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Is there something all the members of Malice Mizer like, movies or hobbies or something like that?
Mana: Probably not.
Gackt: I don’t think so. We’re completely different, all of us. Both in our movies and music. For example, Mana likes horror.
Mana: Umm…saying horror isn’t good. It’s "horrorish."
- So no slasher flicks?
Gackt: He likes B-grade stuff.
Mana: Strange movies.
- Like Frankenstein or Dracula?
Mana: Yeah, I like things like that…if you say horror it’s horribly restrictive.
- And sixties movies?
Mana: I like those!
Gackt: And Kozi watches movies I wouldn’t watch.
- Like what?
Kozi: I guess I like it when the details are hard to grasp. More than the story, the imagery’s interesting, and after they’re over you go, “what the heck?” I also like suspense flicks.
Gackt: And those kind of people’ve got together and are making the image and sound for Malice. So it’s not like anyone’s color’s really strong, and we’ve made a mixed Malice.
- When I saw “Bel Aire de l’image” I thought you were similar to some extent. But you say it’s not so. If I can, I’d like to hear from each of you what kind of influences you’ve received. First, Mana, how about you?
Mana: You mean my dress?
- Female clothing, it seems like deep down you like that kind of fashion. Is that right?
Mana: Nah, I like manly stuff.
- Oh, really? Well, why are you dressed like a woman?
Mana: It’s to express myself in Malice, since I really like Mohawks and stuff like that. That’s the kind of person I am. I like manly styles a bunch.
- So maybe if you weren’t in Malice you’d have a Mohawk?
Mana: I think I would.
- So the clothes and make-up and hair, where’d they all come from then?
Mana: Basically I’m not being influenced by rock. For me, I’m not inspired by it. That doesn’t mean not at all, but I’m not getting anything from this and that. When I first started the band I had that kind of influence, but now...
- So, maybe you like middle age art?
Mana: I like anything from then!
- Is there anything in particular?
Mana: If I say music, classical. That’s from long ago. As for composers, I like Bach, and my favorite’s “Chamboro.” I listen to it now too.
- And Kami, what do you like.
Kami: Um, melons, and stuff…? (laughs)
- …well, that’s good, but…
Kami: Ummmmm…there’re lots of things, but more than saying I like anything especially, I like a lot of things a little bit. Somehow I think I’m influenced by stuff from nature maybe? And it has nothing to do with Malice, but I like the history of countries at war.
- like from the Sendashinchou time? *something like that*
Kami: It’s from here and there…I don’t think it’s good to limit it to a certain ruling family. When we toured in Kyoto I went to see the San Juu San Kandou!...and the thousand soldiers, they were all lined up. I was moved by how each of their faces was different, hm…
- I see. And Kozi?
Kozi: Well, I like melons too (laughs)
- …..
Kozi: I like the western art galleries in France. Not the proper ones, but I like pictures and drawing too…the pictures I like, they’re not just pretty; I like grotesque sketchy ones. I really like stuff like Beardsley, and for French artists, their concepts are really weird somehow. I’m into that kind of sensitivity. I like Dali too
…This time, when we were in France I went to see the Dali museum by myself.
- You say you went by yourself, but were you in a place where you could do that so simply?
Kozi: I got there asking people along the way.
- You’re a challenger, huh.
Kozi: I dunno about that. But it was cool! Even getting there was interesting.
- Right now you’re dressed like a clown, but is there a reason why?
Kozi: Like I said, I’m made up, but it’s not just to be pretty, it’s a little grotesque too…aren’t Beardsley’s drawings like that?
- Well, depending on the pictures there are some pretty grotesque ones.
Kozi: I thought maybe I’d be a clown with that part. I can do lots with it. I’m not really thinking I’m gonna be a clown from now on, but right now I’m trying it out, and that’s this.
- And Yuuki?
Yuuki: There isn’t really anything that’s influencing me now. But I feel kinda like it was from pictures and music. I liked pictures and drawing since I was young. Now it’s like, “how far can I go in expressing myself with just one pencil?”
- And in the future you’re not thinking of heading in that direction?
Yuuki: I haven’t thought I want to make a living from it, but I always thought I’d like to keep doing it. And…I like old buildings, antique furniture. I said that because I thought it’s connected to Malice Mizer. For painters I like Kurimuto.
- Somehow it seems like everybody has things they like, as you said. How about Gackt?
Gackt: For me it’s not this and that; things that I find exhalting…I like. I like things that can calm that feeling of exhaltation. Like, I like dangerous things…and exciting things too. Isn’t the feeling excited amazing? That would mean I’m enchanted with things that make people go on living. And the me obsessed like that, when I meet up with something that excites me I get really moved. That feeling that I’ve been excited, I calm down in a moment and can become quiet. At the instant I met with whatever, the feeling’s intolerably good.
- So it’s not specific things, but whatever can give you that instant that’s good?
Gackt: Anything’ll do.
- Can you include love in that?
Gackt: Of course you can. Before we were talking about pictures, but I suck at using color, so I like drawing with just a pencil. I was a person who did a lot of pictures and metal carvings, and had a lot of picture books. My house was amazingly Spartan, and I couldn’t watch anything but NHK. “If I hafta watch stuff like this it’s better to look at picture books!” I thought, and maybe I spent a lot of time looking at them. I hate being told what to do by other people, and I was the kind to go and do the things I was interested in so…like, if it’s a movie I find exciting, I’ll go see it however many times. I watch videos however many times too.
- Like how many times and what movie?
Gackt: “Jurassic Park.” The first time I went to see it, I thought it was great! If I had time I would go, and I saw the screen play I don’t know how many times. After that, I like action movies, and Jackie Chan…
- Nothing about the image, huh.
Gackt: I’ll watch anything but horror. It’s not a lot, but I’ve seen backdraft around 30 times. I’ve seen “Project A” and “Spartan X” mostly over 200 times.
- This time at first I thought I’d hear from everyone that they didn’t have any special likes or interests. Malice Mizer is the point that brings you together then it sounds like.
Gackt: What about curry…?
Mana: Curry might bring us together.
Gackt: Yeah, that’s it.
- Up to now Malice’s had a European feel to it, but do you think you’ll continue that way from now on?
Gackt: "You can't really say it's just that! It's not just Europe, the theme. There's a stage concept every time. We base everything on that theme, and we search for things we have to do and go with them.
- So of course Europe, but China too, anywhere's ok?
Gackt: "If you think "I'll do it," you can do it, right?"
- seems like a Chinese dress would suit you Mana.
Mana: "We wear kimono sometimes. And we wear Japanese military uniforms sometimes...we're challenging things with near future clothes too; it's not like we're paying particular attention to Europe."
* this is how they really speak. Usually the interviews are edited to death to make them sound better, but this being the first one, no one bothered.
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