I agree completely with all of this. I'm also tired of seeing people say her music is going downhill since so-and-so era. It's ridiculous. Of course everyone has their opinion, but I personally think her music has gotten stronger. I think she is writing some pretty deep, meaningful songs just as she did when she first debuted, and through out her career. And yes, she has overcome some incredible things. Most musicians would probably give up if they found out they were deaf in one ear, and it was not able to be fixed, but not Ayu. She keeps pressing on because she loves music and her fans so much.
This is why Ayu inspires me everyday.