Why do you like Visual Kei?
 

Just curious.

For me it's several reasons.

To start, cultural reflections. In addition to loving Japanese culture I also love European culture. European culture is all over Visual Kei in countless bands. Malice Mizer just to name one. Sure it's sometimes not accurate and many times silly. But it's romanticism of the culture. That's the point.

To me things like this are the perfect match. I'm not much of an Asiaphile, I like Japan and Korea and the rest is European. For me, like many other things like Folk/Pagan/Black metal, Fantasy video games like Odin Sphere, Final Fantasy, Anime and Manga. It's a perfect Eurasian mixture.

Japan does a great job of representing our culture in a romantic, fun way. Heck, now that I think about it even Dollfie is to the "western" barbie by far. And the name Volks? It's the earlier Germanic version of the word "Folk". Very nice. :D

It allows me to vacation from all the stupid ignorance on the internets trying to separate "eastern" and "western" cultures and "eastern" and "western" people. I just get to sit back and let the lines blur. I like to hear my Norse mythology video games in Japonic language. I like to remember that Celtic religion originates in Dharmic religion. I...I...you get the point.

Remember when I said I like anime because of the European culture as well as Japanese culture? Well that's not the only thing I like. Anime is aesthetically pleasing. Hair colors like blue and such rock! And Visual Kei....they look like anime characters come to life. Look at the designs on some of their clothes! I bet some anime/manga and video game characters were based off of them!

Apart from all the culture. These guys, wow...I must say I'm a bit gay for a few of these guys. My gosh, I feel a bit self-conscious when looking at these guys! Bou from ancafe...omg..he looks so much like a girl. I don't even care that he's a guy, he's hot!

Which brings to mind something else I like Visual Kei. It also blurs gender lines. I'm quite supportive of anything that blurs gender and gender roles. Though there could be a few more girls in Visual Kei. :P

And I think that's sufficient enough explanation. What are your reasons?

It's not really the style (make-up...etc...), all I like is the music....
The music.....It's all about the music!

yay, malice mizer.. i have them playing right now.. as for me well i was on myspace.. going through persons page after page.. and all of a sudden BAM!! i find the band AILE.. liked the song i heard, i forget it now, been over a year since i last heard it.. but as with her, i am infactuated with the european influences in some of the bands, and the representation.. im a fan of the older classical european style.. and just having it relived in a modern point of view just totally exhilirates me
although moi dix mois was what tore open my vk virginity and made sure that i enjoyed every minute of it

sorry for the analogy :-)

I like the mixture of muscial and visual expression. They blend good music with an interesting visual presentation.

I also like Visual Kei because the music in general is fantastic (some of the best rock music I've ever heard). It also calls to my inner fangril :)

everything!
the expression throught the music,the style,and most of all the music...
and the fact that it is very different from the stuff that people around here listen to....
plus it's just awesome k?~!

Everything is possible in the Visual-Kei style. Nobody thinks it's weird if a guy wears a dress or something. You can totally express yourself, and no one will nag about it.

I agree with most things that you mentioned. Is really hard to find good music and good visual stimulation in one package and you get that with Visual Kei, that's the main reason why I like it.
Also, like you mentioned, the blur between cultures and genders, both visually and musically, is amazing. It breaks boundaries and challenges stereotypes.

^Nicely put :)

Yeah, I like being the "different" one around here. Although it can be a bummer too because I have no one to share my enthusiasm with.

Yeah, the same here.

true...

but in my case i'm used to being by myself and doing things independantly and i'm pretty sure that's why i branched off in music.....

but it does get upseting when nobody really like your music except people who live miles away and across a body of water....

yea! why does everyone like me? XD :rheart:

I love VK because it's the whole package... the music is brilliant, the style is brilliant, most songs by VK bands are about really taboo/weird/uncomfortable subjects (when they're translated) there's really nothing else like VK!

I love the make-up, the hair, the clothes, their videos, just everything! lol

The whole scene is just completely different from anything over here in the U.K... and it's really really crap where I live (Liverpool) because there's, like, nobody here who is into what I'm into! When I show my mates anything about VK they just say it's 'emo' and laugh at it! :(

...
but, anyway, VK is simply AWESOME!! :)

It's hard to explain, but somehow the VK style is so.. drawing.. It kinda catches you and drags you into the world of VK Jrock. ^__^v

The short explanation, which is all I have time for at the moment, is simply this. I love music, I love bishounen and I love japan. Basically boiled down it's a 3 for 1 deal and you can't beat it.

I don't really know why I love visual kei... I just love it...

:rheart: :lovecat: :rheart: :lovecat: :rheart: :lovecat: :rheart:

I don't really...XD

Loving the new Oshare-Kei scene though.

And eh, I love the stage set-up bits of it, but that's it rly. I dunnp. I'm usually attracted to different cultures naturally anywas ;p

Concur...
Also I love this part of the Japanese culture-
Stretching the lines between masulinity and feminity.
I love how androgynous they are, and no one cares, when they would NEVER be able to do that in the US. They aren't even all gay either.

I guess I just like the sexual balance?
And the music, definitely the music too!! XD
We can't get lost in the image and forget the music... The image is there to enhance the musical experience.

There was a great VK band in the late 1980s called "Bisexual". They were a little drowned out by "X" (now called "X-Japan") but I really liked their balls to be a heavy metal band, all male, but sing using lyrics that would normally be sung by a woman. ("Atashi" instead of "Watashi" or "Boku" or "Ore" as all other male singers would say "I" or "me"). If you like X-Japan, and are interested in some of the VK classics, Bisexual is one to try and hunt down.

I actually just heard of them a few minutes ago via a website. I'm interested in hearing them, do you have any of their music you can put up in the request thread? Although, I saw their names spelled BY-SEXUAL

Because its really creative, the clothing they sell here in canada bores me so much, plain t-shirts mostly. I now like to shop at this BIG asian mall, and I FOUND A STORE WITH VISUAL KEI outfits, i would wear them even if i would get many people starring at me because here in canada people aren't used to it. It makes me stick out lol woot! I like to be different, thats whats so great about visual kei, YOU MAKE IT YOUR LOOK. I didn't buy one of the outfits. NOT YET, because i'm broke, ITS REALLY EXPENSIVE. T^T

What's the name of that store? Maybe they have a website?

Anyway, I like visual kei because I do. Simple as that. It appeals. Why it appeals? No frigging idea, but it does, so I like it. Point blank.

(But then I like everything (except Eminem) so I'm not sure my opinion matters.)

touya.. of course your opnion matters, you like vk just as much as everything else.. its all good.. you like it!!! as for being the only person to like a style of music around your friends.. i generally tend to force it upon my friends and roomies.. :-) some like it, some dont :p

I make everyone listen to either Electric Cucumber or Inside the Pervert Mound first. I'm a big HIDE buff. If they make it, then I introduce them to other stuff. Usually MYV or Alice Nine for beginners.

well i love style! and the songs are awesome and most of the guys are super hot:D

I think its a rule. If you are visual kei you must be hot.

haha yeah:vsign:

Let's see if we can make a list of Kei rules:

1. You must be hot. No exceptions.

2. You must not be able to determine whether you are male or female. (It doesn't matter see rule one.)



Hmm. I can't think of anything else. I must be more tired then I thought. Any ideas people?

Must have the abs (google Kyo)
Must have hair that makes other boys jealous
Must be short to be a vocalist (....again google kyo)
Must be willing to wear more make up than J-Pop girls
Must enjoy yaoi (google gackt ^^)
Must be willing to strip for fangirls
Must not have body hair
Must shave eyebrow (in most cases)

thats all i got ^^ add more

OOOooOOoo...

I like your additions. No Body hair should be rule number three. (Including facial hair.)

Rule number one is you have to be hot. Drooling hot.

Touche. Your point. I agree.

Concur with Jo:
Rule one: TalentTalentTalent! and skill, and creativity, and drive, and passion for music!!!!!
Rule two: Be physically fit and clean. (If you can't take care of your own body, you obvsly can't take care of anything else and that's not attractive. D=)
Rule three: Dress up gorgeously!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Looks are important, but so many people find so many different things pretty that I don't put it in as something that can be judged.. every judge has their own personal taste in that section!!!

Don't really care what they look like, just interested in listening to something good.............

The music is awesome, but part of the point of visual kei, is, the visual or else it wouldn't be called that.