FLOWER & Mad World (Short ver. MVs on YouTube)

[Ryusei]

God, what do people expect? Avex doesn't give out millions of budget for PVs anymore, not for her at least. Sure you can do more "expensive looking" things even with a small budget but I don't think these are bad at all they have emotion and meaning. FLOWER reminded me of Don't look back with the hair cutting and makeup smearing.

[pepper]

Im very disapointed with FLOWER PV cause she looks ridicolous acting like that. I feel embarassed watchinh this. Besides, this is nothing original. She done that in DLB and it was more deep and technically way more proffesional.

But Mad World wow! Thats the minimalistic type of video I love!! Meaningful and touching. Those screens damn...

[Heavenly]

Well, I couldn't resist. I watched the previews and I'm satisfied with them.
In FLOWER, the way she acts reminds me of the PVs directed by Shimoko...
And for MAD WORLD, it's very moving and meaningfull.

Do we know the nams of the directors ? (I assume Masashi Muto is ine the place...)

[kinix]

While looking at the news preview, I'm very interested in FLOWER and meh to Mad world. But upon seeing the short version of both, I've flipped my interest lol.

Mad world seems deep! 1st seeing her wearing something similar to her Life performance on ms during the 311. It gives a down to earth feel which might symbolise her start of singing career. Then a rough of ppl came n surround her as they dressed her up in diva style. After, a bucket of black ink thrown onto the floor and pollute/tainted her. Which might symbolise the power of the words by reporters and netizen critics of her. Have yet to see the full pv but this shd be a very meaningful PV! (Oh yeah and the video of her past being projected in the bg is so nice!)
FLOWER on the other hand.... don't quite like her acting there. She's acting like geisha but without the dress is weird and the crazy act seems like a breakdown. And the if we're to relate to the lyrics, she seems to became a crazy b after a torn relationship.... not what I really expected... but wait till the full PV! Hope it turns out awesome!

[Heavenly]

The only reproach I could make for the FLOWER pv is since the lyrics are full of metaphors, I expected a more poetic video, like JEWEL (not with diamonds though...) or Part of Me. Especially when she screams "Like a flower I wanna grow thorns" I imagined her standing in a bush of thorny branches (hello JEWEL!). The visuals of this album could have been sooooooo aesthetic.

But we all expect something different, she would never plainly satisfy everyone of us.

[Baernash]

Originally Posted by js_surrealism

For those of you (like me) who held on to the tiniest glimmer of hope that she would do something interesting for a change (since the music on the album was so promising) -- well, tough luck. Maybe on her 20th anniversary >.>

Maybe, who knows. I think she gave up on meaningful works a long time ago.

Originally Posted by Ayumi Romania

I think this PVs are bad and very rushed. I think this PVs were made in 1 or 2 days and looks like an amateurs work, nothing special and nothing interesting. It's really bad because the song have potential to make amazing PVs and I was expecting something better.

She had already PVs with similar concept. I'm not impressed with any of those. She's trying to show something meaningful but I feel like she's trying too hard and in effect we're getting very "fake" impression.

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by Baernash

Maybe, who knows. I think she gave up on meaningful works a long time ago.


She had already PVs with similar concept. I'm not impressed with any of those. She's trying to show something meaningful but I feel like she's trying too hard and in effect we're getting very "fake" impression.

Just because it holds no meaning to you, it does not mean it has no meaning at all.

[Baernash]

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

Just because it holds no meaning to you, it does not mean it has no meaning at all.

We can always say that something has meaning even if we can't see it. I think saying that they are "emotionless" would be a better word than "meaningless". Her old works were able to makes me feel something: happiness, sadness... even made me cry. Those videos are just "emotionally fake". I like concept of "FLOWER" (kinda like "MOON" and "Don't look back") but I don't like Ayu's acting (overdramatic). "Mad World" has wasted potential (footage reminds me of "CAROLS" and "HEAVEN" or even "Angel") - there's something cheasy in it. Some people said new PVs are cheap but you can make "cheap" PV which is still cool ("Last minute").

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by Baernash

We can always say that something has meaning even if we can't see it. I think saying that they are "emotionless" would be a better word than "meaningless". Her old works were able to makes me feel something: happiness, sadness... even made me cry. Those videos are just "emotionally fake". I like concept of "FLOWER" (kinda like "MOON" and "Don't look back") but I don't like Ayu's acting (overdramatic). "Mad World" has wasted potential (footage reminds me of "CAROLS" and "HEAVEN" or even "Angel") - there's something cheasy in it. Some people said new PVs are cheap but you can make "cheap" PV which is still cool ("Last minute").

You are just projecting your own dislike for the videos as they were factual aspects of it when they aren't. She is obviously trying to convey a certain idea and a certain emotion with it, so you can't say it's "meanless" or "emotionless" objective facts. You can say you don't like it though.

[oaristos]

Oh my, I'm just speechless right now. Both videos are amazing, I love how raw FLOWER looks, her outfit and makeup are beautiful and the angry acting suits the song perfectly On the other hand, Mad World is as beautiful as the song. I'm SO happy with how this album turned out!

[Saki-Chan]

NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. Low budget ok.. but no creativity... Mad world is cute.. it reminds me of Pride but Flower? One word: STATIC. No dynamic... I miss pv like Microphone or Days or even Carols.

[YakuSoku]

I also expected much more cuts in FLOWER, since the instrumentals scream for changes in the video. I had rather made MAD WORLD a one shot. One shot actually fits more slower songs (like sweet scar). Her acting fits here perfectly. I can imagine that she looked like that during the recording of FLOWER .
Mad World gave me chills too *_* .
In Mad World the middle part was cut, but the video continued normally :/

[erika_ayu]

I love Mad World, it's like she is addressing how people always compare her to her past peak era.

[4Seasons]

Originally Posted by erika_ayu

I love Mad World, it's like she is addressing how people always compare her to her past peak era.

+1

But how does it relate to the lyrics?

The lyrics are about living in a bad world, a bad society... and the PV is about being a prisoner to her old "ayumi hamasaki" persona. I don't get the connection?

[voltron]

I'm really curious to see how they both turn out in full.

It's so weird, but I feel like the styling at the beginning of FLOWER, I can barely recognize her face. It seems like it'll be an interesting video. I just think it would be more impactful if we didn't have Step by step. The whole struggle/rebelling/hair cutting thing just feels very reminiscent to that concept.

[UHPlus]

To summarize what I saw:

[SEOHYUN]

oh well...

[Deep snow]

I don't *love* Mad World as a song, but the video looks all right.

As for FLOWER, I was hoping for a more stereotypical Japanese traditional vibe. I hope the one-cut is executed well.

What I could probably complain about is that she only selectively lip-syncs to the lyrics. I mean. It would have been better if, in the throes of all that *dramatic thrashing and cryinging and actinging*, she would stick to actually mouthing the lyrics. It just looks so off to me otherwise.

[Yoake]

Give me the full videos now!!!!
I was surprised about Flower. The setting of the beginning is very similar to some of her other pvs but at the same time, I feel a very different vibe. The dress is wonderful(I'm a bit sad that she tore it). The scene in front of the mirror could remind Don't Look Back but I find it even stronger because she's doing the action in our presence and here she does it for fighting and not because she's crying in the "shadow". The message is very strong. And I hope that fans'll respect her wishes.

Mad World is amazing too. I love how she stands and sings straightforward in jeans. ♥ I love the contrast between the sadness of the song and the happy moments of the concert videos.

I'm in love with the direction of her pvs since last year. They're well-executed, meaningful and with a touch of modernity.

Originally Posted by rainbow_smile

Apparently in the news report they said that she cuts her hair and rips her dress because she's trying to get rid of the lies she surrounded herself with, and also to get rid of the feelings that restrain her. I wan't the one translating this though.

That's what I though when I saw the video. Thanks for confirming it.

[pimenta]

I really like both MVs! They're simple, but no bad at all