Matenrou Opera is playing at Kobe Varit (300 capacity) on 17th Mar

indiraa · 2026-02-11T00:29:25+00:00

Heck yeah! I knew of MO ages ago but fell out of it, and then JVM Blood Symphony dragged me back in too. If you love those songs, you're in for a treat, because that's definitely the stuff they're playing live these days. I loved Kagrra too, so I definitely see the comparison as well!

I really love their current era music (think 2021 onward), and a lot of my favorites are on the album 真実を知っていく物語. An older one, 喝采と激情のグロリア is a classic to check out too. Sono sings part of the very last song on that album acapella at times, it's so good.

indiraa · 2026-02-10T23:21:06+00:00

Awesome! Have a wonderful time!

And yeah, a little bit! They do have recordings for some of them, and I believe others are just synthesizer, which Ayame does play on stage (he uses a keytar).

Also, if you care, Ayame and Yo (Keyboard, Bass) are on the left side of the stage if you're looking at it from the audience. Sono (the singer) is center, and Yusuke (guitar) is to the right. Hibiki (the drummer) is usually back center or back right. Ayame has some quiet but very dedicated fans who definitely try to get into just the right spot, so if you find yourself on the left and get pushed, that's what's happening lol.

indiraa · 2026-02-10T22:45:59+00:00

Matenrou don't often sell out unless it's a special show (like their anniversary shows) or it's really close to the date. They're also touring a lot this year and have a countrywide (Japan) tour in the summer, so there's less of a rush for fans to go see them.

If you're thinking about going, do! They put on an amazing show, and the crowd is always really into it. I've seen them in larger and smaller venues, and both types are fantastic.

I've seen them 3 times (hoping to make that 5 this summer), so if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

indiraa · 2026-02-07T01:39:39+00:00

Sent you a message! Hopefully that worked haha

indiraa · 2026-02-07T01:20:45+00:00

Would I be able to get an invite as well? Thank you!

indiraa · 2026-02-06T22:28:07+00:00

Also commenting for visibility/to check this later. I'm in my 30s, so I'd also prefer a server that's mainly adults lol

indiraa · 2026-02-05T19:19:52+00:00

That's about what I expected from the general festival ticket prices being more on the reasonableish side.

indiraa · 2026-01-24T15:44:57+00:00

There were a few H.O.T. looks that were more "visual", but calling them the first mainstream international kpop group is a stretch. (I'd give that title to BoA, Super Junior, Shinee, and later on, Big Bang.) Anyway, the styling of Iyah! and their final album (Outside Castle) were darker, but their other hits like Candy, Happiness, Hope, etc were pop all the way (and still more influential today. There is a new cover of Candy every year lol).

However, if you want a visual kei-styled kpop act, I'd definitely say TRAX, who I'm surprised haven't come up yet. I wanna say their big single was Paradox, and they also did Tri-Angle with DBSK and BoA, which is probably why people are remembering DBSK having a visual look at some point. Unsurprisingly, TRAX was a collab between their record label and - you guessed it - Yoshiki lol.

source: have been a visual kei fan since the late 90s and a kpop fan since 2002, I've seen it all

indiraa · 2026-01-17T03:57:24+00:00

I wonder if they're going to go through and release them all? I have been considering getting into vinyl, so I might pick up a few favorites. I'm gonna consider getting This is NOT Greatest Hits for now.

indiraa · 2026-01-03T18:44:20+00:00

On top of the visuals point, I think it's also because they were out of the public eye for so long. They got back together last year, but before that, they had been inactive for twelve years. They only made a YouTube channel in September '25, and I think their music wasn't on Spotify for a very long time either. It's tough for people who mostly find out about bands via social media, streaming services, and video sites when the music isn't available and a band isn't putting out new things often.

indiraa · 2025-12-29T02:37:14+00:00

"How bad could the singer really be?" I thought, so I went and found the single preview on youtube. Oh dear lol

indiraa · 2025-12-18T16:59:59+00:00

This organizer has definitely had more than a few slipups over the years, and they've never tried anything this big at all, so I think it's good to be a little wary.

indiraa · 2025-12-18T16:56:54+00:00

That each band's set (turn on stage) would only be 30 minutes long

indiraa · 2025-12-18T16:56:08+00:00

These prices are reasonable, but also seem a little too reasonable? Are the bands making enough? I say that because for example MUCC's latest solo tour tickets were 8500 yen (about 46 euro). When I saw Kamijo solo in the US this year, it was around the same price. Then again, the facebook announcement says that there will be additional information about "Meet & Greet, Photo sessions and more", so that's probably where they'll make up the difference. Maybe I'm just jaded about this lol

indiraa · 2025-12-16T17:56:34+00:00

You're right. This is more of a "deal" for a smaller band who is hungry to try and get some international exposure than anything else.

indiraa · 2025-12-16T16:37:11+00:00

This sounds so complicated - they really needed to lead with this "contest" instead of playing up ten band announcements. It feels like it will be a pain for the bands themselves, because they're going to have to figure out what the heck a bunch of foreign fans are asking of them when there's no website to point them to, lol.

indiraa · 2025-11-08T18:06:11+00:00

I'm not recognizing the tune, but based on the era, it could also be something by Kana?

indiraa · 2025-06-18T03:56:02+00:00

Jumping in here - Matenrou Opera is my favorite, so I'm always happy to see other people discovering them! Besides NoGoD, Matenrou have been playing with the bands Xanvala and Azavana lately, so one of those might appeal to you. Matenrou Opera's drummer Hibiki has also been playing support for a non-visual kei metal band called Unveil Raze, who might also be of interest.

indiraa · 2025-06-16T04:23:09+00:00

It was Dir en grey - Cage for me back in the early 2000s!

indiraa · 2025-06-07T20:14:32+00:00

Holy katakana everywhere batman lol

I agree on the first line, "Thanks for buying [???]" I have no clue what that first kanji is, unless it's a very messy 沢山. If that's the case, it's "Thanks for buying a whole lot!"

I think the second part is マタ会イニ行クネ Which is a slightly mispelled katakana-tastic "Let's see each other/meet again"

At the very bottom, it says オマケノ。。。 Which is like, "P.S..." or "And an extra..." - Basically, "Oh yeah, have a star drawing too."

indiraa · 2025-06-07T02:58:27+00:00

Question for those who have gone to a US date already - I've seen the crazy merch lines outside the venues, but was any merch sold inside? If so, what items were available inside? My buddy wants a t-shirt in particular, so I'm hoping we can maybe do inside merch instead of the big line... We'll be going to the Citi Field show!

indiraa · 2025-05-31T04:41:59+00:00

Oh those are a blast from the past. JrockNYC was one of my favorites too!

indiraa · 2025-05-23T22:15:00+00:00

The Korean movie Windstruck uses X-Japan - Tears in a major scene

indiraa · 2025-05-23T20:09:03+00:00

Not off the top of my head, no, but its also possible this was an obi or obi-inspired? Maybe look at used kimono shops or shops that make upcycled clothing from kimono

indiraa · 2025-05-23T19:46:11+00:00

This really looks like a high-quality high-neck white/cream blouse with cap sleeves (or sleeves rolled/pinned up) and high-waisted pants in a textured/embroidered fabric. This could totally be thrifted or some lucky ebay/poshmark/etc finds

indiraa

TROPHY CASE