Why so negative?

[waterballoon]

The main problem, once again, is that the background looks disgustingly fake. Someone mentioned (Furashbakku?) that the fakeness is probably intentional... but I don't see it; it just looks fake to me.

Bali? Oh please that "scenery" is the pool of her hotel suite. It's not even Bali's NATURAL scenery, like wtf.

And I can't say how much I abhor her face... it's really bad, and it's really Kazuyoshi's "direction" that caused such a WTF-face.

The covers have their merits - like her boobs, bod, and overall look (at least to me), but everything else is just... horrible.

To people who love them: good for you, I won't try to make you hate them or whatever... but yeah I really hate them. This is Ayu and Kazuyoshi's ultimate worst work together... I'm really disappointed with the covers.

But I still love the song.

[terra]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

The main problem, once again, is that the background looks disgustingly fake. Someone mentioned (Furashbakku?) that the fakeness is probably intentional... but I don't see it; it just looks fake to me.

Bali? Oh please that "scenery" is the pool of her hotel suite. It's not even Bali's NATURAL scenery, like wtf.

And I can't say how much I abhor her face... it's really bad, and it's really Kazuyoshi's "direction" that caused such a WTF-face.

The covers have their merits - like her boobs, bod, and overall look (at least to me), but everything else is just... horrible.

To people who love them: good for you, I won't try to make you hate them or whatever... but yeah I really hate them. This is Ayu and Kazuyoshi's ultimate worst work together... I'm really disappointed with the covers.

But I still love the song.

I couldn't agree more with you waterballoon

Once she opens up another 'Questions for Ayu' from fans like last year, I would definitely question her work with Shimoko

[AyuHamasaki01]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

The main problem, once again, is that the background looks disgustingly fake. Someone mentioned (Furashbakku?) that the fakeness is probably intentional... but I don't see it; it just looks fake to me.

Bali? Oh please that "scenery" is the pool of her hotel suite. It's not even Bali's NATURAL scenery, like wtf.

And I can't say how much I abhor her face... it's really bad, and it's really Kazuyoshi's "direction" that caused such a WTF-face.

The covers have their merits - like her boobs, bod, and overall look (at least to me), but everything else is just... horrible.

To people who love them: good for you, I won't try to make you hate them or whatever... but yeah I really hate them. This is Ayu and Kazuyoshi's ultimate worst work together... I'm really disappointed with the covers.

But I still love the song.

I couldn't agree more with you. I love you for everything you said

[GRACE]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

To people who love them: good for you, I won't try to make you hate them or whatever... but yeah I really hate them. This is Ayu and Kazuyoshi's ultimate worst work together... I'm really disappointed with the covers.

I've gotta say it's kinda scary how progressively everything they do together goes further and further down, meaning, if they don't stop it, imagine what the NEXT thing will look like x____X

[jimex289]

Yeah...that puzzled expression has me puzzled as well.

[waterballoon]

^ I know right... I actually never really thought his single/album covers to be "bad", A BEST 2, A COMPLETE, GREEN/Days, Mirrorcle World and NEXT LEVEL were all nice to me... it was his magazine shots and PVs that really disgusted me.

But now, he looks like he's trying to branch out his epic phailure to single/album covers as well. Soon he'll drain all the life and expression out of Ayu's eyes in every photo of her that he takes...

[SunshineSlayer]

^ But to me, the big question is still "why does Ayu keep allowing it?" Shimomura may be bad, but I'm even more disappointed in Ayu herself for either not realizing or not caring that he is bad. Or that no one in her staff seemingly has the guts to stand up and say how ridiculous things are becoming. Friendship shouldn't be factored in at all when it comes to business.

[waterballoon]

@Sunshine: Friendship could be a factor... but I think there's some sort of contract involved too. I don't believe someone who blogs about her discomfort in doing strange actions in a PV would allow that same person to just stay with her...

I think, in that original TA message, she wanted to say,

"Kazuyoshi Shimomura sucks and isn't my friend and he made strange yoga and Fergie poses in my awesome cool song, Sparkle! I hate him!!!"

But since she's nice and a friend, she said whatever she blogged which is something like,

"And I was doing strange movements! I feel werid!!! XD LOL"

He's really bad.

If Ayu had eyes, she could see the PVs that he directed (GREEN) is a big fail compared to the rest of the NEXT LEVEL PVs, even if they weren't amazing or whatever.

At least the other PVs do not have her "I'm a diva" face 24/7 and all the over-mouthing or whatever... I really don't like that.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

@Sunshine: Friendship could be a factor... but I think there's some sort of contract involved too. I don't believe someone who blogs about her discomfort in doing strange actions in a PV would allow that same person to just stay with her...

But the way she said that was more of in a joking way, not actually complaining.

And as I said before, if Ayu doesn't want to be working with someone, she wouldn't be. And I doubt Avex would actually WANT to keep this guy on contract when it is so obvious that she has worked with far better in the past.

[waterballoon]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

But the way she said that was more of in a joking way, not actually complaining.

And as I said before, if Ayu doesn't want to be working with someone, she wouldn't be. And I doubt Avex would actually WANT to keep this guy on contract when it is so obvious that she has worked with far better in the past.

It may come across as a joking way... but I think she has some sort of a ranting tone in there too. Like usually when my friends tick me off, I would blog about them in a joking tone too... since we're all friends.

And yeah, I agree with the 2nd part... she has worked with her friends for a really long time... Peco, her dancers, Takade Ishii... I don't mind these people, though Ishii is a big hit or miss (though Days was ).

Kazu however is the biggest hit or miss with more misses than hits anyway... she really should just wake up. Does she need this guy to violate her or something before she would fire him???

[terra]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

Kazu however is the biggest hit or miss with more misses than hits anyway... she really should just wake up. Does she need this guy to violate her or something before she would fire him???

Yea I agree with waterballoon, Sunshine and GRACE. Ayu is going downhill with Shimoko as her Photographer and Director...it's like he slowly kills Ayu with poison....I'm really really sad about this

I hope he only bound by contract for 2 or 3 years...and that's all

[waterballoon]

^ I think most photographers' contracts are 3-5 years. Though he shot STEP you/is this LOVE? and fairyland, I think Kazu officially signed a contract from A BEST 2 onwards, which should be 2007. Maybe his contract would expire from 2010-2012...

[terra]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

^ I think most photographers' contracts are 3-5 years. Though he shot STEP you/is this LOVE? and fairyland, I think Kazu officially signed a contract from A BEST 2 onwards, which should be 2007. Maybe his contract would expire from 2010-2012...

If that's so....that would be not a pleasant news

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

^ I think most photographers' contracts are 3-5 years. Though he shot STEP you/is this LOVE? and fairyland, I think Kazu officially signed a contract from A BEST 2 onwards, which should be 2007. Maybe his contract would expire from 2010-2012...

But I'm really not sure that such a contract exists though. Usually companies are not going to want to be bound to someone like that, they would want the option of using whoever they want, whenever they want.

I think its too much of an easy answer to say that the only reason he is still around is because of a contract. Because usually people like to espouse about how much control Ayu has in her career and that she has the power to work with whoever she wants - it seems like only when it comes to Kazuyoshi is her artistic control bound by a contract.

I will say that I don't think his other covers are bad. Not GREAT, but not bad either. His PVs though have been atrocious imo and he has had more misses than hits when it comes to non cover photo shoots.

[waterballoon]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

I kind of sense that she saves money by using Kazuyoshi.

Rather than having to spend a small fortune to get Leslie / ND CHOW [if they even cost that much], she can pay Kazuyoshi like 1000yen and he'd be happy, HAHAHA. Thus saving money for a nice concert photographer or concert PV director. [Like Wataru Takeishi or Shin Watanabe, someone who worked under Leslie Kee at his studio or something]..

Kazu is CHEAP!!! I knew it!

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

But I'm really not sure that such a contract exists though. Usually companies are not going to want to be bound to someone like that, they would want the option of using whoever they want, whenever they want.

I think its too much of an easy answer to say that the only reason he is still around is because of a contract. Because usually people like to espouse about how much control Ayu has in her career and that she has the power to work with whoever she wants - it seems like only when it comes to Kazuyoshi is her artistic control bound by a contract.

I will say that I don't think his other covers are bad. Not GREAT, but not bad either. His PVs though have been atrocious imo and he has had more misses than hits when it comes to non cover photo shoots.

But you also need to think that if say he was under a contract, and Ayu/avex just fired him, they would be breaching the contract, which leads to compensation and other legal affairs... which appear to be far too troublesome imo.

And I so agree with your last paragraph! I really think his album/single covers so far have been quite okay... I in particular love the GREEN/Days cover... the others are fine. But this is really a shock for me... cos they're really horrible...

And his PVs are the worst PVs from Ayu, honestly. I don't mean the plot/concept or whatever... it's just the way he's directing her to act and all the composition that make them suck so much.

And for magazines... yeah he's really more of a misser than a hitter... sometimes they look good... like Vivi Sep 09... I really like that photo shoot, I just think one photo looks particularly disgusting.

[Queen Bee]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

But I'm really not sure that such a contract exists though. Usually companies are not going to want to be bound to someone like that, they would want the option of using whoever they want, whenever they want.

I think its too much of an easy answer to say that the only reason he is still around is because of a contract. Because usually people like to espouse about how much control Ayu has in her career and that she has the power to work with whoever she wants - it seems like only when it comes to Kazuyoshi is her artistic control bound by a contract.

I will say that I don't think his other covers are bad. Not GREAT, but not bad either. His PVs though have been atrocious imo and he has had more misses than hits when it comes to non cover photo shoots.

The way I know commercial/fashion photography works in the states is that photographers have to place a bid to get the job and the ones that are too high or too low get over looked because companies look at it as losing money whether the work is good or bad. Typically the photographers that place a high bid have really great work or just think their work is great and the ones that place a low bid have no clue what the hell they're doing or have no confidence in their work when it's good. Most companies mostly go for the bids in the middle range and pick the one they think will do the best job even if the result is mediocre. Most of the time you save your money for high end photographers for big project, like in Ayu's case, albums, photobooks, ect. In my opinion the NEXT LEVEL covers would have been perfect even with the outfits and hair if Leslie Kee would have done them. Looks at Secret. The covers and inside shots were stunning. I personally hope to work with Ayu someday and create something I think the fans (especially the ones here) would be proud of. All that being said I hope someone notices this post.

[AyuHamasaki01]

Can't they just kick him out and take Leslie Kee back?

[Hanabi_surreal]

^ Yes please!

[Andrenekoi]

This is the first cover he done I don't like, so... still liking his work (now, people are going to say how bad my taste is :B)

[emi♡]

lol I was talking about Kazu to my friend who, doesn't know anything about this stuff...

and she is positive that Ayu and Kazu are sleeping together, and that's why she's keeping him around