Moi dix Mois Dis inferno XVIII LIQUIDROOM Live Stream

2020 was a difficult year, for so many reasons. Because of the pandemic, performers were especially hit hard. Many live shows were cancelled, including the Moi dix Mois Mana Birthday Sabbaths in March. Fast forward to the end of the year and more being known about how to reduce risk from the virus. Moi dix Mois returned to the stage for their annual end of the year show, Dis inferno~LAST YEAR PARTY. This time the venue was the LIQUIDROOM and many precautions were taken to protect both the staff and audience. In addition, there was a Moi dix Mois first. The show was filmed and then released online for a limited time. Which was wonderful for fans who could not travel to Dis inferno XVIII. So here is my review of that.

Each member walked on stage to the music of "En Lumière". Mana walked out with the ESP jeune fille X Ferrum -Cross Ray illusion- guitar. Right away they began playing the hard hitting "deus ex machina" with Seth on lead vocal and Ryux doing backing death vocal. This was the same opening as last year's Dis inferno. During the song Mana and Seth switched places with Mana standing center stage. This happened a number of times during the show and it looks great. 

"Welcome! We are Moi dix Mois!" shouted Seth in Japanese as a very intense "Front et Baiser" was next. In normal times there are cheers and people call out the names of the performers. While everyone clapped, I think the feeling of energy was not as present as it usually. I do think it may have affected the beginning of the show. Japanese audiences are usually polite, the virus increased that. Despite that, I am always impressed at how well the band plays. It's a credit to the talented and experienced musicians of Moi dix Mois.

I want to comment on the sound. I was wearing studio head phone for my first viewing and the sound was actually really good for this live performance. I could hear the individual instruments and the three vocalists, along with the high and low ends. However many people are use to having the low end boosted so the sound may seem a little less than what they are use to. Along with that, I could swear there was a live keyboardist, something I don't remember as much from actual performances. For cameras, maybe there was four or more. Given the short turn around time from the day of the performance to the start of streaming, they did a good job. I've seen a few online live streams which didn't look or sound this good.

The beautiful opening music to "Solitude" began and the stage lights brightened to show Ryux playing lead guitar and Sugiya on stand up bass for a bossa nova rendition of "Solitude". This was similar to Aristocrat Kitchen Knife shows last year, except there were no maracas. After a chorus, the band switched to the rock version with Mana now playing lead guitar and Sugiya on his usual bass. There was some concern noted online by attendees as to how the two versions would be put together. The comments about the editing was that it was well done. 

"The other side of the door", a homage to Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" quickly followed "Solitude". It has developed into a more driving song with heavier bass and drums and Seth's growling vocals. This was followed by the quick tempo "Eternally Beyond". The precision of playing is really shown here. I believe I caught Mana looking satisfied and relieved more than once during the show when songs ended.  

And then "a ghost whispers" began. Purple lights spread out behind Seth, looking like wings, with one purple spot light shining down from above. This was the first time the dramatic song was performed worldwide. I did miss sitting in the audience with the sounds swirling around me. I know I mentioned before that this song may be a tribute to MALICE MIZER Kami. Mana was on Twitter one night, showing something that had belonged to Kami. Later Mana tweeted that he heard a loud noise in the hallway that made him jump. My impression is that the song grew out of this and Mana remembering Kami at that time.

It was time for the Mana talk. "Agnus Dei" played while Seth began the MC. Usually it is Bach playing during these talks. My guess is that because of the filming, Mana didn't want to worry about copyrights or perhaps wanted to spotlight Moi dix Mois music. The message from Mana was that they are planning to have three days of birthday shows, but no information is available yet. Mana was wearing the Moi-même-Moitié Chiffon Shirring One-piece, which I wish they would have available again. Accenting all the black was the Blue Jewel Cross Pendant, along with a Frill Choker, the long ruffled chiffon vest and Demonia boots. For the first part of the live Mana wore the Lace Face Mask.

As for Seth, he had on the Moi-même-Moitié Ritual Print Gilet and Metal Emblem Necklace over an ascot, along with the addition of several braids accented with purple. Hayato's new hair cut was a partial shave and bright red hair. He was wearing the High Neck Puff Sleeve Blouse in black. I have that shirt in blue, it's really nice. Sugiya and Ryux were both wearing Moitié designed outfits including overskirts and the Rose Cross Pendant. Hayato was also wearing the pendant. One other thing to note was Ryux's hair. With the enhanced air circulation it flowed and moved, almost like a lion's mane. 

There was more talking than usual from the members, and it was refreshing to see them interact beyond just playing music. Maybe because it has been over a year since they last performed together? Sadly my ability to understand spoken Japanese is not great but I did catch that Ryux tried to get different sections of the audience to clap since they could not yell, also he mentioned Mana's Moi-même-Moitié YouTube cooking videos.

"MAD INGRAIN~Experience~" was the first song after the MC. It's a special session with Sugiya and Hayato. This also occurred at last year's Dis inferno. Sugiya played stand up bass for part of the song. The song shows off their skills and Hayato's double kick drums. 

"Dead Scape began with just Sugiya and Hayato. Ryux and Mana returned followed by Seth. Mana played the ESP jeune fille X lazuli -Cross Ray- guitar center stage for most of the song. The energy level definitely had increased. 

"Perish" is an amazing song to see played live. The staging this time was the best that I've seen. Only back lit in blue with Mana's white cross glowing, lighting Mana's hand as he played, everyone in silhouette created a dark and intense feeling. It was an amazing image for the song along with being the best version I have heard Mana play. Ending with only the cross lit on the stage, I can only hope that this performance will be saved so everyone can view it. It was outstanding.

"Perish" was followed by the ethereal "Twilight Flower". This might also have been the first real world performance of this dark waltz. Swaying in the misty air, there was an otherworldly feeling. Next was "Immortal Madness" turning the energy up.  Usually people shout in response to Seth's commands during this song. No doing that this time. So Seth requested that everyone do "heart hands" to "Dix Love" during the song, and then jump in unison further along in the song. 

The powerful "Night Breed" was introduced by Ryux. Mana was definitely channeling his inner heavy metal guitarist at this point. The ominous "the Prophet" continued the hard rock assault. Seth's elegant voice was countered by Ryux's death vocals. Last song was called out and then Seth began "Ange~D side holy wings~". Seth's vocal strength was showcased along with the precision of the band. At the end of the song Mana took a bow and blew kisses to the audience after the band left the stage.

And now thanks to Mana uploading the video, I can add "Ange~D side holy wings~" to this post. Here is the video of the song. 

After a long break where clapping audience member normally would shout "Moi dix Mois", the encore began. With stage lights flashing, "Destructionxx" began to play. This was the same as the second 2019 Aristocrat Kitchen Knife show honoring K. Then band members came out. Ryux, Sugiya and Hayato wearing Moi dix Mois shirts and Seth in his fur coat with a lace shirt underneath and two wide belts, similar to his outfit from last year's Dis inferno. Ryux was also wearing his black fur coat.

"Beast Side" began with Ryux playing bass and Sugiya playing lead guitar for first part using the ESP guitar that Mana's cousin Katsuo gave Ryux. Hayato stayed on drums. Seth appeared holding K's guitar. He walked to the side where Mana usually stands.

Then Mana walked out to the middle of the stage holding the Moi dix Mois megaphone. I admit that I screamed a little when I saw this, even though it was late night here. In prior shows Mana plays drums because he loves playing drums. But because of the virus it may be why this was changed. It was an excellent decision because it looked great! 

Seth shouted out the first "Beast Side" and then Mana took over from there lip syncing to Seth's voice while Seth played K's guitar.

Mana began with the megaphone and then switched to a white E-II-ESP ARROW. Mana had changed into studded wrist bands, Moi dix Mois Face Mask and the Mana-sama Super Dollfie oversized shirt with a spiderweb scarf, perhaps in honor of K. The symbolism of a spider goes back to when Kami passed away, representing the cause of it. 

Seth continued singing the song while the three guitars rang out and the audience raised their hands in unison. Seth ended with holding up K's guitar.

Usually Ryux holds K's skull lighter and plays the guitar using it during "Beast Side". I noticed at the end of the song Ryux was running it along the strings of Sugiya's guitar.

"forbidden" was the last song played with Sugiya going back to bass and Ryux now on Katsuo's guitar. Once the song ended the band stepped forward. Seth gave instructions to the audience as the band members social distanced on stage. Normally there would be balloons falling at this point but because of the virus, that did not happen. Instead Seth asked everyone to clap ten times. I think then Seth called out "Happy New Year" in Japanese, which caused Ryux and others to laugh. The last part of the Dis inferno was everyone jumping together. A recorded version of "Je l'aime" began as the band members took bows and waved as they left the stage. Mana was the last to go, bowing and looking a little emotional.

And that was the end of the show. I am very grateful that I was able to watch it every day while it was available. Congratulations to Mana for creating a great show, given all the restrictions. I do wish that at least some of the songs could be offered again by Mana. We will have to wait and see what is planned for the new year. Mana has written that there will be more in 2021, both with Moi dix Mois (Birthday Sabbaths if possible) and Moi-même-Moitié.

(photos are all from Moi dix Mois Mana, Ryux and Seth's Twitter)

Something about Ｍana-sama in Yukata Enjoying Somen Noodles During Hot Summer in Japan

Summer is over and there may not be a lot that we have to look back on, in a friendly way, but there was one thing we were able to enjoy and share in. That was enjoying the Mana in Yukata making negashi somen video. And while most of us do not have a somen noodle slide, it was still possible to make and enjoy cold somen during the hot summer days.

 

Chilled somen is not difficult to make, and Mana showed how to make excellent eggs to go with it. So what I am going to share in this blog is a little information about the dipping sauce tsuyu or mentsuyu.

There are a lot of recipes on the internet, with various ingredients and amounts of how much to put in. So I will share a little bit about the ingredients that can be used. Since they are basic staples for Japanese cooking, it is worth trying to find them. The first staple is sake. You could use regular sake, but it is nice to have a bottle of cooking sake on hand. Cooking sake tends to have less alcohol but also have salt which regular sake does not have. 

Something that works in place of sugar or with it is the second staple, mirin. While sugar could be substituted, I find mirin has a nice distinctive flavor that is found in so much Japanese food. It is also a rice wine like sake, but with a higher sugar content. Like all of the ingredients, there are many good brands, but I prefer a glass bottle because the top closes better.

The third staple is soy sauce or shoyu. So many varieties out there! What I have right now in this photo left to right is a special shoyu from Hokkaido, tamari, usukuchi light color shoyu, and less salt shoyu. 

I use the Hokkaido shoyu for sashimi and sushi dipping and other dishes where shoyu is a stand-alone ingredient. While somen isn't a gluten free dish unless gluten free noodles are used., tamari can still be used to make gluten free sauces. Usukuchi is sometimes used in some Japanese dishes. I find less salt or reduced sodium shoyu is good not just for health reasons, but also for taste. It is up to each person as to what they want to use. I do think it is worth it to try different shoyu, because there can be differences in flavor. 

The fourth staple of Japanese cooking is dashi. Again, there are a lot of recipes online and just as many varieties of dashi. Basic dashi consists of three things. Water, konbu and katsuobushi. Konbu is a dried seaweed. It is thick and for cooking you can buy it in large pieces and cut off as much as you need. Konbu is used in various ways so it's worth searching for it to have in the kitchen. You can even use it in non-Japanese cooking. Add to a broth or sauce or rice for additional umami. Finely shredded konbu can be used as a topping for okonomiyaki and rice.

As for katsuobushi, that also comes in various forms. Katsuobushi is dried smoked bonita, a skipjack tuna. In Japan, some cooks have it in blocks which they shave with a katsuobushi kezuriki. While it helps to use larger pieces for making dashi, outside of Japan it's the smaller shavings that are usually in stores. These also work, just a little harder to remove from the dashi broth.

While dashi does take time and effort to make, it is definitely worth having. An easier way is to find instant dashi. Which also comes in a lot of varieties. If you want basic dashi stock, there is instant dashi for that. There is also dashi that can be used for making ramen, like the anchovy iroko dashi. Another instant dashi that I like is the Shimaya tennen dashi. As you can see, it also has shiitake mushrooms and anchovies in it. I use these and also make dashi, depending on the dish.

Of course, there is another way to have tsuyu. You can buy it premade. I do think it's fun to make dishes from scratch, but sometimes it's not possible to find all the ingredients or there isn't enough time cook it. So nothing wrong with using good premade items.

I hope you enjoyed my blog post. Here is the Moi-même-Moitié video of gothic elegant Chef Mana making somen noodles.

It's Mana's 『Elegant Gothic Fruit Paradise』 Sangria!

One of the fun things in the Moi-même-Moitié Salon is that Mana gives hints as to what the next cooking video will be. So it was perfect timing for the 『Elegant Gothic Fruit Paradise』 sangria. Because I had just bought a pineapple.

The first step in making Mana's sangria is to find as many different types of fruit that is out there. I was able to find everything that Mana used, except chunks of aloe vera. For the record, there was pineapple, lime, lemon, apple, kiwi, watermelon, melon, and two types of cherries. I went with Bing and Rainier cherries.

I was looking forward to making this sangria, because it reminded me of one I enjoyed at the Portland restaurant Ataula. So to honor that sangria, I added something extra. Pomegranate seeds. Because Pomegranate sangria is delicious.

I would guess that most people are familiar with red sangria. But white wine works very well with fruit. The above stated pomegranate sangria is a white wine sangria. As for what white wine, I think something a little sweet and less acid works well with Mana's sangria. As for me, I went with the Charles Shaw chardonnay. It was a good choice.

I will say, this is a labor intensive drink to make. First up I cut the pineapple. Not fancy like the video. Although I do think pineapple is pretty just as it is.

Something different, a yellow watermelon! Because of the pandemic, it's a little difficult to shop here. The store I went to did not have regular watermelon, but they did have these cute little yellow watermelon. So I went with this. And yes I gave into cutting out the pieces in hearts and flowers.

It's a simple recipe. All the fruit goes into a pitcher or container. After that, pour in as much honey that you want. It's a totally subjective measurement. 

I mixed the honey into the fruit and then poured in the wine. Then mixed some more.

I think serving it with ice is refreshing. The chilled liquid keeps the fruit fresh. 

Just one more photo of this fun festive Elegant Gothic Fruit Paradise. And for the record, I did make more pineapple version to go with Mana's pork curry. That was really good too!

That was a lot of fruit. I enjoyed eating some of it separately, with a little more honey and brown sugar. I also added a few blueberries.

Here is Mana's video for the sangria. You can watch it and all of the other Mana cooking videos at the Moi-même-Moitié YouTube Channel here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp24JyPNmvF0jPJoLLX-r2w

Cooking Mana's Elegant Gothic『The Excitement of Spices and "Splendid" Magic』

Because of the pandemic, cooking at home has become extremely popular. Someone who has been known for their skills in cooking, guitarist Mana, decided to make good use of the time and began filming cooking videos. Despite difficulties at times trying to get ingredients, I decided to try to make each of Mana's dishes. So, I'm going to document how that went with the last dish, Mana's 『The Excitement of Spices and "Splendid" Magic』

While I had many of the needed ingredients already, I still had to find a pineapple, curry powder, pink peppercorns and ground pork. Above are the spices I used. Because it is really difficult for me to digest bell pepper, aka paprika in Japan, I substituted ground paprika for it. I do like the smoked varieties of this.

After getting everything in place and chopping onion, (and bell pepper and hawk claw peppers if you are going to use them), it's time to heat olive oil at a low temperature. Crush garlic cloves and cardamom pods before putting in the oil. I happen to use the garlic cubes from Trader Joe's, which are really good quality. Since I was only cooking 1/2 pound of pork, the amounts I used were less than in Mana's video. This amount of pork, plus the rice, was enough to fill the pineapple bowl. Two crushed cardamom pods and three garlic cubes. One cube equals one clove. Sine I did not have hawk claw peppers (I've been searching for them) I used a bit of crushed red pepper. It's very similar. Since there are a number of types of pepper in this dish, I kept the amount of red pepper low. 

I used about 1/2 of an onion, which went into the pan next. At this point the bell pepper would be added. I sprinkled on a bit of paprika instead. No measurements, all by eye and experience. I'd say maybe about a teaspoon?

Onions and all were sautéed till slightly brown, to bring out a bit of caramelization flavor. I raised the heat under my pan to medium by this point.

And in goes the ground or minced pork. I had not bought meat in months, due to the poor situation at meat processing plants in the US. There is a butcher near me that sells products from farmers and ranchers here in Oregon. Oregon has been working with businesses here to make sure employees are safe, including giving them free face masks and more. A visit to Ponderosa Meats and I had pork, chicken and turkey. 

Season the pork with ground pepper, ground pink Himalayan salt, curry powder, chili powder and ground cayenne pepper. Of course sea salt could be substituted, but grinding peppercorns brings out a lot more flavor and scent so if possible, that is best to use. As for the curry powder, some places call it Indian curry powder. The distinction is it is not Oriental curry powder or garam masala. All of the spices in the recipe can be added in amounts according to your taste. If you like food hotter, add more.

Now comes the secret part of Mana's dry ground pork curry. Ketchup and Worchester sauce.

The basics for okonomiyaki sauce and many sweet and sour sauces. I mixed 1/4 of a cup of each together, then added that to the pork. Seriously, do not leave this out. I would like to say, that this dish could also be made with beef, chicken or ground turkey for people who do not eat pork. Personally, I think ground turkey would be a good substitute. Although pork does give it a South Pacific vibe.

Right now is a good time to taste and add more of the different peppers if you think it needs it.

There is one more thing that I needed to cook. It's not in the video, but I will explain it here. It's simple yet delicious. Turmeric Butter Rice. Now, you can cook it with onions and stock, but since this is part of the whole dish, here is a simple way to make it.

If you can find Basmati rice, it makes this dish even better. You can use a pot or rice cooker. Just follow the directions for cooking your rice, but add in butter and turmeric. I think I went with one cup of rice, a teaspoon of turmeric and maybe two teaspoons of butter. It helps to mix the rice a couple times while it is cooking. Seriously this color and the fragrance, so amazing.

It really is gorgeous. You don't need a lot of turmeric, although it's a great spice both in taste and in health benefits.

So now comes the hard part. That pineapple in the first picture? I cut in half and scooped out the inner part. It helps to cut up the inside of the pineapple, remove the core and then scoop out the rest. I saved that for something else. A pineapple bowl isn't necessary for the dish, but it's fun to see and the flavor of pineapple adds to the curry. Since not everyone can find whole fresh pineapple, it might be enjoyable to add some pieces after plating, to eat with the curry.

In goes that wonderful rice. It would be a fun surprise for anyone to eat who didn't see this being cooked. 

Next is the dry curry and then pink peppercorns and chopped parsley for a festive appearance.

Since I did not use red bell pepper, the pink peppercorns add color to this.

So what did I do with that pineapple? I made more of Chef Mana's Elegant Gothic Fruit Paradise Sangria. This was more of a pineapple version and very refreshing. As to how I made Mana's sangria, perhaps that will be my next post.

And here is the result! As to how this curry tastes, it's very good. The addition of ketchup and Worchester sauce turns a regular spicy pork curry into something that reminded me of Hawaiian and Okinawan pork dishes. The flavor of the pineapple bowl seeped in the rice and pork, adding to the delicious flavor. I think these ingredients move the flavor up into something unique and fun. I did have a feeling of visiting South Pacific Islands. 

Here is Chef Mana's video from the Moi-même-Moitié YouTube channel. You can use the YouTube video settings to automatically translate the subtitles into your preferred language. I hope my post helps if anyone is wanting to cook this dish. If you have questions, please ask! And thank you for visiting my blog.

Since the video may not show up if you view this on your phone, here is the link to elegant gothic chef Mana's video https://youtu.be/rh3uHyws3TQ

MALICE MIZER Interview Translation from ROCK AND READ 83 Part 2

(photo from ROCK AND READ Twitter) 

Last year I translated for myself the MALICE MIZER interview with ROCK AND READ magazine. I decided, because of the safety restrictions everyone has had to go through, because of the virus, to clean up my translation and share it on the two year anniversary of the Deep Sanctuary VI shows. I'm not a trained translator, so it takes time and work to do this. If anyone reposts or shares this translation, I would appreciate it if you could first send me a message through here. And of course, give credit for my work.

So here is the second part of the interview with Közi, Mana and Yu~ki.

RR: When you made a major debut, you may have been told by various parties such as a record company. "Can't sell without lessening the makeup". But that didn't mean it was meaningless. It was strong to beat.

Mana: Looking back now, I think I was just saying ridiculous things. For example, I was asking to set up a stage set that was too complicated. I think I was saying quite a bit to people in the production company.

Közi: Can't say such things, now.

Mana: Now I already know how my world works, Even if I say it, I can say it while considering the circumstances. At that time, I would just say "I want you to do this" without considering anything.

Közi: Because you were young.

Yu ~ ki: That, I also think that is some kind of talent that Mana-chan has. Even if what said is messed up, on the other hand the reason that the surroundings follow firmly is because it is convincing,it's not just selfishness. "Believe in Mana-chan and follow him. I want to see the future." I think because it has charm. That's why, didn't everyone follow MALICE MIZER?

Mana: .... Good story.

Közi: It's cohesive!

Yu ~ ki: Although, when I was looking at it, I said ""Don't say that, it's so cool"(lol). I myself had many thoughts, "Eh, redo this again?", I think the people around me were tough (lol). Even so I think it was great that the members always had a lot of discussions with each other. There were a lot of pains, what I wanted to say was rather contradictory. Especially in the early days we used to gather in Mana-chan's room and talk. Including frivolous things.

Közi: While eating curry.

Yu~ki: We talked all over the place, going to all-you-can-eat yakiniku, in the equipment car. There were times when I was mentally unstable, but I think that while doing that kind of thing (talking), each member made a good balance by building a relationship of trust.

RR: In the 90's boom of visual bands, many adults were quiet on most bands, including major entertainment companies. Complete self-production may have been uncommon, was there anything particular about that as well?

Mana: I had never thought of getting someone to take us on. Since we were developing activities by being able to complete it ourselves, we were able to go around by ourselves.
RR: It is MALICE MIZER's greatness to be able to say that such a scale and concept can be saide to be "completed by ourselves". It may not be well known that it was because of the concentration of communication that the members had a lot of discussions. .. .. ..

Yu ~ ki: I think the relationship between the members was good. We frequently went to eat curry.

Közi: Clam ramen and so on.

Yu ~ ki: Mana-chan's invitation is "Let's go eat". I was asked "Don't you want to eat curry?" so I had to say "I want to eat it" (lol). However, the shops that were recommend to me were really delicious and I used to go there a lot.

Mana: I did not lock the house I lived at that time, so some members came in and out. It was a time when there were no mobile phones, so I came in without a foreboding. Roadies also came as well. KAMIJO (Versailles), who also talked at MC at“Deep Sanctuary VI",  as a roady lived within a 5-minute walk of my house.

RR: You mentioned that the house of Kamijo-san, 25th anniversary live guest vocalist, was behind Mana-san's house. However, Mana-san, was not careful to lock the house.

Mana: I think it's really unwise when I think about it now, there were also some people who did it.

Közi: We also had staff.

RR: So it was in a free state (lol). Mana-san visually looks nervous, was it actually open?

Mana: I can't think right now (lol). The members came on their own, there were no shelters and and they didn't have their own private homes. It wasn't too large in the 1K room, and I am impressed that I had lived like that.

Közi: Could not sleep because of someone's snoring, and the landlord was sitting physical education style (arms around bent up knees) in one corner. It was a octopus room (lol).

RR: Eh (lol) “Deep Sanctuary VI” MC, is it right that former vocalists said "Mana-san's house was gothic and had a great atmosphere"?

Mana: The decoration was European. . . . . I also had the stage set in my room, so I could bring the set out every time we would perform. Inside the room was messy.

RR: Even though the decor is Gothic and decorative, it was not an elegant life (lol).

Mana: It was not. It is said that everyone gathered around one kotatsu.

Yu ~ ki: (imagewise) Can you say kotatsu?

Mana: Ah. . . (lol)

Közi: But, the furniture style of the kotatsu?

Mana: At first I asked Yukari Oba-san, who was in charge of costumes, to make a velvet cover.

Közi: It was black.

RR: A wonderful sight that young band men were crawling like potatoes around such a beautiful kotatsu.

Közi: It was exactly what a clubroom was like.

RR: Since MALICE MIZER is a band that is now legendary, I think that there are many fans who don't know the realistic appearance of those days, including such rough episodes. Have you ever wanted to re-perform that at “Deep Sanctuary VI” "I would like to show this part of MALICE MIZER after protecting it now"?

Mana: This time, we wanted to reproduce that time as much as possible.

RR: ... You wanted to reproduce that time rather than doing new things.

Yu ~ ki: This time, there was a direction of "festival" as a major premise. We wanted to make it a stage that everyone can enjoy, even for those who have never seen MALICE MIZER.

Mana: That's because I felt that I wanted to let people see what they would like to see. I'm pursuing myself as a guitarist in Moi dix Mois, so I used to play guitar in the MALICE MIZER sessions in the previous "Deep Sancturies".

RR ... without dancing.

Mana: That's right. At that time (of previous Deep Sanctuaries), I was converting the sound that was being keyed in without playing the guitar, into playing the guitar, and slid (moved) the performance into playing (guitar). But this time, I was conscious of the stage as it would be when everyone would have been seen the (performance) videos many times.

RR: ... Did you look back at the video and check the performances?

Mana: I guess you remember it. However, there was a little conflict in reproducing. . . . .

RR: Conflict?

Mana: I, would be tangled with vocalists during the performance. "ILLUMINATI" where the body is stroked, "Madrigal" I am held. When I thought I would do that with a roady,I was in conflict....(lol)

RR: When it comes to dealing with a different person from those days, partially embarrassed, it seems (lol).  However, it did not feel uncomfortable to watch.

Közi: I completely forgot about playing (lol).

Yu ~ ki: I forgot completely. To approach the atmosphere of the time to some extent, I copied my bass and played that.

RR: There was no score left?

Mana: In the first place we, had tablature but we didn't use sheet music. That is why I reproduced it with play by ear copying.  However, since MALICE MIZER has guitar phrases with extremely close fingering, I would like to ask myself from that time "Why did you make this score?". For example, in the flow of thinking that I wanted to play comfortably, for a reason the tone goes down. What it is just unthinkable phrases. But, I did not arrange it so that I can play it now, I tried to reproduce the phrases of those days.

RR: In the sense of reproduction, Sakura-san (ZIGZO, ggg, Rayflower) I could only see as the image of Kami-san. . . .

Közi: I was completely haunted.

Yu ~ ki: I was surprised at the time of rehearsal. When I was in the studio, there was a stray person in the center. He put orange extensions in his hair and wore his cap backwards as Kami did as well. That was Sakura-kun.

Közi: I was facing backwards, so I couldn't see his face at first, but I looked over my back (turned my head) and said "That's Kami-chan".

Yu ~ ki: I think I probably saw Sakura-kun about 100 times in the rehearsal on that day. Because when he hit the drums, his hair was very soft. (I think Yu~ki was referring to how Kami's hair would move when drumming, and Sakura's hair was also like this) I could only see him as Kami. . . . During the rehearsal, it was working.

RR: From the look and eyes to the playing style, from gestures, everything was Kami-san. Sakura-san, I think really researched for the live.

Mana: I think maybe. I was not asking for something "We want it this way" from us. There were a lot of suggestions from Sakura-kun, and, for example, the chorus mic, also he said that he wanted to reproduce the way of Kami.

RR:... When you enter the chorus part, the arm with the microphone moves and the microphone is set at the mouth. That's also Kami-san's style.

Mana: I didn't think he would do all that. We didn't even say that the hair color should be orange. So, I was shocked at the time of rehearsals, it's guitar in Moi dix Mois, but isn't it entertainment in MALICE MIZER? From there, I can see Yu~ki-chan and Kami in the back. Seeing the scenery, I recalled various things like flashbacks. I felt like I went back 20 years ago, and Sakura-kun was so similar to Kami. I was confused.

Közi: The drum settings and tuning were completely the same as Kami's.

Mana: We also used Kami's drum set.

RR: The purple drum set, you seemed to be able bring it with Sakura-san from Kami-san's hometown in Ibaraki.

Közi: That's right. The drum set, I went to Kami's alma mater to borrow.

RR: I was surprised to read an interview with Sakura-san that was on Pearl's website. The episode of the time with Kami-san was very detailed. . .

Yu~ki: We were surprised too. What Sakura was talking about at the MC on the day of the live, it was a tentative thing that we didn't know. I didn't know that those two men had such a deep love of brother and brother, and I was not able to measure how much thought Sakura had put into the songs. I was able to play comfortably just because I really appreciated it.

Közi: Sakura's love for Kami is really great. "I'm going to give a day off to Kami today". I think that I was really looking at that kind of awareness. It was also a suggestion from Sakura to post an article on Pearl's homepage and to make Kami's drum sticks and put them for sale. And in fact, it moved towards realization.

RR: As Yu ~ ki said at the beginning, MALICE MIZER is really everyone's thing, isn't it? Such is MALICE MIZER, but after this second time was over, from now on  it is blank paper, right?

Mana: We did everything we could at this stage.

RR: ...What you did not do, have you ever thought about that?

Yu ~ ki: As a former director, I had a unique world view of MALICE MIZER. There was a feeling that I wanted to show. I wanted to fly and fly (lol).

Közi: Fly away from the stage. "Thank you!" What? (lol).

Yu ~ ki: But this time it was just a festival. It was a direction of having roadies sing and having fun playing old songs.

RR: The MC of Kozi and Yu ~ ki was also surprising. At that time, non-vocal members had little talk on the stage.

Yu~ki: There was a struggle, but it was a festival (lol).

Közi: It was hard! We talked about doing our best (lol)!

Yu ~ ki: The roadies, I thought spoke well regardless of their current positions.

Közi: They prepared a lot of episodes. But one thing I thought was that the roadies were telling good episodes of Mana and Yu ~ ki. Even though for me, there was no good story (lol).

Mana: I think it was good because I could hear quite a few secret stories that only the roadies knew. I did not ask them what they would talk in advance.

RR: Different stories appeared for the two days. So not informed in advance what kind of episodes would come out.

Mana: Yes. So, I also heard many for the first time, there were a lot of surprises during the shows.

Közi: I also didn't feel like I was doing better. . . .

Yu ~ ki: That was unsightly (lol).

RR: It was a mischievous episode, but it was a lovely episode of Kozi-san, though (lol). Because the success of the "Deep Sanctuary VI", the DVD (Blu-Ray) will be released on the day of Kami's last year.

Mana: The design for the final day was almost untouched, but in fact the video shot was only on the final day. I had no plan to take pictures, so on the first day I didn't make room for the camera. I mean, I really didn't want to have two days.

RR: Why was that?

Mana: I wanted to make it a one night legend. After all, when it comes to two days, the contents you did on the first day will be spoiled. Because of that, I felt strongly that I wanted to do "the 25th anniversary one night impact". . . However, I heard that many people who participated in the lottery, so  I did it for two days. As a result, it was good to do it for two days. Many people came from afar.

RR: There were also attendees from overseas. Did you make any changes from the configuration you originally thought of by having two days?

Mana: At first, "ma chêrie~" was not planned.

RR: The representative song played at the end of that day.

Mana: "In fact, it was planned to end with "au revoir", which we did before "ma chêrie~". Two years ago, the audience was moved in response to the excitement of the chorus of "au revoir", so I was thinking of closing with "au revoir". At first, I thought that "au revoir" would also have singing."

RR: Actually it was an (instrumental) performance.

Mana: On the day I entered the studio with Közi and Sakura, while aligning the sequence and checking for problems, I put together songs one after another. At that time, I did not get excited about an image for the song "au revoir". So I quickly decided to make it vocal-less. Other than that, I had many ideas at the rehearsal stage.

RR: For example?

Mana: During "au revoir", we might have streamed a live video at the Yokohama Arena on the back screen. At first it was not on the schedule. If you watched Közi and Sakura playing in a rehearsal, I really want to link a special song for us "au revoir" with Kami. So, I thought that I wanted to synchronize the live performance with the video that Kami is playing at the Yokohama Arena. Then the production side became hectic and disordered. . . .

RR: ... because the schedule had suddenly changed.

Mana: When synchronizing the sound and video, the originally planned time changed. Well, that's when the sequence team was "Seriously!". . . .

RR:... young spirit, again (lol).

Mana: The old habit came out (wry smile). However, the result worked well, and I thought it was good to have that direction.

Yu ~ ki: When I think about that kind of thing, I felt that there is an MALICE MIZER only when supported by many people, again. Everyone's power, it's MALICE MIZER that everyone's thought. On the day I did that live, "MALICE MIZER" was first in Yahoo's search word, or that would happen in 2018.

Közi: Red to be on the cover!

RR: You moved it, the world.

Yu~ki: As I mentioned earlier, I personally wanted to do more. However, even without any of the words, from those who said "I was able to see MALICE MIZER for the first time", whatever the report, they were glad that they was able to see MALICE MIZER. I did not know whether it was the best form or not, but I think that it was possible that the current members could do at that time, and it was just with gratitude.

RR: Yu~ki-san, what is your future activity?

Yu~ki: The desire to express is at the root. It was true from that time, but it was not limited to music. . . .

Közi: Yu~ki-chan is making art works. It's all left at home, big works.

RR: What is your plan for exhibition?

Yu~ki: I think that it would be nice if there is a chance to have people look at it in the future, but at this stage it is not something that I want to have someone look at. It's also about looking at yourself, and it's just what I am trying to do to shape my mind. After all, if I live for a long time, is there anything that can be done? Point or point becomes a line, it comes out to be understood now. Now, I am making things, thinking that it would be good if I could put that thought into shape.

RR: I look forward to the day when I can see the work. Közi-san, what are your thoughts and future prospects for that day?

Közi: I think we had a really good live, I think it was good to do it. We could use Kami's drums, I had the feeling it was one break. If there's a next, I think it's an anniversary for 30th anniversary (lol).

RR: Közi-san himself is developing various tremors including ZIZ.

Közi: There aren't so many plans to do this from now on. No, I have nothing to do. . . Since there are many things that I am doing at the same time, I feel like it would be nice to be able to enjoy each form.

RR: Even though there are various forms, all of them are music activities.

Közi: Right now. I'm interested in modeling things like Yu~ki, but in the case of me, I bought materials and finished. I collected the materials in a row and finished with "Yoshi!". Do not start kneading (lol). However, it is possible that music can continue without exception, people who have always supported MALICE MIZER, new customers, because it is because there are such people, thank you. I think it is health first and I wish I could do it from now on.

RR: Közi-san, who is developing music activities in a great variety of styles, is dexterous? Or maybe. . . .

Közi: Is it clumsy? It is a ragged result from doing it, I guess.

RR: Do you like being busy?

Közi: No, I want to take a break. But it may be good with this because it is de M (lol).

RR: How about Mana-san?

Mana: In my mind, I think I was able to do something at the present stage as the 25th anniversary. It may be that it was quite big that the drum of Kami was usable. The last stage on which Kami stood was a fan club event. Because it was over, I still felt that I wanted to see more of Kami who was a musician. What I could do live with the sound of Kami was so great that I was convinced, and I was quite able to digest (take into) myself.

RR: In the case of Mana-san, The solo project of Moi dix Mois has been around longer than MALICE MIZER. . . . What is your outlook for the future?

Mana: That? Was that so? Because Moi dix Mois is from 2002. . . . Oh, that is definitely long. I don't mind (lol). Moi dix Mois is significantly different from MALICE MIZER, I'm standing on the stage as a complete (guitar) player. Now I have a moment to find a pleasant sound by playing the guitar on the stage, but when I was in MALICE MIZER I was playing the guitar and I didn't feel so good. If anything, I used a guitar as one of the expression methods to create a world view.

RR: Mana-san,who is also a guitarist of Moi dix Mois, stood on the stage with MALICE MIZER again and felt that it was clearly different from that time?

Mana: There were quite a few songs in MALICE MIZER that I performed without playing the guitar. Unlike Moi dix Mois, I think it's been a while since I've had a performance-oriented stage. At the same time, I also thought that MALICE MIZER was making a lot of songs to build the worldview. I don't make that now. .. .. .. I mean, I have nothing to make, but I'll think a little more about it (lol). Actually, I didn't study music theory, so I still don't understand the theory, but I am starting to understand it. So, that is why I came to know music as a sensory experience. At MALICE MIZER, it was still under development, so I felt like I was making the songs as I wanted. Maybe it was the goodness of MALICE MIZER.

RR: That's because there was that era.

Mana: That's right. So I think it's good to be able to do a live as MALICE MIZER in Deep Sanctuary VI this time. Many of the fans responded "They didn't think they could see MALICE MIZER in 2018", and there were many who were impressed by the reunion. I was also very happy.

Közi: If I can say, thank you for everything.

Yu ~ ki: I wore the costume I made for Deep Sanctuary VI for the shooting of this "Rock & Read", but I did not think that I would be photographed again in this costume. But, it is a magazine cover. As this costume was made by meeting with Oba-san many times, I was very happy to be able to leave in this way again. With regard to this live, I think that it was possible to have the best stage only because these members including the support musicians. The stage of MALICE MIZER that everyone envisions is the world that was constructed after having a grand theme. I have a feeling that there is not something like this with me. As a director, it would be nice if I could create more shows someday. . . . . what am I thinking.