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

[Moonstar]

because of johhny`s entertaiment.

[visionfactory]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

It's not about being in love, she was in love with Tomoya for a long time and he was never a part of the "Hamasaki Ayumi" image.

It's a fact that japanese people stop buying products from artists when they start dating someone (and in this case it's even worse because that person is all over the release)

[rikku1994]

I've been reading some of the comments and damn... Seriously, you guys are a little ungrateful don't you think? I mean, I know she's not as famous (and definitely not selling as much) as she used to, but I'm quite content with the things she dishes out... Including "again". I don't really care if she sells just as Ami Suzuki does as long as she keeps releasing good music.

A lot of people here always complain just because of her sales or rankings....
A lot of people complain when their expectations were too high...

I'm not really sad for Ayu, I'm sad for her fans who act out like this

[saigodansu]

Really? Where's the huge decline in sales for Ai Otsuka and Kumi Koda then? They not only dated, they married and had a child. The difference that's noticable to many of those who have quit buying products and somehow mysteriously slips by 90% of the foreign fans and a small % of japanese fans is the huge difference between love and dating someone versus pretending to for some stunt to help sell albums. I've talked to many in Japan who know publicity stunts there are as common as in the USA and due to the owner/slave type contracts of the entertainment industry and business in general in Japan, sometimes their stunts go further than ours in the USA. But since pointing out facts here is like talking to a brick wall so often, maybe I should type in BLAH BLAH BLAH more often.

[My Rainbow]

why would she use all this as publicity? It's obviously not working. She's japanese so she knows how her society is. Every "scandal" (in reality it's not a scandal but meh...) has make her popularity decline so I don't think she is making publicity our of it, she just feels like it.

[C+R+E+AYUMI]

OMG didn't expect this

[Didz-19]

Originally Posted by Tony G

Reading some of the posts in this thread makes me realise just how truly loathesome some AHS forum members are. They're not even worth bothering to write a response to.

I've got a few small points to make, then I'm done here:
- 7 original songs over 2 releases in 2 months, each have been above par releases, especially the songs on again. I don't need sales to validate my opinion of Ayu's output and neither should any true music lover.
- 5 new PVs (albeit not the best, but better than nothing)
- another 3 releases in 3 months
- based on the three points above, we are being spoiled with new material from Ayu like we haven't seen for years. And the music is traditional ayu, sounds members here have been demanding for over experimental Party Queen ayu.
- for these consecutive releases, it has been said 100000000000 times before, SALES. DO. NOT. MATTER. Not to Ayu, Avex, and by extension to you. If they mattered, each release would be released at the start of the Oricon week. It would be nice if these sold more, but it is not the end of Ayu's career and it definitely should not reflect the quality of the music to you. There are a lot of external factors to consider as well, as the previous posts have covered.
- these releases are for you, the fans (including the selfish ones who truly make me ashamed to be an Ayu fan sometimes)

[yukito]

Originally Posted by Tony G

Reading some of the posts in this thread makes me realise just how truly loathesome some AHS forum members are. They're not even worth bothering to write a response to.

I've got a few small points to make, then I'm done here:
- 7 original songs over 2 releases in 2 months, each have been above par releases, especially the songs on again. I don't need sales to validate my opinion of Ayu's output and neither should any true music lover.
- 5 new PVs (albeit not the best, but better than nothing)
- another 3 releases in 3 months
- based on the three points above, we are being spoiled with new material from Ayu like we haven't seen for years. And the music is traditional ayu, sounds members here have been demanding for over experimental Party Queen ayu.
- for these consecutive releases, it has been said 100000000000 times before, SALES. DO. NOT. MATTER. Not to Ayu, Avex, and by extension to you. If they mattered, each release would be released at the start of the Oricon week. It would be nice if these sold more, but it is not the end of Ayu's career and it definitely should not reflect the quality of the music to you. There are a lot of external factors to consider as well, as the previous posts have covered.
- these releases are for you, the fans (including the selfish ones who truly make me ashamed to be an Ayu fan sometimes)

While I do agree with the point that she is indeed releasing a lot of new material in such a small period of time, quality is not quantity, the music is ok, but the PVs, oh lord, they are just awful awful awful, maybe with the exception of Song 4 u and maybe just maybe Sweet scar, it's as if the time ran out and then it was like Sweet Brown: Ain't nobody got time for that, and so we got this bad acted/bad everything ones.

In regards to sales I do agree with you as well, as avex is really doing this to milk the fans, I mean to please the fans XD No for really it's a nice gesture to release some material to coincide with her carreer anniversary.

The rest of the post is a little bit dramatic but you do have a point, it's sad that everyone is complaining about everyhting all the time. Maybe ayu needs to pull a utada and the leave the music scene even if for just a while, then fans would be crying for her to come back and stop complaining.

[saigodansu]

It's working in one aspect which was the only aspect Avex correctly thought out, it put her in headlines just like they did with her & mannie. The rest of it though, had idiots doing the planning, but of course when they seem to assume they have idiots doing the buying, since so many have bought every word for 15 years, they probably didn't think it mattered. Now to admit the lie is to lose more sales and lose face(a bigger deal in Japan than anywhere else) But a lie they make too apparent with all the setup for months leading up to the "relationship" announcement. When people can look back on the summer release and see the whole thing was planned, that actually bothers some people more than the sudden change of image for Party Queen(which had many people messaging they will never buy a cd of hers again). Since they already lost 50% of the people who purchased the last few albums, if the 4th of 5 releases has any connection to Maro, then she might as well plan retirement or smaller venues, because the large ones won't be filling up if this stunt continues.

[ayu_ready?]

there is no way Ayu could be selling more than BIG BANG now. no, just no.

and they just had their DOME TOUR finished.

[chu-lips]

public stunt public stunt
over n over again
im tired hearing people accusing public stunt

[emi♡]

Ai Otsuka and the Koda?

No one cares about them

I love my koda. But she was never well-liked, not even by her own company.

And Ai. Ai's just over. Neither of them had Ayu's status.


It's not just her dating that has plummeted her sales. Is it a factor?....maybe. More that she's just unlikable now. I mean, come on. She doesn't conform. She's not doing what she SHOULD be doing.

Of course it affects things.

[SolarAngel]

^Yeah agree.. And that has me feeling sometimes that Ayu doesn't put in the effort and professionalism she used to. She had a queenly status, now it's kinda like she's picking up toyboys (timmy n maro). It's fine if she wants to do it but she has already lost droves of fans. I want the queen to return so badly..

[koumori]

Originally Posted by saigodansu

Really? Where's the huge decline in sales for Ai Otsuka and Kumi Koda then?

Ai's new band debuted at #25 on the Oricon. That's a huge drop in interest for her. Of course, it's natural..she's been away for a while, and it's not a solo comeback. But it still skews it so she can't be used as a comparison artist. Her situation is very different to Ayu's. And since Koda's is too, I'm tempted to write her off the comparison artist list too. Sure she married, and popped out a kid, but she's kept the wedding out of her career since it was confirmed and continued to release things throughout her pregnancy and make a comeback as though she was never gone. Her personal life really didn't affect her career, and so it never had a chance to irritate the fans. Koda worked really hard, probably to ensure it didn't have a negative impact on her career - and it worked!

Although, I agree with Emi. Neither of them have ever reached the height of Ayu's popularity, and so what they do will always be shrugged off in favour of the media pointing fingers at Ayu. It's just reality.

[ayumisrael]

3rd Day
Position: #16

[TeamAyu2004]

thats a nice little jump

Originally Posted by emi♡

More that she's just unlikable now. I mean, come on. She doesn't conform. She's not doing what she SHOULD be doing.

Of course it affects things.

I also wanna add that this is most likely the most senseable thing you have ever said.

[Chibi-Chan]

Originally Posted by TeamAyu2004

is all that official news now? I cant seem to keep up.

Maro is younger and divorced, if he has a child or not is all speculations.

[Delicious n Bold]

Come on ayuma, get those sales!

[TeamAyu2004]

I wonder if she performs a song off of this at Heyx3 if it will boost sales a bit?
Here's hoping for Wake me up...

[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