集大成 ~伝説2~
Shûtaisei ~Densetsu II~
Don't get me wrong: I'm thrilled that Matsugane Yôko hasn't retired from modelling. Not only that but she is looking really good… if those Sabra photos from a few months ago put you off, you've got nothing to worry about – these discs were both filmed back when she was still with Backup Promotion (her former talent agency). However, both Shûtaisei Densetsu I and II suffer from the same drawbacks… length and a serious sense of déjà vu if you've seen any of Yôko's past releases.
The first major gripe with both discs is the length of the scenes: with only six tracks a piece (not including a ‘making-of' segment for each disc), the scenes run a little long at roughly six to seven minutes each. It would have made more sense from a creative point of view to shorten the length of the scenes and combine the two discs into one cohesive package. As it is, things tend to drag a little. From a financial standpoint, I'm sure E-Net Frontier (the publisher) knows exactly what it's doing – with almost a year between new Yôko DVDs, her fans are hungry for anything Yôko and will snatch up both without a moments hesitation. I know I did.
The second problem is something that has plagued Yôko-chan throughout her career: the generic nature of the majority of her videos makes it difficult to tell one disc from another, let alone one scene from another on the same disc. With few exceptions, Yôko's wardrobe is almost exclusively bikini-based. Granted, Yôko has one of the most spectacular bodies on the face of the Earth, but sometimes I'd be nice to see her in some different clothes – look no further than an idol like Takeuchi Nozomi or Hanai Miri to show that sometime you can be more provocative when you cover up and build anticipation.
Nevertheless, Shûtaisei Densetsu II manages to deliver a very enjoyable, albeit by the numbers, viewing experience. Once the opening montage rolls, Yôko appears before the camera in a very slinky bikini on a set of stairs outdoors. Of course, with Yôko, her bikini tops always look like they’re going to burst, and this scene is no exception – the camera is not shy about getting in close to take a gander at her unbelievable bosoms. Not a lot of action here due to the perilous nature of her bikini top (too much movement and it would be very likely to slip or pop open), so it’s mostly posing, but the camera work is quite good – a variety of different types of angles and pans and lots of drool inducing shots of Yôko-chan. Following that, Yôko moves to poolside (now in a striped bikini) and frolics and poses in the shallow water. This is easily the best track on either Shûtaisei Densetsu: Yôko looks sexy but playful, her movements and graceful and feminine, and the camera work and lighting are extremely well done. Although there is absolutely nothing new about this scene, and in fact, it touches on almost all the clichés if the genre, but it is so well put together that I guarantee that the images from this one will be burned in your mind for some time to come. She has never looked better than she has here.
The third track is something of a let down after the strong opening: Yôko’s remains at poolside and changes into a dark blue bikini. There’s nothing wrong with this one (aside from the lighting which is a little washed out), Yôko looks great and works the camera well, but it feels extremely generic. Scene 4 is a mixed bag: on the positive side, this is smallest bikini top Yôko has appeared in so far. Conversely, due to a combination of slow pacing, little to no movement and a kind of bored looking Yôko, this one really seems to drag at points. Still, some killer cleavage and boob shots are to be found if you watch the entire scene.
As far as I’m concerned, the next track is filler… it just shows the photo shoots which Yôko did while filming the DVD. For obvious reasons, this one feels like a behind the scenes track. The closing track has Yôko in a multicoloured, slightly odd bikini wandering around an open building. Although the camera work is a little shaky and amateurish on occasion, this is a very sensual scene with Yôko doing her best sex kitten routine. Some great full body shots are to be seen here, and, as we all know, she has one of the best, if not the best, body in the business. However, running at about seven minutes, you eventually get a serious case of déjà vu – if they had edited down by a couple minutes the track would have fared a little better. Still, better too much Yôko than not enough.
The remaining track is the making-of track, and is actually quite a bit more entertaining than most. Yôko is acting pretty goofy for a lot of it - she mashes her breasts up against the camera a few times, does a little dance, vamps for the camera, and seems to be genuinely enjoying herself.
Although not terribly original and sometimes a little inconsistent, make no mistake: any Yôko fan will like Shûtaisei Densetsu II. Compared to it’s sister disc, Densetsu II is a little more varied at the expense of quality in some of the scenes, so if you’re going to just pick up one of the set, it’s pretty much a toss up.
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