Hopefully the drama will give the song a kick, but I don't think it will ever reach #1 if it didn't the first days

^It did on the first day...for RBT

wow... seems like it would really flop if it were released physically

I don't know about that. The digital charts are kind of a mess. Sometimes artists who don't do that well physically do VERY well digitally and vice-versa. She's been up against some very tough digital competition since the digital single came out, so it's normal imo for her to drop. (I don't think anyone would want to have to go against GReeeeN, Kana Nishino, AKB48, Ikemonogakari, and FUNKY MONKEY BABYS all at the same time on the digital charts either)

Since the release of the album is a month away, they really are relying on the TV-CMs for mu-mo and the drama as promotion until she starts doing album-related promotion in March.

^ cant wait for that!

I don't think it would flop as a physical release. One of the reasons why it's being released as a digital single is probably because she doesn't have time to promote it properly as a single. Ayu has a history of remarcably stable sales, even if they've been declining. Also her last few singles sold almost exactly the same even if promotion wasn't. Ayu has enough hardcore fans to get another number one even with little exposure, given the single's released on the right date. A number one isn't really a flop in my book, even if it ends up selling less than L did.

Yep but the chart hasn't been closed with her at #1..I still believe physical releases are more catchy to fans, cause, especially for collectors, are always hot stuff to add to their collections.

^ooo...you mean weekly chart?

Weekly
chaku uta: #3 how beautiful you are
chaku uta FULL: #3 how beautiful you are
RBT: #2 how beautiful you are
Video Clips: #94 M PV
chakushin Movie: #38 progress PV
chakushin Movie: #82 Duty (ayumi hamasaki COUNTDOWN LIVE 2010-2011 A ~do it again~) Live Clip

February 14th
chaku uta: #11 how beautiful you are ↓
chaku uta FULL: #16 how beautiful you are
RBT: #11 how beautiful you are ↓
RBT: #94 beloved ↑
RBT: #100 M ↑
Video Clips: #87 progress PV ↑
chakushin Movie: #26 progress PV ↑
chakushin Movie: #90 Duty (ayumi hamasaki COUNTDOWN LIVE 2010-2011 A ~do it again~) Live Clip ↑

#2..not bad...
i hope the dorama will keep rising in viewership, and it will help promote HBYA...
also when the PV is out and the album promo starting...hopefully it will get back to at least top 5

Well it's #3 RBT... Nothing special.
chaku uta and chaku uta FULL are the important parts. =)

number three is not bad. But it made a huge fall this week... ouch.

February 15th
chaku uta: #20 how beautiful you are ↓
chaku uta FULL: #24 how beautiful you are ↓
RBT: #16 how beautiful you are ↓
chakushin Movie: #97 Moments PV ↑

D*mn...feels hurt...

no surprise here, in my opinion the song not that good

This is sad... :*(

this song is just ok...

It hasn't even been two weeks of release and people are acting like it's flopping. IMO, a flop would mean that it completely drops out of the charts after the first day. Give it some time before getting upset about it.

I am not really sure why are people upset. The song didn't really become a smash hit, avex is doing nothing to promote it, Japan doesn't care that much about Ayu...so yeah it's not flopping, but it's not really doing good. It will prolly get back to top 10 once the album promo starts, but I wouldn't expect much.

Regardless of that, I still think this track shouldn't have been chosen as one of the lead tracks for the album, as it's not really what I'd call -single material-.

I think it was chosen because it fit the drama very well. That doesn't necessarily translate to a 'single' though and that's fine since it's not a real (physical) single anyway.