What, really? Did I just read that right? 20? I made it to 20? If you think this is no small miracle, then you clearly have no concept of the magnitude of Matsumoto Jun's power over me. Like, I should still be staring at the velociraptor attack from "We Can Make It" - yet somehow I put that aside and worked through!
Random tangent that has nothing to do with PVS, but hey, I made it to 20 so I feel like I can do whatever now. Lately I've been on a crotch binge with one of my friends, Mitsu. Let me explain - I'm not one of those fangirls, I swear (both of us, actually). In general I kind of happily ignore the entire realm of genitalia, so it's not like I stare to gauge size or such. No no, it's just...well I've decided that it's very possible that the one day I don't look at MatsuJun's crotch could be the day he proves beyond reasonable doubt that he does in fact own male equipment. Until I see absolute proof, I'm not going to believe otherwise. And because of this mentality of "the moment you blink is the moment it happens," I have thus dubbed this new hobby: searching for the Loch Ness Monster. It's for the benefit of the scientific community!
...wow, Jun, aren't you lucky to have me as a fangirl? I just compared your junk to a fictitious plesiosaur. A female fictitious Scottish plesiosaur. What sort of horrendous thing did you do as a kid to earn this kind of karma? XD
In any case, enough with the blathering! We have a PV to dissect - the 16th PV in the history of Arashian promotional videos - Pika**Nchi Double!
Oh ho! She is so very clever! Selecting a PV with twice the Pika*Nchi for the 20th!
This Pika*Nchi not only lasts longer, but it has twice the flavor and can repair your flat tire in three minutes flat.
Because Pika**Nchi Double is actually somewhat of a bitch to type out (zomg, I have to make two asterisks?!) from here on out we'll just refer to this PV as Double. Which is kind of cute, anyway. Double, as you might imagine, was the tie-in song for Arashi's second ensemble movie, Pika**Nchi Double. (Clever title!)
So if you'll recall during Pika*Nchi, back in installment #4, we were introduced to Arashi's alter egos: Haru, Takuma, Chu, Shun, and Bon.
...they aren't in the Double PV at all.
So throw that nugget of knowledge away for the time being.
Instead, we're treated to Arashi on top of a tall building, dancing on a helipad. It's as thrilling as it sounds, especially given that there's plenty of long distance camera work here.
Oh how utterly thrilling.
Though...clearly they were left alone on this pad for some of the shots. Lack of supervision could have led to some interesting situations...
MatsuJun: He hit me first!
Or not.
I don't mean to trash Double's direction here. It actually has some of the most artistic shots of any Arashi PV - at least the most cinematic. It's just that watching them dance on a helipad from afar, with a speedy and constantly moving zoom-in - it's not the best way to go about a promotional video? I don't know - I'm on the fence. Cinematic direction vs standard pop idol "face time." At least, if nothing else, Arashi switches things up for me so I don't have to repeat myself every PVS.
(Cough, Sho can't dance, Ohno gets molested, Nino will cut you, Fabby gives the bitch face, and Aiba Masaki is always gorgeous. Dance dance gay dance gay. Cough.)
The transitions are sometimes superimposed so that adds to the class and artistry of this PV. Never let it be said that the people behind these things aren't trying to be as professional as possible.
So, plotline of the PV. They're on this helipad, dancing and lip-synching along to their newest song, when suddenly...
Arashi: What the...
Ohno: What is that?
Sho: AUGH! MONSTER!!!!
Ohno: A monster??
Aiba: That's not a monster.
Sho: That's a monster. I went to Keio, so I know these things. What else could it be? Monster.
Nino: Yeah...it does kind of look like a monster to me.
Aiba: A monster! What do we do?!
Sho: There's only one thing we can do...
Sho: We have to stand and fight.
Nino: I don't know guys.
Nino: It kind of looks like it just wants to be loved and understood.
Sho: *WHACK*
Sho: Quick! Run away while it eats Nino first!!
Aiba: AUGH! NINO!!!!
Ohno: Come on, we gotta get out of here!
Aiba: It's already got me!!
Sho: He's a goner! We have to keep running! Come on!
Ohno: Oh...oh no! It got me too! Save yourself!
Sho: Satoshi, NOOOOOOO! THE CARNAGE!!!
Sho: No...NO! IT'S COMING FOR ME!!!!
Sho: *high pitched girly scream of terror*
MatsuJun: Oh very funny, guys. Ha ha.
MatsuJun: It's not like this sort of thing hurts my feelings or anything. Or ruins my confidence, you know.
Awhn, we're sorry, Fabby. We didn't mean any harm - it was just a stupid joke. We still love you and we don't really think you're a monster. We'll never do it again.
Forgive and forget?
MatsuJun: Not on your life.
Shiiiiiiiiiiiiit.
It's okay Fabarella-chan - I have it on great authority that you're not the only member of Arashi who looks completely stupid this go 'round.
See?
Oh hey! The sky is grey! The clothes are strangely westernish. The diva hand gesturing has notched up. Clearly, a transition in the video has taken place!
Why correct, oh astute observer. Partially through, Double switches gears, both visually and musically. Interestingly enough, these transitions don't occur simultaneously...but, whatever!
As alluded to before, Double is nothing if not artistically ambitious for a PV. ...er, expensively artistically ambitious? Point being, they decided to go "arty" and give you Arashi holding pieces of sky.
And like Step and Go, this renders a ton of ready-made graphics for your consumption.
I mean, come on, this is just begging to be someone's Livejournal layout header image, or profile explanation image.
You can put your name here right next to Sho and list your preferences and FRIENDS ONLY and all that jazz and people will think, "Oh, this person must be interesting because their profile image has a gay cowboy holding a piece of sky and that's deep."
Although, using Ohno's might result in people thinking the wrong thing about you. His says, "...Ohno Christ Superstar, why the hell am I here holding a piece of sky?" Although, hey, that might be what you're going for.
Okay, okay, I get it! You guys are bored! Could you at least try to look a little more interested in your portrayal of "art?" You're holding a piece of sky after all!
Nino: Whee. I have a piece of sky.
Sigh. Nino. Just out of curiosity...
Is it possible for you to be in a PV and not look like you're going to cut a bitch? Smile maybe? Enjoy your time? Isn't there something between shooting daggers and the super gayness of Wish?
Nino: You're kidding, right?
Hm. Well, at least could you do me a favor and sing the song?
Nino: Yeah, I can do that.
Uh, Nino...are you capable of singing in a PV without looking like someone's touching you in your happy place?
Nino: Heh! How do you think I hit the high notes??
It's all well and good - through super sneaky methods, I managed to find the one instance of Nino giving a genuine smile in this PV. It's not a great cap, but it is insanely cute. It's nice to see Ohno and Nino enjoying themselves while they hoof it up. I like mocking, but I love little moments like this too.
Oh, hey! That's right, Ohno! If I can't get Nino to comply, I can always count on Ohno!
Good ol- eh. Oh-chan! This is no better! Are you physically able to be in a PV without appearing confused and/or in a perpetual state of consternation?
Ohno: You try getting through a dance sequence as the leader of a group that includes a guy who thinks dancing involves displacing your spine, a guy who thinks his joke dancing and his real dancing are actually different, a guy who raps for a living but can't even bounce on the beat right, and a guy who might be good if he weren't so easily distracted by shiny things.
....point.
Speaking of our resident Aibaka, what about him? Surely he's...
...Aiba, not you too! Can't you appear in a PV without looking like you want to cry??
Aiba: Wait, crying? That's only in concert. Why wasn't my question about being pretty?
Oh yeah! That's a good point! Aiba, can you be in a PV without appearing terminally gorgeous?
Aiba: Probably not.
*falls over*
Well, okay, let's move on then, let's see if -
Uh...how to put this question delicately....
Sho: UWA!
MatsuJun: Okay, WHAT?
Sho: ...just...got a shock, that's all.
MatsuJun: Okay, you know - there's no reason to say that kind of thing.
Sho: Well, I mean...have you ever tried not being horrifically ravaged by puberty?
MatsuJun: . . .
Sho: Craaaaap. I'm going to die, aren't I?
MatsuJun: Good chance, yeah.
Aiba: Even I know better than to ask something like that...
Speaking of you, Sho - I've got one more question.
Are you able to dance in a PV, or at all, without looking like it's causing you physical pain, possibly to your testicular area?
Sho: Of course not!
Okay, thought so - just checking!
Now I need to actually speak about the part of the song/PV where the gears get switched. It is, as you can imagine, during the SakuRap. Double is another case where what Sho brings to the table makes the song...in a way. But we'll get to that in a minute. During the rap part, there are a lot of sweeping shots from the helipad; immediately after, every member gets a chance to sing a line on his own. Arashi getting separate lines isn't anything new, but a lot of Double is two/three/all voices at once; this portion of the song actively spotlights each member individually. So, that's what the PV does as well.
Without breaking the overall motif of "sort of artsy, good for wallpapers," of course.
Double is that unique song that's not quite about love. I mean, it is somewhat, from what I understand, but it is much more about growing up and the struggle of emerging from adolescence. In a nice PV-to-actual-song connection (which you could argue isn't something that happens a lot in pop videos of any sort), this theme is reflected during the montage portion of the video.
Neat little superimposition of a lot of Arashi members aside, the visual impression is one of stepping inside each person's psyche. I may be making a great stretch here, but having a close up of the face and then smaller versions in the background - it's like peeking into the head and seeing that there's a lot that makes up a person, no?
Regardless, what this sequence does do purposefully is show fluid transitions between each member. Via more superimposition, members wander in and out of each other's montage, fading in and out like abandoned memories. Their presence is as fleeting as time itself, which the song addresses. You don't need to agree with that idea to recognize that this sequence works really well, as does the use of grey with the tone of the song and the big sweeping gestures in the helipad shots before. (Even though earlier I said they weren't all that great. Hmm, I revise that statement? Damn, I think Double might be growing on me!)
So enjoy it while it's here. And I'll try not to comment that it looks like Sho's adjusting his underwear in that back pose there.
Or that it seems like he might be checking his deodorant.
Sho: I'm head-banging!
That only slightly makes things better, Sho.
So we go from Aiba, to Sho, and then into MatsuJun.
And I'm so glad you could be arsed to show up, Jun.
Double in general just isn't very favorable to you, is it Pup?
Mostly in that they have, on top of everything else, slapped a giant prize-winner ribbon on him, like he was the biggest watermelon at the fair or something.
Maybe it was for "Longest Loving Gaze at Nino?"
I can't put my finger on why, but I think I like Nino's montage best.
It's kind of my favorite transition too.
So, Aiba, Sho, MatsuJun - then to Nino and lastly on to Ohno.
Which, is always a good way to end things.
Especially considering that we go full circle here.
Alright, while I'm basically blithering madly over Double - which is strange given that neither song nor PV are remotely close to being my favorites - let's discuss the absolute best thing here.
And that is, while Sho's rapping his part, well - the first line starts with the others singing "Maaaaaaaada maaaaaadada," and then Sho finishes the sentence. And since there are four of these such phrases, each non-rapping member can have a different line to take over lead.
They don't, mind you. At least, not that I can tell on the recording. (Maybe?) But sometimes they do rotate like that in concert. (Double's pretty entertaining in concerts period.)
And when they do switch the leads, it allows them to rotate who's leaning into Sho as well:
OKAY. So technically I've only seen this happen in the Iza, Now concert and it wasn't quite evenly distributed MC love (though it does happen, despite the fact that I cut out MatsuJun and Ohno from this clip!)
BUT LOOK AT THAT! IT'S FREAKING ADORABLE! *cough*
Moving on!
I did fail to mention that while all this arty stuff is going on in greyworld, Arashi are still technically outside dancing about on the helipad.
By the way, Arashi - there's still a monster out there. It's called "adulthood." Turns out you'll have to face it head on.
Arashi: No problem! We're Arashi, we're not afraid of anything!
Sho: Well, actually, I'm afraid of a lot of things...
Ohno: Yeah I'm not terribly fond of aggressive situations, really...
MatsuJun: Scared of failure over here.
Nino: Not a fan of water myself.
Aiba: Diva Hands keep me up at night.
It's okay Arashi - you chase away the bad feelings for all of us. That's all we really ask of you.
Only fitting that at the end of the song, the sun sets in the grey, psychological portion of the video...
And in the real world as well.
Good night, Double.
Nino: ...how the hell are we supposed to get down from here?!
Now, normally that would be the end and I'd start with my usual spiel about how to find a copy of this video in the various places. But! There's a little something that needs to be done first.
When I say I intend to feature every Arashi PV possible, I mean it. And so, it would be wrong of me to leave out Michi. It's not technically a PV at all, but there's a snippet of the song set to a mini music video. So, given that it is much too small to be on its own and this is the last of the Pika*Nchi PVs, I give to you...
Michi.
And that, in all its low tech glory, was...
Michi!
Well, I can sleep at night, now! 8D
Personally, I'm hoping for a Pika***Nchi Triple. What would the story be about, since Double itself as a movie was starting to drag? I haven't a clue. I just know that I need more of Arashi's self-deprecating humor.
And seeing Failed Yankee Sho with about twelve kids would be pretty damn hilarious.
I've affectionately nicknamed this one "The Nagase" because it was a BEAST. XD
MWA!