If that's the short version, then I'm definitely expecting a twist. i.e. Ayu turning back into the other girl.

We have a larger segment of the population enduring obesity, yes. But being an "obesity denialist" and generalizing American women as obese are two very different contexts. One is an extrapolation of my character from what I said and the other is what I wrote.

Japan has an odd perspective of American culture. Some really value and look up to Westerners, and others tend to generalize and parody Westerners. What I mean when I say I feel this video plays off the stereotypes a bit too much is saying that Katy Perry cannot even dress up in traditional Geisha garments for a performance at the AMAs without being accused of racism, promotion of Japanese women's oppression, and promotion of prostitution. How do you think Asian stereotyping would go in a music video in the US? So, from my cultural standpoint, even as a skinny white American boy, I find the video offensive.

A fat girl gluing cutouts of herself onto pictures of hot guys? Check. A fat girl munching on a drumstick while working out? Check. A fat girl that falls on a treadmill, rolls around, and can't get up? Check. A fat girl who gets one-upped by a slim, attractive woman while trying to get the hot guy? Check. A fat girl cartoonized as a crotchety, stark-faced beast? Check. It's all a bit much. For someone who literally had a gay man sing half of her 13th album, seduce other men with her in an alley in one of her PVs, and perform in a skirt/kilt on an entire tour, this is way off from the messages Ayumi has sent, even as a parody.

I think the reality that half of us saw the video, and before even logging into AHS, felt it patronized American women as fat slobs says that the video is offensive to quite a few people. God bless Ayumi, but I think the statistics we should be paying attention to are the 20 pages of this thread where half of us clearly feel the video is offensive and the other half clearly feel the video is not. Often we have a split on whether people like something or not. This is a completely different beast of a discussion, honey.

kinda like when Ayu did Startin' video. Not exactly horrible..doesn't make me wanna puke like Snowy kiss..you&me and wake me up hahaha

I haven't read every reply in this thread, but I don't think that everyone who critiqued the video was having a meltdown or hating on Ayu. Trust me, I'm the first person to feel annoyed when people go out of their way to knock Ayu down a peg. It annoys me so much, but this is different for me and let me explain why.

You see, I have body image issues, like many other women. I have only recently come to recognize this for what it is and the fact of the matter is that a lot of women's body issues stem from unrealistic portrayals of women in the media. Ayu is someone I have a lot of admiration for and to see such a stereotypical, exaggerated portrayal of a heavier woman featured in one of her videos is hurtful to me because it purports the media machine's message: you must look a certain way in order to be beautiful. Now, I still admire Ayu and I hope to see this video come to a different closing, but I would appreciate it if people in this forum stopped shutting critiques of this video down by saying they are "taking the video too seriously" or are "hating". I get that the video was supposed to be funny but it's hurtful for someone like me and that should matter.

Maybe Ayu turns back into the girl in Merry-go-round...coz...it went one round..LOL

The video title's been officially changed to "Feel the love (short ver.)", which kinda surprised me.. LOL

I really wish we could upvote posts.

I think we should just wait to see the full video. They chose a really horrible place to fade out at.

I respect your right to be offended, but to me it seems like you're grasping at as many straws as some of the people in this thread looking for alternate interpretations.

As the most powerful and important country in the world, and with a long history of pillaging, plundering, raping, colonizing, and exploiting other nations, why the hell should we all of a sudden care about how we're portrayed to Japanese people? As someone who was born in the most privileged nation in the world, it feels almost strange to have a knee-jerk reaction like that unless I'm actively looking for something to be offended about. :shrug

I feel like people are implying that Ayu or her Japanese team "should know better," when in fact... no, they probably shouldn't.

Unless you send tons of gender studies majors/Tumblr SJW's over to these East Asian countries as 'missionaries', they're not going to understand anything about intersectionality theory as it applies to developed nations in the West. No one is checking Japanese people's "privilege" when they "oppress" Americans and/or Caucasians.

Seriously. The country from which Family Guy, South Park and Drawn Together originate.

It would be nice if Ayu turns back into the American girl in Merry-go-round

So this was a short version after all? A five minute long short version? Do I even want to know how long the full version is? :D

It's just about her wanting to look good for the man she likes, I mean, some people take the MV too seriously. Kinda awkward, but still fun!

I feel SO MUCH BETTER knowing this was a short version.
What a troll this was... they're probably laughing at us now.
I'm hoping for a real ending with a good message. Then I might FINALLY like this PV.

I think it just cut off the very end for some reason... that doesn't really mean it's a short version, but it's incomplete.

NO PLEASE. I need to see Ayu as the main role in MGR

If Merry-go-round is like blossom or progress, I dunno how people will react.

PV names "short ver" , we can wait for the another PV with more Ayu's screen. It will be the long ver ^^
PV Merry go round, I hope her will appear with the pretty outfit like the cover 's one !

Well.. that was absolutely awful. Watched, disliked, deleted. :/

The end of Humanity