Tetora

“BUTTERFLY DREAMER” opens up with some galactic synths and Chisa doing a soft version of the song’s chorus before exploding into chuggy riffs that lead us into the first verse.  One of the things I particularly enjoy in this track are Chisa’s distant “ahhh” background vocals during the chorus; I can’t put my finger on why that adds to my enjoyment, but it just makes the chorus more epic.  Throughout the song, crackles, bleeps, and other electronic elements add to the song’s arrangement.  Towards the end of the song, the band has a cool little breakdown, before proceeding back to a bridge with blissful synths.   I think Shaneth mentioned at some point that BUTTERFLY DREAMER was solid, but that the band has already done this type of song before.  While that’s true, I think this song has much more interesting composition than, say, previous singles “ANSWER” or “夏の行方.”  DIV is steadily improving and I’m loving it.  My very small complaint with the song is Chisa’s weak harsh vocals.  His “acapella” growl at the end of the song consistently puts a slight cringe on my face, haha.
 
“rainy,rainy,smiles.” begins with some ambient electronics and “piano synth” (reminiscent of something UNiTE would use).  The whole song is generally quite dainty and pleasant, but the verses introduce the occasional heavy-ish part and even the synths become more “aggressive” to match these parts.  The main issue with this song is that it doesn’t really deviate from the twinkly, light sound enough to make much of an impression; the chorus kind of blends in with the rest of the song.  Now don’t get me wrong, I think b-sides are often underappreciated and I can definitely see myself still listening to this song months down the road, but “rainy,rainy,smiles.” is never going to be “the” song that gets people into DIV or that seasoned DIV fans pick as their favorite.

“you” is a good example of DIV’s more ballad-oriented pop-rock style.  It’s happy and lighthearted, but it also packs a punch, musically.  The chorus is very sweet and is also followed up by some impressive guitar riffs/ a mini-solo on Shogo’s part.  In the middle of the song, things calm down with some chilled out synths and a ~gentle~ version of the chorus.  The song is very much in the vein of “I swear” from the ZERO ONE album, which probably somewhat explains why I enjoy this one too.  One tiny thing I don’t really enjoy about the song are the repeated riffs which open and end the track; they just don’t seem to fit that well.  Interestingly enough, I preferred this when I first saw the PVs for “you” and “BUTTERFLY DREAMER,” but I’m starting to rethink that.  I mean no offense to “you,” because it’s a lovely track, but I think “BUTTERFLY DREAMER” has proven to be slightly more interesting with closer listening.
 
“Cinderella” features a funky beat that’s quite different from DIV’s usual style.  The closest thing would probably be “赤裸々ララ” from the album.  Bassist Chobi gets to shine a little bit on this track.  This is probably the kind of song that is super fun to hear live.  Unfortunately, similar to “rainy,rainy,smiles.” the song has kind of one note the whole time, besides a freakout guitar solo in the middle.   Plus, the chorus isn’t that good.  Weirdly enough, he’s singing about “Venus” (at least as far as I can hear) and he does this in “赤裸々ララ” as well.  Not my favorite song, but a cool addition to their discography I suppose.

Overall, we have two solid singles, with "BUTTERFLY DREAMER" arguably being the stronger one.  Aside from my minor gripes, there's nothing "bad" about any of the songs.  "Cinderella" and "rainy,rainy,smiles." might be forgettable in the long run, but they're still enjoyable nonetheless.  In fact, the only real tragedy is the absolutely awful and random cover art for "BUTTERFLY DREAMER" (the limited edition, at least).  The PV for the song is actually quite visually stunning and I can think of a ton of stills from that that would've been better for the cover.  ANYWAY, I think "BUTTERFLY DREAMER" and "you" (the songs) would have been more than fitting on the ZERO ONE album, which for me is the new bar the band has set for itself.  Here's hoping their next single will continue this trend.

I don't have much to add to fitear's wonderful review.

For me, "you" was marginally more enjoyable than "BUTTERFLY DREAMER", which is unsurprising given that I have virtually zero resistance against good vk ballads XD

I agree that DIV has improved tremendously in their composition and choice of synth effects in enhancing their music. As opposed to some of their earlier songs in which electronic elements might have interfered with their music, the 'echo' effects deployed in "you" - especially in the quieter sections - provided good depth to Chisa's voice. The transition from the "break" to the final refrain was also extremely well executed.

Some remarks on Cinderalla: it has a groovy, dance-y feel which, like fitear has rightly pointed out, is quite different from DIV's normal style. I think it's fantastic that the band is willing to try something different, although I think that also inevitably exposes some potential weaknesses in Chisa's vocals. This song would be perfect for a set of vocals with more "character" than Chisa's - especially when he hits the "Ve-nus" in the chorus, which I thought was kinda 'flat'. Nevertheless, I think it's interesting that they have used synth elements to augment his vocals and to a large extent successfully helped to cover this lack.

These are two exquisite singles that not only demonstrate how much the band has matured, but also draw our attention to the variety that constitutes their rapidly expanding repertoire. Hopefully they release something that can challenge "VANISH" (my favorite DIV song!) soon

I started thinking about the Japanese/VK way of singing while I was driving with my dad and listening to VK. My dad as a musician said something like "The instrumentals are quite nice, but why do they sing like that? Are there any "normal" rock vocalists in Japan?" By normal I think he meant the way eg. classic rock vocalists sing (to name a few: Joe Lynn Turner, David Coverdale, Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan etc). I seriously couldn't answer that question, since I basically listen to nothing but newer visual kei.
 
I've been listening to visual kei a long time but I feel ashamed because I am not very familiar with other Japanese rock music. So my question is:
Do that kind of Japanese vocalists exist?
And if they don't, then why? Could it be just a matter of a different language and the way they've learned to talk and sing?
 
I'm sorry if this is a stupid question and I'm just a weeaboo who listens to nothing but VK, but at least I'll hopefully get some kind of answer.

up up up

To add to the discussion on language:
 
Sometimes I feel so differently towards expressions in 2 different languages that basically mean the same thing. I don't really know how to describe this, but I feel there's a lot more "depth" and "indirectness"/ambiguity in Japanese than in English.
 
Since DIV's "Seasons" happens to be playing now, I'll take 2 lines of lyrics from it as an example:
春霞たち　淡く名残り雪
梅雨寒し　肌を寄せ合いながら
 
Now there's almost no way of having an English equivalent of this without sounding somewhat pretentious or lame. EVEN if it's possible, I suspect there's no way of reconstructing the "seasonal" feel that emerges from just these 2 lines of lyrics.
 
Then again I dunno if all these have to do with the language itself, or it's just something to do with me (because I'm obviously more familiar with English than I am with Japanese). By the way it's also quite fascinating to me that a lot of vk artists (well not ONLY vk i suppose, but also in the larger Japanese music industry) seem to listen to a great deal of Western music. Numerous vk bands have cited famous Western musicians as their inspiration during interviews. Perhaps it's just a human thing that there's always a part of us drawn to more "unfamiliar" territory.

Here are my thoughts about Hiroki's point:
I personally think that is the effect of cultural differences, especially the lyrics part. The exact lines you've put there show one of two huge cultural differences between Japan and western countries (let's say England here because I'm far from super familiar with American culture). 
 
The first one being Japan's famous love and appreciation for nature. They have stuff like haiku poems about nature and numerous festivals celebrating nature (like sakura flowers day every spring) and through that connection with nature and natural world, they also developed a lot more sensitive "feel" for it and that reflects in the language too. Most of the words expressing some natural happening are translated to english as phrases. Here's an example:
In english, there is a word "snow", used for snow in any form. In japanese, there are:
雪-snow, 大雪- heavy snow, 新雪-new snow, 初雪-first snow, 粉雪-powdery snow, 天華-fancy word for snow, 雪氷-icy/frozen snow etc etc There's a comparison with something from the nature in ridiculous amounts of vk songs. Heck, I didn't even know half the names for birds in english (or serbian), before I started learning japanese.   The second cultural difference is japan's perceptions of feelings. Being a small island (so you can't easily run away) it was unacceptable in people's heads to insult or get in a quarrel with someone. Naturally, the japanese language developed according to that and that's why some words expressing feelings are, as Hiroki said, a little bit indirect of ambiguous. After all, japanese people are raised to have a "actions, not words" mindset and they express through their doings rather than saying something to somebody directly.    Both of these have had a great effect on the way people express themselves, and that's why I think translated lyrics sound so ridiculous at times - we simply don't feel them as much as somebody raised in japan would.

Yes and no. There are songs that appeal to me lyrics-wise and songs that I enjoy more for their melody. I haven't ran across that feeling most of you have mentioned, that I've heard incredibly stupid lyrics and they ruined the song for me. Idk maybe I just have selective attention lol
As somebody who translates vk lyrics often, I think visual kei is full with beautiful lyrics I didn't run across in music in other languages, and that plays a huge role in my love for the scene. I like how much variety of topics and feelings are put in it (especially coming from a country where every goddamn song is either about being cheated on, cheating on somebody, or getting drunk to forget the failed relationship. I swear serbian music is all about that). For example, Memento Mori's historical lyrics, Liphlich's psychology turns and Dolly's appeals to modern society and structures. My reading comprehension is far better developed than hearing when it comes to japanese so when I realize that lyrics are horrible in a new song I liked, I just don't look them up lol
However I do enjoy listening to music in languages I don't understand, especially when I'm doing something else and I don't want to be distracted but still need some enjoyable BGM. For example, I frequently listen to french artist Tete when I'm reading or studying because his voice tone and music relax me, even though I know like 2 words of french language (and one of them is "school" which is not very helpful with lyrics). 

Cool)) like this band)

1: Do you buy multiple versions of releases, or buy at all? (Judgement-Free-Zone)

When I had money to buy CDs I used to buy all versions, minus the albums, because the price of one is too high to buy all versions of it.

2: Do you collect cheki or other non-music related items from bands?

Yeah, when I had money I bought that stuff.

3: Follow them on Ameblo, Twitter?

Yes, I do.

4: Would you follow them on the street?

No. Come on, everyone needs some privacy. It would be rude to follow them.

5: Dig through their trash? (Judgment-Free-Zone)

Never. Dig in the trash? That's pathetic, lol.

6: Does Visual Kei or other forms of your musical taste influence your style or personal life?

Yes, it does. I make friends with the same interests, for example (because this kind of hobby is rather not understood by people not interested in it), I also blog about it, it takes a huge part of my life.

7: Desire to move or visit Japan influenced by music?

I'd like to visit Japan, but I don't know if I'd like to move there, because I don't know what it's like there. It might be extremely difficult to get a job in Japan.

8: Do you read dirt-sheets of bands, like rumours, gossip, etc...?

I read the translations of tanuki rumors xD. But I don't take it seriously.

9: Ever fantasize about being friends with band members? (JFZ)

Yes, I would like to be friends with some band members. I think it would be fun

10: Do you want to be in a Visual Kei band (or any other kind of band)?

I would like to be in a band, yes, but I've wanted that since I was a child. I don't know if I'd like to be in a visual kei inspired one, though. Most of these bands aren't really good... I just want to be in a band that makes good music I also like.

I am surprised not many follow an artists' page or activities. I use official or fan pages on fb and imo google translate is enough to get a gist of what is going on.

1: Do you buy multiple versions of releases, or buy at all? 

 

Being a jobless teenager sure has it's downsides, so at the moment I buy nothing. As for buying in the future, I highly doubt I'd buy multiple versions. I guess it also depends on the artist, though, but most releases are way too expensive for me to do that.

 

2: Do you collect cheki or other non-music related items from bands?

 

Not as of yet, but I'd like to have band t-shirts in the future. Collecting picks and drumsticks is also that something interests me, but I think cheki is rather pointless. I might collect a few chekis of my favorite artists, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get them all the time.

 

3: Follow them on Ameblo, Twitter?

 

I don't have an ameblo, but I like to check certain artists blogs sometimes. Mainly just for the purpose of looking at some cute pictures of theirs. I follow most of my favorite artists on twitter, simply because I like to read the little bits of information they post. It's a lot better than trying to read through a long blog post on ameblo.

 

4: Would you follow them on the street?

 

I might ask for an autograph, if the time seemed right, but as for following them around...no. I thought that was harassment anyway ;_;

They deserve to be able to walk through the street without being bombarded by fans.

 

5: Dig through their trash? 

 

I didn't even know people did this. Uh, not something I'd do.

 

6: Does Visual Kei or other forms of your musical taste influence your style or personal life?

 

I mean, I studied Japanese for a few years because of Visual Kei making me interested in it. It has of course, made me more interested in fashion, hair, and make up, but other than that...I wouldn't say it's "influenced" anything for me.

 

7: Desire to move or visit Japan influenced by music

 

I'll admit that the idea of moving there is pretty tempting, but I highly doubt I'd be comfortable living there. I'd absolutely love to visit though, and hope to be able to do it one day.

 

8: Do you read dirt-sheets of bands, like rumours, gossip, etc...?

 

 Music is my main priority, of course, but when I need a good laugh I'll read them. 

 

9: Ever fantasize about being friends with band members? 

 

Maybe not fantasize, but I think it'd be kind of neat to hang out with a band member here and there. I doubt I would actually go out of my way to be friends with one, though. It's just something that comes naturally.

 

10: Do you want to be in a Visual Kei band (or any other kind of band)?

 

I would hate to be in an actual poppy-glitzy-sparkly visual band, but I would certainly love to be in some sort of shoegaze or post-punk unit, like G-SCHMITT or nookicky (or maybe even something gothy like velvet eden). Sadly enough, I'm not skilled enough in the instruments I play to do that, so I'll continue staying a fan.

1: Do you buy multiple versions of releases, or buy at all? (Judgement-Free-Zone)
 
I buy whatever I can, from the bands that I enjoy.
However, I only buy more than 1 version, if I deem them different enough to justify that.
 
2: Do you collect cheki or other non-music related items from bands?
 
Only if they come along as a bonus, although I do like to buy towels, they're quite nice to have.
 
3: Follow them on Ameblo, Twitter?
 
Some of them I do follow, by no means all.
 
4: Would you follow them on the street?
 
Nope, never.
 
5: Dig through their trash? (Judgment-Free-Zone)
 
No.. not my thing.
 
6: Does Visual Kei or other forms of your musical taste influence your style or personal life?
 
Not too sure on that, I've been part of the alternative lifestyles before I got into VK, but it certainly helped me being motivated enough to keep it.
 
7: Desire to move or visit Japan influenced by music?
 
Yes, absolutely, when the bands doesn't tour around me, I'll have to tour around them.
 
8: Do you read dirt-sheets of bands, like rumours, gossip, etc...?
 
Only if my friends tell me about it, not something I dig up on my own.
 
9: Ever fantasize about being friends with band members? (JFZ)
 
Already there.
 
10: Do you want to be in a Visual Kei band (or any other kind of band)?
 
Hell no, never, I'm not worthy of that.

going to answer all of them with only one band in mind~
 
 
 
I buy all types.
 
 
 
No chekis , but i have some other merchandise.
 
 
i check their ameblo, but i dont follow them with an account.
 
 
 
lol no
 
 
no?
 
 
No.
 
already visited and no to moving
 
 
No.
 
 
No.
 
 
No.
 
well that was boring~

1: Do you buy multiple versions of releases, or buy at all?

 

Yes. Sometimes multiple copies. In store privileges hollaaaaa.

 

2: Do you collect cheki or other non-music related items from bands?

 

Yes. Cheki are where the money is for them. It's like handing money to the band. (Of course, second hand cheki isn't like that. But 99% of my cheki was from lives). Also most of my cheki are pretty sentimental for me.

 

I also like towels (shows off who you are there for + a lot of bands have at least one song where you use the towel in furi).

 

Also, picks+drum sticks. Just ones I catch (I'm at 1 drumstick, 7 picks as of this post). I've yet to buy one (I would for maybe 3 bandmen though).

 

3: Follow them on Ameblo, Twitter?

 

Yeah. But I'm pretty lazy about reading.

 

4: Would you follow them on the street?

 

Not particularly. I have demachi'd before and talked to them outside the livehouse after a live/after they finish a set.

 

5: Dig through their trash? 

 

No.

 

6: Does Visual Kei or other forms of your musical taste influence your style or personal life?

 

Hm, well, I do dress a lot more differently now than I used to. Wearing jeans+a t-shirt used to be very common for me, now it's rare and I absolutely don't do it to a live. Personal life.....uh I talk about VK? People know me as the crazy that goes to lives on the weekends? Idk.

 

7: Desire to move or visit Japan influenced by music?

 

I live in Japan. Partially influenced by music, but I am interested in the culture, I got the job, etc etc. 

 

8: Do you read dirt-sheets of bands, like rumours, gossip, etc...?

 

Occasionally I go on tanuki but that is for specific reasons. (setlists, if something happened and a member is unexpectedly taking a break from activities, etc)

 

9: Ever fantasize about being friends with band members?

 

Hm, I guess I occasionally think about it. But not particularly. I enjoy talking to bandmen; it's like a second hobby of mine. But I don't particularly fantasize or try to cross the border between fan and friend. I like being a fan.

 

10: Do you want to be in a Visual Kei band (or any other kind of band)?

 

As a kid I really wanted to be in a band. I used to play bass. But I gave up that dream and enjoy being a bangya instead. I don't particularly have any desire to be in a band now. 

Visual Kei and Japanese pop/sub cultures in general seem to have many intense fans or fan communities that live and breath the art-form or artist in question.
 
I think it would be interesting to discuss just how heavily we follow our favorite bands, and what lengths we go to in our appreciation and / or worship.
 
As for me, I am a pretty big fan, I like to get all versions of singles / albums, and full discographies of  favorite bands, even Best albums... I follow on Ameblo, browse Twitters when I can`t sleep. Like to know which Kanji all band members use in their names, etc... As for picks (plectrum), Cheki, etc... For my favorite band I love these, but for other bands I couldn`t care less for plectrum, etc... I will just give them to people who seem to want them. Band-shirts I always long for. I guess my own style is influenced by VK too...
 
Here are some questions to get the ball rolling on the conversation, feel free to answer them and / or type a little about how much you follow VK bands!:
 
1: Do you buy multiple versions of releases, or buy at all? (Judgement-Free-Zone)
 
2: Do you collect cheki or other non-music related items from bands?
 
3: Follow them on Ameblo, Twitter?
 
4: Would you follow them on the street?
 
5: Dig through their trash? (Judgment-Free-Zone)
 
6: Does Visual Kei or other forms of your musical taste influence your style or personal life?
 
7: Desire to move or visit Japan influenced by music?
 
8: Do you read dirt-sheets of bands, like rumours, gossip, etc...?
 
9: Ever fantasize about being friends with band members? (JFZ)
 
10: Do you want to be in a Visual Kei band (or any other kind of band)?
 
 
Feel free to speak of other genres and your fandom as well if you please.

Some selfies of me looking,..rather expressionless, ha
 

...we don't even hear the b-side of their double single...

But, this is a great news... Glad to hear that

Maybe I become the minority. I prefer Butterfly Dreamer than You.
...but, I want Shogo's shirt in You PV.
 
I gonna use Chisa final growl as my ringtone.

Kyo posted on his official facebook page:
 
Initial Limited Version / Original Version includes a bonus CD of collaborations with and remixes by artists including SUGIZO (LUNA SEA / X JAPAN), HISASHI (GLAY), HITOKI (KUROYUME), SHUJI ISHII (cali≠gari), TK (LING TOSITE SIGURE), MUROHIME SHIN and more. Also included on the bonus CD is a collaboration featuring KIRITO (Angelo), vocalist of PIERROT, an overwhelmingly popular band and rivals when DIR EN GREY debuted.

Well, I'm excited as f**k.

Red string connecting two for us, who had a fateful encounter
Open the diary[1]
I write in today, tomorrow and always

A gentle smile to the gathering
That's what I can't hate you
Because you are popular
I'm willing to overlook

[*]Alone in my room
two lined photographs
I can see you three days later
longing and
I can't sleep today again

[**]Telephone number on the letter
I believe you will call me
Because you are so shy
Maybe you are too scared
Don't stare at me so much
We'll be noticed around
Our Relationship is secret

I'm the jealous type, please forgive me
I will pick through your garbage
You have another girlfriend
I want you to pay[2] attention only to me

No cheating
you promised me
I will keep you up all night again
silent phone calls
repeatedly until morning

[**]
[*]
[**]

Your voice, your body, your finger
Your Hair, your sleeping face
even your heart
I love everything about you are mine
People might make a fool of me, saying that is just a delusion

You don't even know my face...
 
---
Notes - This is a cover of SID's 妄想日記, but in English. There's a touch of Engrish, but it makes sense in comparison with a translation of an original. (Personally, this one sounds more like an obsessed girl versus an obsessed fan.)
 
Lyrics are from this video. I don't know if the typos are in the booklet lyrics.
 
[1] Originally spelled 'dairy' (typo?)
[2] Originally spelled 'play' (typo?)

Yes, I do. Not of many bands, but of the very few I care the most for. The bands I collect doesn't usually release 5 different versions of every album, even though a lot of them have had plenty represses over the years. I know Sigh's "Scorn Defeat" exist in at least 15 different versions. and my goal is to get all of those, as well as every other release of their other albums.
 
A few of these releases have gotte a new, fabolous vinyl release the last few years and they are all out in two different versions. One where the vinyl's regular black, and one where the vinyl's coloured. I will also haunt down the versions I do not own of these. If I own "Scorn Defeat" in black I'll buy the coloured version too. My ultimate goal is 100% complete discography.
 
But this is a curse, because it's bloody expensive. I want the other version of the Scorn Defeat 3LP that I already have, and the chepeast out there right now is 101USD. That's more than twice as much as I paid for it a couple of years back. And the regular price for the two demos I want from the same band are 140 and 120USD. That's a lot of money for 7 and 13 minutes of music, on cassette tape, released 20 years so, which means it won't sound thaaaat good now. So as I said, it's a curse. And this just goes on, considering there's so many releases I want from the band. It'll take years and massive amounts of money to get it all.
 
 
 
Nah, not really. I mean, I pick up picks and drum sticks and what not if they're thrown to me/close to me, but I don't collect or make a big deal out of it. I don't fight to get it or anything like that.
 
 
 
I don't know what ameoblo is, and I don't have a twitter. But I do read Sigh's twitter to check for news and all that. But that's it.
 
 
No.
 
 
 
The fuck? No. Jesus.
 
 
In what way? Clothing? No. Do I become influenced by the message in certain bands lyrics, such as satanism, racism, anti-christianity, politics and so on? No.
 
 
No. Or, I would love to visist Japan, holefully for several months straight, or half a year for that matter, but then again, that goes for a huge amount of countries in the world and is not related to music whatsoever. I'm not any more interested in Japan than in South-Korea, France or Germany.
 
 
Yes. Sometimes. But it's often on a more serious scale than just rumours and gossip. Like Blake Judd being an asshole junkie. Why does this matter to me you say? Because he's a rip off, and because of this I know never to do any business with him. That's the kind of shit I read about.
 
 
No.
 
 
Yes, because I am interested in music.

1: Do you buy multiple versions of releases, or buy at all? (Judgement-Free-Zone)
 
I buy new and old releases all the time, but usually only one version. Since I'm a music person first and foremost, I tend to choose the edition with the bonus track(s) where available. I only have a couple of items in more than one version, and that's because I found an alternate super cheap while in Japan.
 
2: Do you collect cheki or other non-music related items from bands?
 
Nope, this is what makes me a collector more than a fan. My interest in buying items is purely down to the discography. Live-dist and store exclusive CD/DVDs are the crown of my collection. I'm also a fan of lossless so the more I can get hold of, the better.
 
3: Follow them on Ameblo, Twitter?
 
No, I don't have either of those. Occasionally I look through a band member's Ameblog, though usually for high-res album art or live setlists rather than much interest in their personal life. I have a bit of a thing for making playlists out of one-man setlists, particularly tour finals.
 
4: Would you follow them on the street?
 
I want to say no, since I'm definitely not that kind of fan, but if I could be certain it was someone from one of my favourite bands or a musician or vocalist in the scene that I really respect, I would of course try to approach them for a photo or something.
 
5: Dig through their trash? (Judgment-Free-Zone)
 
Nope, no interest there. Not really sure what people would aim to find there. I mean, it's unlikely they'd throw out something valuable like clothing or accessories in their regular trash. Especially in Japan, where it's divided into burnable and non-burnable, and that's it.
 
6: Does Visual Kei or other forms of your musical taste influence your style or personal life?
 
Absolutely, music is such an important part of my life. I have some distinctly visual kei clothing, which I wear most to concerts and the like where I'll be with the crowd, but for the most part I like a more toned-down style - think DELUHI toward the end. That said, clothes are super expensive and with my music collector side I don't often get to buy a lot of them.
 
7: Desire to move or visit Japan influenced by music?
 
Hahahahaha. This message brought to you from Hino, Tokyo. Welcome to the summary of the last few years of my life.
 
8: Do you read dirt-sheets of bands, like rumours, gossip, etc...?
 
Only if it crops up on one of the blogs or forums like this site that I frequent. Like I said before, I have little interest in the band members' personal lives - I don't subscribe to celebrity culture and I hate the way 'famous' peoples' lives are so exposed to the media. It's really none of our business.
 
9: Ever fantasize about being friends with band members? (JFZ)
 
Yeah, sometimes. It would be cool to hang out at a bar with a couple of the guys and just chat about the VK scene, have a good time. A friend of mine met Kihiro from UNDIVIDE/LOKA once and he sounds like a lot of fun to go out with. Meeting band members outside of their performance persona would be a really cool way to get to know them.
 
10: Do you want to be in a Visual Kei band (or any other kind of band)?
 
Well I do still have that childhood dream of fronting a rock band, but at this point I'm pretty convinced it's not gonna happen. Thank God for karaoke and nights when I'm home alone then.

I once got both limited and standard version of the GazettE's single "VORTEX," just so I could get the poster... that is no longer on my wall. XD I was a pretty big DIR EN GREY collector several years ago; I bought 2 copies of 鬼葬, so I'd have both versions that only differ in artwork.
Similar to what CAT5 stated, I love buying CDs, I hate the idea of CDs becoming obsolete, but I don't have any disposable income, so I can't just buy any CDs that I want all the time. But now, even if I were rich, I wouldn't buy multiple types of a CD, unless the content of the actual disc was different, such as alternating bonus tracks or whatever.
 
Not really. I used to always buy merch when I was going through my goth phase in my teen years, I'd always get t-shirts whenever I could, but I have ZERO history of collecting polaroids. Right now, if I'm spending my money on anything relating to the band, it's only the music.
 
I would follow them ALL, if I had both of the following:
 - A twitter account or Ameblo whatever
 - Proficiency in the Japanese language
 
I have neither, so I'm not following anyone...
 
No. I have a strange way of working; I tend to increase the distance between myself and those I respect. They may think I'm cold, but at least they don't think I'm a clingy stalker!
 
No, but I'd love to catch someone doing that!
 
I buy clothes from Express and American Eagle, so I'm going to go with... no! I listen to Visual Kei and Metal, almost exclusively, but I wouldn't say that I dress like it.
 
Hmmmm.....  CLOSET CHILD SHOPPING SPREE!!!
 
jk, I'd LOVE to visit. I've always been interested in Japanese culture, but I wouldn't live there unless I could afford to live as a freelancer with a rich doctor husband... or something like that.
 
I read a rumour that RUKI (the GazettE) hates yo-ka (DIAURA)? That's all I know. I don't really care about rumours, though.
 
I honestly don't really imagine myself meeting any of them XD
There are some people I'd be interested in meeting, though. I'd be interested to meet マモ (R指定), I've always been a little curious to know where his obsession with self mutilation stems from.
 
I cannot see myself being a musician. Ever! However, I'd LOVE to be a mastering/mixing engineer for a VK band! There are so many releases from the past that I'd loooooooooove to remaster/remix (and when I say remix, I don't mean "make a stupid club mix with two verses from the song on repeat"); it'd be interesting to hear what the GazettE's DIVISION FRAGMENT [ARTERY] would sound like with all the beep-hoops removed. It'd be fun to make a 5.1 mix of a release as well.

1: Do you buy multiple versions of releases, or buy at all? 
 
A: I don't really buy many or any cd's at all for the time being. At least until i start making some more money. I'm a poor college student but i guess that isn't an excuse to not buy any cd's.  
 
2: Do you collect cheki or other non-music related items from bands?
 
A: No but i wouldn't mind to have some of those things in the future.
 
3: Follow them on Ameblo, Twitter?
 
A: Yes, I follow most of my favorite artists on twitter who have an account there. I also try to translate ameba if i am looking for information about some band members. 
 
4: Would you follow them on the street?
 
A: Hmm... if i just saw them out of the blue walking down the street? part of me would want to go up and say hi but i wouldn't say i would follow them around though lol
 
5: Dig through their trash? 
 
A: Yeah and collect their hair strands.. just kidding  
 
6: Does Visual Kei or other forms of your musical taste influence your style or personal life?
 
A: Yes for sure, I'd say visual kei is a part of my heart and way of being. Both aesthetically and the music too is very important to me.
 
7: Desire to move or visit Japan influenced by music?
 
A: When i finally force myself to learn the language i would love to visit/live there potentially.
 
8: Do you read dirt-sheets of bands, like rumours, gossip, etc...?
 
A: Depends... i guess..
 
9: Ever fantasize about being friends with band members? 
 
A: Honestly? yeah, it would be cool to get to know some of my favorite artists. 
 
10: Do you want to be in a Visual Kei band (or any other kind of band)?
 
A: Yep and i have a project influenced by 90s visual kei music so of course. 
 
 

Visual Kei and Japanese pop/sub cultures in general seem to have many intense fans or fan communities that live and breath the art-form or artist in question.
 
I think it would be interesting to discuss just how heavily we follow our favorite bands, and what lengths we go to in our appreciation and / or worship.
 
As for me, I am a pretty big fan, I like to get all versions of singles / albums, and full discographies of  favorite bands, even Best albums... I follow on Ameblo, browse Twitters when I can`t sleep. Like to know which Kanji all band members use in their names, etc... As for picks (plectrum), Cheki, etc... For my favorite band I love these, but for other bands I couldn`t care less for plectrum, etc... I will just give them to people who seem to want them. Band-shirts I always long for. I guess my own style is influenced by VK too...
 
Here are some questions to get the ball rolling on the conversation, feel free to answer them and / or type a little about how much you follow VK bands!:
 
1: Do you buy multiple versions of releases, or buy at all? (Judgement-Free-Zone)
 
2: Do you collect cheki or other non-music related items from bands?
 
3: Follow them on Ameblo, Twitter?
 
4: Would you follow them on the street?
 
5: Dig through their trash? (Judgment-Free-Zone)
 
6: Does Visual Kei or other forms of your musical taste influence your style or personal life?
 
7: Desire to move or visit Japan influenced by music?
 
8: Do you read dirt-sheets of bands, like rumours, gossip, etc...?
 
9: Ever fantasize about being friends with band members? (JFZ)
 
10: Do you want to be in a Visual Kei band (or any other kind of band)?
 
 
Feel free to speak of other genres and your fandom as well if you please.