Everyone who reads this blog knows I’m a huge Travel Channel fan. I consider it the privilege of a lifetime to have been on Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods TV show in Tokyo. Last April, I nearly fainted when Samantha Brown’s producers contacted me about being her guide for the Japan episode. It would have been another dream come true; unfortunately, the timing didn’t work out…

But what really started my Travel Channel love affair was Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. My “spooky crew” and I are such fans of his show that we re-created his Tokyo episode… Goth style. (If you missed this funny post, you can see it here.)

This August, Bourdain celebrates 100 episodes of his food and travel show, No Reservations. To celebrate, Travel Channel asked viewers to send video messages for Tony (some will be shown on TV!). You can see mine above and on YouTube. If I say please, will you take a minute to watch and comment? Pretty please?

Allo, allo, Tokyo Telephone is calling! The wonderfully designed blog about chic Japanese fashion interviewed me about my style inspirations, subcultures and plans for the future. You can also read the entire text by clicking the title of this post.

“I’m all for inclusiveness. The Japan Goth/alternative underground remains a tiny family; the designers and artists can always use more support. I hope the increased awareness will help Japanese subcultures stay strong and keep breaking new ground.”

Now, for something to put a smile on your face… my Scottish Fold cat, Basil Farrow, in the washing machine. We know he loves to be clean, but this is getting ridiculous.

My kitty found the metal interior cozy enough for napping. Better not turn on the machine — or we’d have a soaked teddy bear.

I hope you enjoy my video for Anthony Bourdain’s hundredth TV episode. Do you think Tony’s next stop should be Hokkaido, to eat scrumptious Japanese food with La Carmina? Please comment on the video if your answer is YES!

Slowly but surely, I’ll get my Gothic Lolita Punk store photos up here for you! Let’s start our journey with the Innocent World boutique in Shinsabashi, the Osaka district where most alternative clothing brands are situated. (I have an Osaka shopping map here; I’ll have to update it, but it’ll give you a general idea of the locale.) The shop is on the fifth floor, so look up for the pink-and-brown sign decorated with playing card symbols.

There’s a mirror in the elevator. If you’re anything like Yukiro and me, that means fixing our makeup and mugging for photos, all in the span of the 40-second ride.

When you step in, you’ll find a beautiful display of Lolita clothing on the back wall, lit up as if this were a Rococo fashion museum. On the right, Yukiro is holding up the Classical Lolita dress style I coveted (although I later found a secondhand Metamorphose one at Closet Child; outfit photos here).

Pastels and playing cards are recurring themes in Innocent World’s spring collection. And the sweet shoes! Words fail me… as does the price (around $140 US)…

The hat is the perfect accessory for a picnic or stroll in the park. To make matters more wonderful, you can store it in a round box decorated with kittens and roses.

Downstairs, there is yet another Innocent World shop. Here, the layout and decor are more casual, but the items (and prices) are about the same. Redundant, if you ask me.

I loved examining the frilled parasols, crown-shaped handbags and sweet knee socks up close. You may recognize the white rabbit purse on the right; I bought it the previous week at Marui One Shinjuku.

Which Loli skirt print do you like best: the roses, baby deer or fruit?

Next, I’ll post photos from Atelier Pierrot in Osaka, which has a section for Chantilly. And I haven’t forgotten your Reader Questions; I’ll get on that too…

Quick, what words come to mind when you see the lovely fashion in the Innocent World shop?

Japanese Word of the Day: Mokusei = Jupiter
Song of the Day: Animetal – Zankoku na Tenshi no Teze (Evangelion theme song, so good.)

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: our favorite sushi restaurant in Tokyo. Hibari is a cheap but melt-in-your-mouth fresh conveyor belt sushi parlor, located a few steps to the left when you exit Shinjuku Club Marz (map here). Since it’s open all night, we often head here after dancing at monthly Goth event Midnight Mess. Daytime, this is the prime spot to ogle spiky-haired Japanese host boys!

Skull tshirt: Mari’s Rock, from Closet Child Shinjuku
Gothic vest: Gramm, from Closet Child Shinjuku
Lavender casual skirt: Algonquins, from Closet Child Shinjuku
Ashi dashi pencil knee highs: gifted from Sock Dreams
(Count de Sang is wearing a Tokyo Gore Police t-shirt.)

Mihoko is always the picture of elegance. Her clothes are by Moi-meme-Moitie, Mana’s Elegant Gothic Lolita brand.

That night, the sushi restaurant was invaded by spooks and schoolgirls. Everything is 130 yen (about a dollar) a plate, so we ate a lot!

Makeup: Using gifted Sugarpill Cosmetics black eyeshadow, I did a cat eye. Above, I applied lavender eyeshadow to match my skirt, and blue eyeliner below. I put matching pastel heart stickers on my forehead. My Dolly false eyelashes are super gyaru. The effect is dramatic up close, but softer from far away.

Hair: I pinned the top to one side and covered it with dollar store paper flowers.

Shinjuku’s kabuki-cho district is known for scantily-dressed hostesses. This advertising truck drove by and Yukiro ran out to be part of the action.

Look who’s here… I Am Sebastian! V-fingers for joy!

We picked up more spooky spooks and went into a noisy gaming center for purikura (sticker picture “print club” booths). The latest machines feature technology that make your eyes Godzilla-sized.

Sebastian and I did our best imitations of the kawaii gyaru models.

About ten of us piled into the tiny booth and tried to fit our faces onto the screen. See how the machine makes us white as snow, with big and shiny eyes? (I have a guide to taking perfect purikura and decorating the print-out stickers in this post.)

Funny story: great minds think alike, so Yukiro and I both gave Cotton Bale fake eyelashes as a gift. And them the purikura machine spat out yet another free pair… so she’s stocked up for life. On the right, Kana and I did a shoot-em-up zombie video game and got a bit too excited.

The night didn’t end there. Five of us went upstairs for all-night, all-you-can-drink karaoke. The photos aren’t fit to be seen by the public… however, let me sing the praises of Kana, who invented absinthe jelly and brought it for dessert. Aren’t spooky friends the best?

Do you and your friends like to go for sushi, purikura and karaoke? Where are your favorite haunts?

PS: Tokyo friends, come watch Yukiro’s musical debut this Saturday at Midnight Mess! He’ll be singing original songs and a Lady Gaga cover, and performing a one-time-only vulgar act. All details here.

Japanese Word of the Day: Shibafu = Lawn
Song of the Day: Dalida – Besame Mucho (My favorite era of the tragic Egyptian chanteuse.)

Remember when CSN Stores sent my Scottish Fold fat cat a giant parcel? What on Earth could be inside? Only the most epic pet product in existence… a Kittywalk Systems Sport cat stroller!

For our inaugural stroll, I dressed like a crazy cat lady. Half hippie, half bag woman. My clothes match Basil Farrow’s fur color.

Big blue circular sunglasses: from Halloweentown in Burbank, CA.
Fitted jacket with corset back: I got it ages ago in Hong Kong.
Baggy knee high socks: Also an old thing from the streets of Hong Kong.
Fuzzy dreadlock scarf: a DIY project.
Smiling kitty backpack: gifted from Limebarb. It increases the kawaii quotient of any coordinate!

Basil is not afraid of anything (except tin foil and belly dancers), so he enjoyed being rolled around outdoors in his personal carriage. Check out the top right photo — what a good little boy.

The removable “cage” has soft netting over the front, so your cat can look outside (with a cute squishy-face). This stroller comes in pink as well, but I thought blue would be the more manly choice.

The Kittywalk Systems Sport pet stroller is constructed as well as a human one: there are cup holders, spaces to store items, and levers to lock the wheels in place.

Looks like this kitten is ready for another walk! Many thanks to CSN Stores for the fabulous pet stroller. Come see more of Basil Farrow’s sideways-feet on his blog, Facebook and YouTube videos.

PS: My latest Global Gothic column for Lip Service Webzine is up. “The original Goths weren’t the members of Joy Division (haha) but the Visigoths and Ostrogoths – the East German tribes who invaded and ultimately decimated the Roman Empire. Today, Deutschland remains a Gothic hotspot, albeit in the black-lipstick-wearing, subcultural sense.” I interview my friends about Germany’s dark fashion trends and Schillerndes Dunkel, a new reference book on Goth culture. Come read it here!

Do you spoil your pet? What’s the most ridiculous item you’ve gotten for your baby?

Japanese Word of the Day: Moonbeam = Gekko
Song of the Day: Moon Kana – Hebi Ichigo

It’s a Jrock / Visual Kei announcement day! First, Kanon Wakeshima’s new album, Lolitawork Libretto, is finally out (pick it up here). To celebrate, I’m holding a giveaway contest with her record label Maru Music. Meaning you can win Kanon Wakeshima postcards autographed by the Gothic Lolita doll herself! Read on for details, and for exciting updates on the X Japan and D’espairsRay tours.

Kanon Wakeshima sings and plays Baroque cello, and is the prodigy-protegee of Visual Kei god Mana (Malice Mizer / Moi dix Mois). Above is the PV of her new single, Lolitawork Libretto, with French storytelling by Solita. Both her classical songwriting and Gothic Lolita princess dress are entrancing.

Here’s your chance to enter her lovely Lolita world — you can win an autographed 4-piece Kanon Wakeshima postcard set! Three of the postcards are photos of the adorable artist; one showcases an original artwork by her. And one of the cards is signed by Kanon Wakeshima herself.

HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST…
† Amazingly, Kanon began playing cello at age 3. How about you: what was your earliest encounter with a musical instrument? Please leave a comment in this blog post, sharing your story. If you don’t play any instruments, let me know what you’d like to learn and why.
† Please promote the contest in a blog or forum post, or link to it via Facebook, Twitter, Stumble or other social network. Include the link or username in your comment for verification.

Contest is open worldwide and ends Tues, August 3 at midnight Pacific Time. You may only enter once and must fulfill both requirements to be eligible. Winner will be picked at random. Email Carmina if you have questions.

I previously shared the news that Visual Kei legends X Japan will be touring North America in the fall. Here’s another exciting update: the band’s former bassist Taiji Sawada will join X Japan on stage as a special guest! He’ll appear for two concerts, held August 14 and 15 at Nissan Stadium in Tokyo.

It’s been 18.5 years since Taiji and X Japan last played together. Don’t you love the band’s hair-raising look in the 1980s? It seems like the increasing interest in Visual Kei outside of Japan is encouraging bands to reunite. And if the Kozi-Mana-Yuki love at the July concert was any indication, Malice Mizer is next… fingers crossed!

Finally, Askew Magazine has teamed up with D’espairsRay to create a special tour booklet. I’ve seen a preview, and it’s ultra-professional and made with love. The booklet contains entirely original photography and an in-depth look behind the creation of Monsters and the “Death Point” music video. This special edition item is only available via the merchandise table at D’espairsRay concerts in North America and possibly Europe — so head out to a show! And good news for fans who bought tickets to the cancelled shows (Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta) — Askew will send you a booklet for FREE (if you have proof of purchase and cover the shipping/handling). Head over to Askew Magazine’s site for more Visual Kei goodies.

Anyone pumped to see D’espairsRay live? Come enter the Kanon Wakeshima contest by commenting about your first musical experience and spreading the word on the giveaway. (I’ll get the ball rolling.)

Japanese Word of the Day: Zetsubou = Despair
Song of the Day: TAIJI with HEAVEN’S (from “The Birthday Eve” show in Tokyo on March 26, 2010).

Apologies for falling behind on Gothloli of the Week! Amazingly, 100 people have been featured since this blog’s inception. Let’s now widen the net a little… and re-name this feature “Gothloli & Jrock Inspiration.” Meaning I’d love to showcase boys and girls who rock Visual Kei and Harajuku street style — whether it’s decora, kawaii, gyaru, or a mix of everything. Ready to share your story? Email me your answers to the questions below, and at least 3 high-res photos.

† Name: Rose
† Age: 22
† Location: Sechelt, BC, Canada
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita/Harajuku/Visual Kei fashion?
I don’t quite remember how I found it, but for sure it was through the internet. I think I was about 11 or 12 when I got interested, and I’ve always worn Lolita style on and off ever since.
† What do you find appealing about the style and culture?
I’ve always loved cute styles, and I like that I can work Lolita in with whatever other style I’m into at the time, whether it’s punk, gyaru, or whatever else my current obsession is! I’ve been in love with antiques and Victorian culture/style forever, and I like how all the Lolita styles have a bit of a Victorian influence. To me it’s a style that requires a bit of class, and I think Lolitas should always have good manners, which is something that I think is important in everyday life.

† What are your favorite Gothic Lolita Punk clothing brands?
Alice and the Pirates, Antique Beast, Sex Pot Revenge, Putumayo, Moi-meme-Moitie, BTSSB, but I love items from many other brands, and like to make my own crazy styles. I also have a huge obsession with Suppurate System.
† Any other comments (inspiration, tips, favorites)?
I think my first inspiration was Kana, I thought she was the cutest! But when it comes to decor and that sort if thing, I read everything I can about Victorian decorating. Also, I’m into taxidermy, and when I see animals, it sounds weird but they inspired many of my creations. For tips I think I would say, just do whatever you like, I never consider what other people will think of what I am wearing, if I like it, even if I’m the only one, thats enough for me, you have to be happy in what you wear. I think that’s what makes a person look good, if you can tell they are happy with themselves.

Film of the Week: The Girl Who Played With Fire (Noomi Rapace, Michael Nyqvist). The take-no-prisoners Goth computer hacker is back! I haven’t read the novels by Sweden’s Steig Larsson but loved the first film, Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The sequel takes the already-brutal story to a darker and bloodier place. Lisbeth Salander (Rapace) returns to Sweden and is promptly pinned for murder. Who’s after her, and how’s the plan linked to a sex trafficking ring? A blond tank of a hitman and her long-gone father add fuel to the fire. The characterization is refreshingly atypical; instead of a Hollywood damsel in distress, you get a (half?) Asian lesbian lover who fights back. Rapace is a fierce actress throughout, but she’s at her best when she wears Goth clown makeup and tortures a sex pig — that’s the way to do it! The film is in theaters now; thanks to Alliance Films for the preview passes.

Introducing Harajuku Freak, an online purveyor of exclusive, one-off Japanese designer clothing. As many of you know, it’s near-impossible to find cutting-edge Japanese brand labels outside of the country. “So, due to our love of all things different and ahead-of-the-game, and to stop fashion freaks like ourselves having to travel across the globe to get their fix, we have hand picked the most interesting, luxurious and avant-garde labels making waves, and brought them to you.” (These names include Izreel, Motonari Ono, Akira Naka…)

The store is slashing all prices about 60% – so you’re only paying wholesale plus sales tax. And delivery is free worldwide. That’s an incredible deal for cutting-edge clothing you can’t find outside of Japan! Come browse the Japanese men’s and women’s designer clothing on Harajuku Freak’s site before it’s gone.

If you would like to be featured as “Gothloli & Jrock Inspiration,” please email me your answers to the questions above, and at least 3 high-res photos. For Gothic Lolita Punk shopping guides and online stores, check out the links to clothing brands on the right column of my blog.

The next time you buy from Amazon.com, may I ask you to please consider supporting this blog by shopping via my site? Just click here and search for whatever you want from Amazon (there are no extra costs to you).

Thanks so much and please keep in touch (I love hearing from you and try to respond to everyone): RSS feed, posts in your inbox, MySpace, Facebook Group, Facebook Fan page, Twitter, YouTube, Bloglovin and Google Friend Connect (right sidebar of my blog).

Sad news, my friends… the iconic Takuya Angel shop in Harajuku will be closing soon.

Wait, don’t start bawling! Takuya Angel will no longer have a boutique by Takeshita Doori, but you can still buy his cute cyber designs via his online shop.

Takuya Angel can now concentrate on designing and selling internationally. My friends Kynt and Vyxsin modeled in his US fashion show, so they asked us to deliver a gift: a decorated a Lip Service calendar.

It’s sad, however, that we can no longer stop by the Takuya Angel shop to say hi. I’ll miss seeing the latest designs up close, such as this gorgeous silk crane jacket, made from vintage kimono fabric.

The neon decor and friendly staff always put a smile on my face. And the eyelashes are out of this world.

Yukiro modeled in Takuya’s fashion shows alongside DJ Chihiro, SiSEN and others. He says, “It’s been an honor to work with him, and I’m very sad that the store is closing down.”

If you’re in Tokyo, stop by the iconic Takuya Angel Harajuku store before it’s gone forever.

Smile, my little panda bears… you can continue to buy Takuya Angel’s designs online, so please support him!

I leave you with a video of Takuya Angel Fashion Show #18 at Tokyo Dark Castle here. Can you spot Yukiro among the models?

Have you ever visited Takuya Angel’s store? Got any fond memories of the boutique?

Japanese Word of the Day: Tsume yasuri = Nail file
Song of the Day: Françoise Hardy – Comment Te Dire Adieu (the song in the video of the last Takuya Angel fashion show)

My dark ones, I’m very excited to announce my latest travel hosting job! Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods host) introduced me to Project Explorer, an educational nonprofit travel series for young people. The mission: to provide students with access to multimedia resources that foster cross-cultural understanding. Project Explorer has put the spotlight on four countries to date — and I’ll be hosting the next travel series in Asia.

(The fanart above is by the ultra-talented Erika Relyea, age 13 — my cat’s happy smile is spot on! If you’d like to showcase your Carmina / Basil art here, send me an email.)

I’m so excited to be part of a project that fosters causes dear to me. On Project Explorer’s Good Global Citizen website, anyone can upload videos to share ideas on global citizenship. Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern and I participated; you can see my video above and here.

How travel has changed your global perspective? What does it mean to YOU to be a Good Global Citizen? Submit your own video response at http://www.goodglobalcitizen.ning.com

No need for circle contact lenses or eyelid surgery to achieve the big-eyed effect — dramatic fake eyelashes will do the trick. As for your lips: say no to collagen, and yes to sparkly pink lip gloss. My shirt with the cute ghost print is by Peace Now, from Closet Child Ikebukuro.

Now, I’m wondering if you can help us out with something… Might you have any contacts with the tourism boards of Japan, Korea or Taiwan? Project Explorer would like to speak to a representative to collaborate on the travel series. Please let me know if you have any tourism board contacts or can help out in any way.

Do you remember when CSN Stores sent my Scottish Fold a fancy cat lounger? Wahh, another package has arrived for the little prince!

My round-head kitty sniffed the big box. What could be inside? CSN has online stores for lights, health and fitness, office supplies… Or could it be another pampered pet product? (And how cute are Basil’s sideways-feet?)

Basil Farrow is giving me an angry face; I guess I’d better open up the box. Keep checking this blog to see what he received!

What’s your favorite travel TV show? I’m a fan of Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain, but I’ll watch any program that involves travel. Please let me know if you have contacts with Asian tourism organizations; thank you in advance!

Japanese Word of the Day: Chikyu zentai no = Global
Song of the Day: ohGr – cracker

How about a run-down of Osaka’s best Visual Kei joints? There’s a large Jrock / VK music store in Shinsaibashi’s Big Step building (it’s the Visual dot on my Osaka shopping map). At the entrance, you can pick up free flyers plastered with the faces of your favorite Visual rockers.

Last May, Deluhi and Mix Speaker’s Inc were well-ranked in the Top Ten. Their Tokyo concert proved that they could deliver live as well (you can read my full show review here).

The Vambie demonstrate two cute new Asian poses.

Kansai is also home to several head-banging bars that blast Visual Kei music. In my new CNNGo article, I write: “When bands tour Osaka, they frequently stop by Territory, DJ Taiki’s occult shop in Shinsaibashi. Then they might walk around the corner to Moonwalk, a bar that pumps Marilyn Manson and Japanese glam metal to a young, heavily pierced crowd.”

Yukiro and I randomly found Bar Moonwalk after we left DJ Taiki’s haunt. We saw a sign that said “All drinks 200 yen” — and then glimpsed the eyeliner-smeared bartender above (named Kouta) – and that sealed the deal. Kouta is the bassist in a new Visual Kei act, which also has a Swedish member. Even though the band hasn’t even started rehearsing, he’s got the look down. And just like Fu-ki, he brought over free drinks… three shots, for all of us!

Osaka’s most famous hard rock / heavy metal hangout is Bar Rock Rock; Alice Cooper and Motley Crue are among the celeb customers. And don’t forget Midian, run by the ex-member of BLOOD: “Like a Goth Elvis, vocalist Fu-ki is alive and ominously wielding an ice pick behind the counter of his Bar Midian.” (You can see photos and in-depth directions to Fu-ki’s bar here).

Come read the rest of my CNNGo article about Osaka’s rock bars here. Please rate and “Like” it so that CNN will publish more articles about Visual Kei and boy-on-boy antics.

Wahh, my Scottish Fold’s fancy outdoor playpen featured on the Catio Showcase blog! “This isn’t the kind of catio for rambunctious cats, but Basil Farrow is quite well-mannered (no jumping or escaping), plus he is always supervised on his catio, I’m assuming by his bodyguards.” That’s about right…

Have you been to any of Osaka’s Visual Kei bars or record stores? Which bands would YOU rank in your top ten? Thanks for supporting my CNNGo article with a Like.

Japanese Word of the Day: Goumon = Torture
Song of the Day: Malice Mizer – Beast of Blood

Last Saturday, Malice Mizer’s three founding members (Mana, Kozi, Yuki) reunited on stage for the first time in almost a decade. The Deep Sanctuary II concert was a profoundly moving experience -– not only for the audience, but for the band members as well. The trio performed Beast of Blood. They hugged. Mana cried. And Yukiro and Count de Sang were right smack in the front row, witnessing it all. Let’s hear their story. (All photos by Yukiro.)

COUNT DE SANG: The brilliance of the July sunlight added a dreamlike quality to the Akasaka Blitz venue. In spite of the bright rays shining down around it, a kind of dark energy seemed to be gathering force as black-clad figures swarmed toward the building where history was about to be made.

YUKIRO: It was great to see so many wonderfully dressed up fans, even though the weather was hot and the wind messed up our hair and make-up. I was wearing a classic Dravarious look, and Count de Sang was of course wearing only Moi-meme-Moitie: we counted and it was about 10-12 items. He bought a Dark Sanctuary II shirt for 4000 yen.

COUNT: My fellow darklings and I found our way to the front row, directly in front of the platform where Mana was to stand in all of his darkly effulgent majesty. But first, Közi was determined to get the party started with one Hell of a performance.

YUKIRO: After we waited almost an hour and a half in the heat, Kozi’s band went on stage. Drummer Cha-ji had extremely sick make-up and his energy was beyond comprehensible. He gave 200% all the time even in the slow songs — and the guitarist played barefoot! Kozi looked fresh and younger, and had a cool hairstyle: a teased, forward-bended brown Mohawk, and he had fashionable black and red garments wrapped around him.

COUNT: While last year’s Deep Sanctuary left me with the distinct feeling that Közi had somehow lost his musical edge, this year I was blown away by the high-energy, nonstop onslaught of pure delight as only he can deliver it. Közi brought the venue to a fever pitch as he mentioned the day’s special guest…Yu~ki!

YUKIRO: Kozi called him “Hakushaku” so we had to scream HAKUSHAKU! They were referring to the vampire movie they did.

COUNT: The next song was announced as the piece that Yu~ki composed for Közi’s album. It was a beautiful performance, filled with power and emotion, and it left everyone breathless as Moi dix Mois prepared to take the stage.

YUKIRO: They switched the background to a Dix-pentagram and we waited, hot and smushed from every direction. When Mana entered, everyone screamed MANA-SAMA and went crazy. Mana was wearing a scandalously short skirt with a black and blue transparent fabric over it so you could see his gorgeous legs. He had, of course, everything in black and blue and a shining blue cross on his stylish black guitar (he switched to one with a red shining cross for the last song). K and Seth and the other two were all in black and red as always, but their clothes were awesome. They’d put a lot more effort in their outfits this year.

COUNT: The tight lineup gave a solid performance that skillfully blended classics, such as “Ange” and “La dix croix,” along with standard Seth-era pieces like “exclude” and “Metaphysical.” The ritual song “dispell bound” and “Immortal Madness” served to bring the entire audience together as one with the band. The set list also included two unreleased songs and one all new piece, which are set to appear on the new album (slated for early October of this year). Whetting the audience’s appetite even more, Seth informed us that “the Count” would not be resurrected unless we called for him loudly enough. And so, with shouts of “hakushaku!!” the long-missing bassist of the legendary Malice Mizer was called forth from the darkness.

YUKIRO: Of course they did the DIX ritual with the audience, and Mana gave a lot of energy, headbanging and spinning like crazy. It was wonderful to observe from up close.

COUNT: As the curtain closed on Moi dix Mois’ final song, the anticipation was nearly tangible as the entire audience stood with bated breath. The stillness was broken with only a few tones, soon followed by countless shouts of delight as the haunting melody of “Saikai no chi to bara” reached our ears. The curtains opened, and I saw a sight that I had never expected to see in my lifetime…Mana, Közi, and Yu~ki, on stage together for the first time in nearly ten years.

YUKIRO: Yuki to the right, Mana on the left and Kozi in the middle, each one with a red rose in his hand. Yuki wore a hat and his nostalgic Malice Mizer make-up. This sight was too much for me: the audience and I screamed my lungs out. When Kozi started to speak, we screamed so much that he wasn’t able to. It was so supreme and divine, it was like GOD himself had appeared in front of you and you just never wanted it to end. Pure ecstasy. There are no words to describe the feelings I had. It was too much; I could die happy now.

Mana started to cry and that was too much for me and I burst into tears again. But they suddenly got a hold of themselves and started to play a normal rock song, a bit Motley Crue-ish. Kozi’s singing is really amazing. They don’t need Gackt or Klaha; they could work as the three legends.

COUNT: The friendship and camaraderie between the three simply radiated from the stage. I was dumbstruck, and could only be carried along by the force and emotion of the music.

YUKIRO: After that song the most amazing thing in my life (so far) happened. They announced they were to play “Beast of Blood.” The audience held their breath for a nanosecond to comprehend what Kozi just had told us – and then we screamed more than we ever did! It was amazing; everything I’ve ever wanted it to be. Kozi could sing it as well as Klaha, and they had an air fog cannon bomb in the last chorus. The audience screamed “Malice Mizer” which felt magical. All we had been longing for, for the last 8-9 years, was right in front of us.

YUKIRO: When they were supposed to go off stage, everyone screamed and screamed so they changed their minds and went back and did a GROUP hug. Mana jumped on Yuki and Kozi; it was heavenly to see. We all started to scream “encore” and they went out one more time, but Kozi sad that they didn’t had any more songs to do — so they just thanked us and did one more group hug — and you can see that they were really feeling it themselves. I was speechless and in a shock, and about to faint, emotion overflowing. I couldn’t have dreamt of a live this good.

COUNT: The curtain closed on what was certainly an all-too-short reunion, but as the three gentlemen of Malice Mizer left the stage with their arms around each other, I think everyone present sensed a certain amount of hope for the future. According to Mana and Közi, malice and misery are the very essence of this life itself, and as long as we live on, the darkly beautiful spark of Gothic romance that Malice Mizer inspired in all of us will never die.

Thank you to both of you for the heartfelt reports! Did you get chills up your spine as you read about the powerful moments? What do you portend for the future of Malice Mizer?

Japanese Word of the Day: Eda = Branch (of a tree)
Song of the Day: Malice Mizer – Bara ni Irodorareta – Saikai no Chi to Bara (“Because here they stand like they did yesterday at the concert.”)