Sometimes I think about how I got into Visual Kei, and my stance on the culture now as opposed to when I was first introduced to it. Some friends, and even most of my family, think that the GazettE is the band that started it all-that they're the ones that introduced me to this thing I am still kind of into to this day.
However, if it weren't for Kagrra, a somewhat underdog when it came to the overseas fandom, I wouldn't even have thought to give them a chance. (My logic was a bit off when I was fifteen, but I must say I'm sort of grateful that it was.)
At the time of my friend introducing me to Visual Kei, and thus digging me into a hole I probably will never get out of, I didn't listen to much heavier music than Metallica or Three Days Grace. If you played a song like.....LEECH to me when I was 12, I would've probably said "Ew, get that screaming out of my ear."
Music tastes change, and mine certainly did.
I've said on twitter how she composed a playlist/CD of songs she think I'd like. And none seemed to catch my eye, but among the songs composed by Kagerou and Dir en Grey, I picked up on a unique voice.
The first song I ever liked and really dug was Satsuki. I remember thinking the music, Isshi's voice, had been great and that's when my friend started sending me more from them. For a while I was obsessed with Kagrra, I even went as far as to tell my friend that I didn't need to get into more Visual Kei bands-they were all I needed.
Isshi became my first bias, with Izumi the drummer becoming my second. I read interviews, watched clips of theirs, listened to all the albums my friend could make me at the time. Kagrra, made me feel relaxed, they eased something inside me that no other music could. They showed me that there was more to music than what I had originally thought could be possible.
I recall the TV interview they had done with the GazettE, and while I knew who they were-I remember thinking 'Ha ha, wow that other band is scary, I can't believe my friend likes the vocalist.' (She was a big Ruki stan.)
But my friend eventually ran out of Kagrra, songs to show me, so she put GazettE's more tamer songs on a CD and asked me to listen to it. And after a while I did eventually listen to it, thinking that if Kagrra, was friends with them that they were worth at least a listen.
And that started a whole chain of events that led me down to where I am now in life. I know a lot of my friends who know me by now know how much I love Kagrra, and how much I miss them. Every opportunity I get to talk to them I do it, and honestly I still can't believe it's been almost eight years since Isshi died.
I always wonder what would have become of the Shiki project he was working on after the disbandment of Kagrra, but I suppose we'll never know it's full potential. Knowing Isshi, it would have been great.
I'm hoping for a possible Kagrra, reunion of some sort in the near future. Of course it'll never be the same without their vocalist, but I hope that the remaining members are healthy and happy no matter what they're doing.
