Day 19 of the 50 YMM! MVs event brings about a group making another transition: Moni and Chibo had graduated,  and now the “You Are The World” line-up was done. The group was now a four-piece and were embarking on a new era. What would the four members do first with this incarnation? Why it’s time for a summer vacation!

“Summer Bokan” was the first MV released in promotion of the four-piece YMM’s 2016 summer EP, the aptly titled “We Are A Rock Festival”. Our new foursome has made plans for the best summer ever: they even made little zines about it! The first day of their vacation is going along nicely with a trip outta town, but while pausing to eat some mysterious exotic fruit, a diabolical bastard steals their bags! Lost in another town no money as Kechon emphatically points out, they rely on the mercy of a woman running a traditional inn for a place to crash. And just like that, their summer vacation is now a summer job. What an injustice!!

Work, toil, sweat, dish-washing hands… and that’s only within the second day! The girls work like mad to earn their keep, and then fall asleep exhausted with the only summer fun to be had within their dreams. (All this only happens over three days, but the video makes it look like they did weeks of hard labor.) And on the third day, they spot a guest at the inn with their bags in his possession… it’s the diabolical bastard! They hunt him down relentlessly, and we the viewer feel our emotions change from empathy for the girl’s plight, to bloodthirsty righteous anger as we call out for swift vengeful justice to be taken out on this vile, awful thief. (Oh, was that only me that took it that far?)

But it all works out in the end… The girls get their travel gear back, they work off their debt, and still have time to catch fish with the little nets at the summer festival! They look back fondly on their days of freedom as they board the bus, where one little gut-punch in the feels awaits us. As the four members of YMM! step onto the train, the recently graduated Moni and Chibo step off, and the girls all wave to each other with a mix of excitement and sadness as they go about their separate ways. It’s really nice to see this sort of closure portrayed in an idol MV, although it’s heavy on the heart as well…

In the course of writing this particular entry, I gave a follow-up listen to “We Are A Rock Festival”, which I haven’t listened to in quite a while, and you what? It’s still a practically perfect EP. It’s a wonderful follow-up to “You Are The World”, and it was a terrific affirmation that YMM! has plenty of gas in it’s tank. And as you can see, with this being day 19, there are plenty of lively things still to come!