and yet, burnice persists
In the modern landscape of 'viral' (much like an airborne illness) media culture, it has consistently been dominated by kawaii kinetics in the milieu of cute little repetitions of movement. As seen in the consistent sonic variables of early Japanese animation's Showa Era Pop; and eventually into the progressive denpa-waves of Motteke! Sailor Fuku, japanese visual culture has always been held music to a high regard.
Following the etymology of impossibly cute anime girls reenacting pop muse is a trifling task especially considering the ever increasing world market for dubiously aged girls dancing to the sounds of bitcrushed 808s. (though I totally think it's possible if you scour every inch of MAL) For better or for worse, we have a new anime girl dancing MV every week.
ZZZ, or Zenless Zone Zero partakes in this event with it's newest character, Burnice White. Currently, or was a week or two ago, inescapable from every doomscroll platform. On ads, low quality edits that just add "WHITE GIRL GO", and posting the main chorus. Although, the video itself is rather inconspicuous.
The character demo opens with a vibrantly animated showcase of the titular character's sensibilities.
You know, sighing like that will make even the best nitro-fuel taste like regret. So before you drink, we gotta take care of whatever's troubling ya'~.
The rest of the video is a whimsical (and oddly sexual) video of the character going through multiple events and invoking joy in others to the backdrop of sexyback-esque synths.
Perhaps, the value of the video lies in qualities that are beyond the binding of text. You cannot write out the choreography of dance through lines of text after all. But the video showcases a tendency of popular visual culture, and more specifically in the gaping maw of gauche game gestalt.
An obsession with the prim and improper, even if adorned in cashmere punk, or invariably in "doing something off-kilter for the overall medium". Elements of design taken from popular western culture (a consistently popular addition to foreign media in the eyes of fans) and an acieration of stalwart motifs and design.
The ideology stems in so far that it effects the video game itself to an extent that it is executed with such precision that it's design is subjugated the typical anti(s)-culture. The video game (in terms of combat) is good in most aspects and the design language represents recent interests in ARPG team building and parrying. The characters (waterkuma is amazing btw) are caricatures of past tropes and epitomize as well as maximalize the aspects of moe to extreme extents. The game even has hard leanings towards "for (you)" audiences, but leaves it open enough to give way for a consumer chase. ZZZ is a particularly good product, and the revenue reflects that. (Although, Mihoyo is basically competing with themselves at this point.)
In here, I find that it is too 'good' and too 'fine' to be something worth partaking in. Akin to the sterilization of hospitals and the harsh, scientific lights of department stores, it invokes the same radiance that an overpriced cake vending machine might. An accumulation of obvious talent and resources that relates itself to the traumatic eyes of a blonde woman claiming herself to be a Tsundere™.
Perchance, I value the gap moe of punctum more than the raw intention alone.