Written by Lioncourt on 25.09.2006 at 09:47

@Darth Satanious: Well I just thought you meant that X was THE first Visual Kei band. NUMERO UNO.
Well usually bands that become famous before other bands, have been doing music for a longer time. This depends. But in this case both bands had to fight for their fame. They were not accepted by the mass media at first.

You totally missunderstood my point in the feminine look part. I said that many artists try to look feminine, but Mana most of the time tries to look like a woman. I did say that Mana has traits. Yes he can look like a woman with that pile of make-up on him. And look at his promotional photos, they are all more edited than usual pictures of artists.

As Maiden Varius said, you might want to use youtube for the videos. The quality might not be as good, but atleast you can find many videos.

Oh ok, yeah he tries to look like a woman indeed. I have to admit that Mana even fooled me when I first saw Malice Mizer's "Beast Of Blood" video; then, after asking his gender at the official thread here, I was told he wasn't in fact a woman what led me to a few days of negation. lol

They are edited how? I have just seen that they tend to be a little blurred by making them very bright but that is all.

Yeah, I look for stuff at YouTube but I like to fully download videos to my computer so that I can watch them any time. Plus, this ungrim connection does not help when I try to watch those videos at home. You know, the videos do appear but they are hard to download. I remember when I downloaded the "Rose Of Pain" promotional video, it took me like eleven hours to fully download and it appeared between days. :S

Well I knew that he is a guy, but somehow it escaped in the beginning of the first DVD I saw, "Bara ni Irodorareta Akui to Higeki no Makuake" (a.k.a Live at Budokan 2000).
Well that is mostly what I meant, blurring them like heck and adding brightness more than the sun can give.

Anyway, I have never found Yoshiki very beautiful. However my ex-japanese teacher fancied him when she was young.

Written by Darth Satanious on 23.09.2006 at 21:12

Man, Yoshiki certainly looks very feminine at times but he got owned (well any musician who tries to look feminine) by Mana. Linak told us that Yoshiki is about to embark in a project with Gackt and I can only hope that it will turn out for something great. This will all depend in which one will get influenced by the other: Gackt by Yoshiki = Grim Stuff, Yoshiki by Gackt = Blasphemy. lol

Haha wrong Gackt influenced by Yoshiki: Red Roses, Yoshiki influenced by Gackt: Lubricant
keh ^^'

@Lioncourt:

hahaha, it is curious that you find Mana to see the most feminine in a live show when you say that his feminine looks are more like a Photoshop modification in photos. I just have two songs off that DVD and they are: "Gensou Rakuen" and "Kiouku To Sora" and man, that DVD looks promising. I would like to buy it in the future.

Yeah, Yoshiki does not look beautiful, I have never said it, but he looks vry feminine at times. You know, not all women are beautiful so even with the fact that he looks feminine it does not mean that he looks pretty.

@Linak:

That is another way to put it. lol And that "lubricant" label gives me a bad taste in my mouth to so I have to say that I agree. Nah, I don't think that Yoshiki will participate in something shitty; this collaboration demands the ending result to be something over average or in the worst scenario anything but pathetic.

Written by Lioncourt on 24.09.2006 at 12:04

Wrong. It is by far one of the most known early visual kei bands, but not the first. BUCK-TICK for example became famous way before X did. Although X truly began in the 70's, but back then they were just young kids.

As far as I know both BUCK-TICK and X Japan had an equal share in shaping Visual Kei. X Japan is only way more popular.

About X Japan. They have some amazing songs, but I like them most for their "Rose of Pain" song, which is, probably the best emotional piece of X Japan ever created, and much better than all the ballads they did on later albums. "Crucify My Love" and "Tears" were just a bit too much. Also, lyrically they weren't on the same level as "Rose of Pain" was.

About the whole feminie thingie, yes it is mostly make-up, but who cares? Mana's body does have female shapes, however, his face isn't feminine at all. Just look at photos of him of his earlier years. When they still had Tetsu he looked more manly. Yoshiki doesn't really make up a good female, maybe on a few photos, but he didn't really impress in the way Mana did.

Written by AntaeusM on 28.09.2006 at 01:52


About X Japan. They have some amazing songs, but I like them most for their "Rose of Pain" song, which is, probably the best emotional piece of X Japan ever created, and much better than all the ballads they did on later albums.

A fact just in case you did not know; in the "Rose Of Pain" song they used part of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Little Fugue In G Minor". You can listen to the theme of this piece very clearly at the beginning of the song. I knew that I was hooked too fast with this song "Rose Of Pain" for a reason and it was because I heard this piece of work from Bach before the X's song. lol

Written by AntaeusM on 28.09.2006 at 01:52


About the whole feminie thingie, yes it is mostly make-up, but who cares? Mana's body does have female shapes, however, his face isn't feminine at all.

His body isn't feminine he is hipless, girls have hips ^^' and butt, his butt is... nonexistant haha it just looks like it is because of the dresses he wears, but if you had seen him naked so meticulously, as I have, you would know *giggles* ^^; sorry, that was offtopic, but you gotta admit, it was begging for it

Written by Darth Satanious on 28.09.2006 at 02:19

A fact just in case you did not know; in the "Rose Of Pain" song they used part of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Little Fugue In G Minor". You can listen to the theme of this piece very clearly at the beginning of the song. I knew that I was hooked too fast with this song "Rose Of Pain" for a reason and it was because I heard this piece of work from Bach before the X's song. lol

Seriously? I didn't notice that at all. I am not that familar with Bach, so that could be the reason Nah, I like it nonetheless. The song is still amazing, and lyrically is just fantastic. I don't mind they took a piece of Bach's music.

Written by Linak on 28.09.2006 at 03:09

His body isn't feminine he is hipless, girls have hips ^^' and butt, his butt is... nonexistant haha it just looks like it is because of the dresses he wears, but if you had seen him naked so meticulously, as I have, you would know *giggles* ^^; sorry, that was offtopic, but you gotta admit, it was begging for it

Linak, sst You keep saying this, but you have never showed any proof Ok, Mana isn't like Dada or anything, but he does look feminine, obviously. And yes you are offtopic so..back to the topic subject, X Japan. We will never agree anyway

Written by Darth Satanious on 28.09.2006 at 01:22

@Lioncourt:

hahaha, it is curious that you find Mana to see the most feminine in a live show when you say that his feminine looks are more like a Photoshop modification in photos. ...

I just wanted to point out that his photos are very edited. In live performances it helps in looks that the whole show is "highlighted" etc. Even in the promotional DVD interviews and films the picture is very blurred.

Written by AntaeusM on 28.09.2006 at 01:52

Written by Lioncourt on 24.09.2006 at 12:04

Wrong. It is by far one of the most known early visual kei bands, but not the first. BUCK-TICK for example became famous way before X did. Although X truly began in the 70's, but back then they were just young kids.

As far as I know both BUCK-TICK and X Japan had an equal share in shaping Visual Kei. X Japan is only way more popular.

My point here was to say that BUCK-TICK became popular before X did.

@Linak:

I have seen women whose body is to such form which makes Mana's curves to be those of a goddess. Lol So it can be kind of relative. But yes, he uses his clothes to give an illusion of having curves, a good example is the Budoka DVD and his dress.

@Blackgir:

I would even say that taking that part of Bach's work makes the song even more majestic. It does not take the greatness out of it, I concur.

@Lioncourt:

This one does not look too edited:



You mean "highlighted" in which form? I recall seeing an interview from Mana where there was no trick of those used.

Well that picture is edited, but not too much as you say.
Well not every promotional interview is highlighted, but mainly those found in DVDs are.

Guys lets try to stay on topic here,the point of this thread is too discuss X Japan and their music,not who looks more feminine between Mana and whoever,and who started visual kei....as neither of those are really the point of this thread....

I've heard a fair bit about X Japan, since I only have so much money to get an album say per month and a half, is it worth getting on of these guys album, and if thats a yes which album is best to start off with?

Written by [user id=2134] on 05.10.2006 at 06:51

I've heard a fair bit about X Japan, since I only have so much money to get an album say per month and a half, is it worth getting on of these guys album, and if thats a yes which album is best to start off with?

Art of Life or Jealousy

Written by [user id=12867] on 06.10.2006 at 08:35

Art of Life

Art of Life..no, really not a good album to start with. Even when Art of Life is just perfection in every sense of the word, it is a very difficult album to access for people who are just new to them. I would say you should start with "Blue Blood" or "Vanishing Vision". Since both albums contain more catchy songs, and you get a better idea from those albums how X Japan sound like.

Written by AntaeusM on 08.10.2006 at 16:34

Written by [user id=12867] on 06.10.2006 at 08:35

Art of Life

Art of Life..no, really not a good album to start with. Even when Art of Life is just perfection in every sense of the word, it is a very difficult album to access for people who are just new to them. I would say you should start with "Blue Blood" or "Vanishing Vision". Since both albums contain more catchy songs, and you get a better idea from those albums how X Japan sound like.

Wouldn't it be best to listen to every release by X-Japan to get an idea of what they sound like?

Vanishing Vision and Blue Blood are also worthwhile listens imo, and yes, they do have the most "catchiest" sounding songs on them, especially songs such as "I'll kill you" and "Weekend".

What I've heard of X Japan is great, but I'm having problems with finding their music. I can't find it on my download program and neither in stores. But I really like the songs I do have.

Written by [user id=3664] on 09.10.2006 at 16:02

What I've heard of X Japan is great, but I'm having problems with finding their music. I can't find it on my download program and neither in stores. But I really like the songs I do have.

Try importing their albums via their website or use soulseek if you can't pay the ridiculous cost for their cd's, hopefully you'll find all their material on there.

Written by [user id=12867] on 09.10.2006 at 16:23

Written by [user id=3664] on 09.10.2006 at 16:02

What I've heard of X Japan is great, but I'm having problems with finding their music. I can't find it on my download program and neither in stores. But I really like the songs I do have.

Try importing their albums via their website or use soulseek if you can't pay the ridiculous cost for their cd's, hopefully you'll find all their material on there.

Thanks for tips.. I'll check it out.

Written by AntaeusM on 08.10.2006 at 16:34

Written by [user id=12867] on 06.10.2006 at 08:35

Art of Life

Art of Life..no, really not a good album to start with. Even when Art of Life is just perfection in every sense of the word, it is a very difficult album to access for people who are just new to them. I would say you should start with "Blue Blood" or "Vanishing Vision". Since both albums contain more catchy songs, and you get a better idea from those albums how X Japan sound like.

I completely agree with you,Art of Life would be very hard for a new listener to get into.

I just started with Blue Blood. All I can say is that it really worked for me and has inspired me to seek out the rest of their discography. But I am very easy to please. I knew that if the album was even half as good as people claimed (which it was, and much more!), then I'd love it. I'm eagerly anticipating receiving Art of Life in the mail any day now.

So perhaps someone interested in X Japan should start with Blue Blood (supposedly their best). Just beware: the production quality isn't great. But if you like good melodies (which this has, in spades), then you won't care about the production.

This band was one of the first that got me, not only interested in Metal, but in Music(I've heard this band a lot of time ago, much before starting to hear Metal), I've first heard this band when I was an otaku lol, but I still like them, they have amazing songs like Art Of Life, one of my favorites by this band.

X JAPAN IS GOING TO BE REUNITED!!!!

Yeah, because of the commemoration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the band said Toshi. It is not said if they plan to continue. I wonder who they will choose to play guitars for the band... I also wonder if this means that the new project of Yoshiki with Gackt and Sugizo will be put on hold.

Edit: Here is the link for the news:

http://chuspo.chunichi.co.jp/00/hou/20070212/spon____hou_____000.shtml

Written by [user id=3101] on 16.02.2007 at 19:57

X JAPAN IS GOING TO BE REUNITED!!!!

Keep dreaming buddy.....
First: Drummer broke his neck and wrists more than 1000 times, and he cant stand the songs anymore (played it way toomuch)
Second: Vocalist converted himself in some form of religion, and he doesnt want to sing anymore
Third: hide commited suicide, think thats a fucking lie (because I really cant see some one like him ending its own life) but we know that he is dead =(

Written by [user id=3101] on 16.02.2007 at 19:57

X JAPAN IS GOING TO BE REUNITED!!!!

Possible, if this is confirmed. Wait and see.

Im glad to say that I was wrong =D

YES! X is going to reunite! But I think it will be just for a short period of time, believe thats just a tribute to hide

Written by 4look4rd on 10.06.2007 at 20:19

Im glad to say that I was wrong =D

YES! X is going to reunite! But I think it will be just for a short period of time, believe thats just a tribute to hide

From what I understand, the reunion will be short, with a bunch of guest guitarists playing hide's parts. Regardless of how short the reunion is, I really don't care, one of my favorite bands is reuniting, even if for a short time.

Awesome band, I can't wait what will reunion bring. Hope some good music, and even maybe some live DVD, that would be pretty awesome

Written by APOHAKC on 20.06.2007 at 02:35

Awesome band, I can't wait what will reunion bring. Hope some good music, and even maybe some live DVD, that would be pretty awesome

A live DVD would be just perfect