Sunday, January 19, 2014

MV Breakdown:// LM.C: My Favorite Monster

Cover to LM.C's new single, My Favorite Monster.
Minna-san! Gomen ne! Have you ever started a project and had it get out of hand until you realize that you've taken over 100 screenies of a 3 minute and 17 second music video, then had to squeeze it all down, but still end up with 47 images that you then subject everyone else to?

On the plus side, the English translation is provided, so it's more like a music video recap.

LM.C's new mini album will be released on February 12, 2014 and will include eight songs:

1.  Neo Fantasia
2.  DOUBLE DRAGON (Nov 28, 2012)
3.  Chameleon Dance
4.  Kinjirareta Uchuu
5.  My Favorite Monster (Dec 11, 2013)
6.  Mono-logue
7.  DREAMscape
8.  DIVE TO FANTASY

Television screens linted up to spell LMC / the My Favorite Monster title/ Silhouettes of Maya and Aiji with red eyes.

My Favorite Monster starts off with a 50's horror flick feel as the title flashes on the screen. While their brand of electro-rock/pop is usually quite energetic with a hectic feel, their new single is somewhat smoother and leans more towards a dance sound.

Aiji in black and Maya in white, are introduced in big red letters.

Our boys are introduced with Maya uncharacteristically sporting all white. The lyrics make mention of angels and devils, so whether it was planned with that intention in mind or not, it's fitting.

Maya dances against a white backdrop, singing into a white megaphone.

That thing living inside my head couldn't keep his mouth shut today either.

The words "Funky", "Junky", "Crazy", "Baby" are displayed over fan submitted pictures of colorful monsters.
Fan submitted monster pictures were used throughout the video.

Maya sings into the megaphone against a black background while Aiji jams against white.

Even if it has no name, even if it's biting and gnawing, it's the most special to me.

The words "Cutie", "Sweetie", "Pretty", "Baby" are displayed over fan submitted monster pictures.

Ah huh, ah huh
Ah huh, ah huh

Maya sings into a megaphone against a black background while Aiji plays guitar.

Just kidding! Hallelujah! What's that thing called moral? The one residing inside my head isn't such a precocious child. It's

The words "Funky", "Junky", "Crazy"and kanji are displayed over the fan submitted monster pictures.

(Now.)

Maya dances against a black background while Aiji plays guitar.

A real intention and an official attitude, hope and despair, those words don't matter to this guy.

The words "Cutie", "Sweetie", "Pretty" and kanji are displayed over fan submitted monster pictures.

(in my brain.)

Mirrored images of Maya dancing and Aiji playing guitar.

We can't save with love and courage.

Aiji plays guitar against a black background while the words Sha la la la la la la la go past.

Sha la la la la la la la
Sha la lala la la la la

Maya sings in a television screen.

Monster, I'm begging you for more illusions.

BANG!! in big red letters.

Maya and Aiji amid rave lights.

Angels or devils.

DANCE!! in large red letters over Maya and Aiji raving.

"I didn't hear what you said, or well, I didn't listen."

PUNK!! in large red letters over Maya and Aiji raving.

Maya  dances facing front, while Aiji plays guitar with his back to the camera against a white backdrop / Maya dances with his back to the camera while Aiji plays guitar facing front in front of a black backdrop.

Talk as much nonsense as you want.

PEACE!! in large red letters over Maya dancing.

Maya and Aiji together in front of a black backdrop with lighting effects.

It wasn't my intention to make this happen but I'm not the one who chooses, am I?

"Jyan" in large katakana over Maya dancing.

(Jyan!)

Multiple Aiji across the screen from small to large.

OH OH E O E O

Maya dancing playfully.

OH OH E O E O

Maya and Aiji with a fan made monster between them.
This monster was designed by a fan from Venezuela

OH OH E O E O

Maya dances in front of a black backdrop while Aiji jams in front of white.

OH OH

"E", "O", "E", "O" in large red letters next to fan submitted monsters.

A large red "O" with Maya singing inside of it.

O O O O O O

"Come On!!" in pink letters as Maya and Aiji both beckon to the camera.

A closeup of Aiji's guitar where the strings are replaced with a touch screen.

"Crazy" in pink outlines in front of a dancing Maya / animated contorted stripes.

Crazy come, crazy go!

"Crazy Girl, Crazy Boy!" in pink outline while the boys perform.

Maya and Aiji perform with starburst lighting effects.

This thing living inside my head, it's impossible to dislike it.

"Funky", "Junky", "Crazy", "Myself" in red kanji over fan submitted monster pictures.

(Funky, junky, crazy, myself.)

Maya singing while Aiji plays guitar.

That girl over there may behave like a saint.

Sha la la la la la la la
Sha la la la la la la la

But once you take their masks off, everyone's a monster.

"BANG!!" in large red letters while multiple Mayas dance.

Angles and devils. Yeah.

DANCE!

Get loose even all you gods and goddesses.

"PUNK!!" in large red letters over Maya dancing.

Be as selfish as you want.

"PEACE" in large red letters while mirror images of Aiji play guitar.

What you do now will be carried onto your next life and to the life after that.

"GO!!" in large red letters over Maya and Aiji raving.

Don't hold back, try to drop that inferiority complex. Ah hah!

Maya and Aiji with swirling rave lights.

CHANCE!

You spend so much time planning for the future, but honestly you're fine without any plan at all.

"YES!!" in large red letters over Maya dancing.

It's the revival of the dead, light your fire!

Multiple Mayas dance while computer generated flames appear.

FIRE!

Maya singing into a white megaphone.

NO!

If you hesitate - Say "Achoo!" - I'm not going to end my life halfway.

This is from the 1969 anime, The Genie Family in which a genie appears from a bottle every time someone sneezes.  The motto of the English version is "Make everyday like paradise." and "You sneeze, I please, that's the way it goes."

"Zo" in red katakana next to a pointing Maya.

Zo zo zo ow!

Maya dances, Aiji plays guitar and starburst lighting effects twinkle.

OH OH E O E O
OH OH E O E O
OH OH E O E O

"OH", "OH", "E", "O", "E", "O" in large red letters next to fan submitted monsters and Maya.

Aiji and Maya perform against a white backdrop / Aiji and Maya perform against a black backdrop with starburst lighting effects.

OH OH E O E O

Maya and Aiji of LM.C aka Lovely Mocochang.Com perform amid twinkling starburst effects while the words "The End" appear in large red letters.

The song talks about how emotions can override rational thought, and at those times a monster emerges. Everyone has one, and it's best to just accept it and live life to the fullest.  We all have problems, but that shouldn't get in the way of being happy.

Catchy, with their signature strong beat, My Favorite Monster is fun and easy to dance to. Maya's voice is to die for, and though they introduced it to unnecessary auto-tuning, it wasn't overdone enough to make me cringe. The boys were going for a more modern, club sound with the beat and sequencer during the interlude, and tweaking Maya's voice a bit. Those elements aren't incompatible with their style, so overall I think they were successful.

Though the video is simplistic in the extreme, it does include and spotlight the fans, so I have to give them credit for that. If only I had submitted a monster!

LM.C will embark on their Perfect Fantasy tour at Akasaka BLITZ on February 7th and will conclude it in Nagoya on April 6th. The question now is, can I get to Japan this spring?


1 comment:

  1. Idk can we go to Japan this spring?! PupChan loves the song and so do I. I'll a little jealous of not having a monster in the video, maybe next time huh Unnie. BTW, screenie much? lol

    ReplyDelete