big music site
they have a minuscule jpop section, and they've been talking about Ayu lately.

lol ayu wishes. Ami became a flop with dignity, for doing something that's never been done before in the Japanese industry.

^ Ami is a fantastic flop :P
She's so delightful

... I'm done with the puns

Pretty sure the release date contributed though, 2nd day sales improving by 3.7k show that. Not that the release date is the most important reason for sales but it really didn't help.

I find it bizarre that this thing with Maro is even considered a scandal. Hate to think what Japan would think of the typical tabloid headlines in the UK :laugh

Pretty sure cost in general is a reason too. A lot of fans might not be able to afford a mini-album every month, especially with it coming up to Christmas.

It still sold a lot less than LOVE. I mean, that is a huge drop compared to LOVE's first week sales. Especially for a mini that should be considered a better value for your money!

You can make all the excuses you want for everything else, but the reason the japanese fans point to is "MARO" plain and simple. Many I'm sure noticed the setup where Ayu+Maro is the promotion that so many here say is so lacking.

You know, I just hear you ***** ***** ***** all over the place...and that's all you do.


What would you propose for her?

In the end, if it WAS all a publicity thing, obviously a ****** one, then hopefully, they'll abandon all their strategic ways of getting her more sales, cause they're obviously not working.

I find his perspective quite refreshing and entertaining, lol.

I find Emi's perspective on this to be like 90% of AHS. "Ayu would never lie to us, she said so. Therefore this has to be real because she never lies to her fans." It's getting very old, very stupid and with how many fans base it off her old NHK interviews, while parts of those are noticably staged for the press and the fans, it makes you seem incapable of intelligent thought. Try thinking for yourselves instead of believing everything Avex wants you to believe. Atleast the japanese fans are finally pulling off the blinders and quit buying their garbage. These stunts should and hopefully will tank her career. Her career should be based on her talent not a bunch of gimmicks, lies and publicity stunts. When allowed to show it, she's got more talent than Madonna, Britney, Gaga, Namie, Hikki and Kuu put together. So try supporting her and not buy anything Avex has their name attached to. Buy what comes from Ayumi after she drops Avex like a bad habit and relies on her talent again.

I have this feeling too. or a half-baked full of unpleasant remixes from old tracks, which is deemed as "gifts" or "new music" for the fans. Like an Ayu Ultimate Collection of remixes - Trance, Eurobeat, House etc.. all combined.

exactly...

Yeah I don't know why people don't get it either.. why people don't understand and still in very denial mode of Ayu's current state for her career. At this point in time, people can still comment or stuck with.. about her one ear deaf which is causing her pitching problems, which was an issue done and over with long time ago... she's too tired, she did not warm up her vocals, she is freaked out singing live on tv.. etc in fact now, its her voice, her vocals, how she sings... and other things that has been affecting her image... that is how real it goes. U know what, with a 15th Anniversary coming, she is supposed to be in a different league with more respect in her career and not surrounded by so much negative news.

This is pretty much it.
Even though some people aren't fond of you, I love it when you post. I love hearing your opinion.

my thoughts exactly. I wouldn't have ever expected what we got now from Ayu, honestly, I thought she wouldn't still be sold as much as back then, but I wasn't really expecting her to have 2 yrs with relatinship scandals surrounding her asd well
this all is kinda sad. many fans are angry and hateful, but I'm just sad & devastated this time. really

I can not have said this better myself. At this point of her career, I think she has two choices. Either pull a Namie and go completely mainstream, or rise to the ranks of Matsutoya Yumi and seriously focus on the music. As of now, it seems like she's making a half-assed attempt to do both, which combined with her negative image now, isn't working. I think that FIVE was a success because she was entirely focused on the music.

I don't think though that the japanese public really cares for any image she has, her image mainly hurts her fanbase at this point, if at all.

Reminding that she barely promotes and doesn't have many or useful tie-ins.

2012 Yearly Rankings
#38 Party Queen
#42 A SUMMER BEST

Recochoku
1st Week
chaku uta: #39 Wake me up
chaku uta: #62 Sweet scar
chaku uta FULL: #65 Wake me up
chaku uta FULL: #93 Sweet scar

I think she needs to take a small hiatus and do some soul searching. Then, she can come back with something amazing!! :D But, knowing ayu, I don't know if she'll even consider something like that. :P

2nd Day
Position: #19

It's pretty ironic, isn't it? It was the people who created a mega monster star like her. They shared the very limelight Ayu achieved during her prime, mainly by being a fan and screaming her name and buying her CDs. She have done everything for everyone. She made her fans proud, spoiled to a further extent, of consecutive and sometimes spontaneous #1 hits here and there. We developed confidence every time Ayu will be releasing something. "Ayu is, as usual, slaying the charts." For some fans, whatever she touches becomes gold. She was even touted the "Empress of Pop." However, reality had stricken. She's no more. She's no longer there. She's no longer the slayer she used to be. These thoughts, whatever they mean to anyone, doesn't really bother me. What bothers me is the day when Ayu decided to stop music. She knows she can't please anyone, I believe that. But what if she realized no one is left to support her? I sincerely hope that day won't come.

Pardon the drama, but the current situation: the way Japan looks at her, the way overseas fans treat her, and the way she is right now, it really makes me sad. If things would only get worse if she decided to continue, I rather wish she'd take a hiatus after her 15th anniversary. It's really weakening seeing a once mighty star falling down slowly and painfully from the heavens just like that.


sigh :shrug

Yeah the drop was too sharp for first day sales for 'again', its a shame really -
she puts out songs that i'm sure her Japanese fanbase would eat up and love, and they're overlooking it because she's dating someone. :thud

I'm pretty sure that if Ayu released the best single or the best album of her whole carrer and only sold 1000 copies, it would be considered the WORST. That is how it works for some people here.