Lady-Rise - SWEET BLACK ft. Maki Goto

[Prinny Squad]

UPDATE: Lady-Rise PV. Thanks Swiggy!



Maki seems to be on fire lately, this time with ANOTHER digital release as part of the SWEET BLACK project as confirmed on the Sweet Black Girls' blog. No single preview yet, but as soon as one comes out you guys will be the first to hear about it.



This time around, her collaboration will be with Sakurazawa Erika, who is a Japanese manga author whose works are mainly published in young girl magazines. This is also the second time that Maki will be penning her own lyrics!



So what do you guys think? Is this a dangerous sign of Maki becoming a flash in the pan at avex, or is this flood of releases a sign of them building her to be the face of avex? Although Namie's career seems to be back on the rise Ayumi is getting more vulnerable with age and her Menaires. Not to mention Koda, despite selling well with Trick, didn't exactly set the world on fire with her single Come To Me.



And to answer the question 'should further Maki Goto discussion be moved to Music since it's Avex or stay here since she's a former H!P?' that I was thinking of, hell no! Get yourself a physical single and then we'll talk about moving your skank ass to Music. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... dammit.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':crazy:' />

[peachgirldb]

Ahahaha Sakurazawa writes girls' porn. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':crazy:' /> Her books used to be plastic-wrapped at Barnes & Noble.

And to answer the question 'should further Maki Goto discussion be moved to Music since it's Avex or stay here since she's a former H!P?' that I was thinking of, hell no! Get yourself a physical single and then we'll talk about moving your skank ass to Music.

We've already answered this before, I'm pretty sure. Anyone who's been part of H!P, discussion belongs in the H!P section. The single with BoA can stay in the music section since it isn't technically her single, though.

[neshcom]

[quote name='Prinny Squad' post='60561' date='Feb 21 2009, 01:31 AM']This time around, her collaboration will be with Sakurazawa Erika, who is a Japanese manga author whose works are mainly published in young girl magazines. This is also the second time that Maki will be penning her own lyrics![/quote]

Read that as Sawajiri Erika at first. Oh god <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... ryalot.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' />



[quote name='Prinny Squad' post='60561' date='Feb 21 2009, 01:31 AM']So what do you guys think? Is this a dangerous sign of Maki becoming a flash in the pan at avex, or is this flood of releases a sign of them building her to be the face of avex?[/quote]

I've been considering this lately too. They haven't shown any signs of hesitation with her releases (except for lack of physical CDs). I mean, for her to collaborate with ravex (an avex anniversary group) not but three months after her re-debut is a little ambitious.



[quote name='Prinny Squad' post='60561' date='Feb 21 2009, 01:31 AM']Although Namie's career seems to be back on the rise[/quote]

TO THE HEAVENS <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... omgwtf.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':omgwtf:' />



[quote name='Prinny Squad' post='60561' date='Feb 21 2009, 01:31 AM']Ayumi is getting more vulnerable with age and her Menaires.[/quote]

I'm not seeing this. I've found almost all of her more recent songs enjoyable (save for the anniversary re-recordings and whatever the b-side to Mirrorcle World was). Rule/Sparkle looks a little weak, but I think we'll be seeing plenty of Ayumi (good or bad) until someone missteps and steps on her (no, STEP YOU <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... dammit.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':geof:' /> ). And then we'll probably get another single and, like, three best-ofs. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... hawhaw.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' />



[quote name='Prinny Squad' post='60561' date='Feb 21 2009, 01:31 AM']Not to mention Koda, despite selling well with Trick, didn't exactly set the world on fire with her single Come To Me.[/quote]

wat

If you mean Stay with Me, it actually sold really well. It was a number one single and avex reported over 2 million legal digital downloads.

[Prinny Squad]

[quote name='neshcom' post='60579' date='Feb 21 2009, 11:20 AM'][quote name='Prinny Squad' post='60561' date='Feb 21 2009, 01:31 AM']Not to mention Koda, despite selling well with Trick, didn't exactly set the world on fire with her single Come To Me.[/quote]

wat

If you mean Stay with Me, it actually sold really well. It was a number one single and avex reported over 2 million legal digital downloads.

[/quote]

I didn't even consider digital downloads! I only thought of the fact that it only sold like 39k first-week sales physically, which was kinda low for Kumi. Good to hear that it sold really well online though.

[tsukinobyouin]

I kind of feel like a discussion of Maki's releases belongs here like Peach said, but a discussion of who's on top in Avex and how well their other acts are selling seems more of a Music Chat topic. I guess it's kind of hard to separate the two.



As for Maki's career prospects....I really don't know avex's usual tactics with promoting their artists. With any label or management company, the technique of putting an act all over the place but not having them release anything seems pretty tried and true. If they had Maki out performing a bunch of new songs in concert, showing up all over TV, doing endorsements, but not releasing anything, I'd think they were gearing her up for a big career by getting people really interested in her and hungry for actual material they could buy. But so far, it seems like they're just casually throwing her in with their other acts and keeping her on the sidelines. It would be one thing if she'd actually done a duet with BoA, that would have given her a lot of exposure. But just being the chick that sang in the b-side....eh.

[neshcom]

[quote name='TnB' post='60599' date='Feb 21 2009, 02:11 PM']It would be one thing if she'd actually done a duet with BoA, that would have given her a lot of exposure. But just being the chick that sang in the b-side....eh.[/quote]

To be fair, that wasn't really BoA's single either <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... lesson.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' />

[EmEl]

I don't think throwing her in with other acts is all that different from having her perform on television without releases. I was viewing these semi-releases as a way to get her into public consciousness before they release the big debut. Because if this was as big as it got, then that wouldn't be close to even flash-in-the-pan. I don't know, but I think avex would be smarter than that. Digital releases are the 21st century version of television appearances, maybe?



Off-topic:

[quote name='Prinny Squad' post='60561' date='Feb 21 2009, 01:31 AM']Sakurazawa Erika, who is a Japanese manga author whose works are mainly published in young girl magazines.[/quote]

[quote name=':Peach' post='60562' date='Feb 21 2009, 01:34 AM']Sakurazawa writes girls' porn.[/quote]

Those two do not compute. Just for the record, Sakurazawa's stuff is published in young woman magazines. Like late teenager and adult woman. Yeah, she draws naked people which causes shrinkwrap in Barnes & Noble, but calling josei manga porn is like saying seinen manga is porn.

[peachgirldb]

[quote name='EmEl' post='60630' date='Feb 21 2009, 09:26 PM']Those two do not compute. Just for the record, Sakurazawa's stuff is published in young woman magazines. Like late teenager and adult woman. Yeah, she draws naked people which causes shrinkwrap in Barnes & Noble, but calling josei manga porn is like saying seinen manga is porn.[/quote]

She's had stuff published in a lolicon mag before. It's not Shining Musume or anything, but it's still pretty much the equivalent of trashy romance novels, or pornoriffic "modern" writing.



The other author that Maki collaborated with is also someone whose work contains a lot of sex (and violence).

[EmEl]

The lolicon stuff is not what she's famous for and is probably not the part of her work that represents how she's being used in this project. I was mostly clarifying that she didn't write young girls manga. But sure, the stuff she writes could be considered porn for women depending on how rigidly you define porn.

[peachgirldb]

I guess I'm being a little harsh, the sex scenes aren't generally the focus of her stories, but they are uh... used pretty liberally.

[swiggy]

*Copy/Paste*



Here's the link to the video.



Very... AVEX-y. I really get "Koda Jr." from this; it's been done. But....I guess this is what I was supposed to be expecting with a move to Rhythm Zone.



Other than that, it's catchy.



Out of curiosity, does anyone know if her H!P loli wotas abandoned her? Or have they "grown-up" (so to speak) with her? Once a Maki fan always a Maki fan? Because when I see crazies burn their H!P stuff when they find out a girl is caught with a boy, I wonder what happened here?

[Prinny Squad]

What a great follow-up to FLY AWAY! Honestly, when I first saw Koda Jr., I was expecting end-H!P Maki, which made me really sad. But seeing her doing things like blowing bubbles in a bathtub and throwing clothes all while laughing with a natural smile was really refreshing. It was a fun sexy, compared to end-H!P Maki with what seemed like forced 'grr tiger' smiles, which is really nice.



It's kinda funny, because I found this PV sexier than all of her end-H!P stuff. Is that weird?

[story]

She may have left H!P but she can't escape the tiny hats and the giant bows! <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... dammit.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lesson:' />

[tsukinobyouin]

This song is a little catchier than Fly Away, but it's still really repetative and well...Koda Kumi part 2. The PV itself actually reminded me more of Jajauma Paradise (pink ver) with higher production value than it did a Kumi video though - the whole thing with the cute-sexy faces and trying on different outfits was basically the same exact concept. It's pretty boring to watch, other than some of the outfits being cute. The big exception was the all-black one she had on near the beginning. Girl in just a bra = sexy. Girl with her bra hanging out of another outfit = stupid looking. The monstrosity she was wearing as she walked down the street towards the end was pretty bad too XD Otherwise the rest was cute/sexy without being trashy.



Overall it was a slightly better attempt than the last download song, but nothing to make me herald the return of Maki.

[Pucchi-Mo]

I approve! 5 outfits plus nude, that's like a year's worth for H!P.

My favorite look is the "business woman wants a raise/but stuck a pink puff ball on her skirt for some reason" outfit.

The song is ok, I'm not flipping over it, but I like it more than the Ravex thing.



Also note, when they show the film shot (0:25) you get a subliminal KODA because the last K of Kodak is crossed out. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /lmfao.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lesson:' />



Hey! Golden Luv has a live performance now. Well, the vocal track is present, so her live voice is kind of faint. GOLDEN LUV-LIVE



Ok, this is much better Avex.

(but if she stayed in H!P we'd have another album by now, SO GET ON IT)

[BeForJess]

I love the song... But wow, I didn't think the video would be so sexed out. I feel like I just spent 4 minutes staring at her (clothed) chest. But I wasn't even trying to, it just seemed to be the focus of most of the shots. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... unsure.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lesson:' /> But I don't think it was trashy, just really sexy-focused. Her makeup was stunning though. And I am glad to see her singing and putting out new material, so I guess that's good.

[neshcom]

I think the song's okay, but why no bass? I'd like her voice to be a little more present, but it's not bad.



WHAT THE FUCK YOU GUYS? 2:34. ANOTHER SLEEVELESS SMOCK WITH GLOVES SHE'S SCREWED

[Pi Mako]

Yep, this is what I've been expecting from avex-Maki. Although it was tamer than I thought. The music actually reminded me of something that BoA would release!

[vanillacat]

Oh shit, that outfit at the end was HORRENDOUS. And her hair (which omg she dramatically cut!) was fucking nasty. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... popper.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lesson:' />



(hahaha, the hat reminds me of the Aretha Franklin Inauguration one that everyone's been PSing onto things)



Meh. It's not particularly catching, but it is mildly sexy, and her little white-corset thing was cute. They're sure making good use of those boobies that mysteriously appeared during Glass no Pumps, eh? Makes me want to drag out that old avatar of mine...

[AEUGNewtype]

I finally got around to watching this. I didn't find anything overly good about it. In the shots where there was potential for her to look really hot, she just ended up looking anorexic, plastic, and weird. The song is boring as can be, and it doesn't really demand much past that. The framing and use of color in the video is really cool, but she looks kinda gross a lot of the time and ruins the good shots. What happened to those hips she had not all that long ago? She bragged about them in her Shakira cover and now they're gone <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lesson:' /> She's gone into Scramble mode again.

[Sabaku Ika]

I like this a lot better than her other avex songs so far. I'm not sure if that makes it good or just relatively good. The PV definitely helps.

[peachgirldb]

I fucking love this.

[EmEl]

This is the very first quick cut of the entire video after the initial shot of a blurry shot of her profile.







Really, what more needs to be said?

[Melon]

Heyheyhey don't knock Sakurazawa. Shoujo smut is the best kind! <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' /> Her works (that I've read) aren't that great. I traded mine in and watched it sit in the used section for a year and a half before someone bought it, haha. It's not Mayu Shinjo bad though, at least hers have a plot.



As for the song, it reminds me of the 90s. Even that little leg wiggle/hip thrust at the beginning screams 90s dance moves. The fetish looking outfits were cool, though the situation they were in seemed out of place and sleazy. I love the corset looks; hell, I love anything that incorporates a corset. I also liked that pink/black ribbon around her neck. The rest of the outfit looked a little too much like a cheap flight attendant though. I'm not getting the haircut. She looked hot with the long wavy hair and it's cut to medium and straight (or crimped? What, did Japan discover crimping irons or something recently?) with a lame hat and even lamer dress looking stupid and not hot. Bring on the fetish wear if that crappy outfit gives leeway to more of the same. [edit] I forgot to mention that she has lost her ass. Those outfits would be hotter if she could fill them out.

[Falcon]

Although the music isn't exactly adventurous I really like this. I hope she gets to grow as an artist because right now it really feels like they are square peg - round holing her.



To be honest I'd square peg Maki's round hole.

[Shoujo Q]

Lots of pink. Not only does it look a lot like Jajauma Paradise. But (both of them) use heavily from the Pussycat Dolls "Don't Need a Man". At least Avex could afford a tub and a shower. xD





Was it intentional or not? You be the judge. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... lesson.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[BeForJess]

Ehh, I've seen similar things from so many artists/groups that I don't think it's taking from any one particular thing. First thing that came to my mind was BeForU's Shangri-La, at least for me.



Why is it always pink or black? I can't think of any PVs featuring lime green lingerie. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... tongue.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[Sabaku Ika]

[quote name='BeForJess' post='61124' date='Feb 28 2009, 06:39 PM']Why is it always pink or black? I can't think of any PVs featuring lime green lingerie. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... tongue.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />[/quote]

In my confused memories, this one had lime-green lingerie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLyiJPCwboI

[ShinUkyo]

[quote name='The☆AEUGNewtype' post='60853' date='Feb 24 2009, 07:58 PM']I finally got around to watching this. I didn't find anything overly good about it. In the shots where there was potential for her to look really hot, she just ended up looking anorexic, plastic, and weird. The song is boring as can be, and it doesn't really demand much past that. The framing and use of color in the video is really cool, but she looks kinda gross a lot of the time and ruins the good shots. What happened to those hips she had not all that long ago? She bragged about them in her Shakira cover and now they're gone <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':P' /> She's gone into Scramble mode again.[/quote]

She's definitely lost some weight, but let's not go that far. In the Scramble PV, she was verging on anorexic. Whereas in this new video, she's only slimmed down a little bit. And because of it, sure, she doesn't have those glorious thighs anymore. Not like in her final Hellopro days. I still fondly remember that last Utaban appearance, with Morning Musume, Maki, Johnson, and Nacchi. Come to think of it, lordie, there were lots of glorious power-thighs in that interview. JunJun, Takahashi, oh man. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... ebleed.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':nosebleed:' />



[quote name='BeForJess' post='61124' date='Feb 28 2009, 05:39 PM']First thing that came to my mind was BeForU's Shangri-La, at least for me.[/quote]

That video is hot as sin. Although I haven't seen it in ages, since Steve never wants to watch it when I'm over there. Great song, but it drones on too long. WAY too much repetition of the chorus, and barely any time spent in the actual verses. Which is a shame, because the verses in that song are so amazing. The song didn't need to be five minutes long, and I think that's what ruined it for Steve. At least the new Maki song, while it does get repetitive, is only like three-and-a-half minutes. Better end-result, in my opinion.



[quote name='Woestijn Pijlinktvis' post='61126' date='Feb 28 2009, 05:54 PM']In my confused memories, this one had lime-green lingerie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLyiJPCwboI[/quote]

Another great song! And WOW that's a high-quality upload! Are people starting to upload many PV's at this quality level? If so, I may actually be able to start watching PV's on YouTube. Then again, with how record companies, movie studios, and televison stations are cracking down on YouTube content... a lot of this stuff may get removed pretty fast. Especially DVD rips like that one, something that blatantly could have been purchased (at least at one point or another).