I want to start this topic, hoping you guy would help me get clear a few things about jrock music.
In many bands music and videos I see a lot of violence. It’s not a problem to me but I see a specific thing that I explain myself one way, and bands usually speak about in very different manner. It’s a death of a young woman.
Starting with Gazette - Guren, Taion, Chizuru, Reila… VAMPS with Piano Duet, Gackt with Flower, TBS - Ushinai, Ruvish, a lot of Dir en grey music too…
Just help me with this because I have one idea for the songs and maybe I’m in total wrong.
For Kyo and Ruki I know they’ve been rejected and even tormented by their families. I know nothing of Jin but my logic leads to the idea the girl in the video (any) could represent a victim, a girlfriend, friend, family member or themselves even. A woman is accepted fragile and more vulnerable. A man would never admit his weakness, it’s a matter of pride. Could it be somehow a reflection? A lot of similar moments in those videos makes me think things.
What’s the point of a man singing of a death of a child or a young girl if they are not somehow related? It’s so common topic that I’m starting to ask myself what it’s all this about.
Share your thoughts, please.
It’s a very interesting question! But I think there is no single catch all cases answer here.
Taion for exemple is about a real murder case while Reila is more of a love song?
Kyo sometimes sings from the perspective of a female person (using first person pronouns coomonly used by female speakers). Maybe because he wants to explore other perspectives.
I think one aspect is shock value. The death of a young female person is more shocking to most people than the one of an old men. But there are many possibilities. Like a sad song becomes more sad if it is about a deceased person and the real murder case can be shock value or just something that had a lot media cover and let to inspiration.
But in the end I try not to interpret too much into lyrics regarding the personality of the writers. I have a guilty pleasure for songs about suicide but there is really no reason to worry about me. Maybe it just fits the “dark” images of the bands. Like an easy plot devise to create “horror”.
Still I can’t make the connection. I am aware of Japanese “dark side”, the sakura, the young pretty faces, the olways-young girls and their beauty… It’s like everywhere, a trick, a lie. Nobody will show you a kid being molested, a girl raped and a crowded block where people live terrible life.
I think this is a way for japanese bands to share their emotions, frustration, tasting a life out of this. But still, how that explains anything?