[2006] Tomoya Nagase's father about Ayu & Tomoya

[Neo Daydream]

awww... ^^

[Brittany]

^ Now I'm scared.
Extremely. Scared.

[truehappiness]

Just never become popular while single.

I bet there are insane Ayu fans that went crazy when it was announced she was hooked up with Nagase..

[nmskalmn]

Originally Posted by extepan

i agree.

nearly 20 years ago, when Jackie Chan was found out to be married, a number of Japanese fans committed suicide because he was no longer single.

Aren't things changing though? Utada is married and it didn't hurt her career.

Who else?
Shiina Ringo - married and divorced
Amuro - married and divorced
Tomoko Kawase - married
Hyde - isn't he married? (I'm not sure)

I can't think of which other J-pop singers are married right now, but I think if Ayu did marry it wouldn't damage her fanbase. Not sure sure about TOKIO, but they are all almost 30 or older. How can fans these days expect men that age not to be thinking about serious relationships?

[truehappiness]

hitomi's married to some businessman [I think.]

But no one knows who he is.. I think.

I believe that the B'z members are also married happily with wives.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by nmskalmn

Aren't things changing though? Utada is married and it didn't hurt her career.

Who else?
Shiina Ringo - married and divorced
Amuro - married and divorced
Tomoko Kawase - married
Hyde - isn't he married? (I'm not sure)

Those people, except for Amuro, are not "idols" so the rules don't apply to them. And yes, when Amuro was married, had a child, and divorced it did damage her popularity and image in Japan - it was quite a big deal. To us in the west that sounds ridiculous but in Japan it is not. It is slowly being less of a problem but it still exists. Ayu and Tomoya have been together a long time now so most people have probably gotten used to the idea but I'm sure it is one of the reasons why there relationship was kept secret and is still downplayed very much to this day.

And no one has even gotten into the story about the idol that committed suicide because she wasn't allowed to have a boyfriend. This kind of thing gets taken seriously in Japan to a very extreme degree.

[truehappiness]

I really have never heard of an idol getting married..

[Idol as in like, the people that represent all that is beautiful in J-pop or something and are loved far and wide~ slightly exaggerated but w/e]

Tomoko is definitely not like that.. as is Shiina. Shiina sells a lot but.. I don't think her marriage had an impact..

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

I really have never heard of an idol getting married..

[Idol as in like, the people that represent all that is beautiful in J-pop or something and are loved far and wide~ slightly exaggerated but w/e]

The only 2 major ones that I know of are Namie Amuro and Shizuka Kudo. Namie's did affect her career but Shizuka's not so much, simply because her career was pretty much over by that point anyway. Shizuka married SMAP's Takuya Kimura - it affected his career more than hers cause he is one of the ultimate male idols. But he is still loved by many regardless, so perhaps the tides are changing a bit hopefully.

[truehappiness]

Does ANNA count at all? :| She had that divorce I think..

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

Does ANNA count at all? :| She had that divorce I think..

She's really known more among foreign fans than the Japanese and certainly wouldn't be considered a idol at all.

[marty518]

She doesn't want to marry him because she doesn't want to pay him spousal support if it doesn't work out She's definitely richer, sooo....
It'd be great if she did get married, though!

[truehappiness]

Well, I think they have equally scary fanbases :p

So if they marry.. chaos will ensue between both camps :<

[maneayu]

Well...
I think Ayu has a reason why she kept her relationship with Tomoya in secret.
Maybe is because of paparazzi, or whethever.

Anyway, Hyde got married at 199something or 2000 with an idol, and he keep on singing in L'arc en ciel. So I don't think that relationships in Japan are SO bad if they not get divorce.
I heard from a friend of mine in Japan, that idols that get married quit their jobs not because of the fact of been married, is because they get so busy with tours and composing songs that they have to quit because they want to live their love at full time.
BUT, they're some idols who get married older, for example, like Ken Watanabe. They choose it because they love so much their work that can't afford a full time relationship, so when they really love somebody, they stay in that "without the married" thing. I think that's the case of Ayu.

PS: sorry for my bad english U_U

[truehappiness]

Ayu is probably not going to get married any time soon, but perhaps in the next 5 years, we can expect some sort of news to occur.

"AYUMI HAMASAKI. PREGNANT!"

[immel]

It'll make it to the headlines all over Japan, people will be falling out of buildings and fires will start at random locations. Volcanos will go off and the worst earthquake ever will commence.

Then it'll all settle down, and Ayu will have a miniature of herself.

[truehappiness]

She already does <3 Ayupan.

She needs a clone of herself, that's what.

[immel]

But ayupans are posessed, I mean the real thing :3

[truehappiness]

I declare that this new album..

will contain photos of Tomoya and Ayu :x

her JEWEL..... her 1 LOVE.. ZOMG?!

[immel]

I declare that Anthony is one big delusionist.

Johnnys would never agree, lol.

And many fans would probably find it disturbing to see that, by some obscure reason.

[extepan]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

Those people, except for Amuro, are not "idols" so the rules don't apply to them.

that's exactly true. if idols get married, then career will be over. it is very similar in the hong kong music scene as well. the most popular idols are all single, such as Andy Lau, Leon Lai, Aaron Kwok, Kelly Chen, Joey Yung, Sammi Cheng etc.