After a small hiatus last month, we are back! We have another writer joining the review starting this month, so let’s welcome moonrise31! This month we take a look at Girls’ Generation’s latest music video, the Japanese version of “Oh!”. The girls took a break from their chic and fierce “PAPARAZZI” look to remind us that, even though they have gotten a few years older since the original “Oh!” came out, they can still be the cutest girls around.


moonrise31

When there are two versions of the same thing, it’s always interesting to see what survived the first round and what was drastically changed, whether the object in question is the newest smartphone or a remake of a classic movie. It’s always difficult to strike the right balance between fond reminders of an earlier time and refreshing modifications in an otherwise boring rerun. Fortunately, the Japanese version of the “Oh!” music video was able to find that balance.

Let’s start with the more obvious physical differences. The color scheme is the opposite of the Korean version, with red lockers and purplish letter jackets instead of blue and pink, respectively. I thought this gave the Japanese video a nice touch since the settings and concepts are still mostly the same. The outfits are a bit different as well, since the girls are now wearing more country club-style clothing and new cheerleading uniforms, which is always exciting.

Now, moving on to the girls themselves. As mentioned above, they’ve been doing more mature concepts with their recent comebacks. It’s thrilling to see that they can still pull off being cute without making it awkward for the viewers. Of course, it’s a different kind of “cute” now: more sophisticated, I’d say, compared to the simple innocence of the earlier music video. But Girls’ Generation definitely didn’t lose the knack of making me forget that I’m actually younger than them as I spazz over their pure adorableness. (I mean, did you see Seohyun? I swear she got even cuter since the first version; how is that even possible?)

So, the Japanese version of “Oh!” gets a gold star from me. Good job, girls. You did it again.


MoonSoshi9

If we take the Korean version of “Oh!” as the girls being the cute high school cheerleading squad, in the Japanese version of “Oh!” they have graduated and gone to college. They are a few years older, and it shows in the sophistication of the cuteness at the start of the music video when they are all in their new college dormitory dressed in preppy clothes. Instead of playing games, raising elo in league of legends and goofing around, the girls are reading books (well, except for Kim Choding and Seohyun who are playing rock, paper, scissors…).

I gotta say, the outfits for the music video are absolutely fantastic. From the great preppy clothes of the intro to the different cheerleading outfits, the girls all look amazing. Compared to the Korean version, while still ridiculously cute, it just feels less child-like. The colors are less bright and pastel, more bold and solid. However, above all other things that have grown up and improved since Korean “Oh!”, the hair is the most noticeable. Gone is the crazy frizz. Instead, the girls’ hairstyles are more refined while still holding onto their adorable qualities, like Tiffany and Jessica’s pigtails.

And speaking of cuteness, can we just talk about Seohyun’s “bbuing bbuing” at 2:17 for a second? Seriously, it’s hard to watch the entire music video because I keep replaying that part over and over. I’m with moonrise31 here; Seohyun’s cuteness is off the charts in this music video. One of my other favorite moments is Jessica with the floating megaphone at 2:52, because it’s just so random considering that unlike the Korean version, props weren’t really used outside of the intro and outro sections. The Japanese version really puts all the focus on the girls themselves. Where the Korean version had more story elements, the Japanese version is more about the girls’ dancing and singing: no extra football players to complicate things (which I’m perfectly OK with).

The end of the music video is particularly interesting though. The girls’ college dormitory is empty, and a picture of them is hanging on the wall like a memory. To me, the ending scene signifies their graduation from this stage in their career. From high school in Korean “Oh!” to college in Japanese “Oh!”, it’s like they have now graduated again. Might this be the last of the true “cute” concepts?

On the whole, the music video is quite good. If you’re looking for a story, there isn’t much here outside of the college girls cheerleading, but that’s a story I don’t mind watching. The girls are grown up, but the Japanese version of “Oh!” shows they still got it when it comes to pulling off the cuteness.

The original “Oh!”. Have the girls grown up well or what?

Source: Soshified Photo Gallery, [email protected], [email protected]

Written by: MoonSoshi9@soshified, moonrise31@soshified

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