MMD Cup 3 Finals Preview – Theme 3
So far in our MMD Cup shenanigans, we looked at the seasons, we looked at the future, and now we’re gonna take it easy. No, not in the above sense. Honestly, I’m glad yukkuri isn’t one of the themes. There’d be no originality whatsoever, just a bunch of floating heads. Instead, we’re doing raku, which my online dictionary tells me is “comfort” or “ease”.
Of the three groups, this is the only one that whose Top 5 is outside the Overall Top 15, but exactly half of the 38 entries in the category score 100’s in the qualifying round. So the product is consistently good, but not necessarily out-of-the-park great. However, will that hold up to my standards? (air quotes for last word optional)
Lenders of the Lost Pantsu
MyList count: 488 Overall Rank: #3
Ooh, an Indiana Jones spoof. Granted, this is essentially Sentou with style, so it should get the same grade, but I can’t. See, even though I want to give this a 0, I’m grading on potential, and if somehow, someway, the climax of Raiders gets thrown into the final cut, I call the fight right there. I know it’s never going to happen, but the possibility of ersatz-Nazi face-melting is just too enticing.
Never has my praise felt so undeserved.
Isogashi no dame no: Kamen Rider V3
MyList: 407 Rank: #5
I’m always up for some tokusatsu, but I’m not sure if this is the kind I want. There are certainly a lot of baddies to be beaten up, so that’s encouraging, and the flock of Kokonoe seem to flow smoothly, so that’s a plus, too. Here’s hoping there’s more action and less ero.
Torraku (Truck)
MyList: 210 Rank: #10
Hm. I honestly cannot say what this is about. Is it a drama about truckers? An ad for a truck driving company? When the camera shows the cab from the outside, is that Miku figure still inside the windshield? I have no clue whatsoever, so it’s probably a de facto 2, but there’s no real sign of greatness (save for the so-bad-it’s-good title pun), so it’ll get docked.
Meiko Band (kari) “ok! Midori wa Teki da”
MyList: 187 Rank: #14
I think there was a pun opportunity missed in the title, but whatever. Anyway, tension is always good, but I fear that the pace was so rapid and the attempts to shoehorn in multiple kinds of funny will cause me to be lost and the plot to collapse upon itself. I’d really prefer if that didn’t happen.
Kagura [MMD Drama]
MyList: 161 Rank: #18
Miku still can’t act. Kaito wasn’t much better. Iku was the only one that displayed emotion, and it seemed inappropriate. I know it’s an MMD competition, but if you’re going to throw in vocals, make them decent vocals. I don’t think that’s a big demand.
So that ends our theme-by-theme look at the Top MMD Cup videos. Remember that the finals start August 14th. HOWEVER, we’re not done! (Who said we were done?) There’s still 31 other Perfect Scores out there, and we’ll be looking at those the next time we meet.
