Visual Kei

[enyo]

Any other VK fans here? If there are, let's discuss some of your favorites.
I love:
X (Japan), hide, An Cafe, Renter en Soi, Penicillin, Psycho le Cemu, Malice Mizer, Pierrot. . . . (and more)

[Ashton_Anchors]

I LOVE Malice Mizer! Its sad what happened with them though v.v

[Menstrual Cramps]

Most of those bands you named aren't even VK, they are just rock.
PLC isn't VK at all, no where near it.
Malice Mizer is way past gone same with X.
I'm just glad you didn't name DeG.

[Shipuh]

i like more oshare kei than visual.

[Menstrual Cramps]

Originally Posted by Shipuh

i like more oshare kei than visual.

Agreed, VK is really more of a style than it is a type of music. But let people believe what they want. VK is also basically a dead art, a lot of bands have moved away from it.

[Veroniku]

Don't forget Dir en Grey! But yeah X Japan are my fave, 'course. :þ I'm in the process of downloading PVs of Visual Kei, j-rock, j-pop etc. actually. I only had a VCD of a X Japan live show before. I suddenly got curious about their PVs! XD Really, it's too bad for Hide...

[Menstrual Cramps]

Originally Posted by Veroniku

Don't forget Dir en Grey! But yeah X Japan are my fave, 'course. :þ I'm in the process of downloading PVs of Visual Kei, j-rock, j-pop etc. actually. I only had a VCD of a X Japan live show before. I suddenly got curious about their PVs! XD Really, it's too bad for Hide...

Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion

Just thought I'd try and make that visible. o_x

[enyo]

Originally Posted by Menstrual Cramps

Most of those bands you named aren't even VK, they are just rock.
PLC isn't VK at all, no where near it.
Malice Mizer is way past gone same with X.
I'm just glad you didn't name DeG.

I feel that people shouldn't really argue. But they are VK. There is no clear definition and no set rule for VK. But those bands fall into the catagory. A band is termed Visual Kei (Visual Shock) if they use anyform of costumes and/or other props in their act (popular with said genre), and can range from pop to rock to even country styles. Psycho le Cemu wore costumes (and Aya was featured in Lolita Bible. Gothic Lolita is a spin off of VK, although not entirely). Besides, PLC is more pop then anything. Just because Malice Mizer is no longer together, doesn't change the fact that they were a form of Vk of their very own. X was, and hide still was even after the change, although torwards the end he wasn't very much. VK comes in many forms and varieties. Dir en Grey was VK, so their older works are still labeled as so. I'd say more, but I am tired. And I know many people will disagree with me, it's not like the 80's hairbands where everyone kinda fallowed the style.

Kami of Malice Mizer:


Psycho le Cemu group shot:


hide:

[Menstrual Cramps]

PLC called their style a form of cosplay. They didn't do it so shock the fans but to make themselves seem different, especially on Aya's front. He enjoyed/ still enjoys shocking people that he is in fact a he.
VK is out-dated is what I was trying to come down to and a lot of bands have left it. VK can still be found in a few music videos, but you don't see it much in concerts, press conferences or on TV show appearances. See what I mean?

I find it ironic two of your three examples are dead. <_<;

[enyo]

I get your pont, but as I said VK comes in many different forms. Even if the band didn't intend it, the original meaning of VK may be different now though. Since VK a few years back were more like Saver Tiger. And you are wrong, there are still bands that do VK. Penicillin is one such band. And they recently released a single. Shoujo Lolita 23ku is another. Renter en Soi, Phantasmagoria, T. M. Revolution is still considered VK (although he is kind of straying off), so is Miyavi (not my favorite though), Gazette, Alice Nine. It's not dying, its expanding. Every band takes the idea and makes it their own. (and most of these bands have done lives recently, with make-up and all)

As for my three 'examples', they are not examples. Kami was a response to you saying they are dead. They are not. They are still obtaining new fans even through their disbandinment. It doesn't matter if they are gone, they are still VK. And very big founders. PLC was to show you that it is/can be VK. Even if they get their outfits from anime and videogames, it's the same. And I put up a pic of hide because he is crowned the Prince of VK. heck, his label even realesed a DVD of concert footage from the 98 tour last year. They even realesed a Singles Box. Another thing, a special X Japan box set was released last year as well. Even Malice Mizer had a box set release not too long ago.

Dir en Grey started as Vk. Many newcommers from the band will probably see those images the most. In a way, they will always be VK. With or without the costumes.

One more note before I refuse to argue and waste board space, I found it very rude of you to post the following:
"Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion
Dir en Grey is no longer VK-Styled in fashion"

Just because Dir en Grey is no longer VK, doesn't mean you can't still like them as VK. I found it disappointing for some fans to drop them for leaving VK, but like most of them I find that I like their work while being VK better.