Where have I been, blogosphere? Where, oh where has Vee gone? I'm sure you've all missed the absolute nothing I bring you, but I've noticed that a lot of blogs on IW and elsewhere seem to be slowing down. I have a nice little excuse tied up in a pretty bow, though: I've been experimenting. Technically, I've been running this experiment since late last year, but just now is it all beginning to coalesce into something that's worth writing about.

Before I tell you a little bit about what it's like to be an H!P Groupdubber, though, I'll share with you this:



...that's me, dancing Tokaikko Junjou on my new YouTube account (pinkwota) after my last account (ShadowOmega) was not-so-ceremoniously suspended and purged by avex's lawyers. D: I think this dance is head and shoulders above my last attempt - Honto no Jibun, if you remember - and I really wish for it to meet with the approval of the fan masses. Well, the fan masses who like to see overweight American wota gals replicating dances originally done by 80 pound Japanese girls. Eh. I did my best, and I'm happy with it.

I have a survey to complete, too, by none other than one of my favorite people in whole blogosphere, Celestia, but duty calls for the moment.

( We are the ones who search 'Auditions Needed' on a daily basis )

Here are a few links to acquaint you with the magical world of H!P YouTube Groupdubbing:

"Groupdubs I'm In" [My playlist.]

"Kanashimi Twilight" [This is an example of a single singer stealing the show. I made this dub - organized it, stressed over it, mixed it, and let me just say that all those comments about JPNSinger101 sounding "just like Miki" are RIGHT ON]

Chibi♥Love do 'Koisuru Angel Heart' - Nami and Mari are my favorite singers on YT, probably, and it's all because they sound so AMAZING together.

KawaiiiMusume [The great original]

HenryProvince [I'm this dude's #1 fan - he rocks it out, and I am so glad to hear a guy daring to sing H!P songs. We're set to do a duet of 'Sakura Mankai']

And, as if all that weren't enough, I feel compelled to share things I can't share elsewhere on YouTube - namely, my Ayumi Hamasaki songs that would get me banned. These are my favorites to sing. Boo.

"Independent" by Vee
"Evolution" by Vee
"HEAVEN" by Vee
"Pride" by Vee

...will that do in lieu of a PinkCast this month?

...make this one it.

I sort of jest...but not really. As the concert that took place just a few days prior to the press release announcing Ayumi Hamasaki's diagnosed deafness in one ear, Countdown Live 2007-2008 10th Anniversary, it sort of makes sense that watching this made me wonder where Ayu had gone and what they'd done with her. Who was this woman singing? Trying to sing? I didn't know.

On May 9th Ayumi's Official Website (look at them making an English page for it. Bless, they try so hard) announced the upcoming release of the CDL 07-08 DVD. The DVD version of any CDL concert is always interesting to compare next to the "live" television airing, as the vocals are usually cleaned up and the direction is almost always better. But I will be most intrigued to see what they do with this one. It was a lackluster concert, at best. 'Together When...' and 'untitled ~for her~' were definitely the stand-outs. Some of the stagings were very innovative and fun, especially Ayumi in a leather Catwoman costume for the coda of 'Ladies Night', but there is a give-and-take between showmanship and vocals. Her vocals were, for the most part, atrocious during CDL 07-08. She started off about a quarter-note off in 'talkin' 2 myself' and rarely recovered. I was so shamed, watching the concert I'd personally hyped like a well-paid shill, that I daren't breathe a word of it at length on Pink Wota. Well, here I am to tell you: not the Ayumi DVD you want to buy. If you want to see a great show, pick up her Tour of Secret disc set.

Or, if you're a completionist/masochist like me, you're going to go ahead and get this one anyway. After all, it does have Ayumi in a Catwoman costume. The price is way too much for something like this. For ten dollars more on YesAsia you can pick up the stunning Countdown Live 2004~2005 - worth every penny, that one.

I also note, with no small amount of amusement, that every shred of CDL 2007-2008 has been stripped from all my usual internet streaming video sites. Not that I blame avex at all.

But here's someone - a die-hard fan, at that - telling you it's a trap.

In light of the recent Avril Leviathan (nope, I'm not a fan)/Puffy AmiYumi collaboration news, I thought instead of writing what would basically amount to an article agreeing with six of one side (I don't think Avril Lavigne is a talented songwriter by any means, and it sort of cheapens Puffy in the eyes of a lot of their longer-established American fans) and half a dozen of the other (Puffy will be able to say they have more to their name on the American cred tip than "Teen Titans", Avril is probably a fan like the rest of us and, you know, good for her in some way), it would be more productive (and fun!) to write an article about American/Japanese musical artist collaborations I'D love to see.

Of course, this whole thing is just a flight of fancy. But shall we just agree that Max Matsuura reads my blog, and might get an idea from this? And, hey, this is an open invitation for a blogosphere-wide dialog on Dream Collaborations. Because, of course, everyone has their preferences!

( My Top Five Pipe Dreams... )

In lieu of actually reviewing Ayumi Hamasaki's latest duo of remix albums, ayu-mi-x 6 -SILVER- and -GOLD-, I decided to make a PinkCast that would let everyone appreciate a few of the best mixes - with my sparkling commentary, of course!

I start off by explaining my own history with the ayu-mi-xes, share an early Ayumi remix, and then share four of what I consider to be the stand-out tracks from these latest offerings.

Warning: Commentary is occasionally not very sparkling, and sometimes I pause like an idiot.

PinkCast 03

[ DIRECT DL ]

One thing I never remembered to mention: the tiny, iPod-sized version of the cover art for -GOLD- keeps making me think I'm looking at the Hannibal movie poster, or, more fittingly, soundtrack. So, in my head I'm half-expecting to hear 'Vide Cor Meum'.

This is an article that's been a long time in the making. The roots of Pink Wota itself can be traced back to the LJ Community ayu_me, which I created in order to share Ayumi songs and media with my friends who were just beginning to dip their toes into the J-Pop scene. To this day, Ayumi is the only artist several of them will listen to, of the dozens I blather about here and on my personal journal.



It happened very recently - I was posting about my plans for Metrocon's Anime Idol competition on the forums for said convention, and mentioned my desire to perform an Ayumi Hamasaki song. The only direct response I got? "Oh, man, I hate Ayumi Hamasaki."

( Read more... )

Education first. Then opinions.

See me? I'm not going to say anything negative about J-Rock here, even though I could make gross generalizations. Because I don't know anything about J-Rock.

I had to write this, even though it might not hold any water or make any difference. Does anyone else run across this with their favorite artists? The whole "______ killed my puppy!!!"-like response at the slightest mention? I've seen it happen with Hikki, but that seems to be the leftovers of the great Ayumi vs. Hikki debate of 2000, which is just an eyeroll now.

So, you'll all excuse me for getting defensive when Ayumi's talent or worth as an idol is brought into anything but purely objective argument. I've seen too much of it, I've put up with too much of it without ever saying anything.

Peace.

Bonus points if you're old enough/film buff enough to catch the reference of the title.

No screencaps yet, guys. I'm afraid I spent most of my download time this weekend grabbing the new DD-Boys subs from droyalfansub and then laughing at the fact that Shirota Yuu was, in fact, playing strip jyanken with a few girls and a couple of tranvestites. See? This is why I'll be majoring in languages. I want the nuances.

Still...'Mirrorcle World', the PV. Let's see.



The song is as it should be - a deservedly kickass continuation of the drastically fierce Mirror intro from GUILTY. Of course, this just makes me go back in time and wish Not yet or Are You Wake Up? would be given the same treatment. Oh, well. No such luck. What do we have?

I will say this for Ayumi - she is a fashionista. Paris was the perfect filming location for this PV, and she comes across looking, though Raid obviously disagrees (since when have we seen eye-to-eye on Ayumi? ^_~), sexier than ever. Many fans hoped that the break-up with Tomoyo would release her wilder side, and that certainly seems to be the case. It could be argued that this is all an attempt to play into the currently hip Koda Kumi/Namie Amuro image, but it's still pure Ayu. Just a lot more in-your-face, a whole lot sexier.

Adoration is the only thing I have for the opening strains, to which Ayumi absolutely STOMPS the Parisian pavement in her stiletto boots. This sequence is, however fierce, a little long. I have my misgivings concerning the video, to be certain. A better director could have done far better with the concepts at hand - four different Ayus, a womanhunt on the streets of Paris, Ayumi trapped in a phone booth...

The finest sequence is the dimly-lit, peep-show style shots from her "hotel room", complete with corset and garter stockings. If you've ever seen Ayumi that blatantly sexual, please inform me. I was overcome.

As for other shots, they tended to go on where they didn't need to go on (the first Ayumi shot should have cut to a different angle, at least, for the introduction of the harder percussion/chorus). The red dress was gorgeous but I would have preferred more close-ups of her hair and make-up. Those damned feathered nails are back - I laughed out loud at those things in the 'Rainbow' PV, I did not want to ever see them again.

Not to mention, after having read Raid's review, I couldn't get his jokes out of my head, and that sort of ruined my experience. I have to admit, that white handkerchief should have been made to look a little more like a handkerchief. Damnit, Raid. >:\ Damnit, menses dress.

The phone booth sequence wasn't dynamic enough - more angles would have been great - perhaps an Ayumi angle from the inside looking out? I don't know, it seemed...overwrought.

Overwrought, that's what the 'Mirrorcle World' PV is. The song is note-perfect, and I hope that it does tremendously well for Ayumi, but the PV would have benefited from another director. In my opinion, she needs to stick with Wateru Takeishi and Tetsuo Inoue forever.

Thus far we've had Pre-Revolutionary French court, Merry Murderesses, Dancing with the J-Pop Stars, and Traditional kimono + Aerial Hoops. I rewatched the concert again last night as a chaser after work, just to give myself a laid-back sense of context, and I have to say: this is really rather impressive. Lush, imaginative, and fantastically presented. The behind-the-scenes footage isn't actually all that intrusive if watched on its own (I took the time to clip it all around and watch it in one sitting. To see the audience shots they took during several shows of concert-goers actually crying during the opening strains of Evolution, one realizes what a powerhouse, what an inspiration and a true idol Ayumi Hamasaki is. And she gives everything 110%. The documentaries prove this.

The first time I watched the finale of this concert, I panned it. but what was I expecting? I watched it again with a less jaded attitude and, perhaps, a lighter stress load, and LOVED it. So, here we go. The Empress and her Court. This last leg of the review will see me going off on a few tangents I've been meaning to touch on for some time. Happy reading...

( To the finale, my people! )

You'll excuse me if I don't review the entire encore. It was beautiful and awesome, especially Who..., but it just won't be as fun. Hope you all enjoyed this mega-review!

Endless thanks to the readers of International Wota for voting Pink Wota as the Best New Blog of 2007!!! I'd like to congratulate all the other nominees, and the ultra-amazing True Life Seek, with whom I share this award.

( On with the show! )

Stay tuned for Pt.3, possibly tomorrow! I want to work on some fiction writing for now! Cheers, all!

I jest. I completely jest. I'm absolutely positive that Ayumi Hamasaki's 2007 Asia Tour was breathtaking to behold, but presented on the DVD as a force-fed "Behind the Music" documentary, it loses a LOT of its luster. In this review you'll hear praise, you'll hear jeers, you'll hear some harsh but (hopefully) fair criticism about the way Ayumi and her tour development staff keep ripping themselves off, but I want to be able to back all of this up. So, let me buckle myself in, here, and prepare to bite the inside of my cheek a lot.

It's not a bad concert. It is definitely not. But since 2003 I have seen nothing but astonishing Arena Tours from Ayumi Hamasaki. From the stripped-down, raw energy of Arena Tour 2003~2004, to effing fountains and a heartbreakingly gorgeous opening number at Arena Tour 2005, to magic acts and singing inside a suspended buckyball at Arena Tour 2006...I guess I just expected a lot more. Most importantly, I didn't expect a whole lot of self-reference. Really, are you that strapped for ideas, Ayumi? I'm going to say here and now that the year 2002 seems to have returned with a vengeance, but I'll leave that for you all to discuss once I've presented the review and the evidence.

Feel free to use my screencaps elsewhere if you want. Radio Free Screencaps. It was hard enough to rip this stupid thing, so go for it! Since there are so many screencaps, though, I'm forced to chunk this review into sections. I'd meant to keep it nice and simple, but since when have I been able to do that?

If you don't mind I'll be skipping the documentary sections. I just can't bring myself to care unless I have a translation. I just want to watch a ~*~SHOW~*~.



( Here we Go! )

And you think it's over but OH HELL NO IT'S NOT OVER!!!!

To be Continued...

This is going to be a test of speed-blogging. I have to be at work soon, but my entire lifeis pretty much "I have to be at work soon" right now, so no time like the present. There are a few bullet points I'd like to hit, as Pink Wota's resident Ayumi Hamasaki nut-job. So call this an Ayumi Round-up, if you will.

♥ In Japan, it's is almost the day. Four hours until the official street date of Ayumi Hamasaki ASIA TOUR 2007 ~Tour of Secret~ DVD. If you haven't checked out the official Ayumi Hamasaki website, I urge you to do so. It's just been a long dry spell since Arena Tour DVD's, is all, and I'd managed to forget that a-nation and Countdown Live are usually abysmally disappointing when compared to the Arena Tours. Just looking at the slide show and promos that are up at the website (there's another promo video floating around, too...it's hard to find it through the website, but rather easy to locate on dailymotion...), I can see how much emotion and work has been put into this tour, and I can't wait to see the finished product. Looks like they really are returning to the old Arena Tour 2002 "Moulin Rouge" set-up for Evolution and UNITE!, and that the carnivale costumes will also serve glitter. Most intriguing are the mini-glimpses I'm seeing of M. I can't wait to see that like burning. I could only look forward to this concert more if Free & Easy were included in the setlist. Still, it's not that far away.

♥ Looking at the Official Tracklist has me a bit dismayed. Why chop up the concert like that? Is this going to be like the Terrible 2002's? Stadium and Arena both did this, interspersing the actual concert footage with documentary/behind-the-scenes footage, and it was jarring at best and completely unecessary as worst. I don't need to see it, I can trust from a SEPARATE documentary that it happened! I want the full concert experience, uncut. Oh, well. Maybe I speak too soon, we'll see when I get my copy if there's an option to play the concert without the documentary clips.

♥ Let's hope avex aren't being complete idiots with this next one... A phenomenal Triple-A-side from Namie Amuro, and suddenly a new Ayumi single is announced like gangbusters with - wait for it - not one, not two, not THREE, but FOUR distinct editions/jackets. These had better be the most gorgeous things ever, because the waters already test as lukewarm on the preview of the song itself (a continuation of the ass-kicking GUILTY intro Mirror called Mirrorcle World), and most people just don't want the title Mirrorcle World on their shelves four times over. I may or may not be one of those people, let's wait and see what the jackets look like. But, then, I love the title Resonant Blue, so there may be supporters of this odd choice.

The good news, though, is that First Presses of Jacket A already seem to be sold out on cd-japan, so there may yet be hope that Ayu will climb back to the top. Still, beating out 60s70s80s in my heart is going to be to--oh who am I kidding, it's Ayumi.

♥ More important to me than the single itself, the c/w, or the FOUR JACKETS is the presence of two ~10th Anniversary Editions~. One CD+DVD boasts a new version of YOU while the other lures you in with Depend of you, redux. I think it's a good thing, throwing them in as c-sides rather than forcing a whole new remix or "10th Anniversary Rebirth" down peoples' throats. But I might be speaking too soon, there. All I know is, if this trend continues through 2008, I can't wait to hear the 10th Anniversary Editions of Trust and possibly A Song for XX. Ayumi's voice is just so different now...it begs for exploration.

♥ The covers to ayu-mi-x GOLD and SILVER:

( Be Awed )

Yeah. I LIKE 'EM. A lot. It sort of brings everything full circle from the early ayu-mi-x days. Even if they are just...photoshopped. First pressings of these are still available.

So here you go, beautiful people: ORDER AWAY!!!

Asia Tour 2007 A -Tour of Secret- "LIVE + DOCUMENTARY"
Mirrorcle World [CD+DVD / Jacket A]
Mirrorcle World [Jacket B]
Mirrorcle World [CD+DVD / Jacket C]
Mirrorcle World [Jacket D]
ayu-mi-x 6 -Gold-
ayu-mi-x 6 -Silver-

I just took a good look at Namie Amuro's first offering of 2008 - 60's, 70's, 80's, for those of you who haven't heard. I love Namie. Not the secret. Almost all of us here at Pink Wota love Namie. I also love avex trax. Also not the secret. You know I report with alarming ferocity on all things Ayu. I was dismayed by Kuu's lapse in adult thought process, and I think the staff were reading my mail when AAA was formed.

So, what's the secret, here?

I think, between Ayumi's hearing problems, Kuu's foolishness, and lackluster 2008 offerings from both of them, Namie is poised to be the Big Diva of avex. This is almost a political takeover I'm talking about, and therefore I feel more than a little silly. But, Hell, I just wrote a post about Hello!Project turning into the cast of Prince of Tennis. The reality here is that Namie Amuro has been one thing that neither Ayu nor Kuu nor even Ai have been, artistically if not fiscally: CONSISTENT. Plus, she's been at it far longer. Yes, four years can be considered a lifetime in the world of pop divas.

The facts that she still looks fresh as a crisp $1000 bill, and that she managed to storm the J-Pop world with an unexpected hit in 2007 are only adding to this theory of mine.



( As Namie would, let's break it down )

Well, I'll be damned.

We might be in for a 2008 even more interesting than it's already been over at avex trax, and that is to say it's going to be PRETTY DAMNED INTERESTING.

I returned home from a full day of work to the following comment from Pink Wota reader emaschi:

"They read your post."

Sure enough:



( 『ayumi hamasaki ASIA TOUR 2007 A ～Tour of Secret～ 'LIVE + DOCUMENTARY'』 )

Thanks again to emaschi! I might not have checked today, and then I would've been behind the curve!

Also, just to cover my bases, here:

On v-u-den: I didn't care for them at all until Jaja Uma Paradise (not the PV), which is only fitting. They release a song I love and then disband. 9__9 As with most of you guys, I'm most concerned with what's going to happen to Erika and Yui. Especially Erika. She was nudging at my H!P Top Ten earlier this month.

On 'Renai♥Rider': More on this later. I believe Buono! is the greatest thing to happen to H!P since Mini Moni, and I say that having considered it for some time. I'm in love with this PV, and with all the girls. Even Miyabi! (Jest...jest...I've never disliked her...)

So, I said after receiving the pleasant news, I'm going to post next about Shirota Yuu not getting an American film debut, or even a Japanese album, but the dude's busy and I doubt Watanabe Entertainment reads my blog like avex trax does. Still, it seems that everyone and their lesser talented brother is getting an album these days, but the D-BOYS are getting sadly shut out. I suppose by definition they ARE an acting stable, but I can't be the only one thinking it's grave injustice that Tenimyu is the closest Shirota's gotten to breaking into the music industry. More sad face.

Maybe I'll just wish for a Kaji Masaki solo photobook.

This whole situation reminds me of the scene in Dogma wherein Jason Mewes says that "Guys like us don't just fall from the sky, you know!" ...well, if you've seen Dogma you know where I'm going with this.

Unless Max Matsuura is secretly stalking me, it's all just coincidence. Nevertheless, I'm happy.

I like to think I check Ayumi's official website, blog, and Wikipedia entry with good frequency. For obvious reasons, I've been off my game recently, but I'm getting back up to speed. At least once a week, sometimes twice, I'll check out the doings, take a quick lurk around the AHS forums, and most importantly check her website and Wiki to see if one little thing has been announced...one measly little thing, that's all I ask.

For at least four months, I've been checking, and asking, and my hopes have gone unrewarded. I'm left to wonder if I'm the only one wondering at the level of weirdness we're experiencing here. To what do I refer? Why, the mythical, apocryphal 'Tour of Secret' DVD release, of course.



( What we know, what we've always known, and what we can't be sure about. )

I've been gone for a while. Not even going to bother explaining. :P Instead, I'll just come back full swing right into everything. It'll be fun, I promise.

I was thinking long and hard last night about what I should do as my "comeback" article. Pondered over various videos, songs, fashion, things like that. Then it hit me. I just got Ayu's newest album in the mail on Wednesday. I don't like Ayu all that much. So...what could be better than a not!fan reviewing her latest album!? Yeah yeah, I know, you all think I'm going to be biased and whatnot. Fear not, my lovelies, I am and will always be fair in my judgment of music. I listen to a lot of music and am hard on everything I listen to, including my favorite bands/singers. A music nazi, if you will.


Hamasaki Ayumi's GUILTY
01. Mirror
02. (don't) Leave me alone
03. talkin' 2 myself
04. decision
05. GUILTY
06. fated
07. Together When...
08. Marionette -prelude-
09. Marionette
10. The Judgement Day (her/their spelling, not mine XD)
11. glitter
12. MY ALL
13. reBIRTH
14. untitled ~for her~

( [REVIEW] )

I stated a few entries back that I expect Ayumi Hamasaki's 10th year with avex trax to be a strong one - not only a strong one, but a legendary one, impact-wise. My hopes were that she will not lie down, will not give up, and will fight to win back the throne of avex fair and square. If 'Together When...' is any indication, she's starting that battle early. I'm all agog over this song and its PV. Well worth a digital purchase, in my book.



( My review, and oodles of screencaps )

That's about enough for my review of this release. There is a tracklist and cover art up for 'GUILTY' now, and when I'm feeling less overwhelmed by work and cosplay and life in general, I will endeavor to break that down. Thanks for being here, everyone.

First I'd like to thank everyone for their kind words regarding my last entry. My sister, 11 years my elder, and her nine year old son, are in town starting today for a week of holiday preparations and family goodness. I'm currently up with a stomachache, and was hoping in vain that I would find a release date for Ayumi's Tour of Secret DVD on her official site. Instead I found the title of her new album.

Never one to back down at overanalyzing things, I find the dichotomy between Ayu's upcoming title, 'GUILTY', and Kuu's upcoming title, 'Kingdom', to be interesting at the very least. Worth a further, possibly pointless, introspection? Why not? I'm not falling asleep any time soon.

::

By now all we avex enthusiasts have seen and taken stock of the 'Kingdom' cover art. I am enthralled by the color scheme and the composition of the photos, but more importantly I am intrigued by the not-so-subtle message put across by Kuu's title. From a perspective of pure marketing, it's masterful - give Koda Kumi fans what they want, that being the image of Kuu taking the "throne" of avex trax, while giving Ayumi's fans something to take notice of. Now, I'm a huge fan of both artists, as are many avex trax enthusiasts, so I fall into neither category. I'm simply chomping at the bit to see Ayumi's forthcoming cover art, and to see how the title relates to the imagery. Whether it fits into this whole "dethroning" concept.

Koda Kumi has worked her way to the top of avex, especially after a year during which Ayumi musically slacked. I say this with complete love and respect for Ayumi. She was an extremely busy lady this year, but between the ambitious 'Kyo Ai' project, the Asian tour, and the well-publicized breakup, she seemed to put little time into doing what she does best - music. She finally bounced back with 'talkin' 2 myself', and many fans will contend that 'Kyo Ai' was much more worthy than I give it credit for being. I respect it as an ambitious project with a well-intentioned message of Pan-Asian unity blended in, but I think it, along with 'Part of me', did not make a good first half of the year for Ayu, publicly. The tour even had its share of controversy, from the cost to the accusations of lip-synching to...well...a lot happened, and even though a lot is ALWAYS happening with the Empress of J-Pop, but it took a year for us to even be treated to a new single.

This is why I find the title of her ninth album very interesting. Between avex's shifting focus toward artists such as Koda Kumi, AAA, and Otsuka Ai, Ayumi's own musical slump, and her very public personal life, I have to wonder whether this - a simple but powerful word, as many of Ayumi's song titles are - is an apology or an admission. An acceptance of her guilt or a "so what are you going to do about it?" challenge to her detractors. I want to hope it's the latter. Ayumi has been too down for too long, even with her uplifting singles peppered here and there. I saw the 'Memorial address' side of Ayumi again with 'talkin' 2 myself', and she seemed so very genuine in the PV, so sincerely "come and get me" on the single's cover art. Meanwhile, the smiles in the booklet of 'glitter/fated' seemed forced, uncomfortable. And perhaps they were.

Take into consideration, also, the official spelling of the title. Punctuation of Ayumi's English titles has always been a topic of fascination and compulsion for me. The capitalization of 'GUILTY', following such titles as 'MY STORY' and 'RAINBOW', makes it stand out all the more.

I said it before, when I first heard of the release date for the new album, but I'll say it again, just to tie all this together: I'm ready for, and expecting, Ayumi to come out fighting in 2008. If avex is setting up a "mock rivalry" between Koda Kumi and Ayumi Hamasaki, Ayumi isn't the type, at the core of her personality, to play into it just for sales. I truly believe she is an artist, but that may just be my idealistic side. She's proved as much time and time again, though.

Thus, when I saw『GUILTY』on her website, I gave my computer monitor a half-smile. And I thought : "you tell 'em."

If nothing else, I expect any tour titled "GUILTY" to be one Helluva tour. Let's hope my plans of getting to Japan for her 10th Anniversary tour come to bear.

Interesting. According to Ayumi's official website, her 9th studio album will be released on New Year's Day, 2008. I expect that 2008, being Ayumi's 10th Anniversary with avex trax, will be treated as the auspicious milestone that it is. I can't decide whether this opinion is more or less valid when coming from a die-hard fan, but I've proven my ability to roll my eyes at Ayumi when she does something stupid: expect big things. Expect a great new album, expect an Arena Tour to blow all others away, and expect Ayumi to dig her nails into her throne as the Empress of J-Pop and not let go. From what we've seen of her singles since 'Secret', Ayumi isn't resting on her laurels anymore (I couldn't help but take that feeling from 'Secret', despite some stand-out tracks). I have to hope that her break-up has influenced her to dive nose-first into her music again. She's always been very good at delivering the most visceral of J-Pop to the "gratuitously famous stars" table, and I was pleasantly surprised with 'talkin' 2 myself/decision'.

One niggling little thing that I find troubling, though: still no release date for her Arena Tour 2007 DVD. Does anyone have any leads on this which I may have missed?

I have extremely high hopes for her 9th album, and for her 10th Anniversary. Make me proud, Ayumi.

Ayu ready?

Well, here it is, guys. I've cruised the forums and I've seen the vitriol reactions of many an Ayumi fan. As with 'Kyo Ai', the opinions on this PV seem pretty divided. Even if you haven't caught the video for yourself on YouTube, I'm here to provide some screencaps which will last long after avex does their weekly sweep of every video on the entire internet (or so it seems, sometimes...).

Tetsuo Inoue has directed some of my personal favorite Ayumi videos in the recent past. He doesn't come near the genius of Wataru Takeishi for providing a "storyline", but his visuals are always stunning. This is no exception. The man also directed 'Moments', 'Inspire', 'STEP You', and 'Rainy Day', as well as the highly unerrated 'is this LOVE'. A number of Ayumi fans are decrying the PV, the song, the entire thing, making numerous claims to support a strange hatred that obviously stems from somewhere else. So, fine, the PV doesn't have an immediate storyline that you can figure out. That's not the point of this video. Look closer. So there is a concerted effort to make Ayumi dance, and to give her dancers something to do. I didn't see anyone complaining at 'BLUE BIRD'. Hating for the sake of hating is one thing, and my ripping apart of 'Kyo Ai' because I just felt it was fluffy and ridiculous is another thing. But man. Propping up your opinions as gospel because you have the internet is what blogging is all about! And I plan to do it, too. So haters, step aside.



So listen up. Ayumi is back, single, and better than ever.

( Bring it. IMAGE HEAVY. Not Safe for Dial-Up. )

Well, that's an easy one.





I have to admit, 'glitter' and 'fated' both grew on me tremendously, as seems to happen with every Ayumi song I dismiss at first listen. I may be a rabid fan, but I am a bit discerning, after all. I like to consider this a good trait. It's not that I was predisposed to dislike 'glitter' or 'fated', because waiting a year for a new single is heartrending. Still, no matter the build-up, I wasn't immediately impressed. 'glitter' reminded me too much of 'BLUE BIRD' at first. Regardless, a few listens later I heard a distinct sound to the song - almost like 'BLUE BIRD' and 'Born to be...' had birthed a July baby (on my birthday!). Then there was that short film. Eh. I'm still not a fan of 'Kyo Ai', but that's not my point.

My point is, I don't care what 'Talkin' 2 Myself' sounds like. Look at those covers. This is my Ayu. This is the woman I know and love. This is short-haired Ayu back for the first time since 2004, and with a vengeance. Don't ask me why I invest so much in Ayu cutting her hair...but I've been waiting for something that looks like this, just like Kuu fans (myself included) took a deep, reverent breath when the 'Ai no Uta' cover came out. But where 'Ai no Uta' was a gentle salve of shimmering beauty, this, this is a callback and a slap to the face at once.

Ayumi's popularity may be waning compared to where she was two or three years ago, but there is no way she's going that way without a fight. Do these cover shots say nothing if not "bring it on?" Also notice the bared teeth on the lip design. Knowing how deeply Ayumi is involved in her conceptual development, I can only hope that was her idea. I recognize that logo. It was the Team Ayu logo from Arena Tour 2003~2004. Without the teeth. Now the teeth are bared. Am I getting too analytical? Of course any Ayumi detractor would say "yes, of course, stop that."

But no. I have my short-haired Ayu, I have my copies pre-ordered, and tonight my best friend and I actually hatched a crack-brained scheme to get to Japan for her '08 tour. If she'll be looking like this, I do believe I may not come back alive. I will die of happiness.

VEE'S TOP TEN AYUMI HAMASAKI LIVE PERFORMANCES

I've been rolling it over and over in my head since pink_wota started: how do I write an article on Ayumi Hamasaki without going the usual "here, download music!" or "this was a nice video, won't you?" routes? And then it hit me - I consume twice the LIVE Ayumi music than I do the studio Ayumi music. I've ripped entire concert DVD's and made CD's of them. I love listening to it, but the experience is only as magical as I like to believe it is once you've seen the performances in question and know what to visualize.

Guys, Ayumi concerts are like opera to me.

To get things started, and to clear up the overwhelming whack-a-doo sentiment of that last sentence, I have to point out the fundamentals of Ayumi live performances. She is, of course, a pop powerhouse, but she brings something to her concerts that is alive and electric. There is a quality of staging that is almost operatic, definitely. Some of the performances I aim to spotlight definitely have these elements. But it is herself that she brings, first and foremost. Some artists simply sing their songs. Ayumi is acting out a story. Or so I believe.

Join me, please, in looking over what I believe to be her finest ten live performances. I call upon you to add your own favorites in the comments. Thanks for reading!

( From Dome Tour to CDL 2006-07... )

Again, please share your favorites if I've not included them, or feel free to tear apart my own list! Go ahead! :D What would be on YOUR top Ayumi Live list? Inquiring minds want to know.

Still, dudes, seriously. Fountains.