Without knowing beforehand what it was, I sort of referred to Visual Kei (in my head) as the Japanese people who “had emo hair and fancy clothes”. And that basically sums up what Visual Kei is — though I’m pretty sure they’re not emo. Some of them, at least.
Visual Kei is a category that Japanese bands can fall under, characterized by elaborate and flashy costumes and makeup. It is commonly confused to be a genre of music, as rock and metal lie in its roots, but nowadays Visual Kei simply refers to the outfits artists wear, as not every Visual Kei artist plays the same type of music or sticks to one genre. Here are some examples of different bands.
Most Visual Kei artists are known for playing Jrock music, which is probably why it is thought to be a genre. (I thought so too, at first.) But since Visual Kei is mostly about the visuals, let’s talk a bit more about that, shall we?
Visual Kei artist Kaya. I actually met him at Anime Expo and got his signature, and attended his panel. Very nice and very funny! ❤ I love you, Kaya!
Another thing Visual Kei is known for is how androgynous, or well, how good at crossdressing they are. Yes, Kaya is a man, and yes, he wears dresses. And so are Hizaki and Jasmine, both of whom are from Versailles, and pictured down here, respectively.
It goes the other way too, with groups such as Exist Trace, a female Visual Kei band.
If you like cool outfits and pretty people and rock like I do, I suggest you give Visual Kei a try!
JK-Poptarts 