Your biggest Ayu disappointments

[C+R+E+AYUMI]

Originally Posted by Koumori

Disappointments..well, I've been a fan since 2005, so I've seen a few of her eras at least. I guess I'm most disappointed by the lack of quality in her remixes in the last few years, and Acoustic Orchestra versions. The more recent ones, although still pretty, just cannot compare with older mixes, especially the Acoustic Orchestra. I think an exception to this is the LOWBROWS remix of Microphone, for me anyway.

I believe that usually you cannot have so much quantity with high quality combined...so i agree, i would prefer less remixes, less orchestral, less releases but well projected and studied as once were.

Anyway the photoshopped pic posted by artcika shocked me, she didn't absolutely need this..I wanna add this among my biggest disappointments ever

[wildconnetta]

She hasn't rerecorded A Song for ×× in it's entirety, no more CREA, Kazuyoshi Shimomura, the ballads on Rock'n'Roll Circus and so many formulaic winter ballads/summer dance songs.

[ayu-fan]

FIVE was the biggest disappointment so far, maybe because i set my expectation too high and the album turns out bland for an ayu standard imo, even the PVs didn't help :/

[waterballoon]

why do some of you make it sound like the retouching of the calendar was her fault?

I mean, she looks okay before, yes. But it's "ugly" in terms of packaging. Her skin tone is unbalanced, the lighting is way too dark... it's only natural they did a touch up lol

[Dolly_FACE]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

why do some of you make it sound like the retouching of the calendar was her fault?

I mean, she looks okay before, yes. But it's "ugly" in terms of packaging. Her skin tone is unbalanced, the lighting is way too dark... it's only natural they did a touch up lol

This. It just looks like shading to me bar the chin. And they didn't really make her thinner. You can tell in the original pic the costume she's wearing is too big for her, they just madr it skin tight.

[se7entheaven]

I think FIVE would be a better album if she just sing ANother song and Why herself... just sayin'. Kthxbai.

[Tom Punks]

Originally Posted by Yumsushi

- The fact that once upon a time she decided to try composing because none of the demos she had sounded good, and now shes ok with releasing 10 versions of No way to say.

- The fact that once upon a time she was a fashion innovator not an imitator, one that was confident about her look and style, and now we get pictures and covers photoshopped beyond recognition. Shes a beautiful girl. Where did all of that confidence go?

- The fact that she contentiously works with the same people, whether the results are good or bad.

These.

[ayu_ready?]

Originally Posted by Yumsushi

- The fact that once upon a time she decided to try composing because none of the demos she had sounded good, and now shes ok with releasing 10 versions of No way to say.

- The fact that once upon a time she was a fashion innovator not an imitator, one that was confident about her look and style, and now we get pictures and covers photoshopped beyond recognition. Shes a beautiful girl. Where did all of that confidence go?

- The very lackluster 48 49 50 single releases. How could she not come up with a cohesive concept for them?

- The fact that she contentiously works with the same people, whether the results are good or bad.

- The Love songs Pvs featuring Mannie. The whole concept was lame and it almost ruined Virgin Road for me.

- FIVE minus the cover and photobook

- Ayumix 7 minus AO. But that's probably because the standard set with Ayumix 6 cannot be surpassed.

oh so true.

[Sandy]

Originally Posted by Yumsushi

- The fact that she contentiously works with the same people, whether the results are good or bad.

PV's for fated, BALLAD and blossom -> one cliché PV is fine but three!? Are you kidding me??

Her remix-albums. So far, I've found four/five of all her remixes that I enjoy

Bad CD vocals in Thank U and progress - I want to love them but... I can barely listen to them >.<

In my opinion JEWEL is boring and I can't stand it and Ayumi has yet to sing it well live

Her showing too much of her body in pictures, I'd like her to "wear something" Yeah, I'm a nun, I get it... -.-

FIVE not being about Ayu but Ayu+friends (like someone put it earlier )

[Maemi]

the another duet with Urata Naoya.

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Yumsushi

- The fact that once upon a time she decided to try composing because none of the demos she had sounded good, and now shes ok with releasing 10 versions of No way to say.

- The fact that once upon a time she was a fashion innovator not an imitator, one that was confident about her look and style, and now we get pictures and covers photoshopped beyond recognition. Shes a beautiful girl. Where did all of that confidence go?

- The very lackluster 48 49 50 single releases. How could she not come up with a cohesive concept for them?

- The fact that she contentiously works with the same people, whether the results are good or bad.

- The Love songs Pvs featuring Mannie. The whole concept was lame and it almost ruined Virgin Road for me.

- FIVE minus the cover and photobook

- Ayumix 7 minus AO. But that's probably because the standard set with Ayumix 6 cannot be surpassed.

I would love more wintery-ballads ala No way to say! Days was absolutely brilliant and came together perfectly. momentum was also very nice. Those are the only ballads similar to no way to say with the whole "winter-synthesizer" feeling to them. I guess you could count You were... but that song is terrible. The rest (Together When..., JEWEL, etc) sound nothing like No way to say.

[relmy]

For something specific, FIVE. Which is a taste thing I guess. R'n'RC was also a massive disappointment, she came to London, had such a great concept - and yeah, the booklet was amazing - but overall the music was pretty dull.

Also, her 10th Anniversary. GUILTY is her album that I dislike the most, AT08 is one of her worst tours in my opinion and A COMPLETE was cool, but with how close A BEST II was it all stunk of Avex cash cowing.

[alternarist]

I LOVE THIS THREAD!

Sunrise/Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~ covers. We were all excited that ayu "went" to Bali to shoot her single covers and they turn out like that. Someone said "I see no Bali" in these covers which really cracked me up.

Her costumes for concerts. Ever since 2008 all her costumes are kinda bla. What's with costumes like SIGNAL/evolution, rollin'/Sparkle, Dream ON in her concerts!!

Her repeated usage of Shuyayu and tissue dance. thankfully Shuyayu died off but tissue dance shows no signs of dying off. I can see that the new trend is CLOWNS.

Stage for CDL1011 and PoM. I hate such stages. Sometimes I see ayu's front, sometime's i see ayu's butt.

Born To Be... PV. No elaboration needed.

Originally Posted by Jason

FISH LIPS!!!! God... I remember the shoots well -_-

THANKS FOR MENTIONING THIS!

[Chritopher]

Originally Posted by Jason

FISH LIPS!!!! God... I remember the shoots well -_-

Yeah!! But she just keep using them all the time :-((((

[pepper]

Maybe I'm just making a fuss, but I think Ayu had her own style back then. It changed somewhere in MY STORY/(m)u era. I loved the clothes they used back then (the Material Girl clothes :>) You can see clearly in (m)u era they started to use more "fashion" sense, within well known expensive brands. I know she's a diva, popculture Icon, but I prefer her casual. But thats just my taste xD I am not blaiming her, cause every woman (or most of them) want to dress in some very high fashion.

And the fishlips.. It's a trend in fashion, the "glowy lipstick all over" but you can see that it's changing a little, I think we're going to matte look once again ;D Big lips are trendy, everywhere. But Ayu have a tiny head (XD) so it's just stands out.

[ayu99persen]

- too many yuta nakano as arrangement....why no more HAL?
- progress pv!!!

- no more great pv from wataru takaishi and kouki tange please stop the masashi muto,his pv's getting so very damn boring.

[happiholic★]

Originally Posted by Yumsushi

- The fact that once upon a time she decided to try composing because none of the demos she had sounded good, and now shes ok with releasing 10 versions of No way to say.

- The fact that once upon a time she was a fashion innovator not an imitator, one that was confident about her look and style, and now we get pictures and covers photoshopped beyond recognition. Shes a beautiful girl. Where did all of that confidence go?

- The very lackluster 48 49 50 single releases. How could she not come up with a cohesive concept for them?

- The fact that she contentiously works with the same people, whether the results are good or bad.

- The Love songs Pvs featuring Mannie. The whole concept was lame and it almost ruined Virgin Road for me.

- FIVE minus the cover and photobook

- Ayumix 7 minus AO. But that's probably because the standard set with Ayumix 6 cannot be surpassed.

I came in here to type a whole paragraph, but you did it for me. Can I put emphasis on the disappointment for FIVE (minus cover and photobook, of course) and pretty much everything that had to do with Love songs. I still love Ayu of course, but lately I find myself just avoiding her music or listening to old songs.

[emi♡]

You know what. I actually agree about the clothes thing.

But I think it's more just because, Ayu grew up, and this is what she likes now.

I do miss her bad ass style from back in the day, and I think it made her photoshoots a lot more raw and powerful, a lot less "today" glam, and more "her".

But I love love fashion, and her clothes a lot of the times are so gorgeous...but they are less...unique? I guess.

I've been loving some of the recent photoshoots cause, they reminded me of her older raw, power, and natural charisma...that smile of hers! omg

But then we got another shoot recently, and it looks like we're back to glam Ayu again.


I don't think it's something that I really think about a lot as far as being negative, but it is there.

[koumori]

Originally Posted by C+R+E+AYUMI

I believe that usually you cannot have so much quantity with high quality combined...so i agree, i would prefer less remixes, less orchestral, less releases but well projected and studied as once were.

Yeah definitely~ I mean, I think what disappointed me the most was so many songs that had already been remixed, included in the setlist. I can understand poker face, and other classics I guess, but some of her latest stuff really had a chance to shine and they didn't give it that chance. It just sounded like some stuff we'd heard before, but not as good. But there are some real gems in the recent remix albums so~ It's not like I hate them or anything lol

I guess quality more than quantity, like you said.

Originally Posted by waterballoon

why do some of you make it sound like the retouching of the calendar was her fault?

Yeah, this. It can't really be a disappointment with Ayu. The original looked too unprofessional with the off-lighting and stuff. But I think getting rid totally of the lines on her hand and her muscle line on her arm was too far. The outfit was wayy too big for her wasn't it?! I think that's ridiculous too, but maybe they should of just got her an outfit that fit instead of having to photoshop it to her skin lol

[relmy]

It doesn't even look too big. It's like they didn't want to admit her boobs weren't big enough and her waist isn't as perfect.

With her money, they could have easily made the dress fit her boobs better, and no need to fix her body shape so she looks slimmer. She IS slim, no need to make her more so.

It's the moving of the nail decorating that gets me.