Ayu & Mannie went back to JPN today 05.01.2011!

[Misa-chan]

Unflattering photo.

Hamasaki Ayumi "The newspapers are lying! No family nor friends attended my wedding!"
4 January 2011. 1:52pm



Singer Hamasaki Ayumi, who married Austrian actor Manuel Schwarz in Las Vegas on New Years Day, have spoken up after reading some reports on her marriage ceremony. "Though some reports said that close friends attended my wedding ceremony, nobody went to Vegas with me. No family, no friends.", Hamasaki clarified the situation to prevent misunderstanding.

Hamasaki Ayumi, a female singer and the pride of Japan, dealt out a big surprise this New Year! She announced her marriage on her fansite, and personally reported on Twitter that "There were only my beloved staff members there watching over us." In response to the "close friends and staff members in attendance" reported, she happily clarified "Just to make this clear, for all my real family and friends who felt left out!! (laugh)".

The announcement was made on her fansite, but not during the annual Countdown Live concert. As to why, Hamasaki explains on Twitter that "I want to keep my work and my private life separate." Last year, her 3D movie 『Livespire 「A3D ayumi hamasaki ARENA TOUR 2009 A ～NEXT LEVEL～」』 showed in 12 cities across the country, exhibiting Hamasaki's liveliness and energy. Having captured happiness in her private life, Hamasaki is sure to shine again this year.

[kendelle]

I like those last two articles, thanks for sharing them :3 Sounds like a romantic proposal with the families full support!!!

[emi♡]

Apparently no one in the world knows what a "shotgun wedding" is.

thnx misa~

[AyUmIXx]

wow thanks a lot Misa-chan!!
those are very new articles!

[asmAyumi1992]

Thnaks Misa~ Although they look have the same input, but they're not actually.

[Aditmi Krisnasaki ~II~]

wow... never seen her happy face like this for a long time...

[Aderianu]

thanks you, Misa

[indyplus]

Thanks Misa-chan!!

[jbrat2219]

No families or friends? Sounds like my type of wedding! Good idea Ayu, get a quick, cheap wedding and SPLURGE on the honeymoon!

[AyUmIXx]

I hope Misa-chan can translate this one as well..
it seems so interesting!

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20...000530-san-int

[Misa-chan]

Originally Posted by AyUmIXx

I hope Misa-chan can translate this one as well..
it seems so interesting!

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20...000530-san-int

I only translated the sections relevant to ayu.

China netizens on ayu’s marriage: “She was obviously cheated by the Westerner”


A happily smiling Hamasaki Ayumi and Manuel Schwarz at Narita Airport, Chiba.

2011 New Year’s Day. With regards to popular Japanese news, it would have been singer Hamasaki Ayumi’s sudden marriage announcement. China’s fans, like Japanese fans, were shocked at this development, and there were some who were ambivalent about the decision. Aside from the honest congratulatory comments like “Ayumi’s lifestyle is indeed cool”, “I hope she will be happy”, there was also dissatisfaction. There were comments like “Why was she taken by an Austrian? What are Japanese men doing?” and “she was obviously cheated by the Westerner”.

…..

Hamasaki Ayumi is the only Japanese artist who has a large presence in China, just like how Yamaguchi Momoe was many years ago. Of note was an interview conducted last April in a hidden location in Tibet, 3,000m up in the mountains. When young Tibetans there were asked “Where would you most like to go?”, the answer was “Hamasaki Ayumi’s concert”. In the town’s old CD shop, among the many CDs teaching Buddhist scriptures, pirated Hamasaki Ayumi CDs could also be found.

In China, a survey was conducted in 2008 online, regarding “The most popular Japanese artist in China”. Hamasaki Ayumi received nearly 5% of total votes in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, achieving first place. Second and third were occupied by Utada Hikaru and Namie Amuro respectively.

Hamasaki Ayumi’s charm can be discerned from Chinese fan blogs. “She is always full of confidence”, “She doesn’t waver, and walks her own path”. Comments like “She works so hard” were also common. Just like in Japan, there seems to be more female than male fans. To understand Hamasaki Ayumi’s songs, many Chinese girls start to learn the Japanese language.

“Like Yamaguchi Momoe, Japanese women tend to stop working when they get married, I want ayu not to marry just because of that.” Many Chinese fans are worried about the marriage because they fear not being able to hear new songs. Some wanted her to “give Asian women more power and charisma after getting married”. There were also many comments from male fans, such as “I don’t understand why so many great Japanese women marry Western men”, “She only knew him for 5 months, I’ve been her fan for years…” and “That husband has no reputation of his own. If he is using this marriage to exploit ayu’s fame, I will never forgive him”.

[AyUmIXx]

^ thanks a lot Misa..
I'm curious of what those chinese netizens said about them~

[ayu_fantasy]

wow, Mannie told ayu "i will never leave you"??

sounds romantic.... I hope he meant it!!

[kirei_ayumi]

hamasaki couple lol

[C+R+E+AYUMI]

i've missed so much!! are they finally a couple?

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

"She only knew him for 5 months, I’ve been her fan for years…"

That's the most irrelevant comment to make, haha.

But thanks for the translation.
However, the whole "Western men are bad" vibe I was getting was kind of disheartening.

[Bad Wolf]

Netizens aren't exactly a bastion of intelligence, though. Just look at what the Korean ones are like. Idiots and vitriol-spewing losers, all of them.

It's an interesting example of women's roles in some Asian societies that people are automatically jumping to the fear that she's going to bow down now that she's married. But I also must say that the people sincerely worried about this clearly have not been paying attention to Ayu all these years. When has she ever proven or shown herself to be typical or standard? Her behavior might not seem so strange to westerners but as far as Japanese artists go, she's probably more than a little daring and bold.

Besides, she herself as said she isn't going anywhere. Shame on people for not taking her at her word, which has never proven false before (even if people have interpreted what she says in completely absurd ways).

[PoetGirl]

I lol'ed

hamasaki couple
cheated by western


LOL

[ayu_fantasy]

Pure losers!!! seriously...

[Suteisi]

I wonder if the whole thing about Mannie proposing is true... sometimes I wonder where they get their stuff...

Oh well. The whole thing about fans being negative was to be expected. It's impossible for everyone to be happy, there'll always be people agreeing and disagreeing. Though some of those comments are quite funny~