Hi everyone, I'm new to Livejournal, and kind of new to Gackt too (i only discovered him last year). in my first post here, i want to ask
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When I was in Japan I got the impression that Gackt kinda occupies his own little space. Not visual/heavy enough to be listed next to the JRock bands (you'll find him in the J-Pop aisles, a couple of shelves away from Kat-tun usually) but not cute/safe enough to be comfortably next to bands like the Johnny's lot.
He has a high profile though, as evidenced by the number of CMs, promotions and random TV appearances he does. None of the JRock bands can really compete with him on that one.
I agree with lefcadio that his fans tend to be older. He seems to appeal to a wide demographic although they do seem to keep largely quiet about it!
the impression i got from all the tv appearances and stuff floating around on youtube is that he's all over the place in japan -that you'll probably see his face on a poster or something every few yards you walk, lol! hmm...i definitely did not expect his fans to be "quite" :( but because so many of you seem to say this, it must be true. but i agree that he is a non-conformist and quite unlike other jmusicians i have seen. how big is yoshiki, do u know? coz he chose gackt for the "superband" S.K.I.N., right, which made me think that he's (gackt is) really huge! but then yoshiki is also kind of "westernised", ne?
Other than Harajuku and the time spent at the Gackt concerts we went to, the only times I actually saw/heard Gackt was in HMV Shinjuku (they had one of the displays celebrating his 10th anniversary) and when I heard Lost Angels playing in a Lawson. Not even the Tsutaya stores, for whom Gackt is currently promoting, had any posters... not even the store right next to the concert venue! Whereas you couldn't move without seeing Koda Kumi, Arashi, Namie Amuro etc on every billboard, store or train.
I think you have to remember that S.K.I.N. was only a superband in the JRock world. I imagine it caused nothing more than a small ripple in the mainstream Japanese media. I presume that more people would know X-Japan than know Yoshiki himself.
>Fuurin Kazan Definitely true. Until then, he was some rocker who's pretty weird but somehow really popular with solid staying power (because of his devoted fans and TV/CM producers who love the ratings he brought), but after Fuurin Kazan, which is really "IT" when it comes to historical epic dramas in Japan and watched by a lot of the elderly, too, he seemed to have changed greatly. From inside out. I think he realized the older generations really accepted his role as Kenshin and that his audience was not limited to certain age groups, and that he now felt certain responsibility to different generations, e.g. kids and elderly. I also think the encounter with the late Ken Ogata (to whom GACKT dedicated "My Father's Day", of course), who told him to "express his smiles" was absolutely crucial to this transformation. He started smiling so much after that.
If he was safe and tame like Johnny's he'd probably sell a HELL of a lot better.
Probably. I'm glad that he seems to have little interest in his sales figures (Dears versions don't count towards Oricon right?) because a safe and tame Gackt just wouldn't be Gackt.
I think it MIGHT depend on what he's promoting at the time.
It was the week that Flower was released, the tour ended and he took part in the life sized Gundam opening. I think there's been a shift in his fan base over the last couple of years anyway as he's picked up older fans and more men so I suppose he's no longer one of those idols who needs to have his face everywhere.
When I was in Japan in February, it seemed like you couldn't take two steps in any direction when in Shibuya and not see Gackt.
HMV, Tsutaya were both covered in Gackt posters (on the windows, on the walls going up the escalators)and every other aisle endcap had a display of his CD's.
Tower was the same thing, only they also had huge banners for Ghost hanging above the front doors.
-and I saw at least one bus advertisement as well. ;P
I presume that more people would know X-Japan than know Yoshiki himself.
Now i'm not a huge X-Japan/Yoshiki fan myself, but I'd have to disagree with that. In the very least, it would be about equal, maybe even a little more Yoshiki-centric, if only because of the million products he's come up with for promotions of himself. Plus, he did do that composing and such for the Emperor.
He has a high profile though, as evidenced by the number of CMs, promotions and random TV appearances he does. None of the JRock bands can really compete with him on that one.
I agree with lefcadio that his fans tend to be older. He seems to appeal to a wide demographic although they do seem to keep largely quiet about it!
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hmm...i definitely did not expect his fans to be "quite" :( but because so many of you seem to say this, it must be true.
but i agree that he is a non-conformist and quite unlike other jmusicians i have seen.
how big is yoshiki, do u know? coz he chose gackt for the "superband" S.K.I.N., right, which made me think that he's (gackt is) really huge! but then yoshiki is also kind of "westernised", ne?
Reply
I think you have to remember that S.K.I.N. was only a superband in the JRock world. I imagine it caused nothing more than a small ripple in the mainstream Japanese media. I presume that more people would know X-Japan than know Yoshiki himself.
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
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(The comment has been removed)
Definitely true. Until then, he was some rocker who's pretty weird but somehow really popular with solid staying power (because of his devoted fans and TV/CM producers who love the ratings he brought), but after Fuurin Kazan, which is really "IT" when it comes to historical epic dramas in Japan and watched by a lot of the elderly, too, he seemed to have changed greatly. From inside out.
I think he realized the older generations really accepted his role as Kenshin and that his audience was not limited to certain age groups, and that he now felt certain responsibility to different generations, e.g. kids and elderly.
I also think the encounter with the late Ken Ogata (to whom GACKT dedicated "My Father's Day", of course), who told him to "express his smiles" was absolutely crucial to this transformation. He started smiling so much after that.
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
Well, yeah, I guess women/girls wouldn't qualify for ashigaru... =p
Reply
Probably. I'm glad that he seems to have little interest in his sales figures (Dears versions don't count towards Oricon right?) because a safe and tame Gackt just wouldn't be Gackt.
I think it MIGHT depend on what he's promoting at the time.
It was the week that Flower was released, the tour ended and he took part in the life sized Gundam opening. I think there's been a shift in his fan base over the last couple of years anyway as he's picked up older fans and more men so I suppose he's no longer one of those idols who needs to have his face everywhere.
That's if he either did need that.
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that hurts.
i feel like shooting...somebody...anybody...right now.
grrrrr...
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When I was in Japan in February, it seemed like you couldn't take two steps in any direction when in Shibuya and not see Gackt.
HMV, Tsutaya were both covered in Gackt posters (on the windows, on the walls going up the escalators)and every other aisle endcap had a display of his CD's.
Tower was the same thing, only they also had huge banners for Ghost hanging above the front doors.
-and I saw at least one bus advertisement as well. ;P
Reply
Now i'm not a huge X-Japan/Yoshiki fan myself, but I'd have to disagree with that. In the very least, it would be about equal, maybe even a little more Yoshiki-centric, if only because of the million products he's come up with for promotions of himself. Plus, he did do that composing and such for the Emperor.
Reply
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