http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/bigi...injapaninc.htm
Basically, all the writers who are Westerners-but-report for Japanese publications seemed (and still do) to think that Ayu was not the creative force behind her success nor that she was very great even when she was in her heyday. It's kind of sad really that almost every writer was like this...
"Fans remain increasingly voracious. Still there's no accounting for taste."
Sounds like most of these people judged her before they even really listened to her music imo and were essentially saying that she had fans for all the wrong reasons because she's not a 'real artist' and that those who did like her lacked any good sense of taste. (this is around 2000 or so btw)
I am also speaking about TheJapanTimes which has almost always held the "Ayu is plastic, Utada/anyone else is fantastic" stance. I don't get it, really.