When people around you talking bad about Ayu...

[Kazeyomi]

Omg =__= I know what you say.
I always keep for myself my love for japanese and Ayu's music, to other people. Just my few friends know that I love jpop music. When people ask me 'what kind of music do you love?' I reply 'uhm.. I dunno, I love all types of music ' lol. But if I found another j-music fan.. well I feel better, even if it's really hard to find where I live.

Only two friends of mine listen an love jpop music and both don't like at all Ayu.
One who loves Hitomi Shimatani, likes orchestra's version of Fly High.
One who loves Hikaru Utada, likes JEWEL.

I try to introduce them, but they don't like her music. Not her voice, but her music °__°''

Anyway, I feel really upset when I read people who said that she is a w***e just because they don't like her voice, or just because she loves fashion.
Its stupid O_o' I don't like most of Johnny's but I don't said they're *********s lol.

[Chiharo]

For people which are in countries where Jpop is not known,

Well,I've been getting a lot of bad comments about actually ALL the Japanese artists I listen to here,but I've also realized why.

Most of the time,it's not really that big deal to people who criticize,they just say things because they don't know anything smarter to say about them,since they don't know them.But really I don't think we should take such comments so personally.Just try to understand those people.

After they say something bad about Ayu,just smile and say "Well are you really sure about that?" or something like "How can you know that when you didn't even hear her music?",but say it with friendly attitude because that's actually the way to make them respect Ayu more.

It all actually depends on what the person says,but just be sure not to explode and keep yourself calm because you really shouldn't care about what they think.

I think it's just because people don't know anything about it and everything is different to them about Ayu/Japanese music so they automatically go like "it's bad!".

For example,when I told my cousin that I love Japanese music,she was like "Ugh,are you crazy,they are so ugly (the japanese)!"I was like not reacting at all and after that I showed her some of the songs on my iPod and she was like "hmm,this song is actually good!" (because I got something very catchy for her ).And now,she made a comment on my Jpop blog like this:

"Japanese music is so good!At first I thought it was awful but I was wrong!"

And of course then she said,"Japanese are not ugly at all,I was totally wrong!"
And I was like of course!!And was happy.

I think you just have to prove people that they are wrong,if it's worth the effort.

Wow...this was long.

[ImpactBreaker]

I usually don't expose ayu to other people. Just to avoid hearing annoying comments. I enjoy ayu, and I don't care if the "rest of the world" doesn't. It is me who likes her. What the other people think doesn't change the reactions I feel when I listen to her music. If they can't appreciate her, it is their problem. I do know it's more fun when you're able to dicuss things you like with other people who like the same things, but well, if they don't, it won't make a difference for what I'll like or dislike. I don't even comment that much about music I like which my friends also do anyway..except for one friend I guess.

[mcluva420]

not much ppl even know i even listen to jpop. ppl think i only listen 2 american music, and im obsessed with mariah carey. but pretty recently im obsessed with jpop. but only like a handful of my friends know. my friends wouldnt say much about ayu, since they probably know i'll be overprotective or smthin ^_^

[AyUta]

Sex? Okaaayyy

[lady_olivia]

Actually, my friends in Indonesia just do that, they always hate Japanese Music...

@mellody
Would u mind to read my last post on my blog on htmsd.livejournal.com? It's in Indonesian, i've write about the people around me who doesn't like Japanese Music because they don't know the language, and prefer the Indonesian / English Music
I hate them all...

[Rurutia]

It's funny I saw this thread today....For the past week I've been really mad about this ayu situation with my friends. All my friends are guys. They know I love ayumi but they always manage to put her down or never give her a chance. They are pretty much only into western music. (blink 182, the beatles, acdc) I don't really care for these bands BUT NEVER do I insult their favorite bands, I'm willing to listen to them, ask questions about them because I know how good it feels to be asked about your favorite artist. Never do they ask me to hear ayumi stuff and that makes me sad..... and really mad.

My brother although he makes fun of her (because I overplay her) he does appreciate her as a musician and even said that she's a great artist, because he knows that she writes genuine lyrics and doesn't use her body to sell. He pretty much likes her summer pop stuff. (Fairyland, blue bird, angel's song). I actually did a test with him outside at night while we were sitting down. I would start humming an Ayu song, then make him finish it by whistling. He got a 100%, and thus he concluded that her songs are catchy and memorable. How else would he remember them. It made me really happy hearing him whistle her songs.

My dad who is a retired army soldier makes fun of her to get a reaction out of me. He does it in a funny way. Its not malicious at all. He doesn't call ayumi hamasaki, he calls Ayummy Ham Salad....lol He's so silly. Whenever he hears a sad song by her he says "is she feeling sorry for herself again..." that always makes me laugh. He likes her rock songs and born to be (i'm guessing because of the olympics feel.

Back in high school my best friend was a hardcore utada fan. I respected Utada but didn't like her music mostly due to the fact it sounded too r&b for me and I wasn't a fan of her voice. So we would jokingly have arguemnts over who was the best. Ayumi or Utada? Well...there was a third friend. When asked by us who she liked more she said Utada.....which made me sad but okay. Its her choice. However in due time she found herself listening to ayumi stuff more and then she finally prefered Ayumi to Utada.

I actually recently experienced this case of xenophobia. I just got back from a trip with my friends...and we had stayed in a nice cabin. Well two nights ago, we were relaxing in front of the fireplace. Then one of my friends was asking for i-pods to be played on the speakers. He asked everybody else except me. I wonder why? (sarcasm). That really got to me and I mentally refused to listen to their western music and put on my headpohones and listened to ayumi songs, and I could tell they noticed. But it made me feel better listening to heaven. Well the next day, we were getting ready to leave. (note=I was one of the drivers, I took my car) One of the guys asked the guy who rode in my car, if I had "made" them listen to ayumi music on the way there, which I didn't, and he replied no, that we had listened to his i-pod instead. Then the friend who rode in my car said we could listen to my i-pod since we didn't get to on the way there. But the other guy responded by saying "no no....she listened to her music last night" (the fireplace scene). That really ticked me off! *sigh* perhaps I'm too sensitive.

I know I shouldn't get upset when people disregard ayumi but it does and thats how I know I really appreciate and love ayu. I can't stand to hear somebody bash her when they know nothing about her. My "friends" especially.

I would love to have a friend who appreciates ayu as much as I do. But there's nobody. Except here...on this website.

[asmAyumi1992]

Originally Posted by mellody

I want to share something and hear your opinions...


How do you think?
Do you ever experiencing like this before?
Please share it!

yups. but this is not make me really angry. but a little is yes. My friend I called her as 'E' always make a joke that she and Ayu always hang up together when Ayu was still young. But it's really rediculous. because when Ayu was young, my friend and I were really small at that time. She said that Ayu and E were best friends. Urgh.. I hate that thing. I don't know why but I laughed when she said that.

One more thing, I have a friend who I called her as 'W'. I was showing the A BEST 2 black photobook to my friends in my classroom. W try to get the photobook by snatching it. while W and I scramble for the book, W by accidentally scratched the photo book. It makes me really angry! Then, i shouted to her angrily like a lioness. Then, i snatched back the photobook in her hand. What I'm really mad of is, I was really care for the photobook and I really take good care of it. But W did the scratch. I was angry at her and dont want her to be my friend at that time. But now, we're friends again.

That's all. Others are just make funny of her by insulting me. Not Ayu actually they insulted of. But I don't really care if someone want to give bad comment about Ayu. It's their own opinions. I really don't care.

[PinkShinigami]

I know that!

I have spread the J-pop thing to a few of my friends, and my cousin and 1 of my friends is really listening to her. But I also have 2 friends, with who I shared my music, but they only listen to An Cafe, Miyavi and so on. Now they most listen to Danish rap, but the period where they listened much to J-rock.. It was horrible!

Don't missunderstand me, I don't want to determine what they should listen to, but they heard Ayu just as me, but then we had a quite bad period in friendship, because they just someday began to hate her. They use the excuses "I have listened to much to her" or "It's because you talk that much about her". But what is the problem, if I talk too much about her? If they like her themselves? They talked really much about J-rock, and I really hate it. Then why may I not talk about Ayu, when they liked her themselves?

The one of my friends, that is worse.. I don't know if she somehow like Ayu or not. On a good day she can say things as "Ooh look! I found this beautiful picture of Ayu!". On a bad day it's something like "I found a J-pop singer that's MUCH prettier than Ayu, and she sings MUCH better than her, she's named something as Koda something.."
Then I can tell her that her name is Koda Kumi, and the day after that she has just forgotten all about her..

It makes me so ANGRY! It's just like she wants me to shame over Ayu and stop listening to her! And actually, in a period she talked much more about Ayu than I did. She could without any reason just begin to criticize (?) her, someday she began to criticize her looking. She said something about Ayu's lip (Guess all know what I mean), and began to do "funny" faces of it. Then I told her that I actually think that she had a operation so it looks normal (I don't even know if it's true..), but do you think it's better? "Then she's just SOOOOOO real...", she said. The point, she thinks that Ayu is uggly (Big fat lie, cause in good days she thinks she's pretty), but if Ayu does something to "don't" be uggly, that's bad too. As if An Cafe and Miyavi hadn't had any plastic operations.. I mean, which japanese singer hasn't?

And also, I remember I just came with a little point about once she (my friend) had a Tarzan trip, and used like an hour to listen to Tarzan songs on youtube when we were home with a friend. Don't you think that little, tiny thing is a reason to say "What about yourself and Ayu? How much time can you use at looking at her videos? Don't you always show us Ayu videos?"
And it's funny, 'cause she uses that "You always show us Ayu videos" point like month after I relized that they wont see it..

I can't stand it. The one is that she hates Ayu, no, the one is that IF she hates Ayu, but she doesn't.. But shen she one day don't really like me, it's everything I like that's going down.. And she knows that my music means everything to me..

[SolarAngel]

It seems that those in certain countries get more adverse reactions when they try to introduce ayu to others or when others know they're into ayu. I'm open in letting people know I like her and they are generally respectful about so I'm fortunate in that sense. Like when I tell people ayu is singing the theme song for Dragonball, they stop bashing the movie lol... I really appreciate it. So maybe you should let your friends or people around you know that you expect and demand a certain level of respect from them. More difficult than it sounds i know...

[chloeM]

well, i am one huge ayu fan... so i like to put personal messages about ayu on my MSN... so people out there know that i like ayu...

when i got angry because of something, my friend would be like
'oh i just stop by to make you angrier, ayumi hamasaki sucks!!!'

this pissed me so much

[Jason]

Hmm... Obviously, in the republic of ireland, Jpop is pretty unknown

I get pretty mixed reactions from people. Sometimes I put my music on in work. Most of the time it's Ayu. It doesn't seem to bother people around me at all. Some songs actually has the odd person saying "That's actually a pretty good song..."

As for my friends, some of my them have actually wanted me to give them some of her songs for their ipod. Others just aren't into it, but they never said anything bad about her or anything. There is one friend in particular who's only into ayu because she's hot in turn he actually grew to like her music.

My family are just used to it. I used to get comments from my sister like: "That sounds like a cat dying O.o". But they dont care anymore lol

My girlfriend is now a big fan of Ayu. She visits AHS on my account all the time just to see any news and we always listen to ayu together when we're just having a night in or something. It's really cool

[StarSUCKER]

Sometimes I feel weird talking to certain other JPop/JRock fans about Ayu, because I know how dismissive they will be. It's not that I'm ashamed...I'm just tired of all these snooty pseudo-"indie" mentalities that dismiss artists because they're popular, regardless of talent. And I don't feel like feeding the horribly vast amount of trolls. Seriously, some of these people hate ANY mainstream JPop artist just because they're a mainstream JPop artist (except maybe Utada, whom they find more credible for some reason), and they'll jump on the opportunity to tell me Ayumi is a "plastic *****."

I used to think Ayu's "surgery" was a little creepy, but when I saw that it was mostly, if not completely, makeup, I didn't care. What's the difference even if it wasn't just makeup. It has nothing to do with her music and talent anyway.

Since people have called me an "ayufag," I've taken it as a compliment. Damn right I am!

[kirei_ayumi]

When my brother talks negatively about ayu or anyone for that matter, I just ignore it.
he usually says things like "gosh, she's deaf in one ear! its a sign she's getting old, she should just retire!" ugh, I could just ring his neck~~T_T

but its different when I discuss ayu topics with my boyfriend because he actually listens and also likes her. like today, when I showed him the 2CD+DVD booklet scans, he thought it was pretty and that ayu has a colorful nature about herself...but he doesn't bash her at all..instead he makes funny jokes that can be quickly dismissed...he said she was evolving like a pokemon when he compared a song for xx and next level ^_^

[AyuTan]

I have alot of friends who put her down also and are ultra fans of other people.... But usually I get them ticked by saying the truth like, "Well you say so and so is better than Ayu, but then why is Ayu the empress of J-pop, hm?" or something like, "If you can't sing professionaly, I wouldn't be talking..." Lol I say that.. I also tell people if in reality if they hate any celebrity or anything like that and they bash them I always tell them "How can you hate someone or something you don't even know or haven't even taken a chance...?" they usually brush me off and get all ticked lol and change a subject cause they can't think of what to say xD But personally I don't care what anyone says about Ayu, because she will always have the love of all her fans! ^_^

[extepan]

mostly people say "ayu looks too fake", but then i take it as a compliment cos it means ayu is too beautiful to be true!!