this is why the japanese annoy me... 200k for some crap arashi single? imo they're just a worthless boy band...I don't get it

Oh dear, here we go again...

^^dontaddfueltothefiredontaddfueltothefire... Prepare for the **** storm! <--No pun intended.

They're popular and way bigger than Ayu, so for those of us that aren't fans, let's get over it. :3

This. Thank You.

:roflmao

Actually, people in Japan care much more about Ayu's age than Amuro Namie. And Amuro is just one year older than Ayu, so not much difference.

Remember, Amuro went through a period when her popularity was reduced drastically, because of her "re-invention" when she became the Queen of R&B, during a time when R&B in J-POP was a new and polarizing thing. But she battled through years of unpopularity, and she decided she didn't want to force herself to be seen by everyone, and that's when she started to regain the popularity.

I think Ayu is doing that now... no one really sees her anymore, just in ViVi, and now Softbank... but it's not like a saturation of Ayu as it once was. Maybe we will be seeing a boom in Ayu popularity soon. I think it will happen.

Arashi has an advantage because there are 5 members. You don't have to like all of them, but even if they only like one of them, they will buy. And because the personalities are kind of all different, it can appeal to a MUCH broader audience than say Ayu can with her gyaru-ish style.

Arashi has been getting better in singing. Whether they are lipsyncing on Mste or so, I don't know, I believe so, but I don't really know for sure. But anyways, because they sing, have likable personalities, they SEEM down to earth without any cocky personality like KAT-TUN or so, and like someone said before that they do not have online sales, the oricon charts will be of course in favour of Arashi since physical copies are literally the only way to listen to them.

The fact that Arashi is a band and Ayu is an individual artist, why the argument? Arashi will sell high because of the simple fact it's band of five attractive young men who sing together. Girls are buying into it, and they're even popular with boys. A Japanese foreign exchange student I became friends with in high school two years ago used to tell me all the time about how his fashion is inspired by Arashi.

Like maikaru said, it's more likely that people will relate to Arashi more because of their different personalities. Ayu is just one person, and just like it is in real life, you like them or not.

omg I was trying to phrase that in a better way, but meh you took the words right out of my mouth :yes

It has nothing to do with the fact that they sold more than ayu.
Ayu isn't even IN this equation. It's simply because I don't get their taste...it's almost like they don't have any. smh

hmm... yeah, their songs aren't to my liking at all but well at least they look like nice people on TV!

well hate it or not they'll still have like 5 singles in the top 10 of the end year '-___-

Interesting that people only focus about age when they don't like the individual...double standard? Anyhow my point wasn't to negate Arashi's popularity. I don't like them or get their appeal but I can't deny that they are incredibly appealing in Japan and that is why they are so successful as is Namie.

My point was simply that Ayumi isn't old and that its all about appeal, exactly as you have said but thank you as always for your input ^_^

Interestingly though, what's the appeal about Namie? Don't get me wrong, I love her songs, but I've always wondered what's the secret behind BEST FICTION that gave her a million sales... is it the R&B sound, or something else?

At least for ARASHI I could see that it's their personalities, and their happy-sounding songs that Japanese people like, so that's an appeal for them, but for Namie... hopefully someone could tell me cos I'm reli interested

Aren't you like, one of the biggest boy band fanboys around, waterballoon!?

:laugh maybe, but I don't listen to many J-Pop boybands; there's a different appeal between J & K Pop, so... :D

Well, Baby don't cry was really popular but 60s70s80s was what really kicked her career back to life so... her hair?

In any case, why don't we all just drop Arashi? This is a charts and ranking thread for L anyway, haha.

Don't like them? Neither do I, too bad, OMG L!

:laugh seems like a mystery for now!

Are you guys disappointed that there doesn't seem to be any "special" packaging or anything for L? I mean it's her 50th single after all

I'm confused about the Christmas cake... does that have anything do to your age? (and probly my age as well, we're only a year difference... lol). I dun think people are dissatisfied. More likely they're hoping to see ayu to get into a 2nd peak, just like how namie achieved that two years ago.

I dun think that has anything to do with respect... right? I think it's just a game between music companies. They dun break rival artists' streaks in order to save their own? Er... you can say that's a respect.. maybe.. I dunno :P
This reminds me tho last year time when ayu released You were.../BALLAD. I wonder why the heck Sony and Masaharu Fukuyama picked Dec 16 for the single Hatsukoi. You know I was actually shocked about that. This forced avex to change the release date of ayu (in order to save the streak). This is just too weird...

I guess you're rite. She's like namie in 2000 - 2003. But I think ayu is "luckier". At least people still treat her as the queen of JPop, and she still has the "power" to get a safe/weaker week to release her singles. I do hope she will have a boom in the future.

I have a question... Is hikki still able to been seen by people? Well I became fans of them around the same time. For recent years, I always have a feeling that general public has more interest on hikki. Can you tell me if that's true or not? If so... I wonder why...

You know, namie was extremely popular around the end of 20th century. She was basically in the position like ayu or hikki in 2000 - 2002. If she wasn't pregnant during her peak, she would have a longer success. And probly she'll become another "ayu" (like.. popularity decreases in a steady pace). She gain her audience back when she released Queen of Hip-Hop, so she wasn't really that bad during 2004 - 2007. 60s70s80s was a huge catalyst tho. It really boost up her popularity and all of the sudden people wanna rediscover her lost music (during her bottom era).

Let's make a wish for that. I'm so afraid to see ayu becoming another seiko. I dunno but I just dun really like this lady. I prefer Matsutoya Yumi as well.

^
Why does she have to be another anything? Why can't she just be "Hamasaki Ayumi?"