What is the GazettE, really? The price of "protecting the band"
Kai stated in his message that his absolute priority was "protecting the band," but after seeing how events have unfolded, it is inevitable to ask: Who is the band? What is the GazettE today?
Is it a business? Is it a corporate brand? Is it just a logo? Or is it supposed to be the members and the fans?
It is hard to believe they seek to "defend" the GazettE when they were unable to defend their own most vulnerable member. The fact that Aoi has a sickness allowance (傷病手当金)* legally proves that he was already ill and out of active working life before the date of the expulsion. In the face of this vulnerability, his bandmates—specifically Ruki and Kai—not only failed to show empathy or care for him, but were not even capable of offering a single word of thanks for those more than 23 years of shared path.
A stained date and a wounded legacy
The lack of care for the human factor is evident in every decision:
Disrespect to the fan: They allowed the expulsion to be made public on March 10, a date that used to be sacred to us. Choosing that day for such bitter news shows that they not only fail to care for their members, but they also don't care about the emotional impact on the fans.
Involving Reita: It is painful to see how they involve Reita’s memory to validate a current conflict. He should be resting in peace, far from public finger-pointing toward the one who was his brother for decades.
Burning the house down with everyone inside: In their eagerness to not let Aoi retire with dignity to care for his health, they preferred to launch a smear campaign that ends up staining everyone's image. It’s as if they decided to burn the house down with the deeds, the furniture, and the whole family inside, just to avoid giving up control.
So, we return to the initial question: What is Kai really defending?
If to save "the band" you have to destroy one of its pillars and trample the memory and health of those who built it, what you are protecting is no longer music or brotherhood... it is an empty shell.
*The Myth of the "Fake Illness" vs. The Rigor of the Japanese Health System
In the infamous March interview, the anonymous レコード会社関係者 (Record Company Insider) stated:
"...Aoi began to refuse contact with the other members and requested to leave the band unilaterally. He claimed that this was due to a mental illness and that he was receiving the Sickness Allowance (傷病手当 ). However, it seems that in reality, he was planning a 'career change' to pursue solo activities or form a new band."
To understand why this statement is so malicious, we must look at how the Japanese system actually works. The Injury and Sickness Allowance (傷病手当) is not a "gift"; it is a social security benefit designed with strict medical verifications to prevent fraud:
Medical Certification: The attending physician must certify in writing that the patient is in a state of 労務不能 (Incapacity to work). This certificate is a formal legal document.
Professional Responsibility: Doctors are subject to audits and face severe legal consequences for issuing false certificates.
Independent Oversight: Health insurers can request additional medical documentation or even conduct independent reviews if they suspect any irregularities.
Therefore, while fraud is never impossible, it is highly uncommon due to these rigorous safeguards. If the company truly had doubts about Aoi’s condition, the proper procedure would have been to present their concerns formally to the health insurance entity—not to decide his status unilaterally or smear his name in the press.
This raises deep suspicions that what was done to Aoi was, indeed, a smear campaign. If a company has enough evidence to legally dismiss or "sink" an employee, they do not need to resort to shouting from the rooftops through various media outlets about how "bad" their worker is. Furthermore, they wouldn't need other employees (bandmates) to create drama on social media to justify the mistreatment of a coworker.