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Madousho #24 (Sep. 2004)
An In-depth Interview with Mana by Mademoiselle L
France Travelogue (Part 2 of 2)

Following the last edition, we would like to continue our talk of Mana-sama's exquisite French experience. First of all, please tell us all about the filming that took place, as that was the second purpose of your trip to France.

M: The location we had our hearts on for the first day of shooting was at a remote town outside of Paris, about a two hours car ride. Of all the various locations on this trip, this battered church called Jumieges was one of my favorites. So we got up early, but it started to rain on our way there. Once we arrived, we waited for it to clear up, only it gave no sign of ever letting up. In fact, the weather took a turn for the worst: a storm complete with lightning started up and we finally had to give up on that day's filming. It may sound disastrous but in truth, I have a thing for dramatic storms and lightning so it got a part of me excited.

But as it was a highly anticipated filming location, didn't you get a little anxious for the possible footage you could have otherwise gotten?

M: Well, if it was a bit of rain, maybe we could have handled it, but it was a lot more than that so it was out of our hands. That day, we went back to Paris, and when it got dark we went out into the city to try and get some footage shot. Luckily, the rain had let up by then and at around 10pm we were on our way. The thing is though, Mother Nature just had it in for us that day, and our second disaster struck us in the form of extreme cold! It was no different from a winter night, and filming in that temperature was harsh.

Looking back, I still have a hard time believing that was a midsummers day. Where in Paris did you go?

M: The clothes that had been set out for the filming was a white, girlish EGL (Elegant Gothic Lolita) so I wanted a location that would bring out its innocent qualities, like filming in front of the merry-go-round for instance. This is why we first visited the carnival. But as we went without making any sort of appointment, we attracted so much attention that unfortunately filming just became impossible.

That is intriguing. Afterwards where did you head off to?

M: We then went to Place de la Concorde. I was walking around in full makeup, looking for a beautiful setting when these two men came up to me and asked, "Aren't you Mana-sama?" I gave them my autograph and they seemed so thrilled, practically jumping up and down. In Japan, it's rare that a male fan would display such enthusiasm infront of me so that incident made my day. Apparently they had come to the Expo as well.

Fans came up to you in various other places as well. But were you able to get any footage there?

M: We did come across some excellent locations so filming was accomplished this time. It's just that on top of the bitter cold, the wind was unforgiving as well; so trying to keep my hair intact was a hard battle. For the first day, it really was an extreme outdoor filming experience.

You know the saying in Japanese; "Those who don't make a daily habit of behaving good, aren't granted good weather on the days that count..."

M: I really can't explain it. (Laughs) The letting up and starting up again of the rain was unbelievable! Come to think of it, the whole time we were filming, we may have been mocked by great Mother Nature.

I guess even Mana-sama can't do anything to influence the weather. Well, how about the museum then, how did the shooting turn out?

M: The place was formerly home to aristocrats, so it had truly beautiful features. I tried to choose ensembles that had the same feel as the classically decorated interior. As a result, the filming was done in EGL, with the coats as the main feature. The only disappointment was that the time given for filming was limited. The museum personnel were very supportive throughout the whole process though, always making us feel at ease with their warm smiles. Even after the museum opened up and visitors poured in, we could continue filming without having to worry, all thanks to the people at the museum. We're very grateful.

So that was the first day of Paris for you. What did you do the next day?

M: From the afternoon, we went to check out the venue at Japan Expo. It's only pretty recently that my stuff got released in Europe, and there hadn't been much in the ways of promotion either. So I really hadn't expected to be recognized, and I stepped in without giving it much thought. But the local security personnel were more than worried that I would be recognized and that there might be a panic, which would be dangerous. The situation caught me off guard because the mood was unbelievably tense.

So it seems like you're a major star overseas as well.

M: Well, there really was a fuss on security; it got me thinking that by creating such a commotion, we might attract even more attention. But when I finally entered the Expo, I was instantly recognized, and you could see the crowd around me picking up on the vibe. Needless to say, the security people grew more anxious as well. I went in my regular clothes so I was sure no one would notice but... my only regret is that I was ushered by the security personnel so that I didn't have time to get a look around.

It may have been a little noisy then, but the filming continued successfully?

M: Definitely. After the museum, we went to a cemetery, but as soon as we arrived, of course the dreaded rain started up... We would find time when the sun would show its presence for those precious few minutes, then film like crazy! It was a solemn place though, so the staff made me wear this bizarre beige jumper that I would otherwise never touch. It was supposedly to get me in unnoticed by the tourists.

Now were you really able to fool them? (Laughs)

M: Exactly, I may have stood out more because of it. Wearing a beige jumper... I truly looked odd. It was raining at the time, so at least I was able to cover my face with an umbrella, which makes me think maybe I was helped in some ways by the rain after all.

The cemetery there has a very different feel than of those in Japan, don't you think?

M: That's true. There were even graves resembling castles and it made me wonder if it really was a gravestone. Also, since this was also the resting place of well-known men like Baudelaire and Gainsbourg, there were many people there who had come to pay their respects. Afterwards, we moved on to the old steps of Montmartre and that's how we finished filming for that day.

It was a gorgeous scene, full of greenery. Now, what of the dinner after the filming?

M: Well, it came to my attention that since I came to France, I hadn't had any curry, which is one of my favorite foods. So we went to an Indian curry restaurant near the hotel I was staying at. I almost forgot how amazing it tastes, and eating it brought me back to life. What was different though was that that curry had coentro on it, which is not exactly my favorite. The reason why I don't like it, believe it or not, is because the taste somehow reminds me of stinkbugs. This is a theory I have, and I've been testing it on some people. Quiet a few agree with me actually.

I've never even seen a stinkbug, is it pretty common?

M: I think so. Except it seems they don't thrive too well in the "concrete jungle" so I've only encountered one in Tokyo. That night at the curry restaurant, there were actually a lot of coentro lovers at the table and it turned into a huge debate about whether they taste like stink bugs or not. (Laughs) I'm curious about what the Mont+amour members think. If you have any opinions, please let me know. After the delicious curries, I went not to the "Arabuya" I usually go to, but to a regular grocery store. What caught my attention was the cash register there. For every one cash register, there were two lines of customers facing one another so the customers stood very close together. This got me a little embarrassed because anyone could see what each person was purchasing.

But you were only buying things like bottled water. (Laughs)

M: I guess I'm a little too sensitive... it's just that I'm always covered head to toe in my favorite dark fashion, and people must think "So this is what he buys..." In Japan as well, when I go to convenience stores, sometimes I want to eat candy like the kind kids are always buying. It's a little embarrassing when I bring it up to the cashier. Like when the packaging is Doraemon cartoons. (Laughs)

So Mana-sama wouldn't be caught dead in casual clothes even if it was just to n** out to a local convenience store?

M: To me, whether I'm on the stage or living my daily life, it's no different. This is why it's unthinkable for me to just change into any casual attire the minute I get off the stage. There's a strong desire in me to be elegantly gothic always, so that style won't change no matter what I'm doing.

Fantastic, so that's what makes Mana-sama.
Getting back to the filming, where did you go for the last day?

M: For the last day, we ended up going back to Jumieges, the location where we had missed out on filming the first day. We left early in the morning for it, but little surprise, it started to rain once we got there. So we started filming indoors first, in an ancient church next to Jumieges. When we finished filming, there was a moment of sunshine, so I changed costumes without losing another second and headed for the ruins. We couldn't go in too far because it was a ruin after all, and we were told to watch out for falling rocks. Even so, it meant more than anything that we could film in that beautiful environment. The ruin reminded me of the Shadows Temple sanctuary.

This was the place Mana-sama had envisioned for the filming all along, right?

M: Precisely, there aren't many ruins left in the first place, and I had set my mind on filming here. If worst came to worst, I would have filmed in the rain even.

The filming lasted the whole day. When it stretches on for that long, doesn't it get difficult to keep your spirits up?

M: No, that's never a problem. When I put on my makeup and I've got my costume on, I'm often on a natural high.

You wear both EGL (Elegant Gothic Lolita) and EGA (Elegant Gothic Aristocrat) clothing, but is there a defining difference in mentality when wearing each one?

M: EGA is an extension of who I am always, but when I'm wearing EGL, I become empowered by my feminine side. From the top of my head down to the tip of my toes, a feminine consciousness takes over me so that the way I stand, the way my legs are positioned, and everything becomes influenced. I've never had to study or practice these things; rather it is acquired naturally.

Is that the same with makeup as well?

M: When it comes to makeup, it's entirely based on my inspiration of that moment. So of course, it's done without any prior planning, and there are no second chances to it. I always put my makeup on with a very clear image of how I want to look when I'm through, so it's rare that I ever mess up. When I'm wearing EGL clothing as well, I have in my mind a definite image of my ideal female, which is why my body moves naturally and accordingly.

I can see the transformation that comes over you.
So you went back to the city after you had finished your hard-won Jumieges filming, shot wearing both EGL and EGA gear.

M: Oh yeah that reminds me, on my way back from Jumieges, we stopped over at a gas station. When I tried to use the bathroom there, I got in trouble with the cleaning lady who said to me "This is men's room!" This actually happens to me a lot in Japan because my hair is so long, but in France they have unisex bathrooms. Even in places like hotels and large department stores where they've obviously got enough space for two bathrooms, they still have unisex bathrooms. So there would be a lady putting her makeup on, next to a man washing his hands. For me this type of bathroom is much more agreeable because I get less attention this way. (Laughs) Most of the time, when I'm in the men's bathrooms, I get weird stares, and that can get uncomfortable.

So being mistaken for a female bothers you?

M: It's not my life's ambition to be seen as a woman. It's more a matter of having long hair in this case. If you took more than a passing glance, I'm sure it's obvious I'm not a female. That said though, I do get mistaken a lot on first appearance, which is why I think the French style bathrooms are more suited to me.

That's interesting, but exactly why do you think they're unisex in the first place?

M: It is puzzling. I mean if you think about it, if this was a bathroom in Japan and you bumped into someone of the opposite sex that you knew well, it would be embarrassing. Which is why I think such forbidden spaces should always remain a "secret garden."

You may be right about that. (Laughs) Where did you go after you made your way back to the city?

M: St-Eustache Church in Les Halles. This is a beautiful church of gothic architecture, and we heard that it looked amazing lit up at night. So we waited until it got dark to start the shooting, and here again someone came up to me and asked, "Aren't you Mana sama?" This time it was a couple and the girl was the one that recognized me. She looked so thrilled when she saw me that it in turn, made me happy as well. The shooting location wasn't really the kind of place that would attract either young or "rock lovers" so I was pleasantly taken back by the encounter.

It must have been a satisfying feeling to actually experience first hand, your growing recognition abroad.
So the night got darker, and where did you film your final cut?

M: It was done on a bridge near the Eiffel tower. It's apparently a popular filming spot where films have been shot. The mood at night is thick and heavy and it reminded me of Jack the Ripper. I even put on a cloak. When I saw the finished product, I saw that the pictures captures that feeling of Jack the Ripper appearing out of no where, seen standing under a fickle street lamp, so I was satisfied.

You mean, the location of the filming was impromptu?

M: Yeah it was. Cameraman T kept on bring it up, so we finally went for the last shot. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be amazing. Most of the shots done in Paris weren't locations that were decided in advance. We decided as we went, asking the local staff members for their opinions.

Really. Did you get rained on at the end?

M: No, there was no rain, but it was freezing cold. After all, I put on a jacket, a coat, then a cape over me, and I was still cold. I started to wonder if it was a mid-winter filming; that's how cold the French nights were. It was July and yet I saw girls wearing long boots and coats. Throughout the entire filming, we were met with rain and cold that made it impossible to carry out our plans as scheduled. In fact though, possibly due to such obstacles, there was a major sense of accomplishment at the end. Now that I think about, it may even have given me a better set of memories.

I really look forward to seeing those pictures that you went through such an ordeal to produce.

M: The shooting was mainly for the Fall/Winter collection of Moi-meme-Moitie, so I believe we will be able to release it soon, in the form of a pamphlet. It is in production right now.
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We definitely look forward to it. When the shooting was finished, I bet you were finally able to sit back and relax.

M: Actually, in order to relax, I brought candles from Japan as part of my bath goods. The bath is also where I meditate so it's no good to me if it's very bright. The lighting of the bath at my house is custom-made for this purpose, but the hotel baths are always so lit up. So I had intended to turn the lights off at the hotel bath, and use candles instead. As it turns out though, I had forgotten to bring a lighter with me, so I went to a French gift shop where I brought a lighter in the shape of the Eiffel Tower. (Laughs)

Mana-sama's choice of French souvenirs was very typical items! They were like "the" French souvenir. (Laughs)

M: Well they would be more like "le" souvenir in France. (Laughs) I came to France, so I might as well choose symbolic items. Other than that, I bought a figure of the Notre Dame. I also bought some gargoyle pens; the design was great but they didn't have caps on them, so on the way back all the ink spilled out. (Laughs)

It's the second episode to your horrible orange juice spill we talked about in the last issue!
Did you bring anything other than candles as part of your bath goods?

M: I had this flower shaped object that you were supposed to light up and let float in your bathtub. I had never used it in Japan, and I was looking forward to trying it out in France but when I got there, I saw that the batteries weren't included. The batteries were the kind that was hard to find in France, so I never got to use it. The bath is one of the best places for me to meditate so it's a special place for me.

Then after you got your rest, what did you do the next day?

M: We couldn't get tickets at the Opera Garnier due to our schedule, but I wanted to experience it, so we went to roam about. The decorations were brilliant, and I was completely overtaken. After that, the local cameraman K gave us a grand tour. I saw the city hall that became famous for the photo "Le Baiser de l'Hotel de Ville" ("Kiss by the Hotel de Ville" by Robert Doisneau). It wasn't the sort of city hall you would ever see in Japan. The building was beautifully lit up, and I just admire its attention to aesthetics. So we went by l'Hotel de Ville, and went to our guide's favorite bar nearby. The pickles were delicious and the wine never stopped pouring. I walked back a little tipsy that night. Looking back, I'm reminded of just how much I made my way around on foot in Paris. I wanted to walk as much as possible because it seems to be the best way to take in all the scenery that Paris had to offer. This included all the odd, out of the way places you wouldn't find in guide books.

But did you go to the so-called typical "tourist spots"?

M: I wanted to visit Les Catacombes de Paris, a mass grave full of skeletons, located underneath the city. You know, to get some taste of the dark world. Unfortunately it was closed for the day. So feeling somewhat desperate, I went to Marches aux Puces (the flea market) but that was also closed for the day. Geography wise, the two places are far apart, located on the north and south side. I ran across the city for no reason as it turns out, so "This grudge shall not go unavenged" (Mana-sama says this imitating a famous line from a classic, Japanese horror comic, "Urami Matarou.") For once, I regretted being so spontaneous.

That must of have been exhausting. (Trying to hold back laughs.)
So did you get your "revenge" the next day?

M: The first thing next morning, I re-visited the Catacombes, rubbing sleep out of my eyes. It was a lot larger than I had expected. From the entrance to the exit, I must of walked a distance worth two stations on the train. It was a dynamic underground labyrinth, and I wouldn't be surprised if there had been lost tourists that turned into skeletons there, unable to find the exit. It was a dark, freaky place so I was very richly entertained. If I had gone when there were no other tourists, I think it would have been most frightening.

They were real bones, right?

M: Yes, real bones packed on top of another. You can imagine, the place had its own peculiar atmosphere. Other than that, I also revisited the Notre Dame. It was too crowded so I gave up on climbing it, and walked around the area. That day there were jet planes flying above the Notre Dame in preparation for the Paris Festival on the 14th. When I saw it, I knew I had to see this major event. I happen to be a bit of a military freak; I love fighter planes and tanks. I use to build miniature model tanks, so the thought of being able to see the real thing intrigued me.

Did you notice any change in the city with the anticipation of the Paris Festival?

M: Kids playing with firecrackers near the hotel woke me up early in the morning. I got angry enough that I quickly left for the park to get away, but soon they came to the park anyways, along with their firecrackers of course. I kept quiet but once again, I feel like saying "This grudge shall not go unavenged (Part II)." Apparently though firecrackers are allowed in the streets during the Paris Festivals and the night before. So I figured, if that's the case, they should go on being the small Parisian boys they are, uninterrupted. So anyways, later that day I tried to find a good spot where I could get a full view of the Caterpillar Tanks. Unfortunately it was such a spectacular event that the place was packed full in advance...
That's when I bumped into cameraman K in the midst of this crowd. The chances of seeing each other must have been so slim, I thought there must be some kind of fate involved.

It did seem unreal that the two of you should meet in such a jam-packed place!

M: If I had even been walking on the other side of the Champs-Elyse'e, we wouldn't have met. What happened next is that he had a friend at a television network station, and he led me to the building the offices were located in. On the roof they had special seats for the event, where I was seated. It was a VIP treatment complete with food and drinks. The time was spent very elegantly, with a flute of champagne in one hand.

The chance meeting turned out to be a very lucky one.
So you go to view the Paris Festival from one of the best seats.

M: Yes, due to the fact that it was a television network, there were well-informed journalists and cameramen who never failed to impress me with their knowledge. They were kind enough to explain various aspects of the military parade, taking place below. It was interesting to see the event being filmed live as well. The whole day was unlike anything I had experienced. From the roof, I could see snipers on the many buildings and it was just like a movie, only they looked a little bored. Of course better be bored than busy in their case. (Laughs) Flying constantly above us were the jet planes, and for plane lovers like myself (only watching from the ground though, not actually flying!) that was breathtaking. The only unfortunate thing was that the Caterpillar Tanks I had looked forward to more than anything, never made it to the show. It was disappointing enough that it makes me want to express..."This grudge shall not go unavenged (Part III)."

It was that bad...what was the reason they couldn't make it?

M: A speech by President Jacques Chirac was to be made at noon, and they supposedly had to finish the parade before that. This is all just rumors that I heard but the parade started a little late, and so they omitted the awaiting tanks in order to wrap up the show. I'm looking forward to next year already.

Yes, you have to go back next year again. Overall, how was the turnout of the people?

M: As for the gathering, I think it closely resembles the fireworks festivals in Japan. Huge in number and as soon as it's over, everyone start to move at once so it gets crazy. Oh yeah, the main attraction of the parade was the fire fighters. What left a strong impression was that they received one of the loudest cheers from the crowd. Apparently fire fighters are ranked top in France when it comes to the most popular job professions among French children.

This was the last day of France for me, so I had dinner with all the people who had come to help me during my stay. As the last attraction, I was anticipating the fire works display, but I got caught up on the conversation at dinner. Before I knew it, it was already the kick-off time of the fire works. (Laughs) So we rushed on to a taxi but the traffic control was strict due to the heavy traffic and we had to get off even before we got anywhere close to the center of the city. We walked towards the fireworks, which we could see from in between the buildings when they went up. Actually this turned out to be a lot farther than we expected and we walked endlessly. When we finally did arrive, unbelievably it had just ended.
That is sad...

M: That is the unfortunate truth.
Well, this trip was a bit rushed, but I got to take part in so many events and that was fantastic.

Your stay was quite long and looking back, can you tell us your overall impression?

M: First, the huge welcome I received at the Expo really touched me, and the filming that took place, even with all the obstacles we were still able to produce excellent pictures so I am very pleased. Finally, I was lucky enough to experience the annual Paris Festival from one of the best seats. I truly enjoyed this most fulfilling two weeks. Lots of things took place but looking back, it really went by fast. There are so much stimulating things and discoveries when you go to a foreign land that I truly gained a lot from the experience. This time it was France only, but I wouldn't mind doing a round trip of the world next time.

Madousho #26 (Nov. 2004)
An In-depth Interview with Mana by Mademoiselle L
- Today, in order to find out more about Mana-sama, we would like to focus on the birth date, or your fate day. We are hoping this may help us "dismantle" some mysteries of Mana-sama. According to the Dictionary of Birthdays, Mana-sama, who is born on March 19th, would be described, foremost as a "persevering hard worker."

M: Well, I may be persevering...but then again I may not be...I guess the fact that I've always stuck with the things I'm passionate about, and from the aspect of my inquisitive nature, you can call me persistent or diligent.

-Also, you "accomplish all goals."

M: Well, I am always striving to do so, and I might even go so far as to say that I live for the goals. When I was a student, I didn't give much thought, but ever since I discovered music, I've set goals and visions for myself and I've never stopped thinking of ways to accomplish them. I don't like the phrase, "If you wish from the bottom of your heart, your dreams will come true." I believe that in order to accomplish your goals, you need to apply yourself and make the effort. If all you had to do was wish really hard for something and it came true, no doubt, everyone's dreams would be a reality today. Realizing your dream takes more than that. It may be nice to hear those words, but it just sounds like a mere comfort to me. There's nothing special or significant about working hard to achieve your dreams so I don't particularly show it that I am applying myself either. It's all about the result, if you can produce results without putting in any effort, I think that's great as well; seeing someone working hard is not what is beautiful.

- So you don't put any emphasis on the process taken?

M: The process doesn't mean anything. It may just be due to my profession but, the result is the only thing that counts. Even if I do everything to create a song, if that song isn't good, the effort is utterly meaningless. I live in a world where I'm judged, whether it's good or bad, and not whether I've put in the effort or not.

- In other words, making an effort is only a given. Another characteristic is "pureness like that of a child." What do you think? I agree wholeheartedly and believe you have not lost your inner child.

M: Yes, I often don't feel like a full grown adult. It's not like I make an effort to maintain the child in me though, so maybe it's just that I can't grow up. (Laughs) For someone my age, I must seem very childish. This may be because when I try to express something in my work, I keep on going back to my childhood memories and emotions.

-Are you the type of person that can vividly recall their childhoods?

M: It's not like I recall all the minor details, but I do find myself constantly going back to my childhood. This is because when it comes to how I perceive things today, nothing has changed from the time I was first touched by music or when I first felt love as a child. I think the memories of when I lived only by instinct, as children do, connects greatly with the act of creating music. I want to pursue what I feel is precious according to my instinct, and not what the surrounding information, the norm, or society decides it is. I think listening to your instinct and believing in what you yourself find "good" is essential, and I hope everyone can understand this and pursue it.

- Well, listening to that, I can understand that you are someone that "Goes forth to break new grounds." What about the description: "In general, you are a realistic person that acts according to logic and order." What would you say about this?

M: It's right in some regards. I think it's always important to take one step back and view things objectively. I agree completely when people say "There's a good chance you might be headed the wrong direction if you don't take objectivity into account." Especially in my case because when I'm pursuing my passions, I have a tendency to not see anything else. Then everything becomes objective, and I run the risk of becoming a maniac. (Laughs)

- That's true. When I think back to your daily actions, I am reminded of how you are always careful to ask other people's opinions, and also to ask: "Why don't we look at it from an obective point of view?"

M: Sounds like I care what everyone else is thinking after all. (Laughs) Of course when I've made up my mind, I always want to just run with it. However, I do always try to be open to various opinions.

- The Dictionary advises that that this is what you "should" do, but I think it is impressive that you seem to already have this under you belt. By the way, your strengths are listed as: persuasive, fatigue-less, and thorough.

M: "Persuasive"...really. It's hard to know oneself. Am I? As for "fatigue" I'm quite aware of that. (Laughs)

- Really? I always think you're full of energy.

M: Maybe because I sleep a lot? But I do remember my dreams often so my sleeps can't be very deep. There isn't a day that I can't recall my dreams. I wake up from even the slightest noise, so I envy people who can sleep through anything.

- It does sound like you're tired then. (Laughs) How about the last quality: "thorough"? That one has to be right.

M: Yes, what I hate most is leaving something, anything undone.

- Okay, then going on to your weaknesses, they are: careless, stubborn, and reserved.

M: Careless, definitely. (Laughs) Like when I want to build something, I always just go ahead with it without ever consulting the manual. As a result, I end up fitting something in the wrong place and getting it stuck, or breaking it. Other times, when I've finished putting it together, I discover an important piece has been left out. (Laughs) This happens to me all the time. I just never take caution, though I end up regretting it too often.

- I remember for the photo book "Magnifique," which was released last month, the page numbers didn't match when we checked it during production.

M: That's right. (Looking a little panicky.) I was thinking about the structure of the photo book, and going through everything relatively fast. At the very end, the page numbers didn't match, and we had to go back to the beginning. What's worse, I repeated the mistake two, three times total. When I'm working on it everything looks to be in order, but then at the end, the numbers don't go together. I have this habit of trusting my gut feeling too much, or just doing everything according to my instinct. Sometimes that leads me to success, but just as likely it leads me to failure, so I guess I have to think ahead a little bit more.

- What about the word, "stubborn"?

M: On certain things, I'm stubborn but on most, I'm pretty laid back. I guess the fact that I'm very stubborn in certain issues, means the description is right though. "Reserved" is a characteristic I've dealt with all my life. Communication is the basis of society, so I do wish I were able to be a little bit more friendly with people. Easier said than done though. I've never been good at talking to someone I'd never met before, and also I've never really cared for such things either. (Laughs) Often, I seem to give off the impression that I'm a very cold person.

- So you do feel that people see you as "reserved."

M: Sure. (Laughs) Basically I do what I want, but at the same time, there's always something that is sacrificed as a result of it. Something has to be "cast aside" for the sake of attaining your goal, and that process is never easy for anyone. Yet I don't think most people see it that way. The various decisions I make aren't made so easily or so heartlessly, but most people don't recognize that. Maybe it's because I don't explain myself all the time, but sometimes people will just make assumptions.

- You're not going to try to correct those assumptions?

M: I don't want to make so many attempts in order to be understood. I simply make efforts towards my goals, and those who can relate to that will, and that's good enough for me. Of course if I'm considered cold hearted by too many people, then naturally, that would get me down. In that regard, I do wish that I had a more friendly way about myself. Whether it's my fate for being born on March 19th or not, this is no easy task though.

- People will only think what they want to think, so one can't get too caught up on that. Nonetheless, it is sad when people mistakenly have the wrong idea about you.

M: I don't want to be accepted by more people if that means having to change myself and pretending to be something other than what I am; even if it's more useful to do so. I suppose I may have some disadvantages in that regard, but that's not my true self so... This is why I'm in an "in-between" position.

- In between wanting and not wanting more people to understand you?

M: Well, my love and passions are very specialized, and I don't have a deep interest for the things that are in the mainstream culture. At the same time though, I feel that I want to share what I treasure with more people. In that respect, I do want to go out more into the mainstream in order to make contact with those who aren't yet able to show their true selves, or people who are not aware of different possibilities. I'm not about to accept the situation that you are looked at strangely just for dressing differently. Even with MALICE MIZER, this was one of the prejudices that I wanted erase...although this is very hard.

- You have established the "Goth-Loli" (Short for "Gothic-Lolita") genre with Moi-meme-Moitie. What are your thoughts concerning that?

M: I established it in 1999 with the hopes of making it into a fashion standard. However, even to this day, it is still treated as a very specialized style. Actually there is a part of me that feels that this specific genre should only be dealt with by a select few who enjoy the unique aspect of it. Rather than have everyone wear because it's the trend of the moment, I prefer to have it worn by people who truly love it for what it is. All that said though..! There's this part of me that simply doesn't want the style to stop with a select group. (Laughs) That's what makes it complex.

- I think that certain worlds are just meant to be shared among only a select few, or a minority group, and that is part of the appeal. But it seems that what Mana-sama aims for is something different.

M: I despise being looked at as, "just another underground." Much of the underground scene has had the attitude of just ignoring the mainstream culture, and doing everything within their world. This was what I truly wanted to break apart. I can understand the point of view of hard core Goths who wants to keep Goth underground as it is. As for me though, I am always in search of the world for something new, so it isn't enough and I would get bored. I want to be stimulated by new things. The ideal is to be able to act as a bridge between the mainstream and the underground culture. The only thing is, when Goth starts to become mainstream there are always people who, don't have an idea but start to describe everything anyways. Like, "Goth is..." That sort of phenomenon in itself is proof that I'm out in the world and it's being noticed, but it makes me wonder; "Is that what I really want...?" It's a difficult choice.

- When the media picks something up and people become aware of it, the more unique that objects of attention is, the higher the risk that it will be interpreted differently than it was originally intended.

M: There is always that fear. To be more precise though, I am not all that concerned with spreading Gothic whether it be music or fashion. I am more concerned with how to present my material, and how my world is accepted by people. This is what matters to me more than the framework, such as underground or major labels. I am just in pursuit of my own original style so I think all the talk about how Gothic should be or Metal should be, and comparing it to something of the past is nonsense. I much rather prefer that people see Moi dix Mois as a music genre in itself. It just seems pointless to me to compare it with anything else, because what really matters is whether that itself is good.

- Yes and there are always people who talk as if they understood the whole music scene.

M: Maybe its only human nature that people feel superior when they have more information but more than that, I think what is important is being able to say what you believe is good and just being honest to your individualism. I think things get confused only when individuals let their likes and dislikes be influenced by other people or what the media deems popular. Its like everyone knows the trend, but no one is really certain about anything.

- You mean people should go with their instinct, which may be the only true thing.

M: I think it is enough to trust your natural instinct which tells you right from wrong, and love from hate. Everything is about listening to your six senses. I suppose it is hard to do so though and this is why people feel more secure with bringing up data and theories. So maybe the true task is to start by finding ways to become someone who is comfortable trusting their natural instinct.

- Can you tell us your secret?

M: First dont believe every thing you hear from the media, and instead try to acquire your own taste; listen to what your instinct hungers for. In other words don't be so influenced by whatever-whatever top rankings or lists. (Laughs) No matter what the rest of society thinks, have absolute confidence in the things you love. You can't be ashamed of being different from people. It isn't easy, but this is necessary. In the end, the theme always returns to the "Breaking Down of Logic" (Madousho #23.) I'm not trying to force this on to other people though because when it comes down to it, it's really up to the individual.

- Following your passions and doing what you want to do sounds good in words, but often this is very difficult to do. Many people cannot even decide what it is that they feel passionate about.

M: I can understand that people can't find what it is that they feel really crazy about. In such cases, I feel like saying: just follow me! (Laughs) That's going too far maybe. (Feeling shy.) It doesnt matter what people think though. For people who don't feel as I do, what I'm doing might seem crazy, but that just means that we all have different beliefs and different ways of living, I wouldn't criticize anyone for that. In that same regard, I don't think anyone has the right to riticize me.

- It's not a matter of right or wrong. It would be best if everyone could respect each other without having to go into other people's lives. I think it is embarrassing for someone to make judgments about things they have never experienced, and therefore can't understand.

M: It's sad but there are many people who make criticisms of other people to no avail, when instead they can be using that energy to do something they actually want to do. When you have goals and things you want to do, you are often too busy trying to figure out ways to do them, that you naturally stop being concerned about other people's business. This is why I hope everyone can find at least one thing that they are truly into.

- Among various human natures, the presence of Mana-sama's fans that understand you, must be a source of great happiness.

M: I have confidence that my fans listen to my sound and seek my music. That is what makes me most happy. What I want to do is continue making music that only I can produce. This is not to say that whatever that is different and new will be taken up, but rather I wish to fuse the new with the things that make up the basis of my music. So in that way, I believe that fans who follow me will not be betrayed because I know what my music is.

- So you will incorporate many new things, yet your core essence will not waver.

M: It is because I have this core that I can stay strong. The music most likely would not lead to anything if I was constantly debating where I should take the music to next, or if I constantly had to choose a direction. I always have an ideal form in my mind, as well as a hunger towards new music, and this is what keeps me moving. Even if I found my self in despair, my music will always give me hope. I love myself best when I am creating music. The rest is all on how I can produce something exactly as I imagine it, and this I am constantly doing.

- I think it is really your strength that you have an unwavering core in you.

M: I don't want to betray my fans. The things is when I was a teenager there was a band that I loved. But they changed themselves both musically and visually according to the change of times. I recall distinctively that it was a devastating shock for me to witness that, and I don't want people who have come to love me to experience that. I want to always present a dream world. I don't want my fans to experience what I did.

- So we have nothing to worry about?

M: Yes, nothing. I will protect the world that only I can create. So just follow me! (Laughs)

- Now that are minds are at peace, (Laughs) on the Birthday dictionary, it also lists Numbers and Planets. Are 3 and 19 meaningful numbers to you?

M: 1 and 9 make up "Dix" right? Then if you make 10 into, "1 plus 0" that makes 1. My number really feels like it ought to be 1! I always feel that I have to be number one all the time.

- It does say "The feeling of wanting to be number one is nearly an obsession." So to conclude, you are someone that "...has a distinctive goal and tries to be number one in that regard. You work hard to achieve this, and as a result all ends well for you." How's that?

M: Already that makes me happy. 1 and 0 are very important numbers for me. 1: To be always number one. 0: Symbolizes unlimited or root source. These are one my life themes. When I chose the name "Moi dix Moi" I wanted to go back to my root, and so with that in mind I put 10 in the middle. In that regard I think I do have a fascination with numbers. Also if you flip the number 3 to the left, it makes an M. So 3 is one of my other favorite numbers along with 1 and 0. It seems that they are my fate numbers.

- Whenever you name something it seems they are always included. That also leads to you being thorough doesn't it?

M: Does it? It does symbolize who I am though, so I am careful in how I name everything.

- Okay, so today we dug deep into Mana-sama from the perspective of Birthdays. In total what did you think?

M: My birthday, March 19th really is my fate day and I consider it to be very profound. It may be interesting for the fans to explore aspects of their birthdays as a way to learn more about themselves. To search and explore is everything and something may very well be hidden there...

Nocturnal Opera Voting Results
"Nocturnal Opera" is made up of votes by Montamour Fan Club (domestic) members. Introduced here is the result of Favorite Song Ranking. Mana-sama has added his comments for each song.

Number 1: the Prophet
This song is my favorite in the album, so it's a thrill for me to find out that what I am pursuing and what the listener wants has matched. When I had completed this song, I felt incredibly proud, and no matter how many times I listen to it, I seem to always be stimulated from it. I hope to make another song like this. Actually better yet, I hope to make a song that surpasses it.
Number 2: monophobia
I had the most difficulty arranging this piece. I still think this is an incomplete piece, but I just can't put my finger on what is bothering me about it. I especially like the piano melody at the introduction. This part really emphasizes the song's theme: "Fear of being alone."
Number 3: vestige
I thought this would be number one, but it turns out third. For the last album, "Dix infernal" the song "solitude" was popular. For me, "vestige" has surpassed "solitude"! Which is why I am all the more sad that it ranked only third... I don't have one part that I dislike about this song, and it gets me sort of nostalgic.
Runner Up:
Nocturnal Romance
This song, in a way, symbolizes the album "Nocturnal Opera" so the fact that it didn't make it in the ranking gets me down. It may not have extravagance, but if you listen to it carefully it does have its own. It's classically arranged and runs loose, which is a style I'm confident in. This song is like a standard in that regard.

Page 7
In the bubble: Hmm...the Madousho is deep...

Page 8 COMIC
Dis inferno III is Coming Up!

1. Is everyone ready for the party?
2. Let's decorate the December 15th night with craze and extavagance.
3. Since it's a Moi dix Moi concert, we will take it very far.
4. To gain more power for this event, we have added new member(s).
Experience Moi dix Moi at its newest form!!
You can also expect other features for this event.
5. However, the main is of course, Moi dix Moi and Schwarz Stein. Let's go crazy and end 2004 with a blast.

Page 9 Kazuno's Zunou (Brain) 7th Series
Yeah, next month is finally the concert!
You there, looking forward to this event, let's party together!!

I was flipping through some old photos recently, and I found one of myself with red hair. People in my neighborhood use to say "He must be Kabuki."

Presently I'm all about black hair, but I use to change hair colors constantly.
What do everyone think?

During this time, I use to only play the base with my fingers.
However, Moi dix Mois' songs are ultra-high speed.

When I tried playing it with my fingers, red fire lit from my fingers...

Due to the fast speed, I felt the limit of my fingers so I picked up the pic, which was something I was not use to doing. I remember it made me nervous playing with it at first.

Now, I play certain songs with my fingers.

For the December event, please compare my finger and pic base play.

Madousho #28 (Combined January-February Issue)
Dis inferno III, The Round-Table Discussion
M: Mana-sama
J: Juka
Ka: Kazuno
T: Thoru
K: K

-Today we have a round-table discussion with Mana (M below), Juka (J), Kazuno (Ka), Tohru (T), and K. We'd like to hear what you thought, and what happened behind the scenes of your end-of-the-year party "Midi:Nette presents Dis inferno vol. III-LAST YEAR PARTY-."

M: Well, the newest thing this year was our new member K . . .
K: (Instantaneously) Yes! That's me!
M: That's him. Everyone, what were your first impressions of him?
K: What? I hate it when he does this. (Laughs)
J: Well, before I say anything else, the man is huge. That was my first impression.
Ka: He's tall and heavy-built. When I first saw him, I originally thought, "Man, that guys mega-scary." But, when I tried talking to him, I was surprised to find that he's really polite. (Laughs)
T: No, no, that's just a ploy.
K: I don't know about that. (Grins)
Ka: Well, at the start! (Emphasizing) He used to be that way, but he strengthened his image, got rid of his eyebrows, and got a mohawk. Then I thought he was hard-core.
K: Ha ha ha. (Laughs)
T: It wasn't my first time meeting him. However, the moment he showed up in the studio I made a rule, "No platforms."

Everyone sad Laughs)

T: When you think MdM you think platforms. But I didn't think K needed them. (Laughs) I figured it didn't really matter whether he wore them or not. It wasn't that important, so I told him, "For the time being, don't wear platforms." He didn't need to wear them, you know.
K: That was the requirement to enter the band. (Laughs)
T: Yeah, those are the rules. Hey, there's something I want to say here. (While pointing to an event questionnaire) People wrote that I look like a fat pig. Do you mind if I take this time to say something loud and clear? Do you mind if I take this time to say something loud and clear? "I AM NOT A FAT PIG."

Everyone: (Bursts into laughter)

T: I just thought that I should make my body bigger in order to get a fatter, heavier sound. Also, because I've been learning to fight lately.
K: We've been saying that that's the real reason.
T: (Laughs) Nah, I just don't want to look weak if someone compares me to a pro-wrestler. I'm trying to be a fighting drummer. So, it's not that I've gotten fatter; I've just gotten bigger! I'm not getting fat! GAAAARRR! (said like comedy team Dacho Club) Make sure you write all that down!

- Y . . . yes. (Laughs, then writes everything down)

Everyone: (Immediately baffled by Tohru's random blast of comments, bursts into laughter)

M: And, how tall are you again, K? (Extremely calmly)
K: 187 centimeters.
T: 187! I'm 180 centimeters and 115 kilograms so . . .
J: Um, isn't their something fishy about those numbers? (Laughs)
T: Make sure to use those measurements! Those are pretty much the ones I write down. I'm about the same size as Kensuke Sasaki (pro-wrestler).

-I see. (Laughs)

J: There are probably a lot of people that actually believe that.
T: What? Really? I'm content just to be able to say that much. So anyway, Mana, what did you think?
M: The thing that surprised me the most when I went to the studio was the pink Fire Bird guitar. (Laughs)
K: Hey, it's black with pink lines.
T: It was discombobulating!
M: I thought, pink? (Laughs) That was the first thing that surprised me.
K: I love to cause people pain.
T: I think I'll get some pink drums.
M: But, the thing that surprised me even more than that, though, was that Tohru was wearing a pink tank top.
T: Wa ha ha! (Laughs)

Everyone: (Laughs)

T: Hey, I had a reason. Last summer pink was in fashion. I mean, even male clothing designers like D&G were coming out with pink leather pants and . . .

Everyone: Really?

T: But I wasn't exactly aware of that. (Laughs). So, one day I'm reading "Kakuto Gi Tsushin" [a martial arts magazine] and I see this fighter I like, Rumina Sato, wearing a pink tank top. I thought it looked cool so I started wearing one myself. So, that's why you were surprised, right? I was still wearing summer clothes at our November rehearsals.
M: Yeah. And, more so, it had these white fringes that were really cute. Tohru, you bring out the cuteness in our band.
T: Ha ha ha. (Laughs) Cute, eh? You're making me blush (Blushes)
M: I was shocked.
T: Whenever I'd say something he'd say, "That's just because you're wearing that pink tank top!" It certainly must have been a shock to him.
Ka: Hey, weren't we talking about that Juka thing right when Tohru's tank top came up? There was this pink heart mark . . .
M: That's right! At the start, we were talking about the second to last issue of the bulletin (see #26 "Juka's Jukai"). There's a picture of Juka's cell phone screen with this pink heart flying around. Then, just as we were saying, "A pink heart? No way!" this guy in a pink tank top shows up.

Everyone: (Laughs)

T: They were like, "There's a pink line on your Fire Bird, babe, your tank top's pink, babe." (Laughs)
M: Then, we were like, "Hey, cut that out!"
T: Well, there's this certain bandleader who will only wear black and blue. I don't think there's any way he'd accept pink. No way.
M: That's because THERE IS NO PINK in MdM.
T: But, most of you guys like to have pink showing somewhere on your cell phone screens, right?

Everyone: Yeah, yeah. (Agreeing)

J: . . . . . . .

-(Laughs) Well then, so K, what were your first impressions upon meeting the other band members?

K: Well, first off, I had already met Mana, so my impression didn't change much. However, when I saw all the oddly shaped guitars he had, I was like, "This must be a stag beetle! This must be a Hercules beetle!" It reminded me how cool these weird shaped guitars are. Other than that . . . I was pretty nervous. (Laughs) Whenever someone saw me with my guitar, I would be like, "Oh no!!!" (Laughs) I'd known Tohru for a while, but we'd never sat down together with our instruments before, so I was looking forward to making music with him. Then, it was really my first time meeting Kazuno. When I saw his bass, I noticed it was a five-string and thought he played an interesting bass. Also, I thought that he was pretty thin.
Ka: Ha ha ha. (Laughs)
T: When you compare me to Kazuno I look way too fat! You know, because I'm not really fat. It's because I'm growing muscles!! (Shouting)
K: Then (Laughs), Kazuno may be thin, but he plays furiously on that five string. I was looking forward to playing with him. Those were my impressions.
Ka: Uh . . . thank you. (Blushing)
K: Then, oh yeah! Our star performer, Juka! I'd heard some recordings and though that he had a great singing voice and could shout well. Since I was the death voice, I was thinking about how to give him more oomph on my way to the rehearsal. But, when we finished rehearsing and everyone was going home, I saw Juka and thought, "What is up with that bag!!!" (Laughs) Wasn't that bag crazy, Tohru?
T: I remember that bag! There's a bunch of legends about it, at least for him
K: Oh really? I'd rather like to hear them.
J: That's my second bag.
T: Yeah, yeah. The first Juka-bag was this old lady bag I think he bought in some shopping district somewhere. Or, maybe, a 100-yen shop.
J: No, no!!
T: He had a bunch of other bombshells as well: this really sketchy coat, these old lady gloves etc. Our conversations would always take this pattern; he'd rattle off the prices, "This was 1980 yen" or "I got this for 200 yen" and I'd just say "Yeah, yeah. I know, I know."
J: No, no!!!!! (Desperately)
K: A ha ha.
T: But with his new bag, it had me saying, "Maria, madre de La'cryma Christi! " I mean, is it meant to be a tote bag? But, it doesn't look much like a tote bag. (Laughs) It has pitch-black enamel with a kind of crocodile-skin pattern to it. The grip is brown but when I looked closely . . . a rose!
K: Yeah! There's this fake pink rosebud on the grip. It's made out of wire.
J: It has pink lining too.

Everyone: (Laughs)

T: It was the hot color last year! Even Mana had pink.
M: He's going to bring it up again . . .
T: Basically, he likes shiny things. The base material has to be something glossy: velour, corduroy, maybe a plasticy looking enamel. Also, he doesn't like high-grade materials.
Everyone: (Laughs)

T: You learn a lot from seeing his bags. I learn a lot from Juka.
J: By the way, today I brought this one . . . (Showing everyone his jersey cloth bag)
Everyone: Aggggh!!! (Taken aback)

T: Add that to your velour shirt with long, tapered sleeves, rose embroidery, and sequins and it's a perfect match!
K: I told you I bought this at a real clothes shop! XX Ginza,. (Laughs)
T: Yeah, the kind of place that closes at 6:30 at night. So, the tag was written in marker; 10,000 is crossed out and it looked like it said 1500. (Laughs)
Ka: That sometimes happens, doesn't it? (Laughs)
K: It was really shocking. That was my first time rehearsing with Juka.

- I see. (Laughs) Well we've heard several great stories. Now, I'd like to hear about the various parts of the show.

M: Well, first of all, we did a Slayer cover band, Sugeya Hideya. This time we invited along Mr. Hayakawa from FOOL'S MATE magazine but . . . hey guys, you remember if anything interesting happened at the rehearsals?
Ka: Mana was quick to be like, "Yo, let's take a break." (Laughs)
T: Yeah! That's the impression I got too. I had only been singing since our concert at CLUB CITTA' last year, it was our first time getting together as Sugeya Hideya, and the only guy on his normal instrument at the time was Kazuno. And yet, despite all of this, we'd do one song and then our drummer (Mana) would stand up and say "Uuugh, hold on a sec." Then he'd be like, "Man, it's hot. You guys want to take a break?" (Laughs) He seemed like he was always taking a break.
M: No! Really!?
Ka: So then we'd ask him, "Hey, you want to get started now?" and he'd be like, "Well, I guess . . . (Reluctantly)"
T: Yeah, yeah. It was like, "Meh, guess I have to." (Laughs) Most drummers relax when they sit down on the drum stool, but he was always quick to get back up. It seemed to me like he wasn't behind the drums much at all.
M: What?? I was probably doing that unconsciously then.
T&Ka: Unconsciously!? (Laughs)
Ka: I don't think he made it through two consecutive songs.
M: . . . Well then, let me explain. All of the songs were, uh, straight two-beat rhythms, so I'd be completely exhausted after playing a song. That's probably why that happened . . . probably.
T: Probably. (Laughs)
M: So then, the sad thing is that, if you watch the concert footage, the sound level of the drums is low so it doesn't sound like I'm playing a two-beat. There are a lot of people who think I was only playing the bass drum. I'm going to tell all those people right now, both my hands and feet were moving the whole time.
T: He definitely tried hard! (Laughs) But, I think maybe, because of his experience with the drums, he started being nice to me during rehearsals. He keeps asking me if I want to rest-there are few bands so considerate. (Laughs)
M: Once I'd tried playing myself, I thought "Man, Tohru's got it tough." So, now I try to look out for Tohru when we're rehearsing. (Laughs)
T: Our band's great about the breaks and cooling (air conditioning).
K: We'll be like, "Air conditioner turning on . . . NOW!"
T: Yeah, yeah, that's because MdM rehearses with the same energy we show live. There are a lot of bands that do their rehearsals sitting down. When that happens, am I not the only person who's going to get hot? Other bands will tell me, "I can't play guitar when my hands are frozen," and most of the time refuse to turn on the air conditioner. Relatively speaking, MdM is nice to their drummers. (Happily)
K: Oh yeah, the air conditioning thing reminded me! That air conditioning always gets to me when I shave. I'll feel my head after a couple of songs and it'll be chilled. (Laughs)

Everyone: (Laughs)

T: Other than that, Hayakawa always sat during our rehearsals, so I was a little concerned about what would happen when we finally played live. But, once the curtains opened, he had the most energy, played the loudest of us all. It turned into a guitar party. (Laughs)
Ka: (Meek) It seemed like it didn't matter whether I was there or not . . .
T: Ha ha ha. (Laughs) Did you get lonely?
Ka: Yes. There were some slightly lonely parts. (Laughs)
K: Not me. I was just surprised that Mana could play the drums. I actually worried that Slayer was a little too difficult for him.
M: I see. (Laughs) So, it didn't seem like I could play the drums, right?
K: No, it didn't. But, when I actually saw him I was like, "That's amazing!!!"
T: Amazing wasn't it? He was really particular about his setup too; if there weren't two gigantic china cymbals, he couldn't play.
M: Yes. There's absolutely got to be two bass drums! Then, two toms and a china on the left and right. That's my basic setup.
K: I really looked forward to seeing the show.
T: Yeah, because they made me a platform for the show.
J: Oh yeah, that surprised me. I was wondering where in the world you got that. (Laughs)
T: I wanted to try singing on a platform once. I'm only 180 centimeters tall, so for at least that moment I was shooting to get up to 2.5 meters.

Everybody: . . . . . . .

T: But, when I got up there everyone started asking me if I'd gained weight. I'm not getting fat! (Shouting)

Everyone: (Laughs)

M: Other than that, I guess let's talk about make-up-it's tradition. Hayakawa really likes metal; in interviews he's always bringing it up. So, we thought we'd have death make-up as a motif for the show . . .
T: As a motif! We are hair and make-up artists! (Laughs)
M: Right, as a motif. (Laughs) You know, something like the bands Dark Funeral or Mercyful Fate. Or, they're pretty underground but, the Japanese band Reverge. (Laughs)
T: Reverge! I've never heard of them.
M: You don't know them? (Laughs) They're an 80s band from Kyoto. I guess they were only popular around their hometown.
T: But, the most interesting thing was like, Hayakawa had "FOOL'S MATE" written on his cheek. "FOOL'S MATE," written in blood! Hayakawa really gave it his all, didn't he?
K: Tohru, your shouting really rang out too.
Ka: Yeah, totally!

-Definitely. Anything else happen?

T: I'm not getting fat!!!

- We already understand that. (Laughs) I think you've already told us enough! Continuing on, Juka's "Bae Yong-Juka" bit. Tohru, you were in it as the straight man as well.

T: I had a costume change so I was running around after Sugeya Hideya. Don't the Johnny's guys [pop artists managed by Johnny&Associates talent agency] change fast? It was fun getting to run around crazy in the dressing room. This year, we were supposed to do another Juka talk onstage. But, even though we hadn't thought much about what we did last year, somehow, we ended up doing another power-ballad. They seemed to like it this year, no?
J: From the moment the song started playing, the moment I walked out on stage . . .
T: Yeah! Last year, he overdid "TSUNAMI," like, maybe he should have stopped half way through. But, it seemed like they really bought it this year, didn't it?
M: Yeah, I think the audience thought, "Why is he doing 'TSUNAMI'?" last year. I think this time they got into it because he latched onto a song that's popular now.
T: Definitely, definitely. (Laughs) Uh, why did you do "TSUNAMI" again?
J: I did it because I was trying to do something karaoke-ish and that was the only pop song I knew. They told me, "Well, that'll work, right?" and I was like, "Uh, I guess so . . ." (Laughs) On top of that, I wasn't dressed to sing for it at all.
T: Yeah, you might have been singing "TSUNAMI," but you were wearing this sketchy, hot-looking velour coat.
K: That doesn't make me think of the ocean. (Laughs)
T: Yeah, I don't think "sea breeze" at all. If I had to describe it, I'd probably say it reminded me of the enka song, "Kita no Yado kara" ("from up north") It was kinda winter-ish like the music you'd hear at an old hot spring. The chill from the hall came out all the way to the dressing room.
J: Ha ha ha. (Laughs)
K: Did you feel the cold?
T: Yeah, it was chilly.

-So, how did you end up doing the Bae Yong-Jun bit?

J: Well, you see . . .
T: See, Bae Yong-Jun's popular, right? We wanted people to tell us we were "cute."
J: No, that's not it!!! (Laughs)
T: We'd brushed up on pop culture since the icy reception of "TSUNAMI" last year. Yeah.
J: It seems like we've made progress though, right? (Laughs)
T: (Laughs) But, anyway, he's always saying junk like, "Annyeonghaseyo, I'm from Korea" even though he sings just fine in Japanese. What? It's not art if you sing in Korean? Juka just sang like normal though. Seriously, though, I thought I should have come in during the intro! But . . .
J: W . . . wait a second. (Nervous) You haven't let me explain why I did Yong-Jun in the first place!
T: Oh, ok ok. (Laughs) Go ahead.
J: Well, but, uh . . . meh, I guess I don't really need to explain after all . . .
T: Bpfhhhh!! (Spraying tea everywhere)

Everyone: (Laughs)

J: I just realized that it wouldn't be that interesting . . . (Laughs)
K: So, I didn't know anything about what happened last year, right? When I first saw "Bae Yong-Juka" written on the set list for the event, I thought, "What the . . . !?"
T: Because it said Bae Yong-Jun!
K: But, Ryu was the one that sang that song [the theme song to "Winter Sonata"]!
J: But, I didn't think anyone would recognize me if I dressed up like Ryu, so I dressed up like the lead character from the drama instead. (Explaining disinterestedly)
K&T: Now I see.
J: Uh, sorry that wasn't very interesting. (Nervous)
T: Aah, Now I see!
Ka: Ha ha ha. (Laughs)
K: Meh, but at least we caught some fans by riding on the Korean boom in Japan.
T: Yeah, yeah, it was hard for me to go out since the crowd was so into it. But, once you started getting into the song, it seemed like people got sick of it. That must have pushed them over the edge. (Laughs) Really, though, it would have been more interesting if I had come out during the theme song. I mean, you were just sitting there singing. Speaking of which, this guy here also designed all the lighting.
J: He he. (Laughs)
T: He'd direct them like, "Give me a light over here, I want a backlight from behind." Everyone thought it was great! He turned into Gian (from Doraemon). He also made it really difficult for me to go out there!

Everyone: (Laughs)

M: Seriously. He kept moving all over the place. He moved around more than he does for MdM. (Laughs)
T: His voice just kept going too!
M: Yeah, that's the biggest mystery. (Laughs)

Everyone: (Laughs)

T: And when he finally sat down, he put a lot of emotion into it, so that looked even better. It was hard for me to go out there. I was wearing these fishnet tights, and . . . Oh yeah! Also, I tried to say, "I'm Schwarz Stein's vocalist Kaya's older brother" when I went out . . . (Tohru was playing the roll of Kaya's older brother)
K: Oh yeah! Everyone was like, "What!!!???" and started booing. (Laughs)
T: What was up with that booing!? It was the worst the moment you said, "We're bringing back the drama for just one day . . ." (With anger) That was really insulting! Juka wasn't the annoying one, they were!!! But, now, there are some people that really think I'm Kaya's older brother.
J: Doh!!
K: Nonononono. (Laughs)
T: By the way, did you borrow that nurse outfit from Mana?
J: I buy all the costumes myself.
T: What about that dull, double-wrap scarf?
J: I got that at a 100 yen shop.
T: Look, he said it! 100 yen shop!!
K: You threw the glasses into the audience, right?
J: I tried too, but when I returned backstage after the show, the glasses were waiting there for me. The audience was probably like, "I don't want these" and sent them back.

Everyone: (Laughs)

J: So, I'll send them to anyone who wants them.
T: Juka's used Bae Yong-Jun glasses! Well, I think I'll offer my used fishnet tights as well!
K: You probably shouldn't say that. (Laughs)
T: No, no, I'll give them to one lucky person. Send your applications here! Also, I thought it was interesting how every time Juka was telling the story during rehearsals he'd back away from the microphone. If you back away from the mic, it won't pick you up! He kept doing that straight through the real performance. Did you practice that?
J: You think I practiced . . . (Laughs)
K: I've seen the tape.
T: K's seen it and judged for himself. Also, on the questionnaire people wrote, "Kaya's done more elegant projects than this. I'd like to see more stuff like that." What a pain!! It's boring if you're always doing elegant stuff.
J: Definitely. (Laughs)
T: Then there was, "Your white robes fluttered a lot." Don't write that superfluous junk down!
K: Though, I found the robes strangely erotic.
T: Yeah, strangely. (Laughs) But it was great how everyone got into shouting "Bae." I was soooo happy that we had such genial fans. Actually, we didn't originally plan to do the "Bae" call, but Mana thought we had to do something to help poor Juka. Juka took the hint and was able to finish the bit all right . . . well, except for him backing away from the mic!
J: Mwa ha ha ha!

-I didn't get to hear the end of Juka's explanation of why he decided to do Bae Yong-Jun.

J: Well, uh, in our last round table discussion (see #25) we discussed how popular he was getting. After that, I saw some footage of when he came to Japan and gradually started to think he was cool myself. I was like, "Man, that guy's kinda attractive."
T: What's attractive? His abs?
J: Yeah. (Laughs) So, I figured people would get into it if we did Bae Yong-Jun, and thus, decided to do it.
T: I thought so. Such a dirty mind!

-But you guys really rocked the audience. Continuing on to the Hiroshima Zombies portion, you've added some new members, right?

M: This time we added in Masashi, formerly of D-Shade, and my cousin, the current Don of Hiroshima. I mean, when you think Hiroshima, you think Yakuza! So, we dressed up like the movie, "The Yakuza Papers" and threw in some "Guitar Samurai" as well. "Guitar Samurai" might have been popular when we did the show, but I want you to know that we'd been planning to use it since last summer.
Ka: That's right, we did.
M: At the time, Yoku Hata hadn't had is break yet; we were just really into it. So, a half a year before the show we thought, "We've got to do this!" . . . and then he got real big. I hate it that people think we were just riding on the wave of his success.
K: Well, I mean Bae Yong-Jun and "Guitar Samurai" were the two biggest hits of last year.
M: Yeah, it's sad. We were trying to appeal to the underground.
T: Well, it was supposed to be the exact opposite of the sketchiness that Juka was trying to bring to the Bae Yong-Jun bit, but it ended up looking the same. That's what was regrettable.
M: Definitely. I hate it when people think we do something because it's popular.
T: By the way, we did the Bae Yong-Jun thing because it was popular!
J: Hey, there were other things I was thinking of doing.
T: Like what?
J: I wanted to do Hiroshi.
K: They're practically the same things. (Laughs)
J: But!! . . . Well, uh, I guess you're right. He he. (Laughs)

Everyone: (Laughs)

M: . . . So anyway, I wanted to tell that story first. We actually worried about it, like, "Maybe we shouldn't do 'Guitar Samurai' if he's getting this popular."
Ka: We worried up to the day before the show. Also, we didn't really rehearse it.
M: Yeah, we went right into the performance. We couldn't practice much in advance because my cousin came over from Hiroshima right before the show.
Ka: So we were wondering what was going to happen.
M: That's because Seiji really crammed right before the show! I wondered if he crammed too much. (Laughs)
Ka: When he was supposed to say, "Mana-sama yo," didn't he say, "Nama-sama yo"?
M: No, he said, "Mana-saya yo." (Laughs) He also skipped over his line, "Every week he buys Famitsu magazine." (During the "Guitar Samurai" bit, Seiji sings a song about Mana) I wish he had said that line!
T: That definitely didn't make it into the performance. Now I want to see him say it!
K: Also, it later came to light that the guitar Kazuno was playing was kind of different from the one in "Guitar Samurai." (Laughs)
Ka: We'd planned it all out too. (Laughs) But there's no way we could have figured that out without performing in front of people, and I think, regardless of that, it worked out once we were on stage.
M: I'm pretty sure our force and spirit came through. That we didn't practice much must have come through also, but I think that actually might have helped us out.
Ka: Yeah, it probably made it seem fresher.
M: You could say that's the rock n' roll spirit!
T: Ha ha ha!! I think you're trying too hard!!
K: Waaaay too hard! (Laughs)
Ka: You could say that it's, uh, the bourbon then? (Laughs)
M: Yeah, yeah, it was like a bunch of guys just staggered up and said "Let's jam!" And yet, it turned out well! (Laughs) Yeah, that's rock.
K: And when we all staggered up, Mana was wearing this crazy suit!
Ka: And carrying a gun!
M: I got the gun at Tokyu Hands too.
K: And also that golden necklace.
M: Yeah, I bought that white suit, the gold necklace, and those thug sunglasses there.
T: People are saying that you looked more like a host than a Yakuza. (Laughs)
M: Yeah, I guess. The moment I showed up at rehearsal everyone told me I didn't like a Yakuza at all.
T: When he showed up, I thought maybe we were trying to be hosts this year or something, so I asked him, "Are you a host?' and he tells me, "No, I'm supposed to be a Yakuza . . ." I was like, "Whaaaaat?" (Laughs)
M: Yeah, that was a little disappointing. Speaking of which, I had this modified Black Widow bass. How did it look to you guys?
K: You've made another crazy shaped bass! Where'd you come across that one?
M: When I first was getting into rock during my teens, there was this band called W.A.S.P. Their bassist, Blackie Lawless, developed that bass with the help of ESP Instruments.
K: I see. That's a nasty bass, but in a good way.
M: Quite good way. So, the bridge juts out on the thing because of the small body. That's the main feature.
K: So that's the main feature! (Laughs)
Ka: At the event the year before last, Mana got angry with me because I forgot to bring out the Black Widow.
T: He got angry with you primarily because you skipped over his main introduction. You left out an important part! (Laughs) Did anything like that happen this year?
M: Seiji skipped over a bunch of lines during the "Guitar Samurai" section.
T: Last time, he was supposed to tell Kazuno, "YOU!! You're not chewing anything today!" but when it came to the performance, it was Seiji who started chewing. (Laughs) I thought we should have told Seiji that, since he was the one interfering. His character was always chewing-for some reason. Other than that, there was that drum guy!
Ka: Wa ha ha!
J: I laughed myself silly when I saw him backstage.
T: He was interesting, wasn't he?
K: He asked me how his make-up was. I didn't know what to tell the guy. (Laughs) That guy was the best.
T: That's because he really seemed to like his make up! Man, I wish I could have talked to him more.
Ka: He seemed to get happier when Tohru told him "You've got me beat!" He was like, "Tohru told me so!"
T: I was in the fishnet tights and nurse outfit, right? He totally beat me! I felt sad. It's new, that look. I think he should stick with it. (Laughs) Other than that, there was your cousin's beard, right? He got way too into it!

-Seiji had a momiji manju [traditional Hiroshima gift] drawn on his back and a severed pinky as well . . .

K: He said he couldn't make the "dix" sign. (Laughs)
T: Ha ha ha! Was that too much information?

-Kazuno, you were in the old man outfit?

Ka: Yeah.
K: He was supposed to be in leather-soled sandals, right? But, he came to rehearsal wearing boots one day and everyone said they thought the boots would be funnier. The best was when his socks would stick out of the boots. (Laughs)
Ka: I'm glad someone saw that!
T: I think the visuals went better than the story with "Zombies."
J: Also, what was that song playing when we entered?
M: That was "The New Yakuza Papers." I copied it off "The New Yakuza Papers" video I have at home.
J: Why do you have that at your house!? (Laughs) Still, I really liked that song.
Ka: Then, at the end we had our traditional Carp Sauce throw.
M: I'm going to go ahead and explain that. When most people think Hiroshima they think okonomiyaki [a latke-like Japanese food], and when they think okonomiyaki, they think Otafuku brand sauce. That's not necessarily wrong, but the more famous local restaurants in Hiroshima use Carp Sauce. Or, sometimes they mix Carp and Otafuku. So, anyway, I wanted everyone to know the greatness that is Carp Sauce.
T: The greatness of Carp Sauce! (Laughs)
K: He's like a religious missionary.
J: Didn't you accidentally try Carp Sauce during our last tour?
Ka: Yeah, yeah. (Laughs)
T: Yeah, now that you mention it! We were all about to say, "That's not Otafuku, that's Carp Sauce!" but he jumped up and yelled, "It's Otafuku Sauce!!" and ruined the joke. (Laughs)

Everyone: (Laughs)

J: In Hiroshima, no less.
T: After that, Mana got pissed at him.
Ka: He was really angry with me. I couldn't take back what I said, so there was nothing I could do about it. I knew they were going to harass me after that.
M: That's because Carp Sauce is the most important thing out there! (Angrily)
T: All our dark secrets, exposed today . . .
Ka: I think that's about it, at least for now. (Laughs)
M: So, in short, we went all out doing the Yakuza rock thing in one big shot.
Ka: Exactly.

-Continuing on to the one-night-only reunion of Schwarz Stein. During the show they played a film, "Mana's Trip To France."

M: I edited together footage from my trip to France last July.
Ka: I thought the screaming French man in the scene at the Japan Expo was cool. I was like, Oooh! Mana was in there too.
K: Oh, I liked the French guy too.
M: It's hot there, isn't it? And not like in Japan.
Ka: Yeah, the atmosphere is different. I'm getting nervous (about performing there later this year).
K: There's a shot at one of the signings of this girl wearing costume wings. I was thinking, "There's girls like this in France too?" I felt reverse culture shock.
M: Her costume umbrella seemed expensive.
Ka: That, and didn't it seem like there were a lot of guys? It was like they thought it was normal for guys to go to signings. They seemed completely oblivious.
J: Completely oblivious . . . (Laughs)
K: On the other hand, there were crying girls too.
T: Didn't it seem like a relatively safe show since it was mostly girls at the performance? It didn't seem like there was much difference to them between pop idols and rock bands. But, music clubs used to have scary people back in the day. Music clubs were those sorts of places.
M: A rock concert was the type of thing the bad kids were supposed to go to. (Laughs)
T: Yeah, yeah. Some of the kids seemed to miss that and started playing taiko drums (during the Japan Expo scene). It was really good; it reminded me of being a kid. I felt like I was finally seeing some rock people.
K: There were also some films of the making of your photo book "Magnifique."
M: EGL fashion hasn't shown up much in film lately, so I thought it seemed really fresh.
K: There were a lot of picturesque shots.
M: Yeah, that's because the surrounding buildings and everything were already pretty stylish.
K: I thought a lot of the locations matched well with the fashion. It made me want to go to France myself.

-So then, after Schwarz Stein, at long last, came the reborn Moi dix Mois.

M: Let's start this off with rehearsals. How was it once you actually got a chance to play with us?
K: I didn't have a lot of time before rehearsals started. Ultimately, I had a month to master eleven songs, including vocals. I had to focus a lot on practicing.
M: Nothing surprised you?
K: I think I was stressed more than I was surprised. I kept thinking about how I could make MdM sound even better.
M: . . . And you had to worry about meshing with the other two guitarists in the band when you started on the fifteenth. It was a flood of bad sounds.
K: Really, it was terrible!
M: I was surprised how bad that rehearsal sounded. Our back-up guitarist, Jun, was originally a heavy metaller so he had his guitar growling. He turned the volume way up. (Laughs)
K: Yeah, yeah. And, I had Jun's amp behind me so I was never able to tell whether I was hearing him or me.
Ka: You really couldn't hear anything. It was my first time having a guitarist in front and behind me at the same time. I had to really think about what sort of sound I wanted to make. When we played live, I played extremely deliberately.
M: We had to work out our sound again since we'd suddenly increased by two guitarists.
K: Since many of the songs had complex compositions . . .
M: Oh yeah, I remember. Both of them would play a slide where there shouldn't be one. (Laughs) I'd think I'd heard something weird, and then he'd get all pouty. He was like, "This is my big break . . . " (Laughs) That's probably the thing that surprised me the most. That, and when K was playing hammer-ons and pull-offs during the full picking portion of "Nocturnal Romance."
K: Yeah, I messed up. (Laughs) Also, It was hard for me to get used to Tohru's perfect rhythm. I kept getting ahead of the beat.
M: It was terrible getting everyone playing together. Also, Jun's a technical guitarist, and I think that got to me. It turned out to be a good motivation though-I became conscious of things I hadn't noticed before, since we all had to work together.
K: Yeah, it felt good!
M: It did feel good when we had it all together.
K: But it was still really hard for me to remember the songs.
M: It might just be easy for me since I'm writing the songs, but are they really that difficult to learn?
T: Maybe not difficult to learn . . . impossible to learn! There's no set pattern and a lot of sudden changes . . .
K: There are a lot of songs I stress out on because they have these sudden stops.
T: Those scare me too! (Laughs) Even if you know the song you still have to look at the sheet music. There are times when I have to judge where I am in the song by the vocal lines.
M: Yeah, there are definitely some places where the vocals help you out. You'll hear the lyrics and think, "Oh, it's the second verse."
J: But, sometimes I'll miss a line . . .
T&K: Yoooou!!!
J: (Laughs) There are songs on our DVD where I accidentally sing the first verse as the second or the second as the first. Oh yeah! Also, I got sick of singing the same melody all the time for the last part of "Perish," so I decided to change it up a little and sing harmony. But, then I started getting back our questionnaires and letters from the fans saying, "You lost it a little in the end" or "Weren't you singing a bit off?" I thought to myself, maaaan!!! I was shocked.
T: Really!? That's similar to how people would tell me, "You've gained weight," or, "Aren't you a little over weight?" or like, "You're plumping up!" I don't care if I'm gaining weight or getting bigger.
J: Wa ha ha!! Yeah, really similar. (Laughs)
T: I might have gained weight . . . but it was on purpose! It's not fat!

Everyone: (Bursts into laughter)

T: Since I've improved the muscles in the places I use the most, I feel like I can perform comparatively consistently now. Kazuno's gotten better as well.
M: Were there any other surprising episodes?
K: Well, it's not necessarily a surprising story, but it's strange to compare the photograph of me they put in the newsletter (see #26) with me now. It's like one day I came to the studio and half my hair was gone.
M: I guess you do have to be a bad kid to play rock. (Laughs) I'd wanted him to cut his hair.
K: I thought I should look more heinous since I'd be accompanying Mana with my guitar. So I consult the boss (Mana) and he's like, "Let's shave off one whole side of your head." (Laughs) So, I told him, "OK!" and shaved my hair in time for the next rehearsal. When I feel my head now it feels like I never had hair there.
T: That's because I'm the one that shaved your hair before the show.
K: Yeah, yeah, Tohru did it that day.
M: And as a result, isn't the shave on your sides wonderful? It just sort of fits.
K: Thank you. So then, at the very end, he says, "Don't you think you should give up your eyebrows?" (Laughs) Even though I had been worrying about the eyebrows the most, I was like, "Why not!" So, after rehearsals they brought out a bunch of video and still cameras and had boss go after my eyebrows with his shaver.
T: It was like this! (He re-enacts Mana elegantly shaving K's eyebrows)

Everyone: (Laughs)

T: No one else shaves like that! It's a private affair now. (Laughs)
K: But, I think back now, after shaving both eyebrows off, and I'm glad I did it.
M: It looks good! You don't look human.
T: And no one else looks like you.
K: Yes. I wanted to be sure that I'd make a major impact as the newest member of the band when we played our show at O-East.
Ka: I saw him the first time he tried on make-up, right before the performance. The first moment I saw him I though, "What??" Then I was like, "Rad!! Freaky!!" (Laughs)
T: Speaking of make-up, didn't Juka get Jun into make-up?
K: You crazy make-up artists!
J: A ha ha (Laughs)
T: And like, while he'd be doing it he'd say, "Now, I'm not sure how this is going to turn out. Make sure you show Mana after this." It made Jun uneasy; he'd ask back, "Does it look ok? I look like a Chinese vampire, right?" (Laughs) Then, Juka would tell him, "Now, I'm not confident about what I'm doing." Jun looked like he wanted to say, "Don't do it then!!" That was really funny.

Everyone: (Laughs)

T: He pretends like he doesn't check himself out the whole time he's doing his own make-up, and just waffles his way through when he's doing someone else's. He just pancakes it on and is like, "It's fine if it's black!" (Laughs)
J: No, no!!! That was because he asked me to put it on thick. (Laughs)
T: I see . . . so he wanted it that way? We thought you just started drawing on him. At least, that was our impression backstage. Anyway, other things that happened at the concert . . . Mana kept looking at me.
M: What??
T: Hmmm, I wonder if that was unconscious too. (Laughs) Here, Mana would glance furtively at me. Once I saw him do it on stage, I realized how he was always able to walk all over the audience-with those eyes! So anyway, there's one part where he always comes over to me-I think "Night Breed," right? He started winking and batting his eyelashes at me, and I was startled. Other than that, I became really conscious of the rhythm section when we added the new members, so I always try to keep eye contact with Kazuno. But, I couldn't see Kazuno once we took the positions we were using for the show! (Laughs)
Ka: I couldn't see you either! There was a cymbal or something in the way, right?
T: Yeah, yeah, so I don't remember seeing Kazuno much, but I did end up remembering Mana batting his eyelashes and gazing at me. (Laughs) It was like this! Get ready . . . and, here . . . (Tohru starts mimicking Mana)

Everyone: (Seeing Tohru, everyone bursts into laughter)

M: Was I really like that??
T: Yes. I also lost a drumstick that went flying out towards Jun. It made me nervous.
K: I was nervous too; it was my first time going out on a stage that big without a guitar. I felt uncomfortable at first, but once I was actually performing I was pleasantly surprised at how good it felt.
T: What the? This is the same guy that is always saying, "I don't really like where they put me," and "I think I'm going to move to the center."
K: I don't say that! I don't' say that! (Laughs)

-It seems like changing the make up of the band gave everyone some new experiences. Well then, continuing on, you guys concluded the show this year by continuing a tradition you started last year, playing "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You."

M: That's tradition.
T: For some reason, we ended up doing "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You." (Laughs)
K: Why do we play it?
M: It seemed like people liked it, maybe? It sounded like it would be fun. (Laughs)
T: This year I wanted to come in riding on somebody's shoulders. But, look, I've gained weight, right? So I figured that no one would carry me and gave it up.
J: I thought we were going to do the song without saying a closing speech first, but out of nowhere the MC says over the mic, "What? What!?" like, trying to push us into talking, and so we ended up saying a bunch of boring stuff.

-Certainly. You just kept it simple, saying, "I had a good time."

Ka: Oh! Yeah, yeah. (Laughs)
J: I really wanted to tell everyone, "I'm happy to see all of you again after such a long time!" But, I couldn't think of it right at that right moment. So, I'd like to take the time right now to say . . .
K: "I had a good time!"

Everyone: (Laughs)

T: "Aitakatta hoccha!". . . That means "I miss you" where I come from in Yamaguchi, where I come from in Yamaguchi . . .
J: A hah hah. (Laughs) Yeah yeah, we get it. . .
T: You get it, eh? (Laughs) What about you Kazuno?
Ka: I thought everyone enjoyed the show after the balloon part.
T: So, if we didn't have the balloon thing, you don't think they would have enjoyed the show? I don't like the sound of that! (Laughs)
Ka: That doesn't sound good at all. (Laughs). Mea Culpa . . . (Kazuno goes silent for a moment) I'm sorry! Please forget I said that!
K: Since they told me I should hold the mic for the session, I thought I'd just sing along a little. But, when I got to the "I loooove youuuu" part, a balloon suddenly thudded off the back of my head. It impacted really hard; I thought someone was hitting me. (Laughs)
J&Ka: Mwa ha ha!!
T: Every year there's going to be a balloon for you!
M: When I saw the video later, I realized my cousin did it. My cousin flung a balloon into the back of K's head. (Laughs) It was a direct hit!
K: Yeah, yeah. He's the criminal! But after that, boss came over and stroked the shaved parts of my head, so I felt better.
M: What do you mean? I just thought the fans would like it. (Laughs)
T: I think Mana likes that part of "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," and so really has fun with it. So like, I go over to his side to mess with him, but he keeps pushing me softly away . . . Still, it was fun watching Mana playing with that balloon during the end of the song. (Laughs)
J: Also, this boomerang thing came flying past me the moment I first started singing. I thought, "What in the world was that!?" It was kinda scary. (Laughs)
M: I threw that. (Laughs)
T: So, after that, then, Juka goes to mess around with Kayako, right? I think Juka wanted to kiss Kayako.
J: No, I didn't particularly want to kiss her! (Laughs)
T: He always notices everything she does. At first I thought it was just because they were both vocalists, but now I'm pretty sure I was wrong. That's totally love!
J: No, you're wrong, you're wrong!! (Laughs)
T: Love is budding around us! He tried to kiss her during the t.A.B.u bit last year (Juka and Kaya did t.A.T.u songs) too.
J: No, that's because we'd decided that I would pretend to kiss her onstage beforehand. So, when I threw my arms around her, Kaya actually kissed me!
T: What? Are you boasting??

Everyone: (Laughs)

-Well then, finally, looking back over Dis inferno vol.?, can I get a few words from each of you?

Ka: As this was our first performance in a while, I was reminded of all the drama that goes on backstage at these shows.
J: I, as I was trying to say earlier, want to say that I was glad to see everyone again after such a long time. Also, I was glad we could play together with Schwarz Stein so soon after their break-up.
K: Since this was my first time playing with Moi dix Mois, I had a slightly stressing but ultimately fun time. I thought I really gave it my best, but was also reminded of some of the things I could do better. It turned out to be a rather significant concert for me, and I hope to keep getting better in the future.
(Scratch scratch scratch) T: Wah he he!
K: What's with the scratching?
M: What? (Laughs)
T: Write down that Mana was scratching the ground with the tip of his foot while he sat next to K! (Laughs)
K: I went out of my way to say something serious too!
M: I'm sorry . . . I was doing it unconsciously. (Laughs)

Everyone: (Laughs)

T: It was Moi dix mois's first time on stage in a while but, I have to say that despite what people say, I haven't gotten fatter!
K: He hasn't stopped saying that this whole time! (Laughs)
T: I've been doing weight training so that I can be a more consistent drummer. I want people to think, "You've gotten sturdier!" I do think that wearing the tank top was a failure, though. Yeah, but . . . I did it unconsciously! Yeah, me too! (Laughs)
K: Just like the scratching! (Laughs)
T: Yeah, yeah, just like the scratching! Well, I think that's everything.

-Ok. (Laughs) Well then, I'd last like to hear from Mana.

M: There aren't many places you can have as much fun as we do at these shows. I'm looking forward to seeing what we do next time.

Madousho #29 (Mar. 2005)
Introducing Loud and Obscene Bands that Rock me as a Child
Chapter 1: The Early Motley Crue.
This is the first band to really impact me.

Say what you will but they were flashy. You probably wouldn't be surprised if you heard them now, they sound old (though I don't think it would be overkill to say that at that time, during the 80s, they were the flashiest band around). But as a kid at the time, I thought, "Who are these people? They can't possibly be human."

Still, audiences didn't respond well to them, and people said they were repulsive and pathetic musicians (at the time technical bands were in fashion). But I was attracted to their peculiarity and their venomous atmosphere.

They still exist now, but their sound and visual style changes with every album, getting more and more commonplace. I'm losing interest in them now.

I liked them the most at the time of their second album, "Shout at the Devil." I have a bunch of memories from when I caught their Japanese tour in Osaka. It was my first non-Japanese concert ever. No, it was actually my first concert ever. I was impressed to see a band I liked playing live right before my eyes. My seat wasn't very good, I was way in the back, but I remember being incredibly excited.

Also, I was shocked to see everyone dressed up-it was my first time seeing cosplay. I really remember feeling regret and shame at dressing so normally that day. It was the moment I first came to despise "normal." I was still dressed in my trademark blue for the concert, though it might have been at that point that I started liking blue in the first place.

It was also at that time that I said farewell to normalcy. "All the normalcy inside me, farewell . . ." and then I pledged to live in the world of corruption.

That was an important day, the day I swore off normalcy.

I was a child then, so my parents brought me. When my parents saw all the people dressed up, they told me one thing, "Please don't turn out like that . . . " To this day I remember them frowning, telling me those words. At the time, they didn't think there was any way I'd have gotten into cosplay, not even in my dreams.

I was fascinated after seeing them live, so I got a white Tommy Lee double bass drum set. I put it in my room and played boom-boom all day long. It would echo out into the neighborhood so my parents would always get angry with me. Regardless, I wanted to make my room look like a concert hall so I painted the windows, hung jet black tarps on the walls, painted skeletons and other ominous things around, stretched aluminum foil over the ceiling and then hung chains from it, and rigged up a spotlight. My room turned into a sketchy concert hall. Enraptured by the transfiguration of my room, I fell into complete pleasure. At this point I started putting on make up and dreaming of joining a band.

Then my parents saw the whole thing, and said, "Your room looks like hell." As for me, I was like, "Welcome to the inferno!" After that, they gave the room to my little sister, and she removed every vestige of hell. When I saw it I thought, is this supposed to be heaven?

The first time I played live in front of an audience it was with a Motley Crue cover band. And I was on vocals. And it was after that performance that I retired from singing. Heh heh, It's hard to fess up to mistakes you make in your youth . . .

I don't think I need to say how much Motley Crue changed my life.

Recent Favorites Motley Crue, "Shout at the Devil" tour action figures

Wanted I'm sad to say that I lost my very important Motley Crue "Shout at the Devil" Concert photo book. I'm sure I left it at my parents' house, but four or five years ago I noticed it was missing. Every time I go home I look for it but I haven't found it yet. If anyone out there has a copy, please send one to me.

Page 08 K's Lineage Vol. 1
Greetings everyone, how have you been?
I hope no one has succumbed to illness now that the air outside is cold enough to p***k your skin and there is pollen and flu germs flying around.
In some sort of super-human feat, it appears as though I have remained germ free.
To those of you that must remain human: please don't forget to be careful and take precautions.

Yesterday, February 27, we presented to you Madoshukai Evening Two.
I'm sure those of you who weren't able to go were biting your lips the whole time, but I'd like to ask those who could participate if they were able to feel our dark little world. Compared to my first performance at the last show, I'd say we've significantly powered up!

Consequently, this being a Mon Amour-only engagement, I had the opportunity to speak a bit more with you all.

Would you say you've come to know me better now?

That was my first time speaking for such a long time on stage, but it was a very valuable experience.

I was also able to absorb all of your energy before our European tour, making me more wicked and powerful than ever before. Mwahaha.
With all this energy, I'm sure they are going to stop me for a full luggage and body search at Narita Airport!!!
As an aside, I've never been able to make it to customs without them opening my luggage. Do I look like I'm trying to smuggle something?
Well anyway, I'm entrusted to diffuse my wickedness into the people of Germany and France, to ruin the hearts of everyone in the concert hall. I'd also like to ruin the hearts of the great people who will be coming all the way from Japan.

I'm looking forward to the food abroad, as well.

Germany is all about sausage and beer! I don't normally drink alcohol. However, last time I went, I had a sip since I had come all the way to Germany. And since it was somehow good, I'd like to give it a try again this time if I have the chance.

Then there's France. It's my first time, but frogs, rabbits, escargot . . .I guess I'd like to try the sorts of things a witch would put in her cauldron . . .

At any rate, it's our first show abroad! We're going to focus our energy and give it our all. Then we're going to absorb all we can and rock you guys when we get back home.
I'm sure you'll love it.

Now then, I'm sure many of you know this already, but I'm a peerlessly avid gamer. I've been addicted to network games for a number of years.
There's these things called MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games); if I had to explain them simply, I'd saying they are just a bunch of people from all over the world killing each other in the same game.
I used to only play the game Shadow Bane, but now I'm playing World of Warcraft as well. I won't talk about it here, but if any of you are interested please look it up online.

Since this was my first time writing here, I wasn't sure what to write about, but I'd like to thank you for reading to the very end. I'm always very glad to read your letters and email.
Everyone, thank you for letting me speak here!
As a fan of design, I'm also looking forward to seeing your portraits of me.
Until we meet again, later!!

Page 10 Madoushuukai Second Night On the End of the Limited Engagement Monamul Concert
This time we introduced some new songs, so how were they?
We got worked up about making songs for our twin guitarists.
We hadn't carved riffs for two guitarists into our songs before, so we're really getting into it. It probably sounds something like Moi dix Mois-grade speed metal mixed with slash metal, right? We're going to come back from our European tour powered up, and completely blow you guys up for our triumphant return concert here in Japan.

Mana

Page 10. Kazuno's Zunou Issue 8.5
Everyone, great job! I felt tremendous power throughout my body at our show last month (as I've come to expect exclusively from our Mon Amour-only shows). I felt something I'd never felt when we played "Pageant," and even now, when I close my eyes I see that spectacle.
At long last comes the start of our European tour. (clap clap clap)
To tell the truth, this is my first time going overseas. I'm going to be preparing from this day forward.
Germany is famous for its sausage and beer. I don't drink that much alcohol, but I'm planning to drink a little while I'm there. I think I'm getting nervous (What AM I going to eat in France . . .).
I'm going to take my energy from everyone abroad, and give the shows my all.
I won't speak the same language as them, but I'll send them our burning thoughts through music.

Masousho #30 (April/May 2005)
Masosho- On the completion of the European Tour--Interview
M: Mana-sama
J: Juka
Ka: Kazuno
T: Thoru
K: K

-- Now that they've safely completed their European tour, I'd like to ask everyone from Moi dix Mois for their opinions on their first foreign performances and, of course, for any behind the scenes stories from the tour (Mr. Tohru was busy and unfortunately unable to join us today). First of all, this was everyone but Mana and K's first time abroad. How was it for you guys?

Ka: First, I hardly ever fly. More so, I'd never flown for twelve hours straight until then so . . .
M: How many times have you been on a plane?
Ka: This was my second. The last time was when we flew to Hokkaido for our last tour.
J: Was it hard being a smoker?
Ka: We couldn't smoke so the two of us sucked on Paipo (cigarette-shaped flavored mouthpiece used to stop smoking). (Laughs)
J: Yeah, I bought these Paipo and we both kept sucking on them; even after the flavor ran out.
Ka: The wind was strong when we took off so the plane shook around a bunch.
K: Yeah, we had turbulence because of the sudden gusts of wind that day.
Ka: I don't even like riding roller coasters, so to get on this plane where we weren't even sure if we were going to survive . . .
K: Yeah, we got rocked around for ten minutes on that "rail-less roller coaster."
J: I thought my heart was going to jump out my throat. (Laughs)
Ka: Tohru and I were like, AHHHHH! AHHHH! (Laughs)

-- So it rocked you around a bunch, huh? I hear from your tour manager Mikty and the other staff members that it was embarrassing to be around you guys. (Laughs)

Ka: It seemed like everyone around us was completely used to it.
K: Really? I'd already drifted to sleep by then.
M: What? None of the other passengers were screaming?

-- Not at all. Only the area around the four of you.

K: It was really embarrassing when the plane would go BAM and then they all would yell AHHHHHH!!!
J: He told us we were embarrassing him the whole time. (Laughs)
Ka: Sorry K.
K: We sat from left to right, Tohru, me, Kazuno, and then Juka. So, it was terrible having all three people next me yelling, GYAAAH! (Laughs)
J: No, I just saw the other guys yelling and wanted to join in.
Ka: Aha, I see! So, I guess K thought it was too embarrassing and pretended to go to sleep, right?
K: Um, I was actually sleeping.
J&K: (Laughs)
J: So, I thought I would have trouble sleeping once we got to Germany if I slept on the plane. I tried not to sleep so that I could get over jetlag faster, but it was difficult.
M: Well then, why don't we talk about how we each spent our time on the plane?
K: Looking forward to meals, sleeping. (Laughs)
Ka: K slept intently, didn't he?
K: Yeah, didn't I sleep for more than eight hours?
J: He only got up for food. (Laughs)
K: Then, a couple of hours before we landed, I got up at the same time people were waking up in Germany so that I could adjust myself better to the time difference.
Ka: I . . . I was too afraid to sleep.

-- What did you do for twelve hours? (Laughs)

J: We sucked on our flavorless pipes!
Ka: We sucked intently, didn't we? (Laughs)
K: You ate candy or something too, right?
Ka: Yeah, yeah, I brought candy with me. 500 yen worth. Then, whenever my mouth got lonely I'd have a Kit-Kat or something. I ate a lot of chocolate.
J: Also, we had absolutely nothing to do during the flight, so I called out to this German stewardess who didn't speak a word of Japanese. I said "Two onigiri!!!" (in English) and she brought me two onigiri. (Laughs)
K: The moment we arrived everyone ran to the smoking area and started smoking. (Laughs)
J: It had been twelve hours since we last smoked, so everyone got dizzy and was like, "Jeez, jeez."
Ka: See, I love smoking so I enjoyed it despite getting dizzy.

-- Mana had come to Europe a few days earlier on a different plane?

M: Yeah. I had a photo shoot and some hand shaking to do so I left early. I'd copied music and books onto my Zaurus, so I spent the whole time listening to and reading those. I like to study and watch things on planes. I still hate flying, though and I, too, am unable to fall asleep on planes.

-- Did you get a headache from all the champagne and wine this time? (See Madosho #23)

M: I thought I'd have some wine since they did bring it out, but, as I thought, I ended up getting drunk quickly--one drink and I was done. (Laughs) The thing that surprised me the most was that, when I was sitting down I felt like, "Meh, guess I'm a little drunk," but the moment I'd stand up the world would go woooooohhh. I guess it's easy to get drunk when you're in the air.
K: Yeah, I think you get drunk easier because of the air pressure.

-- Did you get shaken around in your plane, Mana?

M: Yes, I did. (Laughs) I don't think the turbulence was as bad on my plane as it was for the rest of you guys, but I did get nervous about the plane dropping out of the sky whenever it would shake a little. Did the plane you guys take shake at all after take-off?
K: I think it shook a little bit during the second meal. I just kept eating while talking to everyone about the shaking. (Laughs)
M: Sooo, we might have been shouting "AAAAHHHH!" during those first ten minutes, but after that we were pretty quiet, right?
K: No, after that you kept on shouting "AHHHH!!" (Laughs)
J&Ka: (Laughs)
Ka: Yeah, Tohru and I kept asking each other, "Hey, did you feel that shake?"

-- And amidst all that rocking, you eventually arrived in Germany . . .

J: Germany--it was hotter than you'd think it would be. Also, all of the normal stores were closed on Saturday, so when we went shopping at the airport there were all these people from the fan tours shopping as well. (Laughs)
Ka: The were like, "Ju . . .Ju . . . Juka! Good luck!!" (Laughs)
K: They said that?
J: Heh heh heh. (Laughs)
K: The other thing that surprised me was that cigarettes were expensive. They were four euro a box, which comes out to about 560 yen. I wish I'd bought my cigarettes in Japan.
Ka: Wish . . . wish . . . (Whispering)
J: I bought two cartons while I was still in Japan. It was mad cheap.
M: Ok, shall we hear what the two guys who had never been to Germany before thought?
J: In Germany, there's this F-1 racing circuit out in the woods at this place called Hockenheim. I watched all these forests, like I had imagined because of the track, spread out around me as we were touching down in the plane. Maybe it's just because I was brought up around nature, but I felt really relaxed when I saw all that.

-- Tohru said it looked just like the area he grew up in too.

J: Yeah. We had come to this foreign land but felt this relaxing sensation.
Ka: They are hosting the World Cup in Germany next time, right? When I saw the stadium they are going to host it in I got really excited. I was like, "They're going to hold the World Cup here later!!" So, when you think of Germany, you imagine sausage right? That, or Brokken Jr. ("Kinniku Man" TV series). (Laughs)
J: Brokken Jr.? (Laughs)

-- I hear you were able to see the stadium right from the car out of the airport.

J: Yeah, yeah, they were right in the middle of building it.
M: Oh, now I see. When I showed up the German organizer guy was like, "A soccer star just came by. I got his autograph!"
K: I've heard this story. There's a soccer shop inside of the airport. The guy said that he wandered in there while he was waiting for Mana to show up and saw this soccer player, so he got the player's autograph.
M: He was really excited. I didn't pay attention much when he was talking and I didn't understand a word of what I did hear . . . I probably would have gotten into it more if I liked soccer, but I just let him keep going. (Laughs) I felt kinda sorry for him. From what I've heard, German people are really into soccer.
J: Yeah, I think their national sports are soccer and F-1 racing.
M: I don't know anything about those so I didn't have a clue what he was talking about, why he was so excited. (Laughs)

-- I see. (Laughs) So, then you met up with Mana at the hotel and went out to eat with your Japanese staff and the local organizers.

J: Food! Then I ran into a major problem. "There's . . . no . . . rice . . . " I guess you'd expect that, but . . . (Laugh)
Ka: A ha ha. (Laughs)
J: All they had was this bread that was as hard as steal! I didn't really jive with that. I couldn't finish a single roll!
Ka: Yet, I was able to down two pieces! I thought it was pretty tasty. Better than you can get in Japan.
J: Uggghhhh . . . are you serious?
Ka: It's was kinda salty and oh so good.
J: Ahhh, you're the one that likes everything salty.

-- Did you have any German beer?

J: I wanted to, but I wanted to be ready for the show, so I didn't.
Ka: I had a sip from what the staff guys were drinking. And, as I thought, I didn't like it. (Laughs) K told me that German beer was good, but you can't like what you can't like.
K: Yeah, I like German beer just fine, but I didn't drink any at all this time. This time, I tried this new drink that was half coca-cola, half sprite, which was pretty good.
J: There was a half orange juice, half cola drink too, right? Germans like to mix stuff up. (Laughs)

-- Mana, did you like the food in Germany?

M: This was my second time in Germany, but I thought the pork was tasty-I ate that a lot. I had pork more than I had sausage.

-- Mana, I hear you got something you really liked as a gift from one of the German organizers. He said it was the first time he met a Japanese person that liked it.

M: Sweet mustard, right? Like, I hear there are a lot of Japanese people who don't appreciate it.
J: It seems Germans like to put sweet things with their salty things. I had this beef stuff called schnitzel that was covered in a marmalade sauce. I didn't like that either.
M: That's for the sort of people that like pineapple on their pizza.
Ka: That's not me!
M: I'm on the fan side.
K: That's not me, either. I don't like fruit with my sweet-and-sour pork as well.
Ka: Aaaa! Me, too.
J: So you don't like, say, pumpkin with your miso soup either?
Everyone: No, that's different. (Laugh)
M: But, seriously, pineapple goes with sweet-and-sour pork.
K: So, you like mandarin orange in your salad too?
M: Oh, yes! I've always liked that stuff, so I wasn't disoriented at all when I got to Europe.
Everyone: Woh! (Admiration)
M: I think sweet-and-sour pork and pineapple taste good together.
Ka: If it's on my plate, I leave it on the side.
M: But it's there because it tastes good, right?
Ka: . . . uh, well, yeah, I guess so.
M: It also softens up the pork.
K: That's my little researcher!
M: So, then, I guess there are a lot of people that don't like it . . . still, I can't get enough of that sweet harmony of fruits and vegetables.
Everyone: (Laughs)
M: But, I think I sort of understand why Japanese people don't like it. What I mean to say is, there was this sweet curry place I used to go to that sold banana curry. I really, really liked it, but they eventually stopped serving it (Laughs) . . . even though it was my favorite . . . they put a bunch of raw banana slices in like . . .
K: You were really into it. (Laughs)
J: There aren't many people who would see that on the menu and wanted to order it!
M: Personally, I had decided the first time I saw it. (Laughs) It seems like the things I like always seem to disappear . . . Weren't there any other things we thought were different from Japan? Like there weren't as many stoplights?
Everyone: Stoplights?
M: No one else thought so? Er, not that I did either, (Laughs) but one of the staff guys kept telling me that.
K: We were out of Germany quicker than you could say "ah." It was like we showed up, did the show, and then OK we're going.

-- Did anything interesting happen at the hotel? (Tangentially, the rooms were split Juka and K--Kazuno and Tohru)

K: I think we just watched MTV the whole time.
J: Yeah . . . Oh! Oh yeah! Here's a story!! (Laughs)
K: Pffhhhhhh! Oh yeah! They kept showing this music video for some trance artist named "Doctor Chaos" on MTV . . .
J: I, I still can't get away from that song.
J&K: AAAAH Aaaaaah AAAAH WIIII (Singing together)
Everyone: (Laughs)
K: Juka sings that while he's in the shower now. (Laughs)
J: It's this amalgamation of opera and trance. They just kept showing the video like it was the only thing out there, so I memorized the whole thing. (Laughs)
Ka: A ha ha. (Laughs) I was tired from riding the plane all day, and we had a show the next day, so I went to bed right after my shower.

-- Ok, let me hear about the day of the German show.

K: Mana got up early and went straight to work.
M: Yeah. I had to film in Munich for the DVD so I left before everyone else.
Ka: When Tohru and I went out to the concert hall early, Mana was already there in full make-up being filmed outside.
K: Juka and I were the last to leave so we thought we'd just do our make-up before we left. I went through the hotel lobby in my stage make-up. (Laughs)
J: K wanted to go down to the lobby as soon as he was done with his make-up! I found out the truth when we went to France.
K: Yeah, the truth came out in France. I put up my hair while we were waiting for them to finish setting up the stage at the concert hall.
J: The German venue was spacious.
K: The environment too. They put everything together better than I thought they would. It was easy to perform there.
J: Yeah. But if I had to mention something, the lunch . . .
K: There wasn't any rice. (Laughs)
J: Yeah. (Laughs) bread and ham and sausage and cheese again. I was starting to die . . .
K: I was comparatively pleased with the meal.
Ka: I was pleased as well.
J: I was already thinking, "I want some miso soup!" Next time we go abroad I'm bringing some instant miso.
Ka: I was concerned the most over whether the equipment was in good enough shape to perform with. But, the moment I saw all our stuff kept perfectly together I was happily like, "We can play today!!" You expect your equipment to be kept up when you're in Japan, but I've heard some horror stories from abroad. So when I saw everything all perfectly set up I thought to myself, "Tonight I'm going to play my heart out for them."
J: And, of course, the sound was good, right? Maybe it was because the voltage is different there, but we sounded different from the way we usually do. I found that out when I was listening backstage. The synthesizers and everything, I was like, "There's something cool going on with our sound."
K: I don't think the voltage affects the synths. (Laughs)
J: No, the synths sounded different! I could hear them more clearly.
Ka: Uh, I think there's just something wrong with Juka's attitude normally.
K: But . . ,the actual voltage that was actually moving the monitor speakers was different, so that might have made them sound better!
J: I feel like they sounded better. (Emphatically)
K: Y . . . yeah. Now that I think about it I guess so! Juka's right!!
Ka: A ha ha ha. (Laughs)
J: You don't sound like you mean it. (Laughs)
Ka: You're the best!!
J: OK, sorry. (Laughs) But, it was 240 volts over there. It's wonderful--twice the power in Japan.
K: So I think we were happy because, not only was the equipment in order, but also the sound itself was really easy to listen to.
J: And, the stage felt really shaky!
Everyone: . . .
J: What? You didn't feel that?
Ka: I don't think it was shaky.
J: Whaaaat? Maybe I just drank something weird. (Laughs) Ok, let's continue on to the next subject.
K: Ha ha ha. (Laughs) The audience was really great at the show! Even before we had started, I could hear them from the backstage area . . . YEAAAAAH!!! . . . that cheer . . . I was so surprised.
J: The other thing that surprised me was, while we were playing the crowd got so loud I couldn't hear us performing anymore. They immediately raised the volume on the monitor in front of me. I've never had the sound of the crowd drown out the sound of our equipment before. It was a first.
K: The stage was hot. Everyone was feverish.
M: That's because everyone crammed themselves into the theater a good two hours before the start of the show. The place was ready to burst.
J: The crowd was starting to worry me. Half way through people were fainting and being brought out of the hall. All the people I could see in the front row looked about ready to faint. They were getting pushed around a lot from the very beginning so it was probably tough for them.
K: On the other hand, I was encouraged. It looked just like those videos you see at the western shows where the security cards are carrying, dragging people away. I mean, I'm sure in reality it must have been hard for them, but I'm glad we got to have a show that powerful.
Ka: I've never seen anyone faint at our shows in Japan, so to see roughly one person pass out after every song was crazy. But having people go out like that sent this message to us about the great status of MdM in Germany. They were really enthusiastic emotionally. I felt like we had really done something after the show was over.
M: There were all these scenes you wouldn't see in Japan: people riding on other people's shoulders and people holding up signs throughout the concert. The doubt crossed my mind about whether the people in the back could see, (Laughs) but I thought a lot about how you don't see this type of stuff in Japan.
M: They were right up front. And they were beautiful too--the sight reminded me of the positive punk movement from the '80s. (Laughs) Oh, and they sang happy birthday. They surprised me because I hadn't expected it at all, but it made me happy. Also, everyone was singing along during the show--everyone really listens to our CDs, don't they? We haven't even released "Nocturnal Opera" abroad because of licensing issues, and yet they still kept up with us. I had come out last July for the Japan expo so I had a basic idea of the enthusiasm we'd meet out here. Still, what did you guys think?
J: It was more than I imagined.
K: It was more than I imagined too. The cheering was crazy.
M: When I heard the crowd start cheering for the roadie as he went out on stage to check the guitars before the show, I was moved.
K: Jeez, it's like when a foreign celebrity comes to Japan. It's like, "Hey! It's a foreign star!" (Laughs)
Ka: Ha ha ha. (Laughs)
K: So, this is kind of a funny story, but the straw they put in my drink on stage was a little short. I drink a lot, so after a little while, only air came out of the drink. I had to quickly squeeze the thing whenever I wanted to get liquid out.
Ka: Speaking of funny stories, when I first went out on stage I heard this buzzing. Then it gradually started getting louder, (Laughs) but I thought to myself that it couldn't possibly be me. So, just to check I turned down my volume and . . . it was me. Sorry guys. (Nervous)
J&K: (Laughs)
J: I didn't notice at all.
M&K: Actually, we noticed it quite a bit!
Ka: Our first show overseas, the first time I go up on stage, and the first thing I'm thinking about is, "Jeez, look at what I did." (Laughs) I'm not going to be able to forget that.
M: Then, even though they turned on the lights and it was obvious we had finished performing, practically no one went home!
J: Yeah, I just heard them keep shouting, "Moi dix Mois!"
M: Eventually I went out to give them our final thanks. A bunch of time had passed by the time I went out there, right?

-- Yes. Even after your final thank you no one looked like they were planning on leaving. The venue ultimately forced everyone out with a rope.

M: That's how they did it, eh? Then, what happened after the show?
K: We went out for pizza. Everyone but Mana and I went home to sleep, but for the time being, if we didn't eat something . . .
Ka: Me, I was like, for the time being, if I don't sleep . . . We had to get up early the next day, too.
J: I was like, if I don't sleep . . . as well.
M: We used up quite a bit of energy for the Germany show; so going out to eat was quite hard enough. It was our first show and everyone was cheering crazily, so I wanted to respond to that and give the show my all.
K: It was a pain going out to eat, wasn't it? On top of that, Mademoiselle Translator here couldn't come along due to complete exhaustion.

-- Sorry! (Laughs)

K: No problem, you put a lot into mediating between the German side of things and MdM. The tour helped my German! Once they started to think I could speak a little they'd inch their way over to me. (Laughs) Once it was revealed that I could get by in German, I was like, "They've got me!" (Laughs)
J: Me, I can only say greetings. (Laughs) Denke schoen.
Ka: Me too . . .
M: Speaking of the pizza place, while we were there we ordered a Napoli pizza. But, weren't you thinking of a Napolitan pizza?
K: No. (Laughs)
M: No, eh? (Laughs) I was like, Napoli, that sounds tasty . . . let's order it. So, it comes and half of it is an anchovy pizza. It was too salty to eat and didn't look good because it was brown. But, I guess that's just pizza in Germany.
J: Also, German's a particular sort of language. I wanted to say "guten abend" as my MC greeing, but when I got there I had to ask the people around me like five or six times how to say it. Then, after I'd ask I'd just as soon forget and be like ,"Uh, what was that again??" When they'd finish they'd look upset at me. (Laughs)
K: I was humming out German greetings the whole time I was smoking.
M: Oh, that's right, you MCed too. Tell us about that.
K: I wish I could have gotten through to them . . . I guess I don't know if I got through to them or not, but still. They were great during the call and response, though, so I was happy. They even copied back my pronunciation.
J: Yeah, I don't know whether you got to them or not but, it was great how well they responded to you.
K: I probably put too much effort into my pronunciation. Like the "Mun" in "Munich." (Laughs)
Everyone: (Laughs)

-- Speaking of which, that was the night you first encountered daylight savings time.

J: Yeah, yeah, you have to set your clock one hour ahead.
K: This was my first time being there the moment they switched over to daylight savings time.
M: It felt like all their customs were different, didn't it? Like the way none of the stores were open on Saturday and Sunday.
J: I had more trouble with that later in France.
M: There aren't any convenience stores or anything, so as a Japanese person accustomed to convenience stores, I was a little surprised.
K: If we were in Japan, we could have gotten food and drinks even if it was the middle of the night.
J: It's scary that we've gotten so used to living in Tokyo.
M: Yeah. Then, the next morning we got up and flew to France in this tiny airplane. Was the plane scary for you guys?
J: I'm just glad it wasn't a propeller plane. On our way there, I saw this plane with a tiny propeller and thought, "We're flying in that? THAT!?"
K: Something that happened before that, we had sat around too long and missed the boarding call so they called us over the intercom. (Laughs)
J: Yeah, yeah. You went to go eat somewhere with Kazuno. We were like, "Where did they go off to now?" and went looking for you guys, and there you were eating. (Laughs)
Ka: I wanted to have my last sausage. (Laughs) Tohru didn't make it on time so he wrapped everything up like a sandwich and brought it on the plane!
J: Then, when we were boarding they brought us out on this bus, right? They had a "No eating" sign on the bus, but he just swallowed it down while no one was looking. (Laughs)
K: I ended up sleeping again on the plane, so I don't even remember taking off . . .
Ka: Are you serious?
J: I don't think he remembers landing either. (Laughs)
K: Oh yeah. (Laughs) I was still asleep after we landed. Juka woke me up when everyone else was getting off the plane.
Ka: We bounced during the landing!! I couldn't deal with it! I ended up screaming again.
K: Did Mana notice?
M: I noticed, but it didn't surprise me much. I think I'm used to it now. Last year I had to ride a plane even smaller than that. The moment I saw the plane I wanted to go back home. But the plane was bigger this time so I wasn't as scared. Mikty was so scared he was screaming, but . . . (Laughs) He was like, "I don't want to fly in that! I don't want to fly!"

-- And thus, you arrived in France. For everyone but Mana, this was your first time, right? Did you have time to sightsee?

J: The day we got there was pleasantly free, but the next day we had a show and none of us were in the mood to go out. Actually, I didn't eat the night before and I didn't eat when Kazuno and everyone went out--I hadn't eaten in over half a day, so first things first I was like, let's go eat! But there weren't any vending machines and I couldn't work up the courage to go to a restaurant alone so . . . then, trudging along, I got to the Arc de Triomphe. (Laughs)
Ka: You made it all the way to the Arc de Triomphe?
J: Yes, I did. I thought, "Hey, it's the Arc de Triomphe" so I took a picture of myself with my cell phone. (Laughs) In the end, I went home without even buying juice.
Ka: When I got there I thought, "France sure has a lot of history!" The town has a unified feeling. If it were Japan everything would have been turned into something new by now.
M: That's because Japanese people generally prefer new things.
Ka: That's true. In contrast, France seems to treasure their past.
J: Don't they have some sort of law about that? Like, on this street you can only build this type of building, or whatever. So they can preserve the atmosphere.
M: Yeah, yeah. Like, you can't tear down certain old buildings that are facing out on the streets. It's the best country for sightseeing, so they try to take care of those old, beautiful sights. And that's why the town looks as beautiful as it does.
Everyone: (Agreeing)
J: So then, I had seen "Phantom of the Opera" so I really wanted to go out to the opera house. But I was too thirsty to make it out there.
Ka&K: (Laughs)
J: I was exhausted. (Laughs) I'll go next time!
Ka: I was out with Tohru. Our cameraman T helped us out a bunch by directing us around. We got to ride the subway and see the Eiffel Tower. I was looking forward to hearing French all over, but there were all these tourists from all sorts of countries, so I didn't get to. (Laughs)
J: Someone started speaking French to me out on the streets. I didn't know what to do and ended up running away. (Laughs) Walking around alone in France, I was reminded of the first time I went out in Shinjuku. It's really terrifying. That was another reason I didn't make it to the opera house . . . Also, I was surprised by the parking on the sides. The cars are packed in tight, with only about five centimeters of space between them!
K: Oh yeah, you said they run into each other when they are pulling out.
J: Yeah, yeah, I think the bumper is there so that they can hit each other. Everyone's bumper was dented up.
K: I walked with two of the guitar techs and Mikty down the concourse towards the venue. On the way, we took our pictures in front of the Arc de Triomphe and I ate at the McDonald's on Champs Elysees.
M: Why McDonald's? (Laughs)
K: No, we were just like, does anybody else feel like McDonald's? (Laughs) After that everyone checked out some churches, but I had already planned on going out with Mana for dinner so I hung a U-turn and went back home.
M: Yeah, yeah, we had set a time we were going to meet for dinner. We all went out for French food, where I ordered wild duck . . .
J&Ka&K: I went with the beef.
J: Then, we made them get us Thai rice. (Laughs)
K: We got two bowls out of it. (Laughs) We also had a choice of two salads, but one of those had . . .
J: Stinkbug grass!
K: It was covered in coriander, and I'm probably the only one here who likes coriander. It went terribly; everyone was like, gaaaggg gaagggg. (Laughs)
J: That's because we all have bad memories from playing with stinkbugs as kids.
Ka: The point is, now we were putting a stinkbug in our mouth!
K: Hey, I thought it tasted good.
J&Ka: GAAAAAAAG
J: If you were to put that in with your wash, they'd probably make you stay home from school that day.

-- We always seem to talk about stinkbugs whenever you get back from Europe. (Laughs) (See Madosho #24)

M: No one believed me the last time I went to Europe. But I think we've made progress now that it has come to light that other people call coriander "stinkbug grass" as well. I was right. I feel like I've one this battle. (Laughs)
Everyone: (Laughs)
K: I'm the loser. (Laughs)
Ka: Oh yeah, when I came by while Mana was filming for his photo collection, his cameraman T asked if I wanted my picture taken. (Laughs) He took a photo of Tohru and I with a disposable camera.
M: Did you guys all take enough pictures?
K: I took thirty or forty shots with my digital.
Ka: I just got the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower.
J: I just got the Arc de Triomphe with myself.
Ka: Ha ha ha! (Laughs)
K: He said it, "myself!!"
J: Speaking of which, that night I realized something. K, you're B blood type, right? You're really methodical! If you don't fold all of your clothes and clean everything up you can't go to sleep.
K: It's just a pain to do everything in the morning. (Laughs)
M: Is that what type-B people are like?
K: No, type-B people leave stuff all over the place.
M: That's what I thought. Type-A people are the methodical ones.
J: But I leave my stuff all over the place. (<=type-A)
K: I'm like that, too. But strangely, whenever I go somewhere I get methodical.
J: I may leave my clothes and stuff all over, but I can't settle down unless I take a bath at some point (Laughs)
K: That was a long bath. You just didn't get out. And the whole time I hear this "AAAAH Aaaaaah AAAAH WIIII" coming from the bath. (Laughs)
J: I was actually hurrying. Sorry. (Laughs)

-- Sure. (Laughs) So the next day was your Paris show. Mana, were you still filming?

M: Yes. I got up early again and went out fully made-up for work.
Ka: That morning something wonderful happened to Juka, right? He was . . . able to eat rice!
J: Oh yeah! They had rice and miso soup at the hotel breakfast! I ate three bowls of it that morning.
M: There wasn't anything in the soup though. (Laughs)
J: That's true, but there were udon noodles on the side so I ate the soup with those. It was tasty. (Happily)

-- So you were in good spirits after that? (Laughs)

K: He was totally happy!
J: I felt much better!
Ka: I mean, Tohru and I ran into him when we were going out to eat. With a smile on his face he tells us, "Rice! They have rice!!" (Laughs) I'll never forget that look on Juka's face.
J: And as a result, I was all ready to go out to the venue.
K: We're getting ready to leave for the venue and I put on my make-up first, so I tell Juka, "Juka, I'm going down first!"
J: Yeah, he went down as soon as he was done this time, too. (Laughs)
K: So he says, "Why do you always go down so early? Do you want everyone to see you with that face?" So I say, "What are you talking about?? It's fun being seen like this!" (Laughs)
J: That's got to be another difference between type-A and type-B people.
K: But, standing there next to me is Mana with his make-up, hair and everything else done up. I didn't serve much of a purpose when he was nearby. (Laughs)
Ka: A ha ha. (Laughs) They hadn't finished setting up backstage by the time I had gotten to the concert hall. But, seriously right as we were like, hey, hey, they had already gotten it up!
K: Ha ha ha. (Laughs) Really?
Ka: Yeah. It's not like it was a dressing room from the start-there was nothing in there. Then suddenly here comes a desk, here comes a chair. While I'm getting made-up, the dressing room got made-up too.
J: You have such a way with words. (Laughs)
K: A ha ha. (Laughs) I have a really foggy recollection of the Paris venue.
J: It totally looked like a monster was about to pop out of there.
M: I'd heard that both German and French people don't like to wait and that they have no concept of encores, but it turned out the exact opposite. Maybe they just wanted Moi dix Mois that much.
K: I'm thankful for that, but we did have a lot of problems in France. When I went to check the equipment, I found they got the wrong amplifier cabinet. (Laughs) It was a pain adjusting my settings again.
Ka: My cabinet was different too, but it wasn't a problem. As long as it makes noise it's fine with me. (Laughs)
K: There's also the tale of the missing electric fan of horror.
M: Yeah.
Ka: I was the worst affected of everyone. I was the only one without a fan. (Laughs)
J: Still, it was probably for the best. They put mine in front of the audience, so the air was really hot. Like, GAAAAAAAAAAH. I started feeling sick because of the hot air, like I was about to die . . .
M: The fans were huge--completely different from what I had imagined. The weakest fan they had was still really powerful. It was kind of a problem.

-- Your clothes were fluttering all over the place, Mana.

K: I accidentally stepped on Mana's flowing vestments. The lace on his bottom ripped, tick-tick-tick, right off . . .
J: It was so hot at our France show! This was another first for me; I couldn't hear myself sing because the crowd was singing along so loud.
K: They cheered even louder than the people in Germany.
J: I wondered how they were able to remember the words to a song in a completely foreign language so well. They were so enthusiastic. I was kind of moved.
K: There were a number of times where I lost track of what we were playing because the audience was so loud. I was really surprised.
Ka: They'd shout "Moi dix Mois" in between songs . . .
K: The shouting was crazy in between songs. Then, we had about a meter and a half of space between us and the audience in Germany, but in France the stage was sort of trapezoidal. So when we'd go out to the edge we'd be right up into the audience and we'd get into this situation where they'd grab our feet and wouldn't let go.
J: Some of my make-up got washed into my eyes with all the sweat. My field of vision turned completely white and I couldn't see. You'll probably see this once they release the DVD, but half way through I removed and threw away one of my colored contacts. Half way through and one of my eyes was the eye of a regular Japanese person. (Laughs)
K: A ha ha ha. (Laughs)
Ka: The audience was really gazing intently on us. We'd do something and they'd yell "WAAAA!!" Juka would spin around once and they'd yell "WAAAAA!!! YEAAAHH!!"
J: Ha ha ha. (Laughs) That was crazy pleasant!
Ka: I guess that's another thing that doesn't happen much at a Japanese show. People would go crazy in response to absolutely everything we did.
J: I said this already in an interview over there, but unlike Japanese people, the people over there are good at showing their emotions. It seemed like they were just coming out with them. The show was really nice.
K: The thing that sticks in my mind the most about the France show was that the audience cheered louder than anywhere else.
M: The thing that sticks with me is this dreadlocked guy that appeared in front of me who was bouncing back and forth on our harpsichord trying to finger-play the song. He was completely befuddled by the harpsichord line in "Nocturnal Romance" but he pretended to play along with his fingers. I was impressed!
Everyone: (Laughs)
M: He was like, "I know how to play the harpsichord!!" (Laughs)
J: That guy might just be the only person in the world who can play Mana's harpsichord lines!
M: I put in melodies between the left and right hand sides. So I was impressed to see him trying to play along and figure it out.
J: I was mentally all over the place during the show. But, in the best sense of the phrase, I feel like we were on fire.
M: Something else happened to me during the show . . . a hole opened up in my straw.
K: This is the second drink story!
M: When I tried to have a sip, nothing came out. I don't drink much when I'm in Japan, but this time it was so hot and I wanted to drink so badly, and yet nothing came out. I couldn't get a hold of anyone as well, so I couldn't swap my drink. So, what did I do? . . . I looked for the hole. (Laughs) I closed up the hole with my finger and sucked the drink down.
J: That's what you were doing? (Laughs)
M: Yeah, yeah, I put a lot of effort into it.
Ka: In Japan it's the people in the front who are the most into the show with the people towards the back just staring. But I didn't feel that at all in France, even the people in back were having a good time. That stuck with me.
J: They were packed tight all the way to the back, right?
K: It was a sold out show.
M: There were a lot of guys at the France show.
Everyone: Yeah.
K: This bald, buff guy in the third row in front of me was holding a red rose the whole time. I was a little concerned for my safety. (Laughs)
J: Yeah, yeah, yeah!! That guy freaked me out!
K: The audience members were interesting too, unlike in Japan.
J: There are all sorts of people out there.
M: Germany was like that too. People came from all over Europe to see us.
J: Speaking of roses, the crowd threw all these roses onto the stage. To commemorate, I brought one home and put it in my room.
Ka: I was reminded of this when you brought up the people throwing roses, but I was a little concerned at the start that they were going to throw beer bottles and stuff at us. (Laughs) I'm glad they didn't. I worried about what to do if something like that happened.
M: So what you're saying is that basically it was a good show. If it were a bad show they would have thrown all sorts of stuff at us. They'd be like, "GO HOME!"
Everyone: (Agrees)
M: I think everyone had a good time. They even raised their hands during "MAD INGRAIN" and "forbidden" when everyone is supposed to raise their hands.
Ka: This was the loudest I've ever seen an audience. During "forbidden," Juka even pointed the mic at the crowd.
J: Yeah, "Forbidden" was great, but I thought their reaction during "Pessimiste" was crazy!
Ka: It was cool when you pointed the mic at the crowd and they shouted back "Pessimiste!"
J: Yeah. It felt good!
M: The crowd went crazy, as well, when we all lined up at the front for "Ange."
K: That was crazy! It's so amazing how they responded to every single thing we did onstage in France and Germany.
Ka: I was completely happy with how every single thing we did got through to them. I was personally so moved I felt like I was going to start crying in the middle of the show. I was glad to meet all of these Moi dix Mois fans in the middle of this completely new place. Glad, or more so, excited.
J: I know what you're saying. The people were, of course, really straight-forward, but they even told us things they don't normally even tell us in their letters. For example, "You have the best voice in the world." (Laughs) To have these people think so much of your songs, and then to go play a show in front of them, I felt moved personally . . . Well, immediately after the show I felt less moved and more needing to be moved by an ambulance, (Laughs) but I was finally glad I decided to sing.
Ka: I felt like I was the best in the world after our France show.
J: Wa ha ha ha ha. (Laughs) Kazuno, you're funny. (Laughs)
Ka: Just then! Still, best or not, I wanted to praise myself.
K: So people are telling me that I accidentally said "Danke" when I was supposed to say "Merci" during the MC part. (Laughs) I was so excited I don't remember it though.
J: I had something else happen. I wanted to do a greeting in French like I did in German for the Germany show. However, back when I studied French in Japan, I learned to pronounce "Bon soir" as "Bon sowaar" (See Juka's Jukai), but when I heard actual native speakers in France, it was entirely different. Like, "Bon so&%@" (Laughs) I had to ask three times before I finally got that down too. But, I think I got through to the crowd, at least according to the their response.
Ka: Yeah, it really felt like we were telling all the great people who came to the show, "Merci!"
K: There were tons of fans waiting for us when we tried to leave. It was crazy; security had to escort us back to the bus. Everyone was like, "YEEEEAAAAAAAAAAH!"
J: I got into the mood and tried to sign autographs for people, but by then I was barely conscious. I probably didn't write coherently. (Laughs)
Ka: A ha ha ha. (Laughs)

-- It sounds like the Germany and France shows turned out well aside from a couple of problems. Well then, Mana had to stay in France after that to continue shooting, but everyone else headed back to Japan the next day . . .

K: I slept on the flight back too. (Laughs)
Ka: He really was out of it! I drank a cassis orange with Tohru.
K: You guys drank a lot, didn't you?
Ka: We started getting silly. (Laughs) I don't normally drink, right?
J: When Kazuno drinks he starts laughing for no reason. (Laughs)
Ka: That's what I mean, silly.
J&K: (Laughs)
J: I had a little to drink on the way home too, and slept all the way until we arrived. So, it was really easy going back for me. But, we got back right at the peak of hay fever season and I ended tiring myself out . . .
Ka: I had a hard time with jetlag . . .

-- Yet, for the time being it sounds like everyone made it back safe and sound. Finally, I'd like each of you to look back on the European tour and say a word to your fans.

J: I think it would be impossible for me to live abroad. (Laughs) But the shows were a succession of moving experiences--it turned out to be a wonderful trip and a memory I will never forget. Also, I ran into a fan that had come over from Japan for the tour twice at the airport. (Laughs) I was glad to see him. Thank you.
K: I'd been abroad before on vacation but this was my first time playing a show over there. I didn't understand some of the reactions of our fans, but they got so into it, and I think I was able to feed off of their energy and play a couple of really good shows. I absolutely would like to play over there again. It was fun!
Ka: Reflecting on all of the experiences I've had doing tours in the past, I can say without a doubt that our Germany and France shows were a success. We'll be showing you what we experienced there at our show on April 24. I'm really happy with the shows.
M: This time we played in Germany and France. There's been a huge response from people from countries all over the globe, so right now I'd just like to bring the show to as many places as possible. I want to travel the world! It's one of my dreams.

-- Thank you to all of the people who came out to the shows from all your respective countries and thank you to all of the people participating in the shows from Japan. The European tour wouldn't have been a success without you guys, so on behalf of Mana and the other band members and staff, I'd like to say that we appreciate your support from the bottom of our hearts. Finally, to those of you who couldn't come out to the shows, I hope that reading this interview gave you a sense of the passion of these shows.

(Interview April 12, 2005)


Your Future--Is It a Dream You Are Pursuing Or Fate...
For over a decade I've been pursuing a career in music, learned a lot, laughed a lot, thought a lot, and suffered repeatedly. Yet I've overcome the suffering and made my dreams into reality. There's no greater feeling of happiness than feeling such a definite response to my work. And yet at some point in our happiness we will always hit another wall to be surmounted. So the process repeats.

I'm sure you were all surprised by the sudden announcement of Juka's decision to leave the band after the successful completion of our first European tour. We most certainly received a warm response during the European tour, and yet it was just a small step forward . . . Everyone's goals for life are different, and I can't expect someone to continue down my path if their goals and attitudes are different from my own.

From now on Juka will be pursuing a different path from us. However, we believe that the three years he has spent with us will be of use to him in his future endeavors. We want him to step through that door that leads to his own new future.

I seek to keep evolving. Moi dix Mois wants to continue forward as aggressive and stimulating as before. I will not regret anything about my one chance at life. I will keep going.

Mana

I second that!