Unofficial Gackt Fanpage Contest!

Super Hero Gackt Contest has been cancelled

Sry to those who have sent in entries...

there just weren't enough entries to validate a contest with prizes I had to buy out of my own pocket.

if there had been more entries it would have been different, but if I have to pay for prizes, I'd prefer to have a better contest turn out.

Again, Sorry to those who did send in entries to participate.

I will try a contest again in the future so keep an eye out.

Gackt once again on Fool's Mate

Gackt once again will adorn the cover of the popular Japanese Magazine, Fool's Mate.

According to the translation, this is a special deluxe edition dedicated to Gackt, Gackt's single Returner~yami no shyuen~ and to his work with the "superband" S.K.I.N.

When talking about S.K.I.N. they called it a "rumored superband" so just how "new" the information will be, I can not guarantee anything... but they do promise pics.

For more information you can visit the Fool's Mate page dedicated to this edition. If you're looking to purchase a copy, you can wait for someone to post it to Ebay, or you can buy it HERE for $16 US.

Gackt will also be appearing on the cover of the NHK magazine. Inside are more pictures of Gackt and the cast of Fuurin Kazan.

Gackt on Cover of Josei Jishin

Gackt appears on the cover of Josei Jishin (A Japanese woman's magazine).

The article appears to be about Gackt and longtime friend, Yoshiki.

Ｇａｃｋｔキレた「ＹＯＳＨＩＫＩの悪癖」に乱闘寸前毎朝３時間トレーニングウエート９kgＵＰボディ作り

the bad habit of YOSHIKI" every morning 3 hour training weight 9 kg UP body making before the scuffle suns/size.

According to the Josei Jishin preview on their website : * Gackt: it is in the bad habit of YOSHIKI before the scuffle.

So... it appears to those on the outside who haven't had the chance to read the article, that YOSHIKI and Gackt possibly had a fight or at least, argument before the June Anime Expo concert in California.

According to the S.K.I.N. myspace fanpage ,

[quote] Even though the concert was a victory, back stage, the musicians immediately nit-picked and fussed over the tiny mistakes that went unnoticed by the fans. [end quote]

-(Webmaster of S.K.I.N. fanpage)

So perhaps there's some validity to the "Argument/scuffle" rumor. I guess it would depend on if they were fussing backstage about their mistakes as a whole, their own personal mistakes... OR if they were nitpicking eachother's mistakes.

It would stand to reason... 4 very big names in 1 band... eventually there'd be a fight for who the Alpha Male will be in a band of superstars.

However- according to blog runner: Gakuhai... Josei Jishin is not known for its irrefutable accuracy. So you'll have to find a way to buy the magazine... and come to your own conclusion.

I'll post more details as they follows.

Thanks to:

Gakuhai
Josei Jishin
S.K.I.N. fanpage

Japan Earthquake, 7-16-07

This is unrelated to Gackt news- but as a fan of Japan, the culture, the history and the people, I follow Japanese news very closely, and I'm saddened to report that another earthquake has struck Japan, killing (as of 1:03 pm central time here in the states on the 16th of July 2007) 7, and injuring hundreds more.

My heart goes out to the families and friends of those lost or injured, and to those who suffered the loss of their homes or places of work due to the quake.

Today, Japan was hit by 2 quakes. The first happened in Niigata prefecture, destroying many houses and bridges and injuring at least 800 people. The second quake, registered at 6.8 magnitude (being called a quake, not an aftershock), killed at least 7 people and injured many more.

The 7 confirmed deaths were four women and three men all between 70 and 80 years old.

The effects of the earthquake had buildings shaking on their foundations as far as Tokyo. Over 2,000 people were evacuated from Kashiwazaki. The second quake caused the closing of transit from Tokyo to North / Northwestern Japan... and the closing of a top nuclear plant.

The plant (the world's largest plant in terms of power output capacity) was said to have leaked 315 gallons of water... the water contained a tiny amount of radioactive material and is believed to have flushed into the Sea of Japan.

There was also an electrical fire that took a few hours to contain.

This Quake follows a Quake that occured Late March, Early April of this year- which resulted in 1 death and hundreds of injured.

The last major quake to hit the capital, Tokyo, killed about 142,000 people in 1923, and experts say the capital has a 90% chance of suffering a major quake in the next 50 years.

In October 2004, a magnitude-6.8 earthquake hit Niigata, killing 40 people and damaging more than 6,000 homes. It was the deadliest to hit Japan since 1995, when a magnitude-7.2 quake killed 6,433 people in the western city of Kobe.

Japan is the world's most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occuring at least once every 5 mintues according to news sources.

Again... my heart goes out to the people of Japan, and their families and friends of those who suffered from this earthquake.

-Ara-

Sources
Freep.com
Guardian unlimited
Canada City News
CBC News

Shojo Beat Gackt Interview

Gackt is featured in the latest issue of Shojo Beat - an anime/Japanese magazine that's popular here in America.

You can pick it up almost anywhere they sell anime/manga stuff. Amazon.com, Suncoast videos, Hot Topic, Barnes and Nobles Book Sellers, your local comic book/manga store, or on the official Shojo beat site.

The article includes an English Gackt interview as well as a few pictures from the Asian Drug Party Tour.

You can read the interview HERE at the Shojo Beat official site. Its actually a very interesting little tidbit. Its definately worth having if you're a Gackt fan. This is the magazine to have as a collectable.

If you miss the magazine while its on sale on the shelves... you can probably buy it on back order. This is Volume 3, issue 8.

S.K.I.N. Fanpage Interview

I had a chance to ask a few questions about the recent S.K.I.N. Concert from someone who was there. The answers were as follows.

Q. How many people were in attendance? Was it a decent crowd?

A. it's hard to estimate how many people were there, but it was a very good sized crowd, and everyone showed lots of enthusiasm, excitement, and pure joy during the show.

Q. Were the 4 songs performed in English, Japanese, or a Mix of both English and Japanese?

A. The 4 songs performed were a mix of English and Japanese.

Q. did they mention any other songs being in the works, or are they currently seperating to work on their seperate projects?

A. YOSHIKI has stated that they have already recorded some 7 or 8 songs. Although some members are focusing on their own solo careers as well as S.K.I.N. For example Miyavi's upcoming summer tour, as well as YOSHIKI working on an X-Japan 'reunion'.

Q. Just how good is Gackt's English? Is he as fluent as he once bragged?

A. I personally don't know much of Gackt's previous English, but he was fairly fluent, the only times his English could not be understood was when it was drowned out by screaming fans.

Q. Did they mention an ETA for an album release, or for that tour they talked about?

A. There is not yet any confirmation of dates, but there is a US tour confirmed, as well as YOSHIKI stating that he wouldn't mind touring Europe. It can be assumed (if S.K.I.N. takes priority over X-Japan) that a tour would begin around September or October, after Miyavi's upcoming solo tour.

Q. If there was mention of a tour, did they mention if it would be limited to only major places like in California or New York, if it would be mainly anime conventions, or if it would be Nationwide hitting places like Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit and so on?

A. While nothing has been confirmed, Gackt has mentioned that they wish to top world charts, and be the first Asian group to achieve that sort of fame. And as such, it can be assumed that they would do a tour all over America. But as said, this is all speculation at this point.

Q. Anything else you feel Fans like me, who were unable to attend the concert at Anime Expo should know about the S.K.I.N. concert?

A. S.K.I.N. has thus far proven to be an absolutely amazing band, with songs varying from 'head-bang' type rock, to instrumentals with classical instruments. S.K.I.N. represents some of Japan's most talented artists. Now that they have officially begun, they need fan support now as much as ever. Let's show the world that Japan's artists can rock just as hard as anyone else. ^_^

---------------------

Special thanks to the Myspace S.K.I.N. Fanpage Moderator for the interview

Uesugi Kenshin Reawakened

On August 25th (2007), Japan will hold its annual Uesugi Kenshin festival, which will take place at Kasugayama park in Joetsu.

this is the Kenshin Festival's 82nd year (the first festival being held in 1926.)

The main rumor is that Gackt will be participating in the festival - especially during the "taking of the field" part of the ceremony - which sounds like it is a reinactment of some type. Its hard to translate that properly.

If its a reinactment, it will most likely be Gackt in the role of Kenshin, which he currently plays on NHK's Fuurin Kazan.

**Fuurin Kazan Spoilers** (for those who don't know the history.)

Uesugi Kenshin was a warlord in the feudal period of Japan - The Sengoku period to be exact. He is most famous for the battles with fellow Daimyo, Takeda Shingen. He and Shingen fought 5x at Kawanakajima, but both being cautious- the "battles" never amounted to more then Skirmishes. It was in the 4th battle, that the famous Yamamoto Kansuke (of whom Fuurin Kazan is mostly about) lost his life.

Takeda and Kenshin thought highly of eachother, and respected one another greatly. When Shingen died a few years before Kenshin... Kenshin mourned the loss of his greatest rival, weeping openly, and swearing to never attack Takeda land. He eventually became a Takeda Ally, not long before his own death.


for more information on this festival, please visit the links below

Kenshin Festival
Kenshin Festival 2
Pronweb Watch article


for more information on Uesugi Kenshin, for whom this festival is held... please visit these links

My Brief Kenshin report (Rumors and Facts)
Uesugi Kenshin (Nagao Kagetora) Wikipedia


Purchase Samurai Banners of Furin Kazan, a great book

HERE


Purchase the original 1969 movie

HERE

American/Canadian Gackt DVD release!

According to VIZ pictures official site...

they're set to release an American copy of Gackt's greatest Filmography RED, 1999-2006.

This will include English subtitles for the first time!

On the DVD will be:

Another world
Oasis
Secret Garden
Redemption
Mizerable
Black Stone
Seki-Ray
Vanilla
Dreams you Pursued
Mirror
Never Forget you
and Metamorphoze

It will be out on October 9th, and will retail for $19.98 US / $29.99 Canada.
The DVD will be a region 1 release... Canada/US only.

Thanks to N.A. Dears for the heads up on this DVD!

The Amazing Invisible Gackt

Gackt will be a cartoon! Just, sadly not of the Gundam kind. (I've really been pushing for that poor guy to get his own Gundam anime... but sadly, it hasn't happened as of yet.)

but he can do the next best thing with Arthur et les minimoys (English title: Arthur and the Invisibles).

Gackt will be voicing the Character of the evil Wizard Malthazar (who has been likened to a slightly less scary version of Harry Potter's Lord Voldemort.)

the voice was portrayed in the English version by another famous rocker- David Bowie.

Before you run out to buy the "Arthur and the invisibles" movie... keep in mind that the Japanese version is not on the currently released dvd. It will be released as a feature film in Japan in September of this year, so you'll have to wait to get that version on DVD when it is released later on either at the end of this year, beginning of next year.

Happy Birthday to Gackt

Gackt Camui turns 467 years old on this day!

Or 34.

Depends on how old he wants to be this year.

Happy birthday to our hero Gackt!

Recently, I gathered a few fan letters that mutual fans I know wrote for Gackt, and placed them on a tidy little webpage I decided to call a virtual card. Then I forwarded those birthday wellwishes to Gackt via his official website (Which is actually now simply Gackt.com)


Speaking of his official site - besides the shorter and easier to remember URL, there is also a new hot look for fans to enjoy!

I'm still waiting for them to Jazz up the sites for the other languages (they have Korean, English, and Chinese besides the original Japanese)... but... at this point, I'm just happy they even added an English version of the site at all.

That means, perhaps, we're one step closer to an international Dears fanclub?

S.K.I.N. News

According to a recent Japanese article, (which can still be read here), Gackt's new project with Yoshiki, Sugizo, and Miyavi... S.K.I.N. performed to a very happy crowed at California's Anime Expo.

S.K.I.N. (created by former X-Japan member Yoshiki), performed 4 original songs at that night's events to a screaming crowd. Much to the crowd's surprise and delight, lead singer Gackt himself M.C.'ed the event, IN ENGLISH! Yoshiki was on Drums, (And the piano for one song with Gackt), Miyavi and Sugizo headed up the guitars.

Also, (while this isn't mentioned in the article) Gackt's own Ju-Ken from GacktJob, helped the band out on bass.

When it comes to the "take over the world" tour Yoshiki talked about in many interviews... it could be a while before we see it.

Gackt is working on several projects, Miyavi is about to embark on his solo tour, and there is a much anticipated reunion of Xjapan's existing members for a reunion.

however, it is rumored that at the end of the concert Gackt said to the crowd "We'll definately be back" or something to that extent.

I suppose Time will tell.

Thanks to phamousfotos.com for the S.K.I.N. pics