Ayu's perfect albums would be: Love songs, NEXT LEVEL, Secret, (miss)understood, MY STORY, I am..., and RAINBOW.
Other Asian artists who I think have done near perfect records:
1. MISIA - JUST BALLADE
This album has Ginga on it. Its cover is amazing and I loved the very melodic ballads on the album.
2. Sakamoto Miu - PHANTOM girl
I first heard Sakamoto Miu's "PHANTOM girl's first love" song, and the video was just too awesome. I didn't realize until I got the album how amazingly intricate the production on her albums are with her voice. She has a very crisp, sharp, beautifully operatic voice.
3. Sakamoto Miu - HATSUKOI
The video for "Precious" made 2011 a great year, even through all the very difficult struggles I've had. It made me realize how beautiful life simply is.
4. Hebe Tian - To Hebe
This is my lay outside in comfortable clothes and read a book on a sunny day, or have coffee and watch the rain fall album. LOVE! is a very beautiful song, and it makes me notice the little things more.
5. Hebe Tian - My Love
Angel Among Devils is the best song on this album. I love the message behind most of these songs, and the metaphors in her videos are top notch this time around. A lot of work clearly went into this record.
6. Elva Hsiao - Ms. Elva
This is, to me, bigger than 1087. It's the record that Elva just did Elva on, and Rang Ai Fei Qi Lai pays it forward by painting any kind of loving relationship as something to celebrate. I was shocked to see a C-Pop singer promote acceptance of homosexual relationships in one of her videos, but she does this beautiful job of showing that it doesn't matter who you love as long as you love.
7. Mika Nakashima - MUSIC
This is Mika's defining record. She pulls out every epic ballad and awesome production work. LEGEND, Kumo no Ito, and many many songs are just shockingly beautiful, from the lyrics to the music's style, and visuals.
8. Mika Nakashima - VOICE
I was very disappointed after YES, so I think this record I had much lower expectations for overall. I think once Eien no Uta came, I knew she wasn't going to repeat YES. I DON'T KNOW was fun, but the other songs and "Koe" are so worth listening to, even just once.
9. Mika Nakashima - STAR
Considering she was having some serious problems with her hearing, I'm not surprised this album didn't make it to the top of the charts. I did not like that the cover uses the same image from the Ichiban... single but the album is one of the most Pop albums Mika's done. It's definitely worth a listen.
10. Stefanie Sun - It's Time
Kingdom of Fools and Telling The World The Words From My Heart blow me out of the water. Stefanie hit the ball out of the park with this album. The lyrics are beautifully poetic, to the point where you start feeling like you're living in her world until the song ends and you look up and realize you're still you.
11. All of Utada Hikaru's albums... the least perfect was First Love.
Enough said. Utada really gives her records her all, and it shows every time.
12. Peggy Hsu - Snowman
This album went largely under the radar, but Hsu's beautiful gray hair and the very eery setting of the music makes it feel otherwordly. She did a great job with this album.
13. Miliyah Kato - HEAVEN
This was just Kato's liberation album. For once, she did what was true to her, and didn't put the pomp and glamour in it. We just got Miliyah.
14. Kuraki Mai - ALL MY BEST
This is the best Best collection I've heard of Kuraki's work. I wasn't a fan until I sat down and actually listened to both CDs. When I hit BE WITH U, I knew I clearly underestimated how awesome she is. The interesting thing about Kuraki is that, unlike every other artist I've ever heard, she gets BETTER with each year... Her songwriting and voice get tighter instead of looser, and more focus gets put on making quality songs and simplifying her appearance. It's very refreshing to see someone get better with age.
15. EVERYTHING BY KOKIA
Just everything... seriously... everything. EVERYTHING. Absolutely freakin' everything. I fall in love with her over and over again every time she releases a new album or collection or single or DVD or anything. This woman could not possibly disappoint me, even if the rest of her albums were horrible. She's too awesome, too loving, and too wise to ignore, and I wish the rest of the world could just sit for 30 minutes and listen to her sing, hear her lyrics. If you're ever depressed, she'll tell you there's still something immensely beautiful about your life.
16. Nishino Kana - to Love
Thank you, Love was bad... very bad. But to Love was actually an amazing record. I still bounce up and down when I hear love&smile.
17. Hajime Chitose - Nomad
Her best record. This was about the time she was getting comfortable with being in the spotlight. So, Nomad was her establishing a new sound for herself in many ways... something she's stuck to since.
18. BoA - IDENTITY
JUST KIDDING!
18. Otsuka Ai - LOVE COOK
Where do I begin... Planetarium, Neko ni Fuusen... CHERISH... Cooking 3-Minute Ramen... The only way this record could have been better is if Kingyo Hanabi and Jellyfish, Starfish were on it. Then I might have said I had found Heaven on earth.