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Massive thanks to the members who gave in their votes in order to make this happen! Some things to note: For the categories that have no runners up, it's because there weren't enough votes. All votes are listed in numbered order of the majority of votes and are in alphabetical order when tied. The dashes are used to break up the users who are in the joint position. Staff of the Year: 1. @CAT5 2. @Zeus 3. Favourite uploader: 1. 2. / @numetal 3. @CAT5 / @robkun Best looking male: 1. @Sakura Seven 2. @Peace Heavy mk II Best looking female: 1. @Shir0 2. @237Q / @beni / @hyura / @paradoxal Best jokes: 1. @Jigsaw9 2. @Biopanda 3. @nekkichi Weirdest user: 1. @blackdoll 2. 3. @Trombe Most fascinating user that makes the most interesting posts: 1. @CAT5 2. @Disposable / @Trombe / @Zeus 3. @blackdoll / @hiroki / @Pho / @Tetora Best avatar: 1. @Biopanda 2. @beni 3. @CAT5 Best sig: 1. @paradoxal 2. / @beni / @kyoselflove / @sai / @Zeus Biggest spammer: 1. 2. @blackdoll 3. @nxbitakinema / @gantzking20 Most argumentative: 1. @Zeus 2. @Des / 3. @relentless Drama Queen/King: 1. @blackdoll 2. @DarkWater Most effective Troll: 1. @nekkichi 2. @Gaz 3. @herpes WTF-Award of the year: 1. @blackdoll 2. Best drama thread: 1. Post your "UNPOPULAR" music opinions! 2. random thoughts thread 3. Lycaon will disband Best reviews: 1. #18: D - Kingdom, @ShanethVarosa / #22: THE HISTORY OF GENESIS by Jupiter, @CAT5 / #33: PARADOX by FIXER, Friendliest/most helpful member: 1. @beni 2. @Jigsaw9 3. @CAT5 / Most loyal Kisaki fan of the year: 1. 2. @inartistic User with most interesting musicial taste: 1. @CAT5 2. @Bear / @hiroki / @indigo MH Theme song: 1. idiot - Fakkin A "What the heck is this user doing here, they hate everything we like!" award: 1. @Bear 2. @Disposable / @Shaolan974 Most fanboyish/fangirlish behaviour: 1. @blackdoll 2. @ishiki 3. @paradoxal Most hardcore collector: 1. @Biopanda 2. @hiroki 3. Most informative: 1. @Trombe 2. @Zeus 3. @CAT5 Best Art Showcase artist: 1. 2. 3. Wall of text poster: 1. @Tetora 2. @Zeus 3. @beni / @Ikna / / @relentless Most outspoken user: 1. @Des 2. @Gaz / @relentless / @Zeus User with the most random statuses: 1. @blackdoll 2. 3. @ishiki / User with best member title: 1. @beni / @kyoselflove / @Peace Heavy mk II Most knowledgeable on VK: 1. @Biopanda 2. @Champ213 / @hiroki / @robkun 3. @inartistic / @Zeus Most knowledgeable on Japanese music in general: 1. @CAT5 2. 3. @Biopanda Best contributions on topics other than music: 1. @Bear / @beni 2. @paradoxal 3. @Original Saku User with the most interesting "Location": 1. @blackdoll / Most active in Château de Monochromium: 1. @leafwork Best plug.dj DJ: 1. @CAT5 2. 3. @indigo / @Pho Best lurker turned active: 1. / @Pho Most popular user award: 1. @CAT5 2. @Biopanda / @beni 3. @Peace Heavy mk II Member with the least constructive posts: 1. @blackdoll 2. @Sakura Seven 3. @jon_jonz So, is there anyone you don't see up there you think should be? Discuss and keep those members in mind for next time!

Hello! My name is Jessica and I recently made this account after a long time user of this site recommended for me to get one, as I'm a huge fan of Visual Kei and Japanese music as a whole. I like writing, singing, and anything to do with anime/manga. Some of my favorite bands are Nightmare, Mucc, Velvet Eden, the KIDDIE, Jupiter, Kamijo, and a lot of others. I'm excited to get started posting! I look forward to becoming a member of this community. Thanks!

So, what do your family members think of Visual Kei? We all know you love it, but what about your yolks? What's not to love, right? To submit a poll for the MH POLL OF THE WEEK, P.M. either @CAT5 or @beni with your poll question, choices, and state whether it's multiple choice or not.

Last recent photo (implant looks fine, tho, I am so happy with that ) Aaaand... I finally got my long awaited boots, so I took some comparasion pics. Left are mine, right is SHOW, from JIGGYS SHOP. Unfortunately I don't own the whole set (it's really hard to get them, since they're sold out), but it's okay. SHOW looks so thin, I can't believe xDD

Artist: Royz Single: THE BEGINNING 1. THE BEGINNING 2. 0 3. umbrella. 4. THE BEGINNING (ins.) 5. 0 (ins.) 6. umbrella. (ins.) Rating: | The beginning of something good. Knowing very little about Royz before the release of this single, I had precious little by which to gauge my excitement. I had listened to their album, "Core," back in October and thought it was decent and showed promise. Then their single, "Supernova," and it's B-side, "Alive," really blew me away. So, I guess one could say that I was pretty excited even though I wouldn't consider myself a big fan of the band. Recently, the influences of the electronic genre have pervaded almost every visual rock band in the scene and it's been a pretty divisive issue. Nonetheless, if a band blends the perfect amount of hard rock with their electronic beats, I'm going to be a fan. "The Beginning" is an interesting one, for sure. It's quite different from not only other Royz songs, but from a lot of modern pop/rock-esque songs. It blends together a few different genres to ultimately come up with one of the catchiest rock songs of 2015 so far. This band tends to work exceedingly well as a machine of fun, post-hardcore numbers with incredible rhythm and "The Beginning" is no exception. The one possible downfall of the song is the awkward-to-annoying introduction, but once that chorus hits, you will forget about any prior mess. Oftentimes, the B-Sides make or break the single. If you didn't enjoy the song the band is promoting, well here's something else to make you feel better. For instance, "Alive" was much better than "Supernova." On this single, the B-sides were great compliments to a great promotional single. "0" was along the same lines as most of their recent work: uplifting, fun to sing along to, and great to just lose yourself in. "Umbrella" was a bit more subdued than the previous two songs. Mid-tempo ballad range, to be exact. Subaru's voice really carries well in this song, especially the chorus, where he displays a lot of personal emotion. One of their better composed and arranged tracks. The final track, "Heil," is exactly what I thought it would be. Heavy, fast-paced, and hard-hitting. The beat is incredible and the energy isn't misplaced at all. The only true con of this number is that the melodies Subaru has created aren't exactly strong. It works with the nature of the song, but he's definitely done better. All in all, I feel like if you want to check out this band and haven't already, I would start with their album "Core" and work from there like I did. It sets up expectations for their career in a much more realistic way. Support the band! Purchase Type A here Purchase Type B here Purchase Type C here Purchase Type D here

Legolas, ofc. That way it matches up with my DEGxLOTR fanfic: Kyo's Elf Love.

K

I can see why people think this single was horrible and sounds boring. But I have a really different opinion: 盈虧:I actually read some of these reviews before listening to the song, and I was pretty surprised. This is the first "soft" song by mejibray I've liked instantly. This song was amazing to me and so catchy, I LOVE the gross, grim feeling these kinds of songs give me, like the feeling of some kind of insanity, similar to 嫉妬　and 剥落, but expressed in a softer style. Like a grim ballad. One of my favorite songs by Meji probably. I loved the song so much, so I was excited to watch the PV, but the PV was horrible. I felt like it had way too much effort into sex appeal, rather than convey emotion from the song. Really anticlimactic. I actually hate merjibray's attempt at lighter sounding ballad's like Avalon and Emily, and one more on 420 theatrical roses album. 人間 is an okay track, again there are some good parts of the song but it's kinda ruined by trying too hard on the sex appeal. I felt like 蜈蚣 had potential to be a great intense track...but I don't feel any intensity coming from it, I guess I don't feel anything when I listen to the song. I felt like the old mejibray had enough sex appeal, as in a good amount. I hope they don't go into a lycaon era where the music just deteriorates and the sex appeal skyrockets. In summary, 盈虧 was most similar to the style of the old mejibray sound, but expressed with a slightly different style (slower tempo and not as crazy). Overall the single had a push into trying to sound sexy and have sex appeal, as indicated by the PV.

3 gold medals... not bad... not bad at all *cracks knuckles*

Which institution do you put a crazed pirate in?

I think Pho should just become a pirate.....and look for some booootyyyy. No not that kind you dirty boy/girl! Argh.

Did someone say cheerios metal? (Sorry, I couldn't resist XD)

I appreciate the votes, everyone - not just for me, but for taking a bit of time to contribute in general. However, I will humbly decline "staff of the year". @Zeus is by far the most deserving of that title. Naturally, everyone isn't privy to things that go on behind-the-scenes, but @Zeus is one of the major reasons this forum is still afloat. ; ) I'd also consider more deserving in that regard. ;3

Thanks for the votes, guys! Happy to see my name up there at all. And I'll try to keep more good videos coming in the plug sessions! <3

I always neglect this place >_< OLD SKEEEWL BIJUARU Something sketchy inspired by D’espairsRay. I almost forgot how dark they were until I listened to them again. My OC. He is a bogus character in an even more bogus story of mine. Sharing it here, because he wears some glam rock inspired outfit and because I am actually proud of it once.

It's from a Oneness in store event back in march, but it's probably my favorite picture I've taken with any bandman.

La'veil MizeriA distributed DVD "Le Film" will be released through indie CD stores since mid-2015/05 (limited 1000) btw they will hold their one-man live "呪われし終焉の果て…(norowareshi shuuen no hate...)" at Higashikouenji 20000V at 2015/07/01

My Fairytale new maxi single "鳥籠トロイメライ(torikago traumerei)" will be released at 2015/06/17 (1,620yen), which will be sold in advance at their presents live "トロイメライ〜虚無に響く旋律と鳥籠の中の絵空事〜(traumerei〜kyomu ni hibiku senritsu to torikago no naka no esoragoto〜)" at Ikebukuro EDGE at 2015/06/03 [track list] 01.鳥籠トロイメライ(torikago traumerei) 02.トリックアート・ゴシック・マンション(trickart gothic mansion) 03.白昼夢とアンソロジー(hakuchuumu to anthology)

And no Trombe at all? Come on, what would've we do without main newsmaker?

This just in: 'Arise in Stability' band name change to 'Arise Instability'

eggscellent.

They look like amber gris or Chanty btw.

+1!

their new digital single "fruitless(KALM Remix)" will be available for download at their live since Ikebukuro CHOP at 2015/06/10 and up to Ikebukuro CHOP at 2015/08/28

A special mention for @Tokage for being the best hokage. Or sth.

A wrestler, some punks and a really old drag queen Fuck yeah!

Conclusion of Studies on Humanoid Subjects in Dimension 113XR: Music, like drugs, simulates emotions and feelings, triggers chemical responses, and can often replace the need to actually accomplish things in life, experience things outside of the Humanoid`s own head, and so forth. Even feelings such as sadness become wired so that the user starts to enjoy them, and latches onto sad songs or certain drugs to re-live those feelings, to feel that sadness, and perhaps bring them closer to something they lost, as that sad feeling is all that they have left. Eventually the chemicals associated either stop firing, or lose their potency. Subjects move on to the next song, the next drug, pursuing an endless cycle that is first attached to their current station in life, and then morphs into their very station in life. Bach, later heralded as a great genius, created a new composition weekly as the people would prefer to not be inconvenienced by hearing the same composition two weeks in a row, despite not being able to play it out on their yet-to-be-invented MP3 players and smartphones. Humanoids take issue with the disposable nature of current music, and debate issues of quality in the music created by certain artist-bots, yet do not discuss how they helped perpetuate the disposable nature of music, and devalue it with their current electronic ecosystem of downloading as much music as their computers and patience can handle, for free, and decide that they hate an artist or release after listening to the creation a grand total of quite possibly one full rotation, or less. The humanoid then proceeds to either delete the files, or leave them to mingle with countless other files in a forgotten corner of their computer drive. If it amuses the user, they may partake in spreading ill words about the work and artist for as long as they can continue to receive attention for it. They can often spend more time partaking in this activity than actually listening to the work itself. The subjects often place listening to music for pleasure higher than consuming drugs, although both often provide similar results, and unfortunately, Humanoids can not be as socially accepted for an act which is more obviously based around instant stimulation, similar to masturbation, and can not as easily argue that they are entitled to free drugs, or download drugs for free and cut profits for the grower or meth-lab industry in half. The subjects argue that music can spread emotions and ideas in a unique way, yet this is left out of most critical review and analysis, where technical aspects are often favored. This also perplexes older Humanoids who wonder how Bach and The Beatles made way for Dubstep and works that fall into the current Pop Top 40. Humanoids have also failed to create an agreeable criteria for rating music or its quality, despite having centuries to do so, and often resort to arguments or acts of downright hatred when they continuously re-discover that they are unable to share or sometimes even communicate their feelings and tastes to others without disagreement. All of these issues and the striking similarities between music and drug-use have led us to come to the conclusion that music should be removed from the dimension that Humanoids inhabit, and that their brains should also be altered in order to remove the sectors that enable what they identify as taste`s and opinions.

You want to find out if someone's gay? How about asking them? From what I can tell, how a guy dresses or what kind of idols he admires (I have prior experience with a straight boyfriend who had lots of man crushes on visual kei band members) don't determine if someone is gay. All those things are stereotyping and it doesn't really determine anything, especially since there are two types of gay men. There's the kind who don't make it apparent in any social context and there are those who are flamboyant and effeminate.

Eiki is a great single. Hi haters.

Hi, I wanted to ask when the site will be updated with items once the auction is done? My schedule doesnt match up with the livestream auction lol

I still want you to get a tattoo of Kyo kissing an elf

That means a lot, honestly. I will be running it again on Saturday at 5:00 if you want interested in going! Though not sure if I am going to be filming it or not lol. Only the top skiing photo and the Bee and Puppycat cosplayer (the one with the plushy) are the only strobbed shots there. I will have to post more of my strobbed, but to be completely honest, flash has been the single most difficult area of photography for me to understand. First off, I hardly ever shoot with the flash on camera. If I do, I am certainly bouncing it off of a ceiling or a wall. I am not going to make any assumptions on how much you know about photography, so sorry if some of this is a little basic. The softness of your light is directly proportional to the size of the light source in relation to the subject. Essentially, if I want really soft flattering light, I need to figure out how can I make the light bigger. Bouncing off a wall (assuming the wall isn't colored) can help a ton. The down side of this is that it uses a ton of power, especially if the walls or ceiling are higher or far away. You can use a bulbous diffuser right on the flash (like the Gary Fong Lightsphere). This will give you a marginal increase in softness (and still sometimes a bit of an unflattering look if the light is on camera). The absolute best thing you can do is get your light off of camera and with a modifier. Shoot through umbrellas are probably the cheapest way of getting this done, but I really love the look of a soft box (I use my 43" apollo orb soft box as my main modifier). When you take a photo with a flash right on top of the camera, you are lighting someone, but you are taking away so many of those shadows this give depth and contrast. Shooting off camera flash can add really add to the depth of an image. I have been looking for a great solution for what to buy in terms of off camera flashes for a while and am on my to my third set - 3 yonguo YN560 IV's with a YN560 TX transmitter, all for around $300 with great remote manual controls, these things seems great so far. All of that said, I shoot more often with natural light. Most of the time I am walking around a con I have my 35mm f/1.4 lens on with the aperture set to max (1.4), the shutter speed between 1/60 and 1/200, and then I adjust the ISO to whatever gets me in that range. I don't know what kind of camera or lenses you are shooting, that would make it a lot easier to recommend things. Be warned though - the lights in the dealers hall at Acen flicker at about 1/200th so never let your camera get above that speed when you are in there. Since I Acen is coming up in a week (!!!), here's a shot from last year using a super ghetto rigged flash setup.

Thank you so much "monochrome-heaven", i love this place. BTW i think "yuki no sai"should be named best uploader.

STOP OPPRESSING MY TUMBLR AESTHETIC!!

You need to calm the shit down. Jesus.

Of course, feel free to use this thread for things like that too!

I don't want to be rude to our Pho lad but this quote pretty sums up my own thinking. I'm sorry u_u do whatever you want.

I've found that subcultures in music only really exist in small groups nowadays. I used to have a circle in Belgium that existed solely of 80's thrash metal followers, and they looked as if they came straight out of that period in time. As expected, however, it fell apart after a while and more people started dressing casually and the guys cut their hair (the tears I've shed). You're right about social media playing a role in this, I think. No one has to dress themselves to an extreme anymore to be recognized. Walking down the streets today gives me not even the slightest idea about what people's tastes and interests are, it's really sad seeing the same people all over again. They don't stand out, they don't give off any sort of vibe that separates them from the rest. It's just like everybody wants to follow in a flock of sheep.

Jupiter is ...zzZZzzzzZZZZzz... with an ugly guitar sound. MEJIBRAY is ...ZZzzZZzzZZzz... with ugly everything. Since the "newness" has worn off, ARCHE from DIR EN GREY is now ...zzZZzzheylistenit'surokoandphenomenonZZzzZZzzZZzzZZheyit'srinkakuzzZZZzzZZzz...

I'd call Zetsubou no Asa my favorite also!

I can tell from 5 metres away if a dudes ever tried playing w/ his bhole in the shower even once

I first read this as "Waluigi"

If the Sada one were Japanese I bet at least 10 people would have been flipping shits about no one sharing their demo.