Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai

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truehappiness 31st October 2013 12:54 PM

Thoughts on A BEST LIVE
 
I have yet to see the concert in full but I am blown away so far. It's not as theatrical or as in your face as Rock'n'Roll Circus Tour... but WOW. Everything is so polished and well done, from the outfits to the interludes to the way the screens were utilized and more... it's like they took elements from her best performances and honed them until they were their absolute best! I will say though that this concert reminded me of a COUNTDOWN LIVE somewhat but with an extremely high budget, haha.

Such goodness, really. Will probably do a more in-depth critique or something later?

Opening (lyric clips) - why did they choose certain tracks' lyrics? Were they trying to say something?

Timmy/Chorus pre-ASFXX - what is Timmy saying? The effect of all the dancers being chained up in their masks is pretty awesome. The Ayu reveal is also quite epic. I wish they showed more of her in that red mask! I like Timmy, but he needs to be taken away from these front-and-center English roles. It was okay for HOTEL Love songs, but seeing him in a-nations and now this... I don't want him around like this.

ASFXX - Perfection.

Memorial address - " " (see above). (the screens were to die for here)

Massive Trance Station - I need this track NOW. (maybe not with Timmy's Rule bit)

pre-poker face - Yay, she's writing messages to fans again. I think they had to do with the poker face lyrics loosely?

poker face - Very adorable. It's a more mature version of the performance she had for A MUSEUM and I think I prefer this one completely. That coat! Though I don't know about how live this was since the vocals were 100% perfect but they could be?

Fly high - I am usually not very fond of Fly high performances, but this felt incredibly fresh and I wanted to watch it in full! Maybe it's just because it wasn't in the encore? That ending hop with the transition with the male dancers/performers is neat.

HONEY - Ayu in glasses! We need more of this in our lives. Awkward geeky Ayu never ceases to be entertaining. I think more of Ayu's schoolgirl performances need to be like this. Sometimes things look a little haphazard but in the years since she started (2007-2008?) doing this type of performance, they really have it down. It was probably the most rough looking for AT09 (baseball/cheerleaders) thinking back, though I could be overlooking some.

Will talk about the rest later! Please share your thoughts here if you can!

EDITED TO ADD because I'll probably forget later: 2-YAN... WTF y u wearin' beats? Also, I feel like they could have done an 'A' [logo] moment there... Ayu needs to release her own brand of headphones. Oh, and seeing older women jamming out during the 2-YAN trance session makes me feel all tingly inside.

Pieces_of_SEVEN 31st October 2013 01:51 PM

Haven't watched the blu ray yet, but I imagine it'll be a similar affect to when I saw it at Yoyogi (or maybe not? we'll see). But my favorite performances were A Song for, You & Me, HEAVEN, Tell all, Who..., HONEY, Fly high, M, and BLUE BIRD.

Favorite outfit was the BLUE BIRD / You & Me outfit with the DJ stage. :)

Deep snow 31st October 2013 06:35 PM

Finished watching the Bluray a couple of hours ago. It was awesome.

It felt really nostalgic, and the songs kind of do represent the "BEST" of her 15 years (kind of? Most of them do, at least). And, I don't know how to say this, but the whole concert is really...good-looking. It was visual perfection. I wish it were longer, though.

(I actually had other reservations about this but let's just leave this at that for the time being)

DevilHunter_04 31st October 2013 07:27 PM

I liked it a lot. It was a really solid concert. The "interludes" were kinda boring and pointless in my opinion. The only one that got my attention was the aerial ever free act and the acrobatic one.

ayu-michan 1st November 2013 03:16 AM

I really like this tour, she's been giving us 6 amazing concerts since 2010 (including CDL), and this one may not be as good as RnRC or HLS, but it's still really well done. The tracklist was nice, I love asfxx costume, and compare to the past concerts, I find this tour's interludes not that boring, they actually caught my attention.

All I'm wondering is where is dancer AKI ?? I hope she didn't quit because I didn't see her in a-nation as well.

truehappiness 1st November 2013 03:35 AM

AKI must have taken temporary leave. Kayano also did this along with Subaru.

jiarongisme 1st November 2013 03:35 AM

Finished watching it last night. Overall, it's great. Much better than I expected. When you watch everything as a whole, it feels really wholesome and really well executed.

I loved Ayu's entrance in A Song for ××. The masks on the dancers are really freaky though. It made me feel kinda uncomfortable :laugh Saw the original outfit in the credits and I actually prefer that one, but the one she used for the final show was alright. Also, I had a huge lighting design boner for Memorial address. It's one of the rare times when I actually like the lighting design for this song. I didn't like how it was in AT10 tbh, but this one was really well done. Actually, the lighting design for the entire concert was really well done this time :yes

Massive Trance Station was EPIC. The short poker face video after that was great too, I just wished I knew what it said :laugh (I think I would appreciate what the interlude videos even more if I understood what was said.) I loved everything about MTS, maybe not when Timmy sang Rule but everything else was great. ;) My favorite part of the concert has got to be this entire cute section. Everything was great - maybe except the pink coat. I love that Ayu did some choreography and it looked really fun! And truehappiness was right, Fly high DOES feel fresh. It's an updated version, and I love it! Again, the choreography during the verses was really fun to watch. I wished it was longer though. HONEY was great, I loved her softer approach on how she sings it.

I didn't really care for SHOW TIME. M was great, not stale, great manoeuvres around stage. No way to say too. Maybe it's just me, but I'd prefer it without Shuya flailing around on stage while she was singing though (like CAROLS in AT05). The snow effect was really well done. Another great usage of all the screens.

DJ 2-YAN's section was fun. I think I would love it more if I was actually there. But hey, it's still fun to watch. The transition from that to You & Me was flawless. I was so happy about that :laugh. This section was fun. Didn't like the outfit though. I prefer the one at the beginning legs of the tour.

innervisions was interesting. I wanna know what Ayu was trying to say with this actually. JEWEL and HEAVEN. Wow. Another show-stopping moment for me. Beautiful and heartfelt performances for both. Although I'm not that fond of how she sang HEAVEN, but it's still a great performance. Everything else about this performance was on point though! I loved the shadows of the water onto the stage floor, and how the dancers didn't feel like an unnecessary accessory. HEAVEN's choreography was great. I loved it. Also, isn't it refreshing to have Ayu smile and present a ballad? :laugh JEWEL was 100000x better because of that.

I zoned out at the tissue dance at ever free because I still think that it's really boring and stale after the first time it was introduced. Wake me up was cool. I liked that they used the version they used in the CDL (Remo-con mixed with the original). For some reason, I didn't see the dancers during Tell All in the preview. So I was a little bit taken aback when I saw the full performance. And I'm not sure if I like it. Tell All is such an empowering Ayu song from her heart, I was kinda expecting her to be alone on stage for this one. I think it would've been much stronger. But I don't hate it I guess :shrug

The interlude video was great. I really wanna know what she's saying! It must be something really sentimental seeing how a lot of the fans are crying in the audience. I really liked SURREAL ~ evolution ~ SURREAL this time. SURREAL with the swing (GORGEOUS), and evolution and the little things she's done with the staging - I really love it. Voyage was awesome visually. Really simple, but the use of the dancers were really smart imo. I really don't like Ayu as a hype-girl though lmao.

Encore stuff is pretty typical. Nothing special. I got a bit teary-eyed at Who... and MY ALL though. Suddenly a lot of feelings about how I felt about Ayu came to me :D

Overall, it's a really cohesive anniversary concert. Is it on-par with AT05/AT10? No. But that's only because it's a different type of concert altogether. But it's still amazing nonetheless. Between both "anniversary" type tours, I definitely prefer this over AT08.

Also, has anyone noticed how the camera work was much better this time? Or maybe it's the same but the editing was well done. It felt cinematic, sorta. The last time I felt this way was for AT10/A3D II but that's because it's meant for a cinematic release. This one was great! I loved that they showed a lot of the audience this time - although sometimes it felt like audience feat. Go-mi ;)

I really enjoyed this concert!

majrakun 1st November 2013 04:00 AM

Just started watching it, but does anyone else think is probably the BEST band intro they ever did? I usually skip them but this one was amazing!

ayu-michan 1st November 2013 04:08 AM

From what I heard, I think this is what she said

Quote:

My 15 years were the 15 years that you gave me

I was supported by your smiles

Your tears were my courage

(Because) you did not give up on me

Our dreams are still continuing.
Please correct me if I'm wrong :)

truehappiness 1st November 2013 04:38 AM

That's about the gist I got from the flashback sequence, haha.

Quote:

Originally Posted by majrakun (Post 3038156)
Just started watching it, but does anyone else think is probably the BEST band intro they ever did? I usually skip them but this one was amazing!

BEST of CDL and CDL07-08's were amazing too imo.

ayu-michan 1st November 2013 04:46 AM

Aah btw does anyone know which concert performance did the last day Wake me up / Tell All 's costume were in?

hud 1st November 2013 05:05 AM

Looks like the costume for SURREAL from CDL 07-08.

AyuWorld 1st November 2013 05:07 AM

i got to watch it last night! i love this concert ^^

yes true the intro is amazing, especially the one when they introduce the band member.

im impressed with Tell All performance! did anyone else realized how good is she when she dances during Tell All? omg Ayu being hot and shaking her booty <3

No Way To Say is a bit disappointing coz i was wishing for Ayu only on the stage rather than Shuya being emo there, theres really no point to be honest , meh

Kirshwasser 1st November 2013 05:21 AM

im in love with my honey performance, its so cute !! been replaying this over and over lol, but dont really like her vocal during heaven performance, sounds too rough to me, but the rest are just pure awesomeness

hud 1st November 2013 05:22 AM

Seriously, do y'all ever realized how beautiful this woman is?

The concert felt like A BEST yet fresh at the same time. ASfXX was amazing, the intro included. Memorial address was also amazing and that was the point of the concert which she looked more beautiful than ever.

poker face was also entertaining and adorable, even though it looked like playback. It doesn't matter tbh, at least she doesn't put the original track to play. I don't really care for the cute part of the concert, but Fly high was enjoyable.

M was amazing. It's always amazing, but it was simple and on point, she gave us the real feeling of the song, and this performance's chorus was one of her best efforts with singing it. I got goosebumps while watching it. No way to say was really good but SHUYA was unnecessary.

You & Me was nice, it's the first performance of the song I like. Could have done without DJ 2-YAN though. She should've performed EnergizE, Greatful days, everywhere nowhere or even Sparkle instead of BLUE BIRD imo. But it was nice.

JEWEL and HEAVEN where wonderful, her voice was beautiful, but I wish she did longer notes on JEWEL's chorus. The concept of the performance is new and refreshing, very nice.

Wake me up was amazing, I love that remix. Tell all was a pleasant surprise, she did the song justice.
SURREAL and evolution were cute. Voyage was interesting and amazing, could have done without the engrish.

I only watched the main show and I don't watch encores since RnRC, but I want to watch Who... sometime soon.
The stage was simple but nice, the screens were well utilized and I really want her to improve it even more next year. The interludes were quite boring but the one with ever free caught my attention.

The concert was pretty nice, when you think Ayu is going to give us a basic show, this woman surprises again. I love her.

truehappiness 1st November 2013 05:29 AM

It was a play on the AT03-04 No way to say, which she did in BEST of CDL and then again in this concert. I wish it was just Ayu too though.

AyuWorld 1st November 2013 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirshwasser (Post 3038170)
im in love with my honey performance, its so cute !! been replaying this over and over lol, but dont really like her vocal during heaven performance, sounds too rough to me, but the rest are just pure awesomeness

oh yes forgot to mention about this, ive gone crazy when i saw Ayu with her nerd glasses and her school uniform, omg cuteness overload! :luv2:luv2:luv2 loved the new choreography so much :yes

feel like crying seeing they appreared on the stage for Poker face, really enjoyable, Midori is so beautiful too ! :love

AyUmIXx 1st November 2013 07:23 AM

i've watched until Teddy Bear, so far, I LOVE EVERY OF IT!
when i saw pics of ayu's outfits and everything months ago, i thought everything looked too simple and it was not liked ayu celebrating her 15th anniversary, like there was something missing, the extravagant feeling was not there. BUT after watching the opening and everything started from it was just AYUAMAZING, I LOVE IT. Her vocal.

my fave parts are ASFXX, Memorial Address, JEWEL, HEAVEN, Wake me Up, Tell All.

Neko★munication 1st November 2013 09:29 AM

Just watched it and loved it. Truth be told, it didn't really come close to HLs for me and I agree it kind of felt like a higher-end CDL but damn it was a fun watch :) Totally teared up at HEAVEN! I'll write a more in-depth review when it's not 5am :laugh

maxikot 1st November 2013 02:15 PM

For me it overcame HLS totally. I can't come back and watch last year's tour cause i am distracted by either Timmy or sth else. This tour is fantastic and i ask for more of such level.

panda♥ 1st November 2013 02:22 PM

Ayu looked particularly happy & glowing through the entire show - more than i've noticed the past couple of years.

i've been on the verge of tears 3 times already and i'm just reaching the encore. :laugh
i've loved everything so far. there wasn't one performance i didn't like or was bored through. i have to say my favorite act was the JEWEL/HEAVEN bit with the water. gorgeous!

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxikot (Post 3038228)
For me it overcame HLS totally. I can't come back and watch last year's tour cause i am distracted by either Timmy or sth else. This tour is fantastic and i ask for more of such level.

agreed completely.

kaito_moonlove 1st November 2013 04:00 PM

Everything is amazing, her vocal, outfits, styles, performances,... I love this tour.
I realize that my queen truly came back.
I wish I could watch her face more clearly in Jewel, she look pretty !

axmish87 1st November 2013 04:04 PM

i was blown away with A Song for XX perf
And my GOOOOOOOD THAT FACIAL EXPRESSION IS FLAWLESS when she throws the mask away from her face
I fell off my chair
LOVE HER TO BITS

douggn 1st November 2013 05:10 PM

Loved it. Was not expecting that type of opening but what an opening, blew me away. No smilies to express this awesome opening. A pretty good concert overall. A lot better than what I first thought it would be like.

I don't know if this has been asked yet but is this gomi in the audience. He flashed up a couple of times
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/6286/2d6a.png

truehappiness 1st November 2013 05:13 PM

Yes, they show him quite a few times.

Livey~ 1st November 2013 06:58 PM

Go-mi!! :luv2

I'm trying to resist, but I think I just can't.
I watched only A Song for ×× and Memorial address. Guys.. this is perfection.
I had shivers at the beginning of both of them, and my eyes got wet with Memorial address.

And the hair is flawless. There's so much Secret era in that.
Damn.. I just can't. :thud

Ayumi Romania 1st November 2013 09:09 PM

I really love this tour ! Is simply the BEST ! The vocals, outfits, performances, screens are really amazing !
And Ayu looks unbelievable ! I think she is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life . She is like an Angel . So perfect !

BlackSilence 2nd November 2013 01:09 AM

just wached the thing... woW....I take back my words that it looked simple, everything looks better in motion lol I think it'll come as #2 for me as her fave concert (nothing's gonna beat RnR for me) but was i the only one REALLY annoyed by the camera work in Jewel and Heaven? I wanted to slap the hell out of the person who edited the footage material, it didn't do the whole water instalation justice at all and tey kept showing the goddarn spec.screen instead of Ayu, not to mention all the other random crap...ghh ><

ayuuk 2nd November 2013 01:31 AM

Yeah it feels like a CDL because of the collection of the "best" performances! But so what, we love CDLs don't we??? ^o^

truehappiness 2nd November 2013 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by artcika (Post 3038316)
just wached the thing... woW....I take back my words that it looked simple, everything looks better in motion lol I think it'll come as #2 for me as her fave concert (nothing's gonna beat RnR for me) but was i the only one REALLY annoyed by the camera work in Jewel and Heaven? I wanted to slap the hell out of the person who edited the footage material, it didn't do the whole water instalation justice at all and tey kept showing the goddarn spec.screen instead of Ayu, not to mention all the other random crap...ghh ><

Ayu probably saw all of the footage of herself and was like "Yeah, no." during that submerged performance. She is the one who edits usually, haha.

pimenta 2nd November 2013 02:22 AM

I was FINALLY able to watch it... IT'S SO GOOD :heart :heart :heart

I don't care if she was recycling performances, everything was amazingly executed, to the point that they were even better than the originals! And the interludes were awesome!! *-* It really was an A BEST LIVE :blove

She was so emotional and happy, and she was even dancing! And her vocals were absolutely amazing, her best in years, I feel so proud of her for overcoming all the problems she had with her vocals :yes (I know they edit her vocals a lot for the DVDs, but I don't care, she sounded so much better in this compared to the previous DVDs)

This woman was born to perform, she has a great vision of what makes a concert visually beautiful, and she is so charismatic! She never ever fails to make me love her concerts, and I really enjoyed this one A LOT :heart

BlackSilence 2nd November 2013 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by truehappiness (Post 3038323)
Ayu probably saw all of the footage of herself and was like "Yeah, no." during that submerged performance. She is the one who edits usually, haha.

LOL, fair enough, if she didn't like the way she looked xD

SummonerXI 2nd November 2013 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by truehappiness (Post 3037984)
EDITED TO ADD because I'll probably forget later: 2-YAN... WTF y u wearin' beats? Also, I feel like they could have done an 'A' [logo] moment there... Ayu needs to release her own brand of headphones. Oh, and seeing older women jamming out during the 2-YAN trance session makes me feel all tingly inside.

Oh man. So Beats actually made a Lady Gaga brand of ear buds and I think it would be incredibly neat if Beats and Ayu could collab to make ear buds that look like Ayu's custom earphones.

kotora 2nd November 2013 12:50 PM

I really don't like JEWEL and HEAVEN in DVD and BD.

The performance was good in live, but DVD and BD totally kill this performance.

freedreamer 2nd November 2013 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kotora (Post 3038406)
I really don't like JEWEL and HEAVEN in DVD and BD.

The performance was good in live, but DVD and BD totally kill this performance.

hahah i loved them so much when they were live. but I think JEWEL was really well presented on the DVD/BD. HEAVEN however, the live was way more amazing (at least from my view). I think the camera angles really affected the presentation

Hydeki 2nd November 2013 03:45 PM

I felt the same way about JEWEL/Heaven camera works... But I think it also has to do with her position. She was too high for most of the cameras to get a decent footage of her face so I figure it would have been so difficult to put everything together without making it look plain or static... However, during JEWEL I was like "I WANT TO SEE HER FACE!!". Regardless these two songs, I agree with someone who previously said in this thread, the concert looks so cinematic and professional.

As for the concert, I really loved it. Everything fits perfectly (except maybe the soldiers during Fly High...) and her acting has improved in some performances (she was stunning in ASFXX and MA). Every outfit look nice and adequate for each song. I loved the pink coat, which I (as most of people) really hated back when the first pictures appeared on the internet. The tracklist couldn't be more amazing and there isn't any performance that I felt like skipping, not even evolution or Fly High, although I prefer evolution and SURREAL to be separated, but oh well...

I think it is now in my TOP2 after Rock'n'Roll Circus and before HLS and PoM. By the way, it always amazes me how AT05 appears on every discussion about recent tours. I mean, it was indeed an amazing tour in 2005, very innovative and all but... Thankfully she has progressed and she has delivered other kind of performances (I would say from AT09 on) which don't consist on big props and fireworks, but on more theatrical performances, dancers, etc. Overrall, I think her recent concerts are more cohesive.

The only thing that bothers me a little is that she's wearing contact lenses again, because I love her natural brown eyes :)

alternarist 2nd November 2013 05:35 PM

i felt that it was a very touching concert. ayu toned down on her theatrics in particular, the clowns. I really like the opening!! It's so eerie! What a word to describe an opening!

And no more Aki!!! Where is she? And whenever Lico appears with ayu, I will look at Lico cos she is just too eye catching!

I liked the concept of JEWEL and HEAVEN but ayu didnt really move much right? and yes i agree with the camera angles didnt really capture ayu in her most glorious moments in these 2 songs.

For Wake me up, I felt that it was kinda boring. Most of the time, Kazuma was tied up and being wheeled around. Same for ayu.

I particular liked how Voyage ended the whole concert. Nothing too messy, just a heartfelt and sincere song for us! :D We rarely see such concert endings :D:D

AyuWorld 2nd November 2013 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by artcika (Post 3038316)
just wached the thing... woW....I take back my words that it looked simple, everything looks better in motion lol I think it'll come as #2 for me as her fave concert (nothing's gonna beat RnR for me) but was i the only one REALLY annoyed by the camera work in Jewel and Heaven? I wanted to slap the hell out of the person who edited the footage material, it didn't do the whole water instalation justice at all and tey kept showing the goddarn spec.screen instead of Ayu, not to mention all the other random crap...ghh ><

no you are not alone :headache :irked

Quote:

Originally Posted by kotora (Post 3038406)
I really don't like JEWEL and HEAVEN in DVD and BD.

The performance was good in live, but DVD and BD totally kill this performance.

yes true, they keep showing the angle from below and the reflection of her face in the water, i cant even see her face singing those songs, and wheres the beautiful aerial view?, i wanna see her clearly in the pool :thud

jbrat2219 2nd November 2013 06:40 PM

It sounds like I need to get this blu-ray NOW!

kalikagai 2nd November 2013 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pimenta (Post 3038325)
I was FINALLY able to watch it... IT'S SO GOOD :heart :heart :heart

I don't care if she was recycling performances, everything was amazingly executed, to the point that they were even better than the originals! And the interludes were awesome!! *-* It really was an A BEST LIVE :blove

She was so emotional and happy, and she was even dancing! And her vocals were absolutely amazing, her best in years, I feel so proud of her for overcoming all the problems she had with her vocals :yes (I know they edit her vocals a lot for the DVDs, but I don't care, she sounded so much better in this compared to the previous DVDs)

This woman was born to perform, she has a great vision of what makes a concert visually beautiful, and she is so charismatic! She never ever fails to make me love her concerts, and I really enjoyed this one A LOT :heart

Totally this. I can't express my thoughts any better. This concert is a flawless victory, I was amazed and shocked with this absolute perfection... Heil to the Queen!

P.S. Yesterday I was at Mylene Farmer Timeless tour - nothing near to A BEST LIVE...

ayu-michan 3rd November 2013 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hydeki (Post 3038432)
I think it is now in my TOP2 after Rock'n'Roll Circus and before HLS and PoM. By the way, it always amazes me how AT05 appears on every discussion about recent tours. I mean, it was indeed an amazing tour in 2005, very innovative and all but... Thankfully she has progressed and she has delivered other kind of performances (I would say from AT09 on) which don't consist on big props and fireworks, but on more theatrical performances, dancers, etc. Overrall, I think her recent concerts are more cohesive.

The only thing that bothers me a little is that she's wearing contact lenses again, because I love her natural brown eyes :)

Tbh her past tours from 2001 to 2009 usually bore the heck out of me.

And I thought I was the only one who minds her contacts! I like how her eyes look in CDL 12-13. I'm not sure if it's the same contacts, but she looks somehow really creepy this tour. Maybe because the false eyelashes get super longer?

Hydeki 3rd November 2013 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayu-michan (Post 3038512)
And I thought I was the only one who minds her contacts! I like how her eyes look in CDL 12-13. I'm not sure if it's the same contacts, but she looks somehow really creepy this tour. Maybe because the false eyelashes get super longer?

You are not alone :) I mean, I think she looks very pretty with them on, but the surprise factor they cause went away long time ago. When watching AT12 it was like, "OMG are her eyes green?" and this time was like "So she's using contact lenses again...". I don't see the point of her using them anymore. It may be just because she feels prettier, but it doesn't add anything to the show.

Earth_maiden 3rd November 2013 01:51 PM

Just waiting for an OS press to be announced... :dead2

Pieces_of_SEVEN 3rd November 2013 03:13 PM

^Oh they haven't yet? I was surprised at the change in arrangements for songs like ASfXX and Voyage, but I ended up loving them also. I love when ayu sings in English "I'm on a journey, looking for love..."

Daeklei 3rd November 2013 11:10 PM

I thought her contacts looked sooo much creepier in CDL 12-13. I thought the make up on her eyes made them look better for this tour. But I think her natural eyes make her look much younger and she should keep that all together.

truehappiness 3rd November 2013 11:25 PM

I like the contacts on her. They probably give her a sparkle that is creepy-on-DVD, but looks great live.

ayuinh.k? 3rd November 2013 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daeklei (Post 3038650)
I thought her contacts looked sooo much creepier in CDL 12-13. I thought the make up on her eyes made them look better for this tour. But I think her natural eyes make her look much younger and she should keep that all together.

I agree. she looked very creepy during CDL 12-13 with those coloured contacts, i think the make-up and eyelashes made her look extra creepy

ExodusUK 4th November 2013 12:01 AM

HEAVEN and JEWEL = total highlights

The worst part was Wake Me Up, she sounded hideous and the disgusting shaggy sex hair never needs to happen again. It was almost as bad as the (wigless) hair she had for CDL10-11. Plus the recycled Step You/Ladies Night stage thing? It was a surprise the first time round but it doesn't work again, they should have thought of a new trick.

ayu-michan 4th November 2013 01:06 AM

Just a question, did she sing live during Tell All?? It sounded quite live, but her lips' movement made me doubt it...

kotora 4th November 2013 12:13 PM

I really hope ayu can do something like Hitomi Shimatani's crossover version of her old songs.

M PoM version is a good one.

pimenta 4th November 2013 12:17 PM

I like her contacts in this concert, it didn't look as weird as in the previous concerts she whore contacts imo... Or maybe I'm just getting used to them :laugh

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExodusUK (Post 3038655)
HEAVEN and JEWEL = total highlights

The worst part was Wake Me Up, she sounded hideous and the disgusting shaggy sex hair never needs to happen again. It was almost as bad as the (wigless) hair she had for CDL10-11. Plus the recycled Step You/Ladies Night stage thing? It was a surprise the first time round but it doesn't work again, they should have thought of a new trick.

I think the complete opposite. JEWEL was one of the weakest of the concert imo, and Wake me up one of my top favorites. In JEWEL, even if she was in that tank with water, she was just sitting there, she could be sitting on the stage and it would have given me the same feel, I think she could have done a much more creative performance with that tank then just be sitting there doing nothing. At least for HEAVEN she did something... And imo the chains in Wake my up had way more impact in this performance than they did in STEP you in 2006.
Also, I saw no problem with her hair, it was just wet, what's the big deal? I think it looked way better than the weird wig she whore for JEWEL/HEAVEN...

kotora 4th November 2013 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pimenta (Post 3038758)
I like her contacts in this concert, it didn't look as weird as in the previous concerts she whore contacts imo... Or maybe I'm just getting used to them :laugh

I think the complete opposite. JEWEL was one of the weakest of the concert imo, and Wake me up one of my top favorites. In JEWEL, even if she was in that tank with water, she was just sitting there, she could be sitting on the stage and it would have given me the same feel, I think she could have done a much more creative performance with that tank then just be sitting there doing nothing. At least for HEAVEN she did something... And imo the chains in Wake my up had way more impact in this performance than they did in STEP you in 2006.
Also, I saw no problem with her hair, it was just wet, what's the big deal? I think it looked way better than the weird wig she whore for JEWEL/HEAVEN...

I think Jewel and HEAVEN in DVD / BD are the weakest, but in live they are strong.

I am not going to say which one is the strongest because there are many performance missing in DVD/ BD, i.e. SAKURA

truehappiness 4th November 2013 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayu-michan (Post 3038664)
Just a question, did she sing live during Tell All?? It sounded quite live, but her lips' movement made me doubt it...

There was a really loud backtrack for Tell All.

End1ess_sorr0w 5th November 2013 04:48 PM

I loved Teddy Bear and HONEY other than that it doesn't compare to most of her concerts. I really wish she'd sing on her own without the background singers. I never cared for Peco and Yoko but now there's four singers...and TIMMY is just distracting...i miss the days when it was just her, yo-chan and enrique rocking out.

pimenta 5th November 2013 06:27 PM

I really don't mind Timmy as her back vocal, I think his vocals are great. I never found Princess that good, but I actually like her, and the new back vocal girl (forgot her name >.<) is really good! (though the previous one that had been participating since Peco left was also really good... I also forgot her name >.<) I just don't really care about Miccie, I think his vocals are quite weak compared to the others...
On the other had, Peco used to annoy the hell out of me (don't ask, I don't know why, she seemed a nice person on the making offs, but I always got annoyed watching her during the performances), so I actually like it better now, even if I agree there are too many back vocals now...

truehappiness 5th November 2013 06:31 PM

Yongae = current one
Yumi Kawamura = the one post-PECO

pimenta 5th November 2013 06:45 PM

^ Oh, that's right! I remember thinking her new back vocal must be Korean or part Korean because of her name. Thank you!
Those two are the best back vocals Ayu has ever had imo (can't believe I forgot their name when I actually really liked them lol)

AyUmIXx 6th November 2013 01:01 AM

yep, i also like the current backup vocals, for me they sound more complete than when it's just two, peco and princess. though i also found Miccie has the weakest vocal. i really love they added the back up vocals during poker face..during the chorus.. after ayu finished one line, they followed at the back, hope u guys know what i mean. hehe.

axmish87 6th November 2013 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by truehappiness (Post 3039030)
Yongae = current one
Yumi Kawamura = the one post-PECO

It seems that Yumi Kawamura was around PoM Tour and Hotel Love Songs although i am not sure 100% if she participated in HLS as a back vocal.
Too bad she is not part of back vocals anymore.
when I saw her on PoM DVD i was like OMG Persona 3 singer is singing with Ayu:thud

truehappiness 6th November 2013 02:08 AM

Yeah, she must have been busy during a-nation / A BEST LIVE...

I guess she must be done and Yongae is her official replacement if we don't see her at CDL.

ayu-michan 6th November 2013 02:52 AM

At least Youngae has pretty good vocal :heart

Part of me somewhat feels sad when someone leaves the Ayu troupe lol, no matter if they're Timmy or Peco.

amorphose 6th November 2013 08:31 PM

I just watched the concert and here are my thoughts:

I thought here voice sounded a lot better than I remember it sounding in recent years (but I haven't watched an Ayu concert in the last couple.) I thought the highlights were definitely "A song for xx," "Memorial address," "M," "No way to say," "JEWEL," "HEAVEN," & "Tell all." The last of which, I didn't like until I saw this performance. I'm glad to see that she finally got new background singers-- I think these new ones work much better for her than the older ones. The negatives for me were that her continuos overuse of her dancers just annoys the hell out of me. I feel like it takes away from some otherwise flawless and beautiful performances a lot (like HEAVEN & JEWEL.) I also find the dancers to be completely unnecessary in rock segments. It's much cooler when it's just Ayu and the band on stage. They don't bother me as much in the cute or upbeat portions of the concert, but those are the parts I tend to skip over anyway. I love how often she changes her outfits and the visuals this time around were better than I remember, but I feel like her theatrics really peaked around the MY STORY & (miss)understood tours and since then everything feels recycled (or just not as awesome.) Although, the pool during JEWEL & HEAVEN was pretty cool.

Overall, it was a pretty good live, but I personally would enjoy her performances more if they were more focused on her and less on the 10,000 other things going on on the stage.

Saki-Chan 6th November 2013 10:35 PM

I just hated this concert.. I like the tracklist, dresses, Ayu was gorgeous and ok.. but autotune IN EVERY SINGLE SONG? Her voice is not natural at all- No, I'm sorry.. I won't buy this dvd..
If I have to pay to listen to autotune, I'll wait for something else.

truehappiness 7th November 2013 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saki-Chan (Post 3039228)
I just hated this concert.. I like the tracklist, dresses, Ayu was gorgeous and ok.. but autotune IN EVERY SINGLE SONG? Her voice is not natural at all- No, I'm sorry.. I won't buy this dvd..
If I have to pay to listen to autotune, I'll wait for something else.

They really rushed this release, I think the only ones with massive changes were poker face/Fly high/HONEY. Tell All also seemed like it had autotune but I think that was just a VERY loud backing track.

kaito_moonlove 7th November 2013 12:59 AM

I have listened to the recording tracks (RT) from fans somewhere in this forum many times. I realized that her voice in RT and concert is not different so much. If you listen the RT carefully and separate Ayu's voice and the fans, you can listen her clear voice.
I believe that they just auto-tuned about 30-40% her voice !
P/s : Sorry about my bad writing !

AyuWorld 7th November 2013 01:58 PM

the idea of using Shuya again and again ,flailing on the stage with what i cant see as a dance made me a bit disappointed with Ayu, she should have came out with another idea. the simplest and the best is only her singing the beautiful ballad, like No Way To Say, it became too boring and annoying seeing Shuya popping out on the stage with her

tokyoxjapanxfan 7th November 2013 03:31 PM

I didn't like Poker Face. It was too edited for my taste.

And I'm uber tired of Shuya and the same exact dancer situations in every single concert.

Hopefully she'll start getting more creative...

This is nowhere near my favorite tour, but it was still enjoyable. :)

Also since I didn't really care to see the last show, it was nice to see how much it changed before the first show and last show!

JesA 8th November 2013 03:07 AM

Other than Timmy being gross and Ayu's creepy contacts, this is my favorite tour yet! :) I love how they made so many changes to the songs, yet kept it representative of how far she's come. My favorite was definitely Poker Face, and I loved the way she sang(?) it :D

My favorite part was definitely all the fans that were having major freak-outs, during the crowd-cam portions :) It reminds me of why we're all here. Ayu really has changed my life, and I'm so happy to see that she's still going with the same momentum as she had back in 2003 when I first jumped onto the fan-train.

Livey~ 8th November 2013 02:37 PM

I'll start saying that I really couldn't enjoy the Live CD as I wished, especially BLUE BIRD and Who...
Luckily the dvd made me change my mind.

I loved everything of this tour. Really everything.
The stage very similar to the RnRC one, but with a more elegant touch. The lighting and the great job they did with panels. The hair, her flawless hair. The vocals. The outfits. Yo-chan dancing! :laugh
Uhm.. I think that my favourite moment was the beginning of SURREAL evolution SURREAL. After ayu's message, it really moved me and I simply loved it.
Voyage was very good too.
Who..., which I really couldn't stand on the Live CD, was perfect.

And again, when MY ALL started I was going to cry just like years ago when I saw an ayu concert for the first time.
I know it is over-performed, but it was special in a certain way this time.

Oh.. and Timmy's Rule was hilarious~ :laugh

yizhihenanjing 8th November 2013 04:25 PM

I just glanced through right after the download coz im busy with exam. however, I stopped at teddy bear. I cried with her :(. My dear Ayu. She's the best. No singer could give me such a feelings like she did. She's so so so amazing after 15 years and will always be the most amazing artist in my heart !!!

marty 8th November 2013 04:39 PM

Wah, I finally finished watching it! I've been so busy, I just had to finish it bit by tiny, little bit every now and then.
So, I think it was a very nice, well performed show. I won't lie: for me it doesn't hold a candle to the last three tours, but I think the last three tours were just exceptionally good. A BEST LIVE was neat, your typical idol concert, with shiny, stylish dresses, ordered and tidy sections, and some nice references to Ayu's previous performances. It was short, and there were some parts I plainly didn't like (mostly the overtragic ones, totally out of line for me), but there were parts I absolutely ADORED (the whole poker face-Fly high-HONEY part was amazing, not to mention the JEWEL-HEAVEN pool stuff which was superb, and Ayu's hair shake during the last bit of A Song for XX just gave me life).
Soooo... I really liked it! It wasn't too celebrative, but I liked it in its semplicity, with some smart, small original touches (the poooool! <3).

kaito_moonlove 9th November 2013 08:06 AM

Do you think evolution in this concert is quite bad ?
I wonder if she was screaming in the final parts.
Do you agree with me that the sound quality in this show is worse than cdl wake up's one ?

ayu-michan 12th November 2013 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaito_moonlove (Post 3039723)
Do you think evolution in this concert is quite bad ?
I wonder if she was screaming in the final parts.
Do you agree with me that the sound quality in this show is worse than cdl wake up's one ?

After re-watching the BD many times, hmm I don't think evolution was that bad, but yes I agree with you, she "screamed" too much.

I love Wake up the most actually :D It was very enjoyable.

truehappiness 28th November 2013 06:27 AM

Tell All is so badass.

g~sus~ 28th November 2013 07:04 AM

i love her performance. She totally gave her all in performing..and I cried out of joy for a few times haha..
but..does anyone else think her voice sounds like autotuned voice now? It's powerful but sometimes I can't help that thought from popping into my mind haha

kaito_moonlove 1st December 2013 11:17 AM

I don't think that her voice is auto-tuned so much. It may be 30-40%.

Chris85 1st December 2013 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by g~sus~ (Post 3044378)
but..does anyone else think her voice sounds like autotuned voice now? It's powerful but sometimes I can't help that thought from popping into my mind haha

All her previous releases were pitch-corrected and this one is far from being one of the worst in terms of editing. Actually I think her vocals during this tour were pretty fine, very stable and consistent, so there was't too much editing needed. Of course sometimes she shouts instead of singing or strain her voice in Jewel for example, but it's not new for us.
So, to sum up, I don't think there's bigger amount of editing this time than usual.

ayu-suits 2nd December 2013 02:35 AM

does anyone here have a tv version or something that is not edited? The blu ray copy was magnificent but I think it was edited way too much to make it perfect. However, I think reviews from people who have watched the concert live would probably make me more happy (no offense but i think all her dvds are made perfect hehe). I hope you all get my point. :)

truehappiness 2nd December 2013 02:53 AM

There are reviews of the concert in the concert threads. It wasn't as polished, but still good from what I'd read.


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