Review by Pagan
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1999 Tour ''CHAOS MODE'' [Limited Pressing]Janne Da ArcQuite good!
I quite enjoyed this DVD! After Fate or Fortune at Budokan, which sounded really poppy to my ears, I was curious to get this, recorded a year earlier in 1999. This DVD rocks a lot more and doesn't sound that poppy, really. =3 Picture and sound are excellent. The band isn't visual, but they're still nice to look at. Especially Yasu looks hot, and that's good because you'll be watching him a lot. I like how Janne Da Arc have a permanent keyboardist. It gives them a live sound that most other Japanese rock bands don't have (they only use samples or nothing at all). Best Janne Da Arc DVD I have so far (still have a lot to get, though, heh).
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Red IdolGUITAR WOLFGarbage
The DVD cover reads "Noise is intentional. This is NOT a defect of the tape!!!" ...yeah right. This is a small selection of very very bad live footage mixed with a few PV's. The PV's are good and stand out due to their much better quality, but the live footage... *shakes head* Picture and sound quality are fuzzy and chaotic. It makes enjoying the songs really hard. Garbage. That what I call this DVD. That's rather harsh, no? Well, it's true. It's crazy they ask almost 4500 yen for this! I think even 2000 yen is too much. They just gathered up a bunch of bad archive footage, crammed it all onto one disc and released it. I don't blame the band. They're doing their best, and I'm sure that the performances were awesome. ^^ This DVD just doesn't show it due to very bad quality. Avoid this if you can. I don't know if the Ookami Rising live DVD is any better, but I'm hoping it is. Place your glasses and cups on this disc, rather than playing it.
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Ningyo Enzetsu - 2004.9.11 Liquid Room Ebisu
VidollNingyo Enzetsu - 2004.9.11 Liquid Room EbisuVidollGoodPicture and sound quality are actually quite good, similar to other earlier Vidoll releases. By no means are they bad. I will say that just about every song fades out, which gives the impression that not the entire concert is present on this DVD. It was recorded in a smaller venue and it's better than some of the other small-scale releases I've seen so far. The band looks lovely (especially Rame ^^), and the songs are good, with only a few slight off moments. Good price for a smaller DVD.
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macrograph12012Favourite 12012 DVD to this day
I only watched this DVD once, but already I like it better than Hide & Seek Tour 2006 and Arashi. Where those DVD's didn't really show the loud metal-ish side of 12012, this DVD -does-. ^^ And it has Gallows, too, my favourite song from their EP's! Squee! If you can get this, just do it! =3 Oh right, my usual quality blurb? All good, don't worry about it!
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Space Shower Archive Shonen Knife Live 9105Shonen KnifeShort and simple
A pop-punk band with three Japanese girls, who all sing and play their instrument? That's Shonen Knife. Make it doom metal and it's Gallhammer, heheh. Knife's music is simple and easy to listen to. Expect no complex rhythms, just straightforward music with both English and Japanese lyrics. You'd think these girls would be up for more of a challenge by now, but apparently they like it this way, ever since the 80's. =/ This is from 1991 and bonus footage from 1994. It's good quality, and doesn't last too long. The description here says 45 minutes... well I'm not too sure about that. Thing with Knife's songs is... they're really short, and there's only about 14 songs on this DVD. Well, if this is your thing, it's nice to see the girls live for a change, though I have to say they look better in the 1994 footage.
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Mijin Kakumei - Saishu Kakumei Yokoku 1229
VidollMijin Kakumei - Saishu Kakumei Yokoku 1229VidollSo many DVD's...Why did Vidoll, and most "Under Code" bands in general, decide to release so many DVD's? Vidoll has at least 3 DVD's for 2004, one for 2003 and 1 for 2005, and that's not even counting the PV or omnibus DVD's. Oh well, as long as the quality is good, why not, eh? ^^ Okay, so this concert...well, it's actually quite good. Some of the songs are kind of the same as on other DVD's around this era, which is understandle. Good thing about all these old DVD's is that you start to recognize songs and make them your own, if you haven't gotten the time or chance to sample their discography. ^^ Picture and sound are good. The band dresses in black, and the performance is good too. I'm not quite sure what else to say... I enjoyed this DVD.
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for Lovers... [Limited Release]KISAKI PROJECT feat. JuiShort but good
This didn't appear when I searched for Kisaki or Kisaki Project, but did suddenly show itself when searching for the title "For lovers". =/ DVD1 contains some live concert footage. Why they didn't include the full gig is beyond me, since it's actually quite good and enjoyable. It lasts some 45 minutes, so you get your money's worth. The band looks nice, visual and wearing black suits (similar to later Kagerou, Jinkaku Radio, Girugamesh). Picture and sound are great. I love the music, it's a little on the soft side, but so beautiful... keyboardcarpets everywhere. Kisaki likes his keyboards. ^^ DVD2 has the PV's and honestly I haven't watched it yet. It's all packed in a nice folder that covers the DVD box. The folder entrance is actually on the other side than it usually is. =P Silly Japanese guys.
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KagefumiKiyoharuBetter than I had expected
This release is good, of course, though I wonder why most, if not all, of Kiyoharu's DVD's are so expensive? Yes, they are mostly 2DVD sets, but it could be a little less demanding on the wallet. So, Kagefumi. It's actually better than I thought it would be. I was expecting melancholic sad rock ala Plastic Tree, but it has a very different atmosphere. Soft rock, yes, but quite nice and not sad for a moment. I enjoyed watching this, and I admit Kiyoharu's voice is growing on me. I've never hated it, but I'm beginning to like it's unique sound. =3 The only thing I have to note is that the concert itself is quite dark in terms of lighting, and the stage isn't very large this time. It does add a certain atmosphere, that's true. Also, Kiyoharu is definitely the center of attention. Though you get a few glimpses of the band, the main object of affection is this charismatic singer. This is a good way to experience the "old" Kiyoharu solo live.
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Alterna Live [Limited Pressing]RIZEGood but different
This is good, though different from Fuck'n Live. Rize has matured their style a bit, and aren't that much nu-metal anymore. Jesse sings more than he raps, and plays guitar quite more often. Not surprising, since their last DVD was filmed in 2002, while this is from 2007. I'm happy they made this one available again, even though it's limited edition. Notable moments are the guest musicians. A man who drums on a metal barrel, a rapper with a notably different voice than Jesse, and even Jesse's little daughter (I think) singing/rapping some lines near the end of the gig. Cute! ^^ And it sounds good, too.
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Hanamoete, Bourei no Namida, Tenmaku ni Ochiru. - Live & Clips 2005Plastic TreeGood...
I'm happy this DVD has the song "Ghost" and a few other rockers, because I can only take so much melancholic rock in one sit. Other than that, no problems with this DVD. PV's are nice, though I'm generally not that bothered with them. I don't really know what else to add, so I'll leave it at that. Not my favourite DVD, but it's good enough.
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Zero [Limited Pressing]Plastic TreeGlad for the lower price
I'm glad this was re-issued with a cheaper price. The original pressing was far too expensive. I understand, though. It's a long concert, very well organized. It all looks and sounds great, and you get a second disc with additional footage as well. I'm happy this DVD has the song "Ghost" and a few other rockers, because I can only take so much melancholic rock in one sit. Other than that, no problems with this DVD.
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SCI-FI nu Chemical Rhetoric - first cut [Regular Edition]MerryGood DVD
I'm not the biggest Merry fan in the world, but I enjoyed this DVD, which has a good concert that lasts for 90 minutes at least. Visually the band is mild except for Gara, which is good because you'll see a lot of him. He has charisma, though, and a good voice. Merry's music isn't typical visual kei, and has jazz influences here and there (different from Kra), which kind of has to be your thing. Don't expect any metal here...you won't get it. I must say, personally, this was a much easier watch than the Plastic Tree DVD (Zero) I had on before watching this. I don't know if it was my mood, or simply the fact I can do more with Merry's music. In any case, quality DVD.
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Dai 2 jun Zenkoku Ningyogeki - Roman - Final - Roman Kokuhaku 2005,4.26 Nihon Seinenkan
VidollDai 2 jun Zenkoku Ningyogeki - Roman - Final - Roman Kokuhaku 2005,4.26 Nihon SeinenkanVidollGood DVD!I really like this DVD, better than Gyaku Bijinkyoku (their second live DVD). It's a very nice show. The drummer plays piano in a song, bassist Rame actually stands in the front lines with the second guitarist standing next to the drummer (same happens on Gyaku Bijinkyoku). Picture and sound are good. Singer sounds great (go Jui!!!). The only thing I should note is that the guitarist (front right) is sometimes a little off during certain solos. Other than that, this is a really nice DVD. ^_^
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TOUR 2002 WARP DAYS 20020616 BAY NKHALLBUCK-TICKVery good
This is a very enjoyable show, with great performance, good lighting... I don't really have any complaints. Buck-Tick rocks, period. This was on my wishlist, and though I'd sooner buy other DVD's, but I'm loving it ever since I got it as a surprise gift. ^_^ I'll be watching it more later, let it grow on me. Picture and sound are excellent, so don't worry about that.
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Kyokuto Symphony - the Five Stars Night - @ Budokan [Regular Edition]NightmareThe World Ruler encore
The World Ruler Encore, live at Budokan. They play songs from their indie days up to songs from Killer Show, which wasn't released yet back then. Sound and picture, always good. The stage looks large and impressive. The band is mildly visual. Only one of the guitarplayers still has red hair, piercings, etc. It's a very long concert. At least 90 minutes of regular set (it's even longer, but I didn't pay much attention to the indicator on my DVD player after that), and another hour of encores. Sure, it's a little more expensive than some earlier DVD's, but it gives you a very long concert on two discs. Is this their best DVD? I'm not sure, since I haven't seen all of them yet. However, this is a good, long and special show. Quite a few funny spoken interludes, and a teary ending. It's worth your money, especially if you like Nightmare.
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Tonan no HoyokuMUCCGood, well-filled DVD
This DVD is filled with a concert that lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes, filmed at various venues. You also get two bonus live songs, a few clips and two documentaries, all on one disc. The main concert is good. The band plays well, and it's a powerful performance. They aren't visual on this DVD, so don't buy this for the visuals. Also, if you're a big fan of Mucc's louder more "metal" songs, you might be slightly disappointed with the concert, as I haven't spotted a lot of "metal" moments. That doesn't mean the concert isn't good. It's great! I'd still recommend this DVD, though. =3 Picture and sound quality are top-notch, though they sometimes edit in footage of the same song, but from a different concert, complete with image AND sound quality of the other concert. There's a noticeable difference sometimes, but it's never bad, and the transitions are perfect and on the rhythm of the music, so you hardly notice. ^^
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Kyuucali gariEr....different....
A different kind of rock music, backed with a foursome of blowers (trumpet, saxophone, trombone, things like that). It's a nice brand of music, somewhat different from other (visual) rock bands. ^^ No complaints about the sound, picture quality, or the performance. It's energetic, the band looks nice, especially the singer (mrow ^_~), though the guitarist... he tries to look like a woman, but ends up looking weird, though he and the audience thinks he's hot. =/ Visual musicians like Michiru (MASK), Hizaki (Versailles), Rame (Vidoll), Kaya (Schwarz Stein) and Jasmine You (Versailles) look very feminine and it fits them. I can't say the same thing for this guy. Luckily he stops doing that after half an hour. ^^ There's a big role for the bass guitar, which I love! ^__^ They should do that more often, I think. One big thing about this DVD, though... the concert only lasts for an hour, not including the bits of backstage footage and the 2 PV's. For a "last live" (which I think this is, though I could be wrong), this is pretty short. Anyway, it's the only Cali Gari DVD available at the moment (the rest is still VHS only), so you might as well enjoy it!
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FATE or FORTUNE -Live at BUDOKAN- [Limited Pressing]Janne Da ArcPoppy
I can understand why Janne Da Arc has become so popular. They make accessible pop-rock music. Apparently they wanted to be a visual band around this time, which they dropped quickly after. Don't expect a lot of visuals, though. It's quite toned down. The music is good, though if you're expecting something more "rock" or even "metal", you might be disappointed. One thing about JDA I like is that they have a permanent keyboardist, something many of the Japanese rock/metal bands don't have on stage with them. Picture and sound are good, and I really don't have any complaints about the concert itself. I was expecting something a little less poppy, is all. It's good, though. I really need to watch it again.
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Devil and Freud - Climax Together [Regular Edition]BUCK-TICKMore BT, please
I'm always up for trying new Buck-Tick releases. After all, it's a band with a very different sound and stage, and constantly evolving. After trying Sweet Strange Live Film from 1998, I decided to give a more recent BT DVD a try. This 2004 live is a reprise of their 1992 Climax Together shows. The band is dressed in dark tuxedos, and they play a very different set than in 1998, though I did recognize at least one song they also played back then. ^^ The stage is impressive and the music is played really well. Plus, the gig lasts for quite a long time, too. I have to say I still like Sweet Strange Live Film better, simply because I'm more fond of the songs played there, but that doesn't make this DVD or any other by BT any less good. I'll be buying more of their stuffs. =3
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Bangal Radio TheaterJinkaku RadioA first, but not a last
Apart from two singles, I didn't own anything of Jinkaku Radio. I knew they were a visual rock band, and since my experiences with such bands are usually good, I decided to give this a try. Picture and sound are good, and I must say I really like the stage at Shibuya AX this time. Large dot-screens projecting things like Japanese words. Kind of reminds me of other gigs that had this feature, such as Gekokujo of Miyavi. Anyway, the music. Any good? Well, yes. It's a softer kind of rock with lots of piano and keyboard pre-programmed, focused around the singer/guitarist and the bassist. The second guitarist (with cute glasses!) and the drummer are support members, but get a lot of time in the spotlight also. The visuals are basically make-up, modified hair and dressed in black tuxedos. Nice enough, similar to bands like Kagerou and Girugamesh. The gig lasts for 2 full hours, hence why it's a little expensive. The end of the concert is very fun, with dancing girls, loads of fanservice and a couple of laughs. ^___^ Visual rock fans don't have to be afraid to purchase this. It's neat, even though Jinkaku Radio isn't a well-known name overseas.