#loveppears

[letsmakefingerfive]

Ayumi Hamasaki, LOVEppears

[reckonrer]

ayumi hamasaki

photos via archive.org (Winamp Skin: Hamasaki Ayumi)

[ayuvogue]

Happy 25th anniversary, LOVEppears! Ayu’s breakthrough second album was re-mastered and re-released for its 20th anniversary back in 2019.

[starmocha]

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ masterlist ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Sometimes I write fics (and share wips). Or analysis. Or I'm just rambling into the void. I write for a lot of fandoms, but only post Love and Deepspace here I'm just lazy. So...yeah. :D

LINKS: AO3 ⋆ ★ FF.Net ⋆ ★ FF.Net ⋆ ★ Dokuga

《 see the list sorted by series instead? 》

new → old

last updated: nov. 14, 2024

FANFICTIONS

ZAYNE ★⋆. ࿐࿔

Carrot Cake I For You — 《 MDNI 》 12:30 PM Checkup the day bleeds into nightfall

— DAWNBREAKER

calling your name

RAFAYEL ★⋆. ࿐࿔

never the same

XAVIER ★⋆. ࿐࿔

Time-Out

SYLUS ★⋆. ࿐࿔

Bride of the Dragon King :: Prelude Little Dino Hide-and-Seek Elysium — 《 MDNI 》 Relentless Conqueror — 《 MDNI 》 it was always you — 《 MDNI 》 but if it's forever, it's even better — 《 MDNI 》 even if the stars fall down pain is all you'll find would you still love me if i was a worm? (and other thought-provoking questions) yours & mine — 《 MDNI 》 Crow in the Bedroom Caller ID Rock-a‐Bye Unhelpful Company you are my favorite mistake — 《 MDNI 》 tag, you’re it — 《 MDNI 》 fly to you like birds do — 《 MDNI 》 Mirror, Mirror — 《 MDNI 》 call me master (and i’ll call you mine) — 《 MDNI 》

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

MISCELLANEOUS

Scenarios, headcanons, yapping...

RAFAYEL ★⋆. ࿐࿔

Decorating Nursery

SYLUS ★⋆. ࿐࿔

Daddy is a Kitty? Taking Little Birdie to the Amusement Park Horny Tribal!Sylus Thoughts — 《 MDNI 》

OT4 ★⋆. ࿐࿔

Acts of Love

ANALYSIS ★⋆. ࿐࿔

Hypothesizing Sylus' myth Hypothesizing Sylus' myth, part 2 Just me geeking out about the Greek myths referenced in the game

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

All Love and Deepspace fanfics are posted only on Tumblr (@starmocha) and AO3 (loveppears (108am)). They will always be cross-posted to one another. Stories are prohibited from being posted elsewhere. Reblogs are ok and encouraged! ♡

If you would like to translate my stories, please message me first for my permission and conditions. Thanks for reading! ☆

[rosy2k]

浜崎あゆみ 『LOVEppears』 1999

[fuckyeahayumihamasaki]

ayumi hamasaki CD gif covers (2/2)

LOVEppears • vogue • NEVER EVER • (miss)understood

[honeyhotteoks]

Well. I did it. I downloaded Love and Deepspace. I am officially hooked and whipped by Sylus and Zayne.

A few of the features still confuse me but damn. I need help and more fics now. I am on the hunt. Do you have any recs? Besides yours ofc. You’re will always be my favorite 🤭

- 💕

!! yessss i love this i hope you end up loving it because it's so fun

lmk if you need game help, i'm not that much of a gamer girlie but i am motivated to level up for the story and for sylus's affinity, so i've gotten the hang of some of it LOL

and for fics, yes! check out this tag on my blog for lnds fic recs, but i also have a few coming up in the queue that i've linked below, and then a few more on AO3 that have me down bad (please ignore how much monsterfucking, breeding kink, and hurt/comfort exists in the list below you guys officially know way too much about me unless that's also your thing and then continue on pls enjoy) current lnds faves:

please and thank you by aeyumicore (sylus) her and the sea by lalunanymph (rafayel) come home by loveanddeepthroat (sylus) size training with sylus by syluss-littlecrow (sylus lmao) mon demon by lalunanymph (sylus) beauty of fragrance by mostsincere (rafayel, ao3) siren's call by most sincere (rafayel, ao3) the rule of three by artemstieclip (zayne, xavier, rafayel mmmf, ao3) the moon and the sea by septembersummer (rafayel, ao3) temptation's kiss by orangebutt73 (rafayel, ao3) soundwaves by take_me_to_uluru (xavier, ao3) but if it's forever, it's even better by loveppears (sylus, ao3) anything for you by lostbunnyx92 (sylus, ao3) russian roulette by lostbunnyx92 (sylus, ao3) spoiled canvas by anonymous (rafayel, ao3) a lust for love by plutotheplum (sylus, ao3) just one more time by seiyachu (sylus, ao3)

[cherryidol]

not me thinking that's Ayumi Hamasaki's Loveppears album cover asdfgdhsghdsd

[papirouge]

What jpop artists do you like? Lately ive been getting into some like perfume, and sheena ringo or even vintage ones like pink lady or candies. Ive also heard lots of good things about hikada utaru, but aparently she identifies as nonbinary now?! Does it make me petty not to want to listen to her just because of that? Like i expected better of Japan artists but i guess even they can be delulu like american artists...

Yeah, there's been a whole discourse with Hikaru Utada because she suddenly said she didn't want to be described with gendered pronouns such as "Ms." before her name (and instead use Mx. or something like that). It's interesting to note that Hikki is fluent in English, and there was hardly any chance that someone who only speaks Japanese get so nitpicky about pronouns. 'Ms' doesn't really exist in Japanese, and actually Japanese is a pretty non gendered language (even less than English). So it's really interesting how the linguistic influence of the West took a toll of her. This statement was clearly dedicated to her Western audience, the only that would consistently use pronouns to describe her. However, she never stated she wanted to he called "she/they/them" or whatever.

Music wise, I'm not really fond of her music. I really like her 'ULTRA BLUE' album (which is famous for "Passion" which was Kingdom Hearts 2 theme) and some songs here and there though. Hikki is famous for having Jpop most groundbreaking debut at only 16 years old with "Automatic" (this song aged like fine wine tbh) by 1)being one of the biggest selling record in Japan 2)shoving R&B element in her music which was very outstanding at that time. The fact that she wrote at such a young age (and still do) all her lyrics + is fluent in English gave her a very solid 'ace' aura, and die hard fans who still to this day will jump on your throat if you 'dare' criticize their queen lol I remember someone who said that even her most upbeat/positive songs (Keep tryin', COLORS, Traveling…) always had a sad & melancholic era, and I think that's the most accurate description of her music, maybe that's why I have a hard time listening to her albums bc they (beside 'ULTRA BLUE' and 'HEART STATION' which are imo her most lighthearted ones) have this very downer, softdoom vibe~

That being said, it would be ridiculous to not listen to her just bc she has pronouns anon lol It's pretty funny how some people are getting so cranky abt pronouns-having artists and boast about how refuse to entertain anything that they do....but will have issue to keep watching/listening to movies/music of predators, sex pest and convicted rapists lmao

I always got a weird vibe from Sheena Ringo and never got remotely interested in her music. The rumors about she being a closeted Japanese nationalist just bc of her NIPPON album era (where she had her audience wave Japanese imperial flags) are insane though lmao Hopefully those people have the same energy to call out Miley Cyrus for being an American Nationalist for her song "Party in the USA" where she dances before a giant American flag 🤡

I hardly listen to new Japanese artists anymore. I replied to an ask not too long ago where I professed my love for Ayumi Hamasaki (her 10 first year of career were pristine - she really should've retired at her 10 years Complete Singles best album momentum because everything after that has pretty much been trash tbh). Her album LOVEppears is probably my favorite album of all time 🥴

I'll never be over how cute she looks on "Fly High" MV (one of my favorite of her - those platform shoes + micro short + glittery sweatshirt combo will never get old / this MV is 23 years old and that outfit is still KICKIN #legendary)

Also pretty random because that's not a band that I'm checking like that, but THE ORAL CIGARETTES 'UNOFFICIAL' album is an absolute no skip banger. I hardly remember a Jrock album that got me hooked like that those last few years😳

I have so many other Japanese acts that I love it's really insane (I am more savvy of Japanese music that western one).

Soloist wise, I grew up in womanhood listening to Kana Nishino and her music is literally the soundtrack of my early 20s. We were born only a month apart and felt so connected to her and her songs. She truly has a special place in my heart. Her debut & sophomore albums 'LOVE one.' and 'to LOVE' got 20 years old me on a CHOKEHOLD! "Motto" got me crying all my tears off a dusty lmaoooo😭 it's insane how her songs matched with my life - we truly had a connection

Tomiko Van and Kana Nishino are Jpop best vocalists imo ELLEGARDEN (rip) and ART-SCHOOL are my favorite bands of all time. ASIAN KUNG FU GENERATION and UVERworld had a decent run in the 2000s. Perfume is still kicking.....but I don't really catch up with them anymore cause I've been trying to cut out secular music off my playlist

[dalgonamilk]

they put all the songs off loveppears in dolby atmos it literally sounds so good ayumi is holding my hands rn

[jpophotakes]

❥ Twitter Drama #1 : Sobre aquel hilo de Nvnte Japan Parte IV ★彡

Link de la parte I: Aquí

Link de la parte II: Aquí

Link de la parte III: Aquí

Link de la parte IV: Aquí

Hay una razón por la cuál es de los pocos artistas de esa época que ha sobrevivido. Su música es simple pero es bastante bonita y agradable, no es de esos artistas que vaya a ser de mis favs pero entiendo porque tiene su legado y presencia aun en la actualidad.

CALIFICACIÓN: GREAT

Con Ayumi tengo sentimientos encontrados porque aunque no es la gran solista en términos de calidad, sí puedo entender porque fue tan grande en Japón en su época. Para empezar, me encanta su imagen de relatable girl, que en una opinión súper personal, me parece la imagen adecuada para una artista femenina japonesa (a veces me choca el concepto idol femenino o cierto tipo de artistas femeninas con conceptos bizarros o demasiado adorables porque siento que muchas veces (no siempre), este tipo de artistas van más dirigidos a un público más global, o directamente dirigidos al público masculino) dado que regardless de que no entiendas el idioma, muchas veces su música está dirigido a otras mujeres. También, en sus mejores trabajos usualmente da lo mejor de sí en muchos aspectos así que usualmente sus clásicos de clásicos, tales como SURREAL, Dearest o evolution son bops certificados que nunca pasarán de moda. Pero, fuera de sus álbumes hasta Loveppears la mayoría son bastante malos, y de Rainbow en adelante la mayoría de sus singles también son hit or miss para mí. También desde 2010 en adelante su calidad musical ha bajado mucho, y fuera de dos o tres álbumes de esa época, no me gustan muchas eras de ella, PERO, sí le guardo mucho cariño a los álbumes y singles que me gustan de ella, así que por eso es de mis favs.

CALIFICACIÓN: GREAT

Finally una de mis favs, Koda Kumi es la única artista que sé que llevo más de diez años escuchando de forma continua, y entiendo porqué. Vocalmente, tiene un rango bajo muy bonito e interesante de escuchar (único teniendo en cuenta que la mayoría de cantantes femeninas tienen voces de mezzo o de soprano) y musicalmente, aunque tiene varias eras que son un verdadero miss (desde 2016 hasta antes de Heart la mayoría de sus canciones son inescuchables), el resto de sus eras tienen por lo menos un bop o más. Podría destacar también que tiene un repertorio de conceptos bastante interesantes, baladas muy bonitas (destaco esto porque la mayoría de artistas no saben como hacer baladas buenas) y al igual que Ayumi Hamasaki, Koda Kumi es otra solista femenina (a pesar de su imagen ero-kakkoi) con un concepto adecuado para una solista femenina.

CALIFICACIÓN: ICONIC

Los he escuchado varias veces y casi no me gustan. La mayoría de los Johnny's de los 2000s me parecen muy básicos, además de que la mayoría se les nota que hacen lo mínimo cuando de habilidades se trata.

CALIFICACIÓN: MEH

Otro artista japonés actual súper básico que da sueño de lo cliché y monótono que es. Hace tiempo en Discord hablaba con alguien de una solista japonesa muy popular con un concepto similar al de estas bandas, y está persona me dijo que: "este concepto está muy saturado en Japón", cosa que es totalmente cierta. Desde los 2000s se sigue escuchando este tipo de música en el J-Pop, y la verdad, han habido bandas y artistas mucho mejores y más frescos que han sabido llevar mejor este concepto.

CALIFICACIÓN: MEH

Con Tani Yuuki, tengo una opinión similar a Saucy Dog. En su día, cuando me hice fan del J-Pop, era interesante indagar por cada década porque cada década tenía un sonido único e interesante but I really can't say the same cuando se trata de muchos artistas actuales de J-Pop, la mayoría emplean fórmulas muy básicas que ya hemos visto mejor estructuradas en artistas pasados. No sé a que se deba este trend de artistas mediocres, pero realmente es depressing cuando en las escenas de artistas de nicho japoneses, uno encuentra conceptos y artistas que en verdad, están haciendo algo por el J-Pop musicalmente.

CALIFICACIÓN: MEH

Misma opinión que tengo de NEWS, la mayoría de los Johnny's antes del boom del K-Pop, excepto por Arashi, hacían lo mínimo de lo mínimo tbh.

CALIFICACIÓN: MEH

Macaroni son mainstream y son rock, pero no se me hacen básicos. Las veces que los he escuchado, me dan la impresión de que son una banda con música interesante; si bien, no me parecen del todo frescos, pero sí son más interesantes que otros esperpentos que llegan al Oricon.

CALIFICACIÓN: OK

Los he escuchado varias veces, y a pesar de su legado, por su estilo no me llaman casi la atención.

CALIFICACIÓN: NO APLICA

Lo mismo que opino de NEWS y Kanjani8.

CALIFICACIÓN: MEH

Es interesante como en el panorama del K-Pop actual, un grupo global de japonesas tienen mejores habilidades de rap y canto que la gran mayoría de grupos de cuarta generación. SHOOTING STAR fue un reinicio cultural, dado que mezclar el Y2K con el girl crush, fue un movimiento muy acertado. Siento que se merecen todo el hype que merecen, y fue un movimiento muy inteligente debutarlas fuera de Japón, porque sabemos que no tendrían el mismo impacto de haber sido así (tristemente la mayoría de japoneses son gente tasteless que prefiere a grupos fetichizados a más no poder de niñas de quince años con uniforme, cantando sin esfuerzo y de la peor manera posible).

CALIFICACIÓN: ICONIC

Me parecen interesantes pero también siento que los últimos boygroups que están debutando en Japón, están imitando el lado más genérico y cringe de los boygroups actual de Corea. Cosa sad porque incluso si la mayoría de boygroups japoneses actuales se parecen mucho a los de K-Pop, aun así son mucho mejores en el aspecto musical, pero tristemente no es el caso de &TEAM

CALIFICACIÓN: MEH

Me gustaban más con KOM_I, pero su música es decente. I guess.

CALIFICACIÓN: OK

Alguien en Twitter dice a menudo que es la Aimyon de su época, eso es cierto. No me parece del todo mediocre su música, pero de su época hay mucha competencia, y por fortuna su competencia es infinitamente mejor 🫰🏻. A lo mejor si aiko hubiese debutado en esta época sería una vibra de aire fresco, pero en una época donde podíamos escoger entre MISIA, Utada Hikaru, Ayumi Hamasaki, Namie Amuro, Shiina Ringo, UA y otro montón más... tristemente es la menos interesante. I'M SORRY.

CALIFICACIÓN: MEH

Mis icons ♡, aunque estoy consciente de que quizás no sean de los boygroups más emblemáticos de Japón, en mi opinión sí son de los mejores boygroups de su época: BUENOS VOCALES (cosa que la mayoría de Johnny's de ese entonces no tenían), r&b chill para los gays y bailes complejos (incluso en una era donde el K-Pop estaba a años luz de ser lo que es hoy). Siento que son un grupo muy infravalorado, y que muchas veces no reciben el reconocimiento que merecen, pero indiscutiblemente son de los mejores artistas que Avex tuvo en su época.

CALIFICACIÓN: ICONIC

[seira555]

浜崎あゆみ / TO BE [Live Lyric Video]【from『LOVEppears / appears -20th Anniver...

[ayuvogue]

At the industry’s absolute highest levels, legendary figures such as Ayumi Hamasaki and Sheena Ringo promoted eclecticism within their work: Hamasaki’s LOVEppears became revered as a revolutionary dance-pop smorgasbord while Ringo’s Shōso Strip saw her find inspiration in both noise and jazz. Released within mere months of each other on either side of the turn of the 21st century, they seemed to signify two futures. The public chose both: LOVEppears and Shōso Strip became multi-million sellers.

Bandcamp calls out Ayu’s LOVEppears in conversation with Ringo Sheena’s Shouso Strip as iconic albums at the turn of the century in their new J-pop overview.

[appears]

Ayumi Hamasaki: YOU

When an artist debuts, sending their first single or album screaming out into the world, sometimes you can tell that the world of music and pop culture is about to change forever. As soon as Britney Spears released the song and iconic music video for "...Baby One More Time," most people sensed someone and something special was happening, a seismic shift re-writing the rules of the Billboard chart. But that's just not how the world of J-pop works, where labels don't debut artists fully formed after years of singing lessons, dance lessons, and performing experience. Instead, they send young women like Kumi Koda and Ayumi Hamasaki out into the world like awkward baby deer, forced to stumble and grow into their celebrity while the whole country witnesses and weighs in.

A good example of this is Ayumi's early singles and first album, which is markedly different from everything that came after. In the beginning, Ayumi was just another product to be mold and sold by Avex Trax, specifically, Max Matsuura, who discovered her in a dance club back in the 90s. They may have flown her to New York for vocal lessons and given her a trendy, expensive haircut, but she was just another vehicle through which to convey the Avex brand, complete with their in-house writers and arrangers, who had a signature style and sound that could have been grafted onto any number of beautiful, halfway-talented women willing to sacrifice a level of autonomy and artistic input for a paycheck and fame. Nobody could have predicted that Ayumi, with a solid, but unremarkable, debut single like "poker face," or the generic, sappy follow-up "YOU," was about to change both the label and Japanese pop culture forever.

"YOU" was released in June of 1998, two months after the release of "poker face." It was again written by Yasuhiko Hoshino, an Avex veteran who would go on to compose half of the tracks on her debut album, as well as contribute songs like "And Then," kanariya," "End of the World," and "girlish" on her next two (for those keeping track, he reunited with Ayumi at the back-end of her catalogue, appearing on FIVE, Love songs, and Love again). Of all of the songs that he worked on for Ayumi, I think this is one of the weakest; there is just something really simpering and limp about this track that even Ayumi's lyrics fail to enliven. It's not exactly a bad song, but it lacks real personality, and the pace is neither slow enough for serenity, nor fast enough for a sense of significant urgency.

Ayumi is still in safe-mode here, offering a vocal palate devoid of style that focuses on hitting all of the right notes at the right time, rather than injecting any character. That would come with, presumably, less nerves, and more say into the way that songs were developed. For now, she's listening carefully and obeying instructions like any first-year. This is in marked contrast to everything after LOVEppears. It's this lack of agency and hesitation that really defines her debut years, as it does for most artists. I don’t think anybody could foresee a "Free & Easy" or "NaNaNa" coming from the same artist singing "YOU." Ayumi's journey, like so many J-pop stars, was one of time, patience, and gradual growth and development, not the instant firecracker of singers like Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, or the numerous TikTok stars who are signed after already proving themselves via follower-count and virality to guarantee a hit.

This is not Ayumi's strongest moment, but it's a succinct explanation of her first year on a major label, marked by all of the uncertainty and fear that comes with that. If "YOU" was all you had to define the singer by, a single and sound extremely similar to other Avex outfits releasing music by the same writers and producers at the time, like TRINITY or EARTH, you couldn't predict how powerful, creative, and innovative Ayumi could become. In a world where major-label A&R departments are neglected in favor of catalog purchasing and Internet-celebrity recruitment, spotting and nurturing genuine superstars is a dying art -- and while I’m not discrediting the massive amount of luck that helps, the last two and a half decades of Ayumi’s career, and a follow-up like “YOU,” proves how amazing the pay off can be.