[Review] [Music Video] Koda Kumi – So Nice

• Concept
• Visuals
• Flow

*Video Down Because Japanese Companies Are Assholes*

Does this exude sexuality or what?

Koda Kumi‘s “So Nice” won’t feel like anything new, but despite the deja vu moments, the overt ero kawaii vibe of her music videos seem to make everything her own.

For example, “So Nice” actually reminded me of Shimatani Hitomi‘s “Haru Machibito” music video. Both are filmed in front of three sets and consist of two wide shots and one close shot. Of particular similarity are the parts where Koda Kumi’s in front of the green screen with a background full of effects in a kimono. However, instead of the elegance and class exuded from Shimatani Hitomi, she basically says “fuck that, I’m gonna make you jerk it” and transformed the scenes into something seductive and sexy.

Aesthetically, “So Nice” is exactly that, blending a visually pleasing mixture of backgrounds, effects, outfits, and Koda Kumi. The direction is smooth enough to let everything flow together while cutting around enough to make it seem like there’s more going on than there actually is.

Koda Kumi is the midst of one of her music video blitzes where she releases about a billion music videos in a week to promote a massive sales run, and considering she’s currently knocked up, it’ll probably be her last for a while. Perhaps due to those factors, the music video isn’t overly complicated, but ironically I think it ends up suiting her better than her more ambitious attempts.