Happiness is waking up to a notification from ayumikurikamaki’s VEVO, and the video actually plays in your country!

It’s the full, actual MV for “Kizuna Mix”, which we heard before and I was in the process of running down because I enjoy being spectacularly wrong about things.

Yeah, that wasn’t a great read. I mean, this is pretty far removed from the joyous, life-affirming party music that ayukuma made their name with, but it’s also way better than some of where they’d been lately. I’ll even take it straight up, no chaser, against “Goma slipper”, which wasn’t a bad move at all but did feel kind of like it confirmed a change in sound.

Which I guess “Kizuna Mix” is, too, in its own way, but it’s like in the same spirit as many of its forebears, danceable rock music as opposed to rockin’ dance music, and less drunk-at-a-party and more I-graduate-next-week-and-need-to-evaluate-my-choices. A little more mature, and definitely more member-centric, and definitely aware of the fact that all that rock festival cred goes for naught if people don’t want to take your project seriously.

I wish I could give Maki a high-five, but you guys denied me (and indeed, all of us) the chance to have her as Official Oshi. OH WELL.