[Charts & Rankings] The Official Oricon Thread ~again~

[saigodansu]

I find Emi's perspective on this to be like 90% of AHS. "Ayu would never lie to us, she said so. Therefore this has to be real because she never lies to her fans." It's getting very old, very stupid and with how many fans base it off her old NHK interviews, while parts of those are noticably staged for the press and the fans, it makes you seem incapable of intelligent thought. Try thinking for yourselves instead of believing everything Avex wants you to believe. Atleast the japanese fans are finally pulling off the blinders and quit buying their garbage. These stunts should and hopefully will tank her career. Her career should be based on her talent not a bunch of gimmicks, lies and publicity stunts. When allowed to show it, she's got more talent than Madonna, Britney, Gaga, Namie, Hikki and Kuu put together. So try supporting her and not buy anything Avex has their name attached to. Buy what comes from Ayumi after she drops Avex like a bad habit and relies on her talent again.

[Delicious n Bold]

Originally Posted by saigodansu

I find Emi's perspective on this to be like 90% of AHS. "Ayu would never lie to us, she said so. Therefore this has to be real because she never lies to her fans." It's getting very old, very stupid and with how many fans base it off her old NHK interviews, while parts of those are noticably staged for the press and the fans, it makes you seem incapable of intelligent thought. Try thinking for yourselves instead of believing everything Avex wants you to believe. Atleast the japanese fans are finally pulling off the blinders and quit buying their garbage. These stunts should and hopefully will tank her career. Her career should be based on her talent not a bunch of gimmicks, lies and publicity stunts. When allowed to show it, she's got more talent than Madonna, Britney, Gaga, Namie, Hikki and Kuu put together. So try supporting her and not buy anything Avex has their name attached to. Buy what comes from Ayumi after she drops Avex like a bad habit and relies on her talent again.

This is pretty much it.
Even though some people aren't fond of you, I love it when you post. I love hearing your opinion.

[harufi]

Yeah the drop was too sharp for first day sales for 'again', its a shame really -
she puts out songs that i'm sure her Japanese fanbase would eat up and love, and they're overlooking it because she's dating someone.

[miru2590]

Originally Posted by saigodansu

I find Emi's perspective on this to be like 90% of AHS. "Ayu would never lie to us, she said so. Therefore this has to be real because she never lies to her fans." It's getting very old, very stupid and with how many fans base it off her old NHK interviews, while parts of those are noticably staged for the press and the fans, it makes you seem incapable of intelligent thought. Try thinking for yourselves instead of believing everything Avex wants you to believe. Atleast the japanese fans are finally pulling off the blinders and quit buying their garbage. These stunts should and hopefully will tank her career. Her career should be based on her talent not a bunch of gimmicks, lies and publicity stunts. When allowed to show it, she's got more talent than Madonna, Britney, Gaga, Namie, Hikki and Kuu put together. So try supporting her and not buy anything Avex has their name attached to. Buy what comes from Ayumi after she drops Avex like a bad habit and relies on her talent again.

I agree with you. I always do actually

[ayumisrael]

I don't think though that the japanese public really cares for any image she has, her image mainly hurts her fanbase at this point, if at all.

Reminding that she barely promotes and doesn't have many or useful tie-ins.

[ayumisrael]

2012 Yearly Rankings
#38 Party Queen
#42 A SUMMER BEST

Recochoku
1st Week
chaku uta: #39 Wake me up
chaku uta: #62 Sweet scar
chaku uta FULL: #65 Wake me up
chaku uta FULL: #93 Sweet scar

[ayumisrael]

2nd Day
Position: #19

[jang-kun]

It's pretty ironic, isn't it? It was the people who created a mega monster star like her. They shared the very limelight Ayu achieved during her prime, mainly by being a fan and screaming her name and buying her CDs. She have done everything for everyone. She made her fans proud, spoiled to a further extent, of consecutive and sometimes spontaneous #1 hits here and there. We developed confidence every time Ayu will be releasing something. "Ayu is, as usual, slaying the charts." For some fans, whatever she touches becomes gold. She was even touted the "Empress of Pop." However, reality had stricken. She's no more. She's no longer there. She's no longer the slayer she used to be. These thoughts, whatever they mean to anyone, doesn't really bother me. What bothers me is the day when Ayu decided to stop music. She knows she can't please anyone, I believe that. But what if she realized no one is left to support her? I sincerely hope that day won't come.

Pardon the drama, but the current situation: the way Japan looks at her, the way overseas fans treat her, and the way she is right now, it really makes me sad. If things would only get worse if she decided to continue, I rather wish she'd take a hiatus after her 15th anniversary. It's really weakening seeing a once mighty star falling down slowly and painfully from the heavens just like that.


sigh

[My Rainbow]

I'm pretty sure that if Ayu released the best single or the best album of her whole carrer and only sold 1000 copies, it would be considered the WORST. That is how it works for some people here.

[relmy]

^I think it's more to do with Ayu's insistence that her personal is separate to her public, and well... it's not.

By personal, I don't mean her introverted lyrics and emotions in songs - I mean Last Angel, Love Song, snowy kiss. Loads of artists have emotional and VERY personal lyrics (more so than Ayu), but still keep their private life out of the press, media and their work.

And, I'm sorry, but if you DON'T want your life all over the media, you can stop it - even if it costs $$$$. People do it. But being in the media for your personal life is the life blood of a pop star though, it can make and break you if you take the risk of using it.

When all else fails, keep your name on peoples lips by the press spinning stories about your latest man/woman. Cynical? Maybe. It won't shift CDs, but at least people still know your name.

I don't think Ayu wants her time to be over, even though she may love music now (I think in her early days she loved the fame more), these are the last ditch attempts to stay as "Ayumi Hamasaki". When really, if a few things hadn't happened, people maybe wouldn't have bought her CDs or liked her music, but she wouldn't have cracked the reputation of "Ayumi Hamasaki" from her peak.

It's such a typical trajectory that... well... what else is to be expected?

[harufi]

Originally Posted by relmy

^I think it's more to do with Ayu's insistence that her personal is separate to her public, and well... it's not.

By personal, I don't mean her introverted lyrics and emotions in songs - I mean Last Angel, Love Song, snowy kiss. Loads of artists have emotional and VERY personal lyrics (more so than Ayu), but still keep their private life out of the press, media and their work.

And, I'm sorry, but if you DON'T want your life all over the media, you can stop it - even if it costs $$$$. People do it. But being in the media for your personal life is the life blood of a pop star though, it can make and break you if you take the risk of using it.

When all else fails, keep your name on peoples lips by the press spinning stories about your latest man/woman. Cynical? Maybe. It won't shift CDs, but at least people still know your name.

I don't think Ayu wants her time to be over, even though she may love music now (I think in her early days she loved the fame more), these are the last ditch attempts to stay as "Ayumi Hamasaki". When really, if a few things hadn't happened, people maybe wouldn't have bought her CDs or liked her music, but she wouldn't have cracked the reputation of "Ayumi Hamasaki" from her peak.

It's such a typical trajectory that... well... what else is to be expected?

I guess I can agree with that upsetting fans, its just painful to see it affect sales to this extreme

How many copies do you guys think 'again' will shift in the long-run? (as in, before it drops off the charts)
I think about 60k, though I'm keeping fingers crossed both this and LOVE can sell 100k

Originally Posted by yukito

Bla bla bla, always the same drama every time ayu does not reach number 1, so what? Her music has been going stale since Rock 'n' Roll Circus, so what is the big shock here? I know a lot of people do not agree but to me it feels that way. Do I still care about ayumi? As far as the new releases go not so much, regarding the quality of music that is, now looking back, yes, I still love her lots, the old days feel the same for me and I listen to her probably still everyday.

The thing is people have different ways to see the world, so there will always be people that will continue to love everything, and those who will just stop caring, but maybe after a while she will do something good again, at least I hope so.

I think the problem with Love songs was that pretty much everything was medium-tempo and there are strings ****ing everywhere. That said, I think it made the album more cohesive than R'n'RC, though I can understand how it could be seen as a bland record because it has the same sound the whole way through. I can't really see how anything past Love songs can be seen as bland or stale though, apart from beloved (dull & unnecessary) on FIVE, hyba (and maybe call and letter) from PQ, Melody (although i really enjoy it) from LOVE and Ivy from again.
For me, Ayu has tried a bit of everything since R'n'RC (and has definitely not had stale music this year lol).

[My Rainbow]

i understand the cultural differences, but i think it is still OVERREACTED.

[TeamAyu2004]

just...



thats all.

[yukito]

Bla bla bla, always the same drama every time ayu does not reach number 1, so what? Her music has been going stale since Rock 'n' Roll Circus, so what is the big shock here? I know a lot of people do not agree but to me it feels that way. Do I still care about ayumi? As far as the new releases go not so much, regarding the quality of music that is, now looking back, yes, I still love her lots, the old days feel the same for me and I listen to her probably still everyday.

The thing is people have different ways to see the world, so there will always be people that will continue to love everything, and those who will just stop caring, but maybe after a while she will do something good again, at least I hope so.

[YuriChan]

Originally Posted by yukito

Bla bla bla, always the same drama every time ayu does not reach number 1, so what? Her music has been going stale since Rock 'n' Roll Circus, so what is the big shock here? I know a lot of people do not agree but to me it feels that way. Do I still care about ayumi? As far as the new releases go not so much, regarding the quality of music that is, now looking back, yes, I still love her lots, the old days feel the same for me and I listen to her probably still everyday.

The thing is people have different ways to see the world, so there will always be people that will continue to love everything, and those who will just stop caring, but maybe after a while she will do something good again, at least I hope so.

As much as it pains me to say this (and I love ayu to death), but I agree with you. Her music has been kind of bland since Rock 'n' Roll Circus.

[TeamAyu2004]

^ I think the complete opposite...
When Rock n ROll circus came out, I had had it with her... the disappointing that was guilty, I didnt even want to give Next Level a try and then RnR... please...
thank god Love Songs came around or I might not be a fan today.

[YuriChan]

Originally Posted by TeamAyu2004

^ I think the complete opposite...
When Rock n ROll circus came out, I had had it with her... the disappointing that was guilty, I didnt even want to give Next Level a try and then RnR... please...
thank god Love Songs came around or I might not be a fan today.

I think NEXT LEVEL is an amazing album! <3 But again, that's just me.

[yukito]

Originally Posted by YuriChan

I think NEXT LEVEL is an amazing album! <3 But again, that's just me.

I'm with you as well, the only track I can't bring myself to listen to is Curtain Call, dam that song just bores the hell out of me and the very beggining of the song makes me think I'm actually going to listen to Mariah's Without You...

[TeamAyu2004]

Originally Posted by YuriChan

I think NEXT LEVEL is an amazing album! <3 But again, that's just me.

it is... what I meant was that I was SO disappointed with Guilty, that I didnt even give it a chance, and then when RnR came out... i was like:

but Im happy now... this reminds me of ayumi's golden age... everything is just grand for me.

[jewelbox]

Originally Posted by YuriChan

I think NEXT LEVEL is an amazing album! <3 But again, that's just me.

NEXT LEVEL is amazing!

I wouldn't be surprised if the Maro thing is actually one of the reasons for again's sales, idk.