It's not impossible...just unlikely.

Just a bit curious, is the sale of Party Queen PLAYBUTTON counted in Oricon?

^^I was wondering that too. Ideally, it would be...

^^ I don't think the Party Queen PLAYBUTTON sales are being counted D:

*praying for a huge sales boost*

A BEST 3 is most likely on it's way..very late..early 2013

^^Either that or maybe A BALLADS 2, and hopefully ayu-mi-x 8! Check out my "Create your own A BALLADS 2 tracklist" thread in the chat room :P

I would love an A BALLADS 2 with all new mixes and Ayu-mi-x 8

I know, wish Max still had his twitter! But after expressing our interest in them making more ayu-mi-x albums just a year and a half ago, maybe they haven't forgotten how much we want them.

AYU TRANCE 5!!

from what I understand they sold pretty well for what they were... almost 20k each... and all together almost 80k... pretty good for remix albums.

Another thing I have in thought - how marriages/divorces affected sales: We've seen Jin Akanishi two and a half weeks ago (on the same week as Arashi single) releasing their album; they thought he would get #1, but all because of his marriage with Meisa Kuroki and possible recent outrage has actually gave ikimono-gakari the #1 for the week, not Jin...

...could in any way in relation to Ayu-Mannie divorce it affected the sales to not go #1 even in terms of daily rankings...?

^^Knowing Japan, it's a possibility. But I think that the way the Japanese think sometimes is absurd. As a whole, they seem to be extremely judgmental and closed-minded people.

^ which I think is weird (about the marriage thing) because in Japan, she was never married... so technically, they have nothing to be judgmental over.

^^I don't think the technicality really matters though :/

very ignorant assumption to make about a nation just because nobody is buying a cd you like...

^ it has nothing to do with that. If you follow their culture they are very closed minded on some things.
divorce/homosexuality/the "different"/ westerns marring their women (thats something I never thought of till someone pointed it out for me)

unfortunately he's partial right.
I remember when her marriage news came out and japanese people were more bothered she was marrying a western guy than that she rushed the marriage.
I mean partial because I don't really thinks all japanese are close-minded people though.

Imho the lack of promotion it's the main fault of her #2. But she's selling pretty well tho, for me she can still reach 100k copies.

somehow if Party Queen were to be released in the same week or the week after Ikimonogakari's NEWTRAL , the result might be the same with ayumi getting #2 (assuming all things constant)

If Ikimonogakari's 2nd week sales was able to beat Akanishi Jin's JAPONICANA (which I thought he might get #1 but thankfully he didn't but that's another thing xD) , the very same thing might happen to Party Queen :O

Unlike GUILTY's scenerio where she went up against Kobukuro , this time round , it's an inter company related battle since ABC is label mates with ayumi although techincally his/their stuff is distributed by avex's sub label Motorod

If we can still get good music even when the sales are low, I think I am fine with it.

thank you. It's not just ayu. look at meisa kuroki's situation. and all the controversy kumi got over that stupid comment about amniotic fluid. hello, it's a joke, not that serious, lighten up.

kazeyomi -- of course not, definitely not "ALL". I'd never generalize like that.