Ayu ~Anything Goes~ XV (AHS' Ayumi Hamasaki General Discussion Thread) - Page 19

Miduhyo · #**361** 10th April 2016, 01:12 PM

^That's exactly how I feel. I found out about her around the My Story/(miss)understood eras and I just can't believe how long it's been, and how quick too! The first song I heard from her was evolution from a burnt cd my cousin made. But the first video I watched was... either My Name's WOMEN or is this LOVE? I was instantly in love, especially after I read all her lyrics. Little did I know 10+ years later I'd still be such a big fan. I can't imagine turning on a shuffle Playlist on my computer or ipod and not hearing at least one Ayu song. She's a staple in my everyday life and if that isn't success I don't know what else is. Such a hardworker, our Ayu. Haha

ExodusUK · #**362** 12th April 2016, 07:06 AM

End Roll is the most incredible song and accomplishment.

F L A W L E S S tho I will never understand this live-tv edit...wtf why cut the song so much just to have Ayu stand around during a guitar solo at the end?

URANUS · #**363** 12th April 2016, 07:34 PM

I have been "kind of" following Ayu since 1999. My sister was listening to a radio station (in Los Angeles) and all of a sudden they started playing this beautiful Japanese song (which I later found out it was "TO BE". When I heard her voice, I went to record it immediately from the tape player. I listen to it often because owning a song was a hot commodity back then and you didn't get so many choices unless you buy a CD and Jpop was nowhere in stores. Then flash forward to 2000 when Napster was all the rage. I came across LOVE DESTINY and instantly fell in love. I didnt' even know she was the same singer as "TO BE" until I bought my first AYU CD at Chinatown. Ever since then, I have been visiting this site for the latest Ayu updates. AHS will always be my Ayu home. <33

Has anyone else been following her since 1999 or early in her career?

Chibi-Chan · #**364** 12th April 2016, 08:19 PM

^wow that early? I started following her in 2003, but not nearly as early as you. I was 12 years old and searching the internet for the original Sailor Moon soundtrack and came across Dearest and no more words because of Inu Yasha, which I started to watch a few month later when it aired for the first time in Germany just because of Ayu. RAINBOW was just released and I was so in love with it that I tried to buy it via ebay but because I was 12 and had no idea about bootlegs I got a Chinese bootleg version.

Surreal17 · #**365** 12th April 2016, 08:26 PM

I was thinking about how unique Two of Us is into her discography. Firstly, the sound is very laid back r&b-ish, probably her closest song ever to r&b. Secondly, the lyrics are romantic in a very "palpable" way if I can say it like this. Usually, her lyrics are very vague and opened to interpretation but here we got : "Then I woke up and noticed my loneliness, and started to cry. / The faded sofa, the 2 cup set, and the too-wide bed. I'll get rid of them sometime."

voltron · #**366** 12th April 2016, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by URANUS

Has anyone else been following her since 1999 or early in her career?

I started following her sometime around the same time. My first Ayu song was actually the Kanariya video, which a friend at a different forum had suggested I download. I remember being told that it was a new video at the time, but I actually think it was a little old because a few months after I remember downloading the Duty album from a website. So it was probably really 2000 or so at that point.

I was originally part of another Ayu forum, that eventually lost its hosting. Then AHS hosted the forum for a while as a separate forum, and eventually it was fully integrated in with AHS.

labello · #**367** 12th April 2016, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExodusUK

End Roll is the most incredible song and accomplishment.

F L A W L E S S tho I will never understand this live-tv edit...wtf why cut the song so much just to have Ayu stand around during a guitar solo at the end?

End Roll is beautiful!!! Full of emotions, I really love it!! I wish she'd sing it again but with less of the theatrics, just her and the emotions, but that won't happen :/

Gustavopc · #**368** 12th April 2016, 09:37 PM

I never paid End roll much attention, it didn't stand out in LOVEppears for me and tbh I think I never ever listened to the A BEST version paying attention to it either cause I didn't know it was resung (I did listen to ASFxx, Trust and Depend on you and liked those more than the previous versions), but now with the 15th anniversary remaster I did go through all of A BEST more "alert" and oh my g-o-d the song is so beautiful! It's so weird that some songs take so long to "click" on us

truehappiness · #**369** 12th April 2016, 10:06 PM

I first took note of her at around 2000/2001 and it all ramped up in 2002/2003.

NintendoHTF1242 · #**370** 12th April 2016, 11:51 PM

I didn't appreciate End roll till I heard the EUROBEAT remix

ExodusUK · #**371** 13th April 2016, 06:46 AM

In the years tomoya and Ayu dated, did they ever publicly acknowledge each other? It seems like they couldn't because of the whole Johnny thing. Though they didn't really a big effort to hide it.

~angel*ayumi~ · #**372** 13th April 2016, 06:47 AM

I started listening to Ayu somewere between Duty and I am... release^^

MessiahofSilence · #**373** 13th April 2016, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExodusUK

In the years tomoya and Ayu dated, did they ever publicly acknowledge each other? It seems like they couldn't because of the whole Johnny thing. Though they didn't really a big effort to hide it.

I don't know why, but this photo always brings me a bit of nostalgia.
I remember that in early 2007 there were rumors of Ayu and Tomoya getting married at the end of the year, but come summer they had broken up. I also remember Ayu was criticized and compared to Utada Hikaru, accused of using the break up to promote the glitter/fated single. If only we'd know then that she'd come to be known for her breakups in more recent years

One of my friends had a huge crush on Tomoya as well and didn't like Ayu because of it xD To be fair, we were in middle school.

xLuna&1LOVE · #**374** 13th April 2016, 02:01 PM

Did Tomoya ever changed the tattoo after the break up, or does it still looks like that?

280301 · #**375** 13th April 2016, 03:03 PM

They were together for about seven or so years right? Poor 2007 Ayu, that would have been a rough time for her + all the other events that happened that year.

I find it quite intriguing that Tomoya is still discussed despite this year being *9* years since the two separated. I wonder how different Ayu's career would have been if they had eventually married/continued their long term relationship? It is so interesting to consider, as I perceive 2007/2008 as being the beginning of Ayu as we know her now (challenging the expected privacy of famous individuals in her culture, becoming closer to her fanbase, leaving the public eye and decreasing brand advertising and promotion, releasing music of lesser quality music but producing grander, theatrical concerts instead, etc.)

tokyoxjapanxfan · #**376** 13th April 2016, 05:11 PM

Tomoya is my favorite Japanese male celebrity.

I think they were very cute together. But Ayu described it as them becoming more like siblings than a couple, if I remember correctly.

Although -personally- I think he still loved her for awhile after. I think she broke things off. But that's just based on little things I've heard here and there.

But no I don't think it was ever announced by them, though it was commonly known as fact. They were basically the Justin & Britney of Japan lol

chocopockymaster · #**377** 13th April 2016, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tokyoxjapanxfan

Tomoya is my favorite Japanese male celebrity.

I think they were very cute together. But Ayu described it as them becoming more like siblings than a couple, if I remember correctly.

Although -personally- I think he still loved her for awhile after. I think she broke things off. But that's just based on little things I've heard here and there.

But no I don't think it was ever announced by them, though it was commonly known as fact. They were basically the Justin & Britney of Japan lol

I remember her mentioning the sibling comment in the wake of the break-up...like, it had gotten to a point where they felt more like siblings instead of lovers and things ended. I got the sense it was more amicable than most breakups.

hayasaki · #**378** 13th April 2016, 11:59 PM

I suddenly realized how much i'd love Ayu to have more songs like Independent, +, or flowergarden. I think she has released many too dramatic and too fierce songs in a while now.

**DonkeyKongRemix** · #**379** 14th April 2016, 01:23 AM

I'm listening to "Paper Doll" and I really like it...

Does anyone have the translation for it???

edit: never mind, I just found the old thread w/ the lyrics.

jean-baptiste · #**380** 14th April 2016, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hayasaki

I suddenly realized how much i'd love Ayu to have more songs like Independent, +, or flowergarden. I think she has released many too dramatic and too fierce songs in a while now.

I'm not a big fan of any of these songs. flower garden is decent. The upbeat encore filler song I truly detest is Humming 7/4. I think it's the ayu song I like least.