MALICE MIZER Locations Map

Interrupting my blog posts to share a map I created. It's a few of the locations in Japan related to MALICE MIZER and more. I thought it could be useful for fans when visiting Japan, and for people living there. It's also now embedded on the right sidebar of my blog here. If there are any places I didn't note on here, please comment with the information. Thanks! 

Malice Mizer interview from Vicious March 1999

Before the turn of the century there was this musical band that was beloved by their fans. The band put on theatrical performances that delighted those who attended. Outlandish, lyrical, scary and just fun. Sadly a day came when the lead singer was no longer part of the band. As to why, it has been a bit of a mystery. The band was growing in popularity and there were plans to do more. Over the years, the lead singer gave his version of the story a number of times. Given that it matters to his popularity, he always claimed it was the others that were responsible. As to the others, not much has been said over the years.

At least not shared among many fans outside of Japan. But hidden away in the recesses of the internet there is someone who wrote about an interview conducted with the four remaining members of Malice Mizer, Yu~ki, Közi, Kami and Mana. It happened at a point from January to early June, 1999, probably a little time after Gackt left the band. Unknown what magazine this was in, maybe Vicious according to the person who posted the interview in 2012. It was translated on Scape fan board in 2007. People tried to figure out what magazine this was in but have not had any luck.

I've known about this interview for a few years. When I mention it to people, they are surprised. They have only heard Gackt's story about why he left the band. Since Mana mentioned in the Rock and Read interview that the members did respond to magazines asking about their thoughts after Gackt left, I thought it would be a good time to share this interview here. I wish I knew more about the original source. But it fits with what Mana said, and it is with the four members including Kami who passed away that year. So here is the translation from Scape, and I will note the original online source at the end.

--What happened between Gackt and the four members here? 

Mana - Having done with the merveilles concept, a member meeting is held to decide on what's up next. A certain article mentioned of how he said "let's continue without taking a break", but we've never heard that, nor did we say "we want to rest". In reality, we needed time to think and so we decided to set aside a period of time to replenish our strength after some discussions.

During these type of conversations, differences in opinions occur between him and the other four members, and he didn't come to the meetings anymore...

--Is that just a conflict concerning only the concept?

Mana - No, it's about the direction we are heading towards and how we are to become as humans.

--It's not about being musicans or artists?

Mana - Malice Mizer is a five person group, it's a form created by five members. The thing is, even if one has got a brilliant artist personality, it's difficult to create something as a cooperative group bound by fate with just that personality alone.

--So, Malice Mizer didn’t expand from a group of very good friends? 

Közi- Right from the start, we didn’t gather together because we have close links with one another, but to come all the way here isn’t considered a coincidence either. Conflicts happen among other members as well, and they didn’t pose much of a big problem, after all, it’s just human to do that. Up till now, there have been disagreements, but it’s only after the merveilles concept has been created that those happened a lot. 

Yu~ki-This happens with all bands, but when people gather together to come up with something, don’t we need to be polite in our discussions. We never avoided that and despite collisions here and there, we came up with wonderful productions. We never overlooked anyone, and made discussions right from the beginning, not concealing any conflicting views, yet without realizing when, there were no conversations before anything concerning music. It’s not specifically about anyone. And we thought there will be some words of trust as in the past such as “how about this sound?”

Mana- After Malice Mizer’s major debut started, Gackt changed as if making a sudden turn, for both good and bad. Perhaps humans will change when the situation changes, but I think the basic points won’t. 

Yu~ki- Our office was not set up only yesterday or today, it’s the most obvious thing. Indeed, the record company is very understanding to us, and great productions were created without compromising. We did all that without having any confrontations with the office nor the record company. But in a certain article, what he said of something like “the confrontation with the office”, how such words came about, it’s strange, but I guess that can’t be helped. 

Kami- Meetings after meetings, we will stop around and catch up from there, but he’s the only one who will leave. Things such as trust began to drop. He said “I love Malice Mizer”, but how is it that he would take such an action, it’s unbelievable. 

Mana- Perhaps that’s what he wanted to do, for his personality as an artist has been greatly recognized. When he’s performing the merveilles concept as an artist on stage, complicated personal emotions are completely left out. 

Kami- Because there’s trust in the music. 

Mana-However, this is the limit. Most parts of the concepts that has been created until merveilles are done in the past. To create new things, a trusting relationship is very important. Countless meetings have brought up the fact that that is lacking. 

--To say it in a substantial way? 

Mana-That’s people for you. From now on, I think there’s nothing to work on together anymore. 

Yu~ki-I think from now on, the band will need strong bonds to stand to the top and represents many ideas and meanings. Without a bond that can enable communication through eye contact during lives, nothing good will come out of it, neither can we reach the top. Though we always think that way until now, but still we managed to do it pretentiously. 

The Director said “even as the songs are good, but somewhere I feel your hearts aren’t as one.”, and I feel the same way after watching from the back of the stage with an open mind. Not wanting to go on putting on such pretense and that emotion increased with the experiences from the meetings, yet it has come to a point of no return, the gap cannot be mended anymore. That why, the main problem is our relationship with him, not the office and us against him. It’s tough that many who wrote fan letters thought that way. 

Mana-I’ve had it rougher. After a certain article came out, a letter came viciously, giving me a lecture. “As the leader, please behave more like an adult” and so on. I’d like to express what really happened sooner, but in this world, there is truth that appears as if it didn’t exist. We are sorry to the fans of the Malice Mizer with these five members, but we hope you can understand. This is the result of moving forward and breaking through without worrying too much, I regret it so badly.

Yu~ki- We have troubled fans and those in the industry who helped us, we are really sorry, regretful. 

--Returning back to topic, are there any discussions regarding Gackt leaving the band? 

Mana-He disappeared around November last year, despite having work to do, there’s lots on the schedule, but we don’t know where to contact him, and it remained that way. But we continued waiting for him. But, it seems as if he came up a betrayal kind of manner…it’s sad and regrettable. 

Közi-Not really, gentlemanly in those meetings, then all of sudden, he didn’t come anymore. 

Mana-That’s why, please do not believe things like we drove him out etc. 

--What will happen to Malice Mizer from now on? 

Közi- well, we are still in the situation whereby we haven’t really decided on when we’re going to announce our works, right? 

Mana- Many things happened, we are now recovering and sorting our emotions. The only thing that we can say now is that we want to meet and bring in a new vocalist, and begin a new Malice Mizer. 

Közi-we are definitely not going to disband. We can’t continue like a normal band, given the situation now, and it’ll be so for a while to come. To decide on a vocalist requires much consideration, it’s not a simple “yes, let’s take this person, now let’s GO!” 

Mana- That’s why, right now at this stage, we can only promise that we will not disband, Malice Mizer will continue. We will move forward. 

Közi- Perhaps it’ll be a while before we can meet with our fans, but surely there are different encounter ways. We are not doing nothing now, we are exploring and experimenting around. 

2012 post in Japanese of the interview on 5chan (which was 2channel at that time) http://music.5ch.net/test/read.cgi/visual/1036681228/

Updated since the source of the interview was given to me by someone who was a fan back then. This interview was in Vicious March 1999. Thanks for reading!

Part Two of Rock and Read's Interview with Mana

Continuing with my synopsis of my translation of the interview with Mana by the Japanese music magazine, Rock and Read. I got my copy at Kinokuniya book store. Since no translations were online, and I wanted to read the interview, I did my first long translation. Since I am not a skilled translator but I know there are people who want to know what the interview was about, I decided to post a synopsis of it. If there are any errors I will correct them. But for now, here is the rest of the interview.

The topic changed to the 25th anniversary of Malice Mizer and the memorial event this September. Mana laughingly said the 25th anniversary was actually last year. He said that this is something he has never done before, but there was one time something was to happen at the time of the 20th anniversary, in 2012.

Mana shared that back when Malice Mizer stopped working he felt sorry inside. That everyone who enjoyed it felt the same. He spoke about 1998 and mentioned Gackt leaving saying "what is the truth and what is a lie?". That the situation was not expressed then and has continued. The interviewer said that at that time, there were no comments from the Malice Mizer side. Even in 2001 when they stopped performing there was no comments about that. Mana was asked if he wanted to break it down in the 20th memorial year.

Mana said he had that kind of feeling. That the Gackt side was speaking in interviews and putting out books, where the Malice Mizer side was at a disadvantage. That since they did not do anything to talk about it, the situation was misunderstood because there wasn't information released. Mana said it was not his intention to continue things that were not true. So he thought it would be good to move on, "shed the past things into the water". He thought it would be nice to be onstage as an artist.

Asked if it would be with Gackt, Mana replied that the mind and circumstances of people will gradually change over time, that ten years had passed so things will fade away like heartburn. In the first place, he acknowledged the talent of Gackt as part of Malice Mizer. Because Gackt joined they were able to expand theatrically and be more effective. (It was previously mentioned their major debut allowed them to go to France to have photographs taken and shoot a promotional video, Bel Air ~Kuuhaku no Shunkan no Naka de~ de L'image.)

The interviewer asked "So you contacted Gackt?" Mana replied that since they had no contact since his sudden departure and withdraw from Malice Mizer, even though he did not have a way to contact him, Mana made up his mind to call him.

Mana spoke of the rumor that has gone on since Gackt left. That Malice Mizer would not do a comeback because he as leader of the group never forgave Gackt. Mana said that as for what is real and what isn't, he thinks there are some people who understand. That some of the music magazines asked for their thoughts and feelings at the time of Gackt leaving (this is true, there is at least one interview with the band at that time. I plan on posting something about that).

Mana did call Gackt in 2011. He met with Gackt, gathered the other members and they even went to dinner. They discussed Gackt participating in the 20th anniversary show. Back when Malice Mizer was active, they were planning on performing at Tokyo Dome following the live at Yokohama Arena in 1998. Mana had hoped they could trying to do something like that for the anniversary. They had started working out the plan, meeting with staff and it was going well. Then circumstances changed and Gackt could no longer do it. Since they ended up not being able to do the kind of show they wanted for the 20th anniversary, Mana decided to do something special for the 25th anniversary.

Mana contacted everyone who was a former member and roadies and asked them to appear. While he called out to everyone, there were people who could not be contacted by any means (most likely a reference to Klaha, who has gone from public life to private). Sakura-kun (ZIGZO etc.) who was a sensei of Kami will play drums. Kamijo and Hitomi were very pleased to be asked to perform.

The interviewer mentioned she saw Mana's birthday shows in March and had the impression that a lot of the Malice Mizer era fans are still fans. She asked Mana what did he think was the secret that continued this? Mana said perhaps it is because he does not change in what he does. That it is only him. She asked if he thought about changing, taking in new things? He replied that he does not and mentioned his wearing make-up for the shows, that he never did one with out it. (In other words, don't expect Mana to not dress-up for his shows. I wonder if this is a reference to the trend of older musicians making comebacks but not wearing the same kind of outfits and make-up, groups like X-Japan.)

Mana is asked what he thinks is interesting and the interviewer refers to various photographs taken during the Malice Mizer era. Where he was dressed in a motorcycle riding jacket next to a motorcycle, took photos with kids at a kindergarten, and various other shots. He replied that now there is a solid image of medieval Europe and gothic books, although his interests are wide. (Mana may have been referring to the image he has created since Malice Mizer, with his band Moi dix Mois.) He said there is always a desire to constantly surprise fans. He would like to challenge a variety of things, so it is a matter of what those would be.

Asked what is popular with him, Mana replied that it is music. That he can not change the music in any way that he has been doing for 25 years. That is okay to do whatever you do, if you defend it. She asked about the music with Moi dix Mois. Mana said that the atmosphere of the songs are like Malice Mizer and so that has not changed. That he is ready to keep doing this music without bending. It is meaningless for him if music and visual are not fused.

Mana is asked that the fans continue to love Mana, but when he looks back on his life so far, when is it that he thinks he is happy? His reply was that his music life, was not it a series of accidents? That if one thinks so, that he is still well behaved. It may be different from happiness. He mentioned how many of the vocalists have changed, which is not that unusual. Asked how many were there, Mana lists them in order. With Malice Mizer there was Tetsu, Gackt and Klaha. He laughed and said he is adding himself before Klaha since he did the vocals on ”再会の血と薔薇" . With Moi dix Mois there was Juka and now Seth. He said there are mountains and valleys but he appreciates that each singer always supported him.

The interviewer closes with saying even though Mana and the world he creates have not changed much, that it still attracts a lot of fans. Mana said that because the music and world he wants to express are hardened in him, there is no way to deviate to a side street. There is always a feeling that he wants to protect this world, this world that comes from him. From now on, because he will keep his music and world forever, he wants people to follow him.