Ayu: Anything Goes - the XXX (30th edition)!

[BlackSilence]

I'm following a few Ayu groups on facebook, with the new snippets of the mv out, someone is again whinning about how she needs to quit plastic surgery. Why are some people so buthurt she doesn't look like she did in the 90s? She literally looks the same to me. Why is she the only one always being dragged for it and questioned about her apparence? Why is none dragging Utada, Koda or Namie?? The woman is 43yo not 75..jeeez. And even if she had stuff done, people need to get over it already. It doesnot affect her music.

[ayu_fantasy]

Do u guys hate it why u mentioned that u like ayu, people tend to say. “Oh I prefer Misia, Namie etc…” LOLLL

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

I totally agree that it’s frustrating seeing comments only about Ayu.

But if I had to theorize why…
Ayu, particularly now, kind of plays up the robotic doll aesthetic, so I think that might have something to do with it. And she’s mostly only seen in recorded or photographed (edited) instances. She doesn’t really do “natural” photo shoots anymore, or makeup. Her casual, down to earth persona that she once had is pretty much nonexistent now, too. I mean, she used to appear in jeans and a t shirt haha.

Koda Kumi, Amuro Namie and especially Utada Hikaru have kept a sense of realness to their persona. I’d say Koda Kumi is closest to Ayu in terms of negative online comments, but Koda also appears on TV a lot more (without digital editing), and with other artists, so she doesn’t have that “queen all alone in her tower” aspect about her lol. Her being from Kansai also gives her a bit of friendly relatability.

I’m not sure what caused Ayu to sort of shun public appearances now, but I suppose she’s earned it given how much of her life was spent in it.

I don’t think she’s had nothing done, but I don’t necessarily think she’s gone overboard—at least permanently. There was a moment where her fillers were a bit much, but I think she looks fine now. Personally I think the colored contacts are the most jarring.

I still think she’s beautiful though.

[Zeke.]

Her face has very much transformed. Her eyebrows used to angle downward in the middle, which gave her more of a distinct and sometimes aggressive look. She has since diluted distinctness and smoothed out her features.

As far as her image, yes, she really leans into the notion of being “inaccessible” now, whereas much of her earlier persona was built on the inverse (or at least included a healthy balance of it).

Basically, although there was always an element of Ayu being “aspirational” to many, it’s now like an inflated sense of aspiration with zero sense of accessibility.

[natalaxie]

It annoys me a lot that the press tore into her when she started to age and then when she had work done they tore into her for not ageing… women cannot win
Also she’s had 2 kids - this changes your body in immeasurable ways. I don’t blame her at all for being self-conscious of how she looks given how cruel the media is. More power to her!

[Toniayu123]

I’m a firm believer that she hasn’t had any surgery done at all. Fillers? Lots of them, but can we consider that plastic surgery nowadays when literally everyone can do it in a few minutes? Don’t think so. As for media and people... everyone is going to have something to say or criticize, we’re all bored we need some entertainment, don’t take other’s opinions too seriously.

[summerain]

We gotta be careful what's fiction ♫

[YUKARI]

Originally Posted by love in music

I know it's kind of known that ayu has a varied discography but does anyone ever review it occasionally and realize just how varied it is?

It's a bit wild when you think the same woman who put out "Mirrorcle world" also put out "from your letter", "Duty", "ANGEL'S SONG", "Sparkle", "ourselves", "Liar" "In the corner", "Sweet season", "Eyes, smoke, magic", "Survivor", "My way", "Don't look back" , "Terminal"

All of these songs are so incredibly different that if you put them on a playlist it would be difficult to give them some sort of flow, and at times you'd question if it was the same person in each of the songs.

I love this about her, and I think that's why I have been a fan of her for so long. You never really know what to expect. Yes she still has some similar sounding songs, but over the course of her discography there's a lot of her branching out and trying different styles/sounds.

she's such a legend

I've just watched Nonfiction PV for the first time then immediately rewatched Sparkle PV and making of Spakle PV and thought about what an amazing professional ayu is. And how she got an impressive collection of PVs

I really hope she continues releasing new singles and PVs love the queen!

[love in music]

When I look at some celebrities in western media that had things done, I sometimes think it's a shame what they did to their natural features where I saw nothing that looked like it needed fixing. Some people look unrecognizable from their past selves and maybe that's the whole point, but in my opinion a lot of the times it seems like they paid a ton of money to make themselves look worse, when it is clear they want to look better.

Anyway, in ayu's case, if she did have anything done to herself, I feel like it wasn't major. If I ever see a more natural photo of her where there's obviously minimal editing I still think she looks like the same ayumi she has throughout her career with the same features. I don't see a woman who is obsessed with plastic surgery and changing how they look permanently. She may be wanting to look younger, but given the industry she is in I'd say that's typical. To her she may feel like either she bares her naturally aging face and gets called unattractive or old, or she dolls herself up and gets criticized for being plastic and old. Because looks are so important to sales when it comes to women in her industry, I am sure her company prefers her to be dolled up as well, so she has that to take into consideration too.

Anyway, it's all superficial. People can do what they want with their bodies. As long as at their core they remain decent humans, are not harming themselves or others it should not matter so much.

Ayumi is so much more than her appearance. She has proven she is an amazing person over the years and it would be nice if people would focus more on that but we're in a superficial world so I wouldn't start to expect it anytime soon, unfortunately.

[Evolution7/4]

I think Ayu def got a chin shaving of some kind recently on top of her usual fillers.
With that being said- I think the color contacts and makeup are sometimes the problem. Whenever she posts a more natural photo on insta it shows how stunning she is! Her looks for her concerts since Power of A^3 have been on the more natural side too which has been lovely. I wish we got more looks like that for Nonfiction. I always say this here but it always irks me that her stylists hide her gorgeous eyes behind contacts, she doesnt need them!

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Evolution7/4

I think Ayu def got a chin shaving of some kind recently on top of her usual fillers.
With that being said- I think the color contacts and makeup are sometimes the problem. Whenever she posts a more natural photo on insta it shows how stunning she is! Her looks for her concerts since Power of A^3 have been on the more natural side too which has been lovely. I wish we got more looks like that for Nonfiction. I always say this here but it always irks me that her stylists hide her gorgeous eyes behind contacts, she doesnt need them!

Agree it is a travesty when she covers up those eyes. There is such depth without them. Contacts make her gaze (and interaction with the viewer) shallow.

[Toniayu123]

On another side note, I needed to share this performance:
https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=885271898244707&_rdr
Her best song ever created. Her best performance ever. This is what I would like her concerts to be nowadays, she proved she doesn’t need a bunch of lights and fancy dancers to put on a show, her stage presence is literally out of this world and fills the whole stage. She, the band, good signing technique and focus, that what she needs.

[MKAyu]

Originally Posted by tokyoxjapanxfan

Koda Kumi, Amuro Namie and especially Utada Hikaru have kept a sense of realness to their persona.

Definitely. It makes sense to me that she'd do "queen alone in her tower" (perfect description); mainstream society is cruel to her. They called her shallow and annoying at her most popular, started cheering over her "劣化" the moment her sales slipped even slightly, and now post about every instagram post making fun of every pose, every word.

She has enough fans to be profitable and a family. If I were her, I would try to focus on those and stop trying to be relatable to people who treat me like that, too.

Not that I know why she does things this way. It's just what I've always assumed.

[BlackSilence]

I don't know. I'm still baffled. Her persona has nothing to do with her looks, at least to me. She literally had a minimal make-up phase not that long ago and is always in casual clothing in her social media posts even if it is luxury. You still see her in t-shirts and sweatpants with minimal or no make-up in her rehearsal photos and toned down casual outfits in her live shows (especially encore parts) and her lyrics are still personal. She's also still the same way on stage. Not a lot have changed, and yet people pick at her. The fundamentals didn't really change that much, only the times have. To me it sometimes feels like just because she's older and did things, like showing that she's ACTUALLY A HUMAN capable of making mistakes, that other starlets in her age-range didn't is getting the backlash and all kinds of comments that are for some reason directed at her appearance, because that's the only thing that's there all the time for people to pick at. I can't see how the three mentioned kept the "realness" around them, Namie in general was only seen in mags and videos or live concerts. What they did, at least in my eyes, they kept the "persona" that's acceptable in Japanese culture trying to stay away from things that are frowned upon, also none would go and attack someone like Namie who had some tragic events in her life, but at the same time she's also divorced, but none dragged her for it. I don't know, it just feels unfair to me. Like i dropped off the boat of GACKT fandom and i don't agree with a lot of things he's doing now or the way he's acting, but i'm not going around and saying how ugly and old he is and that he needs to stop with the plastic surgery stuff. For some reason even Arama has a bone to pick with Ayu, almost on every article they write. And i just don't get it. The only difference i'm seeing now from Ayu is that she's much more "piss off" with the public because of how she was treated, and is a lot bolder with her lyrics at times, but that didn't come out of nowhere either, it's not like she just made that part of herself up because she can, she's always had her life experiences in her lyrics, so this is no different. It's insane how big of a part she played back then and how much of a different breeze she brought it and kept doing so throughout her career, but back then it was "cool" and now it's just shameful because she's older. And honestly, she can't win either way so might as well just be unapologetic and unfazed about anything and everything, cuz you are going to be dragged for whatever anyways.

Also i've always said that plastic surgery takes months to heel and with the schedule like hers i dunno where she would fit stuff like that in, especially something major like bone shaving. These days fillers can have very similar effect, so i'd be more inclined to believe that. But seriously, i don't know why it matters, cuz she was never the one bragging about how she's a natural beauty with no work done.

[MKAyu]

Originally Posted by BlackSilence

I can't see how the three mentioned kept the "realness" around them, Namie in general was only seen in mags and videos or live concerts. What they did, at least in my eyes, they kept the "persona" that's acceptable in Japanese culture trying to stay away from things that are frowned upon...

And honestly, she can't win either way so might as well just be unapologetic and unfazed about anything and everything, cuz you are going to be dragged for whatever anyways.

Haha, I need one of those pictures that points at your quote and says, THIS!

Jameela Jamil has a great Instagram reel called "gaslighting" about how the media puts female stars on a pedistal and then tears them down, destroying them in the public eye for entertainment. Japanese media is no different in my experience.

Still, Ayu is special. Utada Hikaru has kept public and private separate, so I can see why she hasn't gone through this, but Koda Kumi and Amuro Namie have both been public and aren't treated like she is. My personal guess is that it's because a) Ayu refuses to be destroyed--keeps living however she wants to live and does it in the public eye and continues to make loads of money (Nonfiction just hit #1 on the Oricon streaming singles chart) when she's SUPPOSED to be cowed and ashamed and ruined.

There are other theories. Her looks. That she was the face of her generation, and now that generation is over. That she's big on being flash rich, when everyone is poor now. That she hasn't changed her image at all. But who knows? I'm with you, she's much more "piss off" and it seems to suit her just fine.

[Uknow!]

Originally Posted by BlackSilence

I don't know. I'm still baffled. Her persona has nothing to do with her looks, at least to me. She literally had a minimal make-up phase not that long ago and is always in casual clothing in her social media posts even if it is luxury. You still see her in t-shirts and sweatpants with minimal or no make-up in her rehearsal photos and toned down casual outfits in her live shows (especially encore parts) and her lyrics are still personal. She's also still the same way on stage. Not a lot have changed, and yet people pick at her. The fundamentals didn't really change that much, only the times have. To me it sometimes feels like just because she's older and did things, like showing that she's ACTUALLY A HUMAN capable of making mistakes, that other starlets in her age-range didn't is getting the backlash and all kinds of comments that are for some reason directed at her appearance, because that's the only thing that's there all the time for people to pick at. I can't see how the three mentioned kept the "realness" around them, Namie in general was only seen in mags and videos or live concerts. What they did, at least in my eyes, they kept the "persona" that's acceptable in Japanese culture trying to stay away from things that are frowned upon, also none would go and attack someone like Namie who had some tragic events in her life, but at the same time she's also divorced, but none dragged her for it. I don't know, it just feels unfair to me. Like i dropped off the boat of GACKT fandom and i don't agree with a lot of things he's doing now or the way he's acting, but i'm not going around and saying how ugly and old he is and that he needs to stop with the plastic surgery stuff. For some reason even Arama has a bone to pick with Ayu, almost on every article they write. And i just don't get it. The only difference i'm seeing now from Ayu is that she's much more "piss off" with the public because of how she was treated, and is a lot bolder with her lyrics at times, but that didn't come out of nowhere either, it's not like she just made that part of herself up because she can, she's always had her life experiences in her lyrics, so this is no different. It's insane how big of a part she played back then and how much of a different breeze she brought it and kept doing so throughout her career, but back then it was "cool" and now it's just shameful because she's older. And honestly, she can't win either way so might as well just be unapologetic and unfazed about anything and everything, cuz you are going to be dragged for whatever anyways.

Also i've always said that plastic surgery takes months to heel and with the schedule like hers i dunno where she would fit stuff like that in, especially something major like bone shaving. These days fillers can have very similar effect, so i'd be more inclined to believe that. But seriously, i don't know why it matters, cuz she was never the one bragging about how she's a natural beauty with no work done.

Can I get your post tattooed? Thank you

[Andrenekoi]

Utada is a musician that sometimes goes out and do a few concerts. She is huge at that, but still, people think mostly about her music when Hikki is the subject.

Ayu is a full blown pop icon that for a long time had a heavy hand on pop culture. More than that, she keeps on defying whatever japanese culture expects of her. In the end of the day she is living her life shameslessly, cursing on her tracks, showing skin, being a single mother by choice and a career woman at the same time...

People bash Ayu because in a way she still relevant and still is defying those norms.

[Toniayu123]

^exactly this.
Also, I think Ayu has been following western beauty trends a lot more than her peers. I don’t think she never looked or acted what a typical Japanese woman is expected to. And when you’re different, you know criticism is on your way. Also, this is just my opinion but i feel Japanese society/culture hasn’t evolved much, in fact the contrary. Even in music all I see is uninspiring artists and lack of originality. How good the 00s were...

[Evolution7/4]

Do you think that was the appeal to Japanese audiences in a way? Have a "western beauty" pop idol who is actually Japanese.

Took me a few listens but I really am head over heels with her "you're full of shit" line. It really means so much more coming from a Japanese pop artist.

[Cahz-]

Cute "Nonfiction" fanart by maomaocat



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