I kinda stumbled across your journal and I must say that I love your dissections of their songs - they're great. Anyway, I just wanted to know what you have to say of a strong opinion of mine... I really, really like the GazettE since the art they produce is innovative, intriguing, interesting and frankly beautiful, but, I think that the GazettE, rather Ruki (since he is the lyricist) is quite ridiculous, yet that doesn’t mean that they aren’t competent, talented, lack creativity or are dispassionate performers. But observe the way they propagate their image and music. It’s akin to a cult of personality, designed to attract and target fools. I wouldn’t just blame the fans, on part the band’s affect on the fans is also reflective of the artist and how they choose to [or are forced to] present themselves. Ask some of the members… WHY do you present yourself like idols, glorifying every idiosyncratic detail of yourself, despite what you say against idolatry? Sure they are a band run by a BUSINESS and money matters, but hey - plenty of artists out there are still successful and make great music while omitting a lot of this play. It’s fairly overblown often melodramatic and in contradiction to what they preach regarding individual strength, ability and enlightenment. This is why I find them ridiculous, especially these lyrics since he's talking about industry but look at them nowadays, they've become quite commercial and we can't deny all of the 'popular cultural' symbolism in their videos which - I hate to say - people in really mainstream music are using because it sells. Of course I still think they're real artists since they do make art, but it's just the case of how they promote themselves - it's quite self-contradictory. You're definitely not a typical 'fangirl' so that's why I want to have a civilised discussion about this with you. I'm really intrigued about your thoughts since you've certainly been a fan much, much longer than me and you obviously like them a lot more :) Thank you.
Wow, you are presenting me with questions that I feel rather ill-equipped to answer! But I shall try to outline my views on the matter anyway. I'm afraid this turned out a bit long, and I'm not sure I really answered your questions, I'm sorry ^^; Feel free to ask me to elaborate on anything.
Alright, so I'm going to sound like a heretic and a horrible visual kei fan, but I don't really care about the visual side of the GazettE all that much. When I first got into them, I in fact thought they and their music videos looked exactly the same as all visual kei bands'. And I don't think much has changed in that area.... In fact, the only music video I really like from them is that for Remember the Urge, and that's mostly because I like the camera movements. So, as far as your critique on their PVs go, I quite agree. They (i.e. Ruki) use a lot of imagery that has been used by many other bands, many times. (The same is in fact true also of their album art. Except for DIVISION, perhaps; the Lmtd Edition actually has some high quality art on it.)
To compare the GazettE to idol groups, however, is unfair. After all, rather than their record company making them act or dress in a certain way, the GazettE's visual image is entirely thought out by the band themselves (well, Ruki mostly). I suppose in your books that makes the banal imagery & gaudy clothes/make-up/whathaveyou even worse, but I find it important to point out that the purpose of all that is not to glorify themselves but to advocate a point of view. To create a visual world of heightened sensations and images to accompany their music. To give the soundtrack a movie, to paraphrase Kamijo.
Yes, that world is in general rather pretty (if only on the surface), and yes, the members of the band are often very dolled up, so to speak, and there is a portion of fans who are mainly attracted to that and overlook the rest. But those people are a minority among the fans, and while the prettiness is something that draws many people in, it's not what makes them stay.
Ruki's lyrics are at their best fantastically deep and touching, but even more than that, there is something in GazettE that goes beyond words, the things that you too seem to have caught on to. It's a feeling of togetherness, of rebellion, of a generation, of unity amidst our individual and shared struggles, of... I really can't put it in words. The point is that it's not manufactured. And once you fall in love with the music and the message, the visuals become a kind of eye candy, I guess. A bonus.
Ruki is at heart an old-school visual kei artist, one of the few still working, and certainly one of the few who are actually successful. Now, I admit that there are aspects in Ruki's personality and tastes that are indeed ridiculous, and I personally have more than once (affectionately) rolled my eyes at his designs & general antics. But he is nevertheless an artist to the bone and very sincere & genuine in everything he does.
(He may be rather vain and insecure when it comes to things like his own personal appearance, but oh well. I don't personally mind. After all, in the early times of the GazettE he was rather ruthlessly attacked about his weight by some fans, and I feel that may have left some scars behind. I sympathize. He works ridiculously hard and hardly ever takes a vacation, and I feel he deserves to be a bit vain.)
As a whole, the members of the GazettE are not very outgoing and do not make themselves readily available for fans (apart from Aoi in more recent times), which possibly makes them seem standoffish and pretentious? But really, they are just not people that wish to put themselves out there when they are not actually performing. In other words, they're shy! It's why Reita wears that ridiculous cloth on his face, and it's why the members are often caked in make-up or hiding behind sunglasses in interviews. They want to keep a distance to their fans as private people. You may have noticed, but they don't really do variety shows or internet podcasts or even fan signing events. This is a pretty stark difference compared to what idol groups, or indeed other visual kei bands, do. Or made to do.
Also, if you read GazettE interviews (the long, solo ones in particular) or watch them tearing up at concerts when Ruki tells the audience how much their support means to them, you see that they could not be less arrogant and they definitely do not try to present themselves as infallible or perfect. They are confident in their skills and views, but that's what got them this far. They couldn't really afford to be arrogant, you know, considering how much they owe to their hardcore fans. And trust me, the fans are very astute with these things.
The GazettE are in a very difficult position in Japan, you know. They are THE visual kei band at the moment, almost the only one in that genre to be making any real money, and they're under a looot of pressure from Sony and PS Company. And if it wasn't for Ruki, I honestly think they would caved under that pressure a long time ago and started catering towards the idol-consuming masses much, much more. But since Ruki is a tough as nails, stubborn man, who talks back and isn't ready to compromise with his views, they have mostly managed to find a balance between being marketable and being true to themselves.
Of course, how they are marketed in the media is not really up to the GazettE at all. They make their own 'product', but how that product is presented to the world is just not in their control. Since I don't live in Japan, I don't see all that much of it, but I can well imagine that there are certain conventions in the Japanese marketing media that you have to abide by, if you want to sell at all. I did think that the GazettE 10-year anniversary documentary they made for Japanese tv was a blatant PR campaign rather than as an actual documentary and indeed all kinds of ridiculous (almost embarrassing, really), but it didn't really bother me. They are constantly facing an uphill battle in the Japanese music scene. There is still a LOT of prejudice against visual kei, and since their music is pretty heavy, their odds at making it really big are even slighter. I don't mind a little melodramatics if it helps to keep them up there. :)
One more thing. I understand that you're criticizing them for not speaking about the business side of their job? Well, the thing is, they just can't do that! People from the management are always present when they give interviews, and not only is it probably in their contract, but it is also against Japanese customs to speak about you boss/company in such a frank way. That being said, Ruki has been astonishingly direct in some of his interviews, especially in recent years. Of course, there's a lot of shit that goes on behind the scenes that he can only vaguely allude to, but the fans know very well it's there. It's frustrating not to know the details, but we just have to deal with that :(
Oh, wow! I must admit I wasn't expecting such a detailed and thorough answer, but of course, I love that you did provide me with just that, since I love to read the thoughts of deep-thinkers, much like yourself :) And don't worry! You did answer my questions! In my opinion, you did it really, really well. I suppose I feed off what people who are more knowledgeable upon the topic in question, have to say, and I suppose I wanted a little bit of reassurance as well, if I am entirely honest. Because I hated having these 'hazy' images of the GazettE idolizing themselves etc. So I needed another point of view. Thank you so much for taking your time to type all of that, it means a lot and it has certainly made me happier ^^ especially towards the band. And as a whole, I suppose I couldn't agree with you more! It all makes clear sense. Business is business, hey? And well, although there are things within the GazettE we shouldn't know about, that's okay too since we are just here to appreciate their art. End of. Though it's nice to discuss these things sometimes, right? :)
Oh and also, to me, you don't sound like a 'horrible visual kei' fan, because quite frankly I absolutely detest Visual Kei, although my favourite band are a Visual Kei band (well not so much as before) I just appreciate them and respect them as mere human beings who want to share their gift, their art. I just feel the Visual aspect is for promotion to attract fools but I can see past that.
Anyway, thanks again for your dissections etc :) have a nice day
You're definitely not a typical 'fangirl' so that's why I want to have a civilised discussion about this with you. I'm really intrigued about your thoughts since you've certainly been a fan much, much longer than me and you obviously like them a lot more :)
Thank you.
Reply
Alright, so I'm going to sound like a heretic and a horrible visual kei fan, but I don't really care about the visual side of the GazettE all that much. When I first got into them, I in fact thought they and their music videos looked exactly the same as all visual kei bands'. And I don't think much has changed in that area.... In fact, the only music video I really like from them is that for Remember the Urge, and that's mostly because I like the camera movements. So, as far as your critique on their PVs go, I quite agree. They (i.e. Ruki) use a lot of imagery that has been used by many other bands, many times. (The same is in fact true also of their album art. Except for DIVISION, perhaps; the Lmtd Edition actually has some high quality art on it.)
To compare the GazettE to idol groups, however, is unfair. After all, rather than their record company making them act or dress in a certain way, the GazettE's visual image is entirely thought out by the band themselves (well, Ruki mostly). I suppose in your books that makes the banal imagery & gaudy clothes/make-up/whathaveyou even worse, but I find it important to point out that the purpose of all that is not to glorify themselves but to advocate a point of view. To create a visual world of heightened sensations and images to accompany their music. To give the soundtrack a movie, to paraphrase Kamijo.
Yes, that world is in general rather pretty (if only on the surface), and yes, the members of the band are often very dolled up, so to speak, and there is a portion of fans who are mainly attracted to that and overlook the rest. But those people are a minority among the fans, and while the prettiness is something that draws many people in, it's not what makes them stay.
Ruki's lyrics are at their best fantastically deep and touching, but even more than that, there is something in GazettE that goes beyond words, the things that you too seem to have caught on to. It's a feeling of togetherness, of rebellion, of a generation, of unity amidst our individual and shared struggles, of... I really can't put it in words. The point is that it's not manufactured. And once you fall in love with the music and the message, the visuals become a kind of eye candy, I guess. A bonus.
Ruki is at heart an old-school visual kei artist, one of the few still working, and certainly one of the few who are actually successful. Now, I admit that there are aspects in Ruki's personality and tastes that are indeed ridiculous, and I personally have more than once (affectionately) rolled my eyes at his designs & general antics. But he is nevertheless an artist to the bone and very sincere & genuine in everything he does.
(He may be rather vain and insecure when it comes to things like his own personal appearance, but oh well. I don't personally mind. After all, in the early times of the GazettE he was rather ruthlessly attacked about his weight by some fans, and I feel that may have left some scars behind. I sympathize. He works ridiculously hard and hardly ever takes a vacation, and I feel he deserves to be a bit vain.)
As a whole, the members of the GazettE are not very outgoing and do not make themselves readily available for fans (apart from Aoi in more recent times), which possibly makes them seem standoffish and pretentious? But really, they are just not people that wish to put themselves out there when they are not actually performing. In other words, they're shy! It's why Reita wears that ridiculous cloth on his face, and it's why the members are often caked in make-up or hiding behind sunglasses in interviews. They want to keep a distance to their fans as private people. You may have noticed, but they don't really do variety shows or internet podcasts or even fan signing events. This is a pretty stark difference compared to what idol groups, or indeed other visual kei bands, do. Or made to do.
Reply
(continued)
Also, if you read GazettE interviews (the long, solo ones in particular) or watch them tearing up at concerts when Ruki tells the audience how much their support means to them, you see that they could not be less arrogant and they definitely do not try to present themselves as infallible or perfect. They are confident in their skills and views, but that's what got them this far. They couldn't really afford to be arrogant, you know, considering how much they owe to their hardcore fans. And trust me, the fans are very astute with these things.
The GazettE are in a very difficult position in Japan, you know. They are THE visual kei band at the moment, almost the only one in that genre to be making any real money, and they're under a looot of pressure from Sony and PS Company. And if it wasn't for Ruki, I honestly think they would caved under that pressure a long time ago and started catering towards the idol-consuming masses much, much more. But since Ruki is a tough as nails, stubborn man, who talks back and isn't ready to compromise with his views, they have mostly managed to find a balance between being marketable and being true to themselves.
Of course, how they are marketed in the media is not really up to the GazettE at all. They make their own 'product', but how that product is presented to the world is just not in their control. Since I don't live in Japan, I don't see all that much of it, but I can well imagine that there are certain conventions in the Japanese marketing media that you have to abide by, if you want to sell at all. I did think that the GazettE 10-year anniversary documentary they made for Japanese tv was a blatant PR campaign rather than as an actual documentary and indeed all kinds of ridiculous (almost embarrassing, really), but it didn't really bother me. They are constantly facing an uphill battle in the Japanese music scene. There is still a LOT of prejudice against visual kei, and since their music is pretty heavy, their odds at making it really big are even slighter. I don't mind a little melodramatics if it helps to keep them up there. :)
One more thing. I understand that you're criticizing them for not speaking about the business side of their job? Well, the thing is, they just can't do that! People from the management are always present when they give interviews, and not only is it probably in their contract, but it is also against Japanese customs to speak about you boss/company in such a frank way. That being said, Ruki has been astonishingly direct in some of his interviews, especially in recent years. Of course, there's a lot of shit that goes on behind the scenes that he can only vaguely allude to, but the fans know very well it's there. It's frustrating not to know the details, but we just have to deal with that :(
Reply
Thank you so much for taking your time to type all of that, it means a lot and it has certainly made me happier ^^ especially towards the band. And as a whole, I suppose I couldn't agree with you more! It all makes clear sense. Business is business, hey?
And well, although there are things within the GazettE we shouldn't know about, that's okay too since we are just here to appreciate their art. End of. Though it's nice to discuss these things sometimes, right? :)
Thank you, again.
Reply
Anyway, thanks again for your dissections etc :) have a nice day
Reply
Leave a comment