Let's talk Koda Kumi, shall we??
Make no mistake, I used to like her; wasn't a dedicated follower, but I did listen to her songs here & there. When I first heard her sing in "the meaning of peace", I thought, "Wow, who is this nobody that's giving BoA a run for her money with such a stunning voice??" So I immediately went to check out her own releases, only ended up being greatly disappointed 'cause they sucked big time. I felt it was great talent put to waste, & at the back of my mind I guess I was hoping she'd get a break...
Fastforward 5 years, & she's the hottest female singer in JPop. Her popularity, however, didn't come without controversy. For lovers & haters alike, her image has become much of the focus, & sometimes, if not always, it overshadows her music. To some, she's sexy, while to others, she's just another slutty wannabe who can't seem to keep her clothes on. Personally, I'm not a fan of her new image. I have nothing against dressing provocatively to get ahead; after all, sex sells, & if it's working for her, why not?? Clearly, it's a big part of her attraction, & she's just doing whatever it takes to stay on top. If you've read her interviews & heard about how hard she's fought over her body image issues & with people (including her own producer) constantly putting her down to get to where she is today, you'd most certainly agree. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, you can almost feel it's her record company that's forcing her to stick with this image. Just look at how she tried to "cover up" with "Yume no uta" at all the year-end specials, & what did she get?? A lot of people deeming it boring & dying to see her back to wearing nothing but a shirt, a la "Butterfly" the year before. Once again, if it ain't broke...
I just feel that her image isn't doing her any favours, especially when it eclipses her talent. She's a good singer, not quite top-notch but better than most JPop singers out there. She's also a great dancer, I dare say a natural with a sense of rhythm that's topped by only a selected few (yes Amuro is still the best out there =P). She might not be an eloquent lyricist like Ayu but at least she's tried to write her own material. Then why, I ask, must she resort to wearing clothes that are perpetually 2 sizes too small to be popular??
Her music isn't getting any better either. Out of the 12 singles on "BEST~second session~", only half can be considered real music...& I'm already being generous. And her recent releases aren't exactly inspired either; one listen to "BUT" & you'd think the Japanese version of "SexyBack" (having said that, I AM crazy addicted to the song xD). "Unmei" still sounds flat to me & don't even get me started on the mess that is "Cherry Girl". I didn't even bother checking out her latest album 'cause I've heard so many bad things about it, even from fans. You'd think that with such popularity comes priority in song selection, & still, she ends up with some pretty disappointing tracks. What's up with that??
But the one thing that bothers me the most goes way past her tantalizing image & her waning music quality. For me, what absolutely drives me nuts is the fact that, somehow, someone out there had the audacity to term her style "ero-kakkoii". Suddenly, it gives the whole "dressing like a slut" deal a positive spin. By terming it "cool" (a loose translation of "kakkoii"), it's as though telling all adolescent Japanese girls it's okay to bare your breasts for the sake of being liked, or even just being "fashionable". Is that the kind of message you want to send to young girls?? Sure, it's much worse here in North America, but we never encourage it, to the point of frequently shaming girls by calling them nasty names for showing some skin. Again, it's a personal choice, everyone's entitled to freedom of expression, so wear what you want. But DON'T GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT IT'S THE NORM, because it's not. Keep doing what you must to stay on top, but don't make it seem like you're doing it as a favour to the world (well, maybe to many Japanese guys she is =P), because you're not.
That pretty much sums up how I feel about her. I've been wanting to discuss this for a while now, it's just that I was never able to put it into words. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna close this site before some Koda Kumi fan reads this & decides to hack it. xD

Kakeru @ 00:12 +

Star Power
FINALLY opened my "A BEST 2"s...they arrived Thursday, but I've been too busy playing SSX Blur to pay attention to them (sorry Ayu xD). Here are some pictures...



For reference/completion's sake, I took a picture with my original "A BEST" (I know, after 6 years, it still looks brand new =P)...


An extra slip that I got alongside "WHITE" indicating that they made a misprint in the booklet (they credited "Greatful days" to Ayu instead of BOUNCEBACK)...


The discs themselves. You'd think that they'd at least colour the 2nd DVD black or something. =P It looks so out of place...




(I didn't bother taking pics of "WHITE", 'cause, well, you get the idea anyway...=P White case, white booklet, white discs...)
So this afternoon, with my parents out of the house & the big screen TV all to myself, I decided to watch "BLACK"'s DVDs. I popped in the PV collection, & as soon as "Dearest" started playing, something unexpected happened - I got teary. As the PV played on I really started to cry hard, & didn't stop until "No way to say" was over. I'm not exactly sure why I cried, but I think it has much to do with the personal connection I've made with all these songs. Each & every one of them has meant something to me throughout the years, & seeing them presented so beautifully on my TV screen just reminded me how far I've come in life...
To me, Ayu is more than a singer, a fashion icon, or an idol, & her music more than just melodies & words. She's an influence, a big part of my existence, & that is in no way an exaggeration. A friend of mine once said to me that maybe the reason I seem to love everything she does, regardless of popular opinion, is because she's my true love; & I agree. Not in the romantic way of course, but more like a family member or a mentor, someone whom I can always look up to in times of need. Her music has literally kept me alive, & I'm always so grateful to have found such an inspiration. I sure hope that one day, I'll get to meet her & thank her myself. =)

Kakeru @ 20:40 +