Do you think Ayu is too westernized?

[dawnss]

I know that you wanted to explain to woman that they are beautiful, but the problem is, is that blonde hair does not make someone Western or the use of English titles. Although Ayu has blonde hair and double eyelids, a term I find offensive, she really does not look too Western compared to other artists who are Japanese. Look at Sifow with her very tan skin and blonde hair (she did at least in 2006), what about Koda Kumi who had her provacative dance moves, clothes, some what tan skin, dyed hair, and then there were those lyrics. Then there is Namie Amuro who someone people can say that because she is a 30 something woman who is somewhat similiar to older women who has a child and who want to still look sexy, think about those stereotypical women in Orange County. Yet, I came to realize that many American woman do the exact same thing they get surgery to have smaller noses, larger hips, bigger breasts, fuller lips (look at the cosmetic tips in Cosmo, teenvogue, ym, seventeen magazine, cosmogirl, elle, and etc); I do not want to sound blunt or rude but women around the world do this. I have to ask the question is Utada Hikaru more Japanese and hence more relateable to the Japanese public because she appears to have had no cosmetic surgery, she has black hair, and she wears jeans often? If so, then maybe we all need to take a look at the stereotypes that we perceive to be true and get over the fact that their not true. Those artists that I mentioned have there personal styles and all of those few styles that I mentioned are representative of the japanese culture and its many people, not the Western world, just because you think they are only present in your country.
Concerning Ayu's lyrics how in the world is someone considered Western because they use English words in the songs or song titles. A friend of mine explained to me that English lyrics are used because it is a way for artists to express themselves. Are spanish speaking artists (whether they are Dominican, Mexican, Cuban, Latin American, Spanish, Guatamelan) because they choose to speak in English? No, they are using English to express themselves, which is very interesting if you are a fan of lyrics. I like how Ayu uses English lyrics on Masa's website there is an explanation of the English lyrics in Real Me and how they are an exaggeration when compared to the Japanese lyrics. Or look at the English lyrics in Heartplace or glitter which I find interesting because Ayu had broken up with her boyfriend at the time yet she talks about still believing in love, even though she felt that her and her boyfriend were better off as friends. Instead of mentioning that she is Western because she has English song titles, why not mention that her song titles tend to relate to her songs, and then remark on the fact that she is one heck of a song writer because frankly it would appear that she would not even be able to speak English, because she is Japanese. Also liked that waterballon mentioned how Ayu rarely uses her song titles in her songs which I find even more interesting to analyze. I just wanted to say that I did not want to offend anyone and that if I made any generalizations I do not support them, however I do know that most people believe them.

[reixminako]

I don't have a problem with her song titles. I think she does them that way so that everyone can understand them, not just her Japanese audience. It's something really unique that she does and I really like it.

As for her look...I definitely think it's too westernized. I'm one to think that people look best when they're as natural as can be, and for Ayu that would mean having black hair. But whatever, it's her decision.

[Calico]

Am I the only person that way prefers her with blonde hair as compared to the dark? XD I don't think the brown/black hair looks that good on her at all, unless it's cut really short...but she hasn't done that since her debut era. (I also think that wig from the mu tour was FANTASTIC and want one for myself XD)

I think Ayu has her very distinct style when it comes to her titles. for the MOST part they're one word English words. IT's something we can almost always count on. I don't think it makes her any more or any less original. And I agree that, well, save for enka maybe, just about all of J-pop is "westernized" if you're going by the definition. But then you have to ask...what's the alternative? Mostly J-pop is heavily influenced already by western music. J-pop itself partially originated from pure cover bands back in the 50s-60s doing music by Elvis and the like, from which later people were inspired.

So, ah, no, I don't really consider her being "westernized" as a bad point.

[maikaru]

I dont really understand this debate between "westernized" or so.
Japan is a western nation.
It speaks a different language than english, yes, but many definitions of "the West" include Japan.
Japanese foundations in law, politics, and education were influenced by American occupation,
And Japanese modern music started immitation of American.

Blonde hair is a native to very small amount of the population of Earth,
But maybe 75% of america use blonde hair dye to make a blonde hair.
I dont feel it is any different than Japanese doing the same.
Those people who dye their hair blonde dont wanna be from Netherlands, or similar.
They just thinks it look good.
Same in Japan.

It is a lot the same way as people who like Japan, but arent Japanese.
Is it okay for you to like Japan, but its not for Ayumi to like American?
I dont understand this.. I dont think I can even understand it.
It's a really confusing, and sometimes stupid concepts.
In Japan, its just you wanna to look good,
And red hair or blonde hair can bring out a really good look in a lot of skin tones.

That's all...
It doesnt wanna to be white, just it looks better than a boring black hair, in many people's opinion.

Or .. I dont know, do you want her music just to be traditions of Japan?
Stop with her sounds, and move to non-westernized sounds? orz;
And the english titles.. she cannot convey the same english meaning in Japanese titles,
Or sounds really dumb. I think it's just an artist thing.

Such as,
Neverending Dream - > 果てない夢-> Hatenai yume. It doesnt have the same impact.
Or, poker face -> 平気な顔 -> heiki na kao. It just sounds so stupid. ahahaha.

It's just for artistic effect~~

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by maikaru

I dont really understand this debate between "westernized" or so.
Japan is a western nation.
It speaks a different language than english, yes, but many definitions of "the West" include Japan.
Japanese foundations in law, politics, and education were influenced by American occupation,
And Japanese modern music started immitation of American.

Blonde hair is a native to very small amount of the population of Earth,
But maybe 75% of america use blonde hair dye to make a blonde hair.
I dont feel it is any different than Japanese doing the same.
Those people who dye their hair blonde dont wanna be from Netherlands, or similar.
They just thinks it look good.
Same in Japan.

It is a lot the same way as people who like Japan, but arent Japanese.
Is it okay for you to like Japan, but its not for Ayumi to like American?
I dont understand this.. I dont think I can even understand it.
It's a really confusing, and sometimes stupid concepts.
In Japan, its just you wanna to look good,
And red hair or blonde hair can bring out a really good look in a lot of skin tones.

That's all...
It doesnt wanna to be white, just it looks better than a boring black hair, in many people's opinion.

Or .. I dont know, do you want her music just to be traditions of Japan?
Stop with her sounds, and move to non-westernized sounds? orz;
And the english titles.. she cannot convey the same english meaning in Japanese titles,
Or sounds really dumb. I think it's just an artist thing.

Such as,
Neverending Dream - > 果てない夢-> Hatenai yume. It doesnt have the same impact.
Or, poker face -> 平気な顔 -> heiki na kao. It just sounds so stupid. ahahaha.

It's just for artistic effect~~

You said it Maikaru

[PoetGirl]

only thing i would call too western about her are her eyes. nothin' more. cuz she looks more european then me

[sugarbasil]

If you go to Japan you'll immediately notice that the Japanese in general are very westernized (fashion-wise). Most teenage girls that I saw there dyed their hair and wore a lot of western-influenced clothing. I don't think Ayu's any different from these other Japanese girls. I think she's actually a good representative of Japanese fashion and style (well, I don't think most girls have as much money to change their hair as often, but that's besides the point ). So I think a better question would be, "are Japanese girls too westernized?" Japan in general is obsessed with America, and I haven't the faintest idea why. So to even say that you think her PVs are too westernized would be questioning Japanese society more than Ayu, because many Japanese would love to see a PV set in America.

Granted, Ayu seems to change her hair color/style more than a lot of Japanese female artists, but that's probably just Ayu. She probably just likes having different styles; I can't imagine she's trying to become as western as possible. I don't think that's her ultimate goal (but again, I'm not Ayu so I can't say for sure). If it were, she would never ever change her hair color back to black. And we know Ayu, she's way into clothes and fashion and image, moreso than a lot of female artists (Hikki and Ai-chin, for example). It's just her personality. She's going to try everything.

So no, I don't think she's too westernized. She is a modern Japanese girl. Modern Japanese girls are westernized. This is what I expect her to look like. If you want a traditional Japanese singer you're going to have to listen to enka or classical. That's like people going to Japan expecting to see tea houses on every corner and geisha walking about.

And really, as I said, a lot of it is amplified by her personality. She likes clothes and hair. Much moreso than some other artists. She just happens to like blonde-ish hair more.

[Aga-chan]

Others have already brought it up, but the question is: What is "Western"? And what is "Japanese"? Would colouring my hair black and wearing a kimono make me "asianized"?
The borders between what is what are very thin. Specially in our age. And something that might seem very "Western", might actually have their influence from a completely different culture. It's a process that went on since thousands of years and will go on.
By how maikaru put it so well, wouldn't that mean that most of us on here are "Japanized"? What makes an American "American", a Japanese "Japanese" or a Pole "Polish" anyway? Is someone less "Japanese" by the mere fact of coloured hair or wearing jeans? Are they supposed to wear kimono and carry a katana with them? lol Overall, this is a very delicate topic!!

Like someone already wrote, ayu is more "universal". Take "Endless sorrow" PV, for example. She could have very well put only Japanese people into it, but with various nationalities it went from a domestic to a universal issue. Same with "HEAVEN" and other PVs. I don't think it's the mere fact of being "cool" that plays a role here.

Also, as a side note, it's impossible to colour black hair any darker, right? So all there's left is colouring them a lighter colour. ^^ That's probably all there is to it.

[Corybobory]

I dont understand how English and blonde are exclusively western phenomena. English is a pretty global language (at the moment) and hardly anyone is a natural blonde. It's not like if you're Westernized you have blonde hair and speak English.

[Calico]

Yeah, for as a popular as a hair color as it is, blonde is hardly natural for anybody who has blonde hair. Heck, I have two blonde wigs I wear for the day whenever I feel the mood. And, ha, a good portion of my father's bloodline is Swedish. =P (...but I got blue eyes, though.) I can't really blame Ayu for changing her hair color so much...I always want to do something too but don't want to dye my hair, so I buy wigs instead. XD In her case I think it's just a mix of personal preference and the want/need to be a fashion icon. Fashion icons have to always change their images to still be fashion icons.

[Beauty4123]

honestly, i only like ayumi with blonde hair. her miss understood era hair was pretty and all, but for me, she just dosen't look the best with dark hair.

[waterballoon]

I think it's just so damn cool that her titles are in English. As maikaru said, there is a certain artistic influence... and do remember that she rarely uses the title in the song, so it just adds another different perspective to her songs.

Also by 'westernized', you mean that she's becoming too much like a western, then hey, how often does she use English in her lyrics?

[tanachu]

Originally Posted by MYV*izm

for some reason i doubt she dyes her hair blonde because she thinks it's "cool" and more "western."

Uh, what other reason do people dye their hair for? Since Japanese people aren't born blonde... Because it looks good/they were influenced by the Western looks.

[Chibi_Venus]

I have to agree with some of the comments here.

Being that Ayu is blonde and uses tons of English, I don't see it as her being too Western. She just admires that culture and likes to use it in her music. Blonde is a very good color on her and, I have to say, it's what makes her unique. English titles are also a relief for me being that I'm completely American, but isn't English almost like Japan's second language? It's quite common, so maybe it's just easier within the music world...

Like emiko said, it's like us listening to Japanese music and liking the Asian culture. It doesn't make us too "Easternized."

[Miss Scarlett]

To be honest, I think she does actually look quite Western, or at least not very Japanese. Naturally I mean, as in her facial structure and all that. The first thing my Mum said once when she saw me looking at some Ayu thingy on wikipedia was, "She's got Western blood in her" :O

It's probably not true, but it is possible I guess. Anyway, offtopic, it just reminded me of it.

I think she looks great with blonde hair, it really suits her! I've not seen many pics of her with dark hair, but I don't really think it looks as good on her. It's only natural to want to look your best!

Song titles, I'm indifferent, but it would be a bit pointless to change it now, since all the rest have been in English.

[kendelle]

I never thought of Ayu as "too westernised". She certainly likes the US and the English language but I don't see that as defining her as "western" or "anti-Japanese" or anything of the sort.

To me, Ayu's constant hair style changes and her music ARE her. If she was to suddenly drop the Roman lettering in her titles and use Japanese, or if she decided to leave her hair natural and never change the colour again, she wouldn't be "the" Ayu anymore. Fashion icons can't go around wearing the same thing forever and musicians can't progress without experimenting with different music styles or wording.

If Ayu were to change all of her song titles back to Japanese, stop using English words in her songs and leave her hair dead straight and brown for all eternity, she would become to me just an average J-Pop singer. Nothing about her would stand out and she would be lost in a sea of thousands of other wannabes and try-hards.

A huge part of Ayu that I love is her willingness to try new styles, to put herself out there into the public with something that could be seen as scary and slowly let people appreciate it. Her hair styles haven't always been great but you have to admire her for trying them. Also, in my experience, Ayu is one of the first Japanese singers I've found to use English letters for every single one of her songs. Lots dabble in English and lots have 2-3 songs with English in the title but Ayu is the first I found to use it every time. This might be seen as very bold in Japan (it is to me) and is one of the ways Ayu pushes musical boundaries (it's a shame this style isn't appreciated and reflected better in our musical charts!!).

But putting that aside, Ayu works very hard, why can't she enjoy her little free time to change her hair style, to experiment with different sounds, to dabble in foreign languages here and there? I certainly would if I had the time

[emi♡]

^It goes even deeper and further back into history, with Imperialism and colonization of other countries by those countries.

It always makes me think...when the English defeated the Spanish armada in 15-whatever, and we were learning about it in class, my teacher made the comment "Imagine if Spain had won? We'd probably all be speaking Spanish right now." lol

[Yum!Fruit_Salad!]

Originally Posted by emiko

^It goes even deeper and further back into history, with Imperialism and colonization of other countries by those countries.

It always makes me think...when the English defeated the Spanish armada in 15-whatever, and we were learning about it in class, my teacher made the comment "Imagine if Spain had won? We'd probably all be speaking Spanish right now." lol

My history teacher pretty much made the same comment.

[SolarAngel]

No way. The only westernized thing about her is her blonde hair and her penchant for watching american dramas. I think her mindset and mannerisms are still very much japanese.

[emi♡]

Maybe they teach them to say that at some convention.

Did you have AP?