I downloaded JAPONESQUE DVD ISO, I'm ripping the PVs right now, I think I'll be able to post them tomorrow ^^

Thanks, Luna!^^
Hope I get my package with 3 editions tomorrow as well.

Here are all PVs on tudou:
http://www.tudou.com/home/kitrumpet

Credits: kinot @ tudou

All PVs with individual links, in order of the CD:

I really hope we'll get a HQ scan of that picture soon, it's gorgeous!

oh please! :thud

you can also watch all PVs here
http://aramatheydidnt.livejournal.co....html#comments

Thanks for the PB photos, kakumei. So gorgeous :heart

I do agree about the points you made on ESCALATE & Lay Down...they don't seem to every really hit that climax that they build up to, but I still like them nonetheless (although the engrish in Lay Down is really bad imo). My favorite song is also Love Technique :yes...it's so catchy! I was really iffy on it from the preview but it turned out to be an awesome song.

Also, upon listening to the album once more...I realized No Man's Land & All for you are really good songs! And has anyone else noticed her English has improved ever so slightly? I mean, she still has moments when she sounds utterly unintelligible, but in some of the songs her English sounds pretty good considering the past.

It's kinda funny. you should look up the words "stan" or "biased" or maybe even "relative" and "subjective". Intelligence helps ;)

Thank you so much for giving us more details about the content of the second DVD. Based on her previous release, I too was under the impression that this DVD would contain full performances rather than a digest. Because I consider myself more of a casual listener than a fan of Koda Kumi and content matters more to me than packaging (the packaging is gorgeous though), I decided to cancel my order for the CD+2DVD edition as I don't feel it's worth paying an extra 13.XX more than the CD+DVD version for a short digest and CMs. Since many sites have sold out of the first press edition for this album in all versions, I may just purchase the CD+DVD edition at a later date and/or I'll just order her tour DVD.

Got all my editions today! Loving the album. The packaging is just amazing. :luv2

They revealed today the contents for the 2nd DVD for Dejavu Tour:
メイキング映像
・ドキュメント映像
・富士急ハイランド
・なりきり舞妓 in 京都
・いろいろランキング！
・プライベート ファッション コレクション
■LIVE特典映像（ステージのLEDビジョンに映し出された映像を収録）
・POP DIVA
・Black Candy
・AT THE WEEKEND

Making video, Kuu's private fashion collection and the LED videos playing during POP DIVA, Black Candy and AT THE WEEKEND.

From her offical site.

Yawn. I'd expect no less from one of the biggest Ayu stans on AHS.

You're very welcome! I figured it was worth it for me either way because of the packaging and all, but the DVD is really just a one time watch kind of thing. All the clips are about 30 seconds to a minute long, then number 2 and 1 are full. I'd honestly like to know who chose these "best" performances too, since half of them are nothing special at all.

I'm surprised by the lack-luster-ness (my own made up word) of the second DVD on Japonesque. I thought it would have full preformances. I'm glad that I held myself back and didn't order it. $7X.XX dollars wasted. That was the whole reason I was gonna order if from Play-Asia.

IT CAME IT CAME

THis is my first clear file..its really nice :) I like it. Ohh that pic everyone wants a HQ version of.. (i think its the regular cd_2dvd cover) ..its the background pic on the dvds)

Ohh ive written down the top 20 lives she did..they played the full version for the #1 and #2 lives..but other than that its like 30-45 secs.. Suprisingly most of them are from her first 3 tours.. :)! UNder spoilers if anyone wanted to see :)

1-10
11-20

Yay! the PV's are up..

And stop comparing the two, they are two totally different artist with different taste...

Thanks so much, Luna! You're a star for PV'S. :love

Some more promo:

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g33/HSMerith/j1.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g33/HSMerith/j2.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g33/HSMerith/j3.jpg

Apparently this is all in Shibuya. Thanks to Kumi-flash!

Pfft, and we were WORRIED about promo. :innocent Srsly though that it the largest amount of posters for an album I have ever seen! :tired Really glad they are promoting it so heavily! :D

Thanks you for the 'So Nice' demo, Kaled! All I'm gonna say is...Thank god Kumi changed the melody in the verse. :eh

I have still only seen 'So Nice' and BBB PV's..I thought I was going to wait til I could get my copy, but...Yeaaah.

^ Wow... Koda madness!
I hope this sells well!

Look at the all the mask people are wearing! I wonder if a lot of people are sick...

Sorry fo double post!

I forgot to ask!
I watched the PV to In the air
and it looks a lot like the photo shoot from her Best sets (all the cooking and kitchen)
And I also noticed she cooks in a lot of videos too, lol..
I wonder if she likes to cook?

wow... that promo is really impressive!
it's really shocking the one with all those posters togheter xDD
well, the promotion is really huge to be honest. all those poster + street posters + trucks... hahaha as Ayu_Love said: "and we were WORRIED about promo" LOL

^^I think I remember her saying is some interviews that she thinks being able to cook for the one you love is something really great to do (or something like that). I think she really likes to be able to cook for her partner, and her partner to be able to cook for her. (We all know how much kuu likes her food, good thing Kenji's a good cook!) I think she see's it as a real nice thing to show your partner how much you love them, kinda thang. :D I remember her talking about it. Can't remember what magazine it was though. D:

I gotta say the more I listen to JAPONESQUE the more I am so pleased with it. :heart There have obviously been mixed reviews about it, but I honestly think it's one of her best. I do agree that some songs could be composed better, or maybe even replaced with something more epic, but JAPONESQUE is something that I really think grows on you over time. I think you should give JAPONESQUE at least a few listens before you begin to delete songs or condemn it in any way. A lot of Kuu's songs tends to be songs that over a few listens begin to grown on you, with a few ones that instantly hit the spot. I can see me continuesly viewing JAPONESQUE fondly as the type of Kuu album that after the hype, I actually continue to grow fonder with, the more I listen to it and the more I watch PV's. It gives me a nice warm feeling, the same feeling I've never really had since Kingdom, which was my first Kuu album, which is why it was special for me. I played it for days. What I love about Kuu's songs and albums, is that they tend to grow on you over time, and remain a fond memory (or not!). I prefer that than songs that are 'OMG AWESOME' at first, but after a few listens the feelings fades away quickly. However being able to grow fondly for a song for a longer time, keeps that feeling for longer and it grows as you listen more and more. :D And they become memorable for that. Kuu's songs tend to be quite common in that design, probably why I love her so much. :) I can look back on her whole discog and feel warm fond memories, for each song I listened to, even the ones I don't really listen to now. :heart

Also I've decided to wait to see the other videos for when the DVD rip is out...Although I may try to find them in HD first. :P

^ thats pretty cool... I was thinking something along those lines because all her songs about love and videos that i watched show her cooking or them eating together!

And then again the subject in comparing artists... don't you get tired of it? Damn.

I haven't watched all the PVs yet, only the ones in jpopsuki xD
But I already think that they're just in a killing quality in production when compared to Kingdom.. it's shameful look to the PVs of it now xD
Best album, many goods PVs, ones pretty excellent, what I need more? S2
Ah yes, my copy to arrive.

So, SO TIRED of it. xD I don't see the point of it and I never see the point of it, maybe because it's never just a mature discussion about discussing the differences of style of the artists, it always ends in a petty and pathetic fan war about who is better. Cause apparently if you are a fan of one, being fan of the other is WRONG, and if you say dislike about my idol it's apparently as offensive as saying my mumma is fat. Silly peoples. You can be a fan of whoever the hell you want, they don't give a damn. We're not playing Football here. xD We're not on family wars, it's not like they're dissin' yo sister.

And more cases than not, it's a comparison between artists who have such difference styles and practically nothing in common. It's like...Wut? Even with artists that are a similar, like Girls' Generation and Wonder Girls, it is still pointless to compare which one is 'better...They're both damn good! And they have their own twist on the genre that the other hasn't which is what makes them both unique, end of. Haters gonna hate.

Rant finished. :D

I love the photos in the booklet. I can't wait 'til someone is so friendly to upload them in HQ

Sad part is that she has released this amazing album, and then most likly she will not make anything new who at least a year because of being pregnant!
And then who knows how long after that??? :(

are you serious...

I agree completely. Ayu used to be my favourite artist, but ever since Sunrise/Sunset she has just gotten more and more boring after every release (in my opinion). Kuu stays consistent or betters herself with every release, and that's why I love her.

Think on the bright side, Kuu is leaving on a positive note, and when she makes her comeback she may do even better, because people will not have seen her in awhile. :) And I an confident in her comeback. I mean, Kenji was a big muse for JAPONESQUE, and it's turned out awesome. Can you imagine how much a muse her child is going to be? I can see her writing soppy love songs when she gets back, lol. :D

If she wrote a love song about her child..Japan would love that. I can almost see that as her comeback single.

^ I think the only artist I've heard of that has made a comeback after stopping her career to focus on her pregnancy and child and family is Namie 0_o >.< I don't know the details, but i know Hitomi, (though a) she was already pretty much unpopular and b) never reached the status of kuu) couldtn make a comeback after having her baby >.<

I think Kuu has the potential to make a great comeback with the right songs, image, and promo.

^ Hopefully X) because Japonesque is just too good to be the end of it! I want more of this!

Ummm, album out end of Jan and a live this autumn post labour. Throw in an avex 'BEST ~A-Pregnancy B-side C-section~ compilation in May time and it's hardly a major hiatus.

If they do release a BEST I hope it's in December. I wouldn't want a half-assed GH with no proper TV promo and sales wouldn't be that great either imo but if they waited till Dec it could do great.

^ I would love to see a driving hits 4 with this album! I want amazing remixes though!

:lmfao

^^^ T'is catchy LOL

Ideally I wouldn't want a BEST, but even when she's active avex shoves them out. I still believe Third Universe can't have possibly been her decision but sales of a new album adding to avex' 'best of' sellers gave them ill gained credibility.

As TeamAyu2004 said a new remix album'd be lovely. As we saw with Bounce & Lovers there are unseen filmed scenes for a few of her vid's so they could release a few remixes with dance versions of PV's. Or a proper Best of Live DVD. No edit's and no Digests.

Since the pregnancy announcement I've saved £70 thus far ready for an Ayu style BluRay all PVs collection. Make it happen avex, and don't cheap out.

lmao the best part is i can totally see this happening.

they would be smart to release a KODA KUMI ~BEST LOVE SONGS~ imo

since her ballads are popular, also lots of Japanese celebs come right back, Anna Tsuchiya and Kimura Kaeale being the ones I stan, however their popularity took a huge cut

:(

They did release a best of when Namie did a hiatus back in the 90s. I think they might release another best of... though it would be pretty useless because there's not enough new material. I wouldn't mind that b-side collection though. That would be so awesome. Or BEST ~BOUNCE & LOVERS II~... I'm a sucker for Kuu's ballads. XD

Maybe a best love songs plus another cover album~

A love songs cover album lol

I just receive JAPONESQUE (CD version) the booklet is amazing *O*
I got a frist press bonus too, really nice!!!!

Could any of the people who already received their CD pretty please take photos of the lyrics in the booklet? I'd like to use them for my translations.

ugh HMV charged extra for shipping since the limited version weighted 1850g !

so I have to wait even more ! OMG I can't wait seriously !!

kuu is my girl. Damn. So proud of her and this album. **** what anyone thinks about her, shes a beautiful and rare person, and it shows in her music.

could you take pictures of the back-covers for all editions? I'd like to see them :3

oh wait did you buy all 4 editions?

Lucky you guys , I'll have to wait to Saturday or sunday :(

anyways JAPONESQUE 1st day sales are out

#1 40,768

I guess it's lower than Dejavu first day but it's a good job , Congrats ! :heart

How about if they release a BEST ~fourth dimension~ for her unreleased songs? 4CDs? Wouldn't that be delicious? *___*

I hope she stays on #1 for the week. She deserves that since JAPONESQUE is THE ALBUM of 2012. :yes

nah i expect BEST ~fourth blah~ with her singles from It's all Love!~Love Me Back with maybe 1 new song around her birthday live in november!
maybe Driving Hit's IV, cause we know avex! lol

and urgh what is this DVD2 BEST LIVE TOP 20 tracklist!? D:
can't believe this is her actual "top 20 chosen by fans"...
i didn't vote for most of it in her FC! lol
but ok... :/

Edit:
^lol u were faster...
nope avex won't release all her demos! :laugh

oh Dejavu sold 47,000 on day 1, so i think 40,000 is quite good!

damn i think it definitely deserves more...but oh well. hope it charts long :)

I bet JAPONESQUE's gonna sell well. :)

No, not all of them since she must have over 200 unreleased material. I meant that they should choose what they think are the best from every era she's been in with her music. :D Like this:

CD1 -affection to feel my mind-

CD2 -secret to BEST ~second session~-

CD3 -Black Cherry to TRICK-

CD4 -UNIVERSE to JAPONESQUE-

And every CD would have 15-17 tracks. Not bad, I'd say. XD It would be such a awesome dream to come true. I've been thinking that she must have lots of unreleased songs. I really want to hear those. They must be awesome. x3

I'd love a BEST ~BOUNCE & LOVERS II~ :heart It could be like...

CD
01. New song [Maybe about pregnancy?]
02. 逢いたくて
03. No Way
04. Candle Light
05. あなただけが
06. 夢のうた
07. faraway
08. 愛のうた
09. 0時前のツンデレラ
10. All for you
11. 愛証
12. 運命
13. Alive
14. 愛のことば
15. Always
16. walk ～to the future～

DVD
01. ESCALATE
02. LAST ANGEL feat.東方神起
03. FREAKY
04. Love Me Back
05. V.I.P.
06. Lollipop
07. Lick me ❤ (Short Version)
08. 走れ!
09. BE MY BABY
10. め组のひと
11. How To Dance Video ～ESCALATE～

Please avex, read this :laugh

A Driving Hit's 4 could also be cool. Hope she won't work only with HOUSE NATION on the next one... I have nothing against them, but four remixes albums with the same guys would be too much.

Oh, good numbers. The album deserves more, but let's see, maybe this album will have a good second week as well.

40k with no TV promo this month is good! It kinda makes me a little sad because I think if she had performed Brave everywhere and done the Carnival live she may have passed Dejavu in the end but that's not bad at all!

I can't even express how much I love that tracklist you made for B&L2. :D I hope they would do that. And release it together with DH4 on the same day! :luv2

I did! http://tieba.baidu.com/p/1385422955 back of CD+DVD cover. I can take a picture of the back of the CD-Only and CD+Goods if you want me to.

personally I was expecting lower sales!!
40k for the first day sales of an album with no tv promotion is quite good, considering the general decrease in sales, it's a bit less than dejavu's 1st day :) so let's see how the week goes

Does anyone have the videos escalate and no mans land for download?They are really nice!^^

plese scanned the booklet and the photobook on high quality.... T____T

I dont know if this was posted already, but anyway:

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...ularcd2dvd.jpg
Click to see bigger.

I posted them in a post on page 6 :)

New Driving Hits 4
価格 2520円(税込)
発売日 2012/03/14
商品番号 RZCD-59066
credits: Kumi-flash / Baidu

Oh, I'm so surprised :laugh Hope they'll include ESCALATE, Lay Down and V.I.P.

AHHH!! Driving hits 4!! YEAH!!!!!

Yay! Driving Hits 4! :D
ESCALATE will be a suitable track for remixing!! :))

Hm, let's wait how true this info is and where it originally came from.
But it fits to Avex.

We already have CD+DVD, but I made pics of all the back covers:


Absolutely in love with the CD+DVD one!

http://www.95music.com/productDoc.jsp?id=107148

they never just post the actual source, annoying. ^ there you go.

Oh, DH4 :love

Yay another Driving Hit's! ♥ A little more expensive than the last one, but still a good price.
Bonus first press: sticker

I hope they'll include Lay Down, ESCALATE, AT THE WEEKEND, V.I.P., Love Technique, KO-SO-KO-SO and So Nice.

Thanks kakumei!

recochoku weekly charts

Chaku Uta full:
#7 Brave (new)
#73 So Nice feat- Mr.Blistah (new)
#75 Slow feat. Omarion (new)
#89 ESCALATE (new)
#100 No Man’s Land (new)

Chaku Uta:
#8 Brave (new)
#52 So Nice feat. Mr-Blistah (new)
#57 Slow feat. Omarion (new)
#60 ESCALATE (new)
#73 No Man’s Land (new)
#90 Love Me Back (#89)

Videoclips:
#5 Brave (new)
#11 So Nice feat. Mr-Blistah (new)
#19 ESCALATE (new)
#33 No Man’s Land (new)
#35 Slow feat. Omarion (new)
#52 Love Me Back (#51)

Movies:
#4 Brave (new)
#11 So Nice feat. Mr.Blistah (new)
#25 ESCALATE (new)
#27 No Man’s Land (new)
#28 Slow feat. Omarion (new)
#52 Cutie Honey (#19)
#59 Love Me Back (re-entry)

RBT:
#3 Brave (new)
#46 Slow feat. Omarion (new)
#64 So Nice feat. Mr.Blistah (new)
#69 No Man’s Land (new)
#71 Ai wo tomenaide (#63)
#81 ESCALATE (new)

As far as I know all the other new songs were released today at recochoku. We will see tomorrow how they started.

JAPONESQUE special site:

http://rhythmzone.net/koda/japonesque/index.php

That's the one the code in the FP editions from JAPONESQUE is for.

Here are the calendar wallpapers from the special site: http://www.mediafire.com/?xt2w9252e93ingi

There's also a link to a survey about the new album, but I can't read any of it. If anyone wants to try and translate I can give you my code for the site :)

Thanks... ::poor mediafire...::

Im wanting to see this album live now, lol!

Thanks for the wallpapers. Cant wait for my copy to arrive, HMV sent it today.

thank u :)

my friend bought Kuu album in Japan on 25th. nice to know I somehow contrubuted to actual Koda sales :) usually it's just a CDJapan/Yesasia order ;)

thanks!

The survey on the special site asks for your three favourite songs and PVs from the album. You can also leave some additional feedback.
They draw some prizes for the fans participating in it.

my dad is absolutely in love with JAPONESQUE. spread the KODA LOVE :luv2
I'm listening to album over & over. it's one of her best-est

WHY SO BAD SALES OH MY GOD NO WHY PEOPLE OF JAPAN????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:(
it deserves 150k first day.at the minimum!

Thanks for the wallpapers. I don't usually take calendar wallpapers because I reconsider but since Mediafire may be closed at any time I decided what the heck. XD

Thanks! And from the wallpapers, the CD+DVD and CD Only HQ covers:

http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/5669/cddvdl.th.jpg http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/5184/cdonly.th.jpg
Click to see bigger.

OH MY KODESS!

Thanks for the walls *_*
I can't wait for the new Driving *_* it will be AMAZING!

omg the photoshoot for JAPONESQUE is just STELLAR!!!!!!!!!

Found an artistic video here, with which i fell in love, and i decided to make it a video for INTRODUCTION ~JAPONESQUE~.



What do you think about it ?

So looking forward to my copy arriving!

mi|kshake~

That is freakin AMAZING!!!
Which part did you do... just over layed the music??

It looks like it belongs!

@Heavenly Wow, just perfect!

Epic video you made :heart Totally fits the song, congrats!

are you kiのtrumpet on baidu? o_o
yes I'd like to see the other back-covers. thank you so much!

Nope. Sorry for the confusion. I was about to go out somewhere but I remembered that someone had posted the back covers for the CD+DVD covers on Baidu so I linked you to where you could see it.

http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/showpo...&postcount=165

Corvina beat me to posting the rest of the back covers. :P

oh I see, no prob (;
there is back cover for the CD+PB+Goods edition? I wanna see it~

lol, every week new thread? next time shall we have the link to the prev thread on the new thread 1st post?

Finally my copy will be shipped today by HMV *-*

Can't wait at all anymore.

Don't kniw any song or PV by now except singles.I'm so enduring this time XD

After listening to the album in full:

Love xinfinity
ESCALATE - I'm totally playing the hell out of this song. :love

Love
So Nice
Boom Boom Boys
You Are Not Alone (Acoustic Version)
Love Me Back
No Man's Land
KO-SO-KO-SO
Lay Down
Love Technique

Like
Slow - however, Omarion's part is going to take some getting used to, because he's the only thing I don't like about the song.
Everyday
IN THE AIR - I used to not like this song back when it was on 4 TIMES, but I'm starting to like it now.
Ai wo Tomenaide - similar situation with IN THE AIR

Ok/Meh
V.I.P. (Album Version) - don't really mind the T-Pain rap, but I'll stick with the single version for now.
Brave - it might grow on me, but it's just meh to me.

Dislike
Poppin' Love Cocktail - I don't think I'll ever like this song. I MIGHT like this song if TEEDA wasn't...so loud. Or maybe if he was replaced with someone else.
All for You - Kumi should give this to misono. It feels like a misono song more than a Kuu song.

Overall, this has officially beaten Ayu's GUILTY as my favorite J-pop album. This album made me forget I even listened to Girl Next Door's latest album before this one. :D Kuu really outdid herself with this one.

On dirait que la vidéo a été faite pour la chanson! C'est très beau!

It's really amazing *O*

I just cut some part to fit the rhythm, but in the whole, it fitted the song very perfectly anyway :) And it has the "Follow Me" feelings.

JAPONESQUES 2nd day sales:

#1 18.934

what a big drop... :(

Total sales so far:

59.702

what =.=
it just shows the declining of the physical CD market.. :(

GREAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gorgeous video, Heavenly. It really fits the song!


---
My translation of Love Technique:

No, there's no pic in this back, there's just a pattern that is also the background on her website

Ouch. :( Cmon people, this album is awesome, it deserves more...


Thank you for this, I like the lyrics, they are a bit like Birthday Eve.

^ love the translation!!

& what in the world is up with sales.......

^ That was very entertaining and a pleasure to watch. Great editing work on your part. I loved it! ;)
Wow...I know a few individuals on this forum, myself included, predicted lower sales but not to this degree. :no I still believe that 'Japonesque' will past the 200k mark eventually. :yes

Oh god the 2nd day sales.. how in hell..