Ayumi ~ The Anything Goes Thread 5 ~

[khan5]

why did people hate my story i thought it was a pretty good album

[ComatoseBunnySnatcher]

^ Because alot of the tracks are very same-y. Not only that, they're lumped together. I like the album, but it really IS boring to listen to all at once because the tracks blend too much. That album has alot of gems though.

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

If I remember it right, NL had a PQ hating level... It wasn't the usual "I hate everything she does because I'm a fan" that usually happens all the time xD

I find it speacially amusing to read people praising the cover, considering people reacted to it like it was a photo of Ayu killing puppies at the time.

Stop making sense, I'm supposed to not agree on anything with you

But yeah, I remember people being bothered because of her eyes (contacts), hair and the covers being too similar.
PQ was a level above that, though.

BUT NOTHING WILL EVER TOP... SUNRISE/SUNSET.

The meltdown of the forums was ridiculously extreme... and rightfully so. Those covers are horrid, and I think she let go of the team that would make her cover's design because of them.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by ComatoseBunnySnatcher

Stop making sense, I'm supposed to not agree on anything with you

But yeah, I remember people being bothered because of her eyes (contacts), hair and the covers being too similar.
PQ was a level above that, though.

BUT NOTHING WILL EVER TOP... SUNRISE/SUNSET.

The meltdown of the forums was ridiculously extreme... and rightfully so. Those covers are horrid, and I think she let go of the team that would make her cover's design because of them.

Well, this sadden me because I really like your posts around here , so, you are among the people I would like to be friends with.

And Party Queen for sure was one step above... Mostly because sex is evil and stuff... A lot of the western jpop fans like jpop because it "doesn't" sell sex as much. What is ********, actually, as it sells as much or even more, just on a different (and more sexual to japanese) way... Ayu's production is very sexual by the japanese taste. She looks like a monkey on S/S ~APE is ALL~, so, the meltdown wasn't thaaat absurd.

[emi♡]

I miss single just cause they're fun. And you get photoshoots and stuff. But I do agree that they're pretty pointless, especially in that toxic market.


NL cover was hated, but the booklet was loved. Which I think makes sense.

[ComatoseBunnySnatcher]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

Well, this sadden me because I really like your posts around here , so, you are among the people I would like to be friends with.

And Party Queen for sure was one step above... Mostly because sex is evil and stuff... A lot of the western jpop fans like jpop because it "doesn't" sell sex as much. What is ********, actually, as it sells as much or even more, just on a different (and more sexual to japanese) way... Ayu's production is very sexual by the japanese taste. She looks like a monkey on S/S ~APE is ALL~, so, the meltdown wasn't thaaat absurd.

i was joking, hence the
While i do think your views are vastly different than mine, you've been making alot of good posts lately (that's why I felt it was safe to joke around ).

Yeah, its just all a different way of pushing "the goods" out there. Duty particularly sticks out to me in the sense that its more erotic and in your face by Japanese norms. PQ (from what I felt) was criticized because it reused a photoshoot that was months old (the LIFE & STYLE ads'), because of the cheapness of the pictures added to Timmy explaining "she's just outgoing and sexy but broken on the inside, but you're all too dense to see it" and then retrackting this by saying he was drunk.

haha ~APE is ALL~ is (miss)understood's title
words can't describe Sunrise/Sunset's sheer awfulness.

[280301]

I wonder if anymore 'mini-albums' will be released later in the year...

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by ComatoseBunnySnatcher

i was joking, hence the
While i do think your views are vastly different than mine, you've been making alot of good posts lately (that's why I felt it was safe to joke around ).

Yeah, its just all a different way of pushing "the goods" out there. Duty particularly sticks out to me in the sense that its more erotic and in your face by Japanese norms. PQ (from what I felt) was criticized because it reused a photoshoot that was months old (the LIFE & STYLE ads'), because of the cheapness of the pictures added to Timmy explaining "she's just outgoing and sexy but broken on the inside, but you're all too dense to see it" and then retrackting this by saying he was drunk.

haha ~APE is ALL~ is (miss)understood's title
words can't describe Sunrise/Sunset's sheer awfulness.

Feel free to joke, even during fights... I'm always fighting people like Emi, SunshineSlayer (well, when she was more active) and njanjayrp, but I love all of them <3

I'm not being the most pacient member with other people lately, mostly because I feel a lot of "fans" have a toxic posture about a lot of stuff. It's ok disliking stuff Ayu do, I don't like a lot of her stuff (including fan favorites like Dome Tour, I AM..., MY STORY and Rock'n'Roll Circus), but it really annoys me when I see some people making active effort to find something to complain about the releases over and over again. If you don't like anything anymore or if you never was a fan to begin with and can count her songs you like on one hand, find other hobbie. On the same way I'm not on a Namie Amuro forum posting again and again why PAST<FUTURE is awesome and everything else she does sux, or something like that, or on the same way I read threads about artists I like less or as much and see people bashing Ayu there (sometimes just because they dislike her) and on this case usually I say nothing. Sometimes is pretty annoying to read stuff like "Oh, that song was amazing until she sang that note on this way for 1s and this ruined the whole era for me!" or "I wish she released something like XXX era instead of this thing she is trying and failing" followed by "I wish she would stop doing the same thing over and over again! Why can't she try something new for a change?" or "Eeew! I don't like her anymore, she is losing her touch! The last time I was obsessed about anything she did was *insert something released less than a year ago*". Again, I know this is*NOT* something done by everyone, actually, it's done by a minority, but maybe my lack of patience is making me rude with people I shouldn't be... Something I have to think about.

And I love both Party Queen and (miss)understood covers, mostly because IMO they really fit the albums concepts on ways prettier covers wouldn't. I love how Ayu actually goes all the away to portray what she wants with her work even if it looks ugly. Ugly sometimes convey things better than beautiful IMO, and I'm ok if she goes for that (But I know sometimes she just have a horrible taste like ~SHAKIRA is ALL~ or some fluggy concert outfits).

[Kanzaki]

I never really got the S/S hate. The covers were crap, but I think she had some that were worse -forgiveness was absolutely terrible- I kinda feel that people went overboard on the hate for those covers. Just a tad.

On the subject of covers, my favorites? BLUE BIRD, Mirrorcle World, INSPIRE, many of the remix albums. I love her Twiggy-like modeling on the RMX Works From Ayu-mi-x 5 Non-Stop Mega Mix cover.

[hayasaki]

I watched Ayu's 10th Anniversary ASIA tour and felt awkward (really awkward) when she entered during the encore. I don't know why. Can anyone here slap me! LOL

[Delicious n Bold]

My story was just so long and samey
Sunset and sunrise are amazing because theyre generic crap that works.

[mizuki-7]

My story is amazing ! It's her most cohesive album ! I understand when some people think that the album can be boring because it is not very diverse and there are not so much upbeat tracks but for me the combo Walking Proud, Happy Ending, Winding Road, Hope or Pain and Liar so well done ! these are among her most emotional songs at least for me !

[ayumisrael]

I kinda relate to the idea that MY STORY can come off as boring listening to it all way through even though almost all songs there are high class listening to them randomly.

It's a great album and very cohesive, maybe too much cohesive.

I won't start to put titles of the great songs from the album since it's pretty much all of it, save for winding road which is kinda boring. It has too normal mid temp arrangement.

[Andrenekoi]

I don't have a problem with it being "too cohesive", my favorite album from her is Love songs xD

But IMO all the songs sound +- the same and I don't find them to be all that impressive... I always saw it as a lyric-driven album (like ASFXX, I AM..., Rock'n'Roll Circus, LOVE again) and she usually play it saffer on the music department on those to focus on what she is saying... Nothing wrong with that, but as I don't speak japanese, it's not the kind of work that I love xD

[marty]

I loved the NEXT LEVEL covers at first sight, like everything this album has and is. Like I hated at first sight R'n'R Circus and (miss)understood ones. LOVE again is even worse, they're pretty, and I dislike easy stuff so much, lol. Like, you can do something I don't like, but you have to actually work for it.
And I didn't like Party Queen covers, until the so-called meaning was explained around, and then I was gone, love forever and ever. I have a giant soft spot for conceptual stuff, lol. Instead, I didn't understand all that hate about S/S covers, they're not awesome, but... ok, they're super-photoshopped, but everything in J-Pop is. They fit the single. And, then, it's just a single. Albums count, not singles, in my point of view XD

About MY STORY: as I said somewhere before, I think this and LOVE again are so very similar, as projects. The difference for me is: all of MY STORY is difficult to listen to all at once, but awesome in every aspect, instead only half of LOVE again is. I hate so much on tracks like SAKURA or petal because they had potential, tons of it, not used because they just didn't work till the end. I hate it. It's like with the covers, if some song is just good, that's ok, but if a song for me is unfinished and rushed, it doesn't matter anymore that's enjoyable. It's wasted. Especially if the work before was so on point, god, it's such a waste! The chorus of SAKURA is so good, everything else is toned down; the guitars in petal are not edgy enough etc... it's like everything has been watered down!

[jean-baptiste]

Originally Posted by marty

And, then, it's just a single. Albums count, not singles, in my point of view XD

ayu thinks so too.

Originally Posted by marty

About MY STORY: as I said somewhere before, I think this and LOVE again are so very similar, as projects. The difference for me is: all of MY STORY is difficult to listen to all at once, but awesome in every aspect, instead only half of LOVE again is. I hate so much on tracks like SAKURA or petal because they had potential, tons of it, not used because they just didn't work till the end. I hate it. It's like with the covers, if some song is just good, that's ok, but if a song for me is unfinished and rushed, it doesn't matter anymore that's enjoyable. It's wasted. Especially if the work before was so on point, god, it's such a waste! The chorus of SAKURA is so good, everything else is toned down; the guitars in petal are not edgy enough etc... it's like everything has been watered down!

I agree with all of this.

[ayumisrael]

Really? I actually think that SAKURA and petal should be raw as they are and less processed as these songs are really personal and less enjoy poppy side.

These are 2 of my personal favorites ever. (Bye-bye darling as well), but really for me, SAKURA petal are like master pieces for me composition and arrangement wise even taking out the lyrics. I will say I'm not always in the mood for ballads as I LOVE up beat, which is something I wish ayu would do a lot more.

[280301]

Hopefully we see more of the LOVE again album only tracks at CDL.

[NintendoHTF1242]

For the MY STORY discussion:

It was a raw, real, and honest album. I enjoyed it. HOPE or PAIN is so good!

[Dream]

I love MY STORY, don't understand the hate too...

[emi♡]

Originally Posted by NintendoHTF1242

For the MY STORY discussion:

It was a raw, real, and honest album. I enjoyed it. HOPE or PAIN is so good!

This. It just felt so genuine and emotional.

I've always liked the albums that aren't as cohesive, but at the same time, I like having same-y albums, when the songs are good.

Like...I would have preferred NL being a million versions of Sparkle, rather than the sameness we got for Love Songs.