Get to know LM.C's music, trademarks and visual style through their first nine videos.
LM.C's THE MUSIC VIDEOS is a worthwhile investment as it includes all the promotional videos of LM.C to date. Not only is it a convenient way to get all the band's PVs in one place, but it also comes with a booklet that offers all the lyrics in romaji so you can easily memorize them and sing along.
The DVD starts off with ☆Rock the LM.C☆ of course, their classic first PV that established the duo's look: the iconic pair of blond vocalist and magenta haired guitarist, dressed in black with a sound mixing hip hop and rock. Appearing on a stage lit with runway lights, surrounded by jumping fans, the video is full of motion and close-ups of the guys, all of which will keep you entertained and dying to see the band live. Little Fat Man boy continues the process of making icons of the pair, featuring live action footage plus claymation figures: a blond in maya's usual outfit and a redhead in Aiji's. The mix of mediums for the video is an entertaining and welcome deviation from the norm.
Some videos don't do anything at all for the song and make you wish you hadn't even seen them, even if you like the song. OH MY JULIET. is just the opposite. Full of morbid imagery and set in a church, it offers a rarely seen gothic maya in a black cloak and hat, with dark eye make up on. It also offers more shots of the supporting musicians and, as usual, some creative camera work, all of which make it one of the more interesting videos on the DVD, even if it's a little unusual for this band. BOYS & GIRLS, on the other hand, is classic LM.C again. The guys are jamming out on a crazily lit stage, singing the upbeat song into the camera. There are some differences though: while maya's in black with his sideways visor as usual, Aiji has blond highlights rather than red, a drastic change to the image of the pair! Also, rather than shooting just the pair, the entire group is filmed, more like a band as opposed to a duo.
LIAR LIAR is one of the most colorful live action videos. Though there are shots of the band all in black singing in a big dark room, not only has maya incorporated pink and purple into his wardrobe, the other rooms in the video have yellow or green walls and are loaded with colorful toys and decorations. It certainly meshes well with the band's optimistic, upbeat sound. The focus is really on maya and a young boy he's talking to on the phone. Towards the end, maya gives him a hat like his own, and the kid is shown sleeping on a big music note. It seems that maya and LM.C's music have made things better for him.
Sentimental Piggy Romance is a must-see. None of the band members show up in it, but it depicts the struggle of a pig in love with a lion who would rather eat it than return the affection. The animated animals are incredibly cute, just like the song itself. There seems to be hope when, with the help of a butterfly, the pig becomes able to fly! But ultimately, our hero's afraid of being eaten and runs away, left to imagine life with the lion it still has feelings for. Bell the CAT is another must-see. Captivating right from the beginning, it shows someone spinning staffs with fire on both ends and shooting fire from his mouth. Decked in punk clothes rather than his usual hip hop style and adorned with devil horns, maya parades through the street at night with his entourage of fire spinners, dancers and drummers in traditional African tribal-styled clothing.
JOHN is the most glittery of the LM.C videos so far, with multi-colored spot lights and other lights flashing in patterns like fireworks. Along with the comical dancers in the background, this video puts the focus back on the original pair, maya and Aiji. Next is 88, which has maya wearing more pink - pink is even dyed into his crimped hair. The whole band is back in the scene, along with a violinist wearing a skull mask and "hair" that stands straight up. It's a familiar image, as the dancers in earlier videos looked the same. However they change, the band stays with a lot of the same tropes that have become their trademarks. Playing in a dark room surrounded by stars, there's a transcendental feel, like the guys are suspended in space. It's another video that's cute, funny, beautiful and fun, all at once.
Finishing off the DVD is Bonus Clip (BOYS & GIRLS - TV Promotional Version-), which has live footage of the band playing as well as clips of the guys signing autographs and goofing off in the hallways. It will give you a glimpse of the members' personalities and an idea of what an LM.C live is like.
For some, it can be a little daunting to start investigating a band like LM.C when it already has a lot of releases out, and you might not know where to start. This disc will be a great introduction to the band for the uninitiated, as you can simply press "Play All" and be able to see/hear their songs one after another. And for hardcore fans, of course, you'll want to have these 9 videos as memories of the first part of what's sure to be a long collection of LM.C history.
