Moon-Struck

Translations of GACKT's (and related projects) lyrics moon-struck.net

[moon-struck-net]

USEN Encore Interview June 28 2025

https://e.usen.com/interview/interview-original/gackt-philharmonic-2025.html

─ GACKT, about 10 years ago, you held a concert in which you shared the stage with an orchestra (“GACKT x Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra: An Evening of Classical Music”). Why did you decide to hold a concert with an orchestra at that time?

“The biggest thing was my hope that by performing with an orchestra, I might be able to gain something new. But when I actually did it, I had the feeling that it fell well within the bounds of my expectations. Other people could have done the same thing, and I thought, "I guess I don’t need to do this,” and quit after the second year. I arrived at the conclusion that ‘There’s no need to do this,’ back then.”

─ After all this time, what made you decide to perform a shared concert with an orchestra again, this time with the band members of YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz?

“If only I could truly fuse rock and orchestra… The ‘truly’ here is because there are other people who have performed in a rock band alongside an orchestra. But why did none of them continue?”

─ You're right.

“This is also what I personally felt when I watched a lot of those works, in the end, it doesn’t go beyond the original song. It feels like, ‘Isn’t it just as good without an orchestra?’ Both the fans watching and the people performing it feel that. The reason is that rock musicians have their egos, and classical musicians have their unyielding theories of music, so they can’t have a good exchange between them, or they clash with each other, and even if they’re performing on stage together, it doesn’t feel good.”

─ Please tell us in a little more detail about the reason why they clash.

“That's simply because the technical aspects differ greatly. Of course if the band puts amplifiers on stage, and live drums, and the orchestra performs behind them then the sounds are sure to interfere with each other. When the band in front of them begins to perform, the orchestra can no longer hear their own performance. There's no way it can be comfortable. And from the rock bands point of view, many of them have the feeling that the orchestra should play following along with their performance. Recent bands often put strings and stuff into their songs to the extent that they can, but when you hear it on stage, the volume and auditory image of the orchestra is big, and then the music becomes difficult to hear, the good aspects of the band are lost, and it’s just plain noisy. The problem of not being able to find a good balance of sound output occurs in reality.”

─ I had the opportunity to listen to the audio for this release, and I didn’t get the feeling that you had those problems at all.

“There are several reasons for that. One is that since I’m also from the world of classical music, many of my songs themselves are compatible with classical music, and I made the set list for this show out of the songs among those that were particularly compatible. Next, when performing with an orchestra, there’s more flexibility on the rock band side. Because, in rock bands, in the first place, the members aren’t really thinking about how to adjust their output. 

─ I have the impression that’s the sound engineer's job.

“Yeah. But for this show there are 70 people in the orchestra, 6 in the rock band, close to 80 people on stage, and it’s impossible in the first place for the sound guy to adjust everyone’s sound. So the first thing I decided was that we wouldn’t put any amplifiers on stage. Then we made the drums electronic, and connected it all with direct lines. If you do that then the sounds on stage don’t interfere with each other. You can reduce the burden on the orchestra. In other words, we completely created a situation where there was no sound on stage besides the orchestra and all the instruments were coming through the preamplifiers. And we didn’t have to place soundproof boards for the drums, which would have interfered with the look of the stage and the performance.

─ That’s a way of doing it that I haven’t really heard of before.

“Right. On top of that, I listened to the audio data that I’d received from the orchestra beforehand, and when I analyzed the audio image of each instrument, there were a wide range of sound bands, from low to high frequencies, but even an orchestra doesn’t fill in all of the sound frequency bands. I searched each of the orchestra’s songs, “There must be at least some gaps in the sound, so where are they?” and I started with the work of creating the band’s sound based on that. Specifically, if you leave out the rhythm that holds it all together, there’s no point. But it can’t be too loud either. I started with creating the sound so that the bass drum and snare could find its way through the gaps in the orchestra instruments.”

─ Don’t tell me you did that for all the instruments… Did you work on the bass and guitar parts the same way?

“Right. So when I decided on the basic sounds, then I moved on to adjusting each song one by one, fitting it to the orchestra’s intonation. For example, increase the bass by three decibels here, now turn it down 5 decibels. I did that kind of back-and-forth for all songs and all instruments. This job took me about one day for each song.”

─ It makes me dizzy just hearing it, but do you have prior experience doing this kind of work?

“No, no, no one does this (laughs). Because it takes an incomprehensible amount of time. It's usually unthinkable to rehearse for nearly a month for just one day of performance. That's why the fusion of rock and classical is not as easy a job as it seems to those watching. If you just stick an orchestra on top of a rock band, like I said before, there will definitely be the problem of it not being pleasant music for the listeners. Rather, you have to aim for all of the sounds to be audible from the seats in the venue even if the volume is loud. It was absolutely necessary work to achieve that. At first the engineers and band members were confused by it, but when we got one song together, everyone understood, “So this is what you mean!” From there we single-mindedly concentrated on proceeding with that work.

─ What do you think you gained from the “GACKT PHILHARMONIC 2025” that you held after going to such lengths to prepare?

“What we gained from working with the orchestra this time, thanks to doing that detailed work, was rock music of an incredibly high quality… In short, the most valuable thing was that everyone was able to gain awareness that we can put finishing touches on  the music that serves as the foundation. We were able to gain the awareness that, even though it was rock, we should have been doing this detailed level of output adjustment all along, and from now on we'll probably do it thoroughly even when there's no orchestra. If we do that, the music will become higher quality even if it's a heavy show.”

─ And this concert was the first step towards that.

─ Hearing what you've said up until now, I came to understand why this release is a music-only CD rather than a Blu-ray or something with video.

“I wanted people to listen to the high quality music first.”

─ So that was the aim.

“I want people to feel that the fusion of rock and classical can reach this level of high quality as music. If the sound was at a level where it was unbearable without video, it would be pointless. But it’s impossible to take it to a place where it stands on its own, just listening to the music, unless you do that level of detailed work. I suppose it’s the fact that, as a result of doing what we ought to do, we were able to bring it up to this quality.”

 ─ However, the actual show also had a lot of work put into the visual performance, and the audience was encouraged to “dress as if they were going to a Black Mass”. What kind of feelings did you put into the theme for the day?

“That’s because, in the end, it’s entertainment, not just, ‘Please watch us do stuff with an orchestra.’ Because I’ve always had, ‘defying expectations, and fulfilling hopes in a big way,’ as a fundamental concept. I think, when people hear there’s going to be an orchestra, there’s a certain way that they imagine things would normally be. But to take that and prepare for the audience a worldview that is so overwhelming they are speechless, is the performance that I have to give, and how I fascinate. It’s a method of expression that only I can do. Cause I didn’t do an MC on the day of the show…”

─ It’s not that you cut the MC part when making it into a CD, then.

“Right. The music goes for 90 minutes straight. Those 90 minutes have such an impact and gravity that it feels like, 'It was over in the blink of an eye.' And it’s heartrending, ephemeral, it has many faces. It was a gamble on, ‘Is it truly possible to realize that with just music?’ but when I was able to realize it, it also had the implication of searching the possibilities, ‘I guess I could think about doing this as a tour in the future?’ The truth is that there were a lot of circumstances on the day that prevented the performance plan that I had been imagining in many ways. But as a trial it achieved what it was supposed to achieve, and on the flipside, it wasn’t 100%. It gave me assurance that I can make something even more amazing. I think people will be wildly emotionally moved when they actually see it in person, and when I do it in the same form as a tour in the future, I want lots of people to see it.”

─ The success of this “GACKT PHILHARMONIC 2025” performance, including the sound creation, seems like it will lead to an evolution in the songs that GACKT creates, and I’m looking forward to it.

“That’s right. I’m always thinking about, if I’m going to do it, then how can I make the show something only I can do? If it’s a show that someone else could do, then there’s no need for me to do it. I was thinking about that, and hoping it would turn out well, but since the results were better than I expected, I want you to look forward a little to what comes next.”

─ You’re known for your stoicism toward anything you do, but do you feel any pressure from the expectations that “If it’s GACKT, he’ll do it”?

“Expectations, huh…? This is something that I said to all my staff about this concert, but, you don’t know if you can do something or not until you try it, and it might bring forth the reality that you tried and didn’t achieve results, so let’s not suddenly plan a tour. First we’ve got to test what we need to clear our current objective, or we really will fail. But my staff are thinking of fusing rock and orchestra as an easy job. In particular those who don’t do music think of it as easy, and in the end the price of that is paid by the band members and the orchestra.”

─ From GACKT’s point of view, you want to be music-first more than anything else.

“If I’m not, it’s pointless. We’re doing this to deliver music to the audience.”

─ Perhaps that feeling of creativity being like a mission is also reflected in the fact that GACKT himself will produce the “GACKT Demon King Birthday Feast 2025” to be held on July 4, the day of GACKT's birthday.

“Well, I do this 'Demon King Birthday Feast' every year, because it’s really a once-a-year event for my core fanbase. I don’t do a dinner show or anything like that. It’s a birthday feast, so everyone is there to celebrate with me, but every year, I think about doing this and that, in terms of the question, ‘How far can I go in creating something that will make people glad they came?’ It says that it’s all produced by me, but that’s because everything always has been (laughs). It’s just the way that I always do things.”

─ That said, I think there are times when it puts a bigger burden on you because you produce it yourself. Despite that, you pull through. What's GACKT's secret for maintaining your motivation like that?

“Right…I'm not deliberately trying to maintain my motivation, I'm just doing what I should do — creating themes and works that no one else can. That's the mission that's been given to me, perhaps I'd call it a duty. It's the only thing, and greatest thing I can express. For example, if I’m working on a movie, I’m just along for the ride. At those times, what I view as most important is how much I am able to respond to the world the director creates, and I take a stance of answering to what the director is asking for at a level that goes beyond what they imagined. But when I’m working on a live performance, it becomes a question of, how far can I go beyond what was imagined in creating the themes that I am after? And those imaginings go overwhelmingly beyond what my fans imagined, and that's why they come to see me. And the only thing that I can give back to all those fans who keep on chasing after me is of course, my works. Being in a position where they can feel, 'I’m glad I kept supporting him, I’m glad I kept chasing after him,' is the way I ought to be for them. If it wasn't for that, wouldn't people be like, 'I should have gone to see some younger people perform!'” (laughs).

─ Hmm… I wonder (laughs).

“But aren't there a lot of powerful musicians out there? If there were musicians who got older and didn't have the kind of feelings I was just talking about, then people would be like, 'No, no, don't go see those old guys, it's better to see younger performers.' That's what I'd be saying (laughs). Cause they wouldn’t be answering to the feelings that their fans have for them, like that. Without a doubt, the fans have expectations towards the artists. Because if nothing else, the artists are people who are walking ahead of them, and having some kind of an influence on their lives, so you can't let that become past-tense. Rather than, “They were good back in the day,” isn't it the mission of an artist to be someone who still pulls people forward even now?

─ As long as GACKT continues to hold these feelings, the expectations of his fans will only get higher and higher. 

“Well, I just do what I ought to. But what I think now I've accumulated this many years is, I have a budding feeling that, at the same time, I have to do the work of passing the baton to the generation after myself. Cause there’s no point in just getting older. I have to contribute in some way. I think about lots of things, like, “How can we, who were brought up by music, pass the baton to the next generation?” Isn’t that what gaining years is about? Cause, despite my appearance, I have an earnest personality (laughs). I think about these things quite seriously.”

[moon-struck-net]

Josei Jishin Interview July 15th 2023

https://jisin.jp/entertainment/interview/2223283/

[Part 2 of this interview: https://www.tumblr.com/moon-struck-net/721909444724883456/yahoo-japanjosei-jishin-interview-july-4th-2023 ] “All my life, I’ve been attacked (wry smile). I’m not saying that it’s made me stronger, but it has stopped affecting me. I’ve just gained the ability to recognize that it doesn’t matter. Regarding the bashing toward me, around my late 30s, I became able to think “Well, reporters need to eat too” or “I guess there are people who can’t earn money any other way.” Previously, I’ve seen things that were written about me now and then. Like, a question and an answer. “Why isn’t GACKT married at his age despite being good looking, is he unpopular with women?” “Someone who turns 50 without being married despite being rich must be a loser” There are people who can only evaluate others based on things like that. I suppose they are married. But when I see those posts, I think “Well, a cool loser like me is going to draw resentment from others.” I can’t get mad at every single one, and there’s no need to react to the chirping of insects around me. I’m less easily angered than when I was young. Though of course the feelings of anger towards the world or towards people don’t disappear. But I no longer directly connect to that feeling and attack the other person. I do get frustrated with mistakes. I used to go “Arrgh!” until I turned 40. When I was 40, I decided deep down that I wasn’t going to do that anymore. “I’m not going to yell in anger.” -GACKT has reached the age of 50. What greatly changed his mental state was a woman he was in a relationship with for about 3 years.

“What changed me was a woman in the celebrity world who I was dating at the time. I fell in love with her at first sight. I was even more surprised by her character, that there was someone so fun, who smiled so wonderfully, that I could feel so happy when I was with her. I was always laughing at things she said.

It happened one day. She became emotional, and even though I said, “Let’s stop talking for now. Let’s talk when we’re calm,” she didn’t stop. After that, in the end, I got heated too and finally shouted, “You listen to me!”

I stopped then and went to a café, and drank tea until I calmed down. When I was wondering what to do next, I decided, “For the rest of my life, I’m not going to yell in anger.”

When I decided that and stopped yelling in anger, I became able to communicate my anger to the other person calmly and in words. Even if the person I’m working with makes an excuse, I say, “So in other words, you haven’t done X.”

Back then I also communicated this to her. “I’m going to stop yelling in anger. So even if you become emotional and we start fighting, I won’t yell at all. But let’s stop for now. Let’s talk when we’ve calmed down. And if you can’t keep your temper three times in a row, let’s break up.”

I hate verbal conflict. I’d rather we hit each other. Because a physical fight ends, in a way, you can see an end to it better than you can with a verbal fight. Both of you get hurt and worn out.

But verbal quarrels have no end. And because of that it feels like you’re cutting into each other's skin with a 0.1mm razor. It doesn’t bleed much but it leaves wounds. When you look at the wounds later, the memory comes back. And it takes a long time for those wounds to heal. Moreover, because it becomes an act of mutually wounding each other a lot, I don’t need it in my life.”

- GACKT continues to reflect on his own actions. As he was worn out psychologically, he reflects that she may have been his “last great love”

I really loved her. That’s why I thought that it was pointless to fight over and over with someone I loved like that, and like I said before, I suggested that if we fought three times, we should break up.

“If you say it calmly, I’ll do my best to fix what I can. But if you become emotional, you’ll say things that you shouldn’t have said. Love is the most important thing, so let’s not do anything to damage that. So if we can’t stop quarrelling, let’s break up. We’re not right for each other,” I said.

“Perhaps there are people who will put up with quarrels, or even like them. So you should decide to find someone like that. No matter how much we love each other.”

In the end, we decided to break up. Because if we were together any longer, we’d both become unhappy. I always loved her, so it took a while to sort out my feelings. I feel sorry, and I continue to reflect on myself. How many things was I lacking in, and such questions.

When we broke up, it was in the middle of the rehearsals for “MOON SAGA -Secrets of Yoshitsune- Chapter Two”. I was directing and acting and doing the script and the music so I had no time. And because I broke up with her on top of that, I was psychologically worn out.

Maybe if I’d had more room to breathe I’d have been able to face it differently. When people don’t have any slack, they change. In life there are times when you have to do your best, but when you’re moving forward with multiple things at the same time and a lot is demanded of you at once, it doesn’t go well. If you chase two things you catch neither.

So I really still think that if not for the quarrels, I would have been with her.

Was there the option of marrying her?

I never feel the urge to get married. I’m not refuting marriage, and if there was a need to marry her I probably would have. We still talk sometimes, and she was a big presence in my life. I’m extremely grateful to her. Until then I lost my temper easily, went on rampages easily, easily got caught up in trouble. She changed me, so from the bottom of my heart, I want her to be happy.

Having reached your 50s, what’s your next goal?

I want to perform around the world as soon as possible. I love live music venues.

My hiatus was long. I want to make my music reach the people around the world who have been waiting. Because no one knows how long I’ll be able to keep going.

[moon-struck-net]

Yahoo Japan/Josei Jishin Interview July 4th 2023

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/1d9cf92309815982cc6fa71684362c64fc9763ea

Up until now, the impression I had of age 50 was "the end of your life". I was conscious of Oda Nobunaga's saying that "life has 50 years". But now I understand that "life has 50 years" doesn't mean you can only live for 50 years, it’s about how much can you get done before you're 50. You can't go back to being in your 30s or 40s. I came to feel that what's most important in life is how much you were able to run at full speed up to that point. 

Previously I had been wondering internally how much I could get done by age 30, and I thought that it would be downhill from there and end at 50. So honestly what I'm thinking now is "Somehow I'm still alive," and "I've made it this far," that kind of thing. 

GACKT had his 50th birthday on July 4th. The release of the long-awaited movie that he is starring in- "Fly Me To The Saitama: From Lake Biwa With Love" has been announced for November 23rd. GACKT had previously kept his age secret from the public, and first announced it in 2009 along with the production of the play Nemuri Kyoshiro Burai Hikae, which he was starring in. We asked his honest thoughts. 

The question of whether to announce my age or not wasn’t really on my mind. But at the time, I wondered if it might be time to say it. My fans didn't know either.

The producer I had back then happened to suggest that I tell people my age, so I said "Ok". It wasn't something I particularly wanted to hide. So then I think there were a lot of people who thought "Wait, he's younger than me? He acted like he was older (laughs)."

[Translator’s note: GACKT is talking about how in Japanese culture, younger people usually defer to people older than them, but GACKT was behaving as though he were the one with more seniority]

There was only one reason that I concealed my age. When I was 20 and I moved to Tokyo and started doing music, everyone around me was senior to me. So if I said how old I was I'd immediately be treated as a junior and they'd walk all over me. The roles of senpai (senior) and kouhai (junior) are just decided by age, right? If I said my age, people older than me disrespected me, so I never told anyone my age, outside of my band members at the time. So I made up that I was 448 years old.

If someone was like "You're definitely younger than me. If you're going to have a disrespectful attitude toward me, then I'll crush you," I'd be like "You wanna go then?" Back when I was in a band it was like that all the time.

Most years, GACKT celebrates his birthday with a private party

On July 4th I usually have a concert or a birthday event, and when that's all over and I'm tired out I have a private party. 300 to 400 people attend, so I prepare a large amount of alcohol. In the beginning it was wine, but for the last 12-13 years it's been tequila. Even if each person speaks for one minute, if 400 people are there it takes 400 minutes, 7 hours. It's tough to keep drinking wine for that long, right?

So I thought I'd make it a "tequila survival challenge" party for everyone to participate in. I contact people and tell them that only those who are always in a state of readiness should come. I make them sign a contract at the door too. Saying no matter what happens here it's their own responsibility.

When my birthday party begins, my friends come on stage and immediately drink 10 shots of tequila, so it's tough (laughs). So everyone rapidly fades. At the end only about 30 people remain. At the end everyone staggers home.

I'm all alone when everyone leaves. But I'm totally hyped up and can't sleep, so from morning I start texting everyone. Of course no one replies. When it gets to the afternoon, finally people gradually start to reply "Are you okay?" I reply "I've been texting people all morning. I'm lonely."

At those times I think, "Maybe this is what the battlefield is like." They say people who survived the war and came home, go back to the battlefield. They can't psychologically accept everyday life and feel a sense of emptiness. No one wants to drink any more, and it's not that I want to drink either, but I understand the feeling of wanting to return to an extreme situation. Though people will probably call me strange for thinking things like that (laughs)"

But, when I went on hiatus due to my health issues, I became unable to handle alcohol. I couldn’t drink 5 or 6 bottles of tequila like I used to. On my previous birthday, I only drank about 3.

At the end of last year, in an interview with this magazine, GACKT spoke of writing a will during his one year hiatus. It seems that ahead of turning 50 he had an opportunity to think about his end-of-life plans.

I wrote about 20 wills. Saying things like, "Divide my fortune like this, sell my cars". I wrote about leaving my pet dogs in the care of my sister and my staff, that kind of thing.

I've also told my sister about my burial. I said, "Scatter my ashes in the sea in Okinawa." I don't need a grave. I've never wanted one. I don't want people to visit my grave. It's enough if people will look at the sea and clasp their hands in prayer. I thought about this when buying graves for relatives and things like that. I don't want to be in a grave.

Every year I go back to Okinawa and clean my family's tomb. That's become my role now. I bring at least 20 to 30 staff and clean the graves.

I've been helping clean the graves since my late 20s, but everyone else in my family got old and couldn't do it any more.

Okinawan tombs are big in the first place. Ours is in the mountains, and was rebuilt because it was old, but it's still the size of this studio (where today's photo was taken).

It used to be bigger. I remember when I was 6. We'd go through the sugar cane fields in a car, and then walk the paths between the fields into the mountains, so it was a hard time even getting there. Moss and weeds would grow on the big tomb, and we had to clean off all the dirt too. We tried to go at times when habu (Okinawan pit vipers) wouldn’t come out.

There was an altar as well as the tomb, and the altar and the tomb are in different parts of Okinawa. My ancestors originated in the southern part of Okinawa. So the tomb is in the south, and because my great grandfather founded a town up north, the altar is in the north. So it's not possible to clean the tomb and the altar on a day trip. At the very beginning I went in a group of 6 people, but we couldn't finish and it took two and a half days just to clean the tomb.

I don't want the generation after me to have to do unpleasant things like that. If people have to keep organizing things every year after I die, that will be tough on them, right?

So scatter my ashes. I'll be happy if people come to the sea and I can say "I'm here". And if eventually people stop coming, it won't cause trouble for anyone.

[moon-struck-net]

Excite “Tsumi no Keishou” Interview 1

[Source: http://www.excite.co.jp/News/emusic/20170327/E1490233983980.html ]

GACKT: What do you think "gracefulness" is?

-"Gracefulness"? I get the image of being blessed mentally and physically, and having no difficulties. It's something I really admire.

GACKT: You... admire gracefulness? We should have a graceful lifestyle, a graceful way of spending time, a graceful soul... The word "gracefulness" is deep. When I began living overseas, and decided to live a graceful lifestyle, I clashed with the word "gracefulness". People think that gracefulness comes from plenty, and having breathing room, but that's not actually true. For example, I live overseas, and see beautiful scenery and hear beautiful sounds, the sound of the ocean, bird song, that kind of thing, so let's just spend two or three hours taking it in, that's what people think spending time gracefully is. But that actually leaves you with nothing to do.

-You become unable to relax?

GACKT: Right. Because there is no breathing room in my heart. I end up toying with my cellphone and when I realize what I'm doing, I think, "This is a sickness". I've realized gracefulness isn't something that comes from things, it's a word that describes your heart. To become truly graceful, people who are suffering from modernitis need training.

-Training to become graceful?

GACKT: To avoid modern things like playing with your cell phone, and do your best to just look at only the scenery for two hours or so. But it's hard to do. This is a disease of modern people. In the past people went to temples and did zen meditation, and just emptied their minds. And to do that, they thought about a lot of things. After they thought and thought and thought, they became completely empty, but I think that was a way of resetting their hearts, and people were able to live balanced lives. That said, I think everyone now is living without resetting their hearts and even if they think, "Oh, that's pretty" in the moment, it isn't a reset. It's not that the "soul" is a physical object, it's an abstract thing, so modern people take it lightly.

-I feel that humans who take things that should have been important lightly connects to the new single "Tsumi no Keishou".

GACKT: The words "Tsumi no Keishou" are not meant to be that specific. I think that humans carry sin from the moment they are born. For example, humans are the only living thing that destroys the balance on the Earth. If you think of the planet as a single life-form, the ones who have been born carrying that sin, humans, are a "cancer". They destroy a lot of things, and are the cause of a lot of things... But, if you ask, "So people should stop existing then?", absolutely not. That's why I think perhaps people have to face the fact that they are born carrying sin, and face that sin, and live accepting that. People have the ability to think, an ability that other animals lack, and yet most people don't think, right? They get up when their alarm goes off, eat breakfast because they "should", go to work on time, and come home. They're not thinking about those actions one by one, they're just reacting. I think that's very dangerous.

-Harm results from not thinking, then.

GACKT: People who don't usually think won't be able to do it if someone suddenly tells them "Think!" In particular it comes from having things like "Pandora's box" that humans must not open. Things like human sins are contained in that box. If you don't live your life facing that fact, then human nature is to commit sins before they know what sins are. Though in the first place you should if you are able to acknowledge that "Pandora's box", and live having thought about it, you should be able to find a balance... That's why I say "Think about it" and "Face it". I'm not the one who will decide right from wrong. Accepting it and living while finding a balance is the task that has been assigned to humans. By the way, finding a balance means, even if you think you're a biased human, you should live accepting the misalignment between yourself and compatibility with society.

-When I took that message from this song, I thought about how hard it is to recognize your sins and accept them. On top of that, when I saw the music video for the song, I felt the frustration, and something like emptiness, of being unable to stop sins.

GACKT: That's one more answer. The story of someone who was unable to accept it.

-It was very painful to watch.

GACKT: The music video is like a symbol of society as it is now. This ties in to the telling people to "Think!" thing, but most people in the world now are letting someone else decide what is right and wrong for them. They think what the majority says is right, it's not something they thought about and decided themselves. But what's really important is what you want to do about it. How are you going to live getting along with society? Though you can't agree with 100% of it, you can get along with it, right? So in order to get along with society, you have to face who you really are. If you're just going with the flow, the result will be that when something big happens, you'll throw all the responsibility on to someone else.

[moon-struck-net]

I collaborated with a friend of mine (who can sing) to make an English language cover version of Pulling My Strings/Kugutsu no Gotoku! Give it a listen, and please share or like if you enjoy it ^^

We’re hoping to do a few more English fancovers in the future, so I’ll post them here when they’re done.

[moon-struck-net]

GACKT "Tsumi no Keishou~ORIGINAL SIN~" Lyrics

"Ending it like this is your sole broken kindness..." you laugh mockingly"

Inheritance of Sin~ORIGINAL SIN~ With quiet eyes you gave a smile as you looked up to the sky Frozen fingertips played a distorted melody of snow that stained you red

“Ending it like this is your sole broken kindness…” you laugh mockingly

Held up by a breath you make the knife in your back look like wings and hold me

This inextinguishable pain is our fate Inheritance of sin

Huddling in the moonlight I scream in agony at the repeating sin I realize it from the tears that well up in your open eyes “Someone stop me…”

“Wishes that will never come true are meaningless…” you say as I collapse and you softly brush my cheek with your fingers No matter how many words I say they will no longer reach your vanishing heart

A melody of crimson tears The isolation of a moonlit night

“If you don’t want to be robbed, then don’t look away” You smile at me as I cry

“Just bear the unforgivable sin and this punishment, and fly… Higher and higher…”

-Is ending it with my own hands all I can do, in the end?-

Gently looking up at the night sky the tears you shed are now cold

I gaze at you as you sleep Inheritance of sin

GACKT “Tsumi no Keishou” Lyrics, Romaji and Translation

[moon-struck-net]

I collaborated with a friend of mine (who can sing) to make an English language cover version of Pulling My Strings/Kugutsu no Gotoku! Give it a listen, and please share or like if you enjoy it ^^

We're hoping to do a few more English fancovers in the future, so I'll post them here when they're done.

[moon-struck-net]

GACKTTweets December 31 2016

How are you doing? It's already the end of 2016. Well... for a little while, to end 2016 with you guys, let's answer some tweets!!

[Is there anything you want to do next year?]@___iR10 The world tour will start next year. Well, it's taking a long time just to prepare. I'm spending time on making an English version of the album too.

[Did you get a 10yen sized bald spot again this year or were you OK?]@.__yukitarooo The truth is... I was thinking I could do it without stressing this year. And when the filming for the show finished, I was glad I hadn't gone bald on the inside as well. But when I went to the salon, they said, "Bro, it's happened again!" This time it's on the back of my head. I, GACKT, still require spiritual training.

[I want to play Othello with GACKT]@.G_A7483 Why Othello? Let's play poker!

[Give me abs!!!]@.hatimitu160kg Abs are something you cultivate with your own hard work. No one can give them to you. Put Kiai into it!

[If it's for Gakkun, I'll get a Brazillian wax]@.aiai20xx0407 Don't do it for me, do it for the sake of all human men! Neither men nor women need hair down there!

[Give me Magnum! Even half of it!]@.gackt07040 No~~. Half of it isn't usable. It's only worth using if you have it in full. Like being a Saiyan.

You all write too fast!

Well, anyway, let's all shout together... My PC is about to freeze. Shout "GACKT!!!" for me.

[I'm greeting the New Year alone. Please say something that will give me energy for the new year]@.yacchan37 Find a good partner. That takes KiAi too. You're never going to meet someone good if you're cooped up in your house. Go outside first. Go outside and look at lots of people and if someone catches your heart even a little, then you be the one to call out to them first. "Do you want to start 2017 together?"

[I want to be connected to you just once]@.GCyat We've always been connected. Don't worry.

[What do you look like while tweeting now?]@.gemini_GACKT Now? I'm overseas, but... for some reason my sister is passing the New Year by watching Final Destination. That movie is too scary...

[GACKT-sama came on twitter while I'm at my part time job]@.kamui0704 It's ok. I'm reading the messages throughly. Focus on your work!

[Thank you for showing us your body at the end of the year. I'm thrilled]@.wlovepeace1124 It's no time to be happy! You need to thoroughly train your mind and body too! Because what will change your life is working yourself to death.

[I got a Gakkuchi]@.XXX_XIII_MM They have ones that big? I've never seen them before... How do you get them out of the UFO catcher?

[How the hell do you get muscles?]@.shunta35057220 Hey, hey, you're pretty rude for someone asking questions. "If you've got KiAi, you'll naturally grow muscles!!!" Got it!?

[I'm taking university exams. I've got no confidence, so please cheer me on!]@.kame_ren What do you mean, "confidence"? Is that the best you can do? Try working yourself to death. Focus so much that no one can beat you. After you've done so much that you don't think you can do anymore, you'll have as much confidence and whatever as you want. That's how it is.

[Give me your pretty face. Even though I'm a woman]@.dog_renchan Hey, hey, if you got a scary face like this, people would be too scared to come near you. My glare is too scary...

[I've always been hairless down there]@.hqnqmam That's great!!! Well, it's one of the basics, though.

[I've learned a lot from your kicking videos on Instagram. I want to use them in karate!]@.RKM_0704 Learn them and use them properly. And do it so you can always protect the one you love.

[Gaku-chin doesn't have any hair down there?]@.__nachan___diet Stupid question. I haven't had any for a long time. I'm SO smooth. I'm finished my hair removal procedures.

[After you sold the gold Aventador, what car do you drive? Did you buy a new one?]@.waf_fle11 Hmm, you mean in Japan? In Japan I drive a new model Jaguar XJR. I can't go fast in Japan so that's more comfortable. Overseas, I have a Bentley, Lambo, Chevrolet... those kind of things.

[I want to surpass GACKT!]@.abnormald1 I'm no big deal. You can surpass me at any time. Put KiAi into trying everything. And then you too should support this rotting country.

[I catch a cold when I don't have hair down there]@.22_dears Catching a cold from lack of pubes?!!! I've never caught one for that reason in these 17 years!!!

[Huh, Gackt replies to tweets!???]@.04___KNBN If not me, then who would reply with this level of dirty jokes?

[Gakkun!!! Did you laugh a lot this year?]@.miyuka_mixjapan I did. I laughed a lot. I was able to feel pretty happy. Next it's your turn to become happy. Laugh lots.

[Please answer me. I'm studying Chinese! How did you learn it?]@.30momo1212 First, read books and drown yourself in memorizing vocabulary. Next, go to a Chinese restaurant and learn how to pronounce everything on the menu. Then make friends with the chef and have him teach you. Then hit on the waitress. Like that.

[My birthday is tomorrow, please say happy birthday]@.1Mat_01 Wow really, your birthday is tomorrow? I want to congratulate you!!! Happy Birthday! It's the best way to start 2017.

[Char Aznable's Sieg can move 3x faster than normal, how fast can you move, GACKT?]@.___M_K_T___ Hmm, it depends on what I'm doing. By the way, one of my band members, SQTO, cums 3x faster than a normal person. That's why he's the Red Comet SATO...

[What objection do you have to Japan currently?]@.2012_noriko There's not enough KiAi. The country is dying.

[Won't you change your icon?]@.yukari1016 Yeah, yeah, I'll change it when I'm finished with this!

[I'll use DAILY BABY for a time when I should come, but I don't know when that will be]@.kumi_GLOVERS Hey, hey, if you don't use it now, when will you use it!!! Use it right away!

[What are you going to do when the Yahoo headline tomorrow says you're silky smooth?]@.s2xxLeCielxxs2 That's fine! Because it's true. Rather, the number of people who aren't silky smooth is too high!

[So where do you go after you seduce the waitress?]@.KIKU82656840 To the kitchen! There lies victory!

[Are you interested in motorcycles]@.barryburton00 I used to ride them. I had a big accident on a mountain. Then I quit. I was lucky to survive that accident. You watch out for accidents too. If you die, it's over.

[What should you do when you're deciding whether to give up or not?]@.MikiVamps You can give up at any time. But when you struggle and struggle and face that uncool version of yourself, that's when you can grow up. If you still want to give up, you can do it after that, right? Got it?

I guess I'll finish up.

[Tell us your kanji character for next year]@.hinata7ame I'm not such a lukewarm person that you can express my life in one character. Give me at least 30 characters.

[I want you to upload a photo!]@.O_kohaku46 No, no, look at my Instagram! Haven't I uploaded enough? Don't make me take any more photos. I'm not a photographer. I've clicked the shutter in my heart so many times, I'm already like a war photographer.

[PLEASE COME TO MY GRADUATION]@.lo_gackt I'll go to another high school somewhere this year. While I still have some influence. If I decide I'm no longer influential, I'll quit instantly.

Well then, I'm going now. If you feel that 2016 wasn't a big year, then it means your ability to take action is lacking. Make 2017 the best with your hard work and ability to take action. Everything depends on you. Do your best. I'll do my best too. So, make flowers bloom around you with your very best smiles. Bye.

[moon-struck-net]

12 Days of GACKT- Juunigatsu no Love song

[For 12 days until Christmas I will be posting a selection of wintery, romantic, or otherwise Christmas-y GACKT songs, from all eras of his solo career]

December Love Song Before you know it, the streets are overflowing with the December rush As they wave their little hands, they call to their loved ones

Here too, in this street enveloped in the kindness of lovers, winter comes to call a little early

You are my precious one, so keep smiling forever and never change You are the one I love, so you’re the one I’ll always hold…

Looking at the display windows, couples pass by me with their arms around each other Waiting for you, I let out my feelings in a breath of white

Powder snow flutters down from the sky I looked up to in vain, it closes the distance between us just a little

Once more, I murmured those words that I once whispered to you on a quiet night

You are my precious one, so keep smiling forever and never change You are the one I love, so you’re the one I’ll always hold…

You are my precious one, so keep smiling forever and never change You are the one I love, so you’re the one I’ll always hold…

I’ll hold you forever…

I’ll hold you forever…

You’re the one I’ll hold…

Juunigatsu no Love song Lyrics, Romaji and Translation

[moon-struck-net]

12 Days of GACKT- White Lovers

[For 12 days until Christmas I will be posting a selection of wintery, romantic, or otherwise Christmas-y GACKT songs, from all eras of his solo career] 

WHITE LOVERS -The Happy Times- Because I was able to meet you in a pure white world My tears are changing into snow

If I close my eyes, see, you’re there reaching out to take my hand… You covered your slightly embarrassed smile so that I couldn’t see it I love that side of you

Because I was able to meet you in a pure white world the feelings welling up now are painful How much do I have to shout for my voice to reach you? My tears are changing into snow

I was lacking in kindness and “sorry” was the one thing I couldn’t say In this place where I kept waiting for you The season is flowing by again but nothing changes

I was able to meet you in this wide world Even if I tried to forget that, I couldn’t Your warmth is embraced by snow and vanishes leaving only memories

I loved our overlapping footprints… Now I can’t see you through the tears

Can you see it? The word I left in the snow “Thank you” for the happy times

In a pure white world, I was being embraced by you When I looked up to the skies, they were smiling If I can meet you again, someday, somewhere I’ll never cry alone again Goodbye

Two snowflakes fluttered down together into the palm of my hand

White Lovers Lyrics, Romaji and Translation

[moon-struck-net]

12 Days of GACKT- Dears

[For 12 days until Christmas I will be posting a selection of wintery, romantic, or otherwise Christmas-y GACKT songs, from all eras of his solo career]

In the continuously falling rain I was staring vacantly up at the sky In the limitlessly expanding bounds a flock of birds seeking freedom were crying

I can never betray all the lost smiles I murmured over and over inside my heart

No matter how much I am hurt or how many times No one can stop me

Even if the sun won’t rise yet it’s okay as long as I find a little light “The falling rain has got to end some day…”

Tired from walking you were cradling a vanishing dream in your hands

Even if my life runs out there is something important that I can’t forget- that we fought together through this era

Even if my voice doesn’t reach you and I can never return to that time I am still here shouting out to you

No matter how the ages flow by with these feelings that make my body tremble… The proof that we kept on fighting will remain

Everyone keeps on searching for the meaning of their life

No matter how much I am hurt or how many times No one can stop me

Even if the sun won’t rise yet it’s okay as long as I find a little light “The falling rain has got to end some day…”

“That’s right, this rain has got to end some day…”

dears lyrics, romaji and translation

[moon-struck-net]

12 Days of GACKT- Saikai-Story

[For 12 days until Christmas I will be posting a selection of wintery, romantic, or otherwise Christmas-y GACKT songs, from all eras of his solo career] 

Called awake by a faint light there was a memory of a fleeting dream and a fading voice

The stirrings of the distant past reflect a vision I can no longer see by my side, smiling... you are there

Yes, I remember it as if it were yesterday that gaze of yours that touched me deeper than anyone else

The joy of what we shared... and our encounter that was like a miracle Even the traces of us are abandoned and vanishing

In my fading memories I want to hold you just one more time So much that it pains me, I keep shouting your name until my voice is gone

Where do people come from and where do they go...? My precious gentle one... Only you are missing

Hanging your head and trembling I want to hold you in my arms Because I realized that I want to protect you more than anyone else in the world

In a moment I will vanish, but… you are the only one I don’t want to part with Those days I was enveloped in you, so much that it pained me I will not forget them

GACKT Saikai~Story~ Lyrics, Romaji and Translation

[moon-struck-net]

12 Days of GACKT- Kimi ga Matte Iru Kara

[For 12 days until Christmas I will be posting a selection of wintery, romantic, or otherwise Christmas-y GACKT songs, from all eras of his solo career]

Because You Are Waiting I don’t understand the reason for the tears you showed me as the sighing wind surrounded us I wonder who can destroy the pain that fills my heart even now

Don’t hang your head and cry silently Because, no matter when… Yes, we can meet again

Even if no one else in the world understands, it’s okay… If you are waiting Even now, I see you unchanging just like this…

The scars of the past that remain on your outstretched arms are proof of the forgiven sin you bore The faint smile on your lips is dear to me, but fleeting I won’t give you away to anyone

If you were to be reborn some day Just like that day… We can surely meet again, so

Even if I shiver all alone at night, it’s okay… because I am waiting I can no longer see you as you were on that day

I closed my eyes, and reached out to touch that smile

No matter how far apart we become, it’s okay… Because I am waiting I believe that you are always by my side only you…

Even if no one else in the world understands, it’s okay… If you are waiting Even now, I see you unchanging just like this…

Kimi ga Matte Iru Kara Lyrics, Romaji and Translation

[moon-struck-net]

12 Days of GACKT- Lost Angels

[For 12 days until Christmas I will be posting a selection of wintery, romantic, or otherwise Christmas-y GACKT songs, from all eras of his solo career]

If holding you in my arms will let you sleep then I'll grant it to you in my embrace When we are reborn and can someday meet again with a smile...

"I won't forget you"

"Don't cry anymore..." the sky whispered gently Winter comes to call, playing the melody of those who fall As you were on the day we met, you smile and vanish along with the children clinging to your white hands

My overflowing tears change to powder snow...

If holding you in my arms will let you sleep then I'll grant it to you in my embrace When we are reborn and can someday meet again with a smile...

"I won't forget you"

When you were happy, you'd look at the ground shyly and smile Even your little habits that no one else noticed were dear to me...

Touch my hands, one more time

If this love can be erased with a fierce embrace then someone please make the pain vanish This world dyed in white enveloped you putting an end to our dreams

Because somewhere in the sky, you are there smiling I hope that at least my endless love can reach to where you are...

If I can save you by offering my own life then I'll smile as the flames leap from my body When we are reborn and can someday meet again with a smile...

"I won't forget you"

"I will never forget you"

GACKT “Lost Angels” Lyrics, Romaji and Translation

[moon-struck-net]

12 Days of GACKT- Memories

[For 12 days until Christmas I will be posting a selection of wintery, romantic, or otherwise Christmas-y GACKT songs, from all eras of his solo career]

I escaped with you in the middle of the night as the moon shone upon us You were clinging to my arm like we'd never wake from this dream Even though you knew that the promise you exchanged with me could never be fulfilled you were smiling softly

Until this voice of mine reaches you I will be by your side in this place

You reached your arms towards the night sky and quietly fell asleep while you gazed at the moon in your hands, so beautifully

I embrace your whole body and press my cheek against yours I won't leave you, so don't cry anymore I will stay by your side until the dawn comes

Always... even when this world rots away, always...

The way I am now, I still can't even smile but I will definitely keep my promise to you, so

Everything you are, that lives on inside my heart I won't let it go, so I can keep on walking, without crying anymore without hesitating ever again

Always... even when this world rots away, we can surely meet again Until the day when our paths cross again Even when this world rots away...

GACKT “memories” Lyrics, Romaji and Translation

[moon-struck-net]

12 Days of GACKT- Arittake no Ai de

[For 12 days until Christmas I will be posting a selection of wintery, romantic, or otherwise Christmas-y GACKT songs, from all eras of his solo career]

With All My Love Now when I close my eyes like this I’m searching for your warmth The abandoned memories next to me Only bring me loneliness

Time flows by and the seasons change swiftly But I’m still waiting, with the same feelings I felt that day Until we can meet again

With all my love, I’ll wrap all of you up I want to protect you so that sadness never visits you again

We drifted apart without even being able to say goodbye Every time I find someone who looks like you from behind My chest still hurts a little even now

Time passes, and you and I are growing up A day will come when we can laugh together again Like on that day, so

With all my love, I’ll wrap all of you up I want to protect you so that sadness never visits you again

With all my love, I’ll wrap all of you up I want to protect you so that sadness never visits you again

I want to protect you…

Arittake no Ai de Lyrics, Romaji and Translation

[moon-struck-net]

12 Days of GACKT- Last Song

Wandering alone aimlessly, I kept on walking My faint breath just whitens the air and at the transience of the changing seasons my tears overflowed for no reason “I still love you…” The sadness that keeps on falling changes to pure white snow I was always looking up at the sky If this wish can reach you, now, before my body disappears Hold me tightly one more time We couldn’t understand each other and hurt each other over and over Even at those times, you were always kind Engraved into the ring you suddenly handed to me Our promise goes unfulfilled “I still remember…” The memories receding into the distance are forever too bright I wanted to be by your side more We can never meet again, but you were always by my side supporting me I just want you to stay the way you are I can’t erase the tears you showed me at the end Even if I disappear along with these white snowflakes I want to bloom forever inside your heart, so Don’t forget the warmth from when we held each other close even if you fall in love with someone else Like this, never letting go of your voice as I last heard it I want to fall into a deep sleep The sadness that keeps on falling changes to pure white snow I was always looking up at the sky If this wish can reach you, now, before my body disappears Hold me tightly one more time “Hold me tightly one more time…” GACKT “Last Song” Lyrics, Romaji and Translation