With Gratitude to the Passionate Fans and Creators Who Saved My Favorite Artists from the Brink of Disbandment [Mieharu Karaoke New Year's Karaoke 2025!]

It's here!Chainner & Mieharu's karaoke project, the New Year's Karaoke 2025 version!
This project feels like it was made for me, as I love to introduce songs whenever I get the chance (lol). Thank you again for the opportunity.

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Since I'm limited to one song this time, I'd like to introduce a song (and video) that I watched for the first time in a while at the end of last year, which made me think once again: 'Thank you to the creators of that time!'

I discovered Perfume in 2012, when they had already established a solid position as artists. What I'm about to tell you is from before that time, based on books and stories I've heard from senior fans about how they were on the verge of disbanding!

As a die-hard fan, please forgive me if there are any inaccuracies or biases in my account.

Perfect Star Perfect Style / Perfume

※ This video is not an official Perfume video. It is a fan-made creation.

"Perfect Star Perfect Style" is a track from their first best-of album, "Complete Best," released in August 2006. It was not released as a single.

Although they made their major debut in September 2005, their second and third singles failed to become hits, and the album was released as a culmination of their work without the benefit of a well-funded promotional campaign.
It seems there was a trend in the music industry at the time like this.

In other words, they were in a situation tantamount to receiving a layoff notice.

Yasutaka Nakata, who has produced their music since their indie days, never speaks about it, so the truth is unknown. However, I feel that these lyrics contain both a tribute to them, saying "You were perfect," and a challenge to the record company and the industry, asking, "Is it really okay to just leave them as a memory? It will be too late to talk about how wonderful they were later."

While they seemed to have gained enthusiastic support from some artists and fans due to the quality of their music and their high-level live performances, it seems they didn't reach the general public.

Around that time, a culture had emerged on Nico Nico Douga of creating and enjoying MAD videos (fan-made videos) that combined footage from the idol training game The Idolmaster with original or existing songs.

I wrote about this in a previous article, but one of the songs that Nico Nico Douga creators loved to use was "Perfect Star Perfect Style."

The MAD video I introduced earlier is not from that time, but was made by a fan after they broke through in 2008. Around 2012, when I first discovered them, I think there were still many MAD videos from that era left, but unfortunately, they can't be found now.

However, even watching it now, I can understand the feelings of the creators who were captivated by making MAD videos combining cool music with Idolmaster.

In February 2007, they got the opportunity to release a package product for Valentine's Day called "Fan Service sweet," which included a CD with two songs and a music video.
Included in this was "Chocolate Disco".

However, this didn't mean the crisis of disbandment was avoided; it just extended their lifespan a little. But then, things started moving all at once due to a miraculous coincidence!
Since this story has been told many times in various media like television, I'm sure many of you already know it.

Kaela Kimura saw "Chocolate Disco" playing on an elevator monitor, liked it, and pushed it hard on her own radio show! She played it day after day.
An NHK producer who was listening to this broadcast selected them for a public service advertisement. After the commercial aired, people started asking who that trio was, and they became famous overnight along with "Polyrhythm".

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Every time I listen to "Perfect Star Perfect Style," I think about it.
Between the release of "Complete Best" and being discovered by Kaela Kimura, the support from passionate fans, artists, and MAD video creators kept their activities alive.
I'm grateful! Thank you so much!

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Finally, let's take a look at footage from an event appearance around January 2007, and footage from their first Tokyo Dome concert in 2010. Both feature the same song.
You wouldn't think they were artists on the verge of disbanding; the way they are fully engaged with the audience is something you can still see today if you go to their live shows.

They haven't changed, not since before they broke through.
I can't help but support artists like this.

#Perfume
#Oshikatsu
#MieharuKaraokeNewYearsKaraoke2025