Subject: Do Japanese people overdo it??
Content: I'm speaking as someone who has been kicking around this scene for about 4 years, and has made a great deal of friends with serious, dedicated individuals in the Japanese scene keeping the subculture alive, but when it comes to gothic fashion, specifically in the younger scene, do Japanese people overdo it?? I just know my first impression as a child seeing people like Peter Murphy, Diamanda Galas, or Rozz Williams wearing white makeup with big hair and black ornate fashion, it really worked to create an eerie sinister vibe to the music, making the musicians look androgynous and inhuman..... even nowadays, gothic musicians like Anna of Sopor Aeternus or Tilo of Lacrimosa, using the same kind of effect. However, in Japan, people seem to think you're not gothic unless you slather yourself head to foot in white foundation, glittery contacts, big flamboyant frills, and at least 50 kinds of hair extensions; doesn't really matter what your music taste, or lifestyle/philosophy/attitude is like. I dunno.... flipping through quite a few event flyers from this year and last, I seem to get the feeling more akin to a circus. The whole serious, sinister, underground vibe is gone. I know the visual kei scene influence could be partially to blame, considering the majority of young clubgoers I encounter these days would more than likely prefer Dir en Grey or Phantasmagoria over Christian Death or Bauhaus. Like I said, that doesn't mean I haven't met a great number of serious, dedicated, genuine individuals in the Japanese scene as well. Just my take on the "young" scene nowadays. Any thoughts?
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