When you look at Ayumi Hamasaki, do you see Ayu, the human being, or do you see Ayumi Hamasaki the Entertainer? Is there a grey area?
Mostly as an entertainer. There is a grey area though, nothing is just black and white, and every artist puts a part of her/his own personality in her/his work, cause there wouldn't be something like art in the world without it. I believe no artist should reveal too much of the own personality and feelings and keep a distance though. So in the last years Ayu got more and more a human being for me, cause she also more and more communicates about it. Probably also because she already wrote about everything she was troubled with and experienced and likes to share her happy times.
I also feel she has somehwat lost inspiration for her work and is waving more and more her not so deep feelings in her work, cause she hasn't really something to write about. But I will go on with that on another question.
How do you think that affects what you want from what she does? What do you want from her?
What do I want from her? Good music, to put it simple. And PVs and concerts, cause it's a big part of the way she portrays her music. Does it effect me that I see her more like a human being now than earlier? Of course, it irritaes me like others mentioned already.
And I don't want her to cross that mark about private life and her career - like she sadly does with most of her concerts lately. a-nation is just one negative point there for me. R'nR'C tour is another example, Ayu never being alone on stage, sharing her place as an entertainer with her friends and people who seems to be closer to her. That's too much for me, I wanna see her as an entertainer, as an solo artist she actually is.
Not to mention that it can be dangerous if she let affect the opinions about her work and her decisions for work her emotions. Her music is her life. But she has to keep a distance for her own health.
On a contradicting note, I dislike how she acts dramatic or puts the performances in a too dramatic way. Like BALLAD from last years tour, was already mentioned.
That's how I mostly feel about Ayu nowadays - contradicting. MOstly because of that gap private matters - show from the entertainer Ayu.
Do you think that being so close to Ayu with social media affects your view of
her?
Yeah, it does, cause I get to know more things about her, just like I stated in the question before. I don't want to know that much, cause I'm not her friend, I don't know her personally - it is irritating cause you never know how she is in real life.
Guess I have not to read too much of her twitter etc. But she posts infos about her works, so I'm always curious.
And in the TA posts she share so much of her insights etc. Sometimes I really don't wanna know, feeling like a stalker.
How do you feel about the way other people see Ayu?
It's troubling me sometimes, lol.
I don't like people praising an artist like " a goddess, not from this world" etc. Or loving ever single songs, pic ... That's just weird! XD
Not only with Ayu but with any artist. I'm a big, big fan of other artists, too, but I would never praise them, cause they're all human beings and there are naturally enough things, enough works, I dislike.
I almost lost my connection to Ayu's music, I don't know, I just don't feel the same for her newer stuff than her older and middle works.
For example progress.
I don't feel anything listening to it.
Absolutely nothing.
And others are like "oh wow, this is the best she ever made!!" and I'm feeling like sticking out like a soar thumb. XD It's great others like it, I don't have anything against it. It just feels weird. Which leads me to another point - the expressions most fans seem to use. I feel like it's going in extremes - always the best or the worst. Or heavy words to describe why you dislike or like something or being defensive - almost like bashing.
Are you a little pig-headed about your opinions?
Yes, I sometimes am, but I'm just that kind of person.
I'm pretty stubborn sometimes, so it might be that I'm trying to convice somebody if I get heated up. Lol, I'm sadly not somebody who don't care about other opinions.
I wrote so much, might be pretty confusing.
Even for me. XD
But overall I just can agree with most people who already posted in here.