Hello! Project: Flash, dash and pinache!

Much is made of how young and stunning Japanese idol singers are, how average their voices can be, and to what collective end such entertainment ultimately leads.

 

But there is no argument that, overall, a Hello! Project arena concert is an experience incomparable to anything else this universe has to offer. The Hello! Project Winter 2008 Awards Show at Yokohama Arena featured 62 singers overall – they’re all pictured on the cover of the standalone DVD cover jacket – and they were all sensational.

 

Not only was the performance of Jan. 27, 2008, picture-perfect, so were the many instances where spectators were shown, close-up, enjoying these tremendous performers and units.

 

Following are reports featuring various aspects of that sensational concert:

 

http://radicalpatriot.vox.com/library/post/love-and-fun-flows-with-hero.html

 

http://radicalpatriot.vox.com/library/post/ongaku-gatas-and-the-manoeri-factor.html

 

http://radicalpatriot.vox.com/library/post/morning-musumes-mikan-miracle.html

 

http://radicalpatriot.vox.com/library/post/take-a-deep-breath-its-aozora-time.html

 

There is incalculable energy involved in a show like this. Logistics – lighting, sound, videography, choreography, music, vocals, dance – are something out of a science-fiction film. Duplicating this in the US would be next to impossible. Not only would union-related costs be prohibitive (the sheer numbers of staff alone are staggering), but the US entertainment industry is woefully short on technical expertise and equipment reliability.

 

Yes, in the first show on Jan. 26, there were some obvious technical gaffes – mikes that cut off, were dropped, ear monitors falling out, costumes missing some pieces, dances out of step, digital tracks drifting sharp on pitch (which they can in an arena setting), and any number of other troubles that can plague any concert of this magnitude.

 

But the Jan. 27 matinee was a killer, definitely the best of the three shows. The Jan. 27 night show – where the videographers took all their footage – was an excellent show but did not match the raw energy of the matinee. Clearly, fatigue might have been a factor, but any wrinkles were cleverly smoothed out by the skilled videographers.

 

And there are other pragmatic considerations.

 

How, for example, do engineers at Yokohama Arena coordinate 48 separate wireless microphones (the Eggs normally backdance and are not miked, except for their traditional opening number) without massive feedback? How is this possible? The speaker mains are located in one corner of the arena, which helps reduce echo, but it is a remarkable technical achievement nonetheless.

 

What you see and hear on the DVD is exactly what you get live. There is, on the DVD, some re-recording, because I noticed an audio difference in the live feeds each performance (that is, the singers’ actual voices were being used in the live show) which did not transfer onto the DVD master. This is accepted practice, and polishes each DVD for historical permanence.

 

And the costumes. What can be said? Nothing. Each outfit elicits gasps of astonishment from the glowstick-waving wotas (and the straight-laced family members seated politely in the sitting-only sections). Costs for such costuming in the US would be astronomical and, therefore, not viable here.

  

In any event, pageantry of Hello! Project is something that the entertainment world should cherish, because it will likely never get any better than this.

 

This is Rad signing off – for now.