A Pic Spam trying to be a review, Namida Suprise vers.

So, sometime this week (or last week... I haven't really been paying that close of attention), the full PV came out of the new AKB48 single "Namida Surprise," set to release on 6/24, sending all other idol groups (when I say all other, I mean C-ute here, and really no bashing intended here because C-ute are totally my girls too) away in terror for another release date.

When I first listened to the song, I had to say I felt lukewarm about it at best. Maybe it was LQ previews or the disappointment I felt at the senbatsu, but I wasn't that excited to get this single. The only promising aspect of it was the voting forthe next senbatsu (which I was once again disappointed to hear that I couldn't actually vote). The coupling tracks are Shonichi (and I think it says the Team B version...) and First Love (Erena solo track), which I guess is okay, but as a fandubber, I would so have taken a Shonichi instrumental track over her solo (sorry Erena fans, I'm just not loving her song).

But then the PV came out, and boy was it a great PV! While very uneven with screen time, when I watched it, the first thing I thought was.... NOW THAT'S HOW YOU MAKE AN IDOL PV! (*UFA shot*). While it didn't have a completely blatant story with drama and everything like their last couple of PVs have been, it had a great story and amazing shots done. Now begins the pic spam + comments on a PV high lights:



The PV opens with all the senbatsu in a classroom. I assume we're supposed to assume that they're in the same class, which makes me lol because Mariko (not that you can see her in the classrooom scene) is like 10 years older than Jurina. Acchan apparently is a nerd with glasses? I don't know, but they look good on her, but I don't buy it.



Apparently, Acchan is in love with her teacher. I would be too if my teacher looked like him.

Then the bell rings and all pandominium breaks loose and it's time to escort Acchan to the birthday surprise hall, but with West Side Story style dancing down the halls. Maybe what we can't see is coming down the hall on the other side is Morning Musume ready for You Got Served-esque dance off. *sigh* I can only dream... Acchan dancing with the blindfold on is awkward but kind of cute at the same time.

Umm... guys? I think it maybe really unsafe for you to run down the stairs when someone is wearing a blindfold... oh well, it seems that no idols were harmed in the making of this PV (or I'm just assuming...). Oh well, I guess party hats to make us feel all warm inside...



And behind the beautiful silver curtain is the great reveal... AKB senbatsu birthday dance. Nothing says Happy Birthday more than a giant idol group doing a song and dance just for you on your special day.



Now cut from the dance scene and we get Tomo~mi-chan in a maid costume with a cake. Haha, she so would do the whole maid costume thing, and of course she trips and falls in the most outrageous fashion that seems to shock the weird extras that keep taking screentime from other AKB48 members. The cake is passed to Miichan, who then for some unknown reason thinks it's time to play hot potato with the cake and hand it off to Yukirin, who poses for a picture.




Lol at the camera that Mariko uses. Which some crazy prop with a CD for a lens and then poofs a crazy amount of smoke for every picture. But that's fine, it seems that other groups are waiting in line for their pictures before it's time to run off to eat food at what I can only assume is their cafeteria. (though, I thought that Japanese students ate in the classroom...)



Wtf old breakdancers! Stop stealing screentime from my girls! And also, Jurina, get off the tables... you're much too young to be auditioning for Coyote Ugly.



And a birthday celebration would not be complete without cake! Go away extras, no one wants to see you! awww Miichan's Pikachu cheeks are adorable. I want my birthday cake to be brought in by Haruna :( She looks particularly pretty in these shots.



I love these shots of them all in a ring from the top. Too bad some of the time the rings aren't the most round, but whatever. All I could think about was the massive amount of time it must of have taken to coordinate that entire scene.




Make a wish Acchan!



And now we're back in the gym for the final happy dance! There are some cute shots where the girls hug each other, and then at the end, 6 of them run up and say Happy Birthday to the camera! ... wait, one of them is Acchan. Isn't it supposed to be your birthday? I guess you could wish yourself a happy birthday, but that seems odd to me...



And another wtf moment... what's up with the curtain and wand star at the end? Oh well, it's kind of cute.




For some closing notes, I have to admit, I'm not an Acchan fan. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I am an Acchan hater, but I could never figure out why she got so much attention. That is until I saw this PV. She was absolutely radiant here, and that is I guess why she's the frontgirl of AKB48 (though, I would prefer it to be Takamina....). I'm not sure if I'm an Acchan fan yet, but this PV really changed my mind about her.




Anyway, overall, I give this:

Song: 4/5 stars (It was good, but not the best ever AKB48 song. Catchy though)

PV: 5/5 stars (so amazing... T-T)

Acchan star factor: 23423u2987 stars (yes, it's big that apparently I have to include a letter in there. Great job, Acchan! ^-^)

I'm including down here some other media:

The album of that I made with all my screen caps I made from the PV:

http://s382.photobucket.com/albums/oo266/shockingbuggy/Namida%20Surprise%20Clips/

And a groupdub I participated in for my friend Kary's birthday: