[Confirmed] Is Mikoto-sama (ZIGZAG) actually Daishi Uehara (WANDS)?

[Total Saikou 735]

Deeply sorry if anyone has discussed this here before, but I've seen this rumor pop up countless times in -真天地開闢集団-ジグザグ 's (Will refer to them as ZIGZAG from on for brevity) comment section saying that 命様 (I'll refer to him as "Mikoto-sama" for brevity) is actually the new vocalist 上原大史 (Uehara Daishi, just Daishi for short after this) from WANDS. Everyone in the comments section either completely agrees or disagrees and I'm not really sure what to think. 

 

Here's the points that began the rumor:

Facial Similarity: Now, I have mild facial agnosia so I'm really bad at recognizing the differences in faces, but so many other people have said that they do look very alike so I don't think I'm just seeing things here

It doesn't help that Mikoto-sama is essentially a masked singer due to his peek-a-bangs. Hiding his identity like that in the first place might just be evidence in itself.

Vocal Similarity: 

In some songs, both Daishi and Mikoto-sama have similar sounding vocals. Here's a prime example I can find:

Mikoto-sama's performance in 優しい人 at say, around the 0:10 mark

 

 

Sounds similar to Daishi's voice in 真っ赤なLip at around the 0:45 mark

Tour date differences:

As noticeable on ZIGZAG's site, they began touring after WANDS did live events (In description of the video above, WANDS stopped in late February and ZIGZAG started in early March)

This isn't Mikoto-sama's first rodeo:

These identities have been confirmed as Mikoto's previous aliases by the Visual Kei Wiki. He was also the vocalist from OTOROIHA, Aiku Sasaki:

^this dude

and Haihara Daisuke of Ray℃. 

^also this dude

Odds and Ends: Did you notice something about Daisuke and Daishi? Yeah, their names are preeeeettty similar (Haihara Daisuke and Uehara Daishi). Daishi and Mikoto-sama appear to be similar ages and height. The drummer of ZIGZAG, 影丸 (Kagemaru) did a drum cover of 真っ赤なLip; I can't say if he's poking fun at the rumor or low-key confirming it with this

 

Evidence against the rumor:

Vocal differences: Could my example earlier just be confirmation bias? If you compare Daishi's performance in 真っ赤なLip to say, Mikoto-sama's in 臨兵闘者, they don't sound even a smidgen alike

This is the main reason why people don't believe the rumor, because... Yeah, it's like night and day

Mikoto-sama's denial: Mikoto-sama has actually denied these rumors in an instagram post where he tagged a post with "I'm not Uehara Daishi" [私は上原大史ではなく] "I am Mikoto-sama" [命様だ], see below for evidence

Is he being honest because he's frustrated with this dumb rumor? Or is he joking around because it's true?

This video here was my source of information on the situation:

 

I really shouldn't have stayed up 'till midnight researching these rumors... Quarantine boredom is getting to me.

While it's a mild and tame rumor that isn't shocking, my main point of bringing this here is that I'm wondering what Mikoto-sama has to gain from hiding his identity (if he is)? The result of some weird NDA? Other than keeping the bandoman magic alive or or trying to keep ZIGZAG's authenticity (as a Shintoist religion rock band?), I don't see a point in not talking about it, other than maybe he's worried that ZIGZAG will be seen as a lolecksdee alter-ego band  for his lord-type caricature when it's actually his main project and he's just moonlighting for WANDS. 

 

Edited March 30, 2020 by Total Saikou
Updated with new information and to fix errors

[anadentone 478]

according to https://visualkei.fandom.com/es/wiki/Otoiroha

his real name is Aiku Sasaki (Mikoto)

so unless Daishi Uehara is a made up name (Like Atsu the destroyer )  they're not the same but maybe related?

[Total Saikou 735]

7 minutes ago, anadentone said:

according to https://visualkei.fandom.com/es/wiki/Otoiroha

his real name is Aiku Sasaki (Mikoto)

so unless Daishi Uehara is a made up name (Like Atsu the destroyer )  they're not the same but maybe related?

Oh, I see! So Mikoto-sama was Sasaki, and appears to also have been Daisuke, but there's no solid link between those two identities and Daishi. Daishi might be a fake name because Daisuke's name is very similar to Daishi (Haihara Daisuke and Uehara Daishi), but that isn't confirmed.

 

If they are merely relatives, that would make this a less complex situation. They would obviously be two different people and maybe Mikoto-sama wouldn't want to be nepotistic towards Daishi, or maybe vice versa by mentioning/promoting him.

[suji 8317]

yes they're the same dude

 

@colorful人生

[colorful人生 2777]

As the person who belatedly brought this to the foreign limelight and who as also spent a ridiculous amount of time listening to Ray C, Otoiroha, and ジグザグ, I'll see if I can clarify some of your points. 

 

That being said, I'll prepend my further statements w/ additional fan-research done here: 

https://www.kokusai-singlemama.com/columns/wands-uehara1/

https://sebunoda-goodjob.com/2020/01/04/wandsの上原大史は命様なの！？ていうか、ジグザグ/

 

1 hour ago, Total Saikou said:

Facial Similarity: Now, I have mild facial agnosia so I'm really bad at recognizing the differences in faces, but so many other people have said that they do look very alike so I don't think I'm just seeing things here

It doesn't help that Mikoto-sama is essentially a masked singer due to his peek-a-bangs. Hiding his identity like that in the first place might just be evidence in itself.

 

I find them pretty much identical if you put them side by side with Otoiroha pics. The distance from the chin to the lower-lip, jawline, etc. He's put on a little more weight (healthy btw) since Otoiroha (which is why he might appear differently.) I had a good comparison image in my initial status write-up, but it appears to be broken right now. If you want something more definitive, his left lateral incisor tooth is identical (and the rest of his teeth.):

Spoiler

*Also jawline tape is also a possibility. Japanese makeup is a hell of a thing.

1 hour ago, Total Saikou said:

Vocal Similarity: 

In some songs, both Daishi and Mikoto-sama have similar sounding vocals. Here's a prime example I can find:

Mikoto-sama's performance in 優しい人 at say, around the 0:10 mark

Sounds similar to Daishi's voice in 真っ赤なLip at around the 0:45 mark

 

1 hour ago, Total Saikou said:

Evidence against the rumor:

Vocal differences: Could my example earlier just be confirmation bias? If you compare Daishi's performance in 真っ赤なLip to say, Mikoto-sama's in 臨兵闘者, they don't sound even a smidgen alike

 

This is the main reason why people don't believe the rumor, because... Yeah, it's like night and day

He uses a different vocal inflection with WANDS, which is a bit "safer" and more appropriate since it requires him to be more technically accurate. His highs, however, are a dead giveaway.

 

1 hour ago, Total Saikou said:

Mikoto-sama's denial: Mikoto-sama has actually denied these rumors in an instagram post where he tagged a post with "I'm not Uehara Daishi" [私は上原大史ではなく] "I am Mikoto-sama" [命様だ], see below for evidence

He's not actually "frustrated" but more aloof (in typical Japanese fashion) of the subject. I draw parallels with mafumafu (まふまふ) in my status update because they have similar scenarios. They're both guitarists, constantly conceal part of their face, in extremely popular bands/groups, and for mafumafu's case, he's the vocalist of "神様、僕は気づいてしまった" where all the members of the group are in full costume/masks. They want that separation, and in Mikoto's case, between his indie and WANDS presence, the latter of which is pretty much being a j-idol. 

 

-

 

Trying to piece together what I wrote before, it is rumored in the time between Otoiroha and Zigzag that he was scouted by Daikō Nagato (former Being Group CEO and musician) for his indies-era voice. He's credited on a ZARD tribute album and participated in some music festival in 2018 prior to being inducted into WANDS (also from Being Group.)

 

Also attesting to this, since I've posted a large chunk of Zig Zag's earlier live-limited discography on YT, I'm able to view analytics and comments... There was an absolute flurry of viewership + comments in February indirectly mentioning WANDS which confused tf outta me. Comments ranging from older women who were 90's gya having rekindled interest in vk to how good his vocals are in Zig Zag. Other videos have comments stating how handsome he is and how he should stick with WANDS, etc. 

 

In summation, they're absolutely the same person and he's just creating separation between his two careers.

 

 

 

Edited March 30, 2020 by colorful人生

[Total Saikou 735]

9 minutes ago, colorful人生 said:

As the person who belatedly brought this to the foreign limelight and who as also spent a ridiculous amount of time listening to Ray C, Otoiroha, and ジグザグ, I'll see if I can clarify some of your points. 

 

That being said, I'll prepend my further statements w/ additional fan-research done here: 

https://www.kokusai-singlemama.com/columns/wands-uehara1/

https://sebunoda-goodjob.com/2020/01/04/wandsの上原大史は命様なの！？ていうか、ジグザグ/

 

 

I find them pretty much identical if you put them side by side with Otoiroha pics. The distance from the chin to the lower-lip, jawline, etc. He's put on a little more weight (healthy btw) since Otoiroha (which is why he might appear differently.) I had a good comparison image in my initial status write-up, but it appears to be broken right now. If you want something more definitive, his left lateral incisor tooth is identical (and the rest of his teeth.):

  Reveal hidden contents

*Also jawline tape is also a possibility. Japanese makeup is a hell of a thing.

He uses a different vocal inflection with WANDS, which is a bit "safer" and more appropriate since it requires him to be more technically accurate. His highs, however, are a dead giveaway.

 

He's not actually "frustrated" but more aloof (in typical Japanese fashion) of the subject. I draw parallels with mafumafu (まふまふ) in my status update because they have similar scenarios. They're both guitarists, constantly conceal part of their face, in extremely popular bands/groups, and for mafumafu's case, he's the vocalist of "神様、僕は気づいてしまった" where all the members of the group are in full costume/masks. They want that separation, and in Mikoto's case, between his indie and WANDS presence, the latter of which is pretty much being a j-idol. 

 

-

 

Trying to piece together what I wrote before, it is rumored in the time between Otoiroha and Zigzag that he was scouted by Daikō Nagato (former Being Group CEO and musician) for his indies-era voice. He's credited on a ZARD tribute album and participated in some music festival in 2018 prior to being inducted into WANDS (also from Being Group.)

 

Also attesting to this, since I've posted a large chunk of Zig Zag's earlier live-limited discography on YT, I'm able to view analytics and comments... There was an absolute flurry of viewership + comments in February directly mentioning WANDS which confused tf outta me. Comments ranging from older women who were 90's gya having rekindled interest in vk to how good his vocals are in Zig Zag. Other videos have comments stating how handsome he is and how he should stick with WANDS, etc. 

 

In summation, they're absolutely the same person and he's just creating separation between his two careers.

 

Thank you so much for your hard work! This is the answer I needed and was looking for, it's thorough, well-researched, and passionate. So he really is doing this because he doesn't want ZIGZAG to be seen a novelty/alter-ego/poser indie band to something more mainstream like WANDS... It's great that ZIGZAG's getting more attention from this rumour but unfortunate that some of it rides merely on WANDS' success/popularity and not the talent of ZIGZAG itself.

[Jun_ 383]

I mean, it's literally the same voice xDDD

[avaritonista 116]

https://vk.gy/artists/wands/