Single V: Miss Love Tantei

Of the W videos released as Single-V's, "Miss Love Tantei" ranks with "Robokiss" as the best of them. A more mature-style song than W had performed before, it's got a great dance beat to it and some hiphop elements, including a nice rap verse that the girls perform well. The video is more elaborate than most and, like "Robokiss," has something of a storyline, this time involving "love detectives." It offers three costume changes, including shots of Aibon and Nono in schoolgirl outfits and "ganguro" makeup. And a clever Robokiss-like effects shot where the two of them sit opposite their ganguro doubles. Nono's main costume is quite a sexy one, a rare acknowledgment on the part of management that she was finally growing up. (She was 18 at the time this was shot.) The Dance Shot version of the video is included here and it's got to be one of the best things these two have ever done. Just put the girls in front of the camera and let them dance and sing a great song with minimal cutting and no camera tricks and you've got magic. The "Making of" portion on the DVD is only 8 min. long and we could have used more. These bits are often the most entertaining glimpses we get of Aibon and Nono. At one point, Nono takes the huge diamond ring that's a prop in the video and puts it on her finger--a neat foreshadowing of her marriage two years later to actor Taiyo Sugiura.

These girls are growing up. A more mature look. As always they are lovely to watch. I really like the song even though it may be a little different from their earlier ones.