[apple-pi]

Sometimes I get the feeling that, most of the time, it's all very random in Japan. Like... there are great artists who sell like crazy, sucky artists who sell like crazy; great artists who sell like crap, and sucky artists who sell like crap. I think it depends on marketing/promotion and luck more than anything else... Anna must've been unlucky.

About the music style thing, I'm not sure that's what it is in her case... dunno, but IMHO (and my opinion isn't always reliable xD) Amuro Namie's PLAY album was extremely americanized, but it sold 500k+~
About the "mixed" thing, I really don't know. I don't understand japanese society very much, so I have no idea of how they really feel about people from other countries, or people who are mixed. I can only think of Leah Dizon, who has no japanese blood at all as far as I know... but she doesn't sell that much better/worse than Anna/OLIVIA (who's also mixed! xD), I think *isn't sure*
Then there's Yuna Ito, she's half korean, and sells quite well... but BoA is fully korean and sells even better, so... I don't even know what's my point anymore

About OLIVIA, yeah, she's unnactive now... but back when she was active, her NANA and post-NANA stuff sold about the sameas Anna's.
OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST) ~> 11,000
ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) ~> 12,704