Sunrise PV thoughts
 

Add your opinion about the PV here.

Pros:
-It's not directed by Kazuyoshi. Some people were right in suspecting this was Wataru Takeshi. So yay, no completely stupid mouthing and facial expressions from Ayu.
-Interesting setting.
-Much better editing than her PVs have had lately.
-I like the song.

Cons:
-Not much replay value.
-The extreme white lighting gets annoying and does make me wonder if the 2ch comments were accurate in that the reasoning is to make her look younger. Its annoying because she doesn't need it.
-It's disappointing to find out that the leak of the song we have, was indeed the final version. To me, there are still some parts that don't sound finished - like it needed more equalizing and mastering. The beginning sounds very weird to me - her voice is so soft and the PV doesn't seem to match at that point.
-Dancers with headmics are always annoying. :)
-I miss the originality in her PVs. It is possible to take a fun summer song and turn a meaningful PV out of it. (fairyland)

The song itself, I would rank at least higher than Glitter (which I was never much a fan of.) It may even be tied with Bluebird for me:
1. H
2. &
3. fairyland
4. bluebird
5. Sunrise (maybe tied for 4th)
6. Glitter

I like it alot. Very energetic and fun. ^^
Ayu looks great and her makeup is really ntural.
I was wondering what they were gonna do with 300 poeple, that structure is so cool.

Nothing ~special~, but we knew that from the get-go. Haha.

I like how awesome she looks here [her legs are KILLER!] and the whole partyish atmosphere fits the song well~

The stage is cool too~ no complaints here! Woo~

Wow, I realized Wataru used the same video filter/lens thing/vignetting [look at the edges] he used on fairyland.. hahaha.
http://i29.tinypic.com/24niurq.png

I dunno, perhaps it was the light from the sun that caused the washed out look? Doesn't seem like they did much to change it.. hm.. I know I look kinda pale in the sunlight when I'm really kind of Indonesian-toned right now.

I personally love it. True, Ayu has MANY ~extravagant~ PVs, but all her PVs don't need to be like that. If she hadn't done this, we probably would've had another BLUE BIRD PV (and as great as that one is, we really don't need two of them).

I love the stage setup. I love how the audience (aka TA members!) seem to be having a great time. I love the area where the PVs filmed (I bet it's near Odaiba, somewhere in Chiba, or near Yokohama). Ayu seemed to have a great time, too, and I love how her happiness really shined through the PV. I loved her outfit, too, and even though her shoes didn't really match the rest of the outfit, who cares, Ayu still rocked it.

And I loved the end!
"AYUAYUAYUAYUAYUAYU!!!!"
"Yeeeyyyyyyyyy!!! Domo arigatou!!!!!"

I was hoping for an ending like that =3

basically this

It's pretty ok, it's nice at least watching it, but I probably won't watch the PV again, though I had to repeat the beginning a few times cause I couldn't hear Ayu

I'm just glad that Kazu didn't direct it, and I think the location is pretty nice~ Though it's too bright T_T But I'm just happy to see Ayu having a good time~

Yeah, better editing and filming (filming is it english?? haha) than the previous PV.
But oh god this is so boring... I almost wanted to watch it accelerated. Almost 5 minutes of the same thing all over again is sooo long (even if I "knew" that there will be just one setting and just ayu singing).
But the main thing is there is like no emotion, any feelings conveyed by this video for me (like the song in itself which sounds really bland, and the covers. At least the whole conveys the same idea! Maybe it is done on purpose ^^") unlike Fligh high video or Humming 7/4 one. You can barely see the fans.
The only thing I like apart from the editing/shooting part is the very end, the only part where there is some "emotion", where you can hear the fans etc...
No hopes at all for Sunset PV.

i like it very much cuz its fun and ayu looks so cute. i like how cheerful it looks.

The #1 pro for me is that Wataru directed and not Shimomura. I can't imagine ayu looking fierce throughout the pv. I prefer happy natural looking ayu.

When I first heard the song and the fact that 300 TA fans will be in the pv, I already expected a pv like humming 7/4...and I think this pv suits the song well...especially with the motto parts, its better with a huge crowd than a few dancers for me. I think if independent had a pv, it'll be something like this.

I really wonder if they built the whole structure or its already there somewhere in Japan...???

It's fun, but no more than that. It fits the song, she looks great and it's an overall nice PV. I wanna rip the headmics off of the dancers though.

Did they really build that huge stage/platform thing for the PVs, or is it just some green screen stuff going on here...

No idea. I have a feeling it's used for some sort of marine shows, but.. oi, haha. NO IDEA. Someone look on Mixi!

The white light washing everything out is SERIOUSLY annoying lol

But I think it's cool...I mean...I didn't expect much for the PV, but I think it's nice because it's not all weird, or overly stupid/acted.

I also kinda like that it's like, how do you say, like a performance setting? Does she have another PV like this? I don't think she has another quite the same, and I think this was a good song to have one for, just her singing, the dancers doing whatever, and the audience.

And I think it's a little more interesting than other PVs that are just of the artist singing, because she has the beach and such a weird set lol

The only thing, I found myself wanting to see more of the TA members/audience lol I think that would have been cooler...at least at the beginning or end or something. imo there should have been a bit more emphasis on them.

And yeah the headmics on the dancers are annoying...but honestly...the dancers themselves annoyed me for being on the same platform with her lol

I also like...her hair. Like...it's weird that it makes her look so young, but I like it lol Oh and I like that they ended it the way they did.

It actually disappointed me
:(

i wish there was more going on, but it's cute. nothing amazing about it. i'm more looking forward to Sunset.

I think her hair was a mess :P but thats okay :laugh
I didnt like the beginning, she sounded weird x_x
The end was awesome ;)

overall, the pv was okay.. nothing extremely special or awesome @_@

They haven't talked about it on mixi. lol But I doubt any of it's green-screened. It's Ayu, and I'm pretty sure Avex is willing to spend more than a few dollars on Ayu, so I wouldn't be surprised if they had built that just for the PVs. Plus, you can clearly see the sunlight shining on Ayu, so, again, I doubt this was green-screened.

Oh I'm sure most of the structure is real, I was just wondering if the whole thing really was real.. they could have done some CGI parts to make it look even bigger, but I wouldn't be surprised if the whole thing is real.

I thought it was... Ok. A little mundane. The only thing I didn't like at all though was the overly white lights... Like SunshineSlayer said, she doesn't need it.

I guess we'll see in the making of...if they show it.

I like how Ayu looks in this pv.Not 2 much make up,her hair kind of messy with the wind,and the outfit (exept the boots) was something very simple that I would totally wear to the beach myself.Like I said,I love how Ayu looks in this pv.

The stage was amazing with all the different platform and all the fans around but yeah the sun was kind of annoying.

The dancer where unnecesary.I think Ayu should have pick 4 or 5 of the fans to dance around with her rather than the usual dancers.And the mics look stupid.To BIG.

Overall,I still think Ayu looked plendid.Not overly diva-ish.I still cant get over the fact that she looked so natural and beautiful.Tought I am sure that a lot of peoples will say she look plain but I think she look very good.

I feel like it shouldn't have been a Pv on a single. It should have been a PV on an album, you know? Overall, I am dissapointed. I like it when PVs have stories that is why one of my fave singles from her is Fated/Glitter. This is boring and even though the setting is really cool, she shouldn't have used the same setting and melody for Sunset. I know she couldn't have filmed the PVs in Bali if she wanted to put the TA members in it but she OBVIOUSLY didn't shoot the single cover in Bali. So...what did she shoot in Bali?

I didn't like her hair in it either. It should have been down. The PV kinda made me dizzy. A lot of movement.

Sunrise PV is just like Humming 7/4, BLUE BIRD or NEXT LEVEL. It's fun and relaxing, but let me be honest - I'll never watch it again.

Not that much interesting.
Its like decision in happier mood with audience.

fairyland is the good summery-themed PV

I took some pictures of the structure while watching the PV again... it's a lot bigger than I remembered!!!

http://i25.tinypic.com/k9k3n.jpg

http://i28.tinypic.com/2a856kl.jpg

http://i25.tinypic.com/2uttgxs.jpg

There are SO MANY platforms on that structure... definitely to accommodate all the TA members, heh. I'd want to be on the ground, personally, lol.

The PV is really energetic and fun like the song.
The PV fits perfectly for the song and ayu looked really cute and pretty.

As people said it's nothing special but I like it for the very fact that the song and the PV are a great match and if I wanna look at something fun from time to time I would look at that. =D

Oh I also really like that stage, it's awesome.

Actually, I really liked the PV. It's fun, happy, and Ayu looks like she's having a great time. I love the simple feel of it and Ayu's not all "diva" glamorous. Not to mention it was pretty neat to see all the Team Ayu members in it. Quite a change from her usual PVs of late.

the video sucks. I like that it's summer and ayu as herself. but thats it..I'm not one for simple pvs. there was enough time for that with next level, curtain call, daybreak, etc. I feel bad for the team ayu members that were there, barely even one close up of them that wasn't 1 second long.

it is boring.

..there were 300 of them. Did you really expect them to select certain members to zoom in on?

It's not like many people can say, "I was in an Ayu PV!" If I were there, even if I weren't shown in a close-up shot, I'd still feel honored to have been chosen to be in an Ayu PV. Plus, they could be featured in the "Sunset" PV.

I liked it... simple yet fun... Not my favorite, but really fit the single... People should stop waiting for her lastest pv or lastest song being the best one ever done in world, some singles are going to be just like that: fun. And there is nothing wrong with this

The beginning really threw me off. For a second I thought that the audio and video weren't in sync.

I also didn't like how she kept throwing her arm(s) up every ten seconds. I guess after about three or four PVs with her wearing gloves due to her injury, she wanted to show off.

The dancers didn't really bother me, except for the huge headsets they were wearing.

I did enjoy the face shots, with her looking in the camera, however. She looked so cute... except for those boots. They didn't match her outfit at all.

And the structure? Awesome. It was nice of them to include TA members, when they could've easy picked random people off the streets or something.

All in all, I'm not disappointed, but not happy either. I'm really looking forward to Sunset now.

I liked the white lighting~! I thought overall it was really cute, really fun, really summery. I wish that there was another scene in it though.

Taking it as it is, it's nice! Very intimate with her fans. Fun, a lot of energy. But nothing much after that.

it's a fun PV. it fit the song, too. but it's definately not ayu's best PV to me or anything. just fun and simple. :P nothing special. but i did like the ending with ayu screaming and stuff, lol.

btw, is it just me, or do you hardly notice the fans so much? i mean, you can't show all 300 people, but they made it seem like the fans appearance was a big deal. they were just in a few shots and that's it. it's probably just me.

maybe if there was a side story to the pv... it'd be more interesting. i dislike ayu pvs where there is only one setting/one outfit.. next level... car drive.


WOW! i'm imagining what would happen if kazuyoshi directed this. woo

Who made the fans' appearance a big deal? It was mainly kept between TeamAyu and Ayu haha.

I still think it was just the sun that was extremely bright that day after two days of rain haha.

It was a nice PV. :) Very relaxing and summer-ish, but it was a bit boring. She touched her face, winked at the camera and threw her arms up a little too much, as if she was forcing herself to do it. Some of the shots dragged on, such as the first close up of her face and the first part where the camera was towards the ground and she was singing the first verse.

As tasking said, it's a nice PV. I'm not disappointed but I'm not fangasming over it either. ;) Ayu was cute, the structure was beautiful and her dancers were great - I do feel they could have shown the TA members a little bit more though.

I also think it's great that they didn't cover her tattoo. :) If you pause at 2:18 and 2:57 you can clearly see it!

Hm.. latter point here makes me wonder about why they change scenes so quickly during concerts and lives, haha. People have short attention spans? And as for the arm throwing up.. I do that all the time when I listen to the song and it just comes natural, and doesn't she usually do that with the fun happy peppy songs in concerts? Maybe it's because we can't really hear her vocal so we can't hear the excitement she has in her voice.. hm..

As I said it's ok. Nothing special and pretty simple, but I like it.
The structure is the most amazing thing in the PV O_O seriously is huge!
Even if Sunset will be better, I guess lol

The pv is OK. It doesn't really have a replay value, but I dun mind watching it again (compared to kaz's directed pvs. I couldn't even finish watching the whole Sparkle pv). I see some of you hate the boots.. But I like them. When I saw the boots, they really stood out and made her outfit more interesting.

It's not that people have short attention spans, but the PV is supposed to be fun and exciting. What's exciting about a scene that drags on? Imagine if they kept the same camera angle on her when she was singing live.

Maybe you're right about the excitement factor in her voice. Some of her movements were very natural, some I've seen her do in actual lives so it didn't strike me as weird. Some of the other movements in the PV that she did seemed forced and unnatural, which could have been because we couldn't really hear if she was excited or not.

the structure is so big that it look empty
the video needs some 1000 extra souls to fill the base

is a nice video..but..look....empty (talking about audience)

The PV is ok...i like how Ayu looks and how they r all having fun but it's been done before..and i like PV's that have a story and meaning...i really wanted to see something new but this isn't...
I also found it kinda bouring after a while...:shakehead

It wasn't bad though...It was a simpol...cool (i don't think i would be watching it over and over again though like Blue bird:P)

I actually like her hair here :D

I like how we made this big hype about team ayu members being in the PV and they barely focused on them. This PV was a complete snooze fest for me. It was like watching a performance for Hey x3 or Music Station. Hell......at least Sparkle and MW had something to look at, even if she did make dumb faces. I'd take those over this one any day. However, I guess it did fit the song's mood, which is a plus.

Still, I miss the days of ayu PVs that were artistic and had deep meaning, instead of just "look pretty for the camera". It sucks because I really love the song, but oh well, I guess we cant have everything. Maybe the next PV will be a hit.

EDIT: Sorry I misunderstood, thought the PV and covershoots were in Bali.

The PV was shot in japan, not in Bali.
And they were showed in the video a lot of times even if most of it was ayu (naturally).

uhhm i don't think this is in bali lol

These were filmed in Japan.

Bali was for the covers and some other photoshoots.

Yeah. It was like a concert. I don't like PVs where they have the singer just singing. Plus Curtain Call and Next Level had interesting aspects about them--she wasn't just standing on a platform.

I really think she has been used to her live style - even makes her PV as a live - I don't like it that much. A little plain and boring. If only there were more outfits and scences.

I misunderstood when I first read about the covershoots and PV. I thought they were both in Bali.

Still, these people did take the time out of their lives to come and they were barely in it. Bali, Japan, wherever, the whole thing seems like a total waste on their parts.

are you kidding me? as if it was a chore to come visit ayu and shoot in her new PV, please. these aren't just random people they're TA members who obviously love ayu and were probably happy to just be there.

^that's true. Everything you guys are saying is true.

But for me, at least, it was disappointing not to see more of the fans, especially when Ayu wasn't doing anything that exciting anyway.

I'm not saying I wouldnt have been happy as hell to be in the PV, but they barely even got a close up of the teamayu members! You can't really call that being in a music video if you can't even see them. I would've expected a little more than that. And you don't know those people's lives. It may have taken a lot to drop everything and come do this, diehard fan or not.

EDIT:

@ayumisrael: Hey maybe they don't think its a waste. That's excellent as long as they're happy. I know if I was there, I wouldn't be too happy to not see many members in the video, but I wasnt. I'm sure if I was there I would have enjoyed the experience just the same. If they wanna support the video that's great. This is all just my opinion, no one else's, seeing as how i'm not in teamayu and can't speak for them. I'm just giving my thoughts on the PV.

^ Neither do you. They probably were happy to be there. They entered a lottery, they would have known whether or not they'd have been free... LOL

I don't think they themselves feel as if it was a waste.
The PV of Sunrise is #1 most downloaded on rechochoku and Sunset is #2 for 2 days already.
Most of the downloaders are probably from Team ayu and ayu fans besides the general public.

If they would feel it's a waste I highly doubt they would download them and support it. Also non of the fans that were there seemed to complain about it in blogs and stuff. They were more excited about the experience if anything.

If you would be right you can trust them that they wouldn't pass it so easily.

There's 300 TA members in the pv...as if all of them will have a close up shot of their own face in the pv..which is less than 5 minutes long. :rolleyes I'll be happy if I could take part in the pv even if I'm no where to be seen. Its the experience.

"Oh look there's my hand! OH MY GOD!"

They're in Sunset too, btw, haha.

Okay well go back and read my edit. I'm just posting MY opinion about it and I don't speak for anyone in teamayu. Honestly I would have been very happy to have the experience of being that close to ayu. Anyway the PV is done so us going back and forth about this isnt gonna do anything.

Mediocre as usual. XD

i agree with everything you said. very good post :yes

Dunno....for me, I was just expecting the director to find a way to get the members really involved and just have this really energetic, fun summer video (Not to say that this one wasn't, it definitely was). I thought it would be different. But there's probably only so much you can do with 300 extras in a music video. And wasn't someone supposed to have done choreography? Where exactly was that because I seem to have missed it. :rolleyes

But I agree about the Kazu pvs! I never thought they were that horrible to begin with.

The PV was really well done, thanks to Wataru. The lighting was a bit glaring, but it fit the summer feel and everyone looked really great, so that didn't matter much. I loved the white stage and how the towels sort of popped with the yellow and blue.

I'm not sure what people expect out of promotional videos in general. I know that Ayu has had fantastic PVs full of substance and artistry, but most of her PVs aren't that way. Actually, most PVs in general aren't that way. It's all about eyecandy for the fans, and Sunrise happens to have tons of it.

As for the thing about the TeamAyu members, I definitely agree with those who say it's all about the experience, not about how many times you appear in the film. Last night I went to a concert that will soon be put on DVD, and I do plan on buying it, just so I can brag that I was there, even if there's absolutely no footage of me. I bet the same will apply to the TA members who were in the Sunrise video.

This is by far, ONE of the WORST Ayumi PVs ever.

The ONLY Pro to this video is the fact that Ayu fans were selected to be at the filming, but you know what even that ends up being a con.

Here are the CONS for me:
The song is just WHACK as hell.

There was no choreography. All Ayu did was stand, spin around and repeat. All the BG-dancers did was wave their towels in the air like a bunch of retards. If that's the BEST that Zin or whoever the hell ****ed up the choreography for this song could come up with, Ayumi would have done better to pick a RANDOM alcoholic off the street to make up something better.

The lighting effect is so BAD, it makes Ayu look damn near 40.

Her hair...Oh God, it looks like a plant died on top of head. It probably didn't look as bad during the shoot, but with the wind (which I will get to in a minute) and that God-awful white light effect---it just looked a humid, muggy mess.

Her outfit...>.< Why the HELL would you wear white with a video that already whitens the hell out of you with the effects? Why couldn't she wear something more colorful...such as the colors of the a-nation towel? Or something that actually compliments her natural skin tone? And the boots...they didn't even match. The entire outfit looked like a blind/dumb idiot pieced it all together at literally the LAST minute.

The wind...I don't even know if the wind was actually blowing or if it was just one of those Mariah Carey-diva props where a gigantic fan just operated as yet another unnecessary prop for this video. If it really was windy that day, I guess I can't complain too much about it...But if it wasn't windy the fans were just unnecessary. They blew her hair to pieces and apparently a draft caught up her shorts and revealed that Ayu happened to be commando or wearing a thong that day. And since Ayu no longer has an ass anymore (Ayu's booty, RIP since the end of AT08), it just didn't do anything for her.

*sigh* Now comes the fans...I feel really bad for these fans because you couldn't see ANY OF THEM! I would have killed to see at least THREE of them get a frame in this garbage. Just to see them going crazy for Ayu would have enhanced the "impromptu live" feeling the director appeared to be aiming at. Instead we get Ayu doing the same old tired ass twirl and Shuya + two other dancers that I DON'T CARE ABOUT AT ALL swinging towels like they were in some Japanese remake of Petey Pablo's "North Carolina" music video.

This video is just...it is just AWFUL. It's so bad I REFUSE to recognize this as an Ayumi Hamasaki PV. The sound, the quality, the weak choreography, the HORRIBLE outfit Ayu wore, the dead flowers in her hair---all combine into a HOT MESS for me.

After this MESS, Ayu needs to fire every single person involved with this single along with those involved in the NEXT LEVEL era. In fact, if she really wanted to make a statement. she'd fire/refuse to work with anyone involved with anything past the Secret era because for me, ever since that album came out all of her music and music videos have gone from bad to worse. If she doesn't get a stronghold on her career and starts seeking out new producers, her title as the Queen of J-pop will be taken from her by the end of the year. She is being left behind by Namie and dare I say it...Koda Kumi. Even TOHOSHINKI is selling more single-units than she is, and their last single was equivalent to crap to me. She needs to take a break from music altogether and create a better team of staff complete with new choreographers, new composers, new arrangers, and new PV-directors.

Don't know if this was mentioned yet, but I just noticed that the closeups of her face are shot differently than the rest of her video - there is a filter and also more whiteness - its only like that for the closeups though.

Well, there are several good reasons to let your fans on your videos.

1. No need to pay extras.
2. It ensures that they will be into it.
3. Something nice for the fans.(though it would be nicer if they got paid for their time just like any other extra would.) I think a lot of people don't realize that being an extra is actually work.(I used to do extra work in Hollywood) You get treated like cattle and to get 5 minutes of film usually takes at least 8 hours.

I definitely saw choreography and TA members. But from people maybe I was hallucinating... :rolleyes

Yeah...I don't get the people wanting close-ups of the actual fans themselves...

but I think the entire platforms that had the fans on them deserved some more camera time.


uh I don't think it was her worst PV ever. I'd rather see her "singing" than her having a dumb*** PV that's trying too hard to be meaningful with Ayu overacting all over the place and embarassing herself.

At least it was a little fun, and considering how her recent PVs have been more focused on just her singing anyway with not much happening...I don't think it was all THAT bad.

I wouldn't have minded another BLUE BIRD though. She looked so good in that PV.

PV:
The pv is a lot of fun and the interactions between the dancers and Ayu was great. Ayu was really natural! I don't see why everyone is complaining about the colors, did you all forget how the CM looked? The CM is not overexposed, so we should wait for another rip of the PV. Her outfits are awesome, and the TA interaction was fun and lively. The ending was a great wrap!

Song:
First time hearing the song (I know!! I resisted!). The song is like a mixture of independent and flower garden. It really seems like the sequel to "H". It's something I want to pull down the sunroof and drive 95 mph by the beach!

And to everyone fussing over the "lack" of TA. Well, it's hard to direct 300 inexperienced random people. I don't give a hoot of I see "Person A" up close, well because that person is not Ayu. It's just like being an extra to a movie, you're just there int he background!

I agree...
except for the replay value wan because for me, I dont really watch PVs EVERYDAY..it's the song that matters...the PV just gives you an additional picture to your mind..

and for Sunrise's case, it didn;t! BECAUSE...this was What I already expected. Ok seriously, upon knowing there's gonna be a guy chorus, it's gonna be like independent and HUMMING...You can just treat it as a concert...so people dont like watching concerts? Lol..that's funny. It's like saying "I'm not going to watch Secret in AT07 because she was just standing there..and the only best part was the curtains falling down...and WHY DIDN'T THEY FOCUS ON THE FANS CRYING!?"

i mean...what kind of MEANINGFUL video do you expect? Ayu's needs a break from all that seriously, I just want to see her smile like that, so naturally and having lotsa fun. I honestly got goosebumps in the last chorus when the key changed and she was just full of energy...

Born To Be... could have been like that honestly, Ayu could have been in a large proper stadium and just singing..i felt that would be more inspiring..

About the white wash, yes there is a white filter somewhat. but you cant ignore those jarring spotlights shooting from all over the stage...Ayu doesnt need it for sure, but the PV does. It's all to make it more bright and summery.

The stage was so amazing..Ayu had the most open spot for the flying camera to shoot her. Her hair was very reminiscent of...her LOVEppears/Duty days hahha.

I actually enjoyed it a lot. Yes, certainly there could have been few more extra scenes...but i bet they didn't want to waste that stage...
The song is so happy and lively...it just feels so gd.

I think the PV is really fun and summerish.
However, I think that we should have seen a little bit more the fans (the platforms where they were, not close-ups of them).

And, the stage/platform was really cool!

Yes, I really like the PV ^^

I agree that I don't really care if I see TA members faces, but the difference is that in a movie or music video or whatever, the extras are paid. Anytime an artist brings in their fanclub for a video they are not paid and then on top of that, not really featured in this video at all - to me then it seems more like just a cheap way to save some money. Judging by the finished product, there was no reason why the background had to specifically be TA members.

I dunno, perhaps she just felt it was a song where they wanted to have super!fans be used like Humming 7/4? I recall Beautiful Fighters had a very similar treatment to this, but hired just about anyone who applied [or did they have to be actors?] after they put out a casting call for people.. but I don't remember, haha.

But I think it's rather funny how people who didn't like the song to begin with seem to dislike it ~even more~ after watching the PV. Did they think it was going to change their minds..?

^If there was a casting call, then they got paid. :) Most extras are gotten through agencies just like actors are (there are agencies here and in Japan that are just for extras) and they are paid an hourly rate. By having fanclub members you circumvent having to pay that money. Smart from a company standpoint.

As I said though, I think it would be impractical to focus on specific members of the audience, but I would say at least to be nice since you aren't paying them, maybe focus at least a little more on the audience in general. Especially since there wasn't much going on in the pv anyways. I think a lot of fanclub members (not just hers but other artists too) sign up for these kind of things not even realizing that they are actually doing a job for free that they probably should be getting paid for. ^_^

I've had PVs enhance my feelings for a song to where I ~kinda~ like it.

Like DAYS. I hate that song. But the PV is so nice, and it goes so well with it, I mean, it's hard to hate it in conjunction with the PV lol

I sort of feel that way about this song too.

I feel as though the fans might've been reimbursed with goods, haha. Free towels and fans, guize! Haha.

I don't think that the TA members care about 'being paid' or 'having close-ups' in the PV. They are just happy to have seen Ayu in a very up-close and personal setting. I would have been extremely honored to be part of Ayu's PV, even for one second. I really think the video is awesome. She looks really cute and genuinely happy~ :)

I like it ^^ But I'm not really excited about it, don't get me wrong though, I'm soo happy with it lol

something like Humming 7/4 but MUCH better, and the summer subject really fits. She's too cute! The dancers scared me a bit but at the end it was ok.

lol this single is made for a-nation.

I really really like it!! But then again I really like the song, so the PV doesn't seem boring to me. It just feels like a live performance! The platforms are soooo awesome!!

Getting TA members to appear in the PV is just good ol' PR. :)

Anyway, wow. I like this video, not love though. It's very fun and light... it fits summer well. The atmosphere was really like 'GENKI!!!' and it made me smile too!

The best part was that Ayu looked really natural and happy... for once, oh thank God, she's not grinding her teeth or whatever!

And I feel the whitening... was increased when it was her close up. Maybe she had a zit that day or something? lol.

And well, I really love the effects. The lens glare... it makes it more real, like it was really an outdoor PV with the sun shining brightly and all.

The TA members themselves... I'm actually satisfied with what the video has shown them. They're having fun and screaming their heads off, that's cool enough!

But well, her outfit is bad. I agree with Aisha lol... why wear white when the PV is so white already? I would really prefer to wear something more summery, like yellow, orange, red or pink...

And about the soft intro (the first two lines)... I thought it was perfect lol... it's more like an ethereal intro to start the song, if it were sung in the same volume as the rest of the song, it wouldn't be very special. It's like she's whispering,

"Hey come a little closer, believe a little more..." or whatever the translation is.

Other tidbits and irritants:
Shu-ya looked :heart when he was singing at a later part
Subaru's hair omg I finally get to see its back
Maro looks delicious
Thank God the new dancers are on a different platform... I didn't really like them.
WTF @ Ayu's hair. Gotta go with Aisha - it looks like a dead plant lol and I hate how the wind like destroyed her hair or something. XD
The structure/stage/platform is just awesome... very grand!

EDIT:

I don't wanna sound biased but the only reason why Kazuyoshi's PVs appear to have more replay value is because he gets to shoot the grand PVs with interesting pots & songs. Mirrorcle World, GREEN & Sparkle are all dynamic songs, and the PVs themselves have cool plots... so it'd be natural to want to watch them again. Also an additional reason for me is to just LOL at Ayu's expressions~

Again, how much you can do with a summer happy PV? Barring fairyland, the rest of her happy summer PVs have been well... fun and fun. BLUE BIRD, Greatful days... I think they just send out the same message: Cherish your time and have fun in the summer!!!

What is this white light stuff?!?!?

Isn't the CM>>> pv rip so far in color?!?!?!!?!?

Or maybe I should get my eyes checked.

And TA members got paid.....in free tour goods XD, well maybe.

^ The white light refers to how bright they have made the close ups of her face... very very bright, haha. And super bright = covering facial flaws like zits, wrinkles and all those, I guess...

The PV fits the song very well. Ayu looks so young and cheerful.
The whole fun atmosphere and singing along together are what this PV succeeded to convey.

Thing that I really love is watching it doesn't make my face cringed like the past few PVs of ayu do.
There is no diva-ish face to fear me, and that makes me really happy.

But still, it's like watching the same scene again and again for almost 5 minutes. I DO feel the fun, till one point I start to feel bored.
I don't feel that I will watch Sunrise PV many times, It doesn't really have any reply value to me.

i'm ok with the pv.....
nothing special but really summerish.....

good job ayu~~~~~~~

I know, but it seems like the rip wasn't that great, because the CM on the official site isn't as overexposed.

When [JEWEL] first came out...I found the song to be quite frankly the most boring song Ayu ever made. (Curtain Call has that title now ^_^;) The lyrics for JEWEL were very pretty and heartfelt but the music was too simple for my taste. But after watching the music video, I just fell in love with the song. I appreciated it SO much more. Even without Ayu doing much of anything in it except looking beautiful, the PV joined with the song is one of my ultra favorite ballads from her. I think that a lot of Ayu fans have gone through this with a song, especially when the melody is different from what we're used to hearing from her.

When Sunrise first leaked, I knew I didn't like it. I expressed my opinion on how bad I felt about it. I won't get into the specifics about that argument but the song's arrangement was too much of a mess for me along with many other members of AHS. Some got used to it while others were convinced by Sunrise supporters that "it would sound better when the final mix was set to the PV"...

Two weeks later we finally get to see the PV and well, it sounds exactly the same. The music video did nothing to make me even want to reconsider my initial opinions of the song. In fact, it made me develop an even lower amount of respect for the song.

I hope that you don't take offense to what I've said, but I just wanted to get it out there because for me part of the Ayu-listening experience is watching her music videos and seeing her live performances. Sadly enough, this video which I believe was designed to be the latter two combined did nothing but make the song even worse.

That could be a problem as well, seeing how it's a TV rip... which is why rips are hard to judge too many things... it's best if a DVD rip or whatever comes out~ :D

I think Ayu is very pretty in the PV. Her hair looks cute, her outfit is nice and summerish and it matches the PV well - the PV itself is quite boring though. :( I also think it's great that they didn't cover her tattoo. If you pause at 2:18 and 2:57 you can clearly see it!

I really like the song though. I always get a happy feeling when I listen to it and I always have to sing along.

About the TA members...who are they exactly?

Because I sincerely hope that they got reimbursed either with special goods and/or getting to finally actually meet Ayu.


I was under the impression that these were like the really hardcore TA fans...and so I think that they would probably have seen Ayu up close, and maybe even personally, a few, if not many times. For example, like at press things, or when Ayu arrives at airports, performances, and stuff like that.

So...yeah, I hope that it was very special for them, and that it was more than just, they got to see ayu on a platform from another platform.

@waterballoon: yeah, when I was watching it, I was thinking "I hope the DVD is better quality." As far as colors go.

For me it isn't even the fact that they weren't financially reimbursed for their appearance in the video. Being an extra cast in anything is a privilege, especially when it's for something or someone that you enjoy/love. It's one of those highlights of your life type of things. No amount of money can compare to the precious memory of being a part of an Ayumi music video.

The ONLY problem I have is that we did not get to see a single decent frame of the fans. Even in Ayumi's concerts we get to see the reactions of a select few in the audience as the show goes on. It adds a touch of reality to a concert that really operates as one live-music video. For a music video like Sunrise it WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE of the director to capture that image even if it were for half a second. It would not have made the choreography look so bad, it might have even prevented me from seeing the dead plants in Ayu's hair.

To be honest, we have seen ENOUGH of Ayumi's background dancers to last us until the next arena tour's dancer roll call session. They are EVERYWHERE now, especially Shuya with his half-robot/half-overdramatic self. Since Ayumi made the call for TA members to star as extras, she could have at least requested footage be filmed of a select group of those members to give even a few of them something to remember.

honestly i think the video is so wrong,
looks like ayu living and singing in a planet very far away from her fans.
AYU >disconection< FANS

too much bars,
too much empty corners

the place is beautiful but was a terrible desicion.
i think ayu singing in the street surrounded by fans can work better.
is a shame because i love this song, now is ..different.

I love this pv so much
Somehow it made me feel refrshed and energized
Ayu looks gorgeous in there for me :D

I just dont like seeing her dancer with the mic,i find it unnecessary for them

Random draw. A ton of them entered.. a couple thousand? And only 300 were chosen.. and then they had to reselect after rain issues.

I think Zin deserves more screentime, but it seems like he likes being in the background with Go-mi and Subaru, haha.

wow truehappiness... nice observation~

not my favorite pv but i enjoy it ! at least not a (stupid) love story like glitter/fated

Agreed. I miss the days of ayu's dance phobia and dancer free pv's. I liked it when they were strictly limited to the tours. They were two separate entities, but now it's more like Ayumi Hamasaki and the A.Y.U. Dance Troupe or something every time she does a new PV.