why is ayu videos got americans always? o.o

[AyUmIXx]

woww..this thread is getting the warming up now..
it's getting interesting too
love to read all of you guys' brilliant opinions..

[boogieordie]

Originally Posted by Jer Sieu

^How sure are you that they are Russians?

Oh, it's been posted here a million times when we have discussions about the people she uses in her videos (this is not the first). I think it might be shown in the making of videos for Vogue-Far Away-Seasons and/or Endless Sorrow, since I'm thinking the kids in those videos were all Russian. I wish I had something more concrete, I know it's on here somewhere I just have to find it.

But, if she wanted to use Europeans it would only make sense to use Russians since it's the closest European country to Japan.

[*Petit*]

Originally Posted by Phantoma

Yeah, I guess Ayu has a 'thing' for foreigners.

But I don't understand why fans of J-pop music and Japanese culture always judge things like 'Oh, it's too Americanized/Westernized, I don't like it.'

So it's alright for (us) non-Japanese people to have a fascination with Japanese culture, but it's wrong for Japanese people to have a fascination with Western culture?

All J-pop is Westernized to some extent anyway, if you complain about things being too Westernized all the time you mine as well listen to Enka.

The best part is... Enka was also born due to western influences in music.


I was just thinking, do you think there would be any foreigners in a PV made for f.ex an "ondo" type of song or "traditional" folk song?

[Dustie]

In the second part, you repeated what I had already put in my previous post [(Avex puts out the casting call (with or without specific notes from Ayumi or the director)] but I'm just putting in my two cents as someone who has worked in a casting office.

You said with or without specific notes. I have never worked work in a casting office but I can't imagine casting people whitout specific notes from the bosses/"upstairs"/whoever. Or with "unspecific" notes...

The director isn't the person who only decides shots nowadays, they can and do have creative input. What I find funny is that when a video is lacking plot (like B&D) people blame the director, but when it's a good PV, they say Ayumi had a good idea. It's a collaboration effort between the director and artist. In Vivi diaries, you can see that she writes she is 'having a meeting' with the director. They both have ideas but we don't know how much is actually thought out by either (as it's not shown in any making-of vids). But I think we will both be stubborn in our opinions, particularly since we never see the PV notes.

Well I know that, I wrote about that too XD I'm just saying I'm sure it's her who puts "non-Asians please" into the casting instructions. She has the position to pull such "wishes" through.

Oh, it's been posted here a million times when we have discussions about the people she uses in her videos (this is not the first). I think it might be shown in the making of videos for Vogue-Far Away-Seasons and/or Endless Sorrow, since I'm thinking the kids in those videos were all Russian. I wish I had something more concrete, I know it's on here somewhere I just have to find it.

Oh, those lil brats were so darn lucky! xD
But there's one thing about them. You can see Ayumi talking to them in the making of. The camera guy is away so it's on a big closeup, you can't hear her exactly and it's subbed in Japanese [what she says]. It seems the kids are answering to her, nodding at least. I'm not sure if there was a translator around her....
But oh well, the fact they could maybe speak Japanes doesn't mean they couldn't be from Russia, that's right. I'm not sure if Russians are keen on traveling to Japan, but... oh well [again], they could be from anywhere.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Dustie

I'm not sure if Russians are keen on traveling to Japan, but... oh well [again], they could be from anywhere.

It doesn't necassarily mean that Russians were especially flown in for the job. There are quite a few Russians who actually live and work in Tokyo.

[Dustie]

^ LOL, your playlist looks funny BLUE BIRD, Beautiful Fighters, Ladies Night, BLUE BIRD, Beautiful Fighters, Ladies Night....

Yeah, I just somehow thought Russians don't go to Japan. Dunno why I thought so. That's discrimination. Shame on me.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Dustie

^ LOL, your playlist looks funny BLUE BIRD, Beautiful Fighters, Ladies Night, BLUE BIRD, Beautiful Fighters, Ladies Night....

Yeah, I just somehow thought Russians don't go to Japan. Dunno why I thought so. That's discrimination. Shame on me.

That's ok. I was actually suprised by how many live there. A lot are Russian models and they even have clubs in Tokyo where all of the waitresses and err entertainers are Russian women.

And yeah my playlist is funny right now. hehehe. It was when I was writing my review of the new single for the thread in the chat room section.

[Dustie]

I've there's pretty much a lot of women from outside Japan/Asia who do that -- they go there to work as "hostesses" (not sure if it's the right English word). I bumped on a Polish girl on one board and she talked about her job. It's pretty weird and usually not legal. But I'd love to go to Japan to do something like modeling or maybe extra on the set, becouse it's surely easier to get a job as an extra rather then a model, especially if you're a male One thing that stops me is the legal stuff, allowances, visas.. it's hard to get them.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Dustie

I've there's pretty much a lot of women from outside Japan/Asia who do that -- they go there to work as "hostesses" (not sure if it's the right English word). I bumped on a Polish girl on one board and she talked about her job. It's pretty weird and usually not legal. But I'd love to go to Japan to do something like modeling or maybe extra on the set, becouse it's surely easier to get a job as an extra rather then a model, especially if you're a male One thing that stops me is the legal stuff, allowances, visas.. it's hard to get them.

Yep, getting the working VISA is a hard thing. Most people end up going over there on a visa to teach English and then start looking for work in other fields. (even though you are not supposed to do that lol)

And just so you know, being an extra ain't that great. It gets real old, real fast. But at least you get paid more for it in Japan than you do in the US.

[[taskin.ayu]]

Ayu wants to be the Japanese equivalent of Gwen Stefani? XD

Nah, it's just recently she has had Americans in her PVs. =/

[Dustie]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

Yep, getting the working VISA is a hard thing. Most people end up going over there on a visa to teach English and then start looking for work in other fields. (even though you are not supposed to do that lol)

And just so you know, being an extra ain't that great. It gets real old, real fast. But at least you get paid more for it in Japan than you do in the US.

Yes, if you get a visa it's usually just letting you work in one particular company... And it's not like being an extra is my dream, I don't want to do that forever, it would be simply for the living At least in theory, becouse it's not always sure you're gonna get the job or that there will be any gigs on the way at all...

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by [taskin.ayu]

Ayu wants to be the Japanese equivalent of Gwen Stefani? XD

Nah, it's just recently she has had Americans in her PVs. =/

Just recently? They've been there from the very begining.

[andre2907]

I think it's funny only because people aren't Asian they are American. I'm sorry to be harsh but that's very ignorant... I know it wasn't on purpose but still. And it's not caucasian only, I've seen quite a few black people in her videos (but they're mostly white, I know).

Anyway, I think she puts lots of Ocidentals because she wants more variety I mean, japaneses are more alike (by that I mean they have mostly the same/alike skin-tone and hair color, etc) while there are lots of more obvious difference among Ocidentals.

[Dustie]

Ocidentals? I think 'ocidental' describes the features of the eyelid, doesn't it? (thus Japanese would be 'Ocidentals', I think). If I'm wrong please correct me quick... o.o


And you think that's very ignorant of who? Of Ayumi to do so, or of us to think it is that way?...

[andre2907]

Originally Posted by Dustie

Ocidentals? I think 'ocidental' describes the features of the eyelid, doesn't it? (thus Japanese would be 'Ocidentals', I think). If I'm wrong please correct me quick... o.o


And you think that's very ignorant of who? Of Ayumi to do so, or of us to think it is that way?...

I don't think it has nothing to do with eyelids o.o. But I dunno, you are confusing me... lol

Anyway, ignorant of us for assuming the non-asian people at her PVs are americans. That's dumb.

[Dustie]

Originally Posted by andre2907

I don't think it has nothing to do with eyelids o.o. But I dunno, you are confusing me... lol

Anyway, ignorant of us for assuming the non-asian people at her PVs are americans. That's dumb.

Ah, I messed it up, it's the other way, Westerners are Ocidentals ^^" it was supposed to be oriental...