nisom_acg

Disclaimer: This is not a drama blog. This is not a gossip blog. This is a place where nothing sent to me is posted/shared. But this IS a safe place where people can offload/talk ([email protected]).

I’m a former visual kei listener (since 2008) and fan from the UK. Recently our government announced their plans for under 16s to be banned from accessing social media. I know you may be wondering what that has to do with the recent events on visual kei twitter specifically, however I think that it is a great place to start when opening a discourse about young, vulnerable people having access to content and to people that may harm them.

I’d like to start with a brief overview of my personal experience: 

As a teenager (from the ages of 16 to 19) I was frequently approached by older men online, some of whom I dismissed as ‘creeps’, and some of whom I engaged with. Naively, my decision of whether or not to respond to them was usually determined by their looks, their platform, or profession. Of course as a young naive teenager I would also reach out to bandmen in the hopes of capturing their attention. If a response came from a bandman, I would respond; feeling ‘safer’ in correspondence with them than I would with any other man of their age, and I’d wish to continue said correspondence. When we view it this way, I would respond very differently to a DM from a 38-year-old Japanese bandman than I would to a 38-year-old builder from Brixton. 

However, both variations of men had the same intentions.

Over the past few months we have seen an uprising from visual kei fans on the internet, intent on having their stories heard regarding the behaviour of bandmen. 

The allegations vary in severity, from inappropriate comments, to touching fans inappropriately at lives, to as far as grooming and corresponding inappropriately with minors. This uprising comes in the wake of international outcry by women for more emphasis placed on holding men accountable and prioritising believing alleged victims of harassment, sexual abuse and grooming. It also follows several years of the term ‘cancel culture’ at the forefront of social media and prevalent in the news. This has begged the question of whether or not the recent events in the world of visual kei are happening to bring justice to victims, or are being assembled simply to cancel and destroy the images of certain artists by visual kei fans with ulterior motives. 

On July 6th 2026, announcements were made that Yoshiatsu (core member of Fukuro, DRUGS and former member of DADAROMA) would be suspending all of his ongoing projects indefinitely following allegations of inappropriate relations with fans. The news came following a string of screenshots provided by the friend of a ‘victim’, who claimed that her friend had been young and impressionable at the time of her relationship with Yoshiatsu. After coming forward, the woman confirmed that their relationship had been consensual, albeit between 38-year-old Yoshiatsu, and her 18-year-old self (at the time). In addition, other none-proven claims of inappropriate touching at overseas performances and other claims of harassment by Yoshiatsu circulated.

Within his personal statement, Yoshiatsu wrote: 

“While I recognize that part of the claims circulating online are based on real facts, many are inaccurate, misleading, or entirely false. However, it is also true that I failed to exercise sufficient care regarding the appropriate boundaries and manner of interaction with fans. I take seriously the fact that this contributed to a situation that gave rise to considerable speculation and suspicion.

Over the years, Looking back, I have at times engaged in private comunications with certain fans.

I recognize that there were occasions where I failed to maintain the

appropriate boundaries expected of me as an artist.” (The full statement can be found here)

In my opinion, Yoshiatsu's statement does not fit neatly into the categories of either complete denial or full admission. Instead, it occupies an uncomfortable middle ground while failing to take proper accountability. While rejecting many of the claims circulating online as "inaccurate, misleading, or entirely false," he simultaneously acknowledges that he communicated privately with fans and failed to maintain "the appropriate boundaries expected" of an artist. Regardless of how someone may interpret the allegations themselves, this admission raises an important question: where should the line be drawn between what is legal and what is ethical?

In recent years, conversations surrounding abuse of power have increasingly focused not only on whether a crime has been committed, but also on the responsibilities that accompany positions of influence. A relationship between a musician and an adult fan may be entirely consensual in a legal sense. However, legality does not automatically resolve ethical concerns. Public figures hold positions of influence, and unfortunately younger fans tend to approach them with admiration, trust, and emotional investment. These dynamics can create an imbalance of power that we must consider more carefully.

The visual kei scene presents a unique environment in which these boundaries can become blurred. Unlike most mainstream and Western artists, visual kei musicians may often form relationships with fans that may lean into or encourage ‘parasocial’ territory due to their nature. They allow fans a unique closeness to them that is rarely observed in the West (meet-and-greets, two-shots, cheki, letters).  These interactions form part of the genre's appeal, building a sense of intimacy between artists and supporters. Yet the same accessibility that strengthens fan communities can also complicate the distinction between a professional relationship and a personal one.

I believe that as a community is is incredibly important to educate the younger fans of such boundaries, and to strongly discourage blurring the line between ‘admired artist’ and ‘friend’, which may encourage a spiralling effect risking manipulation, abuse, or mental health issues. The discussion should therefore extend beyond one individual.

For visual kei, this conversation may be long overdue. The genre has historically operated within a culture where men dominate the stages, and women are objectively their customers and target audience. In addition platforms such as X/Twitter and Tanuki make way for rumours, private encounters, and relationships between musicians and fans that have often been dismissed as an accepted part of the scene. Yet changing social attitudes have challenged the assumption that longstanding practices should continue unquestioned. Fans are increasingly asking whether traditions that once seemed normal should remain acceptable simply because they have always existed. The answer is no. Absolutely not.

Holding artists accountable does not require abandoning fairness or due process. Allegations should be scrutinised carefully, evidence should be examined critically, and individuals should not be condemned solely on the basis of online speculation. At the same time, accountability also means recognising when behaviour falls short of the professional standards expected of someone in a position of influence (even if that behaviour is not criminal). It is within this distinction between legality and ethics that the future of the visual kei community may ultimately be decided.

Which brings me onto my next gripe, and the next topic of this discussion: Kou of DAMNED, a musician that I have been highly and very publicly critical of for over a year now.

If the visual kei community is genuinely committed to accountability, then that accountability cannot begin and end with one individual. It must be applied consistently, regardless of a musician's popularity, current activity, or personal relationships within the scene. Otherwise, accountability simply becomes selective outrage.

One of the biggest problems with discourse in visual kei spaces is that genuine concerns are often buried beneath an avalanche of anonymous rumours. Websites such as Tanuki and posts across X have, for years, circulated claims that are impossible to verify. Some may be true, many may not be, but without evidence they should not be treated as fact. It is neither fair nor responsible to condemn someone based solely on hearsay.

The situation surrounding Kou, however, is different because there is material that can actually be examined in the same way as the screenshots of conversations between Yoshiatsu and fans.

Screenshots that have recently circulated publicly appear to show Kou, a man in his mid-30s, engaging in private conversations with an 18-year-old fan (who, for those who know the lore will understand is no saint but nevertheless) and regardless of whether her age was disputed or not, Kou was clearly under the impression that she was 18, and was still happy to converse in the same manner with that understanding in mind. 

Within the messages, he allegedly tells her that she is "very mature for her age," makes comments about her breasts, and engages in a style of conversation that many would consider ethically inappropriate between an established musician and a young admirer (consensual or not). He can also be seen asking for/accepting money.

Whether every screenshot is authentic should always be approached with appropriate caution. However, if they are accepted as genuine, then they raise many of the same ethical questions discussed in relation to Yoshiatsu. Once again, the issue is not simply whether a criminal offence has occurred. The issue is whether an artist in a position of influence has respected the professional boundaries that should exist between themselves and their fans.

This is where being consistent with these bandmen matters.

If Yoshiatsu's admitted failure to maintain appropriate boundaries was serious enough to result in the suspension of his projects and widespread calls for accountability, then similar evidence involving another musician deserves to be examined through the same ethical lens. To dismiss one case while amplifying another, without a principled distinction between them, risks reducing accountability to popularity contests and online narratives rather than consistent standards.

Now that I've laid my claims and got your attention, I'll tell my story.

I was 13 when I found out about Aliene Ma'Riage and they quickly became my favorite band. I was so enamored by this band, and by Kyouka.

I found his website and it had a BBS on it. (Bulletin Board Service.) We talked there for a while before we moved to e-mail. I was putty in his hands in ways only a lonely teen girl could be if her hero interracted with her. As soon as I found out Chaos System would be coming to thr US, I begged my dad, and he decided to surprise me with it for my 16th birthday.

And now I've set the stage, I'm going to talk about meeting Kyouka. I'll be including pictures, screencaps, anything I still have. They've remained on the same photobucket and e-mail accounts since the first time I ever uploaded them. Exif data should be in tact on the photos, though I haven't ever wanted to look at these pictures long enough to check.

I'm sorry if I seem a bit narrative while writing this. It's cope. Dissociation. Depersonalization. My therapists have given me a lot of words over the years. I'm still an artist to this day, so if writing this like a story keeps me from feeling like there's a vacuum in my stomach? my heart is going to burst out of my neck? Or, like, crying or something? Whatever. I'm doing that 'cuz I'm old now (But not as old as Kyouka 😇) I've got my life to get back to after I type this lol

So, since our e-mail exchanges will speak for themselves, I'll focus my writing on what happened when I was physically with him.

The first time I saw him, he was hanging out in the lobby of our motel. Didn't know he was staying in the same one, and my friend noticed him first. We were giddy kids. I had my sketch book on me. My dad gave me permission to give him one of my drawings, so I went over to him and my friend was my rock to protect me from getting weird.

I still didn't know Japanese then, just some vocabulary that I picked up through osmosis with music and shows. So we kind of played charades for me to tell him who I was and that I wanted to give him the drawing. In e-mails, he was excited to meet me, so it didn't really feel like I was crossing any boundary. He was really excited to see me. He called me pretty and I got butterflies. I knew that word. We took some pictures together on my camera and his mobile phone and then my friend and I went back to my dad.

I didn't see Kyouka again until the next day. I felt embarassed to bring my cosplay of his Aliene Ma'Riage photo book and PV look because it was only half done and a lot of it started breaking apart during the trip. To this day, it's one of the most technically advanced things I ever made and I never did finish it. I tried it on a few times after this, hoping I could as a therapy experience, but eventually it just got left to rot.

He saw me on the way to something, I forget what. At first he didn't recognize me in costume but after speaking up close, he recognized me. He asked to take pictures together, so we did and then we went our separate ways. After a while of hanging out with people, I got sick of wearing such a heavy, wide costume, so I went back to my room to change so I was more confortable for Chaos System's show.

Before I get into what happens after the show, I wanna say something important here: Do not blame the staff. They were doing their best. I don't know if anyone knew how old I was, or Kyouka's intentions, or if it was just caution for the business, but the staff really did try to stay up his ass, okay?

So, it's getting late. Concerts over, I just showered and I'm in my PJs. My friend comes barreling in telling me that Kyouka is lost outside and wanted to talk to me - or something like that. So I went to go find out what was up.

It didn't take long of my friend, him, and I trying to figure out where he was supposed to go before his staff found him. Obviously I had no way of knowing what they were saying to each other. But it was clear to me that Kyouka wasn't wanting to do whatever they wanted him to. He grabbed my hand and sat me down on the floor and everyone else just kinda did the same. At this point, I don't think any of us knew what was going on.

It was so awkward. We were all just sitting there, silently. I felt embarassed, too. Feeling like somehow I was causing problems, but I didn't know how or why.

And then Kyouka pulled me up with him and RAN. I mean, he just ran me the fuck away from everyone. We went down hallways, around corners, down stairs. We stopped on the lowest floor in a corner of the building, I think mostly where staff would come and go.

Kyouka sat down on the floor under the staircase and patted beside him. We're trying to have a conversation but with the language barrier between us, it's just using our hands and simple words.

My hair was still wet and we're right against a tinted glass wall. He asked me if I was cold, then gave me his zipper hoodie. It smelled like cigarettes more than anything else. Ratty and well loved, though. So to 15 year old me, wearing it felt special.

Then he asked me if I wanted to be his girlfriend. I'm a 15 year old girl, being asked to be the girlfriend of my personal idol. A dream come true for a lot of lonely, young teens. I said yes, not understanding what that meant for him.

And then he pulled me close to him and kissed my head. He called me pretty again. Laying on him felt like I was laying across the stairs because he was so thin and boney, but I didn't care. This is my first boyfriend, who is also my hero. To me, this was the best moment of my life to date. The happiest I could've been.

We cuddled that way for a while. I can't remember if we spoke much or just relaxed quietly. We're starting to get where my memories are fuzzy. He got a message on his phone, and then asked me if I was tired. He said he'd take me back to the room. I thought it'd be mine, but it was his. He said he just wanted to grab his cigarettes to smoke after taking me back. We happened to be on the same floor, it was on the way. (I don't know or remember if either of that's true.)

Then he sat me on his bed and got out his camera. He wants to document his trip. He asked me to introduce myself, asked me how old I was. This was the first time he asked. He was surprised, but cheery with me still. Nothing changed. He kept asking me some questions and called me pretty again. He put down the camera and sat with me next to the bed.

I don't remember a lot of what happened between here and coming back to my own room. I remember him kissing me. I remember him touching me and my clothes. I remember when he took off his clothes, he had those really goofy looking old man one piece thermal pajamas on under his clothes and he looked ridiculous. I didn't laugh, though.

When everything happened, all I did was stare at the ceiling. I don't think I moved, had any thoughts in my head, or made a sound. I felt catatonic. He didn't seem to care. I don't want to go into details about it, for me and for whoever reads this. I don't remember any of it except when he tossed a box of tissues at me on his way to the bathroom to clean up the mess he left behind on me.

This was the night before my 16th birthday.

Went back to my room. My friend was worried sick and was about to go to my dads joined room and tell him to look for me. When we were finally going to sleep, we faced each other in bed and I said it.

"He had sex with me." I don't remember the conversation after that.

I didn't feel right anymore. Something was different in me but I couldn't place it. Kyouka would hunt me down and want me to sit with him. It was always so weird since we couldn't communicate well. At one point there were a few other fans around us but they didn't speak Japanese either. So we were all just sitting in the lobby around this guy. Quietly. It was making me feel awkward as hell and I really wanted to get out of there. Luckily someone dragged Kyouka away again and I didn't have to keep enduring that awkwardness.

He came to my room again after my birthday party. He didn't expect a birthday, so he gave me one of his rings as a present. It only fits my thumb. His hands are a lot bigger than mine. I still have his ring.

I think he got the camera out to talk to me through it again this time. I remember him commenting on how cute my birthday outfit was. I had my favorite pink jacket and my side hair curled. He asked me if something was wrong. I didn't know. I couldn't understand why being around him felt so uncomfortable. Why I was so tense and couldn't think around him anymore.

It happened again, he kissed me goodbye, and this time I walked to my room alone. It's all a blank. I didn't feel good. I was hurting and couldn't sleep. I think someone told my dad that an older guy kept running me around the hotel, because we checked out and moved to a different one for the remainder of the vacation. My dad set much stricter rules on me and my friend for the last day of the convention, too.

He still found me. He still dragged me off. We were almost in his room when my friend found us. She told me my dads looking for me and really mad about something. I had to go. Kyouka kissed me again and said goodbye and I ran off with my friend.

That was our last in person interaction.

We emailed for about a month after the convention. Eventually I told him I was pregnant. I wanted to see how he'd react. He told me to abort it, so I told him I took the abortion pill. Then he told me he was changing his phone and we wouldn't be able to talk anymore. I couldn't understand why that meant we couldn't talk. He'd still have my email, just write it down. And then he stopped responding and we never spoke again. He still posted all of our pictures, but he never posted the videos. I've never seen them.

I've tried to talk about this a few times over the years. I was mocked off the internet or flat out ignored every time. Eventually I gave up. I'm in my late 30s now but I'm seeing that Kyouka hasn't seemed to change and he's still regularly interacting with young fans, and he still regularly has young fans to talk to.

I spoke to one recently, one he was creepy with on snapchat. Not my story to share, but it made me realize that clearly this POS is still into little girls. It's been eating at me.

I might get ignored again. Oh well. I don't want to stop trying yet. In the era of the older visual kei bands having reunions and nostalgia bait content, I don't want to keep being silent because I'm afraid of being bullied again.

Oh and by the way, fans: Your boy was too cheap to buy luggage so he just wore all of his weekend clothes on top of each other during the plane trips. He's a fucking loser who's failed upwards and been carried by more talented people around him. I even have an email from one of his staff telling me that.

These men go after children and teens because no woman with life experience can tolerate them.

January 1993 / B=Pass Live Video at Yokohama Arena 1992.9.10 & 11 “Climax Together”

Review (2/2) - Group Q&A

1. What is the music video that left the deepest impression on you? When did you see it? What song was it? Who was it by?

Atsushi Sakurai (A): Bauhaus’ “Shadow of Light”. It’s a collection of promotional videos but I really love it. I was around 20 when I watched it. It clearly depicted their image as a band.

anyhow, a friend has brought to my attention that some people in the fandom are demanding good money for translating an interview  i’ve already translated 5 years ago. if i knew that you can get mula for this worthless, hard effort, things would have been much different, but alas, i was 18 and did everything out of good intentions.

back to the subject. i’ve gotten a few messages from people asking me to translate this and that, and i never replied to them (sorry) but this changes everything.

if you, perchance, want something translated - be it interviews, reviews, written or taken on camera - feel free to contact me here via message or chat or on [email protected].

i will need you to provide with either the text or audio/video interview. if it’s in text format, i need the text to be intelligible.

in case of text, if you don’t have it, i can procure the magazine it was published in if it’s available on amazon.co.jp for the full price + shipping (if necessary, albeit usually it isn’t).

i don’t know if anyone would be interested so i will keep my price-list private untill i can make out a pattern, but i will not charge as much as the other people, so i won’t be going over 100,000 yen for sure.

i am open to translation work even if it does not concern buck-tick! any other bands, manga/anime character books etc is also fine

i am also available for freelance translation work for any texts as long as they’re not too term-specific and of a specific area of expertise.

the languages i can work with are japanese, english, russian and romanian.

please refrain from posting my already existing translations anywhere else. link to them instead.

please feel free to contact me for any additional questions!

English translation:

A highly-edited version of this interview has been all over Tumblr for ages, but I wanted to know the context of the quotes. So I emailed Cayce (who was the un-credited translator) and this is the rest of the interview showing the context:

Ongaku to Hito March 2018 Sakurai Atsushi No. 0 Interview translated by Cayce

Promotional photos for TGF 06x02 The End of the Yips

I’m currently out of stock of Phoenix-Jean, but if I can restock them I will! In the mean time you can use code TUMBLR15 in the shop for most accessories, including all X-Men earrings!

And here is every other pair of X-Men earrings in my shop. Since we’re here. 🤣

more below the cut!

I never thought I would write these words… 😔

I never imagined waking up to endless screams,

Running barefoot through smoke and fire,

Searching for my mother among the rubble,

Only to find nothing but silence… a heavy silence telling me that no one will answer me anymore. 💔

In one moment, everything changed.

Our home became a memory, my mother’s embrace became the past,

And my father's face, now absent, is the last thing I hold in my memory.

They’re gone… and left my heart burdened with unspoken grief. 😢

But despite everything, we are still here… trying.

I survived with my younger siblings.

Yes, we survived… but who are we after survival?

Children without warmth, without a roof, with no place to return to.

We were displaced to an unknown place, carrying a bag empty of everything… except pain. 🥀

We slept in the open, waking every morning to a life that holds nothing for us,

But despite everything… we keep trying. 💪

I write to you today not to cry, but to ask for hope. 🌱

I ask you to be a small light in this vast darkness,

To extend a hand that can mend what the war has broken in us.

Your donation will give my siblings a chance to sleep safely,

It will provide us with food, shelter, and maybe even a new beginning. 💖

✅️Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #586 )✅️

Any amount, no matter how small, is big for us

It’s a prayer, it’s love, it’s life. 🌟

In conclusion...

From my heart, and from the hearts of my little siblings,

Thank you to everyone who has donated,

Thank you to everyone who has read,

Thank you to everyone who has shared.

I’m currently out of stock of Phoenix-Jean, but if I can restock them I will! In the mean time you can use code TUMBLR15 in the shop for most accessories, including all X-Men earrings!

And here is every other pair of X-Men earrings in my shop. Since we’re here. 🤣

more below the cut!

but it lead into a tangent about how alan cumming just looks mischievous in every single role he plays

that was why she knew that alan as the emcee is such a good choice, he just has a very vaguely threatening aura LMAO