One might be wondering why I am writing an overview/review of an animated music video, of all things. Considering this video in particular has something... peculiar about it, it is fascinating enough that it could not go left unmentioned.
The video tells the story of a little girl, Natsumi Andoh, who travels across a vibrant, green field with an escort, Monā. Within this field, she finds a group of assorted creatures whom Natsumi hops off Monā's hovercraft to play with: they play in the tall grass, harass couples, and even boogie down to the music! When Monā discovers this, he becomes enraged at Natsumi for attempting to leave the hovercraft; she plays innocent and continues with Monā, as they leave the fields and continue toward the mountains.
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Along the way, Natsumi recalls flashbacks of her breakup with her ex-boyfriend, which involve them argument and parting away. Devastated, Natsumi waits at a train station to travel as far away as she can, perhaps to the place she is in now. These flashbacks imply that Natsumi's adventure is motivated by her desire to move on from the disastrous relationship, and move on to a completely different life.
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Natsumi succeeds in this, as she throws the remaining artifact of her relationship, a gold locket, into the sea. Once this chapter in her life has finally concluded, Natsumi and Monā nod at each other, as they walk toward the hovercraft for future adventures!
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Is it not a heartwarming story? Then how does one explain this?
Hiding behind its deceptively cute aesthetics are implications that tell a much darker story. Before reading on, watch the video again and look closely for anything wrong with this video.
One of the first things that is off about this video is where it begins: the bus stop which Natsumi waits for Monā. When the video pans out to show Monā pulling up to Natsumi, one can see a celestial body in the sky, which looks suspiciously like... Earth. The cut-off sign next to Natsumi confirms this, with barely legible letters reading "E," "A," and "R." If the planet in the background is Earth, where is Natsumi now?
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Early in the video, one can find imagery that foreshadows what this place really is. In the background, one can find an assortment of various scenery: mountains, cities, the ocean; etc. One of these background objects appear out of place in this otherwise cheerful setting: when the animals first appear to greet Natsumi, behind them are five red pillars, topped with glass orbs. These pillars serve as the landmark of where Natsumi and Monā are heading. When Natsumi finally leaves her animal friends behind, they are last seen standing next to a two-way sign: the arrow pointing away from the two reads "Tengoku"; (59 being "goku"), meaning "Heaven," while the one pointing in their direction means "Jigoku," or "Hell."
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When Natsumi and Monā approach the mountain range, the scenery becomes more hellish, with the flowing fields replaced with jagged mountains, the sunny sky by ominous dusk, and scenery by various spikes and tridents protruding from the ground. Behind Natsumi and Monā is a structure with a stone door: on it is an image of crossed scythes, above it a gargoyle vaguely resembling Monā . Among these, the red pillars from earlier in the video now loom over Natsumi, encircling the structure. Whatever "adventures" await Natsumi are bound to be unpleasant.
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With this setting in mind, Monā is hinted to play a more sinister role than the humble cab driver he appears to be. When Monā confronts Natsumi after noticing she has left the hovercraft, he appears in front of a red background with a scythe, indicating that Monā is actually a psychopomp. He takes responsibility in ferrying the souls of the dead to their proper destinations, which in Natsumi's case is Hell. While Natsumi could have just been distracted by the animals when she hopped off the hovercraft, she may have also been consciously attempting to avert her fate by staying in Heaven instead, thus giving Monā a reason to return and scold her for deserting the trek.
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With all this symbolism indicating that this fantasy land is really the afterlife, one must wonder why a cute girl like Natsumi is being sent to Hell. Remember that flashback of her waiting at the train station, and a train rushing toward her? She is not about to board that train, but step in front of it, hence the title of this video. The date and time seen earlier in the dance sequence is that which Natsumi killed herself; the same exact time, 23:36, can be read on a clock in the train station.
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Shocked yet? It gets worse...
Remember the bonus flash file? By this point, it should be clear why she's crying... except there is even more to the story. First, narrow the window until the size of the flash video shrinks...
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...and when the video ends, right-click and hit "Play."
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What do you think she did with that crowbar? Whatever it may be, it will haunt her well into the afterlife.
Natsumi STEP! was created by Takehara Minoru, and was presented alongside one of his other works, Magic User Manami?!, in the flash collaboration FLASH ★ BOMB '04. It has since become Minoru's magnum opus, with Natsumi herself becoming one of Koshiandoh's most prevalent mascots. For how obscure it is, it has achieved infamy from Japanese and Western audiences alike: just look at the comments of any Youtube video. What makes this video remarkable is not only the smart execution of its themes, but also in how the video stands on its own merits.
The music video's fast-paced editing is very appropriate, not only for its (seemingly) energetic tone, but also for obscuring its darker imagery. Much of this imagery appears only momentarily and is very easy to miss, such as the scythe background behind Monā. When they are not concealed in a flash frame, they are placed just conveniently outside the view of the camera: the Earth, along with the sign saying "EARTH," is only shown when the camera pans away from the bus stop, while the sign pointing in two directions first appears when it is shown in an awkward angle. Only by the end of the video do the dark implications become clear, in which the atmosphere completely contrasts with the one from before; even then, it likely will not dawn on the viewer until well after the fact. The subtlety of this imagery not only serves to shock unsuspecting viewers, but to tell three completely different stories with the same visuals, depending on how aware the viewer is(or how much they have been spoiled beforehand): is this a feel-good story about moving on, or anticipating the afterlife after committing suicide/murder?
The strongest part of the story as a whole, however, are the two details in the bonus video: the fact that the window has to be minimized to see Natsumi's crowbar, and that one has to right-click to see her Kubrick stare. These alone are what completely change the nature of Natsumi, not only showing her as a suicide victim, but also a murderer. For the main video's clever editing, these alone are what make the work take full advantage of the web's capabilities. In no other medium can this be achieved: even if the work was successfully adapted into an anime series; etc, it would be missing these vital elements for executing this plot twist.
Leaving behind any mention of the deceitful nature of this work, the art style of Natsumi STEP! can be best described as simple, yet effective. First off, the character designs are adorable: Natsumi's wide eyes give her lots of life, her summer-colored clothing complement both the video's tone and the character herself (her name meaning "summer"), and her facial expressions never fail to put a smile on my face. The animals (which are actually 2ch characters) are similarly cute, with simple yet expressive facial expressions, and can change emotions with a simple reversal of their eyes and mouths. The environments also have an interesting minimalist style, except that it suffers at times for being too simple: many objects are composed of basic shapes and coloring patterns, failing to convince that they really are those objects, rather than representations of them. This is most noticeable with the flora in the park: being spheres colored with gradient patterns, they look as much like bushes and trees as they do miscolored rock croppings. The lack of shading does nothing to help this, being limited to gradients and two-tone coloring styles. However, considering this is an indie work - and one made in 2003, no less - both of these faults are forgivable, and the character designs more than make up for it.
Accompanying the visuals is the video's iconic soundtrack, which is not only incredibly catchy but also suited for its tone and themes. Being a remix of "I've Been Working on the Railroad," it makes use of the video's motif of trains, and does so ironically, as it also accompanies the video's energetic pace. Take a listen to the full version!
Natsumi STEP! is successful as a work of horror: it appalls the average internet-goer, yet captures the curiosity of those who like cute-but-creepy things. In either case, this quirky video will sure leave a lasting impact on those who realize the implications behind it.
The video tells the story of a little girl, Natsumi Andoh, who travels across a vibrant, green field with an escort, Monā. Within this field, she finds a group of assorted creatures whom Natsumi hops off Monā's hovercraft to play with: they play in the tall grass, harass couples, and even boogie down to the music! When Monā discovers this, he becomes enraged at Natsumi for attempting to leave the hovercraft; she plays innocent and continues with Monā, as they leave the fields and continue toward the mountains.
Along the way, Natsumi recalls flashbacks of her breakup with her ex-boyfriend, which involve them argument and parting away. Devastated, Natsumi waits at a train station to travel as far away as she can, perhaps to the place she is in now. These flashbacks imply that Natsumi's adventure is motivated by her desire to move on from the disastrous relationship, and move on to a completely different life.
Natsumi succeeds in this, as she throws the remaining artifact of her relationship, a gold locket, into the sea. Once this chapter in her life has finally concluded, Natsumi and Monā nod at each other, as they walk toward the hovercraft for future adventures!
Is it not a heartwarming story? Then how does one explain this?
Hiding behind its deceptively cute aesthetics are implications that tell a much darker story. Before reading on, watch the video again and look closely for anything wrong with this video.
One of the first things that is off about this video is where it begins: the bus stop which Natsumi waits for Monā. When the video pans out to show Monā pulling up to Natsumi, one can see a celestial body in the sky, which looks suspiciously like... Earth. The cut-off sign next to Natsumi confirms this, with barely legible letters reading "E," "A," and "R." If the planet in the background is Earth, where is Natsumi now?
Early in the video, one can find imagery that foreshadows what this place really is. In the background, one can find an assortment of various scenery: mountains, cities, the ocean; etc. One of these background objects appear out of place in this otherwise cheerful setting: when the animals first appear to greet Natsumi, behind them are five red pillars, topped with glass orbs. These pillars serve as the landmark of where Natsumi and Monā are heading. When Natsumi finally leaves her animal friends behind, they are last seen standing next to a two-way sign: the arrow pointing away from the two reads "Tengoku"; (59 being "goku"), meaning "Heaven," while the one pointing in their direction means "Jigoku," or "Hell."
When Natsumi and Monā approach the mountain range, the scenery becomes more hellish, with the flowing fields replaced with jagged mountains, the sunny sky by ominous dusk, and scenery by various spikes and tridents protruding from the ground. Behind Natsumi and Monā is a structure with a stone door: on it is an image of crossed scythes, above it a gargoyle vaguely resembling Monā . Among these, the red pillars from earlier in the video now loom over Natsumi, encircling the structure. Whatever "adventures" await Natsumi are bound to be unpleasant.
With this setting in mind, Monā is hinted to play a more sinister role than the humble cab driver he appears to be. When Monā confronts Natsumi after noticing she has left the hovercraft, he appears in front of a red background with a scythe, indicating that Monā is actually a psychopomp. He takes responsibility in ferrying the souls of the dead to their proper destinations, which in Natsumi's case is Hell. While Natsumi could have just been distracted by the animals when she hopped off the hovercraft, she may have also been consciously attempting to avert her fate by staying in Heaven instead, thus giving Monā a reason to return and scold her for deserting the trek.
With all this symbolism indicating that this fantasy land is really the afterlife, one must wonder why a cute girl like Natsumi is being sent to Hell. Remember that flashback of her waiting at the train station, and a train rushing toward her? She is not about to board that train, but step in front of it, hence the title of this video. The date and time seen earlier in the dance sequence is that which Natsumi killed herself; the same exact time, 23:36, can be read on a clock in the train station.
Shocked yet? It gets worse...
Remember the bonus flash file? By this point, it should be clear why she's crying... except there is even more to the story. First, narrow the window until the size of the flash video shrinks...
...and when the video ends, right-click and hit "Play."
What do you think she did with that crowbar? Whatever it may be, it will haunt her well into the afterlife.
Natsumi STEP! was created by Takehara Minoru, and was presented alongside one of his other works, Magic User Manami?!, in the flash collaboration FLASH ★ BOMB '04. It has since become Minoru's magnum opus, with Natsumi herself becoming one of Koshiandoh's most prevalent mascots. For how obscure it is, it has achieved infamy from Japanese and Western audiences alike: just look at the comments of any Youtube video. What makes this video remarkable is not only the smart execution of its themes, but also in how the video stands on its own merits.
The music video's fast-paced editing is very appropriate, not only for its (seemingly) energetic tone, but also for obscuring its darker imagery. Much of this imagery appears only momentarily and is very easy to miss, such as the scythe background behind Monā. When they are not concealed in a flash frame, they are placed just conveniently outside the view of the camera: the Earth, along with the sign saying "EARTH," is only shown when the camera pans away from the bus stop, while the sign pointing in two directions first appears when it is shown in an awkward angle. Only by the end of the video do the dark implications become clear, in which the atmosphere completely contrasts with the one from before; even then, it likely will not dawn on the viewer until well after the fact. The subtlety of this imagery not only serves to shock unsuspecting viewers, but to tell three completely different stories with the same visuals, depending on how aware the viewer is
The strongest part of the story as a whole, however, are the two details in the bonus video: the fact that the window has to be minimized to see Natsumi's crowbar, and that one has to right-click to see her Kubrick stare. These alone are what completely change the nature of Natsumi, not only showing her as a suicide victim, but also a murderer. For the main video's clever editing, these alone are what make the work take full advantage of the web's capabilities. In no other medium can this be achieved: even if the work was successfully adapted into an anime series; etc, it would be missing these vital elements for executing this plot twist.
Leaving behind any mention of the deceitful nature of this work, the art style of Natsumi STEP! can be best described as simple, yet effective. First off, the character designs are adorable: Natsumi's wide eyes give her lots of life, her summer-colored clothing complement both the video's tone and the character herself (her name meaning "summer"), and her facial expressions never fail to put a smile on my face. The animals (which are actually 2ch characters) are similarly cute, with simple yet expressive facial expressions, and can change emotions with a simple reversal of their eyes and mouths. The environments also have an interesting minimalist style, except that it suffers at times for being too simple: many objects are composed of basic shapes and coloring patterns, failing to convince that they really are those objects, rather than representations of them. This is most noticeable with the flora in the park: being spheres colored with gradient patterns, they look as much like bushes and trees as they do miscolored rock croppings. The lack of shading does nothing to help this, being limited to gradients and two-tone coloring styles. However, considering this is an indie work - and one made in 2003, no less - both of these faults are forgivable, and the character designs more than make up for it.
Accompanying the visuals is the video's iconic soundtrack, which is not only incredibly catchy but also suited for its tone and themes. Being a remix of "I've Been Working on the Railroad," it makes use of the video's motif of trains, and does so ironically, as it also accompanies the video's energetic pace. Take a listen to the full version!
Natsumi STEP! is successful as a work of horror: it appalls the average internet-goer, yet captures the curiosity of those who like cute-but-creepy things. In either case, this quirky video will sure leave a lasting impact on those who realize the implications behind it.
Spoiler