^^Oh my god a very tearful post. I felt your joy! :">
Well, I'm not a very veteran fan just like most of you people are. I became a fan December 1st 2009, when we were having a Jpop vs Kpop topic with my friends. Kpop that time was booming, the groups were fresh and young and the Philippines was really stormed by their charm. I, which is always against the flow, tried to find something that can compete with them, so I can say "Hey *****es I have a fandom, too." I admit, I followed several Kpop groups, SHINee, SNSD, 2NE1, DBSK. But I felt strange, I felt like I was just going with the fad. These artists, which I have to admit are very talented, wasn't able to reach me. I dunno, and please no offense to Kpop fans, their music for me was just... blank. I know pop music was meant to be "blank" or "shallow" but it was during that dilemma that I found a very profound "pop artist." Ayumi Hamasaki came to my life.
At first months, I was following her for the sake of the current fad that time: having a fandom. To be honest, I was just following her that time because she is known to be huge, to have dozens of records, and is the best selling solo artist of Japan. My true love that time was Angela Aki, and she's the first Jpop singer I ever listened to. For me, Ayu was just a bragging right, to slap everyone's faces "My fandom's the top performer of Japan, #15 number one albums, 22 consecutive #1 singles, almost 50m records sold, etc. Your faves could never!" Her lyrics wasn't significant to me, she's just a pretty face, until RNRC was released.
April 14th, 2010, the day I fell in love. I dl-ed her latest album that time, and to see it was an instant hit, I for the first time experience her wielding power. I started to read all of her lyrics, and I became attached to them. The most exciting part for me about knowing Ayu is to see what she is outside the boundaries of fame, when she's at home, when she's relaxed, when she's just Ayumi Hamasaki. I watched her concerts, started listening to her previous works, and then solidified her status as my standard for music. After LS was released, she grew more on me, and then I said to myself, "I need to support her now." I started buying her music right after LS, and gladly as a recent fan, I already owned FIVE, PQ, and will buy ASB and of course her past works.
To answer the question, Ayu is already a part of my living soul. If a quarter of my soul lost, then the whole lot will die. Ayu and her music has helped me countless of times. I can never be true to myself unless I listen to Ayu's lyrics. It was her who contributed so much to my maturity.
After listening to her entire discography, I considered Ayu as a friend, a friend that even though we're not aware of each other's personalities, there's a give-and-take relationship. Sometimes, my real friends which I have here can't make time for me when I need them. Sad, but it's reality. That's why when they bash Ayu or say "Dude, did you even meet her?" I just simply respond, "Guys, this woman never refused on helping me or cheering me on. Unlike you, who are just several kilometers away, Ayu came for my rescue... all the way from Japan."
Sorry for the long post, but I felt happy while doing this. All I could say now, ALL HAIL THE SUPREME GODDESS OF MUSIC!
