Favorite Time During a Release/Being a Fan

[yatsudamf]

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

"RAINBOW."

Ayu fandom-wise, this was the climax for me.

The singles leading up to the album were epic, even if remixes had suddenly died down (which disappointed EVERYONE). "independent," "HANABI," and "Free & Easy" are to this day 3 of my favorite ayu songs of all time, and they were a more raw style for her than usual so everyone was excited.

By the time RAINBOW came out, we'd just heard "Real me" in a D-Snap CM and this sudden use of English was intriguing to us. I remember everyone trying to understand what she said

The album came out around Christmas, so i was home from college on winter break. This album's release felt like a Christmas present even though I didn't actually own the album until much later. Christmasy arrangements like those for "Dolls" and "Close to you" really made it feel like Christmas to listen to the album.

I remember the rumors about the tracklist and the album's length leading up to the album, hearing the instrumental "RAINBOW" clip, and everyone being anxious for the "single" (which was originally the plan) of the full song to come out.

AHS was jumping at the time, I was working on my ayu discography/database with yaten at ayu-mi-x, and all of us really felt the high-tension atmosphere surrounding the album's release.

Good times, good times.

I remember that time soooo well, Deli!! And I have to say it was one of my favourite times as a fan. I have so many memories associated with this!

[haikudasai]

From before I am... released to a bit after Memorial address.

She was simply amazing then. The waiting games. The forums. The discussions. Even the members.

[Earth_maiden]

Would have to be just after (m)u release to Secret release. I was just getting into Ayu and Startin/Born to be... was released. I had never, ever heard anything like BtB before, it just floored me. And the PV for Startin' was really fresh and new to me at that time, lol. Then Blue Bird/Beautiful Fighters came out and BF really connected with me, I was having a hard time in life finding my feet, and the lyrics and PV of that song really inspired me to look forward, even though I was hurting. Once Secret was out I couldn't believe how empty my life had felt before Ayu was in it. True story.

[Kouyou]

I became a fan when glitter/fated came out, so getting my copy of GUILTY was incredibly exciting for me. I also loved when Love songs came out because I started using Ayu fan forums and got really hyped over the release. I think my best Ayu fan days are yet to come, though.

[waterballoon]

I was a fan post-Secret... so I've no right to say anything before that, haha.

but I think "Days" and the Love songs album made me feel the most excited of all.

[FoObY]

My fondest memory was during Memorial address. MA is the most perfect mini-album I've ever heard and the PVs made me buy a Region-Free DVD player just so I could watch them!

MY STORY took some time to get used to at first, but I was amazed at how 'grand' the album was overall. Then (m)u came and I was fanatic and tried to get my friends to listen to the album.

[pepper]

- beginings (ASFxx - A BALLADS, everything was FANTASTIC, mostly)
- seeing ourselves PV made me obbsessed about Ayu
- MY STORY realese
- first time heard "Memorial address" song (funny story actually)
- (miss)understood realese
- hearing that Sparkle will have PV
- first time I heard "Love song" after GUILTY/Next Level/RnRC and I haven't THAT favorite since Sparkle.
- first time hearing BRILLANTE

[Kazeyomi]

I'm a fan since 2002, but I wasn't really into her fandom until 2006.
I remember the hype about (miss)understood, her magazines shoot, the singles. It was a really good time for being a fan of her.

[gogirlanime]

Memorial address and (miss)understood were really good times for me. I remember going crazy listening to the background music on CMs getting so excited for the full songs. I was an Ayu-holic at the time.

[HEAVEN~Destiny~]

I became a fan when You were.../BALLAD came out, then I spent the time until MOON/blossom was released to catch up with her discography.. The first songs I really fell in love with were BALLAD and YOU.

The Love songs era was when I really became a big fanboy LOL . I remember when MOON/blossom covers came out, then the single... I swear, it was the only music I listened to for a month! The whole 50th single project was really exciting, and when crossroad came out the same day as Kuu's ballad single, I remember logging in the forum regularly to see how crossroad did on the Oricon. When the cm for L was released, I would watch it over and over again. Then when Love songs came out, it was just the perfect album and that just made an even bigger fan. That era was so much win and was perfection in every aspect IMO.

Then there was also the whole RNrC 7 Days Final and the blossom PV that made me a fan of Tohoshinki. I miss that era even though it was so recent hahaha

[owlflight]

I think, for me, that my favorite part of being a fan is that I'm still relatively a new fan. I'm discovering new facts and such each day and listening to Ayu has helped me realize that there is great music everywhere. Though my patience or lack there of can get the best of me, I love anticipating new releases.

[paper_doll]

The RAINBOW release. That was her first album to come out after I became a fan and I was super obsessed. Everything about it was so exciting. It's not my favourite of her albums, but that one will always be special to me for that reason. Makes me feel all nostalgic~

[BluishDays]

aww so many good times but which to choose, Lets see. . Hmmm Could be when I was trying to find Dearest but didn't have the internet at the time Lol and I was ordering random cds from the jpop catalog I had and all I knew was an artist called Ayumi Hamasaki and she sang Dearest. So I ended up ordering random Cds. Ended up with two remix albums and RAINBOW.

But I think it has to be between My Story and miss Understood. Everyday looking for new information on the singles, and videos, and any little bit of news made me excited and anticipating the releases. Following closely everyday, at any new information.

Those were the good days

[brener]

The release of Secret!! i was so excited about the new songs and the news pvs, specially 1LOVE and i still remember how i rly loved until that Day...

[melina_t]

Sometime after (miss)understood, I wasn't a fan right away, but an occasional listener. But whenever I was looking for songs by Gackt and Utada, I always ran into her songs from I am... and I eventually became a fan. I remember always going to ayuprimenova looking for new releases and the covers+scans. Good times.

[ccsharumun]

I didn't come aboard (and in fact avoided her for years) until I heard Blue Bird, and for about three months I was convinced that was the only thing I would ever like from her. And then I saw an old recording of her singing it on Music Station, and I was like "OMFG I GET IT NOW" and bought (miss)understood and Secret.

Then, through Next Level was convinced that while I enjoyed her new stuff I would never like any of her older albums before My Story. But then she released Rock'n'Roll circus, and not really caring for the album as much I went to hunt down other things. And then I watched Memorial Address and A Song for xx live in A Museum, and she could "pierce you with a single look" and I was like "I give up, I'm buying everything".

[pepper]

I still use Divine Ayu for lyrics :> I remember when I discovered this site, I downloaded every single cm from it, and I was saving all the booklets/pictures I found there. And back then the links was working, mostly, so I had many other awesome sites for lurking.

I miss old, bad layout fanpages with lot of old Ayu pictures, they were a treasure land.

[attractive nausea]

Originally Posted by pepper

I still use Divine Ayu for lyrics :>

I used to do that as well but since a few days when i try to go there my antivirus goes mad and block the website because of a trojan horse story, i don't know how to fix the problem yet but need to do something about it asap, i used to read random lyrics every day but can't anymore

Well otherwise, since i've only known her since mid 2009, i can't really say anything... I used to think the peak of my love for her was in mid 2010 but i've realized that actually i've never been obsessed with her as much as i currently am, so i'm going to say PARTY QUEEN ERA~

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

I'd say the beginning was pretty magical ... I can't remember what my first CD was that I bought, I think Duty, because it had just been released. But listening to everything for the first time and loving it, and needing to collect everything...I remember scrambling around to get cash to buy the singles in the I am... era because they were being released so quickly. lol

[pommy48]

I only become a fan in 2008, but I remember I was the most excited with the release of Rule/Sparkle, Days/GREEN (though I dislike Days), but I remember spazzing out so much over their previews lol