beni

you're literally in a forum primarily dedicated to visual kei

When the little sister photobombs:
 
 

When the little sister photobombs:
 
 

i think whats so challenging to understand about racism and is how it doesn't cleanly follow lines of logic. for people who are inclined to follow logic to solve issues (me included), it can make no sense how there's such a prominent emotional undercurrent.
it sounds lovely to have white and black people chitchat about helping black oppression...but hows that possible when most politicians are white? why don't more black people simply just become politicians? even if they can...why don't they want to? the answer to the last question relates to it in general, one's perception of the society influences what they feel comfortable doing. its within everyone's right to step into politics, but what's the point to represent a system which you feel hasn't supported/represented you? this isn't statistical fact, but kind of an example as to why logical reasoning can't encompass the human feelings and reactions that come from racism. this is a stretch for canadian me to say as well, but i imagine thats why peeps like cat5 and zeus don't entirely want to hear the reactions of "outsiders". people tend to oversimplify everything and try to reason out of a problem, however, having witnessed an issue firsthand--they realize its far more complicated than one thinks. there's a lot of levels to this, and i think acknowledging that and listening (as zeus said) is more relevant than challenging the problem with logic and rhetoric. this isn't a stab at anyone, just a summary of how i feel about whats being said so far. sorry if its vague ;___;
also, just try to think of it from a human perspective instead of numbers. it's really challenging to keep an individual perspective in such a political debate, but i think thats the best way to understand why people do what they do.

The key words are "how to feel", not "what to feel".
 
You are entitled to your opinion, as is everyone else here, even if your opinion runs counter to mine. What is rubbing me the wrong way, as well as @CAT5, and I would wager any African American MH member, is that there are people trying to tell us how to feel. None of you are African American, so don't tell me your observations about black life in America are equal to our experiences as black individuals. You just won't get it. AND THAT'S OK. To think you can distill our entire life experiences into a few bullet points on an internet forum, to me, is the height of arrogance. You do not get to direct the conversation, or to rephrase the situation to downplay aspects too grisly for you to face head-on, or to tell us what emotions are most conducive to enacting change.
 
NONE. OF. YOU. GET. THAT. RIGHT. STOP. TELLING. US. HOW. TO. FEEL.
 
Now that's not to say you don't get to participate in the dialogue at all but no one is doing that. Not one person in this topic has put forth a solution that will ease our suffering. It's just pages upon pages of people trying to seem enlightened. We will need you at the table next to us in order to enact meaningful change. What we need you to do, as non-African American individuals, is to listen to us and help us. 

I don't have an issue with third party input, but I do have an issue with the way that the input is given. No matter how valuable or sage the words you'd like to contribute are, if you're a third party, you NEED to approach the situation with a certain amount of tact and sensitivity. The way your post read to me was like "oh I don't care about the situation, but you guys should do watch what words you use". You can't seriously expect to be received well with such a crass and insincere tone can you? I felt the same way about @Carmelzors post on the previous page - it wasn't so much what he was saying, as much as it was his authoritative and didactic tone, as if  he were an expert on the situation. I know neither you nor carmerlzors meant any harm by your words, but just as 3rd parties want people to be open to their opinions, you also have to be open enough to understand that oppressed people are far too downtrodden to want to hear "nitpicky" opinions or "know-it-all" solutions from people who aren't even affected by the issue in the first place.

I'm not saying that outside opinions are invalid or not welcome, but that's like me trying to tell @Pho and @beni how to feel about Brexit when I have no idea what it's like living in England, or me telling @seurong and @saishuu what's the best direction for their government (post-presidential crisis) when I know nothing about Brazilian politics. Outsiders simply have no idea what it's like to actually be on the inside. Sure, you may have comparable experience and knowledge from elsewhere, but every situation is different. You guys see headlines, social media/online posts, and probably talk with a few people, but at best your knowledge is anecdotal. For people like @Zeus and I, when we log off - the injustice doesn't vanish. It's there - in our faces every fucking day. It's easy for people who exist outside of the oppression at hand to sit calmly and analyze each new situation from a neutral standpoint, examine each wayward opinion with "equal rational scrutiny", and nitpick about word choice, but for most black people, these recent killings have been like the icing on a shit-filled cake that we've been fed our entire lives.  
 
The injustice against blacks in America is so rich, so deep, so prevalent, and so consistent that at this point, whether you call these recent killings "murder" or not is irrelevant, because no matter what word you want to dress it in for semantics sake - it's all the same to black people at this point. The media does its best to take advantage of this and rile the masses into their bullshit, racially divisive propaganda, and while many ppl on both sides feed into the nonsense and effectively transform the actual issues into a never-ending reality tv show,  the issues that plague black america are still very real. I know I'm not alone when I say that, sometimes, I have to ignore it all just to attempt to continue living a "normal" life - all the while knowing in the back of my head that the system is not for me. But no matter how much I try to explain this perspective to you guys, you will never completely grasp the picture. And that's perfectly ok. If you're an outsider or on the opposite side of oppression, you HAVE to honor and respect that gap. That's all I ask. If you're an outsider and you want to contribute something to the conversation, you must do so with grace and compassion. Or else why should your opinion even matter?

When the little sister photobombs:
 
 

When the little sister photobombs:
 
 

When the little sister photobombs:
 
 

The bottom line is, an outsider like WB doesn't need "defending," because the situation doesn't ultimately affect his livelihood. Of course, he's entitled to an opinion as we all are, but in the end, the opinions and voices that matter most in this situation are of those who are being most affected: black Americans. Let's defend them.

I don't think he meant to distract from the conversation, intentionally, but these kinds of detours and sidesteps are all too common in a conversation that is already an uphill battle. Talking about race in the US has always been awkward due to the nation's dicey history, but also because we refuse to face it. It's become so abundantly clear in the mainstream consciousness that even if the horrors of slavery, lynching, and segregation of "the past" are officially over, the aftermath and residues are still very much part of our present. In some ways, it's likely harder to talk about race now, because the majority of white America is "colorblind" and refuses to believe that racism still exists. How can Americans expect to have an honest discussion, when the loudest voices of the most dominant group are so willfully dismissive and/or believe any expression of disdain for institutional racism is "reverse racism"?

Talking to racists is already like talking to a brick wall, so the last thing we need is to distract from the real conversation any further. Someone will always have a criticism: use more precise words, be more respectful (which I don't think anyone in their right mind can ask of Philando Castile's girlfriend. She was addressing the policeman as "sir," even as her boyfriend was bleeding and dying next to her), don't be so "angry," etc... It's all just subterfuge and does not really help.

And even if we were to accept the "nitpicking," let's nitpick this scenario even further. Maybe "murder" really is a valid term. Is "premeditation" any different from "motive"? Surely, racism, whether institutional (using black male's mugshots as target practice in police stations, etc.) or individual (policemen dropping the n-word on their personal social media accounts, etc.) is a common motive in these tragedies. I don't think it's a stretch to say that the culture of racism has indeed led to the murder of numerous black Americans at the hands of police officers.

I understand that this is something that probably doesn't affect you, and perhaps an issue that you may not fully be able to grasp, but as someone that has experienced the effects of this, distinct racism both explicitly and implicitly for the entirety of their life, from my perspective, this comment reads as highly insensitive.  And so with all due respect, you'll understand me when I say the last thing that THIS particular debate needs is nitpicky, tactless opinions from people who are, admittedly, unconcerned about the issue at hand.
 
As for the choice of words - murder, homicide, manslaughter,  premeditated/unintentional killing  - whatever term you'd like to append to it -  I'm sure that's a REALLY minor detail to all of the people who are affected by all of the senseless, and very preventable deaths. I doubt it makes a difference to the little girl who lost her father right in front of her eyes, or the little 15 year old boy on the news crying how he wants and misses his dad. I doubt it makes a difference to my sister, mother of three young boys, who actually has to worry about the fact that she is raising her sons in a country where it has been proven time and time again that they are not valued, simply because of their skin. Where she has to teach 3 young boys that even if you do everything "right", you can still be punished because of your skin, and that the punishment may just be fatal. How do you even do that?
 
You know I got love for you, WB, and I'm certainly not trying to come at you sideways or anything - but for me, this is an issue that touches at home, so I wanted to let you know how I feel. I know all of this stuff seems like a fairy tale when you exist outside of the quagmire, but I was literally born into this, and it is very real for me. I would have talked to you about this privately, but since this is an extension of a public discussion (and this is an international forum with many ppl who may not quite grasp the situation), I wanted to put my perspective out there too!
 
 

When the little sister photobombs:
 
 

^ Count me in too!

I'm in the same boat as you so you aren't alone. I don't even have musical releases to look forward to outside of new DIR EN GREY. The only direct and obvious continuation worth following was NEGA -> THE BLACK SWAN and OUSIA is literally my visual kei album of the year by default. All the other veterans either disappeared or ended up in really underwhelming bands, so it's up to the new bands to fill the void.
 
The first thing I would do is recommend you check out ORZ Reviews if you haven't already. We make an effort to try to review visual and non visual releases equally, although as a whole we are finding 2016 an underwhelming year for music. Maybe you will find something new you like

The second thing I would do is to check out the various mixtape and trade-off threads and maybe participate in the next one if the theme interests you. One of them was a "Journey through the decade" style exchange and many people chose the last decade, so look for that one in particular maybe. I find that this year the trade-offs have been invaluable in exposing myself to new music and new artists, especially after I left last.fm. If you can stand the interface and don't have an account, maybe try that out too?

Watched the 2nd episode of Berserk today, and I found it enjoyable - in fact, I felt like it ended too soon, as I was engaged the entire episode. Still getting used to the animation. My biggest issue with it is the lack of emotion they're able to convey. When Farnese was whipping and going crazy on Guts, her voice actress was on point, but the character animation looked super stiff and rigid. Like Bonsai said, it felt more like I was reading a cut-scene on ps3/ps2 game as opposed to watching two lively characters interact. Definitely took me out of the moment a bit.
 
 
The golden arc is fantastic, but I've always kind of viewed that as its own thing. For the other arcs, when I read the manga, I never really got a sense of the "arcs". And I don't mean that in a bad way. There were certainly climaxes and quiet moments, but everything felt to me like one ever-ascending story. As for the current arc, if I have to compare it to the golden age arc directly, then the golden age would win. Although tbh, I feel like the original 1997 anime handled the golden age arc better than the manga did because they were able to better emphasize certain aspects much more. So it's certainly possible that they could enhance the source material imo. Either way, I think there's more than enough to make for a compelling season.
 
Also, I wonder if they're actually going to include this scene in the next ep or so: XD
 
 

Tracklist:
1. LAST DAY
2. REVOLVER
3. DOWN
4. GASOLINES
5. HALO  
  | Her Name in Blood? More like Her Name in Treble.
 
Her Name in Blood is a Metal band that offers some metalcore and classic styles in their music. Established in 2006 , the band has released 3 albums, 2 EPs, 1 single and 3 tracks for various artist releases. Evolution From Apes is the newest addition to their discography and provides us with two new and three re-mixed tracks. Given their increase in activity and popularity, it was to be expected that Evolution From Apes  would be a strong contribution to their library. However, it leaves you with nothing more than slight disappointment. This release is not terrible but it's a little frustrating that they took great songs and really toned down the most important elements. Such production makes me wonder who directed the changes and what the band had in mind and if they achieved that or just ran out of time. 
 
Some may have noticed the new music video  for a song titled "LAST DAY " which sounded promising but doesn't sum up the quality of the EP and is the only track that stands out. While "LAST DAY" proves to be upbeat and melodic, the production of the other songs cut the band short of success. "REVOLVER", "GASOLINES", and "HALO" cause a raise of the brow as to why they were reduced in quality. The prominent difference from the originals is the lack of bass and drums. While still  great songs,  the older versions leave the new versions sounding dry or bland. "GASOLINES "and "REVOLVER" are tolerable as they don't stray too far from their original idea. "HALO", as popular as it is, ended up being the biggest mistake of this release. The levels for the guitars have been so unnecessarily cranked up that it overpowers what little bass and vocal elements were left.
 
Even though the remakes are a struggle to sit through, the new material isn't so bad. Although the mixing is relatively the same as the remakes, there's no previous guideline to taint our expectations of what they should sound like. Aside from "LAST DAY", "DOWN" could be a solid listen. That is, until the lack of a smooth transition to the guitar solo causes the composition to sound disjointed. Hearing some team effort in the vocal department is a nice touch and it's nice to be graced with Makoto's verbal presence. The battle between Ikepy's screams and Makoto's singing does create an enjoyable listen during the chorus. 
 
Overall, the EP sounded very rushed despite the announcement of the release being a good amount of time in advanced. Better luck next time.
    Purchase cdjapan | itunes

This wasn't dismissing a point. This is a factual claim. You live halfway on the other side of the world and you are clearly referring to the most recent murder of innocent black men in America by white police officers, even if you can point to other, more local tragedies to make your point more general.

I don't make it a matter to get political on the internet because it doesn't matter. You say your piece. I say my piece. No one changes their opinion and we go on our separate ways. But what bothers me is your know-it-all attitude, as if you've seen it all and you have all the answers. No matter how eloquently you state a point or how long you reflect on a situation, some things need to be experienced before you understand the full picture. I highly doubt institutionalized racism is a thing in Finland - and if it is you most definitely do not suffer the brunt of it. The history of the United States is a quagmire of racial tension. To urge people to take a neutral ground and "look at the consequences" in a situation that has no neutral ground means that you don't fully understand the situation. And I'm sure that stands for just about every *-related incident, because nothing in this world occurs in a vacuum.
 
If you're not going to be brazen enough to directly address the "PC issues" that irritate you so much then you can't really complain. For as much as you complain about toxic opinions from other MH members, you have not reported one to me even once and I can't find a recent topic within the last few months that's gone unmoderated. This forum is very open and accepting as far as places on the internet go and I work very hard to make sure it stays that way. I'm on @herpes ass once a month and he's the one that's supposed to flare up. For fuck's sake I made a rule to explicitly create more space on this forum for LGBTQ members and to reduce hateful rhetoric (and your response was quite interesting if I may add).

Realize that everyone has the right to an opinion, but that doesn't make it valid.

Whether you admit it or not, white supremacy exists. Whether I try to ignore it or not, white supremacy exists. This country (the united states) was built upon it, and continues to strive upon it. EVERYONE is affected by it, regardless in what we choose to believe.
 
When I say "fuck white supremacy", I don't mean "fuck white people" or "fuck the white race" - I'm referring to the system here in the U.S. by which we live - the institutionalized racism and oppression.
 
The problem is that whenever an issue is raised regarding minorities - someone else always comes along to tries and deflect or diminish the issue. In example, the whole #blacklivesmatter movement being demeaned by the #alllivesmatter people. This is problematic (and I hate using that buzzword) because it glosses over the actual issues and only serves to antagonize. If people REALLY felt that all lives matter, they'd understand that black lives ARE all lives too, and they'd make an attempt to understand why a #blacklivesmatter movement even came about in the first place. Furthermore, they'd act compassionately and support each other.
 
It's the same with people who refuse to admit that racism is alive and well, and that white supremacy is non-existent. This country is ailing and will continue to hurt until we can all confront each other, openly, and honestly without any ill-will. But to reach that point, we NEED to be willing to recognize and properly address the symptoms - and white supremacy is one of them.  But that's going to take honesty and compassion. It's going to take both the admission and relinquishing of white privilege , and it's going to take a willingness of minorities to forgive and move forward.
 
I don't think anyone wants or wanted to be a part of this racial zeitgeist. I certainly don't.  My girlfriend, whom I love wholeheartedly, is white, and it would be wonderful to live in a world where our relationship doesn't even raise brows on a subconscious level. But unfortunately, we were born into this. And if we're going to move forward, we need to rectify the countless issues that already exist and not just brush them aside like "hey, let's all just love each other and get along". That's not going to change the situation. Love is action, and if we're all going to love each other, then we need to fight for each other -> white, black, yellow, green, blue, gay, straight, trans - whatever the case may be. That's the only way I can see this current paradigm shifting into something new and better.

Hey there, welcome back!! Good to have you again. Neat taste too! Instantly spotted Cocco and Aco on your new Last.fm, and even more on your first account (Even got Very High on it!) Now following you as well. Hope to keep seeing you around, enjoy!

Hello, I'm Himitsu.
I'm an artist and a musician influenced heavily by nature, visual kei, Eastern religion and philosophy, and Japanese culture.
 
Check out www.enigmatic-music.net for my art and music. At the time I write this, not much of my work is finished but I have a few preview videos and cover song videos to enjoy, and one photobook.
 
The Realm of Secrets shop is a shop of my designs (everything from messenger bags to notebooks to stash in them.) which are classified as expressive-abstract art. They were somewhat influenced by visual kei and punk fashion.
 
I hope you'll enjoy what I create.
 
Thank you for looking~
Have a lovely evening~

I am new here I suppose. 
Nice to meet you all.

Hi there ! 
I'm Itsuki, a french 18 years-old girl. I don't really know how to introduce myself so I apologize if it's not complete or whatever.
Furthermore, my english is not that good, sorry about that ^^"
It's been 5 years now since I'm listening to Visual Kei. The first time I listened to it, it was when a friend of mine send me a bunch of songs of An Cafe and I really enjoyed it. Few days later, I found out "The Invisible Wall" from the GazettE and "Blue Flame" from Alice Nine and that's how I begun to listen to Visual Kei. Today I'm not listening to VK as much as I did when I was 14 or 15 years old, but  I still enjoy some bands like Dadaroma, D.I.D., Nocturnal Bloodlust, BugLug or girugamesh for exemple.
If I came here it's because I want to discover "new" VK bands  and be surprise because when I see the latest releases of some of my favorite bands (like DIAURA for exemple), I don't feel anything. Hopefully, I'll found some bands who 'll catch my intrest.
I think it's all, if you have some questions, don't be afraid to ask them ^^

Everytime I turn around,  another black person is getting senselessly slaughtered by "paid public servants" aka the police. This shit is NOT a coincidence. Racism is dead? Black ppl should "get over" slavery? This country has never been on our fucking side. Centuries of bullshit, and ain't shit changed but the weather. Fuck white supremacy. And fuck anyone who ain't down for the cause.
 
"I Fear I May Have Integrated My People Into a Burning House" - Martin Luther King Jr.
 
 

I'm angry but I made somes memes cuz u still gotta laugh, still gotta love...
 
Thanks to my homie @seurong for the source pics
 



 


 

When the little sister photobombs: