Discussion: Ayu Critique

[powpowparn]

I guess I can give my 'outsider' view on this. I'm very much a lurker but read through the majority of the discussions on Ayu. The reason why I didn't post much/at all in the beginning was because I found this place a bit daunting and honestly didn't want to be 'attacked' for stating my own opinions. This place has changed a lot since then (for the better most of the time) and I mainly don't post now because I'm quite happy lurking and don't always have the time/want to make a post as I usually come on here on my phone.

I'm very much against 'censorship', I enjoy reading varying opinions on Ayu and her work. I think it's fine to compare her current work to her old, it's natural. Her voice has changed a lot with the past two songs and people should be able to say they like/don't like something without being told their opinion is invalid or has no place here. I agree that some opinions come across as quite extreme but unless people are being downright nasty (some of the stuff in the Timmy thread for example...) then this really should be a place where people are allowed to express their views and that goes for both sides. I've witnessed many times where someone is told they are either a Stan for liking something and are unable to see how bad Ayu has become or, more often lately, they are told their negativity with not liking something is toxic. I had my opinions on MY STORY attacked on a different forum years ago when I said I didn't enjoy the album and suddenly I was being branded a hater and wasn't a true Ayu fan. It was ridiculous and I should have just ignored it but I didn't and it turned into a bit of an argument that no one was going to win. The same seems to happen here, people get offended by a comment and then a simple discussion turns heated.

Admittedly there have been a few posts where I have thought, "Wow, really?", but these are for the ones that come across as feeling like Ayu owes them something. She doesn't. Otherwise if I don't agree with someone's view (either positive or negative) I just move on.