Sexy PV Week: G☆Girls

Yesterday on Sexy PV Week, we looked a Ebisu Muscats' Oecura Mambo PV, an innocently sexy PV. Today's PV is a little less innocent from yesterday if you catch my drift. Yes, the sexy PV of today is by an obscure idol group known as G☆Girls and the PV I'm reviewing is titled Tik tok. And just to set the record straight: no, it is not that Tik tok.

You have no idea how hard it was to find information about this group! The main problem was every time I typed "g girls" into my Google search engine, a bunch of homemade rap groups on Youtube popped up instead! That's not what I wanted to review at all! If I wanted to watch a bunch of untalented middle schoolers do some shitty wrapping, I'd just step into the hallway of my local middle school! But anyways, researching G☆Girls was a pain but I did manage to find more about them once I added the "☆" to my search! I actually didn't decide to look at G☆Girls until a few days ago, mainly because that's when I discovered them. I needed one more PV to get a full seven PVs for Sexy PV Week so I searched for gravure idol groups since I figured a gravure idol group would have a pretty sexy PV. Unless they're Ebisu Muscats. But I digress. Anyways, I found a G☆Girls music video on Youtube and subsequently found their music video for Tik tok. I looked over that and decided that it was perfect for Sexy PV Week.

So who is this gravure group anyways and where did they come from? Unlike Ebisu Muscats, which emerged from a variety show, G☆Girls emerged from a magazine contest. Each of the members of the group tried out at an audition titled "Miss Flash" sponsored by Flash magazine. The winners formed G☆Girls and no the "G" does not stand for "Gangster." However, it does stand for "Gravure" so technically the name of the group is really Gravure☆Girls. I guess abbreviated group names just sound cooler. I do think that is a pretty clever pun though! Not only would the girls be gravure models but they would also be a singing and dancing group... which could go either be good or a huge fail. Nonetheless, the group's debut single was entitled Mahou wo Kakete Love Me Do! and I thought about reviewing that PV but the full PV wasn't available and Tik tok's was. Besides, the Tik tok PV is in HD and I'm a total sucker for HD PVs. So before getting to the PV, how is the actual song? After all this is a gravure idol group and singing isn't exactly the driving force of a gravure idol group if you know what I mean...

Well, the one definite thing I can say about Tik tok is that it is not a cover of the famous Ke$ha song. But... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't kind of hoping that it was a cover.

Instead, what we get is a generic club song that wouldn't sound out of place on an American radio station. Well, if they were speaking English. I have to say, Tik tok sounds like it would fit more with K-pop than J-pop. The opening has been done billions of times in so many songs (think Lady Gaga's Poker Face) and the song just has once cliche thrown after another. The song is a teensy bit catchy but not enough that it's going to be the kind of song that plays in my head for the rest of Sexy PV Week. The title drop of the song is the catchiest part of the song but the rest of it sounds pretty bland. I'm just saying that there are a ton of songs that sound a lot like this, particularly in K-pop. It does have some slightly cool electropop elements lingering the song but it's not enough to keep the song interesting, although the instrumental break does sound pretty nice.

As for the vocals of the gravure models... well, I didn't really have high expectations. And unsurprisingly, the girls' singing voices are... well, I've heard much better. Much, much better. I have to admit, the vocals aren't the worst I've ever heard but it's pretty obvious that most of these girls don't have a lot of training in singing. But hey, at least they try so I can give them a brownie point for trying! I think what bothers me the most about their vocals is how uninterested they sound; I absolutely can't stand a song that lacks vocal energy and Tik tok is a song that has a very low amount of energy. Even the most generic of club songs can be saved if they have a little bit of energy infused into the them! Sadly, this song doesn't and ultimately Tik tok is a pretty lifeless and forgettable song. And I know, they're a gravure idol group; music isn't exactly the focal point of a gravure idol group. Still, as an idol blogger, I review both the music and the visuals regardless of what type of group. And judging the song alone, Tik tok, unlike the Ke$ha song, is nothing special and not really worth a listen.

So even though the song is generic, this is Sexy PV Week so maybe the PV can breathe some life into it! Since G☆Girls is a gravure idol group, let's see if these PV is a sexy PV that showcases the talents of a gravure model!

And the fanservice has already begun even before the title drop! Wow! That's a new record!

Wow, that front girl has some massive... tracts of land.

There's our title drop!

Eh, what do you see up on the ceiling, girl on the left? Is it Ceiling Cat!?

A plain studio is a cliche but pretty safe set to use for a dance shot.

And look, another dance shot! I like this set better!

As for the dancing... yeah, the dancing in this sure isn't at Perfume levels of awesomeness.

Very good, girls! You can make a clock with your hands! You're more advanced than Perfume choreography!

Oh hey! Another set! I'm actually surprised at the number of sets used in this PV!

What do you want, a cookie? Go ask one of the many horny wotas I'm sure you have!

What better fanservice than self-groping?

Speaking of self-groping... BOOBS! Gaze at them, everyone! Gaze at this glorious fanservice!

Off we go to do... gravure stuff!

And here's our gratuitous leg shot! I wonder what's next on the Idol Fanservice Tour...

This girl has really pretty eyes! It's like they're staring into my soul!

You know, for a song called Tik tok, it might help to have actual clocks in this PV.

Oh yeah, eat it up, wotas. Eat. It. UP!

God, how long is that hallway!? Two minutes have gone by in the PV and they're still in it.

Even if these girls can't dance, at least they have nice legs!

Wow, nifty! The sexy stockings get an extension! Actually, what the hell did that accomplish!?

I wonder if there's a fanservice drinking game...

Ooh, this must be the part where they break out some cool dances moves... or try to anyways!

I have to admit the silhouette strangely reminds me of Spring of Life...

Except with more fanservice!

Still walking I see... in slow motion... wearing impractically high heels.

Oh hey, you finally made it to some stairs! And it only took you two minutes to cross that room!

And after all that walking, the girls enter...

The room they shot one of the dance shots in. Well. I've had more disappointing payoffs.

Ugh, I wish someone would go Mikiko on their sloppy dancing and sharpen it up!

Annnnd more leg shots because... FANSERVICE!

And finally a group pose, the only polished-looking part of the dance!

Well, that sure as hell wasn't Ebisu Muscats, huh? I admit, this is quite a mood whiplash from the innocent fanservice of Oecura Mambo. The fanservice presented in this PV is very obviously fanservice; you've got boob shots (like really close-up boob shots), leg shots, torso shots and the girls themselves are done up in very sexy outfits. They're wearing black fishnet stockings, shiny heels, boob-squeezing corsets, even the red-and-black color scheme just screams "SEX!" Then again, this is a gravure idol group and the screenshot on the Youtube video was a pair of boobs so what else did I expect? I actually think knowing what a gravure idol is and what they do did lower any potential shock I might have had if this had been a PV from, say, Morning Musume. Because Hello! Project would never do a sexy PV like this, right? Right!? Of course not but G☆Girls, being a gravure idol group, would most definitely do a very sexy and fanservice-y PV.

So I can't say I'm very surprised at how much fanservice there was in this PV, especially considering the main audience gravure idols pander to. But does that make it enjoyable? For me... not really. As I said before, fanservice is something I hold little to no interest in and all the body shots seem just a little to gratuitous for me. But I can't deny that they're shot well! Actually, I was really surprised at how well the camera work was for this PV; I guess I just assumed that gravure idol groups automatically get low-budget PVs. Surprisingly though, this was shot very well. I mean, the body shots are still fanservice-y but at least they look somewhat classy thanks to the lighting and the camera work. That being said, if you're a fan of gravure idols and blatant fanservice, this is right up your alley. I'm not kidding when I say that the PV is packed with fanservice (and that's only the second one on my list; imagine the PVs I'm reviewing further into the week!). If you're into more innocent fanservice, this might be too blatant and tasteless for you.

With or without the fanservice, the girls themselves all look pretty but then again they're models so I kind of expected that. But just because the girls look pretty does not mean they're good dancers. Yep, one of the biggest problems I had with this PV was that the girls really couldn't dance. I mean... wow. There were many times when they weren't in sync and the moves didn't look sharp but flowed very awkwardly. The choreography didn't look particularly hard but you could see parts where the girls were struggling. I can give them a gold star for trying but man, when the PV consists of 50% fanservice and 40% dancing, it's hard to ignore it. In fact, I think another problem I had with this PV was that while the girls looked pretty, that was about it. They didn't look like they were having fun and again, the song isn't exactly a fun and happy song but they could have shown a little more emotion!

I guess because they were trying to model and look sexy and everything but personally, I like it when idols look like they're having fun in PVs. That's what can bring even the cheapest of PVs back to life! The girls in this PV might as well have been mannequins. There were a few parts where you saw some personality leak out but the PV consists mostly of the gravure idols dancing around and posing and looking sexy. Again, I know that's what they're supposed to do but this PV felt less like an idol PV and more like a gravure PV. Other than those two criticisms, the rest of the PVs looks pretty nice. Like I said, they must have had a pretty decent budget because there are a variety of different sets and locations from the studio dance shot to the hallway to the room with the stairs to the alternate dance shot. The PV was surprisingly well shot too and the atmosphere of the PV matched with the song. So overall, this PV succeeds in fanservice and sexiness but fails in personality and charm.

Hence, I will give it three out of five Perfume!Legs. If you're horny as hell, then I think you'll enjoy the Tik tok PV. With its boob-hugging corsets, fishnet stockings high heels, and large tracts of land, there's a lot to look at. And the shots are mostly fanservice-y, focusing more on the girls' bodies than the actual girls. The song itself is forgettable but let's be honest; who's honestly going to watch this PV just to listen to the song? That's what I thought. Now stay tuned for tomorrow's sexy PV! I think you guys will enjoy the one tomorrow, particularly because of the group I'm reviewing!

Sexy PV Week: Ebisu Muscats

All right guys, it's Sunday of the week of Valentine's Day so let's get started on reviewing some sexy PVs, starting with Ebisu Muscats!

That's right, the idol group the will begin the fabulously sexy PV week is Ebisu Muscats! For those of you who are a little vague on just who the hell Ebisu Muscats is, here's a brief history lesson for you! They're like AKB48 only SEXIER! Just kidding, but the group is made up of AV actresses and gravure models, with a few cabaret girls and a few legitimate models thrown into the mix. Like AKB48, Ebisu Muscats does not have a consistent lineup and it changes with each single. Currently, there are around 30 members of the group along with a slew of other former members that I'll probably never hear about! Anyways, the group was established way back in 2008 on a variety show titled Onegai! Muscat. Now I have no idea how a group filled with AV/gravure/cabaret/model idols stems from a variety show but whatever! The group released their first indie single back in 2010 titled Banana Mango High School/12 no 34 Naite and released several more indie singles before being picked up by Pony Canyon. Under the major label, Ebisu Muscats released four more singles and then announced that they would be disbanding in April 2013.

Now the only opinion I had of Ebisu Muscats before Sexy PV Week was that their name sounded like a really crappy school mascot. When I started leafing through the group's music videos, I was surprised at just how toned down they were in terms of fanservice, especially the ones shot under the Pony Canyon label. Don't get me wrong, there's still a good amount of fanservice but it's a lot less that I thought I would see from a idol group consisting of AV actresses and gravure idols. I will say, their indie PVs are sexier than their major label PVs (even though they wear the same costumes in every indie PV). However, their debut song, Honey Trap, had a really sexy PV to go with it and was a pretty catchy song on its own! Hence I was originally going to review their Honey Trap PV but since I couldn't find the full version, I resorted to looking through their indie singles for a suitably sexy PV! They had a pretty decent amount of indie PVs so surely I could find a good one to start off Sexy PV Week! I decided to go with their PV to Oecura Mambo, one of the A-sides off their second single.

But not so fast! Before we get to the sexy PV in question, I'd like to review the song first. Just because I'm focusing on the PVs doesn't mean the songs accompanying them are getting a free pass. Part of the reason why I picked Oecura Mambo was because I felt like I could talk about the song! That being said, what do I think of this song?

So... have you guys ever heard of yé-yé music? You probably have and you just didn't know the term for it until now but yé-yé is that perky and insufferably catchy sounding style of music that sounds like it belongs in an episode of Mad Men. And is has been featured on Mad Men! The style mainly originated back in the 60s in Europe (particularly in France, Spain and Portugal). Many of the singers who sung yé-yé were young females who gave off an innocently sexy image. My, my doesn't that sound familiar to Japanese idols? Could it be that they're related!? Yep, a good deal idol music originated from this yé-yé style of music and this genre can even be found in Shibuya-kei and indie pop! So there! Now you learned something! Isn't history fun? Back to the song I'm reviewing, Oecura Mambo is very reminiscent of that yé-yé music sound and it's a very retro sounding song.

The instrumental in particular was what sounded the most yé-yé to me with its repetitive melody and beach-y sound. In fact, this sounds like a song I'd hear playing during a cheesy beach party in the 60s! I know if I were throwing a cheesy beach party during the 60s I would totally play this song! So yeah, if you're a fan of more retro-sounding idol music (i.e. Nogizaka46 except not sucking) then I think you can enjoy Oecura Mambo! It's a pretty tame idol song but it does have a rather catchy instrumental and it's a fun little head-bobber especially if you want to relax. In fact, there was only one real problem I had with this song and that was the vocals were... weird. I don't want to say the vocals were bad but at times it sounded like the idols singing the song were doing this weird thing where they were shouting and singing at the same time. I'd be lying if I said that didn't get on my nerves a teensy bit; I can stand shouting in songs (or shouting in general...) and if I wasn't in the mood to listen to Oecura Mambo, those vocals might irritate me. It makes me wonder how many girls were hired for their... talent. If you know what I mean.

But enough of those double entendres! This wouldn't be much of a Sexy PV Week if I didn't review the actual PV Oecura Mambo, would it? So let's see just how sexy this Oecura Mambo PV really is!

You know, I've discovered that a good indicator of a PV's budget is the font used to drop the title. Can you guess the budget for Oecuar Mambo?

And here we have a fanservice-y summer PV in... a park? Odd choice. I guess AKB48 stole a beach location already.

I hope you like leg shots because there are a lot of those in this PV!

Do the hula, everyone! But not just any hula: the sexy hula!

How could we forget about the boob-shots!? After all, this is a fanservice PV!

Freeze frame!

I don't know if the pink girl's looking at the blue girl's legs, but if so, her facial expression is priceless.

Oh yeah, this is totally what girls do when they hang out with each other! We dress up in skimpy cover ups and lie down on each other's legs!

I like that this PV has books in it! It spreads the message that yes, books are sexy!

But leg shots remain sexier.

And shots of them playing with beach balls... because that's fanservice, right?

I have to admit, the girls in this PV are actually really adorable.

You can tell that they have experience in modeling and posing and showing their bodies in an attractively flattering way.

Mmkay, why would you wear fancy black dress shoes with a beach-y cover-up?

Poor Ebisu Muscats; the only outfits they can pick from are those cover-ups in different colors! Boy, limited wardrobe sucks, doesn't it?

I am the fisherman and you are the fish. NOW I SHALL REEL YOU IN WITH FANSERVICE!

And more sports! Yay!

I'd make a sexism joke but that would be politically incorrect.

Sweet dreams, random idol whom I will never see again!

Awww, they're waving to the viewer! That's so sweet!

I have to give these girls credit for looking like they're genuinely having fun.

The twintailed girl is really adorable! I don't know who she is and probably never will but she's really cute!

Annnnd more leg shots. Oddly enough, this PV is more toned-down in fanservice than Ponytail to Shushu!

Annnnd more kinda-sexy-but-also-slightly-awkward dancing!

You know, if I had screencapped every leg shot in this PV, my screencap probably would have been twice as long.

And you're adorable too!

I guess it makes sense that all the girls are very pretty since they're all AV actresses/models/gravure idols.

Watch out! The Ebisu Muscats are coming for you! RAWR!!!

Not sure if they're try to make the shape of a mango or a Cheerio...

That's right! Do the Travolta! The SEXY pre-insane Travolta!

And so the PV ends with them all piling on top of each other... No! Not in that way!

Like I said yesterday, the way I'm doing Sexy PV Week is that I'm starting out with the least sexy PV on my list and then I'm going upward from there. And naturally since Oecura Mambo kicks off Sexy PV Week, this is the PV that I found to be the least sexiest of the list of PVs I decided to review. And honestly, I was pretty surprised at how toned down this was compared to my expectations for Ebisu Muscats. I'd kind of expected this group to be a little bit sexier considering the lineup consisted of AV actresses and gravure girls but if anything, the Oecura Mambo PV is more of an innocent-fanservice type of PV than a flat-out, in-your-face fanservice PV. And I guess that is kind of a nice change compared to the future PVs I'll be reviewing this week but I'll get to those later. That's one of the reasons why I found Oecura Mambo to be the last sexiest PV; the fanservice, while very clearly there, is a lot less blatant compared to the other PVs I picked out. You still have a good deal of body shots but the fanservice is mostly presented in a fun and carefree way.

Now personally, I've always had a pretty 50/50 opinion on "innocent" fanservice. On one hand, I do like that it doesn't try to outright show fanservice but the ways in which fanservice is displayed can get pretty ridiculous. And yeah, there were definitely some ridiculous shots in there. Like some of the shots of certain girls folding clothes or doing chores felt just a little bit too contrived for me and as usual, the body shots were clearly only there for fanservice. Still, I don't think a fanservice PV would be much of a fanservice PV without body shots, huh? Another thing that surprised me about this was the outfits; the outfits were really conservative for an idol PV. I'm serious, I might even consider wearing one of those outfits. The girls are pretty much wearing cover up tops and short white skirts over their bikinis and don't show as much skin as you'd expect them to. In fact, I think AKB48's bikini PVs are more risque compared to Ebisu Muscats! Again, I suppose that ties into the "innocent fanservice" concept but it was still very surprising for me.

So yeah, the Oecura Mambo PV is obviously a summer PV. The single was released in July so it was nice that the PV was shot in an outdoor location and in a different indoor location that also looked very nice and summery! Even though there was no beach or pool, there were still beach balls and summer costumes and a bright blue sky and it looked nice! Clearly, this isn't the most high-budget PV ever made but it does its job of presenting fanservice in a (somewhat) tasteful and innocent way. And the PV did more than just show a cluster of hot girls doing hot stuff. There were shots of the girls interacting with each other, playing ball, and just having fun. I think that's what I liked the most about this PV: the girls themselves looked like they were having a lot of fun. I don't know how real their emotions were, but they all looked incredibly genuine and made me want to be partying right alongside them.

The girls also looked very confident and comfortable on camera which I suppose comes from their modeling and film experience but it's still very nice to look at! All the girls look very pretty and are constantly smiling and laughing and it looks so nice. Honestly, I enjoyed the girls more than the fanservice and I like that they weren't just showing off their bodies but their personalities. I know that's one of the default aspects of an idol group but it's still nice to see it being pulled off so well. So in terms of fanservice, like I said Oecura Mambo is the least sexiest PV on the list. The outfits are conservative and the fanservice is fairly innocent but still prominent. However, the PV has a nice balance between fanservice and personality and the girls are what make the PV more than a simple fanservice PV. So if you're looking for something really sexy, Ebisu Muscats might not be for you but if you're looking for a group of beautiful girls with on-screen charisma, I think you might like them. I know I saw what I liked from Ebisu Muscats and it's a shame they're disbanding so soon. I would have liked to see more from them. Oh well, for what it is Oecara Mambo is a decent PV, just the least sexiest on my list.

Overall, on my Legs Rating Scale of not sexy to totally effing sexy, I would give Oecura Mambo... 3.5 Perfume!Legs. There's a reason it's starting off my Sexy PV Week as the least sexiest of the PVs I'm reviewing and it's pretty much on the same level of fanservice as your average idol bikini PV. Still, the girls on the screen have good chemistry and the song is nicely catchy. If you're just craving a PV geared toward more innocent fanservice, then I think you'll enjoy this PV!

Finally a New Unit for Hello! Project!

Well, while the rest of the idol fandom is reeling over Minegishi Minami's scandal... Hello! Project got a new unit. Yay? Oh well, even though I'm still mad as hell at AKB48's management, at least some good news popped up.

Top Row: Miyazaki Yuka, Kanazawa Tomoko, Takagi Sayuki
Bottom row: Otsuka Aina, Miyamoto Karina, Uemara Akari

To refresh your memory, one of my hopes and dreams for 2013 was that Hello! Project would get a new unit and/or a new soloist preferably Karin but I'm flexible. They haven't had a steady unit since S/mileage and the S/mileage that we all know and love is long gone with Ogawa Saki and Maeda Yuuka. The H!P Kids are getting old and Morning Musume is... well, Morning Musume. I think a new unit has been long overdue and I'm pretty excited that we're finally getting one. Honestly though, I think this announcement has really bad timing because I'd be a whole lot happier about it if I wasn't so pissed off about this entire Miichan fiasco. But still, I am genuinely happy that after years and years of no new units, H!P is finally getting a new one! And even better, it's not just a unit for Satoyama! It's like another S/mileage-type unit, in which the members will start out as Kenshuusei but work their way up to being an actual group! Of course, like S/mileage Tsunku also said that the lineup was not final.

Unlike S/mileage, in which I think everyone was sucker punched into their member changes including myself when the lineup changed, this time around, I think we can all be more prepared for lineup changes! I have to admit though, I hope Tsunku's just saying that to say that because I'd rather there not be new generations or members graduating; I feel like with more stability you can develop a better chemistry and the group will have more lasting fans. Just look at C-ute and Berryz Koubou and Perfume too but they're not related to H!P. Something even more exciting about this announcement is the implication that this isn't the only new unit being formed; there's a possibility that other units made up of H!P Kenshuusei will be popping up in the future! I love that; I think it's great the these Kenshuusei girls will finally get to do something in H!P beyond just training. Besides, with the H!P Kids getting older, their graduation is inevitable so I think it's a good idea to start developing some new units to carry on the torch after they're gone.

As for now, I'm excited with the lineup of this unit. I know we haven't gotten a name or much information about just what they're going to do and what their concept/look is going to be but I'm still really ecstatic. Besides, the lineup looks pretty awesome! Okay... so I only know like half the girls in the unit but still! What I'm most happy about is that Miyamoto Karin is finally getting something to do! Even if she's not a soloist, I am super happy that she gets to be in a unit! I've said before that I think Karin has a great voice and that she's totally capable of being in a group or being a soloist so I'm very much looking forward to her! Someone else I was pleasantly surprised to see in the unit is Up-Front member Miyazaki Yuka! I guess this means she's part of H!P now... but yeah, I saw her in the S/mileage auditions and I liked her a lot but I didn't think she would have been a good fit for S/mileage. Then I saw her pop up again in the Green Fields Satoyama unit but even then I didn't hear much of her voice in that one song they did. I'm looking forward to seeing how she fits in the group since she's the oldest and would technically be leader.

I wonder, will they have a leader of captain? Will they even need someone to be a leader? I don't know but the possibilities seem so endless right now! I can see so many great and awesome things happening to this new unit and I know I'm looking at this with rose-tinted shades but I can't help it! I'm just so excited that H!P is finally getting another new group! So far, the other members look promising even though I haven't really seen much of them and don't know much abut them either. I think it's great the the Kenshuusei are finally getting to do something with H!P though. What I think is funny is that all the girls except Uemara Akari and Konazawa Tomoko participated in the S/mileage auditions too; isn't karma a nice thing? I like the number in this unit too; I always think the best number of girls in an idol group is three to six members. Maybe it's my love for Perfume that makes me love small group but it's just easier to see everyone when a group is smaller. I know the future still isn't clear for this unnamed unit but I'm really looking forward to their future activities!

Oh yeah, and Reina's band's name is a weird spelling of the word Lavender. Great for her but OH MY GOD A NEW UNIT FINALLY!!! Break out the maracas and the streamers and CELEBRATE!