[Koda Kumi] The 201st Thread - 20th Anniversary Countdown -

[Gustavopc]

She looks 22 years old in these pics I CAN'T

[kaled kalil]

She looks pretty cute! I love this hairstyle.

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

Originally Posted by Corvina

Kuu performed
01.WIND
02. You're So Beautiful
at the Empower Children Charity concert today.
And We Are The World with everybody as final.









Report and more photos:
https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2155388/full/


@tokyoxjapanxfan
No offense, you sound like an old man here. ._.

Ero-kakkoii is still her image in Japan.
It just developed with her through the years, less trashy, more of an adult kind of raunchy.
It's just not widely popular anymore, if that's what you mean.

If you start something with no offense, it’s probably offensive. Nothing I said was an attack on her. I was talking about ero kakkoii as a movement, because she inspired a lot of acts to be more sexual in their image due to the huge rise in her popularity.

[Corvina]

Originally Posted by tokyoxjapanxfan

If you start something with no offense, it’s probably offensive. Nothing I said was an attack on her. I was talking about ero kakkoii as a movement, because she inspired a lot of acts to be more sexual in their image due to the huge rise in her popularity.

I didn't take it as an attack, which is why I seperated it from the rest I wrote.
I only meant it directed to your "everything-was-better-in-the-past"-tone of your post, not really meant serious as I'm simply not a nostalgic person myself (hence the smiley).^^

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

Okay.
I’d just like to clarify that I do not think everything was better in the past. But Japanese pop culture was far more colorful. The 2010s hit and I feel it became sad and dull (as a whole).

And I will continue to reminisce about Kuu’s past, considering it’s her 20th anniversary and she’s releasing videos on their release dates lol.

[thinkingoutloud89]

^I rather think it is a combination of nostalgia, ones own age and the fact that a different kind of music was "in" all over the world. Japan shifted back to a more cute style over all while there is also an urban-indie scene that developed but never really took of. Everything else is just in between. I also feel like that there is a really small number of "really big" artist compared to back when.

[Corvina]

Sorry, I just couldn't help to mock you a bit, cause you sounded so serious.

Btw. her uploads.
Love Me Back is already at 100k views, the fastest rising from the latest uploads, even faster than show girl (and it's not one being played automatically like Amai Wana, I always have to select it).
Happy for the song and the PV, two of her best for me.

[KarenPang]

Mezamashi TV tomorrow morning will broadcast footages on Kuu

https://twitter.com/cx_mezamashi/sta...69367821373443

[thinkingoutloud89]

Originally Posted by Corvina

Sorry, I just couldn't help to mock you a bit, cause you sounded so serious.

Btw. her uploads.
Love Me Back is already at 100k views, the fastest rising from the latest uploads, even faster than show girl (and it's not one being played automatically like Amai Wana, I always have to select it).
Happy for the song and the PV, two of her best for me.

Really, you like that PV? I love the looks yes, but the story is probably one of the stupidest ever and the acting is so bad.

[Corvina]

Originally Posted by thinkingoutloud89

Really, you like that PV? I love the looks yes, but the story is probably one of the stupidest ever and the acting is so bad.

Yes, I do. I don't mind the story at all, as it plays with Koda Gumi and her staff and fan nickname (Kumi chou - boss Kumi, but also the word for a yakuza boss or the boss of a "kumi/gumi", a certain form of company) and it's only a PV anyway. Acting isn't really that bad imo, fitting for a PV. It's playful and overdone on purpose.
And I absolutely adore her styling and the choreography!
I guess overall it is really well liked.

[thinkingoutloud89]

^nah i rewatched it and as much as I love the choreo and the outfits I think it is way to cringy.

[Party_King]

I love the Love Me Back PV... the story is bland but the execution is nice...
She looks extremely hot and the choreo is fierce.

[kaled kalil]

I love Love Me Back (album version), it's such a b-movie type of PV that it becomes entertaining. I love the looks, the dancing, the only part I dislike is the love interest (both men are not that attractive, you can't always win).

I don't mind the shift from her over the top ero-kakkoi to what we get nowadays, because people nowadays see overly sexy things, specially for someone her age (she's not old at all, but we all know how society and pop acts are seen when they are over 35...), as trying too hard or something like that. For example, I love PCD and their new single REACT is a bop, but I can't see Kumi dancing and doing poses like this...



... which is something she basically did back in the day. I'm all in for women expressing their "sexyness" and all, but I don't think this is what Kumi wants right now.

We all know this isn't the '00 anymore, sex doesn't sell as it did back in the day, if we go to a more "please the audience" route.

It's not that long since SO FEVER, and that's was such a throwback to her ero-kakkoi days.

[Toniayu123]

Originally Posted by kaled kalil

We all know this isn't the '00 anymore, sex doesn't sell as it did back in the day, if we go to a more "please the audience" route..

It does. Even more now that then, at least in the west.

I love the fact that her image has evolved and matured. She has handled it really well.

[kaled kalil]

^ Where? The biggest stars are not selling sex as the other girls did back in the 2000.

Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Taylor, to mention few names. We live in times where is more important to be relatable than being sexy. I think the only one in my list that is trying to be sexy and all is Dua Lipa, but her new era is based on nostalgia, and to a lot of people "sexy pop icon" is nostalgic.

You know that girls are selling sex when they are part of men's magazine as well, like Maxim or GQ. Pretty much all pop acts from the 2000 were part of this era.

[Corvina]

Originally Posted by thinkingoutloud89

^nah i rewatched it and as much as I love the choreo and the outfits I think it is way to cringy.

Each to his own, I love me some good trash here and there.
Well, fun fact: The Japanese caption in the beginning actually only says the guy is "believed to be the head of Koda Gumi", so you can interpret Kuu being the real boss.
And as usual she is depicted as the one in power, one of the main points of her ero-kakkoii/sexy image.
Which makes it even better with her mafia play, as those are almost exclusively male.

And another fun fact:
Kuu took it from her staff and uses "kumi chou" as her print for her own tour/festival shirts (or also the English translation "boss" sometimes instead).
Quick example:

[KarenPang]

Taken on Sat



https://twitter.com/ntv_sukkiri/stat...72164105949185

And regarding Love me back , it's a great guilty pleasure song that I still liked up to now which I'm not ashamed to admit

[jiarongisme]

Speaking of Love Me Back, it's a pity we never got to see the supposed Say Her Name PV.

[hud]

Originally Posted by jiarongisme

Speaking of Love Me Back, it's a pity we never got to see the supposed Say Her Name PV.

that works well for me, because the attention goes entirely to Love Me Back (I agree with everyone praising the PV, one of my favorites!), which is amazing. can't say the same about the other track, sorry

[KarenPang]

Brief performance footages from Sat's LIVE EMPOWER CHILDREN 2020 charity concert

https://twitter.com/KODAKUMINET/stat...04685007273984

I don't like pink but blush pink is ok for me x)