'again' mini album out December 8th, 2nd of five 15th anniversary releases [III]

[JinHamasaki]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

Looking at Ayu's last 20 or so PVs, it's interesting to note that most of them only have one 'look' in them as opposed to the two or three we used to get in older videos or even just one or two 'scenes/backdrops' as opposed to a lot of different cuts from different angles which we normally see in music videos nowadays and even in her 1998-2006 videos.

Up until NEXT LEVEL or Rock'n'Roll Circus we had at least three directors per release compared to now where it's essentially all Masashi Muto. He's not bad but he's done almost eveeeeerrrryyything for the last 2+ years.

Took the words right out of my mouth, I was going to write the same thing! I missed Ayu and her multiple scenes, multiple outfits. Its really what defined her in the beginning and had the masses scramming for the latest outfit, accessory, etc. I remember Dearest where she had multiple outfits, new scenes, and a story. Yes, Ayu can still hit high points with one outfit ("Days") but the more you have out to show the more likely you'll hit it with the audience.

I miss the PVs which had a story, a vision, or something that we can feed off of. I recently ran into watching "WHATEVER" and its so opposite of what you would expect for a dancey song. I remember "SURREAL" and although it didn't have much of a story, it sent you to a dream.

[truehappiness]

I think the PVs still have 'stories' but they're very loosely told.

She had some interesting concepts recently that just weren't executed very well. I find that a LARGE part of it is that she has done way too many overseas PVs recently. (10 of the 21~ PVs I listed were done overseas in the US or Europe) Somehow she just doesn't do her 'best' work in LA or London PV-wise. The songs she produces there are rather good, but the videos or photoshoots don't really compare to the ones she does in studios in Japan.

[isthisLOL?]

I think her PVs now tell much more meaningful and deep stories than before. ("Days" is an embarrassment though, she was just doing what any female artist does with their ballad videos sooner or later)
The main difference is that there is a focus on cinematography and symbolism(HEAPS of it sometimes, "MOON" might just be her most interesting, well-thought-out video if you pay close attention and are familiar with Baroque and Romance symbolism) rather than obvious plot and stylistic shifts. Her artistic style changed, of course you may like it or not, but it's not an objective "she's gotten worse" or "she's gotten better", she's just gotten very, very different.

I personally like her new videos much more. She used to have many videos that were pretty much generic pop videos that had to distract from it by having multiple scenes. she was always above average in the department, but I feel like only her very first videos were interesting, then a couple every now and then and it got better later in her career.

Not to say EVERY video now is very good or full of symbolism. "Song 4 U" and "Missing" were rather bland and anti-climatic.

[truehappiness]

I think her newer videos just lack general appeal. Most of them are usually well made and pretty but they do not capture attention for very long like older ones did.

It's like... you can watch 30 or 40 seconds of the PV and think "Wow, this looks pretty good!" but then the other 200+ seconds are basically the same vibe/feel so it's hard to keep people's attention if they're easily bored or disinterested in something that isn't 'flashy'.

[isthisLOL?]

That's it: "if they are easily bored"
A piece of art doesn't have to cater to everybody. Ayumi has moved from producing catchy generic pop hits to being a true artist and doing whatever she wants in the last couple years, something obvious in her music and videos equally. Before that she HAD to keep most of her videos flashy, fast, even generic - they had to capture attention and keep it because they were meant to sell - and sell to a big audience.
Her new videos just don't cater to the same audience. I like them more that way - mainly because I love analyzing videos and her old ones were rather...boring in that section. Some people don't like them. But most of the time it's not because they're bad - it's because they don't enjoy the conceptual style Ayumi has nowadays. I've seen so many complaints about her recent videos being "boring" and except for a select few it just baffles me.
Instead, "Dearest" is a video I always found very boring personally - though there was much movement, scenic change, outfit changes, action...(besides, it was a blatant rip-off).

I would call her old videos well made and pretty btw, her new videos are much, much more thought-out in their design choices, they're more than simply pretty or well-made, they have (more or less obvious) meaning in just about every frame - which can't be said about many of her older ones.

[kagami]

^ I just have to say I always enjoy reading your posts haha

[ExodusUK]

Sunrise and Sunset are the best PVs because ayu is so happy to perform for teamayu on some weird platform surrounded by her friends/dancers/future lovers. Gives me a warm feeling inside

[ALfromHELLSING]

Originally Posted by isthisLOL?

"Days" is an embarrassment though, she was just doing what any female artist does with their ballad videos sooner or later

If Days is embarrassment then what is Lady Dynamite? I remember there was a TV spot about R'n'R and TV hosts were laughing at this it. I mean really, Ayumi Hamasaki's MV with scene where someone is actually taking a pee? Ayumi in this kind of MV is like DiCaprio or Jolie in Uwe Boll's movies. I can understand reasons behind Party Queen MV's but this one is just disgrace.

Don't look back is one of her BEST recent PVs IMO. It's simple, but man that part after the bridge is jaw dropping. MOON was awesome too, I believe both were directed by the same guy.

Originally Posted by ExodusUK

Sunrise and Sunset are the best PVs because ayu is so happy to perform for teamayu on some weird platform surrounded by her friends/dancers/future lovers. Gives me a warm feeling inside

lmao I can give you academic award for this post.

[JackieRos]

She tweeted about 'hard boiled scenes' and having injuries that had to be bandaged up.

wait ouch.

[TeamAyu2004]

please her PV's are pretty much filler. lol...
They are not that creative, or if they are she doesnt pull through and they become horrible by the end.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

She needs to experiment with more directors, I think. After years of working with Wataru from 1998-2002, she switched things up and hired new talent in 2003 for & and that was really refreshing for the years afterward. Perhaps she needs to do that again at some point in the next year or two? Up until NEXT LEVEL or Rock'n'Roll Circus we had at least three directors per release compared to now where it's essentially all Masashi Muto. He's not bad but he's done almost eveeeeerrrryyything for the last 2+ years.

Yeah, I agree. I used to quite like Masashi Muto, but it feels like he has gotten bored or something and just not putting as much effort in as the past. Or, his style just changed but not for the better imo.

And to say the reason people don't like her PVs over the last couple of years because all of those people are "easily bored" is over reaching and over simplifying.

[Delicious n Bold]

Oh just bought the album
Caved in~~

[truehappiness]

It's possible that he may just be burnt out.

http://dayoproductions.com/muto/

I didn't know he started out designing visuals for Comme de Garcons and Issey Miyake shows! His work was really good for the handful of Ayu PVs he did before 2009/2010 but maybe Ayu has him on time crunches when they end up editing lately? I know they were editing 'do it again' along with the other PVs for Love songs literally a few weeks before release.

[isthisLOL?]

Originally Posted by ALfromHELLSING

If Days is embarrassment then what is Lady Dynamite? I remember there was a TV spot about R'n'R and TV hosts were laughing at this it. I mean really, Ayumi Hamasaki's MV with scene where someone is actually taking a pee? Ayumi in this kind of MV is like DiCaprio or Jolie in Uwe Boll's movies. I can understand reasons behind Party Queen MV's but this one is just disgrace.

Don't look back is one of her BEST recent PVs IMO. It's simple, but man that part after the bridge is jaw dropping. MOON was awesome too, I believe both were directed by the same guy.

Days was an embarrassment because it catered to the mainstream without any meaningful additions, it was like Ayumi turned into Kana Nishino or YUI for that video, Lady Dynamite did just what it was supposed to do: it was fun and just a bit scandalous. It wasn't a great video, but most certainly better than Days because it was unique and had some pretty good editing going on while Days was as generic trash as it gets.
Yeah, people laughed about it, but the question is why did they laugh? They laughed when they saw Ayumi dancing with gay guys and drag queens, they didn't even see the entire video, they had no way of judging the entire video, they were laughing over the subject matter.
That bathroom scene is one of my favorite scenes in any Ayu PV btw. It was risky and practically unheard of before, but underlined the feeling of the song and video perfectly. And since it was shot in a gay club NOT having a bathroom scene with slight sexual hints would have been plain watered down. You simply can't walk into a bathroom in a gay club without guys at least checking each other out, if not having sex somewhere - the video reflected the reality. How is that below Ayu?

I agree on Don't Look Back and MOON.

[Chibi-Chan]

I don't think Days was an embarrassment because it is a typical mainstream J-Pop video. Ayu is making pop music, so there is nothing wrong if she makes from time to time typical J-Pop songs which have typical J-Pop videos.
I really liked Days' PV because it tells a little sweet but heartbreaking story.
I don't get why so much people always complain about songs or videos which aren't meaningful, inventive etc. etc. Ayu has a lot of meaningful PVs, so why not making some which aren't? Sometimes it's nice if songs or videos are just made for touching people's hearts without anything added.
If every new song or video would be so inventive I swear I would stop listening/watching because of a headache. I love analysing PVs, but from time to time I just want to be entertained and don't want to wrack my brain.

And if I think about PVs from Ayu that were released the last few years, I just don't like
progress, crossroad, Sweet Season, Shake It♥, NaNaNa and Return Road. But I absolutely can't stand the whole Virgin Road/Last angel/Love song thing, if you want to tell a complex story, I'm all for it. But not in such a cryptic way!
Also I don't like BRILLIANTE's PV. I know a lot of people here really like it, but the whole Cleopatra symbolism was a big fail. The way they used Cleopatra is historically just wrong and it doesn't make sense at all.

[isthisLOL?]

I love heartwarming, simple videos. The thing I don't like about Days is how it blatantly abuses cliches and common motifs for it instead of telling a story one hasn't seen 50 times before.

[AyuGAME]

i don't think Days is a bad PV...
the concept of dream and reality...is quiet interesting

[microphone]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

Yeah, I agree. I used to quite like Masashi Muto, but it feels like he has gotten bored or something and just not putting as much effort in as the past. Or, his style just changed but not for the better imo.

And to say the reason people don't like her PVs over the last couple of years because all of those people are "easily bored" is over reaching and over simplifying.

Well, do you mind explaining what it is about those PV's that you don't like? If your complaint is that "nothing happens" then you are easily bored.

[koumori]

Originally Posted by microphone

Well, do you mind explaining what it is about those PV's that you don't like? If your complaint is that "nothing happens" then you are easily bored.

Let's keep discussions intellectual and leave out insulting each other, thank you.

[microphone]

Originally Posted by Koumori

Let's keep discussions intellectual and leave out insulting each other, thank you.

Why do you say that? I wasn't insulting her, or anyone.