Your biggest Ayu disappointments

[koumori]

^ Yeah, exactly I mean, she's in shape, damn. Not everyone needs bigger boobs and a 'perfect' waist. Ayu looks fine for her body type. And lol at the nail moving, that was just a "I can do this, so I will"

[ayu_ready?]

I wonder who is in charge of retouching, like Photographer himself does it or does he have people who do it and he checks and approves & gives commands??

I was a bit shocked when saw Leslie photos and there is still much photoshop in them. maybe done more professiona-ly or more money paid, but there's still much photoshop there, his pics weren't like that earlier, honestly.

I mean she's not that old & ugly and is in a good shape, so why?

maybe it's her order to have photoshop much??
although in every TA mag issue we see her checking & choosing the pics with the photographer too, so she does take part in choosing final photos kinda...

moreover, as far as I know editing & photoshopping costs much. I mean you pay for photographs and then you also pay double for the retouching. so is she paying little or is she paying much for this...not pretty either way

Originally Posted by 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.

I dunno if it's trend fashion but she used to have her "iconic" Ayu poses & stuff. the eye pop etc, well just A BEST era, when they started talking about posing like Ayu etc. and they were kinda okay,good,beautiful.but now she seems to do much effort for posing?? and the results are mixed.
she did have her style.till 2000 she was like usual girl-next-door.kinda boring & plain. then the leopard & red plaid check & nails pre-Duty & Duty release lifted her up in terms of style. TU-KA & KOSE collabs must have done it too. in 2001 undoubtedly - Ayu style - the hair, make-up, nails & side fur ponytails kaBOOM

in 2002-2003 the crazy Ayu style era, like having 10 different hairstyles in 2002, Free & Easy URAAYU etc. the famous nails, bandannas, neutral make-up & tan, natural, sports casual wear as she had it. don't forget cowboy, hippie style.jeans jeans jeans everywhere.
then RAINBOW & A BALLADS - more gentle & feminine yet sometimes casual too. such a teen-pop style.

in MY STORY going all mature & having the heavy doll make-up and using much of pink lipstick as never before and lotsa blush. it was still okay, she was casual like jeans & top but all with the big bling & kira kira, bracelets etc.

but then I started to dislike the look. because there was too much dolly, pink, kira kira, high brands. it made her look older,huh.
I really disliked it. in terms of style I think Kuu matured better in style, sorry.
during Secret era I liked it sometimes. these simple black-white dresses,plain. and some little diamonds in accessory here & there. quite good.

since last year I started to like her style much moreand now I love it again. yay.

[waterballoon]

you guys... lol. Ayu is beautiful, I'm sure we know of that. But in the industry, there are standards to photography and stuff. I mean they HAVE to fix the lighting and stuff if it's too ugly, and all the reducing the size of the arms etc are but a mere touch-on; I don't think, and it never will be an insult to the model herself. Kuu and Namie Amuro (putting their names here cos they're 2 other gorgeous singers I love) have their pics photoshopped too & it NEVER WILL BE because any of them are too fat/ugly

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by ayu_ready?

moreover, as far as I know editing & photoshopping costs much. I mean you pay for photographs and then you also pay double for the retouching. so is she paying little or is she paying much for this...not pretty either way

It's not a expensive process at all, and a lot of photographers already send the pics edited to the client...

[susiowong]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

you guys... lol. Ayu is beautiful, I'm sure we know of that. But in the industry, there are standards to photography and stuff. I mean they HAVE to fix the lighting and stuff if it's too ugly, and all the reducing the size of the arms etc are but a mere touch-on; I don't think, and it never will be an insult to the model herself. Kuu and Namie Amuro (putting their names here cos they're 2 other gorgeous singers I love) have their pics photoshopped too & it NEVER WILL BE because any of them are too fat/ugly

No, they're not fat or ugly, but the fact that they're changing something, making something slimmer here, bigger there, suggests that the photo (body) wasn't "good" enough for whoever is in charge.

[waterballoon]

Originally Posted by susiowong

No, they're not fat or ugly, but the fact that they're changing something, making something slimmer here, bigger there, suggests that the photo (body) wasn't "good" enough for whoever is in charge.

but it's a standard for everyone in the industry, so i guess we've to make to do with it

[emi♡]

I know it's a standard, and personally, I don't really have a lot of problems with it...

but I think it hits close to home with a lot of people because it's just, another one of those situations where the media is projecting a certain type of body image to people.

I don't really think it has anything to do with Ayu herself. Everyone knows she's gorgeous, and she knows it herself I'm sure.

BUT what susiowong said is true. Besides, cameras can make all kinds of wonky things happen in pictures, and sometimes, the image it takes isn't as true as the real thing.

Sometimes photoshop helps to bridge that gap.

For example, her waist may have just come out too big in proportion with the rest of her in the picture because of the cropping and angle, and in real life, that doesn't happen.

[koumori]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

but it's a standard for everyone in the industry, so i guess we've to make to do with it

Yeah, that's true too. I sometimes wish..well, I wish in general it was different, but you're right. Everyone in the industry has to look 'perfect', it comes part of the celebrity package.

[Mimichild]

My disappoinments PV wise:
Boys & Girls
Whatever
rainy day
glitter&fated
NO full PV for UNITE, I am..., or Audience!!!

Lives:
No kanariya AT ALL!
Ballad: I'm one of the few but I didn't like the over-dramaticness
Dearest AT08: She knew her voice was gettin bad!
And Then CT2000: Vocals sucked
End of the World CDL00-01: Vocals sucked
Sparkled AT09: I was expecting a full on S&M/bondage theme (sorry for my dirty mind )
Most of the AT02

Just Ayu:
NOT MARRYING GACKT!!![: It's the fangirl in me but I could see them together...
My biggest disappointment is when she stopped doing things unpredictably/strange (music and fashion wise) and became all glamour and "perfect"...I really can't explain it but look around 1999-2003 and you'll see what I'm talking about!

[Yumsushi]

I understand that everything is photoshopped nowadays, but when I think of the monstrosity that was the Sweet Oct 2010, I wonder was that photoshop or a case of angioedema? And how in the world was anyone Ok with having those pics published?

[LONJJONG]

well in CT2000 Ayu's vocal isn't really good.. but maybe because it was her first concert, so she didn't do really well, but see her improvement! Her voice improved a lot when she held CDL 2000-2001. I am really surprised when she sang ASFXX o.O

[alternarist]

another disappointment i thought off was that the Making of PVs were shorter than the PV or the song itself. I duno if it's just me, but i would like to see more behind the scenes. All the way from GUILTY, NEXT LEVEL and RnRC.

It was until Love song that they had to introduce a lengthy making off clip for Virgin Road.

[adantatu2]

-A lot of interludes on albums
-3 collaborations with URATA
-Curtain Call
-Sunrise / Sunset single
-Fish lips

[LONJJONG]

Originally Posted by alternarist

another disappointment i thought off was that the Making of PVs were shorter than the PV or the song itself. I duno if it's just me, but i would like to see more behind the scenes. All the way from GUILTY, NEXT LEVEL and RnRC.

It was until Love song that they had to introduce a lengthy making off clip for Virgin Road.

I just wanted to post that. Haha.
Yea the making off-shot is really short recently..
The background song was cut. Maybe its DVD doesn't have enough space?

[rusuke]

- Being a "product"! But I know Avex is the culprit after all.

- Her duck/fish lips pose. (One or two pose is OK but repeating it in most of her recent releases makes me disappointed especially in magazine shoots). And her sometimes overacting "Cutesy expression".

- no more "I am..." and "RAINBOW" era. (The hype feeling).

- Release of different versions of a single or an album. (Well, just because I'm not rich).

- Her too much glamourous/diva-ish image. (As mimichild said above). Perhaps because she's a matured woman now and it's quite appropriate to dressed like one. But still...

EDIT: OH How could I forget her vibratos since Secret - no, I think she started manipulating her vibratos in Arena Tour 2005 if I'm not mistaken!

[rusuke]

Originally Posted by ayu_ready?

I dunno if it's trend fashion but she used to have her "iconic" Ayu poses & stuff. the eye pop etc, well just A BEST era, when they started talking about posing like Ayu etc. and they were kinda okay,good,beautiful.but now she seems to do much effort for posing?? and the results are mixed.
she did have her style.till 2000 she was like usual girl-next-door.kinda boring & plain. then the leopard & red plaid check & nails pre-Duty & Duty release lifted her up in terms of style. TU-KA & KOSE collabs must have done it too. in 2001 undoubtedly - Ayu style - the hair, make-up, nails & side fur ponytails kaBOOM

in 2002-2003 the crazy Ayu style era, like having 10 different hairstyles in 2002, Free & Easy URAAYU etc. the famous nails, bandannas, neutral make-up & tan, natural, sports casual wear as she had it. don't forget cowboy, hippie style.jeans jeans jeans everywhere.
then RAINBOW & A BALLADS - more gentle & feminine yet sometimes casual too. such a teen-pop style.

in MY STORY going all mature & having the heavy doll make-up and using much of pink lipstick as never before and lotsa blush. it was still okay, she was casual like jeans & top but all with the big bling & kira kira, bracelets etc.

but then I started to dislike the look. because there was too much dolly, pink, kira kira, high brands. it made her look older,huh.
I really disliked it. in terms of style I think Kuu matured better in style, sorry.
during Secret era I liked it sometimes. these simple black-white dresses,plain. and some little diamonds in accessory here & there. quite good.

That's why I'm still living in her older era. There was the "iconic" Ayu - the trendsetter! I just can't move on.

[se7entheaven]

^ Koda Kumi did mature in style better...imho

I just hate that it's "ayumi hamasaki and co." instead of just "ayumi hamasaki".

Why does she need dancers in every song? It's so distracting-the background.

[ayu_ready?]

Originally Posted by se7entheaven

^ Koda Kumi did mature in style better...imho

yay someone agrees with me LOL XD

Originally Posted by rusuke

That's why I'm still living in her older era. There was the "iconic" Ayu - the trendsetter! I just can't move on.

me too, definately. I'm stuck in old images and I think mentally everytime there's a photosession I expect something "back-to-basics",
but the new ViVi shoot revived my expectation again. so 2001 maybe

[xLuna&1LOVE]

There is at least one song on each album which disappointes me and a few videoclips. But the biggest disappointment is maybe the opinion I created about Ayu I have nowadays. I have the feeling that Ayu is proving herself over and over and actually lost her mind about how she really wants to be seen as. It's also to hear in her songs and to see in her videoclips. Might not be the lyrics - that element has never been a problem for her - but the instrumental and the videoclips may. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't like it. Thát way of how I am looking up to my idol disappointes me.

[Mimichild]

Originally Posted by xLuna&1LOVE

There is at least one song on each album which disappointes me and a few videoclips. But the biggest disappointment is maybe the opinion I created about Ayu I have nowadays. I have the feeling that Ayu is proving herself over and over and actually lost her mind about how she really wants to be seen as. It's also to hear in her songs and to see in her videoclips. Might not be the lyrics - that element has never been a problem for her - but the instrumental and the videoclips may. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't like it. Thát way of how I am looking up to my idol disappointes me.

EXACTLY!!! It's like she wants to be herself but then she wants something else and gets lost in translation.