[Translation] [2013] ayu loses sales record to AKB48 (Article)

[adantatu2]

I think this is more like sales by gender.
Sales and records, who cares, if ayu keep producing good music i'm fine

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

gotta say, this is disappointing.

[baby_blue]

just shock with this article. Didn't mean to be harshed with AKB48 fans, but I think It supposed to be at group Section not a solo singer.

[marty]

Originally Posted by kaled kalil

I really don't understand all this bashing on the AKB girls, and about sales records overall. It seems to you guys that Ayu having the sales record is the ultimate goal for her career, geez. Pointing that the sales aren't real because the theater version won't make Ayu looks better.

I know that this is an Ayumi Hamasaki forum, but by doing that you guys just comes across desperate and mean to those girls.

I don't like AKB48, but I'm happy for them cause they worked hard for that as much as Ayu did back then.

It's just sales, you guys. It's not like Ayu is retiring because of that, so take it easy.

I'm sorry if I sounded harsh!XD I really don't hate them, I don't care about them AT ALL, lol, so, of course, love and peace to everybody, but my honest opinion is that they have no talent at all and the only reason they sell is because of a mass phenomenon. That said, they can sell how much they like, wish them the best, I just don't careXDD

[AyUmIXx]

i'm not surprised at all, with a huge otakus fanbase who are willing to buy bunch and bunch of their singles/albums just to win the handshake tickets/whatever, of coz AKB48 will eventually win anyday, they are young, cute, sexy, most otakus will choose them but ayu will always be a legend.

talent wise, AYU >>>>>>>> any AKB Girls

[tetsuo69]

not really surprise with this but congrants to akb48 but oricon shouldn't compare over 40 girls to 1 but whatever.

[tbarnes10]

I still don't really understand this whole super-group thing. Aren't they like three groups (A, K, and B), so how can they be counted as one group? I mean I was looking at this new single and didn't each "team" release their own version or something?

[Eewyi]

Well, I do like AKB48, and I like idol groups, but to be honest, I don't have similar respect to them as I have to ayu and other soloists/bands. I just see them as "entertainers" who are somewhat talented, but I don't see them as real musicians to be honest :// They are so producted to be what they are.

I knew this would happen sooner or later, as AKB48 can sell anything with their cute faces. It's not really a surprise. Cute girls and good marketing + fans who buy everything = succees.

[brener]

Originally Posted by ayu-michan

thanks for translations! man this is a really shock, I never thought AKB48 would break her record... it just seems to me that I would accept it if it's koda kumi or namie, but akb48? ...
but no matter what, we all know hamasaki still beat them by her songs ,but it really is, quite a shock.

yeah.... =\

[douggn]

but they are a group/band and ayu is a solo performer, that's two different categories

[yizhihenanjing]

I dont care the number, AYU is the best

[Andali]

Ayu did it on her own. These guys are a group. It's not a legitimate comparison

[Lady~Deviance]

To say that I'm shocked would be an understatement. Good grief. In a time when sales are supposedly piss poor, these girls manage to break records and surpass Ayu, Mr. Children, Hikaru Utada, etc.

Oh well. *shrugs*

[LONJJONG]

I want to know Ayu's reaction

[axmish87]

Good for them but you can not compare the two
Ayu is still No 1 for me

[BlackSilence]

Originally Posted by Andali

Ayu did it on her own. These guys are a group. It's not a legitimate comparison

+1

[Bigtop]

Originally Posted by axmish87

Good for them but you can not compare the two
Ayu is still No 1 for me

Originally Posted by Andali

Ayu did it on her own. These guys are a group. It's not a legitimate comparison

Originally Posted by artcika

+1

Yeah, apples and oranges comparison where Ayu is an apple while AKB48 are oranges (or vice versa)...?

[visionfactory]

Originally Posted by LONJJONG

I want to know Ayu's reaction

She doesn't care? Nobody but idol group fans take these "records" seriously

[emi♡]

All of these articles are just to generate hype. Good hype, bad hype.

People talking more about AKB, and even Ayu.


The best thing to do, is just ignore them. Ignore the articles, ignore AKB.

[SURREAL__RAINBOW]

I would just like to quote this perfect comment from another thread

Originally Posted by tokyoxjapanxfan

I live in Japan, so I figure I can have a little bit more insight on the subject, but feel free to disagree.

I'm finding that AKB has been losing their...magic? as of late. Like I said earlier in this thread, I haven't actually been hearing their new songs lately. Where as previous singles like Flying Get, Manatasu no Sounds Good, etc. were played regularly.

Obviously they're still extremely popular, but it's actually very hard to tell just how popular because of the way they sell. But I also wonder what'll happen as (if) more of the popular members graduate.

For instance: Ayu and Namie were selling -amazingly- back when other singers were also selling great. They weren't necessarily the only people doing well during their peaks. Also, the majority of their highest selling singles and albums only had one version, cd only. It wasn't until 2004 that people started using cd/dvd combos. So when they were selling millions of copies of singles, it was one type (Ayu was using sales strategies too, though, with multiple versions of A and H. However in H's case, it didn't have any music videos, just commercial tie-ins.)

But now, AKB are truly the only group doing well. And because they package their singles in such a way, it's actually hard to say how truly popular they are with general buyers.

If a singer is able to sell one million copies of a single that's only one version, it shows a bit more in terms of their popularity because most people aren't going to be buying two (or 2 or more) of the exact same things.

Morning Musume, during their peak, achieved million selling singles, but they used the trading card aspect--which is/was a more "normal" form of first press editions, especially for idol groups both then and now.

AKB is an outlier in the way they release. Sure, other bands may have various handshake events or chances to go to concerts packaged in their music, but it's generally not with every release.

Where as AKB depends on such things as determining the members for the next single or what have you to fully form the AKB concept.

So while I personally don't care about who has the sales record, I just wish everyone would realize and accept that AKB's sales are extremely skewed--it has nothing to do with their hard work, which I don't want to take away from them. However I'd personally say any artist in the spotlight is working hard.

I just wish everyone could walk in to -any- Book Off (a re-sale shop) and look at the AKB section, because there are shelves and shelves and shelves of the same single, multiplied by how ever many singles they have. Because people buy various versions and then re-sell them to Book Off (and like stores) because they don't actually need anything except the first press bonus inside.

So while they are selling millions, they are doing it in an extremely, as some might say dirty, way.

A lot of people dislike Ayu, but they don't generally deny her of her success in sales (at least at the beginning of her career). But AKB haters bring it up constantly. It's obviously something people have problems with. Especially in a Japan where arguably much more musically talented/respected/involved/etc. singers and bands can't possibly reach the same success.

For instance, many comments talk about how Kyari Pamyu Pamyu or Golden Bomber would have been -huge- successes in the 90's/early 2000's--but because of the way the Japanese music market is now, it's impossible for even them, who have huge hits, to get millions in sales.

Sorry to have written a novel, but I actually don't have an issue with AKB. Some of their songs are catchy. Do I support them financially? No. I also find many of them funny when they appear on TV. But I don't think what I've written here is bashing them in anyway. But like I said, people can disagree.