[DonkeyKongRemix]

Made in Japan is like saying, "Made in China," something you would see on an item in the store. (I'm not saying this as a fact but rather how I interpreted it before) I am very astonished by peoples' responses to these goods and the theme.

Just think about Ayu and what her career has been.

She JUST re-released A BEST, an album that forced her to deal with the concept of person vs. product. Throughout her career, I feel like she has struggled to be her own person instead of a product of Avex (or the Japanese media for that matter). Now, she constantly has to recreate her image so that the public might feel better about her.

I love the look she's gone for, especially the shots from the photo shoot. She is so plainly her, simple and to the point. I've always liked how over-the-top glamorous and shiny she's been before but this view of her is also really exciting IMO. I don't find it boring because I feel like there's a bit more artistic merit behind it.

I find it almost crazy how some people are so disappointed that her theme doesn't appear to be more traditionally Japanese inspired.

To quote primavera♥ above me:
"I really really love the feeling pictures like this give off as well as the ones used on the tour goods. I can't place the feeling exactly, but it's nice, it feels old (like vintage) but that old. They all feel like pictures she would have taken in her early years. I usually like her more elaborate imagery and was tired of simplicity on albums like sixxxxxx, but this feels right. It's like the simplicity has more of a purpose and is executed better.
Those towels are to die for. I really love the sunglasses pictures as well. They give me the same feeling."

This is exactly how I feel.

Some of it actually really resembles Ayu from A Song for XX, which I felt about the magazine shoot as well.

gosh, I'm just really intrigued by all of this.