Do you think Ayu is too superficial now?
 

After the "Feel the love" PV I'm starting to see her differently. I've just been thinking.. she seems to care more about her appearance than anything else nowadays. I know she has always been image obsessed but it just seems to be getting worse and worse as she ages. And this new video was the worst I've seen her. I'm not sure if I like this ayu too much. What do you think? Have you noticed just how superficial she has become?

No. If you read her interviews she is the same as always.

However, she has let go of being perfect.

Yes. I've felt for a while that she has difficulty accepting the fact that she's aging and isn't as big as she once was. She's focusing on all the wrong things lately and it's disappointing a lot of fans :( This isn't the same Ayu I became a fan of so many years ago... I was once a huge fan, so I'll always have a soft spot for her and continue to check out her new releases! But I don't feel the same way I used to about her and her music. In just a few short years she'll be 40 years old so hopefully by then she will have reevaluated her priorities and her future as an entertainer.

I think it's the complete opposite. In these past years, she stopped caring about her image and decided to just have fun. To quote alterna: "If people will point the finger at me whether I've done it or not, then I'm going to things my way" (何かしたってしなくったって結局指さされるならあるがままに)

THIS.

Of course I don't feel any different about her! That doesn't stop me from hating Feel the love PV, thogh.
I know she linked herself to her career a lot, more than most singers, but don't forget not everything she does in her job reflects her completely. I feel she's changing too, anyway (she's becoming the adult version of herself, I guess, less prone to find perfection at all costs).
I didn't like the PV, but because it was badly done in my opinion. If you read the lyrics, they're nothing serious, so I doubt this is to be considered a statement of her towards everyone's body or stuff. I'm way more concerned about the poor quality of the video, and either if it's because of the zero budget, or the stuff she needs to change to, or whatever.
But... well, it was just a PV. Too early to make assumptions.

I think she's always been superficial to a certain extent, how can you be a pop icon of her status and NOT be superficial to some degree? The thing with Ayu has always been that paradox of her being so unreachable and fantastic alongside that ordinariness, it's like the story of her being at karaoke, not trusting Max, going to New York etc... that's all part of it.

If anything, she's less superficial now, but she's actually kind of boring without the fabricated 'pop star diva' part. It's almost like we know too much. It's why Virgin Road was better before they actually got married. If that makes any sense.

Agree. And it's a huge reason why I'm against celebrities using social media. It absolutely ruins their 'mystique.' Could you imagine Michael Jackson or Madonna using social media in their heyday? Ugh.

Being a fashion icon is a part of Ayu's legacy. Hell, it's a part of most pop icon's legacies.

She's worked her ass off for 15 years. Let the girl flaunt her wealth. How is she supposed to hide the fact that she's a wealthy, famous, pop icon?

I don't think she would want to. She grew up with barely anything beyond what her mom and grandma provided and worked her ass off to get what she has today.

I agree. I used to think she was but I'm realizing she's not the same at all. :(

No, not really.

She has always led an extravagant and luxurious life during her career. I would be superficial if I had that much money.

We just see more of her indulgence cause we see more of her thanks to Twitter and etc.
But now the problem is she doesn't seem to have a border between her personal and professional life.
Partying in LA is what she does now.

I haven't really noticed...? Like idk she's always looked like this after Mirrorcle World. The girl got cash and she gon' flaunt that cash.

Actually her image and only her image was more superficial back then ! When you read her interviews she is the same no doubt about it !

And I don't see anything wrong with her lifestyle she did not steal her wealth it's all thanks to her hard work she was a rather poor girl before becoming famous ! So I can understand her love for the beautiful and luxurious things. She will not going to die with her wealth ...

I would add that we should not take this video seriously it's like Beautiful fighter MV.

She partied before she lived in LA too, it's just that we didn't see evidence of said parties as much. Also she never toured as much before so she probably likes to take this time to rest.

However, she has also been working (silently) recording songs while in LA as well.

I don't think she's any more superficial. I think she's less.


I did like Coelacanth's recent post about the video. I don't think she was trying to push superficiality in the video.

I just don't think she's the best at expressing her ideas, and the people around her don't seem to help much.

I don't see anything wrong with her lifestyle.

Hell she partied a lot even in the past, so nothing really changed. Her marketing strategy and PVs might be different than what it used to be, but Ayu herself is the same.

And yes, I just want her to make a clear border between her job and personal life. I don't need a perfect Ayumi Hamasaki image, but I don't want too much of her personal life to affect her career either.

Either way, my love for Ayu still remains. I love both the 2000s Ayu and the 2013. So I guess you can say I'm happy for her right now.

Just going to leave this here:

JEWEL & my name's WOMEN PVs.

If those aren't superficial, I honestly do not know what is!!!!

^I disagree about mnW, but JEWEL is basically a jewel comercial with music, even the art direction.

Ayu's fanbase has the annoying habit of judging her whole life both past and future by whatever she released last.

I always try to look forward. What's coming next and how will it complement what is out now?

Feel the love isn't superficial... it's just Beautiful Fighters in a new way... that's all...

yesterday (before i've watched the PV) i saw the CNN documentation from 2006...
she said many things which i feel again and again until today...

she stay herself all the time... she just grown up and feel the 2nd side of the coin of love!
That's all ;)

EDIT: if you want to see her superficial... watch Bold & Delicious PV :D