'again' mini album out December 8th, 2nd of five 15th anniversary releases [IV]

[Delicious n Bold]

Dang..
Am I one of few people who doesn't care about this fiasco?
sure I DON'T wanna see maro on the cover... But at least wake me up is redemption.
This was a weird year for me to become a fan lol.
I always seem to become a fan when the artist starts flopping a lot more than before (Ayu, Angela Aki, even koda kumi)

[ohsixthirty]

Originally Posted by Delicious n Bold

Dang..
Am I one of few people who doesn't care about this fiasco?
sure I DON'T wanna see maro on the cover... But at least wake me up is redemption.
This was a weird year for me to become a fan lol.
I always seem to become a fan when the artist starts flopping a lot more than before (Ayu, Angela Aki, even koda kumi)

no you're not alone, i don't really care either. i mean, i don't love seeing him on the cover, but i don't really care either. its ayu's career and as long as the music is good i'm there.

[TeamAyu2004]

I think the 'fans' that let maro get in the way are just asking for trouble. lol
Ayumi has never been shy about her feelings, and putting a MODEL on her cover is hardly anything new (granted she hasnt done it very often, but it happens). The fact is we just KNOW who it is and that she is dating him.
Oh HEAVEN forbid she brings her personal life to work, lets shun her and tell her how we feel so that she'll do what WE want.
I'm bitter.
Just a bit.
lol.

[ohsixthirty]

Originally Posted by TeamAyu2004

I think the 'fans' that let maro get in the way are just asking for trouble. lol
Ayumi has never been shy about her feelings, and putting a MODEL on her cover is hardly anything new (granted she hasnt done it very often, but it happens). The fact is we just KNOW who it is and that she is dating him.
Oh HEAVEN forbid she brings her personal life to work, lets shun her and tell her how we feel so that she'll do what WE want.
I'm bitter.
Just a bit.
lol.

i think its jealousy. people are mad that ayu has a life outside of making songs for THEM. if she is doing what she wants, then good for her.

[maikaru]

Originally Posted by TeamAyu2004

I think the 'fans' that let maro get in the way are just asking for trouble. lol
Ayumi has never been shy about her feelings, and putting a MODEL on her cover is hardly anything new (granted she hasnt done it very often, but it happens). The fact is we just KNOW who it is and that she is dating him.
Oh HEAVEN forbid she brings her personal life to work, lets shun her and tell her how we feel so that she'll do what WE want.
I'm bitter.
Just a bit.
lol.

The fact is she said she would separate her personal life from her private life. Wow, how many times have I typed this up on this board. She says one thing, and does another. That's why people are fed up. It's not because she has brought her personal life into her work - she made her money with lyrics talking about her personal life - it's the fact that she said she would not allow her recent personal developments interfere with her professional work, and clearly Maro has been given a super huge preference due to recent personal developments. I feel sorry for the other dancers, because honestly, there is absolutely no reason for Maro to be on the front cover, and in almost every single page of the booklet. If she wanted to keep things separate, should would have made sure to keep him out of the picture, pardon the pun.

It's like she's just saying these set sentences to keep the public at peace for a few minutes.

It's way too in your face. I feel like if I buy this single, I'm condoning this... that Maro has been given the spotlight just because he's her boyfriend. What about Shu-ya, Jin, or Kazuma, who have worked equally hard and deserve the spotlight too? And honestly you guys, most Japanese fans are feeling the same way I am feeling. The culture is built in a way so that even if a singer or whatever has a boyfriend or husband, you rarely ever see them. It's just for the same reason that PDA is really frowned upon... you have to consider other people's feelings. Sorry if you can't agree with this, but Ayu is Japanese and she was born and raised in this culture... so she should take caution and realize what's going to happen.

And I have absolutely no problem with models being on the front cover, side cover, back cover, whatever cover. As long as she keeps everything professional. She knew 100% this would cause an uproar if anyone found out Maro was her boyfriend (Yeah, I remember she said that everything happened in the wrong order, blah blah), so honestly the blame is on her.

Originally Posted by ohsixthirty

i think its jealousy. people are mad that ayu has a life outside of making songs for THEM. if she is doing what she wants, then good for her.

LOL.

You caught me. I'm secretly lesbian and I hope she marries me and ditches Maro, because I can't live without her singing her songs about me for me.

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by maikaru

You caught me. I'm secretly lesbian and I hope she marries me and ditches Maro, because I can't live without her singing her songs about me for me.

Get your ass to the salon and get your hair did! You are needed on set for the next round of promotional shoots in just a few hours!

[Coelacanth]

Originally Posted by maikaru

The fact is she said she would separate her personal life from her private life.

When was the LAST time she even said that? Like, 2006? PEOPLE CHANGE. I'm changing my views on things all the time. We're not these stagnant, one-dimensional beings.

Originally Posted by maikaru

It's way too in your face. I feel like if I buy this single, I'm condoning this... that Maro has been given the spotlight just because he's her boyfriend. What about Shu-ya, Jin, or Kazuma, who have worked equally hard and deserve the spotlight too?

They've all had the spotlight at some point... especially Shuya, so I'm not seeing the big deal.

Originally Posted by maikaru

And honestly you guys, most Japanese fans are feeling the same way I am feeling. The culture is built in a way so that even if a singer or whatever has a boyfriend or husband, you rarely ever see them. It's just for the same reason that PDA is really frowned upon... you have to consider other people's feelings. Sorry if you can't agree with this, but Ayu is Japanese and she was born and raised in this culture... so she should take caution and realize what's going to happen.

God forbid Ayu has personal experiences she wants to share with the world and convey in her art! She should just suppress her feelings and direct all her love songs to some unknown entity (that we all knew was Tomoya Nagase, anyway) like in the past! I'm sorry, but it's all really petty. The entire Japanese culture reeks of underlying sexism and an aversion to think PROGRESSIVELY and move past primitive cultural norms.

So this dude Maro was in a marriage, it didn't work out, and Ayu and him are getting it on. Well, life happens. Why do fans expect everything to be so cookie-cutter and Ayu to be this kind of figure who makes no mistakes? Yet she always has these lyrics referring to "sins" she's committed and how she's "hurt other people" - What does that mean? But I guess that's OK, as long as she's not too specific about what's going on in her personal life, right? So it's like we all acknowledge that she isn't perfect and is only human like everybody else, but if any specific event is publicized, we chastise her for it?

If Avex thought this was that big of a deal, they wouldn't have let her publicize it to this degree. Period. Or perhaps a huge corporation like Avex is more forward-thinking and less concerned with traditional cultural norms than the rest of Japanese society... which... is sad.

[Linoa62]

Originally Posted by Coelacanth

When was the LAST time she even said that? Like, 2006? PEOPLE CHANGE. I'm changing my views on things all the time. We're not these stagnant, one-dimensional beings.

She said this when she announced that her and Maro were an item on TeamAyu...
From Misa-chan's blog

I am in a serious relationship with Maro-chan.

However, work is still work, private life is still private. I will continue to keep them separate, and create the best shows. Definitely.

[Coelacanth]

Originally Posted by Luna62

She said this when she announced that her and Maro were an item on TeamAyu...
From Misa-chan's blog

So what exactly is she putting out there? Maro was an actor/model/dancer BEFORE he was Ayu's boyfriend. So she has to choose someone else because she's dating him? It's still not a big deal.

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by maikaru

The fact is she said she would separate her personal life from her private life. Wow, how many times have I typed this up on this board. She says one thing, and does another. That's why people are fed up. It's not because she has brought her personal life into her work - she made her money with lyrics talking about her personal life - it's the fact that she said she would not allow her recent personal developments interfere with her professional work, and clearly Maro has been given a super huge preference due to recent personal developments. I feel sorry for the other dancers, because honestly, there is absolutely no reason for Maro to be on the front cover, and in almost every single page of the booklet. If she wanted to keep things separate, should would have made sure to keep him out of the picture, pardon the pun.

It's like she's just saying these set sentences to keep the public at peace for a few minutes.

It's way too in your face. I feel like if I buy this single, I'm condoning this... that Maro has been given the spotlight just because he's her boyfriend. What about Shu-ya, Jin, or Kazuma, who have worked equally hard and deserve the spotlight too? And honestly you guys, most Japanese fans are feeling the same way I am feeling. The culture is built in a way so that even if a singer or whatever has a boyfriend or husband, you rarely ever see them. It's just for the same reason that PDA is really frowned upon... you have to consider other people's feelings. Sorry if you can't agree with this, but Ayu is Japanese and she was born and raised in this culture... so she should take caution and realize what's going to happen.

And I have absolutely no problem with models being on the front cover, side cover, back cover, whatever cover. As long as she keeps everything professional. She knew 100% this would cause an uproar if anyone found out Maro was her boyfriend (Yeah, I remember she said that everything happened in the wrong order, blah blah), so honestly the blame is on her.

I understand that this kind of stuff is frowned upon in Japanese culture but should ayu conform to cultural standards she may not agree with just because she's Japanese? And is her personal life truly being exploited in her work simply because Maro is featured in photos for this release? Was she exploiting her relationship with him in You & Me when no one knew they were dating? Had we not known now, would it still be a problem? I'm not attacking or anything, just making convo.

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by jbrat2219

I understand that this kind of stuff is frowned upon in Japanese culture but should ayu conform to cultural standards she may not agree with just because she's Japanese? And is her personal life truly being exploited in her work simply because Maro is featured in photos for this release? Was she exploiting her relationship with him in You & Me when no one knew they were dating? Had we not known now, would it still be a problem? I'm not attacking or anything, just making convo.

That's actually an interesting point. Maro has been her dancer for years, she used Shuya in so many of her PVs and I've never thought that was strange.

Tbh I don't care as I'd personally be happy if she never had her dancers in her videos. At least they didn't ruin Sweet scar.

[maikaru]

Originally Posted by jbrat2219

I understand that this kind of stuff is frowned upon in Japanese culture but should ayu conform to cultural standards she may not agree with just because she's Japanese? And is her personal life truly being exploited in her work simply because Maro is featured in photos for this release? Was she exploiting her relationship with him in You & Me when no one knew they were dating? Had we not known now, would it still be a problem? I'm not attacking or anything, just making convo.

I know it's really really difficult to understand why I'm saying these things, like it's a cultural thing, etc.

And before I go further, I wanna point out that in no way in my last post did I say that she's exploiting this relationship. I have revised my thinking from before because clearly this relationship isn't giving her any bonus points in her professional life, so yeah.

However, there comes a point where some things are just too insensitive to the public. First and foremost, she is a public figure. She has said many times before that she has a responsibility to be Hamasaki Ayumi at all times, for her fans. That she has a responsibility to portray and perform the role of Hamasaki Ayumi. Unlike overseas fans, Japanese fans really become very fanatical about their favourite fans. Sorry to say, but it's the truth. Every single thing the artist does, we react to personally, whether it be very very good, or very very bad. There are some people who even commit suicide over their favourite artist' actions. She has continuously said that even if only one person listens to her, she will continue to sing. That means that she actually cares about what her fans are thinking, feeling.

She isn't some mad artist who wants to experiment and doesn't care about the feelings of her fans. We all know this.

It would definitely not be a problem if we hadn't known, because the circumstances have changed. There is another factor in the equation that seems to be swaying what she's thinking and what she does. Like I said before, this equation is the relationship between both of them. No one knows for sure what's happening behind the scenes, but we only know what's happening on the surface. And it appears like it's causing Maro to get preferential treatment, and not even Mannie was on the front cover of any of her albums. Or in the booklets.

What I'm trying to say is, what may or may not be, the way it appears is the way I describe. And like many other of her fans over in here, I just can't accept that everything was a coincidence that she chose Maro randomly.

And whether you guys may hate this kind of thinking, the truth is that Japan right now has the exact same thinking... everyone you talk to about Hamasaki Ayumi says "Oh she's gone so crazy. I loved when she was younger, but now she's just trying to hard. She's over."

And looking at Again sales, it's true. This scandal has hit her very, very hard.

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by maikaru

I know it's really really difficult to understand why I'm saying these things, like it's a cultural thing, etc.

And before I go further, I wanna point out that in no way in my last post did I say that she's exploiting this relationship. I have revised my thinking from before because clearly this relationship isn't giving her any bonus points in her professional life, so yeah.

However, there comes a point where some things are just too insensitive to the public. First and foremost, she is a public figure. She has said many times before that she has a responsibility to be Hamasaki Ayumi at all times, for her fans. That she has a responsibility to portray and perform the role of Hamasaki Ayumi. Unlike overseas fans, Japanese fans really become very fanatical about their favourite fans. Sorry to say, but it's the truth. Every single thing the artist does, we react to personally, whether it be very very good, or very very bad. There are some people who even commit suicide over their favourite artist' actions. She has continuously said that even if only one person listens to her, she will continue to sing. That means that she actually cares about what her fans are thinking, feeling.

She isn't some mad artist who wants to experiment and doesn't care about the feelings of her fans. We all know this.

Before I say anything I just wanna state that I am against music videos such as You & Me, Love song, Last angel and the latest two featuring Maro. Now being fanatical isn't an excuse and the whole thing sounds like a treat. I mean what people are going to commit suicide because Ayu featured a man she is dating in her music video? They might as well do. While I understand Ayu has an image and whatever is left of her reputation to maintain catering to a mentally damaged fan base isn't something worth considering. I'd like her to keep her private life separate from her professional life as much as possible, but if she doesn't want to do so, I'll just ignore the things I don't like. For instance I won't even bother watching the whole PVs for Wake me up and snowy kiss. It might be the cultural thing, but some things are inexcusable. Yet it's Ayu's problem to deal with things like that.

Originally Posted by maikaru

It would definitely not be a problem if we hadn't known, because the circumstances have changed. There is another factor in the equation that seems to be swaying what she's thinking and what she does. Like I said before, this equation is the relationship between both of them. No one knows for sure what's happening behind the scenes, but we only know what's happening on the surface. And it appears like it's causing Maro to get preferential treatment, and not even Mannie was on the front cover of any of her albums. Or in the booklets.

What I'm trying to say is, what may or may not be, the way it appears is the way I describe. And like many other of her fans over in here, I just can't accept that everything was a coincidence that she chose Maro randomly.

And whether you guys may hate this kind of thinking, the truth is that Japan right now has the exact same thinking... everyone you talk to about Hamasaki Ayumi says "Oh she's gone so crazy. I loved when she was younger, but now she's just trying to hard. She's over."

And looking at Again sales, it's true. This scandal has hit her very, very hard.

I don't believe a single person can speak for everyone, but I guess that's the way the Japanese public has felt about her for a while. People change and the Japanese public should too. Shuya had a preferential treatment and no one complained really...

[TeamAyu2004]

Originally Posted by jbrat2219

I understand that this kind of stuff is frowned upon in Japanese culture but should ayu conform to cultural standards she may not agree with just because she's Japanese? And is her personal life truly being exploited in her work simply because Maro is featured in photos for this release? Was she exploiting her relationship with him in You & Me when no one knew they were dating? Had we not known now, would it still be a problem? I'm not attacking or anything, just making convo.

ive been saying this for weeks now.

[Delicious n Bold]

So let me ask...
WHO is that guy on the H single cover?

[TeamAyu2004]

^^ lol... that could be part of it.

I really think people just have control issues. They see a product because that technically what she is, and when we buy products, they are ours and we get to control them... but when it comes to entertainment the product line kinda blurs because we are dealing with people so its hard to separate yourself from that part of it.

i thought Ayumi did it beautifully during the A Best to My story eras... (from product to person anyways)

@DnB... I think its just a model... Now if it was her boyfriend at the time (whatever his name was), I wonder how the fans would have reacted.. lol

[Foyuki]

OMG....

[love in music]

Originally Posted by Foyuki

OMG....

A+ boobs.

Originally Posted by ohsixthirty

^i'm really confused about this PV with the other guy in it. love triangle?

Or 3some!

[ohsixthirty]

^i'm really confused about this PV with the other guy in it. love triangle?

[TeamAyu2004]

which PV is that?