AKB48 Kawaii - Cuteness gone wild? (Moe vs Kawaii)

Japanese Kawaii moments (Kawaii = Excessivly CUTE in Japan) can happen at any time and during the most unexpected moments. Lets watch a brief collection of Japanese Idols caught roaming loose in their natural habitat (Television) to view Japanese cuteness emerge as nature intended.  

Not sure about the difference between "Kawaii" and Moe? Essentially they mean similar things however, Moe is usually used for 2-D Japanese Anime characters or art styles. This doesn't mean live 3-D girls can't be Moe as being Moe is 'subjective' to each persons tastes. One hard fact is that one can not be Moe without first being incredible "kawaii" to begin with. If you're not very cute to start off your chances of being viewed as Moe become "Non-Existent". Being "Moe" is a trait specific to an individual. Some examples of Moe traits could be how a girl looks when she's angry, which is often labeled as being "Tsundere", emotionally running hot & cold, ( TV Tropes Definition of Tsundere characters HERE! ) or how adorable she becomes when she's scared or even how she weakens when offered sweets or stuffed animals. Having "Moe" characteristics is difficult to fake because the owner 99% of the time doesn't think their behavior is Moe - which ironically makes them more Moe to the observers.

Watch above as Haruka Shimazaki (Paruru of AKB48) is tricked into displaying Anime Moe faces while her friend Mina Oba (also of AKB48) does the same exercise. The stark comparisons are practically night & day and produce two totally different vibes. Haruka isn't trying to be Moe - she just is. Mina is trying but just seems "comically amusing" or like she's imitating an imitation. Could this be the origin of the age old phrase "Know Thy Self"? probably not in the slightest but in knowing thyself one can harness & listen to ones "inner Moe".



 

MomoClo - Ninja Moe! PV PV for "D' no Junjō"

Momoiro Clover Z or "MomoClo" called by fan is not your average "Idol group". While many major selling J-Pop Idol groups rely on the sales of singles (on Japans Oricon music sales chart) & a handful of "Center faces" for recognition, MomoClo relies on thematic concept videos and high octane live performances. Every song has character, costumes, themes, specialized dance, and sound. Each Momoiro Clover Z single sounds unique against other singles and every member of MomoClo is the "star" in their own way. 

They are a superb example of a seamless blend of: talent, humor, dance, singing, passion, group dynamic, and innate Japanese cuteness. Above is Momiro Clover Z in a live performance of their July 2011 single  called " D' no Junjō" or "Dash for the Pure Heart".

 Below is MomoClo doing "D' no Junjo" doing the official video for the song dressed as Ninjas and showing off their comedy skills. 3 million views isn't bad for 5 girls from outside the traditional Idol system.

They're slowly going global and were a featured guest at the Japan Expo in France 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFaxi4t9nQk  They're always on fire & ready to entertain. 

This is what sets MomoClo apart from almost all the Idol groups in Japan. MomoClo loves to perform and in their early years eagerly would do live shows where ever they were allowed. One of their earliest gigs was in a parking lot outside an amusement park and it became darker than expected outside so the girls performed with only headlights from several cars to light them. Like AKB48 in their early days sometimes they performed for only a handful of people.  Their original tag line was "Heroines of the Weekend" (Weekend Idols) because all of them went school during the week and they only performed on weekends.

Momoiro Clover Z are dedicated Moe! 

AMV - Voltage! [Big Contest 2012] 1080p (Ecchi)

In the world of AMV's (Anime Music Videos) there are varying degrees of excellence. Sadly- more than half ever made are not worth your time. The truly great ones are a bizarre marriage of subject matter, music selection, editing skills, and over all "vision". AMV's have the power to cross-bread genres and make fans out of  almost anything. One can even gauge an Anime's global presence by how often it's used in AMV's by fans from multiple countries. The music can introduce fans to another new band or genre altogether (Classical, Metal, Jazz, Alternative, Pop). No one knows what will make a truly awesome looking AMV, not even the makers themselves. You just know it when you see it and you want to share it & watching it again and again.

This AMV falls into that Arena. It combines the furious pace of "Redline" (space-drag racing anime) with the fighting characters of such as anime's as "Mirai Nikki" & "Highschool of the Dead" with the racier Ecchi scenes of "Panty & Stocking" & "Dance of the Vampire Bund" as well as many other examples. These are all tied together with an adrenaline fueled song with a sexy moe bow. It's just gorgeous to behold. You could say this style of editing and AMV making is what gets people like myself into Anime in the first place.

For classification purposes we'll call this "Adrenaline Moe!"
**Warning this contains about 20% Ecchi shots (Anime 'lewd' or 'nudeness') but it's rapid-fire editing & age-restricted on YouTube so use your best judgement if you're afraid of anything "NSFW"** This is NOT hentai but it's not Cartoon Network network friendly - welcome to the Internet.

HKT48 "Heavy Rotation" 2012 (Future Moe analysis)

Remember the early days of AKB48 when the girls were not mega-stars or as polished as they are today? When all they had was innocent smiles, natural Moe charm, & tons of energy?- well, NMB48 may be the "Wild Childs" & sexy sister group and SKE48 might be full of upstart polished dancers & performers- HKT48 is totally the cheery under developed "kid sister" of AKB48- which means in another 2 years or so they're going to total heart breakers and bring much pride & blossoming beauty to the Idol-verse. 

Their performance of AKB48's classic iconic hit "Heavy Rotation" on "AKBingo" from March 2012 will someday make their fans say "Dam, were they really this young?". This is diamond in the rough HKT48-remember it. I say this now because today new fans see early videos from "AKB48" (and AKBingo) and forget that what made them so fun in the beginning was how "fresh and wide-eyed" they were. There were no egos, Google+ accounts, election worries, or national TV commercials. Today everything is "new" we have no idea what these girls & this group are going to become.

This is the magic of HKT48. They're don't know how to "fake it" or "shine us on" yet. They're completely non-boxed & labelled yet. Plus, you can't go wrong with Haruka Kodama (Haruppi) as the 'Ace Center'- She  even has a lisp - how Moe & kawaii is that? Someday they might be major players in the Idol-verse but today  they are that goofy & endearing "little sister" of AKB48 - some of these girls might be in AKB48 Senbatsu in a few years. Can you pick out who the stars are from this performance? That's why it's fun to watch them in a "Year One: HKT48" fashion. Someday they will be 'Future Moe!' 

Selling Lingerie using Anime Fan Service tricks

In ever decent harem or fan-service Anime there is always the one scene where the "nice girl", 'sex bomb', or Cheerleader type character accidentally loses her outfit in typical "fan service" fashion. Ever wondered what it would be like in 3-D? Haruna Kojima (AKB48) & Lingerie label Peach John are happy to materialize such a vision!

Paruru (AKB48) & Sasshi (HKT48) together = Salty Moe!

Paruru (Shimazaki Haruka) & Sasshi (HKT48) are either the inventors of a NEW type of 'Salty Ballad' or the next comedy team?? You be the judge.

In case you're curious "Shiki" means corpse but Paruru looks so sweet singing about it. 

Sea Pigs! They're cuter than you think!

I'm mentioning this because as an Anime fan I've been seeing cute jelly looking creatures like this for years. Now, it appears there's a real one. This is what is known as "Buso-Kawaii" (Ugly Cute). How can you ignore a creature that basically eats dirt and guess how it defends itself? (get ready)...it liquify's itself into a puddling like bag of it's insides- Skunks just spray farts permanent marker style.  Who wouldn't want a translucent pig that walks around with inflatable limbs?  You can learn more at the "Ever SO Strange"' website or CLICK HERE for more info

So throw away the gerbils. Tell those sloths to get a job. Flush those sea monkeys down the toilet and get yourself a truly WTF Pet! and when people call it blob be like "Dude, it's a Sea-Cucumber bro!" Take it to a bar and scare the ladies. Put it next to you and see which drunk people take multiple looks and wonder how many shots they drank. You will never under estimated again when you show off your Sea Pig!

Original Source: Ghouls & 

Monsters tumblr CLICK HERE!