Review by Zhealy
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Draped Plum Blossom (Ume) Branch Gauze Hand TowelAmusementREALLY NICE PRESENTS
I bought them to use them. Eventually I offered them to friends. This is a ver appreciated present. People all told me that they were refined. Which is true. And the quality is great as well! Pattern are soft.
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GUILTY [CD+DVD / Jacket A]Ayumi HamasakiThrilling
I actually enjoy listening to GUILTY. I personnaly think it is one of her best album, along with "I am". The songs are all very nice, never boring, and she does great vocal performance in the show. I like Marionnette quite a lot. Together when is just wonderful I love how her voice gets high. This is a romantic album, so if you prefer the Electronic Ayu, watch out for Next Level, or I am, or one of her numerous remixes
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Next Level [w/ DVD, Limited Edition / Jacket A]Ayumi HamasakiBack to Electronic Ayu
I prefer the Ayu who works on with her voice, not the electronic Ayu, to be honnest. Here, we have a lot of musical arrangments, and songs where the voice is not the most important. Days and Green, which I did really like, look like UFO in this very electronic-styled album. Actually, it is really energetic. I like Sparkles, Rollin', Identity. You want to dance and to bounce, even if the song's words are not so full of hope and dreams. But these are fashionable songs, and they will be forgotten fast. Sad. She's done far better. The song entitled "curtain call" is the next to be the last during her lives. I do truly think that she should take care of herself, take care of her voice ( obviously such an album is meant for her not to push too hard on her voice, and maybe she cannot go as high as before, because she just never let her voice rest). Then, she would be able to come back with a true, original, devastating album. She needs to recreate herself a little bit, in my opinion.
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Rule / Sparkle [CD+DVD / Jacket A]Ayumi HamasakiDisappointing
I just do not like RULE at all. It looks too much like a marketing product than anything else to me. Considering that the movie Dragon Ball Evolution has been named as the worse movie of the year at least ( by professional critics in my country), totally denaturing the dragon ball saga, I am not sure that it helped Ayumi Hamasaki into participating. But she could not know. I think this is not her style at all. And the soft part is okay, but too cliche. Then, I actually like Sparkle, because the song is energetic, and makes you wanting to move and dance. I do not know why, but I tend to compare this single, and the album, as Madonna's like. That is to say, albums that have nothing to last, but everything to make good hits now, and that you will forget by the end of next year. Worse, I am a fitness adept, and we use the single version of Madonna songs, as well as those of Ayu ( Sparkle, Energy..) in that single, without any modification...which is really bad news.
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Next Level [USB-memory] [Limited Edition / Jacket D]Ayumi HamasakiWOAH
There is nothing else to add. It's beautiful, so beautiful that I will probably offer it to a true fan among my friends as a b-day or X-mas present. Therefore, I did not open it. I have the Cd version of the album, and I am not specifically fond of the songs of that album, which is an easy shot to me. As I told before in the review concerning the album, she should stop for a while and take care of herself and of her voice, and come back with a nice voice and a lot of renewed creativity. Even if it is hard to leave the scene for 1 or 2 years in Japan...
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Still Walking (Aruitemo Aruitemo) (English Subtitles)Japanese MovieFresh Impression
It is odd how calendar's gap are. i have not watched Tokyo Sonata yet, because it will be on screen in june in the picture hall I use to go ( the only one in town here). And I watched Aruitemo, Aruitemo 2 days ago. So, my memories of the movie is fresh, indeed. And I truly enjoyed it. This is a tale of a family who tries to do with traditions and modern lifestyle. The oldest, the parents, have stopped living at the death of the eldest son. The 2 remaining children are adults. The girl is married with 2 children. YOU, in this role, is excellent. The youngest brother has married a window and has adopted her son. They have to face the predjudices against their marital situation from the parents. The spectator watches them, during 2 days, in one house, trying to get along. And the end is just the logical of all the hints that have been set during the whole movie. I thought it was a positive end, with a lot of hope in it. Like Daremo Shiranai, one cannot but like watching Aruitemo, Aruitemo,
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0079-0088 [Limited Edition Type A / Jacket A]GacktMy Favorite
The songs "Ai Senshi," "Meguriai" are my favorite among all the songs Gackt actually made. I was hesitating in buying it because GACKT seems to me lost between his career as an actor and as a singer...but I was thrilled by these songs.
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Stream Kawasemi Waist BagAmusementWonderful
I use it everyday since I got it. It is so practical. Though it is tiny, you can actually manage to put all the necessary stuffs in it( my huge 8 keys key-hole, all my necessary cards, my I-phone, my usb-keys, some money, handkershiefs, my contact-lenses case). The pokets are really well thought over, and I am not afraid of loosing anything, even when I am running. Plus, it is nice.
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MY STORY ClassicalAyumi HamasakiWonderful and Peaceful
I've rediscovered some of Ayu's songs that I usually do not really listen to when they are in the original pop version. It's really peaceful and resting to listen to it. Ayu's voice is emphasized on the cd. It's a vocal performance, enjoyable for the listener I truly recommand it if you want to listen to Ayu's songs from another hear.
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Ayumi Hamasaki Count Down Live 2007-2008 AnniversaryAyumi HamasakiA little bit disapointed
I thought it would be better, for her 10th anniversary's live. It was not as exciting as expected. Really simple, she does some efforts to be closer from the public, but this is awkward. And the show is less interesting than the "My Story" live, or the one of Misunderstood. She had great spaces, and did not use them as much as she could have, and I spent my whole time wanting her to go in the secondary scenes, and to talk more to the public. This live is more of a Marketing product than a True Ayumi's work, to me.
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DutyAyumi HamasakiQuiet
I did not know a lot of songs from this album before buying it... except the one from her singles,and I loved songs like Duty, Scars or Teddy Bear. I remembered Teddy Bear from one of her live, but found it boring at that time. On the contrary, when I listen to it in my Mp3, I think it's a really cite song. Nice album, which is to be owned in your Cd-library.
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Tsuki ni shizumuAyumi HamasakiOddly Japanese
I didn't know what that dvd was about, and I bought it for I was curious. It's an odd story, like a bad soap Opera. Ayumi is pretty good at her play, but the story in itself is superficial, sometimes pityful for who doesn't understand Japan well. I've watched Japanese soap Opera: a lot of them deal about the time of the Samourai, and are so poor....Ayumi's story may be of good purpose, but one who is not Japanese or does not undersand Japanses soap opera system may be stunned by the oddness of the way of filming! I like watching it, though, for she is not the one to blame, she does her best and is beautiful.
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Secret [Jacket A / CD+DVD]Ayumi HamasakiElectro-pop!
Though it has been criticized, I just love that album, from the very first to the very last song! The whole album is made like a story, with an introduction, a happening, an end and a revelation! It's pleasant because it is various; pop, electro, musical arrangment, mix of cute music-box song and rock, american chorus, ethnic music... this is a really dynamic album, and Ayu is really prooving she can do a lot of things, a lot of styles! All the people whom I made listen this album did like it. These people didn't like her,or never knew she might ever exists, and yet they liked this album. The only one song that is preferred to the album by everybody is "Evolution"...
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glitter / fated [Jacket A / CD+DVD]Ayumi HamasakiDreaming...
When you listen to the two songs, "Glitter" and "Fated" first, you just think: "This is some Ayu's again". Far from being her best work - she did well with "Jewel- Mementum", the music, and the chorus is really dull. The words, though, are worth Ayu's good try, but I do think she should compose herself more often. She did good things, as CREA. She still does. Yet I watched the dvd: wonderful! The 2 songs are made for the film, and are sublimated by the film. I've got that feeling that, like "Voyage" is linked with "Tsuki no shizumu", the 2 songs alone are dull, while they are so strongly linked with the Promotional Film that you shouldn't listen to them without watching it. These songs fit Ayumi's interpretation, a really nice interpretation. These songs are nothing without the film, and the film would have no sense if it were not highlighted by the songs! If you buy Ayu's single, you'd better have to buy the cd/dvd ones. Indeed, unlike other singers, her dvd is not just a simple PV, but it tends to be, more and more, an essential part of her art. Ayu remains the best!
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Returner - Yami no Shuen [w/ DVD, Limited Edition]GacktAstounding!
I'm a fan of Gackt, yet I got more and more disappointed as time went on, for I thought his creations were no more that good! Then I wasn't expecting much of 'Returner, Yami no Shuen', but I have to say it is really efficient, and close to some of his best works in the genre, in the Album "Mars", "Moon" for instance. The sound is good, is voice is less nosy than usual, but the style doesn't change, he doesn't renew himself, and that is really bad for a singer who is at the top of his career. If you are a fan, or if you don't know GACKT yet, you'll be really pleased with that single, otherwise you may be a little disappointed for nothing is new.