ayumi hamasaki NEW SINGLE 23rd Monster Release 2021.04.08

[PinkShinigami]

Originally Posted by powpowparn

I like it but she looks awkward in the scenes with the dancers around her.

Agreed. I think those scenes are awesome, for the dancers. But Ayu doesn't look very "elegant". I wouldn't expect her to do some incredible dance a few weeks after giving birth... But the little dance she does in these scenes looks kind of "heavy".

[God_ayu]

I wonder what’s the story/significance behind some of the elements. E.g.
- ayu have claws on one hand but not for the another. And in the end she removes the claws.
- dancers disappearing one after another
- the statues at the very last scene. (Does that really exist?)

[SpiceSquad!]

Tbh, kinda boring. Don’t know, maybe because the releases of the single and the video it’s too long. Missed the hype and moment. Only 90k in 1 day.

[Toniayu123]

I like the aesthetics. It’s a beauty shoot but different and I’m happy with that. Tbh I don’t care about a storyline anymore lol But it was boring and awkward sometimes.

[the angel song]

Oooooo! Totally getting Tiger Mom vibes from the MV. Actually scratch that--she's become a werewolf. She's calling back her power by the full moon, and reclaiming her shadow side. The shadows that insist on making her feminine side feel weak and scared to "bare her fangs". They have no power over her anymore. And as the dancers disappear, the shadowy figures, those are her inner masculine qualities charging her up haha. She talks a lot about the beginning and the end. Basically she is accepting all the good and the bad and making something new out of herself that is constantly influx. That's where the holographic effects are coming from. So if you think you can pin down "who" she really is, it's fruitless.
She is shapeshifting constantly haha. Good luck.
Major love for all the Divine Feminine elements in this. It's like the shadow version of "forgiveness"

[melissalove]

Dark at times, briefly elegant and then plain creepy, very interesting concept. That scene with the dancers disappearing made me so petty. I was like “ somebody’s getting fired”. 3:11 though chills.

[Zeke.]

The song has like r&b elements or something that just sound odd encapsulated within a rock track. It lacks whatever it is that About You, GAME, talkin’ 2 myself, MICROPHONE, etc, all have that make it feel like the roofs been blown off.

Haven’t watched the video but not a fan of when she uses lenses — she has the fierceness and spirit of hamasaki ayumi here for sure, but the product itself falls flat.

[BlackSilence]

^ I actually think the whole synth part or whatever is what throws it off, at least for me, cuz the guitars end up on the backseat. They are also very muffled, which makes them sound more like A BEAT thing rather than a melody. If it was more like instrument based or the synth parts were in a lower note i think it would have more power in it. The ones you mention are very instrument based - you can hear ACTUAL drums and other stuff and guitars basically lead in them, it's almost like symphonic rock while this is a hybrid of electronic stuff pop and guitars that don't quite sound as heavy as guitars CAN sound. Electronic stuff can really sound flat if done megh, to add to that a lot of the stuff is done digitally nowadays, very few artists actually hire musicians to record instruments, and for me usually that's the thing what makes them very flat. I think that's probably why. At least in my opinion. Maybe i'm just getting the wrong idea what you're talking about.

However, I'm not sure how the video can "fall flat" if you haven't actually watched it in full yet And i think the contacts work here, cuz she's not supposed to be entirely HUMAN.

BTW, i've tried looking closer at the closing shot of the statue. It sort of makes me think of Hera. Cuz you can if you look closely spot a few mythical beings there. Basically she's very feminine deity- a goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, and family, but at the same time, she does not take any BS from anyone, and she WILL screw you over if you mess with her.

[barisuta53]

Originally Posted by BlackSilence

BTW, i've tried looking closer at the closing shot of the statue. It sort of makes me think of Hera. Cuz you can if you look closely spot a few mythical beings there. Basically she's very feminine deity- a goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, and family, but at the same time, she does not take any BS from anyone, and she WILL screw you over if you mess with her.

I looked at the statues too, and I can see what you mean, but I don’t see Hera in there at all. Same with the statues below, I don’t see any that I can actually pin on any one person from mythology.

I think that’s another reason the video is disappointing to me actually, because she had the opportunity to give some really powerful symbolism there but style over substance won out.

The result is you have these painfully plastic looking statues probably trying to say what BlackSilence here is getting at, but falling flat because there’s no care taken to make it work well. I think it’s almost lazy, which is kind of sad because the video was being worked on for so long and then we get this rushed finished project.

I get it gothic, “spooky” imagery looks cool, classical imagery looks cool. But what is the point if it is just a collection of images? (Not that I’m saying a music video can’t just be a collection of images, but I really don’t think that’s what Ayu ever wants).

[jyujiw]

And so the MV is finally on, it was about time
I like it. Everything is on point, her look, effects, editing, faces... I would just point a little over crew in the dancer's department, but it's ayu
It reminisces the GAME and About You aesthetics... and I really dig the last one
It's not my preferred PV but it sure gives me high hopes for the next works after Haru Yo Koi and 23rd Monster
It seems my beloved high budget ayu is coming back

[Deep snow]

oh so this was directed by the same guy who did Because of You, GAME, and About You: Hideaki Sunaga.

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

I still don’t like the song so my hopes weren’t too high to begin with, but I do think it’s her best video in a long while.

[Aderianu]

I was about to say it IS her first video in 5 years, except haru yo koi. I completely forgot ohia no ki abnd dreamed a dream exist.

[!Lawi!]

Right so at least we know there’s more coming - the Bob hat and lipstick shot is still nowhere to be seen, so it’s at the very least reserved for whatever episode 2 is coming!

[maxikot]

I'm more than happy with the video She looks so fierce, plenty of amazing shots there.

[xLuna&1LOVE]

I dare to bet that chapter 2 will happen on the return to music tour / live stream or whatever. Maybe some background or introduction video?

[kotora]

I would laugh out loud if there were no more episodes and 0 and 1 are the only episodes.

[Katsuyuki012]

Still so happy about this PV. Ayu and her team did a great job!

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by BlackSilence

^ I actually think the whole synth part or whatever is what throws it off, at least for me, cuz the guitars end up on the backseat. They are also very muffled, which makes them sound more like A BEAT thing rather than a melody. If it was more like instrument based or the synth parts were in a lower note i think it would have more power in it. The ones you mention are very instrument based - you can hear ACTUAL drums and other stuff and guitars basically lead in them, it's almost like symphonic rock while this is a hybrid of electronic stuff pop and guitars that don't quite sound as heavy as guitars CAN sound. Electronic stuff can really sound flat if done megh, to add to that a lot of the stuff is done digitally nowadays, very few artists actually hire musicians to record instruments, and for me usually that's the thing what makes them very flat. I think that's probably why. At least in my opinion. Maybe i'm just getting the wrong idea what you're talking about.

However, I'm not sure how the video can "fall flat" if you haven't actually watched it in full yet And i think the contacts work here, cuz she's not supposed to be entirely HUMAN.

BTW, i've tried looking closer at the closing shot of the statue. It sort of makes me think of Hera. Cuz you can if you look closely spot a few mythical beings there. Basically she's very feminine deity- a goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, and family, but at the same time, she does not take any BS from anyone, and she WILL screw you over if you mess with her.

Thanks for the reply — agree on the lack of real instruments. I mentioned previously how much of a role the drums used to play in her tracks (even in ballads like walking proud, the drums are such a star).

Regarding my comments on the product falling flat, it wasn’t in reference to the video. It was the song. She had great attitude, interesting approach to video this time, some momentum, etc. But dragged out for a track like this? Just very unfortunate. Anyway, hoping for some real good rock song in the future, but it’s been such a long time, I feel she’ll move away from rock for a bit and go back to some ballads or something, sadly.

[SURREAL__RAINBOW]

There is a lot to unpack but I love it!! Need to watch it a few times