If you aren't aware, as part of Hello!Project a new television show has been added to their roster called Satoyama. This show includes the Hello!Project members take part in activities to promote agriculture and nature, but I personally find this kind of material boring. HOWEVER, it has made up for it by allowing Hello!Project members to be part sub-units as a part of this movement! Lately Satoumi was then introduced as part of this new movement and one of the sub-units to come out of this was DIA LADY.
When I heard that Airi Suzuki (C-ute) and Risako Sugaya (Berryz Kobou) were paired up to be Dia Lady I was so happy. These girls are two of my top vocalists from both C-ute and Berryz Kobou, so it was obvious that I was going to review this at some point. Get your rock a billy groove and let's get into this review!!
The music video opens up with a very pretty and calm sea! It relates to the whole Satoumi movement with water. I'm getting this...
Now we are now in a very funky 50's diner! I expect to see the pink ladies popping out from under the counter to sing Summer Nights...oh I wish it could be true! But we do have these stunning young ladies to take their place.
Airi: That's right Jenny! Who needs the pink ladies when you have the Dia Ladies!
Risako: We don't need any grease monkeys dirtying up the place either!
I love the spirit of these two girls! Let's groove and rock n roll!
I really do love this diner set and it reminds me of an American diner place that's just opened nearby! I need to visit it!
That's it Airi run your hand through your hair like you just don't care! Show Rizzo how it's done!
I can see that Risako is going down the innocent route! A new rival for Sandra Dee I see, ah it rhymed!
That nail polish is so pretty! Let's hope it doesn't get mucked up from that beautiful motorbike.
Airi are you on a date with a biker?! UFP won't be happy especially if he is a bad boy!
Aww Risako doesn't seem to have a date this evening.
Risako: Where did I go wrong? Where is my biker in shining leather?
Your time will come Risako, honey don't worry.
I had to take a screen shot of this cause the names on the records make me chuckle so much!
"Black Cow." - It sounds kind of rude if you look at it in a certain context but the randomeness of the title makes me giggle.
"Ding dongs." - I'm sorry UFP you are doing this on purpose! You want my dirty mind to take over. I will not succumb to it I promise you!
M-Maybe Airi isn't having a date with a biker, maybe she's having smoochies with the microphone?
Airi: Jenny that's silly...I was distracted by the hotness of my piece of biker goodness!
Airi you sassy girl! Go get him tiger GRR!
Risako seems to be following Airi's footsteps in getting herself a hunk!
Risako: It's all in the eyes, a little cheeky pout to add the finishing touch!
You don't need to practise pouting Risako you do it so well you could pout in your sleep!
Just cause Airi has a man does not mean she is going to abandon the Dia Ladies!
Shake those hips for Dia!!!
Risako realises that waiting around for her prince in shining leather isn't going to be a success if she keeps waiting around.
She realises that other things are more important...
Airi realises that maybe this biker dude isn't as exciting as she thought he would be. She looked so bored on this date! Even if there is a beautiful motorbike at her disposal!
Risako: I just need milkshake to get rid of my dating woes!
See milkshake is much sweeter than a lot of dudes around here!
Be a single pringle and just mingle!!!
I am so not good at this 50's lingo...
That's a pretty trinket where did you get it from Airi?
It doesn't look like something your lame ass boyfriend would get you.
Airi: It was a present off a very old friend of mine...
As I say and I will say again Airi who needs men when you have your best friend?
She's alone drowning herself in milkshake!
The Dia Lady's spirit is still maintaining strong with some hunkadilly shoulder shakes!
They look so happy bless them!
And wave those men off! Bye bye guys we don't need you!!!
Airi you go girl! You don't need no man!
Just leave his bike for someone to steal that'll show him for abandoning you!
Risako: Have the milkshake, Jenny. There is something I must do.
I'm proud of you Risako!! Fight for friendship, I'll cave into this amazing milkshake! Oishii!
Airi's attitude in the diner scenes are just amazing, if H!P did a production of Grease she would kick butt!
Whereas, on the other hand Risako seems to be taking the doe eyes innocent look in the diner scenes. She does this an awful lot but she looks damn pretty so I can let it go!
Airi: You are now officially a Dia Lady Jenny! Copy our moves and you're on your way!
YES! Thank you! I will prove I am a true Dia Lady!!!
They look happy with my moves...and all together now!!!
SNAP!! You got it on going on!
Thanks Risako I try *hairflip*
And a 1...2...3...4!!!
I was in love with Airi's voice at this point in the song!
I never want it to happen but if C-ute graduated or disbanded she has to have a solo career! I demand it!
Who needs to twerk like Miley when you can twist with the Dia Ladies...this is much more funky and fun!
After abandoning her milkshake at the cafe, Risako ponders over the lake.
Is she there to think or is she there to meet someone?
This screenshot was such a lucky one, I randomly paused and this appeared.
I love the looks of the girls in this! Airi interacts with the camera so much whereas Risako looks lile she wants to put in a lot of emotion.
Risako: I thought I'd never see you here again.
Who is it Risako? Who did you think you'd never see again?
Airi! I knew it!
Airi: You were right Risako, my boyfriend was a jerk! I shoved him to the curb!
Risako: That's my girl!
Yay! It might be towards the end of the summer but there is still plenty of time to make memories!
Friendship triumphs over love!!
I saw the Budweiser sign at the back of the diner. Why not celebrate your friendship with a cold alcoholic beverage?
Airi: Jenny, I know you're old enough to drink in England. But here in Japan it's a no no!
Okay okay Airi thanks for letting me know.
Why not get a milkshake then? Risako loves them!
Risako: Who cares? Let's have a few cheeky drinks and get this party started!
I like your thinking Risako!
That's the spirit...Dia Ladies forever!!
I really really enjoyed screen capping this! I haven't been listening to this song for a while but then my friends on-line have been posting their singing covers of this song on-line and it got me addicted to this song. With all of the techno material that Hello!Project seem to be releasing lately it really is wonderful to be listening to something completely different. Lady Mermaid is a song that is very infectious and the instrumentation of the jazzy instruments and some funky bass among other 50's instruments really made me want to listen to this song again and again. Then when it's teamed up with the amazing vocals of Airi and Risako it makes it all the more enjoyable to listen to.
I know a lot of people are in love with Airi and I can't disagree with them. In my opinion Airi is one of the best singers that have come out of Hello!Project and they've really taken care of this girl to take good care of her voice and let it sound fantastic naturally. I know Riho from Morning Musume is a very talented singer and with this potential talent it seems H!P have tried to force this talent out of her instead of allowing her to do it naturally. So I am very happy that they have trained Airi with her vocals so she blossoms on her own and I think that is one of the best things UFP has done. She truly is a star in the making.
Even though she is just as talented as Airi, Risako still gets a lot of criticism for her voice. She is a fantastic singer and on record she sounds amazing, but when it comes to live performances sometimes her vibrato can be overemphasised so it makes her voice shaky and she also has the tendency to shout her vocals. However, I think this song was suited towards Risako's voice well and she sounded flawless without having to shout.
The music video for this song is very simple as it is with usual Hello!Project videos but the simple outside shots also add variety to it which makes it very visually entertaining to watch. The main diner set was a set I fell in love with and I'd have loved to have been a customer. The girls looked fabulous in their black dresses to contrast with the bright neon lights of the diner sensationally. Airi's black dress really suited her slim frame and she looked gorgeous and now I really want to buy the same dress. Risako then dresses in a much sweeter dress and it suits her figure too. I know some people think of her as bigger than the other Hello!Project girls, however, I do think that a tight dress wouldn't have suited Risako so I think this looser dress really compliments her.
The outside shots were really beautiful and the pastel shades of the shots reminded me of vintage films and I think the pastel outfits that the girls wore were very sweet and simple. I know a lot of idol music videos like out of the ordinary outfits but I think simple casual outfits like these look even better. The city in the background of Airi's shots were stunning and they filmed at just the right time for the sun to set too and I was in love with it. The night city shots were also very visually appealing, but the lighting of the girls in that scene didn't compliment their faces at all and made them look really washed out. Apart from that the music video was very fun to watch and I'd watch it again and again.
With a funky rock a billy sound to break away from the traditional techno H!P have created, this song is one that I want to listen to again and again when I get sick of listening to auto tuned Morning Musume. The powerful vocals of Airi and Risako tops it all off to make the song a perfect one, and I do hope this duo releases another track soon. But this is UFP so they'll be dashing my dream before it's even begun!
RATING: 9/10
