Japanese Pop-Culture : Visual Kei

This is going to be difficult as is explaining anything in the music and fashion world. What is alternative and who is elite enough to describe its essence…

This is Visual Kei. Wait. Correction…this is about Visual Kei. Some say it is music and some say it is a particular sense of fashion or combined its illegitimate child.

I am hesitant because this is a music genre and clothing element I like to incorporate in my life and have been since I was in high school. However, despite how many years I think I may know, it is always different from another or another can think it is different because people tend to think their own opinions are best. Although, this is not about my feelings on how arrogant some people are about subculture but I will give fair warning that this is just my personal observation and if there are any other point of views or even corrective critical reviews please comment!

Okay.

Visual Kei.

A genre that branched out in Japan what is said in the 1980’s popularly lead/birthed by the band X-Japan. It is a style movement that incorporates music and fashion/image. It is called Visual Kei after all…and Kei in Japanese meaning style it is a very visual, eye catching and complex looking style.

What can describe this as a fashion sense is that is takes influence from Punk/Rock/ Gothic but in a much more clean sense with everything much more elaborate and planned out. Taking an average outfit and multiplying it. Bigger hair, taller shoes, more accessories, more layers and different patterns, styles etc…

Its rebellion. Cuts, hems, hair etc are not in order or form but asymmetrical and eccentric. Visual Kei can be described as dark, edgy but glamorous.

The music began as rock and over the 90’s became influencing but a lo t heavier and darker, goth influenced. But has progressed to many types of punk, mental, pop-rock that spreads over many types of genres.

But what is pop-culture? Especially in a country that absorbs all sorts of it very well. Or it seems.

Influences characters in movies, manga/comic books and attitude, rock and roll lifestyles and body modification…All in a tough but glam and flashy aesthetic. These influences like seen in the pictures bounce of their audience which is generally a younger generation searching for this niche and cliques that they feel comfortable with or accepted by.

The first photo is of a girl standing outside of a very famous, and crowded, brand store called Sex Pot Revenge that makes clothing suited towards a Visual Kei interested crowd with a lot of black, chains, punk stamp-age and pre-made tears and rips put together with safety pins…which is why it is so pop and media based because it is a theme mass produced and easily bought image. It is cool, looks interest and does take a bold person to wear it but this how I see an example of pop-culture in Japan. That in the states if something that’s supposed to rough and punk is sold in bulk it’s seen as a joke and fake. But in Japan its okay, how else would you get it? What you do doesn’t justify the clothing but having it and wearing it with confidence is important. Having the attitude and having the look. Relating to darker ideas but don’t have to perform them.

When you think pop-culture, the word pop must mean or seem that is expected by society. But Visual Kei is kind of a rebellion to be different, out of suits and uniforms although many of these people end up dressing the same and creating their own “individual” group. So the line of what is pop-culture and what is mainstream seems a bit blurred. As much as it is different, so are many other types of Japanese fashions but this , fashionably, seems to be less about the body and how to flatter it then how to transform it and create the image of something outrageous and daring. Within this pop-culture clothing and image is very important, that is why it is visual. These fans and supporters almost create an allegiance together. Meeting up in the style, going out together in the style, hanging out watching each other.

Visual Kei has created its own culture and society.The second picture is a group of friends, who probably busy with school and part time jobs have this opportunity to dress in that they think is best and meet up and feel a part of this group but succeeded in looking different to the mass outside as well. The second half of this phenomenon, Visual Kei, is the music but like other music people get creative and create their own versions which lead to sub genres and more.

But Visual isn’t reading, it’s the eyes experiences. So I have created a list of Youtube videos from bands I like, and bands that come from different sub genres that are known in the Visual Kei scene.

Bands known to start the revolution

• X-Japan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZq2bga2G-E&feature=related

• Buck-Tick http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EPO6YdbsrE&feature=related

Visual Kei pioneers in the 90s that really guided the movement

• Malice Mizer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JakCKf02JPs&feature=related
• Dir En Grey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIKqtoX2gRk

Current types of Visual Kei

• The Gazette http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p7dup4-ab4&feature=related
• Sadie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeuiV7iIpRc
• Phantasmagoria http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udcJmsreIP0&feature=related
• Alice Nine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiigVY7aAOc
• Sug http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahDNJlBDslM
• An Cafe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk-flGcBELo&feature=related
  

Also an interview done by An Cafe about Visual Kei that gives some insight from the artists themselves

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNBFjAq0a4Y&feature=PlayList&p=57C86A09D781EB3D&playnext=1&index=91

Here are some Visual Kei clothing brand websites because they seem to be the brands more popularly worn.

• Sex Pot Revenge http://www.sexpot-revenge.com/
• Algoquins http://www.algonquins.co.jp/
• H.Naoto http://www.s-inc.com/hnaoto/main.php