[Fanaccount] 30.12.2010 ayumi hamasaki COUNTDOWN LIVE 2010-2011 A ~ do it again ~ Part 1

Fanaccount from SunshineSlayer @ AHS for today's CDL!


Just got home, thought I would post my thoughts. Sorry if I sound a bit scatter brained cause I'm typing in a hurry.


Random notes:


- She forgot basically all the lyrics to Thank U except La la la. haha.


-The medley sections were pretty short, especially the last one - only about 1/4 of trauma, audience, and fly high were performed, if that. The ballad section was longer with close to half of each song being performed except for Carols. Carols seemed extremely short.


-I liked the Moon accoustic version much better than the studio version.


-The MC was unusually short. She introduced the new dancers and drummer and that was it. I like it that way though.


-Her voice was pretty good. It had its ups and downs though; Last Angel and Evolution for example still don't sound that great, but the rest of the songs were all pretty good and she handled Endless Sorrow pretty well.


More under the cut!


Ok, PROS!

-The stage was AWESOME! Really well done and so nice to see her finally using something completely new. I'm sure this will be used for the next arena tour. There is a cat walk as well although I'm not sure why because I think she only used it once.

-The set list. I loved everything except I could have done without Marionette and either Evolution or Boys and Girls; they are fun but even I am getting to the point where I don't think that both of them need to be done at every single concert. In retrospect though, the setlist was maybe a little short especially since the medley sections weren't really that long. But overall, I really enjoyed the set list.

Cons:

-Ok, I usually don't make a fuss about Ayu's hair...but OMG. Hairwise I thought this was her worst concert ever. It seemed like she kept going from one bad wig to the next. She starts the concert off in the ultra short wig from the Love Songs video only styled a bit differently. I just really don't like that wig on her. The ballad section wig was not bad. But then the wig in Humming 7/4 was.....seriously from a distance she looked like she had a huge wad of white cotton candy on her head. It looked like it was taken off the head of a groupie from the 1980s.......sorry Ayu. Then she actually came out with her natural hair! I thought, "Yay!" But for some reason they decided to dump a bucket of water on her before she came on stage! I guess they wanted her hair to look "street" or something for Dream On; It did not look very good. And then for the encore, she returned to the Love Songs wig again.....so yeah, from start to finish this concert was a complete miss for me hair wise.

That's the only major con I have!

Outfit wise, there really wasn't anything that stood out at super good or super bad. Although her first outfit had a cape attached; it was like Super Ayu. I could have done without that; but honestly I think its the wig that threw the whole off for me mainly.

One final note, the concert ended very strangely. She did Thank U and everyone is happy and lalalaing and the balloons and streamers fell; everyone thought the concert was over, but then Do it Again started and all of a sudden the atmosphere became somber. She didn't perform the whole song, she just repeated the chorus twice as the curtain lowered. It was very....strange. She didn't run around thanking the audience a billion times, or throw out her wristbands, or yell "domo arigatou" micless. The concert just....ended. Really really strange which is why people were like "eh? That's it?" at the end. I'm not quite sure what to make of it.

Credit: SunshineSlayer @ AHS
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[Fanaccount] 27.08.2010「A3D ayumi hamasaki ARENA TOUR 2009 A ～NEXT LEVEL～」Full Fanaccount

This is a fanaccount from an Ayu's fan who went to watch the 3D concert just today.

So if you don't want to get spoiled, better not read the whole thing.. ^^

The full fanaccount is under the cut!

"A 3D" Report

Included Setlist:

01. Pieces of SEVEN
02. Rule
03. Sunrise～LOVE is ALL～
04. identity
05. In The Corner
06. HOPE or PAIN
07. GREEN
08. evolution
09. SIGNAL
10. rollin'
11. Sparkle
12. NEXT LEVEL
13. Humming 7/4
14. Boys & Girls
15. MY ALL
~~"Arigatou Gozaimashita!"

*Also, this live is NOT the same as the DVD. The footage is (assumingly) taken from the last stops at Yoyogi stadium during June, not October. And whenever I say "normal" or something, keep in mind Ayu and the audience, as well as her dancers and band are pretty much always in 3D. I'm just referring to added in effects that appear on the screen.

The movie started out with a star that flew around the screen with "pixie dust" around it while it revealed the the "A 3D" title.

Pieces of SEVEN came on and at that point, the 3D effect really hits you. The live audience looks like they're right in front of you. Then the camera switches in between the audience, the band, the screen and the green laser lights. The camera angles from now on are completely different than the DVD. We get a much closer look at everything.

For Rule we actually go onto the center stage. We're right in the action with Ayu and her dancers. It's really, really cool how close we are to them! Towards the end of the performance, the dragon from the screen appears 3D and goes in between the screen at the concert and the 3D movie screen. (For example, when the head is out of shot on the concert screen, it appears on the 3D movie screen.) Also, it has "blasts" of dragon scales at points.

Next it cut to Sunrise 〜LOVE is ALL〜 to my surprise. There was nothing really added to this, aside from the fact that Ayu and her dancers were 3D and alternative angles.

The same goes for identity. As the live is different footage, it adds to the experience though. It's not like re-watching the DVD or anything like that. Ayu and Shuya were in 3D and we got to see it really close.

When In The Corner started it was really neat how the did it. Ayu kind of rose from the floor "in front of us" haha. So, it was an unexpected entrance, as she sort of appeared from below the screen. This was still when Ayu was only using the light sticks as opposed to the balls for the DVD version. The lights looked really cool in 3D! They had a sort of glowing, soft effects on them. But aside from that there weren't any other additions.

HOPE or PAIN was next. 3D snow started falling first. Ayu looked great in this, but I think it was still using the first costume (before it changed)--but I'm not positive about that...

For GREEN the part when the dancers appear surrounded by the green, silk like fabric on the center stage was really pretty. There were a lot of dimensions in this. We saw Maro really close, and Ayu was far away, so it was a cool way of seeing it.

Both evolution and SIGNAL were pretty average. Of course it sounded great and I still love the costume for these two performances, but again, no additions really.

From rollin' onward is where it got really interesting. The added effects were amazing. (And also, there were no mistakes in these performances like the DVD--I was looking forward to those, but alas, they weren't there haha.) There were various computer-like effects and sound waves appearing in 3D. Also, the earth/globe appeared in 3D as well.

Sparkle also had great effects. More computer-like images and sound waves, but just more intense. There were also like plasma/virus balls throughout the whole performance. During the "No No No" parts, the words appeared in 3D as well, kind of bouncing in and out.

For NEXT LEVEL it was pretty normal--but it was still really pretty. The confetti at the end was cool because it kind of flew by haha. The smoke was 3D at times too, if I remember correctly.

After this, the star from the beginning appeared on a black screen and it had the dancers and band members names appear--kind of like credits.

Then we could hear cheering again and a dim "Ayu a-a-a-ayu..." which quickly turned into Humming 7/4. For all the encore songs, which included Boys & Girls and MY ALL they were normal. Just different angles and the performance was of course different. But seeing Ayu cry so close was touching. (2-YAN was even crying!)

After this the screen went to full credits with the instrumental of Who... in the background. In the background it was various behind the scenes pictures of Ayu and the text was in 3D.

Then once again it returned to the concert for Ayu's last message to her fans. She yelled out "Arigatou Gozaimashita!" and the concert, as well as the movie, ended.



So all in all the 3D movie was really great and it was nice to re-watch the NXT LEVEL Tour in that manner.

Personally I thought there would be more added in effects. (I liked the added in effects, but maybe there are some people who don't...) The movie theater audience was really mellow as well. Even though tons of people brought their NEXT LEVEL lights with them, including myself, no one used them haha. The theater also wasn't very crowded. But I went during a time when a lot of people would still be working, so that could explain it.


But that ends my report. If there are any specific questions don't be afraid to ask. And if my report isn't in depth, sorry.

Thanks for reading! It was 1,900 Yen well spent!

Credit: tokyoxjapanxfan @ AHS
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[Review] 26.08.2010「A3D ayumi hamasaki ARENA TOUR 2009 A ～NEXT LEVEL～」Full Review Translation

These last few years, there have been a continuing flow of so many movie genres that have been introduced to 3D.

It is not known if this will get into that flow, but dare I say it, this is the first time a music concert has put the 3D system to the text, so this time I will introduce 「A3D ayumi hamasaki ARENA TOUR 2009 A ～NEXT LEVEL～」.

This work, which is the product of 3D-ifying Hamasaki Ayumi's 2009 Arena Tour, is of course a must watch for any fan, but for someone in the delicate situation, like this writer, who thinks "I listen to Hamasaki Ayumi sometimes, but I don't know all of the songs, and I have never gone to her concert," how much can they actually enjoy of this concert? I think there are many people worried about this, so I will write this report.

The first thing to think about is the effects of 3D. That, and the fact that recently some movies have been getting into that boom, and have 3D just because it was added last minute. If that's the case, then there is really no meaning to watch this at the theater. If it's really the case that it was meant to be in 3D all along, then from the very beginning they would have went to great lengths to present the camera work in 3D.

More under the cut!

With that meaning, I can say that this piece has reached that level in it's 3D work. Of course it's really impressive when the performer approaches the camera, but the fact that the camera really reaches into the audience seating, really makes us feel like we are in the actual audience, the depth is that great. The MC is also more or less cut, so it's NICE. Maybe it's possible for DVD, but for this composition, it's best if the entire thing was in one fell swoop, as opposed to taking it in one breath at a time.

The catchphrase "If you reach out your hand, Ayu will be there," is a little overkill, but this has become something that, if you consider that she used 5 of only 20 - 30 3D cameras available in JAPAN, then it's a movie that has a greater spirit inside of it than expected.

Although you can say that, I think it's a bit wrong to say "It's so great because it's 3D." It's because this movie's charm is mostly because of the stage created through the uncommon talent of Hamasaki Ayumi.

Because of that, rather the reason to recommend this piece becomes: "So you can watch the concert at the theater." The sound and big screen effect that only comes from the Theatre, if you think about it, is the best environment for a simulated concert experience.

Of course, for those who do not listen to Hamasaki Ayumi ever, it might be a bit difficult, but if you listen to Hamasaki Ayumi to any extent, it's probably exactly like a real easy concert experience.

Credit: maikaru @ AHS
Original source: Hollywood Channel
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[Fanaccount] Ayumi Hamasaki ARENA TOUR 2010 ~ Rock 'n' Roll Circus ~ Saitama Super Arena 11.04.2010 Part 5

Another fanaccount posted by SKYia @ AHS

Check it out!>It's very interesting reading people's reviews of this tour!

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I was more than positive about the concert, wanted to write a review, too tired though, all I can say is that it was awesome, the Ballad was incredible, I cried so hard when Midori was stabbing herself, Shuya drank the poison and Ayu was crying in Maro's arms. EPIC WIN. Also there was this video before BALLAD, Maro, Shuya, Ayu and Midori, all in white standing on some white background, and one second later the same scene but with Midori having a blood stain on her chest.

I loved Because of You, it was so powerful, like the most powerful song in the evening. I had very bad sits if you consider seeing Ayu, I though as if watching the movie in a cinema, but watching all the people cheering and waving was incredible too.


For some strange reasons I loved Count Down, it doesn't seem like an interesting ballad but for some reason remembered it well.

I cried during Memorial Address, I remember the performance from AT2003-2004 where her voice broke down so I was crious if similar thing will happen this time. I did not happen in the same moment, but when it finally did I burst in tears, love the lyrics so much.

Definitely BALLAD is an epic win of this tour.

I also loved the lights and videos.

Epic fail for Peco and Princess and Gomi singing sth (actually Gomi was just dancing with them), everyone in my row seemed to be like wtf. If you aren't Peco fan you'll suffer during this song soo much

Ayu forgot lyrics in Evolution (afair), and Zin made a mistake while teaching us the dance for Red Line, haha.

My friend asked me if I liked this tour so much because I was part of it... NO. It was really one of the best and well-thought tours. With no crazy stuff like ratated wheel or too much flying dancers but still well thought. Buying DVD, definitely, I just hope Ayu will maintain her today's voice till the last day.

The only strange thing about this concert was that it had ballad section before cute section and then somehow it felt like it ended too early.

Credit: SKYia @ AHS
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[Fanaccount] Ayumi Hamasaki ARENA TOUR 2010 ~ Rock 'n' Roll Circus ~ Saitama Super Arena 11.04.2010 Part 4

More Fanaccount from MissElin_ @ AHS

Here we go!

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Yo! I'm back from a great day two of this tour.

This day was actually better then yesterday. (How the hell..?) The first and best thing of all today was when she nailed BoY. Yesterday she struggles some with the song and kept adjusting her left ear but today there where nothing like that. You guys know the very last word that she screams out and it ends in a multiply eco? Yesterday it was just a very short vibrato thingy but today, maaaan it was a really good tone there. I got goosebumps all over me, she really really nailed BoY today.

Diffrences from yesterday was that Ayu changed hairstyle for the Dlb, INSPIRE and BoY. Yesterday (like the pictures) she had her hair up but today she had the bang and long straight hair in a ponytail just like in evolution in AT09. Also, yesterday when Midori stabbed herself with the night it started to bleed on her dress, today there where no blood. But Shuya did a great job throwing up the blue posion all over the stage to make up for it so I didnt mind. Lol. Also, her vocals was much better this time. All songs improved expect from BALLAD. She actually did a better job on that one yesterday. A thing I enjoyed tonight what that in her long tones where she often uses her vibrato like crazy she didnt do it this time. Not eveytime. She actually kept a straight clean tone all the way though those long times. Coolio and thumbs up for that!

More under the cut!!

What more? Well yes it was adoreble when Zin came in with the monkey around his arm, calling it his father. Ayu took it from Zin during the dance teaching and moved the monkey like he danced too. Then she spoke for the monkey like he was awesome while Zin wasn't...

It still amazes me how good this tour is. I mean, this one is extreeeemly good! I'm so happy to go again in Yokohama! I really can't get enough of this. And I still think BALLAD is my favourite part of the whole thing. Oh but I like THE introduction too. Its just sooo powerful with the music (you know how it goes) and they slowly rises the heavy red curtain... ooooh, it's so epic... I got great chills from that both times! Btw, I'm so in love with Jump! It's one of her best interludes ever imo! In that part the dancers kind of do this dance where they fight against each other. Looks really intence.

Well I shall stop now, it's gonna be way to long othervice. Lol. I will probably write more after the Yokohama concert(s).

Credit: MissElin_ @ AHS
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[Fanaccount] Ayumi Hamasaki ARENA TOUR 2010 ~ Rock 'n' Roll Circus ~ Saitama Super Arena 10.04.2010 Part 3

Here with have another review from SunshineSlayer of AHS. It's short but yet it's still interesting to read :)

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Ok, here is my review. I won't go into huge details since others have already done so.

-She didn't have a bad outfit - I liked everything; nothing that made me go 'wtf'

-The Introduction was super looong. I looked at my watch and the show started at 6:45 but Ayu didn't come onstage until 7:00.

-I was so glad she performed alterna - from that moment on, the concert could do no wrong for me.

-Was really surprised to Rainy Day and Memorial Address. Especially Memorial Address I didn't think I would ever hear live - so at that point in the concert I teared up a bit but I didn't feel anything for Ballad (since its basically like watching a soap opera or something^_^) even though it seems all the other girls did, haha.

-Ballad is my least favorite song on the album, but the performance at least kept me interested. A lot of over the top acting and Shuya spits out blue blood.

-There is some recycling; the performances of About You, Because of You, and Inspire are basically the same as the CDL. But I didn't see the CDL so I didn't mind. The split leg pants also make another appearance, but this time it really kind of fit with the Arabian theme of that section.

- There was hardly any Shuya and Ayu in this concert! Yay! Her dancers were still extremely prominant of course, but there was no one dancer that Ayu spends a ton of time with.

-Vocal wise I thought About You sounded about the same as the CDL and Because of You and Inspire were slightly better than CDL. Overall I thought her vocals ranged from alright to good most of the night - there was nothing that was really bad, but nothing that was really great either. Best of all though, there was nearly no lipsynching - even Sexy Little Things and Step You sounded at the very least half live which was surprising especially for Sexy Little Things! This was probably one of my least favorite Step You performances though because she doesn't really move at all for like half the song - just sitting in a cup.

-There was no major like set piece of the concert, but the overall show was very well put together. If you don't like clowns though you will probably hate this concert - they are all over the place. The show was like a more classy/freaky version of the A-Museum stage. The screen videos are probably the best she has had I think at least in terms of setting a mood.

Overall, I really thought this concert was her best since Miss Understood and overall enjoyment wise might be up there with My Story for me; but it didn't really have anything innovative like My Story did so I'm not sure if I'd rank this over My Story just yet.

Sorry for the not so detailed review, but my brain is still kind of turned off right now.

Credit: SunshineSlayer @ AHS
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[Fanaccount] Ayumi Hamasaki ARENA TOUR 2010 ~ Rock 'n' Roll Circus ~ Saitama Super Arena 10.04.2010 Part 2

This fanccount coming from our dear friend, Misa-chan @ AHS who has given us her live update when the concert was still going on, A very big thanks to her!

Here we go~~

Ayumi Hamasaki ARENA TOUR 2010 ~ Rock 'n' Roll Circus ~ Saitama Super Arena 10.04.2010

Stage Design

Guess I'll start by describing the stage. It's mostly Circus/Las Vegas themed this time, with lots of bright colourful lights and stage doors and stuff.

Gives the same sort of feeling as this photo for me... The stage is nothing special this time, just the traditional front stage plus runway to the round centrestage, where there's a poker chip design.

The bigscreens are the amazing thing this time though. There's the 2 usual livefeeds ones off at the ends, the main one behind the stage is divided into 5 big portions, and there's this special 360deg circular screen right above the round centrestage. That one can be lowered all the way, so that when the centrestage is raised, ayu looks like she's standing on top of the circular screen. Not sure if I explained this well enough lol...

Yep, on to the show, I guess.

More under the cut!!


Introduction

Before the first song began, there was quite a long introductory skit played by 3 dancer clowns. If you guys look closely at the photos of the stage, you can see this little suitcase right in the middle in front of the red curtain. One clown ran out first, and carried the suitcase onto the runway and opened it. The other 2 clowns jumped out of the suitcase (there's a chute at that position probably), but I thought it was an awesome trick. To cut a long skit short, they performed quite a few acrobatic stunts, and the 2 clowns jumped back into the suitcase and the first one brought it backstage.

After that, THE introduction began. Nothing much, dancers in silver costumes and lots of lights/lasers effects. The 5 portions of the big screen showed different parts of ayu's face, which then joined together to form her full face.

Microphone

Was sort of similar to the MS performance. ayu was sitting on a chair on the round centrestage, and the dancers were dancing around her. Her costume had that big black skirt similar to Microphone PV, but the top was studded with jewels so it was really shiny.

But what really impressed me were the screens. The main screen was showing this really beautiful Rock'n'Roll Circus animation (I can't describe it any other way, it was really both rock and circus at the same time lol), and the circular screen was scrolling the album title in beautiful animation too. Her voice was great, almost DVD-like quality, for me at least.

alterna

Not much movement, just ayu standing and singing. The dancers were doing stunts in the background on bungee-jumprope things.

About You

Similar to alterna, just enjoying her vocals. She sounds so much better than she did during CDL (which wasn't very bad itself imo), I'm glad to say. The song ended with tissue dance (surprised?), but it was a rock, more passionate version, and it fitted surprisingly well here.

Screen Movie

There was a screen movie here, showing ayu in that white Victorian dress with long hair. For the following ballad section there were 4 main characters, ayu, Shu-ya, Maro and Midoring. The screen movie basically showed ayu holding a photo of the 4 of them, all wearing white. The photo then burned up etc etc, and it ended showing Midoring's dress stained red and Shu-ya's shirt stained blue.

rainy day

ayu came out in the white dress, dancers were in trench coats with umbrellas. Her vocals were still holding out well, though I felt they turned the mic a tad too loud, so when she hits the high notes it was a little painful on the ears. But maybe that's just me.

BALLAD

Definitely the highlight of the entire concert for me. At the beginning, the screens showed the 4 characters mentioned above again, and they faded into black silhouettes, and all 4 of them were crying.

Everyone left the stage save for the 4, and while the song went on they acted out this love story. Shu-ya and Midoring are lovers, but ayu likes Shu-ya, and Maro likes ayu. It was just the basic sad ballad "I love you but you don't love me back" thing until the bridge. Midoring's dress was suddenly stained red (blood it was I think) and she died in Shu-ya's arms. Shu-ya himself drank poison (the blue stain came from this) and died too. All this while, ayu was running to them and REALLY crying so hard. Maro kept trying to comfort her, but she kept ditching him off. She couldn't sing the last choruses well because she was just crying so hard, and I was crying too (so was everyone around me actually lol). Lol, ok this sounds super cheesy and cliche when I type it out like this, but trust me, it was anything but.

Interlude

The dancers doing a taiko performance, something like CDL's, but cooler somehow...

count down

I haven't heard this before, but it sounded awesome here live. It was really emotional and rockish. ayu had on a leather corset kinda top, and her skirt was the big fluffy kind, half of which was the red Mem Add dress, the other half was leather. Sort of like a fusion dress.

Memorial address

Everyong cheered when this came on lol!! Great vocals, and she didn't cry this time.

Screen Movie

Another interlude, arabic-sounding, with screen movie. Remember those photos of her in TA diary in that little silver dress? The screens were showing a pixellated version of her in those different poses. Then a quick flash of her in that black lace arabic get-up, then it's dancers dancing for the rest of the screen movie. They're really really great at arabian dance, I must say.

Don't look back

A purple costume, sort of like Aladdin's Jasmine? With that kinda top and billowy pants, but without the tummy-baring (sadly lol!!) A light purple sari was attached to her back and hands like a cloak, sorta like the white things she had on during CDL's momentum?
Throughout the song, the screens were showing a panning of what looked like a palace room. At the end of the song, a black silouette came and pushed the room away (like it was a set), to reveal a desert scene. This songs sounds much much better live than the studio version.

INSPIRE

Same choreography as CDL, screens were showing scenes of a desert.

Because of You

Her vocals were alright here actually, but she seemed to be having lots of trouble. She was frowning and pressing on her left ear the entire time she was singing, it was painful to watch her. But it was also relieving, because she still managed to pull the performance off quite well. The sari was taken off before this song started.

Interlude

This one was actually a song sang by Peco and Princess, about a cabaret, and was actually really really good! Go-Mi was also there and dancing with them, he was dressed up like a circus ringmaster/casino owner/some bigshot lol. The screens were showing something like this:



Sexy little things

This was really interesting, because there was ayu and another dancer dressed in the exact same bunny costume. ayu was white, the dancer was pink, but in the beginning, it was really hard to tell which one was ayu lol!!

STEP you

There were 3 giant champagne glasses on stage and ayu was sitting in one of them:



It was quite entertaining with the casino theme, and there were props like giant poker chips and stuff.

Jump!

I don't remember much of this interlude, I guess we'll wait for another reviewer to touch on this. All I remember was this clown dressed up like a punk, with a bike handle around his neck. He was there on the big screen all the way till the concert ended, fitting his movements and actions to all the songs which came up. It was really brilliant, and so fitting of both Rock'n'Roll and Circus.

Lady Dynamite

All the dancers were dressed in UK-like outfits (red, blue, white) while ayu was like a biker punk (leather jacket, red miniskirt, boots etc).

For this they brought a special movable screen onstage, that kind when a person goes behind it, a silouhette appears on the screen showing the person's movements behind? There was a trick here, ayu went behind the screen (which was at the main stage), which showed her silohuette, and suddenly, they turned the screen around and ayu wasn't there, and she appeared at the round centrestage instead.

Same as Dlb, this song sounds much much better live.

until that Day...

was similar to what she did for her previous performances of the same song. There were lots of circus-y props on stage too (rings and animal stands and stuff)

SURREAL~evolution~SURREAL

Finally the audience had something else to do aside from waving our uchiwas and lightsticks lol!! There were 2 props, a moon and a sun, hanging down at each end of the stage, but nothing happens aside from them being there.

A pure ayu and band performance, while the dancers went backstage to change into all the costumes used in the concert so far. During the finale curtain call, they all came out in these costumes to say "thank you". The show ended with the initial red curtain coming down, just like at the end of a circus performance.

ENCORE

Last Links

I haven't actually heard the studio version before, and this live unfortunately didn't really leave an impression on me. I alreayd forgot what it sounds like lol. Her vocals were ok, but she did sound a little breathless.

She was wearing a torn version of the white tour tee, with denim shorts, white boots, torn net stockings and that big ribbon in her hair.

Talk

Main things, Zin and Subaru were emcees, they taught the RED LINE dance again, and talked about London and it being the first day today. Yo-chan came out to talk for awhile too, and he was really really funny, I miss him being emcee. No games/questions this time.

Sunrise/Boys&Girls/RED LINE

Sadly, just watch CDL, and you'll get what this part was like. It was sort of an exact replica. Even RED LINE was the original version, there was no a cappella or anything. Only comfort, slightly better vocals.

Overall

Her costumes were really innovative, fresh and new, and fitting to each part of the concert. Her voice was awesome, especially during the main concert, you could really tell that she did work on improving her voice. The dancers improved too, and did so many amazing stunts and acrobatics that gave the concert a circus feel. What really impressed me were the screen animations. I know I've said this before, but they were really really awesome and creative and so good. I can't really describe this lol, guess you have to see it for yourselves. It comes really close to toppling 10th anniversary and m(u) tours (my personal favs), and its definitely on par with (if not better than) those epic concerts. I won't mind watching this live another 2 or 3 times.

Photos of Saitama Super Arena + Goods + Ayu's Cosplayers



Tour Goods



Cosplayers



Credit: Misa-chan @ AHS
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[Fanaccount] Ayumi Hamasaki ARENA TOUR 2010 ~ Rock 'n' Roll Circus ~ Saitama Super Arena 10.04.2010 Part 1

Thought that I would like to share this review from a fan who went to the first day of the ARENA TOUR 2010~

and what's so awesome? the very last paragraph!
Namie Amuro, The Queen of Hip Pop was there tonight!

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Got just back. I, like Misa, have no energy or what so ever to write a long review but I can do a shorty. Don't mind my english, I have noooo energy at all to look up spellings or grammar. I'm waaay too tired! Maybe you can survive anyhow.

First, like Misa said, the screens are amazing! They move around in the background making these really cool effects. They often used the screens as a live theatre. Like when Ayu or her dancers went into the screen (really backstage and change cothes, but it looked like they went into the screens instead). I also loved the round circle screen they had over the middle stage cuz sometimes they lowerd it down and such.

rainy day and BALLAD where soooooo amazing!!! The effects with the screens and the plot for the songs that made them float into one piece. Simply lovely. I think most of us cried... Seriously, if you don't cry in at least BALLAD then I donät know what.

I were'nt mad at ANY costume. They where all brilliant! Simplt brilliant. Both the custesy dress and the ballad dress where soooo nice. The cutesy bunny dress was cute, yet sexy and kind of edgy in a way. The ballad outfit with hairstyle was simplt gorgeous!!

I'm sooo glad that she didnt use her usual song pattern this time and actually put in the ballads in the beginning. Brilliant I must say. Smartest move ever. Maybe this is all I got for now. THere is soooo much to say about this consert really. It's really new and it rocks from the beginning til the end.

I really understand why Ayu said that this is her best consert so far. It's sooo amazing really! I'm happy to go back tomorrow already. Lucky, lucky lucky me.

(Btw, I was seated right next to the VIP section. I SAT ONLY TWO METERS FROM NAMIE AMURO!!! Total awesomeness!)

Credit: MissElin_ @ AHS
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[Article] Review of「You were.../BALLAD From J-ENT! World Groove CD Single

Avex trax’s reigning pop queen from Japan, Ayumi Hamasaki, nears her 50th CD single with the release of “You were…/BALLAD”, her 47th double-A sided CD single with the first song used as the theme for Disney’s video release of “Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure” and “BALAD” which is used for the NHK drama series “Soukyuu no Subaru”.

“You were…(Original mix)” features a song written by Ayumi Hamasaki, music by Kazuhito Hara and arrangement by HAL. The passionate, upbeat ballad features a good balance of strings courtesy of Gen Itetsu and definitely a solid single from Hamasaki with a very passionate chorus.

But my favorite single on this latest release would have to go to “BALLAD (Original mix)” written by Ayumi, music by D-A-I and arrangement by Yuta Nakano. A slower ballad featuring strings by Yuko Kajitani. A gentle, delicate touch of the piano and strings with Ayumi’s vocals. Overall, a wonderful and even more passionate ballad.

The coupling track is “RED LINE ~for TA~ (Original mix)” written by Hamasaki, music by Tetsuya Yukumi and arrangement by Yuta Nakano. The song is an upbeat track and personally, I think it could have been an A-sided single itself. Catch, upbeat and pretty enjoyable track. Interesting on the insert, there are no lyrics but a one-line message which translates to: Due to the creator’s intention, the lyrics to this song have not been mentioned/noted/ listed.


I tried to do a little research of the meaning of the song and some say it deals with a friend of Ayumi’s that passed away. But the song is for her fan club “Team Ayu” (TA).

The fourth track features a music box version of “You Were…” and the remaining three tracks are the instrumental versions of the first three tracks (for a total of seven tracks overall).

The CD insert features the lyrics for “You were…” and “BALLAD”.

It’s important to note that there are three different releases of “You were…/BALLAD”. The CD only release, then two different versions of the single+DVD. The main difference is that the version I am reviewing comes with the “music box -retake version-” of “You Were…” and the other version comes with the orchestra version of “Sunset -LOVE is ALL-” instead. But both have the same DVD content.

As for the DVD, the DVD comes with the music videos for “You were…”, “BALLAD” and the making of “You were…”.

“You Were…” features Ayu wearing a white dress that has glowing parts all over (for those who saw the “Tinkbell and the Lost Treasure” film will understand the correlation of the fairy dust to this music video) and singing while snow falls. While another woman is seen, doing a robotic dance and fire flowing all around her.

In “Ballad”, the music video is a very dramatic video with an actual story. A man is seen sending letters through a mailbox in the middle of a field and then we see a flashback with the man and Ayumi riding a motorcycle and see two animated cats on the road and while they try to swerve, they crash. We then see the man surrounded by clocks, while Ayumi is wearing a dress and is in a beautiful, serene place with flowers, a tree and a lake, while the man with the clocks is searching for her in the middle of a field until we learn what happened to the Ayu and the man after their accident.

The final video is the making of “You Were…”.

Overall, for those who have stuck with Ayumi Hamasaki for the long haul throughout her musical career will find “You Were…/BALLAD” to be a single release featuring three solid tracks, while others may question what happened to her original style that they loved back in the early 2000’s. But for the most part, if you are a Hamasaki fan, this CD+DVD release is solid. I enjoyed all three songs and the DVD, especially the music video for “BALLAD” is well-done and very enjoyable.

If you enjoy her music, “You Were…/BALLAD” is a single worth having in your Ayu music collection.

Credit: truehappiness @ AHS
Original source: J-NET
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[Review] Professional review of NEXT LEVEL album from Yesasia

Another year means another album from Japanese pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki. This being her 10th album in ten years, Avex is pulling out all the stops for Next Level, offering four different types of packaging for the album. One of them is even a 2GB flash drive that includes the album in MP3 format. Talk about overblown marketing.

But overblown is perfectly okay when the scale of the music easily matches Avex's marketing effort. Once again produced by Max Matsuura, Next Level is mostly comprised of a long chain of electronic instruments-driven upbeat songs to keep up with the themes of elevation and progression. While a landmark such as a musician's 10th album always seem to signal some kind of change in that musician's music, Hamasaki's team doesn't seem to care to change, producing essentially the same brand of energetic, mass audience-friendly pop that has kept her popular and relevant. However, by carrying on a unified tone and consistent energy from the beginning, Matsuura and Hamasaki have perfected their formula and produced what is easily one of the most entertaining J-pop albums of 2009.

Unlike the usual J-pop albums, which simply group up a mix of singles and side tracks with little concern for any kind of a consistent tone, the team behind Next Level actually builds a very consistent energy throughout the album through the use of interludes. The album immediately acknowledges its electronic influence with opening interlude Bridge to the Sky (Track 1) and titular track NEXT LEVEL (Track 2). The two songs slowly build up the energy that will carry through much of the album. Even though there isn't much of a composition for either of the opening tracks, their success in building its atmosphere makes up for the lazy songwriting.

That can apply to a number of songs in Next Level, as the upbeat dance tracks divide nicely into two emphases - composition-based, which puts songwriting first as its priority, and atmosphere-based, which puts production first. However, neither category should suggest anything in the way of criticism, since dance songs are more about provoking a certain feeling through the general atmosphere than through the musical notes. In this case, the dance songs on Next Level certainly achieve that. One of those songs is Sparkle (Track 5), a roller coaster of a dance song that completely relies on the bombastic arrangement by CMJK to slowly build up its energy and release it in an effective, head-spinning dose. Another song light on actual songwriting is Rule (Track 10), the theme song for the live-action Dragonball film. Even though it features a repetitive chorus that borders on irritating and a lazily-written verse, it has more energy and attitude in its 4 minutes than all 86 minutes of the film.

The composition-based dance songs are also fairly strong and naturally more memorable, though their compositions are sometimes overwhelmed by their bombastic arrangements. However, the strangely-titled EnergizE (Track 4) does manage to find that balance. The most interesting thing about EnergizE is that Yuta Nakano's composition is in the style of a bubble gum pop song that could've easily been sung by Ai Otsuka or any of the Morning Musume girls. Instead, CMJK's arrangement mixes rock and electronic elements together, giving the song a broader and obviously more ambitious sound than it may have intended to fit Hamasaki's more mature image. Because the sound fits just right with the arrangement of the other dance songs, EnergizE surprisingly feels right at home in Next Level.

Matuura's wisest decision on Next Level is to place the album's two obligatory ballads at the end, keeping the energy of the dance song consistent. Though the two ballads don't quite belong on the album, they're still solid songs on their own terms. Days (Track 13) is a typical commercial ballad with an affecting composition by Kunio Tago (who also wrote Together When on Hamasaki's last album Guilty) and a grandiose arrangement that's perfectly fitting for a pop diva like Hamasaki. In comparison to Together When, the relatively simpler and smoother composition makes for a more attractive commercial ballad, and it allows more room for Hamasaki to give a more emotional vocal performance that avoids the heavy vibrato that plagued her vocal performance on her last album. Next Level also closes on a poignant note with Curtain Call (Track 14), by far the quietest song on the album, and also the song that relies the heaviest on Hamasaki's vocal. Even though Curtain Call feels more like an interlude than an independent song, it's a surprisingly appropriate ending for a dance album like Next Level.

For such an important milestone, Next Level is a considerably lighter album than Guilty and also surprisingly lacking in ambition. One can even argue that Hamasaki's team is using this only as a celebration album, giving it the energy of a remix album and plenty of potential for more grand stage performances at her future concert tours. With a nice balance between arrangement, composition, and vocals, even Hamasaki's detractors will find something to appreciate about Next Level. Perhaps that's the best compliment one can give for any pop album, and certainly one that Next Level deserves. 

Recommended Tracks: NEXT LEVEL (Track 2), EnergizE (Track 4), Sparkle (Track 5), Rule (Track 10), Days (Track 13), Curtain Call (Track 14) 

by Kevin Ma
Original source: Yesasia.com