We will know for sure on Tuesday/Wednesday ^^

GUILTY wasn't in the top 10. And now NL.

Secret wasn't top 10 as well but that's because it's first week and the rest were divided by the oricon years.
The first week was of 2006, the rest were 2007.
If it would be released a week afterwards Secret would be #9 yearly of 2007.
So the reason for Secret is that, but it had all the possibilities to be on top 10 yearly, it was just released a week before it should in order to do that.

Hopefully though NEXT LEVEL might be on top #15 and that's better than the yearly position GUILTY had.

As long as it's in the top 20 that's great. :)

I believe riozz means a Top 10 album every year (not in a row). I was thinking this too. It would be a cool record for Ayu if NL was able to make it into the top 10 and have a top 10 album for 10 years :D

maybe avex will decide for A BALLADS 2 to came out before the year ends then she will make the top 10..XDD

PLEASE NO AVEX. They tend to do what we never want so maybe this will happen ( :dead2) ( :weep ).

That would like be a waste of time and money (A BALLADS sold around 1/5 of A BEST), they seem to be making a similar concept album for Ai Otsuka. A BALLADS didn't sell better than RAINBOW, there is not a reason good enough to presume A BALLADS 2 could sell more than NEXT LEVEL.

Aw, I'd actually like a second A BALLADS, lol... >.>

yeah. that was I meant. not the studio album position..

yeah otsuka will be releasing her 2nd best album called LOVE is BEST on Nov 11th & mind you , everyone's all barking over in the otsuka thread in AHS over this seemingly useless release :laugh

me too , I don't mind it really as long as good ballads of hers make the cut :yes

seems like A BALLADS 2 is getting mixed reactions O____O
a new batch of NEXT LEVEL USB's at half the price and more memory would be good idea..but then we would have to see who will purchase it..

I want A BALLADS 2 too with studio version of B'z itsuka no merry christmas and yuming's haru yo koi.

Omg I would be kicking myself if that were to happen. *is an owner of encore press of USB*

I think Ayu needs to focus on her musical direction more than another compilation.

Btw, A BEST 2 -BLACK- = A BALLADS 2... Just saying...

^ Well there were songs like Because of You, is this LOVE? and GAME...

^ excatly. no pure BALLAD feeling in A BEST II -black-

It's close enough for me personally. If it weren't for the release of RAINBOW and the reworked A Song for XX, A BALLADS would have been a total bore to me -_-; A BEST 2 -BLACK- song arrangements may have varied, but the dark/emotional undertone of all of the songs was the best thing about it. Much better than a compilation of a bunch of slow songs *yawn*. But to each his own :)

They are not silent/slow songs but they are definitely ballads (rock ballads). XD

RAINBOW wasn't that quite as well (A Song for xx too), I love those songs :love

I always think of A BALLADS carrying over the feel of the entire of RAINBOW album...haha. They're both "watery" albums to me. Don't get me wrong, I love them, but they remind me of water...haha.
And imo BLACK =/= BALLADS. A ballad album to me would be something that has an unplugged feeling~. But a compilation would be stupid...considering we've had like... A BEST 2 and A COMPLETE so close to each other.