of the few songs where I strongly recommend reading the lyrics. They're part of what make Santa-san such a memorable Christmas song along with the arrangement, the emotion, and just about everything about this song! For me, it is the best idol Christmas song, hands down.

But does Santa-san have an equally high-quality PV? We're looking at a Momoiro Clover Z PV, so even if not, I do expect some level of craziness! The question is just how crazy does MomoClo get? If you're all done unwrapping presents and celebrating, how about we take a look!

A vintage Santa figurine! Nice!

Aw, now isn't this a sweet way to open up a PV?

With the girls in their pajamas thoughtfully singing about Santa, I bet this PV's going to be absolutely-

OH GOD WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY WEARING

Okay... pull yourself together, Nia... they're just costumes... fuzzy abominations... but still costumes

I could honestly see Kanako being down with becoming a Christmas tree.

Momoka and Aa~rin got their Shiori at Sears for only $49.95! Plus shipping and handling.

The girls do genuinely look like they're having a bunch of fun.

I mean, I don't think I've seen idols have this much fun since BiS kidnapped Pinky in W.W.D. II!

A fridge that comes with an idol instead of a back wall!? I want my money back!

Yes, Reni, that's a card. Of something. This is why I take Spanish.

Ain't no party like a MomoClo party!

Just don't be like Not yet and end up partying so hard you end up in jail.

Silly Kanako, you can't eat an ornament! Or can you? I wouldn't try it.

Oh, Reni looks so nice and pretty in her purple kimono-

Oh my god. That. Is. HILARIOUS!

I'll bet they got Shiori during the Black Friday sale. Idols come at great prices during that time!

As crazy as it would probably be, I'd love to party with Momoiro Clover Z.

I mean, they look like they're having so much fun. Not fake-idol PV kind of fun, but genuine fun!

Even in those hideous outfits, they still look like they're having fun!

Kanako has now achieved her goal of becoming a cherry tree- oh wait, that's an AKB48 song! Wrong PV!

And Momoka is perpetually adorable.

Pity they can't eat that food. It looks delicious!

Ah, I was wondering when Kanako would pull one of her unintentionally-psychotic grins!

A pie in the face is classic slapstick. And it's delicious!

I wish the Christmas parties I've been to were this much fun.

Um... so now it's Christmas pool party?

Oh, I get it! The lyrics talk about Australia Christmases so MomoClo does what MomoClo does and throws and Australian-style Christmas party!

Table dancing! YEAH! This party's getting hardcore!

Poor Momoka; I guess she isn't keen on getting pied in the face...

Of course the PV couldn't end without one last shot of those terrifying outfits. Eugh.

I forgot how bat-shit crazy this PV is! But it's bat-shit crazy in the most awesometacular way possible! I love how the PV starts out with the girls all lined up in their pajamas swaying and looking really calm then BAM! UGLY CHRISTMAS OUTFITS! Yeah, the outfits in the dance shot are ugly in the tackiest and most hilarious way possible. I can't even hate them that much because they're just so over-the-top. The girls look like walking Christmas ornaments in them! Then again, what else should I have expected from Momoiro Clover Z? Besides, most of the PVs shows the girls in outfits beyond the fuzzy abominations. Basically, the PV for Santa-san is one giant Christmas party. It shows the girls dancing around, admiring delectable Christmas food, riding around on a toy train, and goofing off in every way possible. They're like little kids! It's so adorable!

I really love all the variety put into this PV. The sets are so cute and look great with all the Christmas decorations! I mean, whoever did the set for this PV really went all out! All the decorations gave the PV a very homey feel, like this was a real house and not just a set! I sometimes like pausing this PV just so I can get a good look at the detail put in to the set! And I like that they show the sets from several different angles, like Kanako and Momoka on top of a table to Shiori on the train to Aarin in the refrigerator. The editing in this PV was really nice too. I think the camera cut to every scene at the right time so that this PV never felt slow. Screencapping this PV was so much fun because of how fast-paced and energetic it is! There's so much to talk about in this PV because there's simply so much going on! I felt like Santa-san is a PV that showcases so many great things about Christmas. Like the decorations, the food, the presents, and most of all the happiness. This is such a happy and carefree PV. It perfectly matches the mood that I feel on Christmas: that sense of utter happiness and content.

Even though all that is great, what makes Santa-san such a great PV is the girls themselves. In Santa-san, the girls are an absolute trip to watch. They're so entertaining! I like that this PV allowed the girls to be goofy in a way that isn't exactly cute. The girls still look adorable, but there are parts in this PV where they act goofy and dorky. Like I feel like a lot of idol Christmas PVs just show the idols doing all these cute things and looking really glamorous and pretty while doing them. I mean, that isn't a bad thing, but it's just nice seeing the girls of MomoClo doing stuff like shoving pies in each other's faces and having food fights and falling into swimming pools and other physical comedy like that. I mean, when Reni-chan came out with her purple kimono rearranged, that was hilarious! Stuff like that made me feel like the emphasis of the PV was less "Look how cute Momoiro Clover Z is!" and more "Look at all the crazy stuff Momoiro Clover Z does on Christmas!" It's refreshing.

I mean, I know that I goof off on Christmas all the time with my family. And at the few Christmas parties I've been to, I've done more-or-less the same thing. Okay, I've never had a Christmas food fight because the food's so delicious that no one dares throw it at people. But still, a lot of the stuff MomoClo does in this PV is on the same level of wacky dorkiness that I experience on Christmas! Letting MomoClo go all out and do all this crazy stuff was really fun to watch. And it helps that they genuinely look like they're having fun. I think MomoClo does a good job of being expressive in their PVs, but Santa-san is a PV where I think they were really allowed to be super excited and happy. They're always smiling and teasing each other and laughing and having all sorts of fun in this PV! I want to have a Christmas party with MomoClo if they're this fun! The girls all look so happy, and I love the fun, friendly way they interact with each other. It just reminds me of my own Christmases.

I think because I can relate to the PV for Santa-san I love the PV a lot. All the emotion in the PV perfectly matches all the emotions that I feel on Christmas! Like today, I felt pretty much the same way the girls did! By the way, I just want to take this moment to wish you all a merry Christmas. I know, I know, it's off topic but still! I have to at least deliver a little Christmas message to my coolest of cool spuds! I hope that you enjoyed this Christmas. I enjoyed mine a lot; I spent time with my family, and it was just a really nice day! But I know that not everyone experiences a great Christmas. If you're one of those people, I just want to say that I hope that whatever is preventing you from having one goes away! And I hope that if you are in a bad place right now that you get out of it!

For those of you who did have a wonderful Christmas, I want to give you all a gift. Well... it's not exactly a gift that you can hold or do anything with. It's just my thanks! Thank you all for supporting me and my little Wonderland! I know I can get kind of dorky and weird and passionate about idol music, and for you all to sit and read my ramblings makes me grateful beyond words. Christmas is a time when I like being thankful for all the opportunities that I've been given, and just knowing that people out there enjoy reading my stuff on the Wonderland is something I will always be thankful for. I wish I could give each and every one of you something like a card or candy or... I don't know, just something to say thank you! I hope that the least I can give back to you is my writing. So one last time, thank you for sticking around and reading my writing! I love each and every one of you, and I hope that you all are having a merry Christmas! So uh... where was I again? Right! Momoiro Clover Z! Yeah, I love the PV for Santa-san in case you didn't figure that out already. If you are as much of an enthusiast about Christmas as I am, I highly recommend checking this PV out if you haven't already. In my opinion, it is the quintessential Christmas PV, showing all the best parts of Christmas, both physical and emotional!

Yeah, Santa-san gets the entire five fruitcake rating, reserved for only the most Christmas-y of idol Christmas PVs! The song is great, the PV is great, this is such a great Christmas song. I feel really good ending Holly Jolly PV Week with Santa-san; it encompasses all the holliness and jolliness I wanted this week! And I hope you all enjoyed it, and again, I especially hope you all had a merry Christmas! With Christmas almost over (like it's almost midnight where I am), now I can start getting into all the year-end stuff! Yay!