While speaking about using music videos to inspire myself when planning the visual looks of a film, I posted Koda Kumi's 倖田來未 beautifully shot 'You' music video because I was amazed by it. But most of all, I was really intrigued by the fact that it unfolded like a short film (I'm pretty into plot-driven music videos, actually), and when I realized that there are continuations to the 'You' music video. I went off to look for them, and I finally did, and arranged them into sequence so that you peeps can the music videos, and get the whole damned thing.
I think what Koda Kumi had done was pretty amazing. To release twelve singles in a twelve-week span, and then make four music videos that are to be viewed in order so that viewers can get an entire story that is being told is an ambitious effort. Have this ever been done in other countries? Where one music video serves as a 'sequel' of another? The only one I can remember was Madonna's Take A Bow and You'll See, which featured some Spanish bullfighter or something.
So, while other film sites and filmmakers are presenting to people the greatest films and short films they have seen, I will do something entirely different by introducing to you all, my dear loyal readers, these Koda Kumi music videos. Yeap, while I don't know Japanese, the SHEER EMOTIONS and poetic visuals are more than enough to make up for my lack of understanding for the language (cliched, no?). I believe there is no one else who would do something as wonderful as this. (and that's why she is now featured on my desktop wallpaper)
But before I can be corrected by someone who actually knows Japanese, I will now try to explain the setup of these music videos based on my personal assumptions. Three guys sat in a bar, angsting about their personal love lives, each music video will focus only on one guy's story, and each of them has a vastly different atmosphere and mood. While the woman in their lives are all played by Koda Kumi, I believe they are all different characters (duh!).
I am so utterly blown away this that I will now dub these four music videos the You Feel Lies Someday Tetralogy. Remember, I, Edmund Yeo, am the first person to give this a name, and this visual masterpiece MUST BE SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD!
Part 1: YOU
The You music video is about a love story between a photographer (Takashi Tsumamoto) and a fashion designer/model (Koda Kumi). Their love for each other, whilst beautiful and passionate at first, dissolved during the cold days of winter. And as they grew apart, both of them tried desperately to salvage what they once had. Alas, things weren't going to work well. This is a sad ballad filled with sheer emo-ness that would make hopeless romantics like me melt.
Part 2: FEEL
The Feel music video, on the other hand, is about a guy (Shugo Oshinari, who plays the evil Hoshino in Shunji Iwai's All About Lily Chou Chou) who is involved in a love affair with a sultry and sizzlingly sexy lounge singer (Koda Kumi again) whom he met when he was drinking by himself. Yet once again, things spiralled out of control, they both grew distant from each other, and the man, perpetually a loner, had to face the prospects of being alone again as the one woman who meant something to him was about to leave him.
Part 3: LIES
The Lies music video is a tale about a dagger thrower (Shogen) and his beautiful assistant (who else but Koda Kumi?). Being a rugged manly man he is (he makes his other two drinking buddies look like women), he never gave a shit about the faithful assistant who was genuinely in love with him. To him, she was nothing more than an object to sleep with, or to perform his dagger-throwing performances upon. Yet when the tables were suddenly turned against him, and he had to re-examine his personal feelings for his assistant.
Part 4: SOMEDAY
Someday concludes the stories of the three previous music videos (which all had open-ended endings), tying up all loose ends, answering all questions. Will these three vastly different men dealing with heartbreak find a resolution to all their problems? Watch this and you will know!
Personally, after watching these, I feel like doing a series of music videos that are connected like this one. I absolutely love the concept of these Koda Kumi videos, and I wish more music videos would do something like this.
Special thanks to Elle Wood for telling me which two music videos come after You and Feel. And to Shugo Oshinari Blog for the names of the actors featured in the three music videos.
I think what Koda Kumi had done was pretty amazing. To release twelve singles in a twelve-week span, and then make four music videos that are to be viewed in order so that viewers can get an entire story that is being told is an ambitious effort. Have this ever been done in other countries? Where one music video serves as a 'sequel' of another? The only one I can remember was Madonna's Take A Bow and You'll See, which featured some Spanish bullfighter or something.
So, while other film sites and filmmakers are presenting to people the greatest films and short films they have seen, I will do something entirely different by introducing to you all, my dear loyal readers, these Koda Kumi music videos. Yeap, while I don't know Japanese, the SHEER EMOTIONS and poetic visuals are more than enough to make up for my lack of understanding for the language (cliched, no?). I believe there is no one else who would do something as wonderful as this. (and that's why she is now featured on my desktop wallpaper)
But before I can be corrected by someone who actually knows Japanese, I will now try to explain the setup of these music videos based on my personal assumptions. Three guys sat in a bar, angsting about their personal love lives, each music video will focus only on one guy's story, and each of them has a vastly different atmosphere and mood. While the woman in their lives are all played by Koda Kumi, I believe they are all different characters (duh!).
I am so utterly blown away this that I will now dub these four music videos the You Feel Lies Someday Tetralogy. Remember, I, Edmund Yeo, am the first person to give this a name, and this visual masterpiece MUST BE SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD!
Part 1: YOU
The You music video is about a love story between a photographer (Takashi Tsumamoto) and a fashion designer/model (Koda Kumi). Their love for each other, whilst beautiful and passionate at first, dissolved during the cold days of winter. And as they grew apart, both of them tried desperately to salvage what they once had. Alas, things weren't going to work well. This is a sad ballad filled with sheer emo-ness that would make hopeless romantics like me melt.
Part 2: FEEL
The Feel music video, on the other hand, is about a guy (Shugo Oshinari, who plays the evil Hoshino in Shunji Iwai's All About Lily Chou Chou) who is involved in a love affair with a sultry and sizzlingly sexy lounge singer (Koda Kumi again) whom he met when he was drinking by himself. Yet once again, things spiralled out of control, they both grew distant from each other, and the man, perpetually a loner, had to face the prospects of being alone again as the one woman who meant something to him was about to leave him.
Part 3: LIES
The Lies music video is a tale about a dagger thrower (Shogen) and his beautiful assistant (who else but Koda Kumi?). Being a rugged manly man he is (he makes his other two drinking buddies look like women), he never gave a shit about the faithful assistant who was genuinely in love with him. To him, she was nothing more than an object to sleep with, or to perform his dagger-throwing performances upon. Yet when the tables were suddenly turned against him, and he had to re-examine his personal feelings for his assistant.
Part 4: SOMEDAY
Someday concludes the stories of the three previous music videos (which all had open-ended endings), tying up all loose ends, answering all questions. Will these three vastly different men dealing with heartbreak find a resolution to all their problems? Watch this and you will know!
Personally, after watching these, I feel like doing a series of music videos that are connected like this one. I absolutely love the concept of these Koda Kumi videos, and I wish more music videos would do something like this.
Special thanks to Elle Wood for telling me which two music videos come after You and Feel. And to Shugo Oshinari Blog for the names of the actors featured in the three music videos.
