desparejo86

One thing I love about MH is that all topics regarding X Japan always ends up with us mocking Yoshiki.

I actually do remember that now. For some reason I applied that story to Tetsuya Komuro instead of Yoshiki.
It sounded fantastic and unbelievable back then....and almost plausible....and then the excuses started piling up year after year with bogus announcements and as a fan I started to realize most of what he says is a sham.

Incredible.
 
Remember like 15 years ago when Yoshiki said he couldn't release whatever project he was working on because someone broke into his car, where he had the master recordings sitting in his car baking in the sun, while he ate lunch in LA and stole them...... and he didn't have them backed up.... anywhere?
 
I didn't believe it back when I was 14 and I sure don't fucking believe it now, either. Dude is a just a deluded liar.

Incredible.
 
Remember like 15 years ago when Yoshiki said he couldn't release whatever project he was working on because someone broke into his car, where he had the master recordings sitting in his car baking in the sun, while he ate lunch in LA and stole them...... and he didn't have them backed up.... anywhere?
 
I didn't believe it back when I was 14 and I sure don't fucking believe it now, either. Dude is a just a deluded liar.

I think part of why VK fandom has a disproportionate amount of crazies is because some combination of the costumes, language barrier, different cultural norms, other side of the planet, etc make the bands and band members ripe for projecting ALL KINDS OF INSANE SHIT onto them, and the nature of the industry/culture perpetuates that, intentionally or unintentionally. All artists aim project some degree of fantasy, but western fans often times seem incapable of grasping that VK artists are just like any other group of self absorbed musicians; probably sitting on their asses, drinking and texting girls all day while their girlfriends are at work. 
 
Saying that, the Femme Fatale was really interesting and bizarre. I've got zero knowledge of the Japanese side of the fandom, but have always wondered to what lengths bands have to go to to keep groupie culture under wraps over there, as it appears anything relationship/groupie/sex related being made public is absolutely unthinkable.

i think visual kei fans should be institutionalized... but thats a topic for another day!
 
while i like visual kei, i cant stand most of the scene surrounding it and find the fans pathetic. i feel the same towards kpop fans, idol fans and anyone who devotes incredible amounts of money and time towards musicians. i get it, its your time and you can enjoy your leisure however you want but it doesn't change how pointless of a hobby it is. a lot of ex-gya realize this, but between me and you, their attention-seeking personalities latch onto something equally stimulating for this purpose, whether it be hosts or other musical groups. why else do you see girls leaving bands once they become popular? because they no longer get the attention they seek from those dudes, as they're now busy with other things and can't prioritize their old fans like they could when they debuted. imma keep the rest of this to myself *kermit emoji*. This happens a lot among jp fans, thank god they acknowledge how sleezy the scene is...people in foreign fandom dont. In the case of vk, the mechanisms that allow for bandmen to become idolized regardless of relevance are quite different from say, a popular boyband's mob of fans but its the same in that case. its alright to be a fan of something and enjoy it, but if you think really hard about it, what does following a band or artist do for you? more importantly, what does it say about you? there's a reason gya are looked down upon, even by their fellow countrymen. the fact that westerns aspire to that is even worse, like you live in a country where women are slightly more empowered so that they dont feel their best accomplishment is that of following a band of crossdressers traveling the country to rehash slipknot songs YET you still want to do it? lmfao. NOW, this is all incredibly pointed but where it pisses me off is these same loony girls trying to come here and enforce that same shit they do in japan...bitch go hold your fucking president accountable for those damn nukes and leave our shows the way they are. until then, you can be crazy but its not my culture so i can observe u from a distance acting crazy...just dont bring that here and expect people to deal with it because you are amazing jouren no bitch u r a dollar bill for the band. keep in mind this isnt the majority of the people here, as we all like to observe from a distance while tossing some dollaz here and there....as for the minority of you crackheads this does apply to....god will find u at the heavenly gates and see how much ticket stubs you have left over at home and make a SWIFT decision.
 
tl;dr: stop following bands and read a book, get an education, read up about politics, empower yourself because there are better things to do with your time. im a hypocrite...but only a bit
 

From the many musical domains I have set foot on, I have personally experienced Visual Kei (or the Japanese fanbase in general) as being the very worst when it comes to its 'fans'. I absolutely do not wish to attack anyone by saying this, but the sheer amount of 'crazy fans' is just completely overwhelming and unhealthy, and regrettably the genre is one of those that is somehow attractive to those who often struggle in life or suffer from mental disabilities (myself included). It shows in the influence a fanbase has on bands and artists, take for instance last year's case of Femme Fatale; a bandmember supposedly cheated on his wife, and it was the fans' desire to see him punished — the man left the band and is never heard of again. I cannot wrap myself around the mindset so very present in the Visual Kei sphere; who are you —as a fan— to dictate a musician's life and decisions? Why is everyone so busy with others when they first have themselves to look out for? It is highly likely that in a person's general surroundings of family and friends, people take pleasure in debauchery, or maybe the fan himself or herself has made general mistakes in life. Do you turn your back on everyone who does differently? Why chastise another human being who is by default prone to make mistakes? Any 'scandal' in Japan leads to disaster and can completely ruin an artist's reputation, and sadly this showcase of completely berating artists over their personal lives has become popular with non-Japanese fans as well. As is said above, Koreans take it even a step further.
 
As the name implies, Visual Kei is unfortunately less about the music, and moreso about the participants themselves, and the genre has therefore grown into an uncomfortable, defensive business where it is mandatory to display a certain territorial behaviour over musicians, or a complete disdain toward others. There exists an extreme concept of bandwagonism where people are unaware of their own behaviour and merely portray themselves as such because this is the norm. For when you stray from this norm, you are chastized and abhorred, and disliked for your difference in opinions. It is therefore very attractive to jump on board and do as others do as to not be targeted, which blows this phenomena up even larger. I have experienced violent behaviour during concerts which was absolutely unnecessary, purely because some people believe they are the only ones priviliged enough to see their favourite artists live. Hair being pulled, being kicked, scratched and even bitten, pieces of clothing being torn from artists their outfits, etc. I can imagine this behaviour would have taken place during a Michael Jackson concert, but to display it during every small concert where there is plenty opportunity to share a word with the band afterwards, it is even more unacceptable. 
 
Truthfully, I cannot recall any such behaviour in other musical genres in which I wandered and as soon as I walked through the curtain into this world, I became confused. I cannot remember people wanting to see Axl Rose removed from this planet because he, say for example, slept with four girls at once, if anything, people'd give him a nod of approval. If any Japanese or Korean artist's sex-life is exposed, expect hell to be unleashed on earth, and expect them to never touch music again because of how awfully influential their fanbases are and how easily these 'fans' turn on these artists and make sure their lives are ruined. Surely, a band or artist thrives on their fans and they are a neccessary component in the industry — but to let things come this far is just unheard of. I do however recall telling other fans that I am uninterested in the personal lives of musicians, and they'd look at me as if I'd grown three extra heads. Why? Isn't it completely normal that you do not concern yourself with a stranger's private business? In the end, I am glad that an artist addressed the erratic and elitistic behaviour of these alleged fans and makes sure that international fans are just as welcome to share the experience of attending Japanese concerts.

He's actually trying to avoid that..... doesn't want to swallow his pride and ask Klaha to see if he can get him a job at the tire lot.

He's actually trying to avoid that..... doesn't want to swallow his pride and ask Klaha to see if he can get him a job at the tire lot.

He's actually trying to avoid that..... doesn't want to swallow his pride and ask Klaha to see if he can get him a job at the tire lot.

Fuck no. Very comfortable in my own skin, wouldn't trade.  *shrug* 
Plus... that shit would SUCK. Economy's all bad. No one listens to visual anymore. China's creeping. Nah, I'm good.
 
I am a hardcore visual fan for many decades, but I am fine with admiring from afar. Have no desire to go to Japan, even on vacation. 

Everyone is so pretty~!

long time no see and late merry christmas from stupid fawn

The idea of them making music together is so far fetched/seems impossible, but all the signs seem to point to exactly that.
 
Shit is insane. But then again, there was a time when the idea of Luna Sea and X getting back together was absolute madness.

The idea of them making music together is so far fetched/seems impossible, but all the signs seem to point to exactly that.
 
Shit is insane. But then again, there was a time when the idea of Luna Sea and X getting back together was absolute madness.

lick my twat haters...im just tryina hear kirito on some arche style ballads MMMMMFFF

If you paid closer attention to certain works by Dead End (MORRIE) or even La'cryma Christi's instrumental craft as we speak (Hiro) as cases in point, you may notice that balls-to-the-wall progging is not a whole new ballgame to them necessarily (note: except for Shinobu, every face in CC has a HUGE record in regards to project participations)
 
(as @emmnynoted already, I also hear Hiro's good ol' trademark dissonant riff-o-ganza* here as well - always welcomed frill in their songs :))
 
 
 

Inoran can't sing for shit, but this performance still absolutely gives me chills. Incorrectly dated, this was years after Luna Sea broke up and no one was playing LS material solo. First time I saw this... man... let's just say it got me feelin' a certain kind of way. The roar of the crowd when they realize it's "Gravity" ... not a dry eye in the place. It was something special.

Inoran can't sing for shit, but this performance still absolutely gives me chills. Incorrectly dated, this was years after Luna Sea broke up and no one was playing LS material solo. First time I saw this... man... let's just say it got me feelin' a certain kind of way. The roar of the crowd when they realize it's "Gravity" ... not a dry eye in the place. It was something special.

Gackt was just one of three different singers Malice Mizer had, he had nothing to do with their breakup.
 
Never heard that rumor before; 100% started by a western fan who was pulling stuff out of her ass. Anyone with a musical ear can tell that Mana and Kozi had no hand in writing Gackt's solo material. Apples and Oranges.
 
Gackt was likely not at Kamis funeral for the reason listed in my reply below. 
 
 
I don't know what official statements Gackt, Mana, or Kozi have made because we don't really need to, ya know? None of them will tell you what occam's razor will, because it's not flattering to either party.
 
Nippon Columbia decided that Malice Mizer were small potatoes and Gackt was the star. And they were right! Gackt wrote the highest charting single on Mervilles, Le Ciel, which also happened to be the most commercial song on the album. Gackt had the great voice, incredible looks, a legion of female fans and he wrote the biggest hit on the album. He was poised for stardom, Malice Mizer could hold him back. 
 
So Nippon Columbia put their money on Gackt solo and ditched the band, and their gamble paid off in spades. People tend to gloss over/forget, possibly due to Kamis death, that not only did Malice Mizer's label give Gackt a solo deal, but they dropped Malice Mizer. That wasn't a coincidence.
 
It is what it is. I hate Gackt solo, but wouldn't trade Bara no Seidou or the Klaha singles for anything. I just wish we'd get one more album out of MM.... instrumental, with Klaha, a new singer... I don't care.

Diru has released albums that charted in America and toured extensively internationally. In the mid-to-late 2000s they were all over the place.
 
X Japan does what most VK bands do... coast on the backs of anime fans/weebs and Issei fans.
 
Its apples and oranges really. In America, Dir en Grey's relevance can be debated, but X's positively never existed.

Yeah, that's not a good sign.
Never a good sign.

ame ni korosareru was a pretty good album, especially with songs like ooame keihou hatsurei and aoi raincoat (i still can't stop listening to this after months lmao).
wasn't very impressed with kamisori and izon sadly, they didn't have the replay factor that the above songs had :<
 
however, dosuguroi sounds really good from the pv spot already, and i've been replaying it so much ever since they released that video >.>
damn it reiya

Man, I was shocked during the AMA (don't know why) when Yoshiki revealed that Pata hadn't even finished tracking his guitars for the album yet.
 
Which confirmed mine and many others' theory that the album was not finished and not going to come out in March regardless of Pata taking ill. 
 
During the AMA I asked Yoshiki when we were going to see Violet UK get released, considering I was waiting on it back in middle school and I'm fuckin 30 now. Didn't answer, of course.