This is for everyone who has been wanting to get into visual kei. I hope this guide will help you & if you still have questions, just ask me.
Note: I did not write this guide, nor do I take credit for it. Credit for this guide goes to Jeff, Winona, and Shiro from VKH.
@sanasideup @Yutazenpai @Gwacekpop2 @pika_chuu I’m tagging you guys because I believe you were some of the users who were interested in learning about Vkei.
What is Visual Kei:
Visual kei is a movement and subculture from Japan, most often associated with rock and metal music. Like it's 1980s glam metal inspiration, visual kei is characterized by elaborate hairstyles and costumes, varying levels of makeup, and a general prioritization placed on aesthetics in addition to music. Visual kei artists often focus as much on the visual aesthetics of their act as they do on their music.
Things to Consider If You're New to Visual KeiNote: I did not write this guide, nor do I take credit for it. Credit for this guide goes to Jeff, Winona, and Shiro from VKH.
@sanasideup @Yutazenpai @Gwacekpop2 @pika_chuu I’m tagging you guys because I believe you were some of the users who were interested in learning about Vkei.
What is Visual Kei:
Visual kei is a movement and subculture from Japan, most often associated with rock and metal music. Like it's 1980s glam metal inspiration, visual kei is characterized by elaborate hairstyles and costumes, varying levels of makeup, and a general prioritization placed on aesthetics in addition to music. Visual kei artists often focus as much on the visual aesthetics of their act as they do on their music.
- Androgyny and Makeup: Although the artists in visual kei are mostly male, many of them adopt an androgynous look, and some of them outright gender-bend. It's worth noting that in visual kei the aesthetics are fundamentally for artistic expression, and do not necessarily reflect a specific gender or sexual identity. There are also many varying levels of visual expression within with the scene. Whether you embrace flamboyant fashion or prefer toned-down aesthetics, you're sure to find something that suits your tastes.
- Respect Your Own Limits: Visual kei is a scene where nothing is sacred (you could argue this makes it especially pure as an art form). It's entirely possible to find something that offends you or makes you uncomfortable, and that's completely fine. Feel free to be as selective about which aspects of the scene you prefer as you like.
- Familiar vs Unfamiliar: Many visual kei artists take influences from western culture and combine it with influences from their own. Others strive to make music that doesn't sound like anything else. Visual kei is a great place to find familiar sounds while investigating unfamiliar genres, so feel free to be as preferential or experimental in your music selection as you want.
- Nothing is Vanilla: Most modern visual kei artists blend sounds from multiple genres (the amount varies from artist to artist). This is also true (to a lesser extent) in regards to visual style. Many of the styles and sounds in the examples below could arguably be put in other categories. While this is a valid point, we picked the category that we think best represents the song or video the most. However, it's important to keep in mind that you will rarely find a visual kei band that fully adheres to the definitions of a single music genre.
- Visual Kei by Look - "The Kei's"
Angura Kei: Reflecting traditional Japanese fashion, this subgenre uses traditional kimonos, Japanese uniforms, and more to get the point across.
Example: "Etsu to Utsu" by Kiryu
Eroguro Kei: Inspired by the Eroguro ("erotic-grotesque") artistic movement, dark themes are reflected in costumes and makeup. Similar to the art movement from which it was created, eroguro kei often focuses on eroticisim, sexual corruption, and decadence. The music tends to be aggressive (or at least dark and gloomy), and music videos featuring displays of gore and eroticism are not uncommon.
Example: "THE KINKY" by DADAROMA
- Extra Kei*: Use of an overwhelming variety of visual and/or musical styles atonce make the bands appear very... "extra". Extra Kei bands tend to create songs that force sounds from many different genres on top of or adjacent to each other while still sounding somewhat cohesive. Visuals tend to be excessive and clashing.
Example: "Maguro Kaitai Chainsaw" by ACME
Genki Oshare Kei: A subset of Oshare Kei (see below) with a strong focus on "enthusiastic", "energetic", and "lively" aesthetics to fit its name. While it still prioritizes trendy fashion, Genki Oshare Kei often incorporates a large mix of bright colors and unconventional fashion choices into its style.
Example: "Odarasareta jinsei" by Vivarush
Iryou Kei: "Iryou" translates to "medical". It features the use of medical themes, often in a grotesque fashion (lab coats, eyepatches, blood-soaked versions of the previous two, etc.). Although it's rarely used in the modern scene, it's still noteworthy. General rule of thumb is if the band wears white lab coat, they're probably Iryou Kei.
Example: "Tsumi wa Boku wo Irozukeru" by SEX-ANDROID
Kirakira Kei: Generally characterized by flashy or shiny costumes, glamorous makeup, and often (but not always) a lighter, mainstream-friendly sound.
Example: "Starry Heaven" by Royz
Kote Kei: These are "old school" visual kei bands of the from the 80s and early-to-mid 90's and the modern bands that emulate them. Hairstyles and costumes are usually wild, colorful, and shocking. Heavy use of makeup and accessories. It's generally considered to be a throwback look.
Example: "Farewell another version" by La'veil MizeriA
Kurofuku Kei: Artists in this subculture wear all black clothing, usually black suits. Most bands in this subculture were early visual kei bands (some of whom are still active), although some modern examples can also be found.
Example: "MISS TAKE ~Boku wa Miss Take~" by BUCK-TICK
Nagoya Kei: A subculture of bands that (mostly) originate from the city of Nagoya, Japan. They're characterized by gloomier and darker aesthetics compared to most of visual kei. Visuals are much more toned-down compared to other subcultures, with a stronger emphasis placed on the music. Bands in this subculture usually take more influence from western music than eastern.
Example: "SORROW" by DEATHGAZE
Neo-Visual Kei: A more "modern" approach to visual kei, often associated with the second generation of the movement (bands formed in the 21st century). Costumes and makeup are strongly-influenced by current-day fashion trends. Music genres range from metal to pop with no core focus, but songs often consist of catchy or mainstream-friendly sounds performed in a heavy metal context. The most popular bands in the visual kei scene are often neo-visual kei bands.
Example: "LIQUID VAIN" by RAZOR
Oshare Kei: Utilizing trendy fashion ("oshare" literally translates to "trendy" or "fashionable") and somewhat more traditional makeup compared to other subcultures, bands in this subgenre tend to reflect the popular styles at the time of each release. You'll see a range of styles and color palettes over the period these bands are active, varying from the bright colors you'd often see in Harajuku fashion or Genki Oshare Kei (see above) and the dark colors of today's streetwear. They reflect what the kids are wearing these days.
Example: "Punky Heart" By LM.C- https://youtu.be/Z86RRgu3If4
Parody Kei*: Focused primarily on parodying various aspects of the visual kei scene, these bands turn sketch comedy into music videos. Bands often wear outfits imitating other subcultures that look more like caricatures than authentic visuals. A single song can be a mash-up of popular visual kei musical tropes (such as the "anisong" chorus that mainstream bands use on tracks that will be featured in anime openings/endings). Bands may switch between multiple outfits and musical styles in a single music video, depending on how many aspects of the visual kei scene they are parodying.
Example: "Yuugai Menhera Doll" by 0.1 no gosan
- YouTube
Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.youtu.be
Soft Kei: Softer and more toned-down than most of the other sub-genres of visual kei, it's considered "easy on the eyes". Visuals feature classy outfits and natural makeup, and music is often light and catchy.
Example: "Mirai Iro" by Plastic Tree- https://youtu.be/x3msEOwONhg
Tanbi Kei: Costumes and other visuals that are heavily-inspired by classical European cultures make up this style, particularly the Baroque, Victoria, and Rococo eras. Music includes many classical elements and instruments that were common in these European eras. Occasionally all-white costumes may be used for lighter songs. Inversely, they wear all-black costumes for heavier songs. Music videos often include religious imagery, scenery depicting aristocracy or royalty, and castles or other iconic European-era structures.
Example: "Je l'aime" by Moi dix Mois- https://youtu.be/wJkQMC_0BSI
Visual Kei by Sound: Popular Genres
Alternative Metal: This genre drives metal elitists crazy, because it basically breaks all the rules they make about what metal "should be." Alternative metal bands mix heavy metal with genres that are not normally associated with metal, such as electronic music, hip hop, and funk. Some of the most popular metal bands in both visual kei and the west are alt-metal bands. Western examples include Faith No More (the genre's creators), Slipknot, and Mudvayne.
Example: "Falling" by the GazettE-
The GazettE - Falling
Music video by The GazettE performing Falling. (C) 2018 Sony Music Records, a division of Sony Music Labels Inc.http://vevo.ly/rsfDNgyoutu.be
