visual kei 

Brand of Japanese rock music where band members (mostly men) wear elaborate make up and stage costumes, much of the time crossdressing. The "kei" is japanese for style of type, meaning "visual style music" The music ranges from 80's-esque goth rock, to heavy metal to punk and usually some combo of the 3. Most bands are indies (independant or on indies labels) but a few make it to major labels such as Malice Mizer, Raphael, and Dir En Grey. Also seen written "VK" or sometimes incorrectly lumped in with the catch all word "Jrock", meaning all japanese rock music.

D'istray is a visual kei band.
Cure Records and Marder Suitcase are indies VK labels.

visual kei by ilovevisualindiesbands August 31, 2003

visualette 

Short aesthetic videos with synchronizing background music. Something like fan made videos or could be not.

Sexy visualettes of EXO triggers me so much.

visualette by random language June 13, 2017

soft visual kei

Soft visual kei is a vaguely defined sub-genre of visual kei (a type of Japanese music). Instead of elaborate costumes, the bands wear clothing "off the rack" and have simple, natural makeup. It is what people tend to think of when they think of mainstream or major visual kei, but it is very different from typical visual kei. The most important aspect of the music is the melody. The style pretty much died around the year 2000, when visual went back to having an independent focus. Sometimes shortened to "Sofubi."

Bands include Siam Shade, Glay, Sophia, Janne Da Arc. Contrasts with kote kei.

Calling "soft visual kei" bands a form of "visual kei" seems to be a marketing move more than anything; they don't have the same dark focus or elaborate costumes of other bands.

soft visual kei by Mahiro July 20, 2008

Visual kei 

Sexy hot japanese bands that are primarily rock are visual kei. The members of these bands wear a lot of makeup, and crossdress frequently. Older bands include: Malice Mizer, X japan, Dir en grey, Luna Sea, etc.
Modern bands include: Mejibray, Dadaroma, The Gazette, The Gallo, etc.

"HOLY SHIT, DID YOU SEE THAT NEW VISUAL KEI MUSIC VIDEO, THE LEAD SINGER WAS A SEXY CLOWN!"

Visual kei by Yes.I.Am September 8, 2018

visual kei 

A type of Japanese Rock music (Jrock) meaning Visual Style Music (also known as VK ). Members of Visual-Kei bands stereotypically wear large, elaborately decorated costumes, makeup and feminine accessories. The hair is often dyed and extremely styled, or the band members will wear wigs that are easier to manage.

Usually, the visual-kei image is kept by indie Jrock bands. They will slowly grow out of it as they become more well known.

Most of the time, Visual Kei bands slowly work their way out of their visual image. This is most often caused by the band being signed to a major record label. To dress more normally means they are more widely accepted, which in turn means gross profit for the band and label; therefore the change is usually encouraged.

Contrary to popular belief, Visual-kei band members are generally not homosexual but dress the way they do to gain fans, to bring attention to themselves and to build a following.

It is a stereotype that Visual-Kei music is crappy and the and makes up for it in looks. While it may be true that some bands sound similar, this is not true for all. Visual-kei too has it's sub-genres, and different bands may portray different looks and sounds from others.

If one doesn't take the time to delve further into Visual-kei, or Jrock in generally, how can one give a valid or unbiased definition of it?
By Saying only a few things, you are barely scratching the surface.

Some of the most common Visual kei bands are Dir en Grey and Malice Mizer. But both have different images.
Malice Mizer had an 18th century goth feel.
Dir en Grey sported a more urban goth look.
Malice Mizer has been broken up for a number of years.
Dir en Grey has since become more popular and have abandoned their Visual-kei look, since being signed to a major label.

X-Japan was an 80's glam rock band, but they can also be called Visual-kei. The leader of the and, Yoshiki, has since been producing bands in both Japan and America.

Some indie Visual-kei ands are CodomoA, Sugar Trip, Lolita 23q, Death Rabbits and Girugamesh.

visual kei by I know All September 4, 2008

visual-kei 

Literally means "visual type"; from a style/movement in J-Rock that started back in the 1980s, and became popular in Japan by the 90s. This style/movement has been largely credited to have been started by X Japan; which led to an uprising in the trend of the visual scene. It's characterized by bands (namely Japanese) that use dramatic costumes/hair/makeup to basically inhance their visual appearance. Although there are branches of Jrock, that have different classifications/characteristics that visual-kei. The style alone does not neseccarily have to do with the music; but more alone with its outlandish and unique clothing/hair/makeup-thats what its really known for.

Many visual-kei bands include: X Japan, Malice Mizer, Dir en Grey, Gazette, Phantasmagoria, Alice Nine, 12012, and many more to name.

visual-kei by Dai-Kei May 22, 2006

visual kei 

Visual-kei is a movement born in the early 80's in Japan, it's about music and image at the same time. Visual-kei band members use makeup and dress up in a very eccentric way. Members of these bands make a dramatization of their music on stage and their image helps them on it. Individualism is what Visual-kei people look for, not to be part of society so to speak.

The dramatization of their music is an influence of Kabuki theatre.

Their music is a bit difficult to classify, but most of Visual-kei bands follow a pattern to make music, although nowadays their music has been very influenced by western music. If someone wants to know how Visual-kei sounds like, go to bands like: Baiser, Pierrot, Dir en grey (Visual-kei times), Noir Fleurir, Aliene Ma'riage, Lareine, Vidoll, etc.

Visual-kei is not gothic as some people think since Visual-kei bands with gothic influence began to appear in the 90's and Visual-kei already existed before it.

Visual kei is a japanese movement

visual kei by -Seiryuu- June 23, 2007