A COMPLETE covers - disappointed?

[bluegie]

Originally Posted by SolarAngel

I couldn't even draw a carrot in secondary school so i don't know how to judge creativity by. What is a boring cover? When MW came out, some people thought it was boring but i thought it's very easy on the eys. For t2m, some people were raving about how nice it was but i was disturbed by the excessive use of red and the font arrangement. A Complete is certainly eye candy to me. Even though it's a typical pretty shot of ayu, it's still pretty. At least my eyes won't bleed. When i buy my CD+DVD, i'll smile back at the ayu smiling from the cover.

Let's put it in this way. I rather think it's about the concept/meaning behind the cover rather than the creativity. Many of her recent covers aren't that creative. For example, it's obvious that lots of people made half naked shots (breasts covered by arms), and lots of people using butterflies. Therefore, I can that MW was not that creative. But the cover connects to LOVEppears (where the jpn newspapers have mentioned when the cover was released). Another example. Her dress and nails GUILTY resembles Duty (leopard pattern outfit, claws, etc). The shots on A BEST 2 resembles the concept of A BEST, except they have a different meaning (i.e., not against avex).

I can put more examples, but what I wanna say is that I dun need ayu making herself JUST glamorous every day and nite. Rather, I want her to make a cover that has a meaning behind it. Probly people will say, "hey it's her 10th anniversary, so probly she wants to make such glamorous cover to show how successful she is." But if that's how she portrays herself and her music career by making a normal glamorous (magazine-liked) photoshot, Then probly I should accept it. However, being her fan for a long time, I want her to show her conceptual idea again rather than just be a diva.

[Kikaru]

I like it. I think she has done better, but I definitely don't find them disappointing.

Sure she's more glamorous nowadays, but for some reason I don't know, I would find it weird if she has that "girl-next-door" image (which tbh, would make it less creative in Japan I guess since a lot of artist are more "girl-next-door" rather than glamorous).

Sure, they're not the most creative, but as long as they're easy on the eyes, I'm fine.

Plus from the pictures I really love the packaging, so it makes us for a less-than-creative covers.

[ArchangelLegend]

I think it's better than half of her photoshoots. I really don't know how creative can one be in a photoshoot since I never really find any photoshoot to be creative.

[ownsarai]

I LOVE both covers. I keep seeing everyone saying how disappointed they are in the cover shots, I'm sure there will be more appealing photos in the photobook, for those who are so into the look of Ayu. But in the end, isn't it supposed to be about the music?
I myself am very excited about this release because I don't own most of her albums/singles.

[Cys86]

Just because I don't like the cover and I express my opinion about it doesn't mean that I like Ayu only for her looks. Music always was and still is the most important factor why I like her. I don't have to like all the covers and all photoshoots Ayu makes.

[tehxiinae]

ok, i edited the first post saying that this thread isn't here because i or anyone thinks Ayu's looks are more important than the music. i would just like to discuss the covers.

[lovelism]

I love the covers! ALOT...

[Kodayumi]

Kind of disappointed, but well what can I do? lol

[truehappiness]

I don't know if the magazine-like photoshoot thing is her fault though. I totally blame Kazuyoshi Shimomura, who ALWAYS seems to have the weird magazine-y shots. It's annoying to say the least.

Like, ND CHOW [the photographer for many Ayu concerts after AT05, and the photoshoot in my Goddess signature as well as BLUE BIRD and MANY more] captures Ayu on camera and it's like.. glorious. Like, not in the glammy sort of way, but the breathtaking kind of way where you say "Gorgeous." I dunno, but Kazuyoshi CANNOT capture that feeling at all, imo.

I think he's been doing way too much magazine work with Ayu. He did basically all of the 2008 magazines excluding Cawaii and like one or two others.

[bluegie]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

I don't know if the magazine-like photoshoot thing is her fault though. I totally blame Kazuyoshi Shimomura, who ALWAYS seems to have the weird magazine-y shots. It's annoying to say the least.

Like, ND CHOW [the photographer for many Ayu concerts after AT05, and the photoshoot in my Goddess signature as well as BLUE BIRD and MANY more] captures Ayu on camera and it's like.. glorious. Like, not in the glammy sort of way, but the breathtaking kind of way where you say "Gorgeous." I dunno, but Kazuyoshi CANNOT capture that feeling at all, imo.

I think he's been doing way too much magazine work with Ayu. He did basically all of the 2008 magazines excluding Cawaii and like one or two others.

Hmmn, probly not exactly ayu's fault, but I believe that she was one of the people who have power to choose which photoshoot to be the cover. At this moment I wanna stick with the idea that she decides to give her fans a glamorous feeling for her 10th anniversary.

Talking about this cover.. we know that GUILTY and MW connect to her past works (Duty and LOVEppears respectively). Does A COMPLETE have any connection with her past work then..?

[tourniquet]

^as was already said, the golden theme most likely connects to her 10 years in the biz. but otherwise it's a pretty generic glamour shot we've seen a bit too often lately.

I've got nothing against "pretty" covers, but I miss something along the lines of I am..., RAINBOW, BLUE BIRD or the whole MY STORY era.

[[taskin.ayu]]

It looks like a previous magazine shoot, which makes it kinda old looking. D: Plus she's lying on a bunch of tiles. Ew. XD

It's just not so fitting for a singles collection. Maybe something like Ayu wearing a dress with the single covers printed on it?

[SolarAngel]

Bluegie i hope you don't retract your pre-order because of the cover lol! Maybe i see where you are coming from, that the cover doesn't seem to have much meaning behind it. I admit it's not breathtaking. The last time my breath was taken away was probably secret album. Oh well, at least it's not a big 10th A logo on a single collage.

[YumeHamasaki]

i think she sexy as grr in them^^. soemthing edgy wouldnt' work for a singles collection type of compilation, you know? So iw as happy with the glam look cause it's just your typical ayu. And typical is good for this cover i think.

[jbrat2219]

Wasn't A COMPLETE kind of rushed anyway? I mean we got the leak way early so obviously the final product was finished way in advance. They probably didn't have time to think of a creative cover with a meaning or whatever. Considering the circumstances, I'm not surprised the covers aren't what most expected, this whole release was unexpected xD;.

[qwerty]

I was initially a bit disappointed, but I've gotten used to the covers. They're not bad; every time I don't like something about a cover, I just remind myself of the covers for (miss)understood.

[kumikomishitate]

...I actually really LIKE these covers.

[Sundae]

She looks amazing but I think after 10 years she's running out of posing ideas. They way she holds her head, the look on her face, even the pose itself are all tired. But since this is supposed to be a cover to celebrate her 10 years it sends the message across to me. That she is a diva and the queen. "Look at the gold and the shiny stuff all around me. I'm a jewel."

[Zeke.]

I wouldn't say disappointed. I quite like these covers better than the ones she used for A BEST 2. The CD+DVD one is amazing but the CD-only isn't my cup of tea. But I like them. She looks hot. It could have gone a bit more creatively but I'm glad the picture is so sexy!

Originally Posted by qwerty

I was initially a bit disappointed, but I've gotten used to the covers. They're not bad; every time I don't like something about a cover, I just remind myself of the covers for (miss)understood.

So TRUE!

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

When looking over my single/album collection, the last cover that I really consider great is Carols. Everything since then has ranged from bad to barely good.

Somewhat true, but I think Mirrorcle World's covers are GRAND. They didn't really fit the theme of the song - I would rather have had something very dark, sexy, and edgy and have used the Mirrorcle World covers for a different, calming, ballad single.

[truehappiness]

Well, she has done the casual thing in 2008, just BARELY though, which imo is sad.



[same guy who shot this shot the A COMPLETE covers. He LOVES his magazine shoots, ugh.]

I swear, I wonder if Ayu chooses the clothes she wears for magazines or if the magazine has a preselected line for her..