[Charts & Rankings] The Official Oricon Thread of TROUBLE

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

I'm not so sure about that. I mean, in general public opinion for Namie is extremely high and has been for a very long time. Even at her low points, her vocals, looks, music etc., were never really criticized, only her personal life. For Ayu though, she gets criticized about absolutely everything and has been held in fairly low regard publicly for many years now.

I don't think that's right at all, and I do think there are asinine reasons for it, I just don't think it's right to say that Namie went through the same thing and would likely be going through it again. The two aren't all that equatable imo.

I started to listen to jpop around the time Namie was at her lowest, and on the forums I read she was treated her like a has been that only fanatic stans cared about, desperate to sell through a growing sexualized image that should retire already. Some even started "ironically" liking her before being completely sold around the Queen of Hip hop/Play/Best Fiction eras.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

I started to listen to jpop around the time Namie was at her lowest, and on the forums I read she was treated her like a has been that only fanatic stans cared about, desperate to sell through a growing sexualized image that should retire already. Some even started "ironically" liking her before being completely sold around the Queen of Hip hop/Play/Best Fiction eras.

I also started listening to Namie in the early 2000s's, and yes, that is true.
I mean she went from million sales after million sales in the 90s to much less, so that kind of criticism was inevitable. But again, she was never criticized for anything other than being a has been with some spotty personal life bits here and there, but nobody criticized her really beyond that -- vocally, looks, etc. But I take your point; just don't really think it's the best comparison.

I like the Akina/Seiko comparison more, although Seiko did have the anamoly big hit in 1996, six plus years after her prime.