[2/4] ANGERME (アンジュルム) 1st single : Taiki Bansei / Otome no Gyakushu

[Daisuki Daiiyo]

That performance was kind of all over the place, but I'll give them slack since it's the first performance of the year and all that. Rikako/Murotan are giving me early Take-chan/Meimi vibes when they were still new and would over-dance the shit out of everything. I admire their enthusiasm, but they do need to draw it back a little bit, because Rikako's (and to a lesser extent Murotan's) huge accented moves really stand out against everyone else, and make for a disjointed looking dance formation. You've already made it gurl, you don't have to dance like you're still auditioning! Couple that with Maho's poor dance skills, Puu's lazy dancing, and their non-matching outfits and it just makes it even more rough lol.

I appreciate Ayaka and Murotan's solo lines, but it comes a bit too late to break up the monotony of the song for me. I do love the upbeat, funness of the song though and it'll make for a great concert tune, I just wish it had another dimension to it. It's like this is their rough copy of Mantenrou Show, with fewer awesome changes lol.

Ultimately, I think this new H!P just needs some more time and more Tsoonk lol. The Country Girls song and paho and MM'15 paho felt messy/unpolished to me too, though that's to be expected with so many new faces in.

Can't wait to see the PV's tho, and hear the songs in their fuller intended quality. Hope they go over the top (like Rikako's dancing) for the Otome song.

[Shabranikuduu]

To be fair, KSS are taught to over-dance to stand out better so it's probably going to take them a while to adapt and improve their dancing.

[Obsidian]

They've both always danced like that and I'd throw it back and say maybe some other people should put more energy into it the song clearly demands it.

[Solarblade]

I agree with obsidian, I thought Murotan and Sasaki really brought the energy to the song it needed, not saying the others were bad, but I noticed those two a lot really giving it all

[Parhelion69]

If anything, 2nd gen is dragging 3rd gen down

Seriously though, I completely agree with Sohee, 2nd gen really needs to step up their game. They are already overshadowed by 3rd gen (ok, mostly Rikako and Murotan), and 2nd has been there for how many years already?

Anyway, it was a great performance, and clearly shows what S/M was lacking. It seems like a complete group now.

The future of the group is really exciting. Finally.

[Sohee]

I loved the perf and didn't think it was too messy.
The camerawork was horrible, however. ^^;;

[otaku_blue]

Maho needs to catch up a little. She looks so lost. Even in the news reports she kept looking around lost, and wasn't doing the dance as well.

Its good she gets that push in Otome no Gyakushuu I guess to hide that.

[Daisuki Daiiyo]

^ I feel for ha. I hope she gets more comfortable soon. Given more time too, I'm certain her dancing will get better, like Kanana. I think I'm rooting for her the most.

I agree with obsidian, I thought Murotan and Sasaki really brought the energy to the song it needed, not saying the others were bad, but I noticed those two a lot really giving it all

And I agree. Rikako's dancing gave the song the kind of oomph that it requires to match the catchy bits (aiaiaiaiai), and she's a ton of fun to watch since she's really enjoying herself and feeling the tune, so she stood out a lot. The downside to that is she stood out a lot lol. Being a part of a group now, the point is cohesion instead of drawing all of the attention to yourself, and Kako going full "cheerleading competition mode" while the others are dancing normally makes for a disjointed performance. It's probably something that all sides need to work on though tbh. Kako & Co could tone it down, while the older girls drum up enthusiasm. No doubt in my mind though, that the dance teachers told the newer gals to dial it back afterward. They did the same thing when Take-chan and Meimi were new and dancing over-the-top too. Also it's better for when they inevitably have to do longer concerts too, and need their energy spread throughout.

I mean, I do like them, and the song is ok, but the group is not without needed improvements.

[Zunu]

I think the opposite, tbh. This song is S/Angerme's biggest chance yet for a breakout hit. They *all* ought to be enthusiastic and over-the-top about it. This is not a chill-approach song. This is an everybody dance, all the way up in the bleachers song. Secondly, I don't believe Rikako is overdancing to begin with. If you look at her head and shoulder movements, particularly that "ban-SEI" pop she does, they're big but they're well-defined and look rehearsed, not haphazard and improvisational. Yeah she and Murotan kind of stand out but I think that's deliberate. They're the late-blooming talent that's been added to Angerme, after all.

Rikako relaxing.

[stam4o]

personally, for me it looks like Maho is another hidden beast like Maa-chan. She has some really unique explosive-personality vibe. I'm definitely rooting for her the most