Shave your head! Dye your hair green! Wear black makeup!
Be different! The following are words of advice are from a visual
rock fan.
Many of these fans use the terms visual shock and visual
kei to describe their music and alternative lifestyle. Whatever
you would like to call it, they have their style, their attitude
and the mysteriousness of their unusual dress and hairstyles. All
over the country and all over the world there are groups of Asians
who choose to live a visual lifestyle.
Maybe they are trying to emulate their favorite bands such
as Marilyn Manson, Malice Mizer, Glay, Rouage or L'Arc~en~Ciel and
these people are misunderstood.
Of course, not many Asian Americans care to talk about GenerAsians
who pursue this type of lifestyle. "It's not normal," said a friend.
"People who dress or look that way must have many problems." Is
that really the case?
"I think they [visual rock emulators] tend to be very good
people," said visual rock fan James Wu. "I know a few people who
are in bands and they don't do drugs or anything wild. They are
just people who are more into music than anything else."
My curiosity got the best of me one day as a business associate
and I ate lunch at a fast food restaurant. Three Asian visual rock
fans walked into the restaurant. Three girls sporting interesting
clothing, dark makeup and different variations of hair color.
One had purple/maroon hair, another with red and one who
looked normal but was draped in black clothing. They carried black
and metal-like suitcases with stickers all over them and a blue
plastic flower.
The customers inside the restaurant looked at them in disbelief.
Some began to laugh and point their fingers.
My associate took a peek and said, "Very interesting." Interesting
is right. I had to talk to these girls.
With my sketch pad in one hand and a camera in the other
I approached the three visual rock fans.
As I approached their table, they gave me this look which
sent chills up my spine, but I continued toward their table. I asked
them why they like to dress this way.
"The music, the makeup, and the ability to express one's
beauty," Saita said. After her answer, the group is joined by two
more girls, Shouka and Terra.
Among the five, Shouka stood out with her orange-red hair.
Looking at their suitcases which had stickers and photos
all over them, it's obvious that the girls are big fans of the visual
rock group, Rouage.
Why do you like visual rock music?
"It's outrageous and it rocks," Shouka said.
"I think that visual rockers have outlandish fashion ideas
and statements that can be quite fascinating at times," Terra said.
Do you mind that all these people are looking at you strangely?
"The attention is actually quite nice," Chika said. "I think
it's much more difficult for guys to dress visually because many
people think they are gay."
"Within my male friends who dress this way, many of them
are straight," Chika said.
"Also, many of the guys we know who dress visually are in a band,"
Shouka added.
The male fans of visual rock have been asked if they were
comfortable in dressing visually in college.
"I don't want to attract attention everyday," James Wu said.
"Maybe once in a while if I feel crazy."
As some spectators might find their hair or overall style
offending, there has been a new visual fad that has been stirring
controversy.
The disturbing fad among a few visual rockers is the Nazi
uniform style popularized by the band Dir En Grey.
The visual rock fans interviewed for this story are all college
students. They only dress this way a few times a year to escape
reality and to be different.
Each do live normal lives and like everyone in college, they
want to achieve a good career.
They know that not many Asians are into this type of music
and fashion style but that doesn't bother them. For now, their love
for the music and their way of showing their love for it is all
that matters.
For that passion, going visual is the only
way.
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by AC's Dennis A. Amith
    
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