Influential Jrockers

There are lots of people to look up to.  I look up to a variety of people from different professions, but for me specifically, musicians have the most impact.  I have been a hardcore fan of Japanese rock and metal for quite some time.  My family knows that very well and they don't really comprehend my interest in jrockers.  First of all, they don't even like rock music or any forms of extreme music.  Secondly, my tastes in art are very different from my family so I'm considered a weird individual.  Even though our opinions may clash, I still respect them.  Here's a select list of Japanese rock and metal musicians that I find very influential to me and reasons why I respect them.


GACKT
Back in high school, I was a HUGE fan of Gackt and his music.  I thought he was genius and basically fawned over his every move.  You have to admit, he does have that charisma sometimes (or all the time depending on the listener).   I first sampled his music and felt very attracted to it.  Who is this musician, I thought.  With several of his songs, you can tell Gackt had been classically trained in music as he can produce very beautiful melodies in his ballads.  To me, his distinct style came from his combination of hard rock and orchestral strings.  It also happens to be one of my favorite genres, symphonic rock.  I love classical and I love rock, why not combine the both since they follow similar structure?  At that time, I had only listened to Gackt's music and didn't look up his picture or profile.  When I took the time to do so, it was like a drug.  He was so beautiful I couldn't take my eyes off of him.  Does such a beautiful person exist on this planet?  I was really drawn to him as an individual and started looking up to him.

Gackt gave me more willpower as an individual.  I was very surprised when it was revealed that he is fluent in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and English.  I feel very proud of myself for being able to speak two dialects of Chinese fluently, but Gackt as a foreigner spoke Chinese that I could understand.  Those learning Chinese know very well how difficult Chinese is.  Gackt was able to remove his Japanese accents and correctly pronounce each word in its right tone.  I was very impressed and it gave me assurance that if you put your heart into something, you will succeed.  Unlike my mother who to this day cannot speak English no matter how hard she tries to learn.  Gackt, being a multi-talented individual, is a good example of how diligence and hard work can pay off in the long run.

I am no longer a hardcore fan of him and his music.  His style no longer suits me, but I nonetheless still enjoy his old compositions and respect him as an artist. 

Kyo
We are talking the one and only Kyo, vocalist of Dir en grey.  When I first sampled Dir en grey's music, I absolutely hated it.  I was so sure that I would never listen to extreme forms of music and that metal was just not for me.  However once teenage angst began building up, I became more and more in tune with Dir en grey.  To this day, they are one of my favorite bands to listen to.  I recently started to re-listen to their songs and I started discovering new sounds and the complexity in their music.  It really took me a lot of time to grow on them as a band because their melodies are not so obvious.  Their songs have a lot of layers to them and their lyrics, written by Kyo, are ambiguous at times.  I admire Kyo as a vocalist and lyricist because his music is the type of art that challenges the listener to think.  I find his lyrics hard to understand because they use a lot of metaphors and they're also very vague in depicting whatever topic the song is about.  It took me some time to analyze and break apart songs in addition to visiting forums.  Even if I was unsure of what the song was about more specifically, you can tell it's something taboo or destructive based on the words used and the PVs Dir en grey produces.  Oh my goodness, the powers of conversion the "Obscure" PV has on people.  One of the most gore filled PVs produced in jrock, but also one of the most unforgettable PVs.

Kyo himself is unforgettable.  He portrays himself as this horrifying and previously self mutilating individual when in fact he actually hates violence the most.  (It has been said that offstage he is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet.)  Dir en grey is most known for their dark and ominous sound accompanied with Kyo's blood curdling screams.  His screams range from growls to screeching.  It's such a violent sound to listen to and oddly enough it is one of the most beautiful things to listen to.  None of the band's songs are happy songs, but I still love them because they can express violent pain, despair, anger, and many extreme emotions.  As someone who is angry at a lot of things, angry songs made me feel better and is probably the safest way to let out some stress.  As an artist, I want to be unforgettable too.

After rediscovering Dir en grey, I am very much in love with Kyo.  He's so violent on stage, but every time I look at offstage photos or interviews, he's so adorable.  He looks the same as he was 15 years ago even though he's in his late thirties.  This is one of the reasons fans love him.  Not to mention the fanservive he gives on stage.  I dig his dancing and his tattoos.  If I were to guess what his personality is like since I don't know him in person, I would say he is a very daring individual willing to experiment artistically and will live his life without any fear.  I'm also guessing Kyo is a generous person if he really likes you.

Syu
In the more recent month, I became a bigger fan of Syu, the leader and guitarist of Galneryus.    I've always liked Galneryus' style because they were the first band that got me into power metal.  When I watched "Angel of Salvation" this year, I was blown away.  Galneryus improved so much as a band since I last listened to them two years ago.  Masatoshi Ono's vocals is incredible and Syu's playing is godly.  So I finally decide to join the Galneryus facebook page despite the fact I cannot understand a single word of Japanese.  However, it led me to add Syu-san as a friend online.  I was ecstatic when the request was approved like many other fans.  Ever since I've started following Syu online, I became a much happier person.

So what exactly made me become so infatuated?  Well, Syu updates quite frequently with pictures or not.  Some entries are in English which is better for me.  Based on his entries, I've fallen in love with his sense of humor.  They're sometimes very cute statuses and contain emoticons.  I'm like, Wow, you can play hardcore music but be so adorable at the same time.  Syu is a very genuine person based on how he writes.  You can tell he really loves music and will live for the sake of music.  I really admire that.  You can only be successful if you really love what you do.  I am glad that I chose the arts as my future profession.  Syu-san, you now have a new book out and hold seminars in Japan.  I think it's great that he's doing something he loves and teaching others at the same time.  A very positive and high-spirited individual.  Not to mention how energetic and passionate he is on stage.

Satoshi
There are a lot of Satoshis out there and I'm talking about the vocalist of Girugamesh.   I don't know too much personal details about Satoshi, but I shared a similar view on lifestyle with him.  He once said that he will not smoke or indulge in a party lifestyle that is stereotypically attributed to rockers.  He wanted to be a rocker living a positive and healthier lifestyle.  So far, Satoshi has been true to his word and I trust that he will set a good image for his fans.  I also think his positive image is worth learning from.  Being a rocker doesn't mean succumbing to earthly desires, but more importantly being the rebel.  You should rebel against the stereotype and push away the pressures society puts on you.  Of course, easier said than done, but still doable.  For Satoshi, writing lyrics and creating music is the best way to stay away from harmful influence.  When Girugamesh first began, they had a very dark image; dressing in black suits and donning black kerchiefs over their mouths.  Black hair and white contact lenses, growls and screams in earlier songs, industrial soundtrack playing in the background; all of this is not considered mainstream appeal.  Girugamesh had been criticized for being more pop-like in the recent years, but I believe that they are experimenting with a lighter sound.  They did not abandon the more hardcore distortions of their earlier years for the sake of being a mainstream band.  Just because a band creates a more happier melody doesn't mean they've lost their touch.

T.M. Revolution/Abingdon Boys School
If there's a name you should know in jpop/jrock, it's T.M. Revolution.  Real name, Takanori Nishimura.  Currently also a regular member on the show, Shin Domoto Kyoudai.  His songs are very catchy and on Shin Domoto Kyoudai, he's pretty funny too.  He seems like a pretty down to earth person and connects with his fans very well.  I enjoy his fun personality and his courage to dress differently on stage.  When he was in his Abingdon Boys School era, Nishimura was a real rocker in terms of clothing and song.  I really enjoyed the fashion and look of the entire performance. 

Furthermore, I would like to add that there are many other musicians that could possibly be on this personal list.  These names here are most important to me personally.  If I were to have an honorable mentions sort of award, I would give it to Yoshiki of X-Japan, Sugizo of Luna Sea, and all members of the GazettE.  X-Japan is the reason why visual kei exists and visual kei has really changed my life.  Luna Sea is also part of the earlier visual kei movement and is slowly growing on me.  The GazettE was the first band I listened to that introduced me to more distorted sounds and grotesque visuals.  They are willing to write music on sensitive subjects without being censored.  Fashionwise, all three of these honorable mentions have inspired me.  Thus, I conclude this first entry.