Is china versions original?
 

I have been wondering all along if the cds in china version are considered original or bootleg.

Such as this:
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1...aversion-1.jpg


It was approved and sold so we can buy it isn't it? But it looks kinda fake and not seem like of good quality.
I don't know if it's considered as original, my fren keeps telling me it is not. Now I'm really confused. I'm not having some bootleg Ayu items in my house am I? -_-

I'm sry if there is alr a threat abt this.

Well, I'm sure avex has their own base in China as well (I just searched, there is www.avexchina.com, or to be more precise for ayu: http://www.avexchina.com/artist_fxzp.asp?art_id=3). That means avexchina does release ayu's cd in China. The thing is there are too many bootlegs in China, so it is quite hard to judge which is official which is not.

But you're right on the quality issue. It is obvious that JPN version quality > HK/Taiwan/Singapore version > China version. Not only the JPN discs are made better, but the booklets are printed better as well.

It just depends on what you wanna get. Buying versions other than JPN version doesn't mean you dun support her. In the end she will get the profit :P. Buying her JPN version cds means you can contribute to the sales in Oricon (if you buy it from the correct online cd stores, such as cdjapan... I'm not sure if yesasia's sales count in oricon).

For me, contribute sales to oricon is one of the reasons.. The most important thing is that I prefer a better quality cd :).

well, it is approved by avex to distribute in china i think, but i personally would not get it because it's appearance looks fake. ( not good for collection display lol). yea, indeed contribute to oricon. i think overseas contribute to the local chart. but i say buy japan version if you as much as possible. 2nd alternative choice would be HK version. For the lyric and my wallet :D

I bought a couple of ayumi's albums (Memorial address EP , A BEST , A BEST 2 -BLACK- & -WHITE- in which both A BEST 2 discs are the CD only ver , MY STORY CD only ver)that were manfactured in China .

Sembawang sells quite a lot of them & so do this shop in Bugis Village . I don't know what's the name of the shop but it's right at the tail end of Bugis Village . You wouldn't miss it cos they're selling quite a bunch of m.i.c (Made In China) CDs

They're pretty reasonable in price but of course compare to quality of the paper used for the discs's another thing but if you're not picky about that , I say go for it but be careful .

It's always better to check the back of the disc which said that it's manfactured by Avex China

yup you got that right

I didn't know those in sembawang's are the officials...

they're but now I don't know whether Sembawang's stores are selling them or not .

My younger sister bought a china edition of the CD only ver of MY STORY there . I think it cost her only $9.90 ?

yeah.. I see quite a few of them (china versions) in some cds shops. Have seen them in Sembawang music centre too. I wonder why sembawang sells them at first cos I'm worried it's not original since u can see some in those 'unknown cd shops'.

ok, so now i get it. It's considered official as it was manfactured by Avex China.
Thanks everyone for clarifying it for me =)

yes china versions are much cheaper. That is why it makes me buy them lolz. cos they also contained the translated lyrics. hehez.

I wanted Memorial address in cd+dvd version but i can't seem to find it anymore! I saw the cd version only (and is also china version at $12.90). I super want the original version.

^I didn't see both A BEST 2 in CD only version. Where u bought it??

eh do you know Bugis Village ? Well at the end of Bugis Village , there's this big CD shop at the tail end of the place . It's not the one where the starting point of BV where you can see a bus stop .

It's right at the tail end of the place . You wouldn't miss the cd store as it's open air & they sell quite a lot of m.i.c but liscensed CD only versions discs from China .

At that time when I last went there , they were selling the Cd only versions of Secret , A BEST 2 -BLACK- & -WHITE- . They also have the CD only ver of Koda Kumi's BEST first things . Except for Koda's , I bought the rest & last I checked they don't have anymore stock of Secret .

the Cd only versions of both A BEST 2 cost me about $8-9 bucks each .

eh have you tried Yahoo Auctions S'pore ? there was 1 period of time where I got a dirt cheap price of the CD + DVD ver of Memorial address EP from there .

I almost wanted to go to HMV S'pore to buy but it will cost me $49.90 ick :S

http://sg.auctions.yahoo.com/sg/i:Ay...ress:231328378

eh maybe you should email this seller & ask him/her whether is this the CD + DVD ver ? It looks like it cos it looks quite thick from the pic that was uploaded .

Good luck & btw that's the only 1 that I managed to search & find from there :S

Yup! It is original!
And its also licensed to Avex Trax.

I've seen so many of it on eBays and other Auction sites.

For china version cds, they are EVERYWHERE on ebay. (those 0.99cents cds)

memorial address is all over the net examples:
http://global.yesasia.com/en/prdTran...id-1003027467/
http://global.yesasia.com/en/prdTran...id-1002936735/
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Ayumi-Hamasak...sid=p1638.m122
VCD?

no need for $49sg >_>

I know S$49 for a CD + DVD is a rip off

O.O i spotted the CD+DVD vers of Memorial Address over at HMV Citylink . u might want to check over there . i saw a copy left and it's like a mth or two plus ago ever since i've been there . cost nearing $30 . hk version

bootlegs in china aren't as common as you guys seem to imagine. you won;t find any bootlegs in the proper high street chain stores. only in the dodgy small dvd shops and market stalls. so if you shop at xinhua shudian or something like that they are all original and good quality! I always buy a couple of copies when I'm over there, you get the chinese translation card thing as well (what's that called again?). They also have a lot of the "limited edition" there, (miss)understood with off my day and on my way are readily available. I snapped 'em up!

to be honest I was really impressed with the ayu collection they had on sale. every album, including limited editions, lots of singles, but as yet no concerts. but there's more every time i go to look, and the last time I went was over a year ago. and I'm talking about the shops in a very small town (by chinese standards, only 237 billion pop.)

and of course the price is aimed at chinese consumers, so its niiiiiice!!!!

I have a lot of interesting ayu boot legs form my time in china, before her real stuff was available. my discovery of ayu was through hunting for dodgy bootlegs which might have songs on that the others didn't lol! especially vcd! so I can watch some new pvs!

now I'm back in UK and have yes asia and internet....so much mor econvenient...bot not as much fun or exciting as goign "ayu hunting"

hehe..

I know that the overseas versions you can order on yesasia are original, Avex Trax Hong Kong is printed on them as well and they're like the same quality of the japan version ^_^

ok.. thanks for the help everyone. =)
I'll check them out and increase my Ayu collection!