ichi

Hello hello!!

Hello there, and welcome to MH. I hope you enjoy our company and your stay here. By the way, your english is pretty good.

6/10

The first album I ever bought was Smashing Pumpkins' Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The first J-Rock Album I ever bought was Hyde's 666.

Hello, and welcome to MH!!

@ゆうぎ -- I don't necessarily disagree with you or gizorz in your take on it. What I was trying to point out is that compared to other countries, Visual Kei is more acceptable in Japan than anywhere else, at least I believe so. It is a trend/style/lifestyle/genre that was born in Japan, so It is fairly logical that it is more acceptable there than anywhere else. The thing about it is that anything revolutionary, outrageous (and I don't mean this in a negative manner), odd, or weird would have certain social stigmas that will come with it, and Visual Kei was not spared of this. Mind you, I'm not the biggest fan of Visual Kei, if at all, but I truly respect what they are trying to do. And as far as whether Visual Kei is acceptable or not, you would always have mass media as referrence. Mass Media, in truth, is a money-making industry. I don't think any company would invest in such things if people would not buy it. The consumption of their music, photographs, lives are clear indications that, at least, to a certain level, it is accepted by their culture. It is the social stigma that comes with it that makes people deny their acceptance of it. It is almost similar to the social stigma of having tattoos where I come from. Lots of people are getting tattoos nowadays here. Celebrities wear them, musicians wear them, almost every other person I see on the street is wearing one or two. So it has become acceptable in our standards for a person to have a tattoo. But when a person with a tattoo applies for certain kinds of jobs, they make unbelievable efforts to cover them up. Why? Because of the social stigma that is attached to having a tattoo. Most of us know that just because one has a tattoo does not mean that he is a criminal, but most people who have it cover them up in such situations.

I understand that point. However, the mere fact that you pointed out that "full-blown" Visual Kei is what's not acceptable in Japan means that there is a certain level of it that IS acceptable. The mere fact that you're seeing it in music, print media, and television in Japan means that they accept it more than possibly anywhere else in the world. If Visual Kei, full-blown or not, is not acceptable in Japanese standards, well they sure are very tolerant of it. Cheers!

I know this is an old topic, but I thought I'd throw my two cents worth. As far as non-Japanese individuals forming VK bands is concerned, I don't think it's as good or bad as, say, a Japanese band playing grunge or punk. The problem, as far as I can see, is a musician's attitude towards music in general, and the kind of music he/she is trying to create. If an individual tries to do visual kei just because it looks cool, then that poses a problem. If a musician fakes his music, then it becomes more of a show that an actual expression. Sure music is a form of entertainment, but I am one of those people that believe that it should also be pure. Besides, we all know fads come and go. Another point to consider is why the visual kei look works for Japanese people. For one, because it is a look that is culturally acceptable in their culture. They can get away with looking outrageous and effeminate because they, as a people, have been fascinated by such imagery since god knows when. As far as rock music, or music in general, is concerned, an artist's or band's packaging (the way they look or dress) is one of the most efficient way to advertise themselves. Outrageous clothing or fashion has been attached to rock music, may it be Japanese or not, but it has to be done with respect. At the end of the day, music is music. It can be good, or it can be bad, but it is music nevertheless. If a certain band, or artists, or genre doesn't work for you, then don't listen to/watch it. We are at an age when we can modify/select what we watch or listen to, so why mind those that we don't like? And if we just can't stand a certain artist or band, just take the Australian band Silverchair for reference. When they first came out, a lot of people hated them for being a Nirvana copycat. A lot of people put heat on them because they're not supposed to play grunge, as they're not from Seattle (hell, they're not even from the US). But they stood the test of time, and became one of the most respected bands in the world. Why? I think it's because they played what they wanted and respected the kind of music they created.

This song sounds so sexy, hahaha. And the bassist is quite hot.

I first encounter with Japanese music was more than 10 years ago. I saw L'Arc~en~Ciel's PV, Blurry, for the first time and since I wasn't aware/familiar with the culture and VK, I briefly had a crush on hyde thinking that he's a girl.

Like a blinding flash of the obvious... yazzmad. Also similar bands such as Umbrella, the god and death stars, and DISH.

I used to listen to a lot of mainstream j-rock and VK artists such as Alice Nine, the GazettE, VAMPS (a lot), and L'Arc~en~Ciel. I guess I just got tired of listening to the same sound/style for how long now, which is why I switched to less popular, and albeit underrated, japanese rock bands. One of which is yazzmad, which I absolutely adore.

One of the bands that I respect, but don't necessarily like, is Oblivion Dust. For some reason, their sound just doesn't captivate me. I did like K.A.Z's other projects though, such as VAMPS and his collaboration with Anna Tsuchiya.

welcome to you too, crazygal.

a skull ring.

yazzmad - Replay - Post - Kuroi Hana - Utopia umbrella - Requiem - Wasurenagusa - Sekai no Owaruwoto - 拝啓、雨日和。 the god and death stars - addle apple - roka Plastic Tree - Sanatorium - Replay

hello, hello

Thanks CAT, sai, and Jigsaw. You guys made me feel welcomed yesterday at the chatroom. As far as my favourite genres or bands are concerned, I'm actually in the process of re-hauling my brain (including my musical sensibilities). I used to listen to a lot of L'Arc~en~Ciel, VAMPS, Alice Nine. In other words, the more popular J-Rock bands. Lately, I've been stuffing my ears with music from less known, and underrated, bands. Bands like (as I have been babbling about in the chatroom) yazzmad, Amber Gris, Umbrella, and as of yesterday, DISH. I also admit to being a huge fan of SCANDAL. So if you guys have any suggestions about bands and such, I would be very glad to hear/read about 'em.

Thank you.

Hello, I'm chi from the Philippines. I listen to a lot of Japanese music, and admire their culture. I hope to get along with everyone!