『M 愛すべき人がいて』The story of encounter & separation hidden in the birth of a songstress

[Aderianu]

I think A Song for XX is about her school days. There was a long explanation at the beatfreak or radio interview...

[Yagami Raito]

Regarding A song for xx
I guess that the lyrics are not about Max but maybe she wanted to let him know through this song how she was feeling alone and anxious towards her future.

[hidekirby]

I've always read A Song for XX was a message to her mother. "XX" being her mother.

[ExodusUK]

She's already said the XX is universal and is addressed to no one in particular.

[Chibi-Chan]

^she actually said it is about her mother. She revealed it a few years ago, but that she chose to use xx so that for others it can be universal, if I remember correctly. But A Song for xx being about her mother makes a lot of sense, since the person she is talking about praised her for being a strong child and in A Song for xx she is talking from the perspective of a child/teen a lot also.

[hud]

she said in 2010 that Virgin Road and A Song for xx are for her mother.

[Chibi-Chan]

^but this book isn't a tell all book about serious issues of the industry, but gossip someone wrote a novel about. I don't think this book can be compared to the books former Johnny's members released. Since there is a big difference between someone writing a book about rape and drugs in the idol industry and Ayu allowing someone to use old gossip about her love life as the basis for his novel, I don't think there is a double standard involved here.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Chibi-Chan

^but this book isn't a tell all book about serious issues of the industry, but gossip someone wrote a novel about. I don't think this book can be compared to the books former Johnny's members released. Since there is a big difference between someone writing a book about rape and drugs in the idol industry and Ayu allowing someone to use old gossip about her love life as the basis for his novel, I don't think there is a double standard involved here.

Or you could be seeing it as this is a book about powerful relationships and how they can change and shape you; maybe even into someone that you don't want to be. A book about overcoming that and finding yourself again. I'm sure a lot of people can relate.

It seems most of the opposition to this seems to come from a place of not wanting her to tarnish her image or something. That ship sailed a long time ago. She's got nothing to lose, honestly.

[Chibi-Chan]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

Or you could be seeing it as this is a book about powerful relationships and how they can change and shape you; maybe even into someone that you don't want to be. A book about overcoming that and finding yourself again. I'm sure a lot of people can relate.

It seems most of the opposition to this seems to come from a place of not wanting her to tarnish her image or something. That ship sailed a long time ago. She's got nothing to lose, honestly.

I don't really understand were you're coming from, to be honest. Ayu didn't write this book herself nor is the book ment to be representing what happened in any way. It is fiction based on gossip. To what extent any of it is true we don't know at all. The gossip part is where people have a problem with.
Ayu can, and did so in the past, express all of what you said through her music, there is no need for a third party to write a made up story about it that may or may not be based on true events.
Rape in the idol industry is a very sad reality everybody looks away from and literally no one cares about. Ironically enough, what happens in the idol industry, men abusing the positions they are in, is basically what Max did to Ayu if this is true. Only Ayu did get lucky and had a major break through, which didn't leave her as vulnerable. Still no excuse for what Max did. Kahara Tomomi wasn't as lucky and also almost died.
If Ayu would have gone ahead and wrote a book herself about stuff that happens within the industry she feels that needs to be discussed, I would be all for it. But this is about her love life she seems to be ok with, and therefore nothing of relevance and just gossip. This is unworthy of every artist who gives a crap about their art and especially for someone like Ayu who apparently thinks of herself as someone who expresses herself through her lyrics and who says she values honesty. Selling your own gossip through a third party is everything but expressing yourself or being honest. It's a cold calculated move to make some cash.

[DonkeyKongRemix]

Originally Posted by Chibi-Chan

I don't really understand were you're coming from, to be honest. Ayu didn't write this book herself nor is the book ment to be representing what happened in any way. It is fiction based on gossip. To what extent any of it is true we don't know at all. The gossip part is where people have a problem with.
Ayu can, and did so in the past, express all of what you said through her music, there is no need for a third party to write a made up story about it that may or may not be based on true events.
Rape in the idol industry is a very sad reality everybody looks away from and literally no one cares about. Ironically enough, what happens in the idol industry, men abusing the positions they are in, is basically what Max did to Ayu if this is true. Only Ayu did get lucky and had a major break through, which didn't leave her as vulnerable. Still no excuse for what Max did. Kahara Tomomi wasn't as lucky and also almost died.
If Ayu would have gone ahead and wrote a book herself about stuff that happens within the industry she feels that needs to be discussed, I would be all for it. But this is about her love life she seems to be ok with, and therefore nothing of relevance and just gossip. This is unworthy of every artist who gives a crap about their art and especially for someone like Ayu who apparently thinks of herself as someone who expresses herself through her lyrics and who says she values honesty. Selling your own gossip through a third party is everything but expressing yourself or being honest. It's a cold calculated move to make some cash.

You say the stories about her love life are only gossip and thus mean nothing. But maybe she doesn't feel that way about. If it's irrelevant for you, that's your business but it means something to some of us here.

And getting a 3rd party to write your story doesn't mean it's not genuine. Of course, we still don't know the fullest extent of her participation in this, but worse case scenario is that she had a lot to do with it. Where's the shame in her selling HER story?

This goes way past music. I venture to say that this beyond her being a singer and more about being an icon.

[Aderianu]

There were sold 38 000 copies of this book. So far it's on the first place at the Oricon chart
https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2141952/

Didn't know oricon also counting book sales

[Yagami Raito]

Originally Posted by Aderianu

There were sold 38 000 copies of this book. So far it's on the first place at the Oricon chart
https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2141952/

Didn't know oricon also counting book sales

It's selling like hot cakes!
It also got the first place at some point on Amazon and Rakuten Books...

Amazon

Spoiler:

Rakuten

Spoiler:

[Corvina]

Originally Posted by Aderianu

There were sold 38 000 copies of this book. So far it's on the first place at the Oricon chart
https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2141952/

Didn't know oricon also counting book sales

It's #1 in its genre, #2 in the general book ranking.

https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ob/w/2019-08-12/

[aliceshields]

Out of print (CDJapan)

[DonkeyKongRemix]

I still don't know the extent of Ayu's role in the creation of this book. All I know is that no matter where she comes from, Ayu doesn't have to answer to anyone in this life about this. This is about a time in her life when she took a certain man very seriously, a man who changed her life. She has always been very candid about her personal life through her lyrics, including her woes and happiness. Why is this any worse? If she's ok with this kind of publicity, more power to her. I believe Ayu's life is a story worth telling.

She shouldn't have to be ashamed of her life just because some people can't handle the ugly truths about it. Sometimes people live in very dark, complicated seasons of their lives. Are we to insist that people have to sweep their dirt under the rugs just to hide it from onlookers?

I really want this book to be translated so I can read it. I feel like Ayu has shown us her life as a puzzle, each song adding to the number of pieces. This book, though possibly not entirely reliable, gives us a chance to see more puzzle pieces. I always find myself wanting to know more maybe because I am just that nosy or maybe because I'm concerned.

I'm really wondering how this whole thing is going to effect the fandom on this forum. Is this the kind of "scandal" that pushes fans completely over the edge to the point where they're just done? I'm really asking out of curiosity.

[KittyKathy]

Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure the song Who... is about Max.

[jiarongisme]

^ No, it was for her grandmother.

[aliceshields]

Alright, I found these while I searching for A Song for XX ☕️

http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=98881

http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34919

http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=92145


Little story (or history) on how she became Hamasaki Ayumi...
https://ayumihamasaki.fandom.com/wiki/Hamasaki_Ayumi

[waterballoon]

get that dough gurl

[DonkeyKongRemix]

So, I had a realization that I'm sure has either already been thought of or said here, but I'm starting to think that her bizarrely long tour for TROUBLE may not be promotion for the mini album but rather promotion for this book.

It would make more sense this way, possibly.