Atashi wa Mondaisaku

It's an animated music video, how much content can there really be? Enough to provoke me, I guess! Have you ever watched something that made you feel all giddy because you could tell how much fun the creators had making their work? That's because humans naturally try to relate to each other, projecting themselves in other's shoes, making us feel what they feel. The meaning of Atashi wa Mondaisaku plays upon this fact so well, portraying the average life of a klutzy and quirky businesswoman in this humorously bittersweet music video that manages to stand out among other countless Japanese music videos through its sheer funand undeniable enjoyability. I don't normally rate music videos, but on the music video scale, this is certainly better than most. Since three talented artists worked together to create this little piece, I'll break it down into three sections. Animation For the animation, it very much brightened my day to see such humorous yet characterized visuals portrayed so well. The humor wasn't poorly done, the artist (Eiri Na Hamono) took extra time to make sure that things were funny without lowering the quality of their work. There were so many visual gags easily missed, I had to watch the MV again to really appreciate it all. The character design may seem simple, but it's really fitting and yet still memorable. The amount of expression and work put into the animation is truly astounding. I love how characterized all the movements are and how the artist was successfully able to capture the entire idea of an unlucky and awkward businesswoman so well. The typology was extremely well done on a side note, and I love how the characters interacted with it. The 2.5D was especially interesting, as both 3D and 2D elements meshed well. I actually really appreciated all the different types of media used to portray the characters and lyrics, especially with the live-action tea cup and the use of Flipnote Studio (Yeah, the one on your Nintendo DS). Some of the graphics were pixelated for stylistic effect, and it really coupled well with the crunch of the singer/music at the given times it was especially prominent. The editing and effects used to polish off the completed piece made everything especially flow well and nice. There really is a progression into the chaotic based on the visuals alone, which is a clear sign of good visual storytelling. Vocals I'm not in particular an Ado fan, but man she sang so well in this! There's so much character to the way she pronounces words or does vocal inflections. She really did not compromise at all, spicing up repeated lines (such as that in the chorus) by doing something a tad different and abstract with the lines every time. Throughout the song, she sounds more deranged at certain parts, which was also portrayed in the visuals accordingly and gave those bits of flare extra emphasis. I love the way that she includes laughs and whispers jarringly that makes not a single moment dull. Really, it is so well done and satisfyingly clear. Music I think the music (made by Vocaloid artist PINOCCHIO-P), was also really well done. It had lots of funk and greatly used unique sound effects throughout to give every part its special moment. The way that 'beats dropped,' I suppose you could say, was especially satisfying and gave clear direction on where the song was going to go. I love the jarring way that the music would take dips or leaps; Its fast-pacedness was fitting for the meaning of the song and music video about even mundane happenings in life being so sudden. The way that the song talks about and dramatizes such mundane things is hilarious yet formidable and provoking. I love psychological humor. This thing has definitely has it, yessir. Alright, to wrap this up, I'll just summarize the points I was trying to make: All three areas (visuals, music, and vocals) work together extremely well to make some fast-paced, hilarious, yet surreal piece that is extremely relatable and satisfying to watch. Why not give it a go? I really enjoyed it, for sure! I ended up typing this review longer than the time I spent watching it, but I just wanted to report back on how much quality this teeny-tiny piece packs into it. If you are a fan of the quirky and fun, consider watching it!