Special DVD-Box
I-One is at it again. Last month, they released a Matsugane Yôko box set, containing two previously released DVDs and a third DVD which was a remix of the other two. They've done the same thing with a Natsume Rio box set and released a Nemoto Harumi remix DVD for good measure. The fortunate thing is that I-One seems to be rather good at editing older DVDs into new packages, as all the releases have been rather good.
That being said, Natsume Rio's Special DVD is probably the least successful of the three recent releases. It's far from bad though - Special DVD is a very enjoyable, light Rio disc, but it suffers a little due to some really generic choices in wardrobe, music and background scenery. As with Yoko's Tentai Box, Special DVD-Box contains two previous releases, as well as the remix disc: Go to Beach! and Rio no Bodikon Tengoku. Special DVD is a compilation of those two DVDs, and is generally successful in combining some of the best scenes from each DVD, but there are a few glaring omissions, but since the box contains the originals anyways, it's not really a big deal.
There's a very nice laid-back, upbeat feel to the disc which is further enhanced by the gorgeous scenery in which most of the scenes are presented - looks like the Maldives, but I'm not certain. The camera and lighting crew gets a lot of credit here - with so much sunshine, it would be very easy for many of the scenes to look washed out, but they have produced some really nice shots of Rio - although looking as good as she does, it's hard to produce bad looking scenes with Rio! Surprising for a Rio DVD, there aren't a lot of bouncing breasts to be found herein - Special DVD is more similar to a typical release from MEGUMI than Rio; in that way, it's a nice change of pace.
After the opening credits, the DVD proper begins with Rio in a straining red bikini and a very short denim mini-skirt at the beach with a beautiful blue sky and clear water on the beach as a back drop. The skirt is quickly discarded, and the remainder of the scene is basically Rio lounging on the beach while the camera gives us lots of views of Rio!)s natural beauty, including, or course, repeated zoom-ins on her J-cups. Aside from a few minor variations, this is the formula for about half the scenes on the DVD. All of these scenes are well done, and Rio looks good (well, looks good is something of a big understatement) every time, but they're all so similar that unless you keep an eye out for Rio's changing wardrobe, they're difficult to tell apart. A little variety would have helped the overall package.
Apart from these generic beach scenes, we have Rio lounging poolside and wearing a tight t-shirt - she does some very nice teasing here. Another has her in a simple blue dress - understated, but very sexy. The main focus hear is Rio's cleavage peeking over the top of the dress. Directly following that, we have Rio-chan lying on the floor in a somewhat bizarre white dress - she kind of resembles a go-go dancer. The scene seems a little out of place: being shot indoors and seemingly trying to present a more aggressively sexy image than the other scenes. Very slow moving as well, she hardly moves at all... I'd say this the least successful part of the DVD.
Rio pulls off the sexy image more convincingly later on where she is wearing a red dress. Although the wardrobe in this scene is a little odd and ill-fitting (not in a good way), Rio, to her credit, manages to make this quite watchable. The other two non-bikini scenes involve a cowboy outfit (and I use the term "cowboy" very loosely) which is good, but not great, and another scene which again seems a little out of place with the rest of the DVD, but is very well done. Rio is indoors, posing on a couch and wearing a see-though lace-body suit (she has a bikini on underneath, of course). The body suit really accentuates exactly how spectacular her body is - remarkably tight and form fitting, I'm not really sure how she got it on or how she managed to get out it! The camera is a little amateurish in this scene, but given how good Rio looks, it forgivable. There are a few making of scenes thrown in as well, as is standard to gravure idol DVDs.
I wouldn't say that Special DVD is worth picking up if you own both or either of the other DVDs included in the box set, but it's still a very good Rio DVD. If you're looking to start your Rio collection or don't have Go to Beach! and Rio no Bodikon Tengoku, pick up Rio's Special-DVD Box.
