Isn't this treatment unfair to ayu?

[visionfactory]

...specially by the foreign fanbase

52nd single "Terminal" sells 4,018 copies

"AYU’S FANBASE DWINDLING?"

"ayumi hamasaki releases a new single, no one notices"

"she has taken such a hard fall"

"No one else than her dogs love her!"

"Ayu is no longer connected to her audience"

"why she didn't just retire"

"her fanclub is ending too"

"Terminal is an appropriate title"

"her time is just done"

"Maybe she just needs to try and eat some grass"

"the numbers themselves are apparently quite a shock for many in the Japanese music business"

53rd single "Zutto... / Last minute / Walk" sells 34,649 copies

. . .

I hope we can express some love for ayu in this and others forums when she does good with the same enthusiasm that we criticize her when she does bad. Isn't it irresponsible to blame only ayu for her career going downhill after reading these comments? (which clearly are exaggerated and unnecesary, after she prove us wrong with her new single)

[Isicio]

Terminal single was a gift

I understand the low sales of the single because with this release she was do like western artist does, sell the single after the release of the album and this is something she was never do never.

Maybe works for western artist, but for japanese is a rare thing.

I will always support ayu, I don't care the number sales, because I like her music and herself.
People who tell shit about ayu maybe are not fans, only a casual listeners.

And I want foreigners sales count too anywhere

[kimmeh]

Remember that Japanese media is quite harsh, which is quite the opposite of the people in every day life..

Even though Ayumi isn't selling CDs, she can still sell magazines, especially the gossip..

[Aderianu]

people less blame her after Zutto release =) that's good point

[Andrenekoi]

They won't. And they will pretend her successes didn't happen or find excuses to justify why she is a failure even if her numbers show otherwise.

Until she becomes hot in Japan, when that happen they will say they always loved her and that she is flawless, and whoever they followed at that time will be called what they are calling Ayumi right now.

[ayumisrael]

ayu clearly doesn't care for these things anymore.
She wants to release music, make tours and live her life in LA obviously without doing so much promo, at least herself.

I think that it's great that her sales nowadays are steady.
Terminal was no example for anything.
Only the most of the most of the most hardcore fans would buy this single (probably for its cover and for the sake of having it).

It wasn't a new song, it was a re-cut, just the instrumental and a remix, of a song already released on an album. With no promo no tie-in, no billboards, no anything. Just a certain extra from ayu to fans (not sure why but ok).

I love Terminal but even as a fan that really love and appreciate ayu for a long time, I really didn't care for Terminal as a single.

With Zutto/Last minute/Walk she went back on the normal singles lane and its sales almost match to the single she released a year before hand.

And obviously it's not only 2,000 or even only 35,000 that will go to all of the tour dates of the new arena tour. She is STILL very successful, especially when it comes to tours. She gets her millions or at least hundred thousands.

[visionfactory]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

They won't. And they will pretend her successes didn't happen or find excuses to justify why she is a failure even if her numbers show otherwise.

Until she becomes hot in Japan, when that happen they will say they always loved her and that she is flawless, and whoever they followed at that time will be called what they are calling Ayumi right now.

I agree with this so much

Originally Posted by Aderianu

people less blame her after Zutto release =) that's good point

I really hope so!

Originally Posted by ayumisrael

ayu clearly doesn't care for these things anymore.

Maybe ayu doesn't care, but the general public only receive bad news about her and ruin her. Because they never get the good news, we don't see an article saying "Ayu prove us wrong! Rebounds with new single"