NEW ALBUM 30mins Night Flight - ORICON no.12

Latest news, upcoming events, general Maaya talk.
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Kaimugen
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Post by Kaimugen »

Perhaps it's the japanese obsession with cute, sweet sorts of stuff.
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dillpops
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Post by dillpops »

[quote="misssakura"]I don't understand, Maaya has a nice voice, she loves bands like The Killers so why does she sing this sugary crap? Doesn't she have any standards? Ugh. It's stupid to assume that just because she isn't with Yoko she can't sing anything with feeling or proper melody..there are shitloads of great Japanese composers, and they don't even have to be Japanese anyway. It just frustrates me that she's settling like this :roll:[/quote]

It's kind of like...I happily listen to Iron Maiden and Alice in Chains but if it came down to what I wanted to do - I'd rather sing songs like Morning Musume...

Maybe ^^;;;
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dillpops
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Post by dillpops »

Official site updated - about the DVD page specifically.
roxfan
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Post by roxfan »

Direct link to the clip:
mms://202.231.221.5/ve/PV/maaya/VICL-62300/VICL-62300-06SB.wmv
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Megumi
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Post by Megumi »

so sweet
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Yuki-chan
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Post by Yuki-chan »

KAWAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII~!!!!!!

muh
"Missing someone doesnt mean you are apart but that one day you were together"
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dillpops
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Post by dillpops »

The little animal that's been on maaya's page for months now links up to the special Night Flight page ^^ it's nice because now it's not annoying me like hell!
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Megumi
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Post by Megumi »

Does someone understand the "flight concept" ?
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chibiNekomancer
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Post by chibiNekomancer »

The new album cover gives me an impression of an airline brosure o_O does anyone else get this feeling?
Neko ga Suki na Anata to
Inu ga Suki na Watashi
-- Neko to Inu, Maaya Sakamoto
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dillpops
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Post by dillpops »

The flight concept is basically when a girl is trying to get to sleep at night, a reaaaallly small plane appears and takes her on a journey - a 30 minute night flight. Like........each song is part of the journey?
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frecklegirl
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Post by frecklegirl »

[quote="misssakura"]I don't understand, Maaya has a nice voice, she loves bands like The Killers so why does she sing this sugary crap? Doesn't she have any standards? Ugh. It's stupid to assume that just because she isn't with Yoko she can't sing anything with feeling or proper melody..there are shitloads of great Japanese composers, and they don't even have to be Japanese anyway. It just frustrates me that she's settling like this :roll:[/quote]

Maaya's an anime singer, her fans are made up of otaku fanboys who are used to hearing her sing typical anime songs (sometimes deep and meaningful, but often upbeat and superficial).

I haven't listened to the clips, nor do I plan to, so I can't say what they're like, but Maaya is pretty much bound into this quasi-'idol' position because of her reputation as an anime singer, and can't really do much outside of it. :/

If the loss of Kanno means that she can't sing the deep and meaningful stuff anymore, then that really is a true loss. I definitely agree with you, misssakura, there's just nothing we can do about it. :/ It isn't Maaya herself, its the people around her managing her songs not using her to her full potential. I think...
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Kaimugen
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Post by Kaimugen »

Maaya's an anime singer, her fans are made up of otaku fanboys who are used to hearing her sing typical anime songs (sometimes deep and meaningful, but often upbeat and superficial).
Hey, I resemble that remark!
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dillpops
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Post by dillpops »

[quote="frecklegirl"]
It isn't Maaya herself, its the people around her managing her songs not using her to her full potential. I think...[/quote]

I have to disagree with you, it's nothing to do with her management. Maaya has been in the music industry long enough to have full control over what she does - she chose to not work with Kanno and she can also choose what songs to sing etc. There's no one over her shoulder saying 'yes, you will do concept album because bwa ha ha ha everyone will want to be ripped off by such an artist vision being charged at such a price'! It also has nothing to do with her fanbase, Maaya's fans may have a majority of otaku - but they don't influence her.

It's like Ayu fans saying Ayu should go back to her 2001 style of music because she was more popular = her fanbase liked that style of music. She isn't going to do what the fans want her to do musically - it's what Ayu wants to do. Same with Utada Hikaru apparently losing her fanbase because she wasn't producing songs they wanted to hear. She doesn't care either. She's doing what she wants. And Maaya is the same.

When it comes to her career, Maaya is going to be 27 this year and really, she was probably a lot more managed when it came to her first albums and her work with Kanno. This is Maaya's direction. Not her managements. She's not exactly on a very controlling label anyway - compared to Avex and proper idol managements like UFA Maaya's control seems absolute.

Whether her music is poorer or better from now on - it's all Maaya's choice in what to follow. Ultimately, she says 'this goes on the CD'. No one else.
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Post by oamichano »

I agree with dillpops. I also think that even with her otaku fanbase, in Japan she could be so much more. There are plenty of pop icons who sing good songs and do well on the charts. A style like Hitoto Yo, Bonnie Pink, or even Shiina Ringo come to mind when I think of what directions Maaya could take.

I also think that the fact she did not chart well despite the good music back during Shounen Alice days does not speak to the music itself, but rather to the management. The music may be hers, but the marketing is not. Shounen Alice was actually remarkably good but fragmented, the album planning wasn't so good, and the tracks could've been ordered differently. Furthermore, there was little to no exposure or advertisement for it.

What they REALLY need to do is try to guide Maaya to having one or two really good singles, and get her on Music Station for both of them and then one more time for promotion for an album. Then we'll start seeing some sales and improvement and change in music will inevitably follow.

I think going mainstream would be a much, much better choice for Maaya. She's kind of in the back with all the other anime singers right now but that reputation can always be changed. That way she'll be much less limited in what she can do with the music.
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dillpops
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Post by dillpops »

However, if you look at her chart history and where she peaked at on Oricon:

Grapefruit: 76
Dive: 44
Hotchpotch: 24
Lucy: 16
Easy Listening: 12
Nikopachi: 3
Shounen Alice: 8
Yuunagi LOOP: 7

Granted, Nikopachi was probably secured by the otaku's wanting Maaya's anime songs together, but the increasing position of her original albums indicates that she was building a fanbase that wasn't just otaku - I can't think of any other seiyuu's that have done that off the top of my head.

But you're right - I think she could go mainstream...and it'd be good for her career...
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