So sorry for the late SQS! This week was supposed to be KAT-TUN, but I haven't gotten around to the PV reviews yet (which I can only do on weekends because my internship has started). But Don't worry, here's still a full post! :D

Here's a question I've received in my Q4R box two months ago, but never got around to answering it:

• Do you really think AAA is breaking up?

There are many signs in my opinion that points to the break up of AAA, starting from after they went to Baltimore for that Otakon event. All of the following is most likely me just reading too much into it, but you know, I love to bullshit my way through this blog anyways.

[2007: Rock Incident]

In late 2007 (shortly after their Natsumono single was released), AAA attended the Otakon Anime convention held in Baltimore USA for a performance and fan meeting of sorts. While there, they decided to visit this odd place where people painted their initials on rocks. AAA decided to do one of their own, as depicted in the photo on the right. This resulted in major backlash from various bloggers and eventually spread to Japan where it became the biggest scandal AAA has ever found themselves in.

That same year, AAA was supposed to perform at the well-known charity event, "24 hour TV". After this incident, they were dropped from the guest list.

Their commercials for Furuuche (a fruity Yoghurt drink) were removed from broadcast and the website of the company. They have since never appeared in another commercial.

As the photo was posted by Ito Chiaki on their official blog, many "fans" have requested avex to remove her from AAA's lineup. They have also left many harsh comments on various BBS boards. This has resulted in AAA being suspended from avex for a few months, halting all activities.

This is perhaps the beginning of the end for AAA, as this event affected them pretty badly. Many people in Japan who didn't know AAA to begin with now only knew AAA as the band who did graffiti on foreign soil and tainted Japan's reputation. Needless to say, AAA's popularity got a pretty bad hit.

[2008: ATTACK ALL AROUND album]


In 2008, AAA released a singles collection album, with all the singles they have released up till then as well as almost all their PVs and various single/album commercials.

While this act in itself is really suspicious (only 2 years and you're already releasing something like this?), what was embarrassing was the sales of the album.

A special 10000-copy limited edition of the album was released (at 9000 fucking yen by the way) and it took months and many discounts on the various merchant websites (at one point, Amazon Japan sold it at 1800 yen. It was a sad day for me and my 9000 yen short wallet) before they were finally all sold out (though I suspect most of them have been returned to avex).

With it being an album with this much material, it performed rather poorly in sales (41000 odd copies sold). This should show you how "popular" AAA is.

As a guide:
Koda Kumi's first best of album sold 1.9 million copies.
Hamasaki Ayumi's first best of album sold 4.3 million copies.
EXILE's first best of album sold 1.4 million copies.
BoA's first best of album sold 1.1 million copies.
mihimaru GT's first best of album sold 383 thousand copies.
GIRL NEXT DOOR's debut album sold 212 thousand copies.
In the same year, Tohoshinki's album "T" sold 98 thousand copies.

41 thousand? Fail.

[2008: Desperation]


In 2008, AAA also released a boys-only album titled "CHOICE IS YOURS".

At this point, it just sounds like avex is just desperate to change AAA into something more marketable and boybands was what they came up with. The album was a big failure in terms of sales (16 thousand odd copies). This came shortly after they released their 18th single, "BEYOND~Karada no Kanata", which sold 20 thousand odd copies, their lowest sales since "Q" (if you exclude "Chewing Gum", which was not a full AAA thing anyways, and "Red Soul", which was released simultaneously with "AROUND" which also included the song).

[Solo Activities for everyone]

2008 - 2009 also saw almost all the AAA members venturing into solo activities outside of AAA.

Nissy started acting in musicals, such as Harold and Maude, Kokora no Kakera and リンダリンダラバーソール (no effing idea what that is). He also appeared in 2BACKKA's PV for "Namida" as well as in a movie titled Ai no Mukudashi. He recently got the lead role for Ghost Friends, a NHK drama starring Fukuda Saki.

Misako landed a role in the daytime television NHK drama Hitomi.

Urata continued his radio presenter job on TBC, and released his debut solo album (the first of anyone in AAA) "TURN OVER" in 2009.

Hidaka joined Motsu (of m.o.v.e) and Akico (god knows who) to form a new sort-of-indie unit called Mother Ninja.

Shinjiro acted in the musical Battle Royale Gunmage and has landed a role for a movie titled Guardian Angel, scheduled for release later this year.

Chiaki flew to Taiwan to film the Taiwanese version of Hachimitsu to Clover.

Shuta is unloved by avex.

Now how many other musical groups in avex do you know with all their members doing so many other things simultaneously? It is also rather suspicious that all these solo activities only after 2007. AAA after all, is a pretty talented group, so it would be wise on avex's part to try to let them venture into other areas first so they know where to keep them after AAA's breakup. Sounds logical yes?

[2009: Things start to get bad]

Most of the things in 2007 - 2008 can be chalked up to me being too paranoid, but 2009 was just a little too obvious, even for the more dense people.

In 2008, they announced a single scheduled for release in July. This was subsequently pushed to October 2008, then to November 2008 and finally January 2009.

And it so happens that this single is titled "Tabidachi no Uta", which means "song of departure".

As if that wasn't bad enough, they announced an album for AAA, to be released in February titled "depArture".

Labels: AAA