#mr. affection

Okay, can we talk about the build up to Black or White??? As in Banri’s gorilla advertising campaigns! I was literally screaming when the previews came out for the MVs. I had been wondering when we were going to be getting ANY of the full MVs since we got the previews for Crescent Rise and Re:raise a while ago. I’m still wondering that actually... 

I remember when they announced that Zool was getting ufotable that I was super mad since there had been very little Zool redemption by the time they made the announcement. I can say now that I really like Zool. I personally liked the way the writers exposed the character’s histories little by little and slowly fleshed them out as actual personalities. As I said i’m on twitter last week, I put up ALOT of resistance for Haruka when he was first introduced. I only have so much tolerance for brats. But now i’ve adopted him as my endearing brat son with mostly good intentions and a nice voice. 

I can go on tangents for forever about Zool honestly so lemme get back to the video. UMMM EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL! The choreography for the most part was well animated and I was pretty much as mesmerized as everyone when they had those laying down shots and the flips! The more I watch them do the flips, here are my thoughts for each boy:

Haruka - pro, learned to dance since he was little so he already knew how to break.  Torao - always wanted to be a hero/sentai so closet trained to do stunts like this. Touma - doesn’t know how and still doesn’t know how to tumble properly. I mean watch him! He looks so clumsy compared to the rest. I can imagine Haru trying to walk him through it and just ends up holding his legs up and coordinating with the camera guy to get it so it looks convincing in the shot.  Minami - learned on the spot, first time doing it so it looks more like a cartwheel but still looks really good. I mean, he IS a prodigy so I wouldn’t be surprised about this. 

My one gripe about this video was that stupid light tunnel... I don’t know what it is but their dancing looks so disjointed with each other. Like they barely practiced. There isn’t even a window for Tora and ends up being blocked by Minami a good amount of the time. Touma and Haruka at one point look like they don’t remember the moves... I don’t understand...

Moving onto Mr. Affection. I actually wasn’t very impressed with the released stills for their video so I had very very low expectations. And if it was the typical Idolish7 vibe for their song I don’t think this would have appealed to me. The more recent i7 songs haven’t been as memorable to me as their earlier works. I barely remembered Hatsukoi Rhythm after I played it so I was thinking this was gonna happen to. 

WOW! I wasn’t expecting that. I was completely blown away as soon as the music started! Thankfully I wouldn’t have to listen to anybody gripe about B or W being biased/unfair this time around (I may do a post on that later cuz it really bugs me). I really didn’t know who to vote for, so i’m real glad I didn’t need to vote. 

Mr. Affection had so much symbolism it makes me want to cry! This is the kind of content I LIVE for! With everyone’s symbolized character development during their solos, the members disappearing on the ice in order of their major plot points in the timeline, Kinako randomly appearing on the mountain in the first scene with Riku. There are so many easter eggs in this video and I love it! 

Riku’s jump. RIKU’S JUMP! That is probably my favorite shot of the whole video! I love that orange even made production notes and depicted how Riku would be rigged up for the jump. And then the studio saying that they recorded in a warm studio with a green screen after everyone voiced concern for Riku in the cold! The attention to detail that all of the i7 staff includes to really bring this project to life is my favorite. 

I do have one gripe about this video. When they’re dancing on that ice... are they all free-styling? Like there are moments where none of them are doing the same move and then moments where only some of them are doing the same choreo. For me, this was more easily forgiven compared to Bang! Bang! Bang! mainly cuz of easter eggs/symbolism that overtakes the whole video.