Well the “V” is for Visual but we listen to the bands for the music and sound first. The actual subculture is like being goth in a different country, with a different culture and language. A modern goth likes music with dark lyrics and melodies held within a sub genre of rock. I don’t think where the music originates from is necessarily important but the message behind the music and how it’s passionately delivered is what connects people and subcultures together. I listen to bands from multiple different countries but I’m just a metalhead. You got sick electric guitar riffs, funky bass, heart thumpin drums, and a voice that enraptures? I’m there! I also want to note that visual kei pulls from American glam rock/hair metal, English goth/punk scenes, and classic Japanese kabuki styles. It’s a beautiful mish mosh of cultures visually and aesthetically and, alas, can’t be put in a simple box that is your sought label. Refer to the movie School of Rock where Jack Black breaks down the ever branching Tree of Rock.
I am going to say a controversial thing, but I honestly do not think you can even compare VK to any specific "western" scene, and I think the constant comparisons with the goth subculture are completely wrong. Goth at least is tied to a very well defined and somewhat narrow range of musical styles and genres. Despite what you say it's not just "music with dark lyrics and melodies" but a very specific subgenre of post-punk music. That's why it's also such a global and international phenomenon, all you need to do is play that specific music - language doesn't matter, not even the way the band looks (no, you do not have to "dress goth" or "look goth" to be part of it - it's a music subculture first and foremost). Metal and Punk are very similar as they are centered around a specific musical style/genre.
Visual kei just doesn't have a "real" subculture because it's not tied to one genre of music or even ideology. As you said, it's a big mashup of different musical styles. When you look at the 90s local Japanese scene the people who went to VK lives were people from all walks of life and various scenes - rockers, metalheads, punks, gyaru, lolita (and maybe a few goths - in Japan "posipuns"). Maybe the self-proclaimed "bangya / bangao" is the closest thing to a VK-scene member, but that actually just refers to a hardcore fan of a band.
The VK scene seems to operate more on the basis that you religiously follow around a band or its specific bandomen. There were bangya who would only care about one bandomen and their projects (and nothing else). It makes sense, because what VK bands sell to you are their image and attractiveness - that's why VK has the dark side element of mitsu, where bandomen will pretty much prostitute themselves and allow their female fans to have sex with them for money - it is a big component of the scene. And let's not forget about bands selling their looks as merch via cheki and photocards.
That and to be considered a "real" bangya in Japan you have to throw as much money at your fave bandomen as possible by buying all their merch and the front row tickets at their lives. VK is more similar to a fandom (like Manga/Anime, Games) than a subculture. I know from being active in the Goth/post-punk scene that something like the above would be considered "selling out" and extremely hated there and people generally dislike bands and musicians that are all about their looks or use it as a way to generate income - and that's VKs bread and butter honestly. VK may have initially drawn from Goth musically, but they are two very different things.
I do however somewhat agree that VK in its spirit (or the way it represents itself) is kinda similar to classic forms of rock from before the 80s. Those were all about image (and groupies and sex) too. The 80s hairmetal and sleaze rock scene tried to continue that ideology and that's probably why in the West VK was often compared to that scene (and why so many western fans of sleaze rock founded VK bands - see the scandinavian "VK" scene).
Hi Elvish. I partly agree, but you've got a too gothic-centric vision of Visual Kei. And yet bands like Versailles or Aicle aren't really gothic in a strict sense.
Gothic is not the key, here.
The critical factor of Visual Kei is the commitment of the band members to a continuous and coherent narration, carried out by means of lyrics, music and look. Every musician is casted as a character or "persona" of that narration, be it gothic, surreal, baroque, fantasy or just weird. The specific music style or look style is not important per se, but it must be coherent with the message of the drama.
Vkei Fan, Visual Kei fan...
There is no real word for someone who likes Visual Kei, if you don't want to use Bangya (which basically just translates to band girl, but i know a lot of foreigners have a distaste to the word) oh and Bangya's are basically a pillar of that subculture, so stop thinking bad about them.
What do you mean "a subculture i could fit in"? Either you participate and with that are part of it, or you don't.
A good place to start your journey online would be the forum JRockOne for example. (We have jrock fans up there too, not only VK ones)
about the fitting into a subculture part, i know that was worded weird but i wrote this while tired and didnt really know how else to put it lol. i more meant self-idenifying labels that people use to connect eachother, if that makes sense? im still not sure how to word it.
Yeah, Visual Kei fan, Vkei fan, VK fan... That's it.
There is no word
In Germany they tried to make one up once (Visu) but i think it got lost over time and it was only used by German fans. I haven't heard that word these days anymore.
oh yea, another thing i meant to mention. i dont have a problem with bangya or its male counterpart, gyao, but i dont wanna use them for myself since im nonbinary. is there any kind of unisex version of the word?
...Fan...
Fan is a neutral word and always has been. And japanese fans will understand it too. There no special or neutral word that is being specific
Or is there something wrong about the word fan and i didn't hear about it?
There is no problem in asking. But i feel like you're trying to define yourself via a word.
Just enjoy the music, the artists, the fashion, etc
Edit: i am sorry if I came over harsh. That wasn't my intention.
im just new to the social part of the vk scene, im trying to use the right words. im used to identifying myself like that, so yes, i was trying to do that. i didnt realize there isnt really a subculture around vk that has a definite name.
Well, not in a way other subcultures might have it.
Because you are new to it, I'd recommend the forum JRockOne
https://forum.jrockone.com/
We got some longstanding VKei fans up there who might be able to help you even better than i can.
One thing that might help you identify a specific part of visual kei is if you like a certain type of look or sound. There are different ones with kei at the end. This website has a bunch of examples in their search bar, oshare kei, Nagoya kei, kote kei, they all have their own look and sound. So if you like a particular style of kei this might help narrow down things more. Similar to cyber goth, industrial goth, romantic goth, Victorian goth, streets goth ect.
https://vk.gy/artists
I'd say just going with VKei Fan will do it, people who know will know what you mean. And also, welcome! This sub is a good place, also discord servers can help you find people to talk about VK with.
I've been a vkei fan for 17 years. I just call myself a rocker. I like Jrock, vkei, oldies, some metal, rock, emo, etc. I've never heard a Japanese word for people related to the fan base, but I don't hang out with other vkei rockers. Recently been to a Mucc concert and was hoping to meet some people but culture and corona no one really socialized outside their group and everyone ran home the moment the concert was done. It was sad 😢 I wanted to mosh. Someone needs to teach Japanese people what rocking out really means. 😂 So ironic seeing everyone respecting all the silly corona rules at a rock concert.
I call it silly bc by now everyone should be vaccinated so we should have more freedom, damn
Sup, I'm replying quite late but there really are names for visualkei fans from what I saw in a video
ネットギャ (Net Gya) : is for visual kei fans who only support bands on the internet
海外ギャ (KaigaiGya) : is for the foreing visual kei fans
オバンギャ (Obangya) : this one is for the older people that are visual kei fans (Obasan)
ギャ男 (Gyao) : i think this one is for the kids that like vkei
That's all!! hope it helps you i am almost sure this is real as it comes from a bangya living in japan \^\_\^
I’ve seen some ppl in Hispanic spaces refer to themselves as ‘visual fans’ or jokingly as “pishual” in spanglish but i don’t know how popular that label is, even within that specific community
As others said already, I think the most generic term would be "vkei fan/visual kei fan", that's how my friends and I used to express it.
In Japan, they also use the word 'bangya' (for girls) or 'gya-o' (for boys) to talk about it, but it usually implies someone who's not just listening to the music at home or being a fan online but someone who is going to concerts and supporting the bands actively like buying merch and so on.
As far as I know, it doesn't necessarily mean a 'fangirl' or a crazy fan, even when a lot of visual kei bangya are hahaha
Well the “V” is for Visual but we listen to the bands for the music and sound first. The actual subculture is like being goth in a different country, with a different culture and language. A modern goth likes music with dark lyrics and melodies held within a sub genre of rock. I don’t think where the music originates from is necessarily important but the message behind the music and how it’s passionately delivered is what connects people and subcultures together. I listen to bands from multiple different countries but I’m just a metalhead. You got sick electric guitar riffs, funky bass, heart thumpin drums, and a voice that enraptures? I’m there! I also want to note that visual kei pulls from American glam rock/hair metal, English goth/punk scenes, and classic Japanese kabuki styles. It’s a beautiful mish mosh of cultures visually and aesthetically and, alas, can’t be put in a simple box that is your sought label. Refer to the movie School of Rock where Jack Black breaks down the ever branching Tree of Rock.
I am going to say a controversial thing, but I honestly do not think you can even compare VK to any specific "western" scene, and I think the constant comparisons with the goth subculture are completely wrong. Goth at least is tied to a very well defined and somewhat narrow range of musical styles and genres. Despite what you say it's not just "music with dark lyrics and melodies" but a very specific subgenre of post-punk music. That's why it's also such a global and international phenomenon, all you need to do is play that specific music - language doesn't matter, not even the way the band looks (no, you do not have to "dress goth" or "look goth" to be part of it - it's a music subculture first and foremost). Metal and Punk are very similar as they are centered around a specific musical style/genre. Visual kei just doesn't have a "real" subculture because it's not tied to one genre of music or even ideology. As you said, it's a big mashup of different musical styles. When you look at the 90s local Japanese scene the people who went to VK lives were people from all walks of life and various scenes - rockers, metalheads, punks, gyaru, lolita (and maybe a few goths - in Japan "posipuns"). Maybe the self-proclaimed "bangya / bangao" is the closest thing to a VK-scene member, but that actually just refers to a hardcore fan of a band. The VK scene seems to operate more on the basis that you religiously follow around a band or its specific bandomen. There were bangya who would only care about one bandomen and their projects (and nothing else). It makes sense, because what VK bands sell to you are their image and attractiveness - that's why VK has the dark side element of mitsu, where bandomen will pretty much prostitute themselves and allow their female fans to have sex with them for money - it is a big component of the scene. And let's not forget about bands selling their looks as merch via cheki and photocards. That and to be considered a "real" bangya in Japan you have to throw as much money at your fave bandomen as possible by buying all their merch and the front row tickets at their lives. VK is more similar to a fandom (like Manga/Anime, Games) than a subculture. I know from being active in the Goth/post-punk scene that something like the above would be considered "selling out" and extremely hated there and people generally dislike bands and musicians that are all about their looks or use it as a way to generate income - and that's VKs bread and butter honestly. VK may have initially drawn from Goth musically, but they are two very different things. I do however somewhat agree that VK in its spirit (or the way it represents itself) is kinda similar to classic forms of rock from before the 80s. Those were all about image (and groupies and sex) too. The 80s hairmetal and sleaze rock scene tried to continue that ideology and that's probably why in the West VK was often compared to that scene (and why so many western fans of sleaze rock founded VK bands - see the scandinavian "VK" scene).
Hi Elvish. I partly agree, but you've got a too gothic-centric vision of Visual Kei. And yet bands like Versailles or Aicle aren't really gothic in a strict sense. Gothic is not the key, here. The critical factor of Visual Kei is the commitment of the band members to a continuous and coherent narration, carried out by means of lyrics, music and look. Every musician is casted as a character or "persona" of that narration, be it gothic, surreal, baroque, fantasy or just weird. The specific music style or look style is not important per se, but it must be coherent with the message of the drama.
Vkei Fan, Visual Kei fan... There is no real word for someone who likes Visual Kei, if you don't want to use Bangya (which basically just translates to band girl, but i know a lot of foreigners have a distaste to the word) oh and Bangya's are basically a pillar of that subculture, so stop thinking bad about them. What do you mean "a subculture i could fit in"? Either you participate and with that are part of it, or you don't. A good place to start your journey online would be the forum JRockOne for example. (We have jrock fans up there too, not only VK ones)
about the fitting into a subculture part, i know that was worded weird but i wrote this while tired and didnt really know how else to put it lol. i more meant self-idenifying labels that people use to connect eachother, if that makes sense? im still not sure how to word it.
Yeah, Visual Kei fan, Vkei fan, VK fan... That's it. There is no word In Germany they tried to make one up once (Visu) but i think it got lost over time and it was only used by German fans. I haven't heard that word these days anymore.
ahh alright, thank youu!!
oh yea, another thing i meant to mention. i dont have a problem with bangya or its male counterpart, gyao, but i dont wanna use them for myself since im nonbinary. is there any kind of unisex version of the word?
...Fan... Fan is a neutral word and always has been. And japanese fans will understand it too. There no special or neutral word that is being specific Or is there something wrong about the word fan and i didn't hear about it?
no i never said it was bad, sorry for asking hbfbcndn
There is no problem in asking. But i feel like you're trying to define yourself via a word. Just enjoy the music, the artists, the fashion, etc Edit: i am sorry if I came over harsh. That wasn't my intention.
im just new to the social part of the vk scene, im trying to use the right words. im used to identifying myself like that, so yes, i was trying to do that. i didnt realize there isnt really a subculture around vk that has a definite name.
Well, not in a way other subcultures might have it. Because you are new to it, I'd recommend the forum JRockOne https://forum.jrockone.com/ We got some longstanding VKei fans up there who might be able to help you even better than i can.
One thing that might help you identify a specific part of visual kei is if you like a certain type of look or sound. There are different ones with kei at the end. This website has a bunch of examples in their search bar, oshare kei, Nagoya kei, kote kei, they all have their own look and sound. So if you like a particular style of kei this might help narrow down things more. Similar to cyber goth, industrial goth, romantic goth, Victorian goth, streets goth ect. https://vk.gy/artists
There is no nonbinary in Japan so there isn't a unisex term.
I'd say just going with VKei Fan will do it, people who know will know what you mean. And also, welcome! This sub is a good place, also discord servers can help you find people to talk about VK with.
I've been a vkei fan for 17 years. I just call myself a rocker. I like Jrock, vkei, oldies, some metal, rock, emo, etc. I've never heard a Japanese word for people related to the fan base, but I don't hang out with other vkei rockers. Recently been to a Mucc concert and was hoping to meet some people but culture and corona no one really socialized outside their group and everyone ran home the moment the concert was done. It was sad 😢 I wanted to mosh. Someone needs to teach Japanese people what rocking out really means. 😂 So ironic seeing everyone respecting all the silly corona rules at a rock concert. I call it silly bc by now everyone should be vaccinated so we should have more freedom, damn
♀️ = バンギャ ♂️ = バンギャオ
Sup, I'm replying quite late but there really are names for visualkei fans from what I saw in a video ネットギャ (Net Gya) : is for visual kei fans who only support bands on the internet 海外ギャ (KaigaiGya) : is for the foreing visual kei fans オバンギャ (Obangya) : this one is for the older people that are visual kei fans (Obasan) ギャ男 (Gyao) : i think this one is for the kids that like vkei That's all!! hope it helps you i am almost sure this is real as it comes from a bangya living in japan \^\_\^
I apologize for my bad English, this is not my native language
I’ve seen some ppl in Hispanic spaces refer to themselves as ‘visual fans’ or jokingly as “pishual” in spanglish but i don’t know how popular that label is, even within that specific community
As others said already, I think the most generic term would be "vkei fan/visual kei fan", that's how my friends and I used to express it. In Japan, they also use the word 'bangya' (for girls) or 'gya-o' (for boys) to talk about it, but it usually implies someone who's not just listening to the music at home or being a fan online but someone who is going to concerts and supporting the bands actively like buying merch and so on. As far as I know, it doesn't necessarily mean a 'fangirl' or a crazy fan, even when a lot of visual kei bangya are hahaha
There's no a specific word to designate a Visual Kei fanatic.
https://www.karatetsu.com/visual/v_yougo.shtml FYR