Kazuyoshi Shimomura hates Ayu.

[octolina]

Originally Posted by tokyoxjapanxfan

to be honest, honestly honest, I don't think he is the one that tells ayu to do the "fish mouth"

I think it's entirely her who chooses to do that. She's a big enough celebrity to say "no" to a pose if she doesn't want to do it. I mean even in 2001 she changed the whole cover for I am... because she didn't want it to be used.

I think all the blame on the photographer is getting rather annoying. She has the power to change out looks, covers, outfits, etc. for whatever she's doing.

This whole "anti-kazu-whatever his name is" stuff going around is just a little old. Obviously he's capable of taking decent pictures and he doesn't have Koda Kumi doing the same face.

I am so glad someone else thinks this way.

And to answer the claims that he makes Ayu uncomfortable by "coaching" her to do poses, expressions--I think AYU wants Kazu to "milk" something out of her that she doesn't have. In the end it's entirely her doing.

From what I gather, Ayu is VERY hard to work with. She is demanding and looks after every detail. Whilst I was on the subject of Ayu with a Japanese acquaintance of mine, he told me that he has a friend who does lighting for studios, worked for Ayu's projects a few times, and found her insanely picky.

Her picky and demanding reputation also seems to be a running gag in Kinki Kids' Domoto Kyoudai show when Ayu is the guest.

[Aga-chan]

^She's a perfectionist. She's VERY demanding of herself, so it's kinda natural that she's demanding of others, too. "Hamasaki Ayumi" is a brand and "Hamasaki Ayumi" means quality. That's why I don't understand how she could approve the "Sunrise/Sunset" covers.
I think it's really great for her that she has people around, whom she can trust. But the development from having control of everything to letting others do it is kinda weird. It's understandable that she doesn't want to stress herself even more, but wouldn't the other way around be more logical in a way? As in gaining more control as years pass by?
And I don't think she's that hard to work with. Otherwise people wouldn't work with and for her. Or perhaps the smell of money is enough for them to go through the trouble?

[octolina]

^ Hmm I think you missed my point?

She's a perfectionist. She's VERY demanding of herself, so it's kinda natural that she's demanding of others, too. "Hamasaki Ayumi" is a brand and "Hamasaki Ayumi" means quality. That's why I don't understand how she could approve the "Sunrise/Sunset" covers.

Yup. She's a perfectionist. But have you ever stopped to think that: In her opinion the covers are perfect. They make her look fake, dollish, and photoshopped. That's what she likes. She is probably sick and tired of her older works and the style of photographers like Leslie Kee and ND Chow because they capture her candidly and the style is more natural. The Ayu from 2005, 2004, 2006 has changed. We have this new Ayu who's 30 years old that desperately tries to look "kawaii" and shows off her cleavage any chance she gets. It's not the photographers fault, or her team's. I can imagine Ayu going "hmm, this needs to be more photoshopped... I can't stand those wrinkles".

I just find it absurd that people think just because they like ND Chow or Leslie Kee, that Ayu should like them as well. Maybe she chooses to work with Kazu because she finally found a photographer that can deliver what she wants. I mean, I'm looking at their shoots with Ayu and while I personally like them better, maybe Ayu looks back at them thinking:

"Ew, I can't believe they didn't photoshop that bump out of my nose" or

"my nostrils look so flared, should have photoshopped" or

"looks too candid, natural, nothing special"

"not doll-like enough"

"my skin looks blah and too real, should be more surreal"

And are we not victims of annoying, weird facial poses as well? Many girls pose to one side because they dislike their wide nose. I knew this one girl in highschool that would do a kissing pout in every photo. Maybe Ayu dislikes her small lips so she prefers the fish lip expression because it makes her mouth larger? Or maybe it's to attempt to look sexy, something she wants. In the end she's satisfied.


And how do you know Ayu let go of her control over things? Just because someone directs her poses, she's still in control in a way, because she hired someone to do so.

This is why I'm less of a fan as I was before. It seems like she's trying to look more "perfected", but it just looks fake. In my opinion, she has never looked so fake before in her career. Her nose, her eyes, her lips. Sometimes I can hardly recognize her. I also cannot stand her style lately. Fake circle contact lens, the really immature looking Tokyo street fashion hair, but I can tell she likes it this way. She wants to appear like a fake doll as much as possible. I mean, throughout her career she showed signs of a Barbie doll complex and it can be cute at times, but now she's taking it a step further and it's sort of off-putting.

And to your last point, well she's not a tyrant for sure. Just picky.

[waterballoon]

Originally Posted by octolina

^ Hmm I think you missed my point? Yup. She's a perfectionist. But have you ever stopped to think that: In her opinion the covers are perfect. They make her look fake, dollish, and photoshopped. That's what she likes. She is probably sick and tired of her older works and the style of photographers like Leslie Kee and ND Chow because they capture her candidly and the style is more natural. The Ayu from 2005, 2004, 2006 has changed. We have this new Ayu who's 30 years old that desperately tries to look "kawaii" and shows off her cleavage any chance she gets. It's not the photographers fault, or her team's. I can imagine Ayu going "hmm, this needs to be more photoshopped... I can't stand those wrinkles".

I just find it absurd that people think just because they like ND Chow or Leslie Kee, that Ayu should like them as well. Maybe she chooses to work with Kazu because she finally found a photographer that can deliver what she wants. I mean, I'm looking at their shoots with Ayu and while I personally like them better, maybe Ayu looks back at them thinking:

"Ew, I can't believe they didn't photoshop that bump out of my nose" or

"my nostrils look so flared, should have photoshopped" or

"looks too candid, natural, nothing special"

"not doll-like enough"

"my skin looks blah and too real, should be more surreal"

And are we not victims of annoying, weird facial poses as well? Many girls pose to one side because they dislike their wide nose. I knew this one girl in highschool that would do a kissing pout in every photo. Maybe Ayu dislikes her small lips so she prefers the fish lip expression because it makes her mouth larger? Or maybe it's to attempt to look sexy, something she wants. In the end she's satisfied.


And how do you know Ayu let go of her control over things? Just because someone directs her poses, she's still in control in a way, because she hired someone to do so.

This is why I'm less of a fan as I was before. It seems like she's trying to look more "perfected", but it just looks fake. In my opinion, she has never looked so fake before in her career. Her nose, her eyes, her lips. Sometimes I can hardly recognize her. I also cannot stand her style lately. Fake circle contact lens, the really immature looking Tokyo street fashion hair, but I can tell she likes it this way. She wants to appear like a fake doll as much as possible. I mean, throughout her career she showed signs of a Barbie doll complex and it can be cute at times, but now she's taking it a step further and it's sort of off-putting.

And to your last point, well she's not a tyrant for sure. Just picky.

For that she would sacrifice her face having no expression?

And Ayu does the fish-lips... I get that. She does them in the past too, because

FISH-LIPS are one of the poses to be "sexy"

In the past, they looked completely fine cos the photographer doesn't yell to her "MORE, MORE" or something, whereas in this case, I think it's safe to say Kazu probably told her what she gave wasn't enough, and he wants "more" which leads to our disaster.

And Aga is right, why would she choose such bad covers to be well, covers? I mean I understand if she wants to look young, dolly, etc... but those covers in particular don't even look 'dolly'. They look freaky.

[HanabiChick]

He's not a horrible photographer, sometimes he has decent photos, though the diva thing with Ayu doesn't work, they're just a bad team when it comes to those type of shots. Some of the natural shots he's done with her have been beautiful, so he's not all bad. It's not all down to him though, Ayu probably still has a say in what photos are used, and she probably has a choice in what photographers she wants to work with. She's proved that over the past few years using her dancers for almost everything, now even as backup singers. Once it was Ayumi Hamasaki, now it's "Ayu and her friends" more and more, even if it's not the right choice. Otherwise why would this photographer be directing most of her PVs now as well as being her main photographer? It could be like some have said, that she might like his work.

[Corvina]

I also think Kazu isn't a bad photographer. Some of his older photos are gorgeous and even his current work isn't that bad.
To be honest I feel that some people her at AHS try to find a "scapegoat" for the fact that they don't like the things that much Ayu is currently doing.
Ayu has changed, everybody changes, and I think she changes the way she wants to.
She's not the same person she was some years ago. I'm sure Ayu does know very well what she and Avex publishs. Maybe you have just to accept that it's the way Ayu wants it.

[octolina]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

In the past, they looked completely fine cos the photographer doesn't yell to her "MORE, MORE" or something, whereas in this case, I think it's safe to say Kazu probably told her what she gave wasn't enough, and he wants "more" which leads to our disaster.

And Aga is right, why would she choose such bad covers to be well, covers? I mean I understand if she wants to look young, dolly, etc... but those covers in particular don't even look 'dolly'. They look freaky.

What she likes happens to be freaky to you, but to her she thinks "kawaii!"

And I still think it's Ayu's own doing. Just accept that she has weird standards. My point of that whole post is that Ayu is starting to have a Michael Jackson syndrome. Never satisfied, really eccentric. Look at her nose. I'm not the only one here that pointed out her nose looks very freaky thin ever since she turned 30. It is apparent in both live video and pictures.

Originally Posted by waterballoon

For that she would sacrifice her face having no expression?

You think: expressionless
Ayu thinks: KAWAII!!!!

Fact: Ayu's aesthetic tastes have changed. SHE LOVES HER NEW SINGLE COVERS BECAUSE THEY SHOW OFF HER BOOBS AND FAKE YOUNG FACE!

I think you should read more into my previous post because I am just going to repeat what I said. She has a weird complex.

Originally Posted by Corvina

I also think Kazu isn't a bad photographer. Some of his older photos are gorgeous and even his current work isn't that bad.
To be honest I feel that some people her at AHS try to find a "scapegoat" for the fact that they don't like the things that much Ayu is currently doing.
Ayu has changed, everybody changes, and I think she changes the way she wants to.
She's not the same person she was some years ago. I'm sure Ayu does know very well what she and Avex publishs. Maybe you have just to accept that it's the way Ayu wants it.

thank you thank you! I like your explanation better!

[waterballoon]

I don't really think we're trying to find scapegoats or whatever for what I don't like.

I don't remember myself ever complaining much about Ayu, or her photos, songs, etc... I'm really okay with anything, until now, that is when the Sunrise covers were out.

Maybe I'm being whiny and making a mountain out of a molehill, but this isn't a case of "I don't like them"... it's more like "A lot of people don't like them"

I can't deny he can take good photos, but he's a big hit & miss...

[hpg23]

I agree with Corvina, and the thing is, Ayu chooses which shots are used on her covers. On a professional photoshoot, they take what, like 500 or more shots of the model. Then Ayu (as proved on that old I am... interview) chooses the picture she likes the most on the computer (as seen on the making of pictures for glitter/fated) [e.g.: ayu says: "94... no, better 93!"]
And then that picture is photoshopped and all the stuff. It´s completely stupid to say that Kazuyoshi hates her, altho personally I don´t like his style, but Ayu looks like she does.

[AyUmIXx]

in the end, we never know what's on Ayu's mind right now..

[waterballoon]

Originally Posted by hpg23

I agree with Corvina, and the thing is, Ayu chooses which shots are used on her covers. On a professional photoshoot, they take what, like 500 or more shots of the model. Then Ayu (as proved on that old I am... interview) chooses the picture she likes the most on the computer (as seen on the making of pictures for glitter/fated) [e.g.: ayu says: "94... no, better 93!"]
And then that picture is photoshopped and all the stuff. It´s completely stupid to say that Kazuyoshi hates her, altho personally I don´t like his style, but Ayu looks like she does.

I said this a while ago... that if Ayu has chosen those 2 photos to be the Sunrise covers, then the rest of the gallery must be worse than those 2...

[Corvina]

@waterballoon:
Yeah, they're are a lot of fans who don't like Ayu's photos at the moment.
Me too, I don't like the direction she's going visually, but already a longer period of time, before she began using Kazu this often.
All this photoshopping is bad, it's the main point for me, not the poses or anything else. Every celebrity is photoshopped, but for Ayu it is used almost excessively.
But I do think it is what Ayu wants.
As long as her music doesn't suffer, it's ok for me.
It's sad but it's the way it is.

[Saerie]

Ughhh yeah I hate those ViVi September shots

[octolina]

^ Worse according to whom? You seem to ignore the fact that Ayu has her own taste. Maybe you'd find the other pics better.

[waterballoon]

Originally Posted by Corvina

@waterballoon:
Yeah, they're are a lot of fans who don't like Ayu's photos at the moment.
Me too, I don't like the direction she's going visually, but already a longer period of time, before she began using Kazu this often.
All this photoshopping is bad, it's the main point for me, not the poses or anything else. Every celebrity is photoshopped, but for Ayu it is used almost excessively.
But I do think it is what Ayu wants.
As long as her music doesn't suffer, it's ok for me.
It's sad but it's the way it is.

Yeah... the music is still the most important to me.

I just feel very sad that what used to be isn't what is now... and the total mishandling of her career herself lol... oh well.

[love in music]

Originally Posted by octolina

Look at her nose. I'm not the only one here that pointed out her nose looks very freaky thin ever since she turned 30. It is apparent in both live video and pictures.

you need to watch some HDTV lives lol

[octolina]

^ Actually I do watch HD. Just my and a few other's opinion though, not a fact. I love proving myself wrong! (This is coming from someone who argues that she's natural or mostly natural--up unto now...) Anyway, changing subject...

__________________________________________________ ___________________________

About Ayu's expressions, and Kazu's photography...

I found an old photo with a similar fish mouth...

Do people hate the pic on the left as much as they did on the right?

[love in music]

Originally Posted by octolina

I found an old photo with a similar fish mouth...

Do people hate the pic on the left as much as they did on the right?

the left pic is a lot better..
what is with her chin area in the right one? wow.. it's like they made it a whole different jaw/chin shape
also ayu did the fish lips way back in the day too, lol

it has never been a good look on her

[Aga-chan]

Originally Posted by octolina

^ Hmm I think you missed my point?

I was going by what someone else posted.

Originally Posted by truehappiness

Hm.. after 2006, Ayu said that she was beginning to loosen her stranglehold on her image and perhaps that is why things have not been as visually stunning as before. I hear that in the NTV 2000 interview, she even wanted fonts changed because they were not to her liking. (from the CNN interview)... hm.

That she wants to look fake and doesn't like her previous work are as much assumptions as that she might gave control over her image to other people. We can only assume, because we haven't any reliable informations or sources.

I wasn't even talking about the "fish mouth" or looking fake or anything. The "Sunrise/Sunset" covers are just badly made. I know it's about tastes and opinions, but comparing these covers to, say, "&" really shows the differences. Despite being shot in a studio "&" does look summery. In the case of "Sunrise/Sunset" they even went abroad, yet it looks like done in a studio. And this by a so-called professional. People on AHS, who might mostly use photoshop as a hobby, can do much better, as can be seen in some sets. I hadn't any problem with his covers until now. That it went downhill to this extent is kinda a mystery.
If she was into looking perfect, she probably wouldn't post pictures of her with no make-up on her blog or publish them and behind the scenes pictures on the DEJIDEJI diary and TA magazine respectively.

And Japan is mostly about being kawaii. Namie goes for it, Haruna Ai goes for it and they're both slightly older.

[waterballoon]

^ LOL she should stay away from those lips!

And hmm... her chin... could it be photoshop? I mean they liquify her face and like sharpen her chin... and at least her expression on the left looks normal, but the right...

But again the whole look of the right one is horrible... the eyes... over-sized lips (did she just eat chillies lol).