FLOWER & Mad World (Short ver. MVs on YouTube)

[ayu-michan]

Somebody mentioned in this thread earlier that FLOWER reminds them of Helter Skelter the drama. Really gotta agree with that, especially when Ayu started to have a violent outbreak and then ran to the hall, very similar to when Sawajiri acting as Lilico ran out then fell in the rain.

Helter Skelter was basically made for ayu haha, this era shows it even more.

[AyuWorld]

Originally Posted by ayu-michan

Somebody mentioned in this thread earlier that FLOWER reminds them of Helter Skelter the drama. Really gotta agree with that, especially when Ayu started to have a violent outbreak and then ran to the hall, very similar to when Sawajiri acting as Lilico ran out then fell in the rain.

Helter Skelter was basically made for ayu haha, this era shows it even more.

too much ressemblance

[truehappiness]

The hair is also real dang similar to Helter Skelter's lead character's, lol.

Wonder if the end will have some weird eye stuff too.

[Joey]

The fact is. .. ayu could film a dog's poop during 4 minutes some people here would still say that "it has so much meaning". OK avex has no money to spend for her anymore that is fair. At least be creative like Amuro was for Golden touch. Or don't shoot any PV.

The ultra low level of exigency here is amazing

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by Joey

The fact is. .. ayu could film a dog's poop during 4 minutes some people here would still say that "it has so much meaning". OK avex has no money to spend for her anymore that is fair. At least be creative like Amuro was for Golden touch. Or don't shoot any PV.

The ultra low level of exigency here is amazing

Golden Touch was 100% the production company they assigned to it.

I don't know why anyone would randomly pop up just to make comments like this, tbh.

And I don't think many people got much meaning out of the Colours album PVs other than "Ayu is having fun" which is fine but that doesn't really make those videos meaningful. There's a clear intention for these even mentioned in the making ofs/previews on morning television, so unless you ignore all of that, it's pretty hard to say they're not trying.

[Evolution7/4]

^ Yeah my friend worked on that video (seriously!) it was all set up by the record company . He was given creative freedom but he wasn't allowed to use any clips of Namie without photoshop lol.

[douggn]

It does seem Mad World could of been more. But the view of the PV usually comes from the director not ayu. Ayu will just approve it. It could just be ayu has too many yes man in her team, meaning people are to scared to say no to her. I think a fresh team could do wonders, but at the same time, ayu's PV's don't really compare to other artist who seem to put a lot more into the PV. If anything I would say budget was a thing, but that's probably because avex spends more when they expect a higher return, and this album has already essentially been released / leaked.
Ayu should travel for a little for music inspiration, and let her journey paint the PV's , instead of these, what seem pretty average to what she has done in the past
Though ayu usually does a happy and sad PV, these both seem like sad PV's. I cant wait to see the rest

[BlackSilence]

the thing is budget has not muc to do with the way the video turns out. I can tell for example that while Jewel is stunning visualy, i personaly never saw anything much in it just that it was beautiful visualy. In fact it's all about the ideas and excecution. Ayu have had big budget PVs and majority of them were just visualy rich or had a basic storyline. The videos that personally leave a much bigger impact on people are those that make you think. At least that's how it works with me.
And sure the view of the PV comes from the director, but Ayu's been in the industry for so long that she has much more power over what is done and how it's done. And i don't think she'd act upon something that she can't relate to.
And no, Ayu is actually known for having somewhat cryptic vidoes every now and them more than any other j-pop act. So i think people have a reason to look at some of her recent works and find a deeper meaning in them. She isn't Namie who's just dancing and looking pretty 99% of the time she's in a PV.

[Aderianu]

I'll lose respect to ayu if she film Namie-like pv

[truehappiness]

She did kinda do one with Lelio, didn't she?

[douggn]

got a sub file coming for Mad World short version (I can update it when the full one is out). A little stuck on placing a line

____________
back on track

sometimes you just need the words to make the PV feel whole

[Corvina]

I wonder how the Japanese public will take these PVs. Especially FLOWER. You could get the feeling she's on the fence with Japan or even worse. :/
But on the other hand she's at a point it probably doesn't matter anymore.
Just hope not some of her Japanese fans get sad about thr meaning of the PV.

[douggn]

浜崎あゆみ - Mad World【Music Video】.srt (Short Version) with thanks to tenshi no hane for the help with what was used in the PV
https://mega.nz/#!KEsB1B7A!fUZ0gLmV8...ix0nFC0Tje8SqU

Video with hard subs
https://vid.me/PAct

浜崎あゆみ - FLOWER【Music Video】.srt English (Short version) I hope I did this right it was eaiser than mad world to do https://mega.nz/#!LFt3nCLA!TY2s1NQZw...kYLn0F55AL6yJw


Video with hard subs
https://vid.me/lzug

[Coelacanth]

I have no issue with pointed criticism that is thoughtful and self-aware. The problem on these forums (and pretty much everywhere on the internet, social media, comment sections, etc.) is that we all think of ourselves as arbiters of good taste. I will state my bias and why it's difficult for me to lend credence to the opinions expressed by most on this forum. When I see the same people always pooh-poohing Ayu's work posting in other threads praising third-rate J-pop and K-pop groups, their credibility is already vastly undermined. js_surrealism, for instance, has praised You & Me in several threads for being a fantastic song. That's nothing against him—but if you were to say "terrible Ayu song," that one would be the first to pop into my head (and I believe many others share a similar sentiment).

I think Delirium-Zero has said before "Ayu means something different to everyone," or something along those lines. It's very true. Ayumi Hamasaki has a very diverse fanbase, and our personal tastes often do not align. We're all approaching her work from vastly different perspectives.

It's also quite difficult (and perhaps somewhat dodgy and irresponsible) to attempt to objectively measure and critique substance (which could qualify as any one 'piece,' whether that be a song, an album, an 'era,' a music video, an album cover) isolated entirely from its form (that is, Hamasaki Ayumi—her original nature, her various complexities/idiosyncrasies, her artistic boundaries/limitations, public image, the cultural zeitgeist, etc.) Ayu is one of the most prolific living artists in popular music. She is creating a tapestry at lightning speed. Sometimes you don't even have time to reflect on a piece of it, because there's already a new piece of the tapestry being added. Context is incredibly important in assessing an artist's work, and even contemporary music critics have problems addressing this component with tact and fairness. Visceral, knee-jerk reactions to specific facets of her work are entirely understandable, but is that fair? I'm more interested in what I deem to be the "whole."

[Zeke.]

^ "Haters" is not the right word to use in this context. Those that are usually displeased with ayu tend to be those who believe she is capable of more, and is falling short of reaching her highest potential. That's anything but a "hater."

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

^ "Haters" is not the right word to use in this context. Those that are usually displeased with ayu tend to be those who believe she is capable of more, and is falling short of reaching her highest potential. That's anything but a "hater."

The thing is, "the highest potentianl" on her case is also something highly subjective. As Coelacanth said, her fanbase is very diverse and people are atracted towards her because of different aspects. For example: For some people she is at her best when she is releasing the pop anthem of the decade, for some people she is at her best when she is touching complicated social issues with her lyrics. She can't do both at the highest level at the same time. Some people like her best when she is working her signature sound, some people like her best when she is experiementing all the way, she also can't do both at the same time, etc.

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

The thing is, "the highest potentianl" on her case is also something highly subjective. As Coelacanth said, her fanbase is very diverse and people are atracted towards her because of different aspects. For example: For some people she is at her best when she is releasing the pop anthem of the decade, for some people she is at her best when she is touching complicated social issues with her lyrics. She can't do both at the highest level at the same time. Some people like her best when she is working her signature sound, some people like her best when she is experiementing all the way, she also can't do both at the same time, etc.

Well, the highest potential they believe and/or know in their heart she is capable of. But even so, I'm saying in general, when a fan is displeased, it is because she is not excelling in the arena that they believe she at her best in. It's not hate; if anything, it's too much love.

[Zeke.]

I never said it wasn't problematic. That's why I wrote "too much."

[280301]

Wow! I'm so happy, I am actually very curious to see what happens in both these PVs. I like how she has incorporated visual references to her career in Mad World. Also, her second outfit in the video really reminds me of Curtin Call. Overall, I am happy with what she has plated up; it has clear meaning...

It seems as if she feels very...oppressed by the first 'half' (i.e. 1998-2008) of her career, in that people (fans) continue to compare her to her younger self, and that she cannot do anything 'right' anymore? Or that her own legacy is suffocating her? That's my impression anyhow. Poor Ayu. You can't please everyone though.

[Welurru]

M(A)DE IN 30 MINUTES