Number Girl

@ o hai itz will: Now, what's so wrong with all those things anyway? Do you think that makes you a so much better fan or something because you don't do all those things?

See, that's what I hear from EVERY Diru fan. Each individual fan always claims they are one of the "minority" that likes them for the music. That's why they are sometimes seen as "elitists" because they think they are the only fandom on the planet who is serious about their band's music (because they are supposedly the only Japanese band on the planet with good music), and all the other Japanese music fans are either "fangirls" or "weeaboos." Plus, I think your statement about it being difficult to find fans of Diru's music and then defending the same fanbase from being looked down upon is contradictory. But Diru fandom aside: It is annoying sometimes when fans harp on bands looks, but what can you do? If a band spends thousands of dollars on outfits and makeup and production for photobooklets as most visual bands do, I don't think they want you to just ignore how they look. I'm sure Kiyoharu wouldn't do all those nude photoshoots if he expected a fanbase "only in it for the music."

Oh yeah, I totally forgot about 1000 Travels of Jawaharlal, lol.

*sniffle* That was beautiful, Champ213.

I don't hate 'em, they're actually a favorite of mine, but I have to agree they aren't the best ever and I hate when people see them as the ultimate metal band or something. I like Teru alright, he's a nice guy at least, but Hizaki has that typical "Look at me I'm so cool because I can do Yngwie Malmsteen deedle-deedle for 40 + minutes" air about him that many Japanese power metal guitarists have. *cough*Syu*cough* I personally think he ruins the band more than any of the members. They'll have a decent song going on until Hizaki starts his boring 1000 hour long solos. . . And have to concur with your comment on Hizumi and Zero. SRSLLLYYY! :-/ @Jonjon: Yeah, MYV gets on my nerves sometimes. Sometimes he can be funny, sometimes he's just irritating. And I really get bothered when people treat him like Mother Teresa and that he's so kind and selfless when he is so obviously arrogant. But. . .I still think Kiyoharu is hot.

Yeah, I'm aware of the German band. Okay, so I think they are the same band, just different genre, new members, and stylized name. I think this because both bands have a guy named Kensuke Saito in it. (Just going by the info on Last.FM only). But wow, what a change . . . hardcore screamo to jazzy elevator music. Not that that's unheard of in Japan. >.> Now I'm just curious as to where I can get hold of the hardcore stuff.

I don't really hate the band, but I really hate how Dir en grey pretend they are so above and far away from being assoicated with the visual kei scene. Hm, perhaps if you'd ditch Dynamite Tommy a.k.a. The King of Visual Kei and get your faces off of Free-Will's a.k.a. The King of Visual Kei Record Labels front page, maybe then people will start to take your adamant claims a little more seriously. I hate D and any other visual band whose vocalist tries to be oh-so operatic and makes an exaggerated vibratto. 90% of the time it doesn't sound "beautiful" or even tolerable, it just sucks really bad. And I also hate how it is becoming a signature quality of a majority of new visual kei bands. My eyes couldn't roll any harder. I hate Mana and all of his projects. The guy is a dress-maker, not a musician. He may attempt to look like a musician at times, but that is not at all where his talent lies. None of the Malice Mizer eras were really any good, save a few songs, and Moi dix Mois is horrible beyond belief. And basically any tiny Japanese garage rock band from the West Coast that ever played at an anime convention. The most lame and boring stuff on the planet. Color and X Japan existed around the exact same time periods (X even a little before Color) and basically worked together. So it is hard to say either of them "started" it first. They were both simply key factors in building it into an "empire" of sorts with both their labels and influencing many future bands. There is no question X Japan helped put VK out on the map and gave it a name, although the movement has origins that go further back. But I have to kinda question about "putting metal into mainstream" in Japan considering there were several metal bands gaining much success in the years before X really even got all that famous.

Quick question, might be stupid but I'm so confused. Is the band Nine Days Wonder the same band as 9dw?

There is a Light That Never Goes Out (just because it is so ridiculously long) 13cm tour Sloth Love Chunks Intestine Baalism Blankey Jet City the chef cooks me nhhmbase Acid Mother's Temple Mo'some Tonebender Thee Michelle Gun Elephant syrup16g OOIOO

Lol. . .it would probably be an odd mixture of mainstream rap and hip-hop like Drake, Lil' Wayne, or Young Money and mainstream poppish-country like Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, and Keith Urban. Before I got into Japanese music, I didn't much care about music at all, really. Just whatever came on the local radio. ^^

I'll pass. Downloading takes too long. <3

Patient: X Japan Diagnosis: Surviving only on pure hype and repetitive releases of compilation albums Prescription: Spend some time in the studio focusing on new material (and improving); seriously you only have four original albums total and your career has been how long?

Didn't he admit to it in an interview? I don't know, for some reason I keep thinking I read about him doing that in a Purple Sky mag, lol.

BUG LUNA SEA ACIDMAN D'ERLANGER DEAD END Apulanta wistaria the studs VII-Sense MALICE MIZER D Number Girl

@CAT5: I think you make good points, there are just way too many angles to view it. I think most people in the thread seem to be basing it on current Western fandom popularity a.k.a. the general "jay-rawk" fandom. I'm willing to bet though, that some of these bands probably have garnered decent respect in Japan, etc. (Especially those bands ronluna listed or made threads about). And then there is the subject if by "value" we are talking about the size of a fanbase or who is acknowledged by the media etc. It gets too confusing to argue. . . @ronluna: Dude, chill. We'll comment on Tetsu's solos when we are good and ready to. . .

Hello ^.^

I checked their website just now. It seems the title of the release is going to be PRINCIPLE and they will have a tour as well. Can't wait to hear some samples.

That should be "played a crucial part in visual kei." And "DEATHMASK" is a Kuroyume song, so I don't see how they weren't at one point in time trying to emulate the band even if they weren't nescessarily their cover act. @Herpes: Kisaki was the most talented member? Wow, they must have been CRAAAAPPPPY!!!

I think Dir en grey are decently appreciated; they haven't recieved any more or less than they deserve. When it comes to recieving (or not) the recognition of the world, I don't see how they are any different from any other Japanese metal band. . . as far as I'm concerned, the world pretty much criticizes or flat out turns a blind eye to a good 90% of them, even if they are especially talented or successful in their own countries. Sometimes just because they are Japanese. (Which is sad and frustrating sometimes).

Um, quick, slightly embarrasing question . . .but what is the correct way to pronounce this band's name? ^.^ I've always wanted to know.

Oh, thanks for the link very much. I'll make sure to follow him.

Does anyone know what Kentaro Nakao is doing right now? What band is he currently playing in?

Hi, I'm looking for some good Japanese hardcore punk or thrashcore punk. Anything in the vein of Vivisick or Spiral Chord, preferrably something I can find and buy easily. Tolerable vocals and that nice raw punk vibe; a bit of melodic hardcore is also fine, but no poppy radio-friendly crap please. Obviously no visual kei - been there, done that. Bands of similar genre I already am aware of are: Gauze, Cocobat, SS, G.I.S.M., Cowpers, Gastunk, The Stalin, Typhus . . . just so they are not re-recommended to me.

For anyone who has some extra money to spare: the 2010 Live Gym is coming out soon. The cover is amazing, I'd get it just for that alone. O.o

Heh, I'm sure if Yoshiki weren't such a control freak, the band members would actually get a chance to contribute something of their own on the occasion -but that's why they invented solo projects ^^. I think you are right when you say it would be difficult to find someone to keep the "X Japan sound." Toshi has just been in the band so long, his voice has become one of the major defining qualities of them. I think if X Japan alternated vocalists periodically like many other metal bands do, I'd see it differently. Still I don't think a singer is useless if they don't write their own lyrics. They certainly fulfill an important purpose, or else why doesn't the lyricist just sing? In my opinion, conveying someone else's emotion through your voice and being able to perform it on stage is art in itself.