Ayu on Oriental Daily 3/12/2004
 

I should have read the newspaper more often. ayu was on the newspaper 4 times last week and i didnt know.

anyway, just to remind you, the correct attitude of reading a hong kong newspaper is to read, laugh and forget.

http://www.angelfire.com/ri2/extepan/images/ayu1203.jpg
you need to copy and paste the url to your browser. clicking it doesnt work.

translation

title:
new record is a giveaway, four different covers to snatch customers
ayu' new look is a balant copy of christina

text:
ayu's first new album in 2 years 'my story' is confirmed to hit the shops on 15/12. in order to boost sales to the maximum, avex made 4 different covers to attract people to buy the cd. the number of songs on the album is an amazing 17, making it a giveaway to fans, hence boosting sales.

it is only 10 or so days to the sales of the album. avex started to offer a pay download service from the day before yesterday, letting fans to download the songs from 'my story; from the internet. the songs are charged at 210 yen each (about 16 hong kong dolalrs). because of the collapse of the japanese music market, this is a makeshift effort to curb the loss of sales.

------

after the release of all 4 designs of the covers, many people criticised that the layout of the photo looks very familiar. this is because ayu's image and pose are all extremely similar to the pics in the 2005 calendar of the queen of american music industry christina aguilera. both series of pics are sexy and has a classical feel to it. hence, ayu is caught red handed.

actually, this is not ayu's first time to copy. there are many reports saying that she copies madonna in recent years. however, this is the first report to mention ayu with christina aguilera.

thx for the news
dotn we know all dat info already but?
--------------
i th ink some of these news articals are NEVER GOOD

O.O
well the styles between ayu and christina(calendar) is pretty close..there's this 50's/60's theme to it..christina's one look more classy/grand then ayu one imho
i don't think ayu intend to copy...i think is more of a fashion thing
she is the fashion queen of jpop after all...so don't think she did

edit:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...endar05_03.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/hakux/ayuJ3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...endar05_12.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/hakux/ayuJ4.jpg
just the color/fur carpet thing is similar...the rest i don't think

hmmmm i dont think Ayu copied Christina...its just a coincidence, geez ppl think too much

if the songs are available for download already, shouldnt we have mp3's prety soon? :)

so that first pic in the article next to ayu's cover is christina? doesn't look like it.

ridiculous ...
i dun think they look familiar at all ...

i am just informing you of the existence of such article. i didnt even ask you if it was good.

stop criticising my homeland, otherwise i will be extremely offended. actually i already am.

can someone be a bit more thankful for the hours i spent translating these articles?????

thankx extepan for ur translation ..
are u living in hk or what ?

i live in hk, why?

Thank you for the translations. It's greatly appreciated. But I don't think anyone was critisizing Hong Kong itself. It's just the fact that HK tabloids often tend to be very negative when it comes to ayu. All tabloids: American, HK, etc; tend to be negative, because badmouthing celebrities sells. That's all.

^oh kool u live in hk, my sister is in hk now lol

comparing Christina and Ayu's pics, i reckon Ayu looks way~ better
Christina used to be my no1 just b4 i liked Ayu 5 months ago, now Ayu is my no1

extepan i'm sure they didn't mean to critisize your homeland, don't take it wrong, they just said that the articles were not reputable, they did not say HK sucks. please don't start a fight. i'm sure they didn't mean it the way you took it.

Hmmm.. their poses are so different in my own eyes.. oh well thanks for the sharing

"...there are many reports saying that she copies madonna in recent years. however,
this is the first report to mention ayu with christina aguilera."

That's the funniest part for me. Ok so they like got tired of saying Madonna all the time, so they started using Christina. Like who are they going to use next time? hmm .. Mr. Bean seems like a good choice.. hehehe

I do agree with Haku that Christina's does look alot classier.

holy o.o;;; Christina looks like a cross between some ugly drag queen and a clown in her pics.. I like Ayu's ALOT more

<sarcasm>
Yeah...I mean, ayu is obviously not copying. look at her! same pose, clothing style, photo style, floor, coloring, heavy makeup, OBVIOUSLY not copying. not like those chinese singers that always copy ayu. they're bad. oh man are they bad. once, I saw one that was wearing pants. just like ayu did in one of her photos! OMG! I almost flipped out! I called everyone I knew, and we all went to kill her! Seriously! Those chinese singers are shifty characters. Not like my goddess, ayu. No, she'd NEVER copy anyone. Never. Not even if her clothing is the same. And the pose. And the style.
</sarcasm>

I'm as a big an ayu fan as you people, but seriously. Before you go of like a rocket about people criticizing ayu about copying, look at the nasty stuff said about people like Jolin. I mean, some of these "She copied Ayu" things are just ridiculous. And one that looks decently credible comes along and suddenly the person that suggests it is a raving lunatic?

:yes Yup...that's what I was gonna say. So what if she has similar backgrounds...get over it. Ayu makes them look 100x's better than her any ways.

thanks for the news...

i don't think ayu copied christina...

lol.

omg. i so like Ayu's better.
Christina's is so. skank.

thx a lot for the news

I can say for sure that I was never part of "that". Actually I always feel tiresome whenever someone from either side brings up topics like "that". I just don't waste my time on such pointless discussions.

But what's up with your "Chinese undertone" there?

XDD ricekid.. calm down... we're only stating our own opinions... and i think you exaggerated a lil too much in your umm.. first paragraph >_<

i don't think ayu is copying christina... well if she is then i don't think she's doing it intentionally.. i mean look at the 2 pics.. clearly ayu's look more decent than christina XD i mean don't get me wrong.. i have nothing against christina.. and i am NOT favouring ayu.

indeed ayu's look more decent than christina's. but the styles are really similar though

Ok, look at the pictures of Xtina...and then think...

You people complained that AYUMI had on too much makeup! :roflmao

You'd think Christina would have learned something from the Lady Marmalade video. :)

How can you say the DONT look similiar? are you blind? Im pretty sure the photographer have seen Christina's pics, and got 'some' inspiration... You people always defend ayu:P
I think they both look good, but christina can look very classy, she has a very classy-looking face,kinda^^ Ayu dont^^ but ayu is still pretty there :)

:laugh.

ricekid, your funny.

ok christina has more. but ayu already has a ton of makeup on her face

ha. i think its juz the hair & the lipstick. and i wonder how many different pose some1 can pose. 来来去去还不是那几个...

LOL thats quite true...there arent so many poses one can do

I'm not gonna be part of the who copied who thing (though I agree that many Ayu fans always jump to defend her and/or jump to accuse other artists) but I do see a resemblance in the pictures. I happen to like the Christina ones more just because Christina's set is reminiscent of eras past.

is it me or did it seem like christina was copying ayu? (fighter video vs. ourselves) -- i think of the black dress that is similar between the two

I think it's funny what people in Hong Kong consider "news" news in America is actual important things that are happening, in Hong Kong it seems more like Fox news where people give their opinions, bashing celebrities on their new work lol. Although, I do agree, any idea has to come from an inspiration from something else, cause and effect, and I think Ayu's producers do try to make her more and more American by the minute, so I do believe her PRODUCERS not her decided to make her like Christina, cuz honestly, it's sad, but most Jpop artists are pretty much money puppets, including Ayu.

heh..you got the other way around
ayu copied christina...Fighter MV came first before ourselves did

em.....Christinas fightervideo came out first...

oh wow.. but maybe ayu has her own meaning behind it.. o_O

You mean how it seems like every person that "copies" ayu is some chinese singer? Chinese artists get such bad reps because one or two does a cover of a song or has a similar dress, and the entire fanbase of the copy-ee goes beserk. You should see how Canto-artists get butchered at Korean music forums. it makes me sick...

Not saying you specifically do, but like when ayu fans found kill-ayu they started defending her like "Well, it doesn't mean she COPIED her. These people are just stupid" and it's like, how blind can you be? Sure, ayu's great and all (I own all her albums and over half her singles, not to mention a few remix albums and 2 videos) but it's quite obvious that somewhere along the way some decided they likes what was going on across the pond and took the idea, purposely or not.

Why is it that it's justified for an artist you like to copy (sorry, lemme rephrase that, "be inspired) someone else, but if someone else copies the artist you like suddenly it's a completely different ballgame?

Copying Christina? Please. :P Christina is an all-out skank, Ayu is not. Psh.

An "all-out skank" with an all-out amazing voice. Some of you are such hypocrites.

i don't think it was intentional, although the pictures are similar

that's so MEAN!!!
even if the covers might be SIMILAR.. the person isnt.. and the feeling u get when lookin at the picture isnt the same in any way..
like christina aguilera is a ****in **** MAN!!!
xD
n the avex thing.. seriously... if ppl actually download there... they mind as well juz get her album instead of spending money downloading it now.. total RETARDS

Ayu is caught red handed? lol that bit makes me laugh :bchuck

They don't look similar to me, the period is different too, Christina's is more of 1920's like.(who say 50/60?) Just the funiture has same floral decor look to them. Posts are different too.

Some people may get the same impressions and feeling by looking at them 2, and think they're similar. That's okay. People has their own opinions. It's all nice and cool.

But I must say, Christina's is actually more natural and better looking than Ayu's except maybe the one where the entire Ayu is shown.

(The problems I have with Ayu's new covers are design details, I just want to remind everyone.)

Oh no... Ayu didn't copy Christina at all. The theme is the same but the style isn't.

lol Ayu copied.

Hands down its so similar. Funny to see you all defend Ayu on this one but its just not going to work here.

XTina's version looks more like how the era was represented with fashion and make up .. if you look at the pictures back then (though they didn't have colored photos) their make up looked heavy and dark.

Besides ... who cares .. I doubt this album will do well.

___

Also ... if you're willing to throw out that Jolin copies Ayu .. you better be ready to take in that Ayu copies other artists ...

A reply that makes sense. Wow. 's Been ages since I've seen one. Thank you, ricekid.

To everyone who immediately jumped out and defended: what are you guys, blind?

We're dealing with extreme fanboys and fangirls here .... so that's their reason :(

Now imagine for a second tha those Xtina pics were really JOLIN pics and that they came along AFTER My Story...then this would be a huge thread on how Jolin is so bad and blah blah blah. People can't accept that AYUMI COPIES. I love her, but the truth is, she definitely pulls heavily from other influences sometimes. I just think it is ridiculous how people defend Ayu and attack other artists when AYUMI is the one who is copying.

But...those pics are way different, Xtina is a skank and Ayu isn't..blah blah blah... Maybe Ayumi has on less makeup and it looks a little different, but geez people, open your eyes. And I personally think Xtina has a good look going.

It's the same thing with the Ourselves PV. How can you not say that was influenced by Xtina's Fighter video? Or how can you not say that the cover of Carols was influenced by Celine Dion?

Ayumi is an amazing artist, but wake up people...she's not some all-mighty goddess.

I love you guys.

oh ... and didn't Nicole Kidman do an advertisement for Chanel in which she wore a black dress and had a diamond necklace with Chanel's logo as the charm at the base of her spine? Guess who did it after her .. literally after since the ad is still semi new .. Ayu in that photoshoot that touchedstar has a small button of in his siggie :P

No one is perfect and people do copie. Its the way society goes, in a lot of different locations.

*pats the fanboys and fangirls* its ok ..

Yeh, it's really similar.
But come on, Christina has a lot of make-up on because of her style nowadays. She's with this "drag" look everywhere. And it fits the picture, the style, the whole calendar.. Her intention is to be with a lot of Make Up and look like a "drag meets a poodle".

hahha come on... relax.... copy or not... its already out... O.o whazz the big deal now... but true... it looks kind of similar... but not to the extent that it is exactly the same right... there is still some differences in the photo... (yah different people, different pose, different make up, different furniture...) they are just photos!!!

i don't think Ayu was copy christina~~~!!!

Personally i think both of them look unique in their own way. I especially like Christina's though, it's a bit more classy like mentioned in the past posts. But Ayu's deserved to be praised too.

And i'm sure Ayu copied Christina because she was INSIPIRED by the looks. Well, we all know Ayu likes Christina. She even mentioned that she enjoyed her album "STRIPPED" in the past. So it's logical to copy someone you admires.

So then its ok for Jolin to copy Ayumi ...

yeah! i agree with you. and she really draws a lot of influence from here and there. we have to keep an open mind, and it is ok for ayu to be influenced by other people's work. i am sure we do get 'influenced' by other people's homework, or test answers when we accidentally peep at others answer sheet.

ahhh..those are found memories, aren't they?!

let's keep in mind that it's the people that make her pose that copied christina. Not ayumi. =P And I guess it's not suprising really. But we can blame no one because we dunno who it is yet. xD

and I must say...the piccies just give me a thought "dark and light" and that christina one was just....*shivers* >__< It's scary!!

i agree with you there! life is full of coincidences, right?

I completely agree. People are just too biased. I'm sure we all love Ayu (that`s probabily why we here) but please come on.. I'm sure a lot of famous artists today copied someone else that was/is famous. Let's look at it this way, why would you copy someone that you don't like? You'll probabily copy someone only if you look up to them or if you like their style. Sure, originality is out of the picture, but I guess not everyone could be original all the time.

examples of imitation/ copies (or what people claim):
Boa -> Britney Spears
korean Ring, English verison -> pretty pony~pretty pony~pretty pony~ verison (Ringu)
Grudge
Hyori-> Namie Amuro
the many versions of "Kiss- Because I'm a Girl"
Sammi Cheng's cover of Lee Jung Hyun
Jolin Choi's "pose" , or nails as to Ayu's (pretty ridiculus)
Ayu's Rainbow as to TATU
Ayu's Rainbow PV as to Christina's Fighter
etc. etc.

ok do we see a trend going on? All of these that were copied were once top/hit people/shows. Please don't just direct it towards the "Chinese", other groups copy too. Heck, just because they happen to wear the same shirt, people will say that's copying. :rolleyes I might not be so happy if people copied me too, but if they do, it'll probabily mean they like my style? O_o"
People just take it easy, it's not that serious. We'll still be Ayu fans, right? :eyebrow


:thud

pardon me, all christina fans.. but i think christina looked scary in the pictures

pardon me too, but i think christina looked scary ever since she had her raunchy image.