Two weeks ago, ME:I’s official YouTube channel dropped the music video for MUSE, the group’s latest single set for release on April 16. This marks ME:I’s third physical single—or fourth if you count their Christmas digital release. In just a short time, the video has already surpassed 12 million views.
ME:I (ミーアイ) ⊹ MUSE Official MV
The single comes with three additional tracks: Ready Go, Million Stars, and Affogato. Out of these, Ready Go is likely to get a music video, as it’s one of the two title tracks and also serves as a theme song for an upcoming Pokémon movie. When more details surface, I’ll make a separate post.
For those who want all the official details, ME:I’s website has a dedicated page for the release, conveniently available in both Japanese and English:
https://cf.me-i.jp/feature/muse
The single will be available in three standard editions: Regular Edition, Limited Edition A, and Limited Edition B. Below are the covers for each version.
For fan club members, there are also exclusive editions that look really tempting. I’d love to join, but as expected, most of the information is in Japanese. Still, all the relevant details can be found on the same page.
First Impressions – A Short but Addictive Song
I think the song is excellent—it wouldn’t surprise me if it becomes their second most-watched video on their channel. My only gripe, though it’s really more of a general complaint about modern pop music, is its length. At just under three minutes, it feels too short! At least they didn’t pad the music video with extra scenes to compensate, which would’ve been frustrating.
MUSE Music Video Analysis
The video begins with what I believe to be an Alice parody, with the girls entering a small house and falling into a strange world. The difference is that they’re following a white cat (which I assume is the group’s pet) instead of a white rabbit.
Shii-chan’s outfit in the first scene is very cute, and the pose she has in the screenshot below is extremely cute.
Rinon’s falling on the mattresses is great.
Maybe the 2000s
Then Miu and Ran find some magical shoes, in an Indiana Jones-esque scene. Upon putting on the shoes, Ran transforms into a mid-2000s mahou shoujo girl, complete with a feature phone, wired headphones, and a camera that isn’t a cell phone… one of those weird things that only exists in movies.
Then, the first chorus of the song with Ayane, Momona and Miu as centers.
Among other things from two decades ago, some magazines appear, with Cocoro, Momona, and Miu on the covers.
This is the part where in a normal song there would be a guitar solo or something, but instead there is the obligatory dance led by Ran.
I’m not entirely sure if the next scene is still from the 2000s, because it looks more like the 80s, given the televisions that appear, but maybe the 90s because of the CDs (I know there were CDs in the 80s, but cassettes were much more popular in that decade, and CDs are basically an icon of the 90s). The point is that Ayane and Momona are looking at some CDs in what seems to be a department store, and we also see Keiko, Suzu, and Kokona looking at a department store catalog.
And then they insert a CD into an 80s TV like we used to do back then (and I know those TVs existed in the 90s, but TVs were usually straighter and blacker in the 90s; rounded, pastel-colored screens are more 80s-esque).
The Rock Band
Next comes my favorite part of the video (maybe along with Rinon’s face riding the cat… more on that later). Rinon, Ran, Kokona, and Shii-chan, forming a punk band. Just when I thought Shii-chan couldn’t look any cuter than in the first scene, I think she looks even better here. The cap makes her ears stick out of her hair.
Does every music video have to have a military salute?
Then comes the second chorus of the song, with a couple of cool transitions into a dance on what I assume is the Shibuya crossing, but I don’t know, it could be any other street. I think they all look great in their rock outfits, but for me, Cocoro is the best.
That Momona face that her haters love so much, lol.
Riding the Cat
The next thing is what I think will be most memorable about the music video. A strange scene, at dusk. With a cartoonish dusk landscape in the background. Keiko, Rinon, Ayane, and Ran are all getting the attention of the cat from the beginning. I’m pretty sure that cat has a name, but I can’t remember right now, and it’s not like I can use a magic machine to ask questions and it’ll answer them.
After touching the cat’s tail, I don’t know if they become small or the cat becomes gigantic, but they all get dragged along by the cat running. It’s so funny and strange. I don’t know if the making of this music video has come out yet, but I’m curious to see how they filmed it.
From feature phone to smartphone
And the video ends with the feature phone, which if you look closely is dated 2004… which clears up my doubts. Maybe I should have taken the screenshots from the beginning.
And the cell phone turns into a smartphone with the date 2024. We then see Kokona on the same street with advertisements, we see that Ayane was advertising a “Mystic Perfume”, that the punk band is called ME&THE CAT, and their first single is YOU:ME, released on April 16, 1995. But the screen crashes because it’s is using Windows 95.
There’s an ad for POWER RECORDS with a logo identical to TOWER RECORDS’ but in different colors. And a bunch of references to logos I’m familiar with, but I can’t remember what they’re for. For example, at the end there’s one for Hi-Summer that I’m really familiar with, but I can’t remember what it is exactly. There’s another very obvious one: it says ME:I on the entrance to a cylindrical building that looks exactly like the 109 at Shibuya Crossing.
Final Thoughts on MUSE Music video
The video is great, the song is excellent, and I think it’ll be a great single. I haven’t heard the other songs yet, but I hope to soon.
They’ve posted several promotional videos on their YouTube channel, including a dance practice video that you can watch here:
ME:I (ミーアイ) ⊹ ‘MUSE’ Dance Practice Video
The video description mentions that Cocoro was unable to participate in the choreography recording due to health issues. Since then, she has been absent for the same reason, despite appearing in the music video. With her, that leaves two members missing for the promotion of this single, as Tsuzumi has been absent since last year.
I hope they both recover soon and can return to the group.
MUSE, every detail you missed from ME:I’s new Music Video