Do you guys remember the old forum Batsu?
It was in a lot of ways a free-for-all where anything goes. Lots of drama, but also a lot of good things too. I once met up with strangers I met on the forums at a Dir en grey show and we spent the whole weekend together like weâd known each other for years. Kept up with several of them on Myspace for a long time afterwards as well.
If you used to hang out there reblog this with your favorite memories of Batsu. Or even your least favorite, because lets face it - it was crazy there lol. I know the forums got locked after a while, then shut down - but I canât remember why.
I found this saved in a text file and I am not entirely sure and itâs from Music Japan Plus and seems to be from before D went on their European tour. Iâm not sure if itâs still accessible so I thought Iâd repost it here, seems to be a transcript from a video.
Question 1: what was your reaction, when you knew that you would be going on your first European tour?
From: SUNAKO-CHAN / France
ASAGI: The Vampire Story, which D keep drawing is also set in Europe, therefore we wanted to perform live and feel Europe with our own skin. The scenes will widen even further with that, I think and since we wanted to go, it really makes us happy.
Question 2: What was your reaction when you learned about the many fans in overseas?
From: SUNAKO-CHAN / France
ASAGI: This is something we were also very happy about. It is great that we can make music that is understood like this, as there is also music that presents an image of certain places. It is great that we can convey this and would like to expand further, too.
Ruiza: With our music we are able to share a certain feelings. There are of course the people who have come to Japan from overseas, and we have received lots of messages as well. We really would like everyone to come and listen to our music. The fact that this is a possibility makes us really happy.
Tsunehito: It is somewhat of a mysterious feeling, isn't it? There are musicians in Europe we listen to and now it is the other way round, as there people in Europe who are listening to our music. We're really excited about that, though a bit unreal.
HIDE-ZOU: The words are different, but the things that need to be conveyed are spoken from the heart and that is how we share feelings with our music. Therefore we would like to let a lot of people abroad listen to our music soon.
HIROKI: As Ruiza said, we have received a lot of mail, and even though I am not that good at English, I tried to translate it and I understood that they liked D, which made me very happy. Being able to go to Europe is great and we would like to take you along during that tour.
Question 3: Since the announcement of you European tour, what did you do to get prepared?
From: Sakiyo / France
ASAGI: We got our passports.
Ruiza: All of us. If we hadn't we wouldn't be able to go.
Personally, I have bought a digital camera.
ASAGI: You bought it already?
Ruiza: Yes.
ASAGI: I was thinking about buying a digital camera and a video camera as well.
Tsunehito: I was thinking about taking food. I am going to take rice with me. It's the first time for me to go overseas for such a long time, but I don't think it's possible for me to not eat rice for three weeks. I'm a little concerned about that.
HIDE-ZOU: I still need to by a large suitcase, I haven't bought one yet. It needs to be big if I want to take food, like Tsunehito. It needs to be big.
Ruiza: So you could fit everyone's stuff in.
HIROKI: Then you could divide space for everything.
Tsunehito: We should get one of those really big (carriages) and then HIDE-ZOU will take it...
Ruiza: As a private case.
HIDE-ZOU: For food.
Tsunehito: Well, for the things apart from food, too...
HIDE-ZOU: I have heard a number of different things about staying in Europe for so long, and while there are of course fun parts, there are also things that might be troublesome. I need to think of my health.
Tsunehito: What did you take when you went before?
HIDE-ZOU: Uhm, I took a number of things. Like a transformer (for electrical goods)...what else?
HIROKI: There are certainly things that are going to be different depending on the countries we go to, so I want to bring a collection of phrases for every day use that I can use in at least five countries.
I already bought that. Otherwise I won't be able to communicate with the local people, right? And I want to get in contact with them. I am looking forward to convey my own thoughts with words like that.
Tsunehito: What language are you gonna use?
HIROKI: Right now I am best at body-language.
HIDE-ZOU: In HIROKI's case, he is probably using these...right?
That's the right kind of using one's body strength...
Ruiza: We have to take care of our strength.
Tsunehito: There is also the time difference.
HIDE-ZOU: That seems to be a real problem.
Tsunehito: So we have to see and adjust to what's best to go with. At best to something that we can go to all places with.
HIDE-ZOU: I remember that I had stomach problems last time. So I have to take care to not have that happen this time.
Ruiza: Focus more on the inside.
ASAGI: On your intestines.
HIDE-ZOU: I just have to be more aware of my intestines through training.
HIROKI: In terms of what you can eat and such.
HIDE-ZOU: Like HIROKI is praising his muscles, I would praise my intestines.
HIROKI: You have to think about what to say...
HIDE-ZOU: Like "You are so strong!"
Tsunehito: OK, let's move on with the next question.
ASAGI: Let's go.
Question: 4 What do the band members do, when you have your days off. What are you planning to do during your day off?
From: Harumi / U.S.
HIDE-ZOU: Yes! I have heard that there are Ramen-shops in Europe.
HIROKI: You mean noodles?
HIDE-ZOU: Noodles...well Ramen. So, I think I would like to try that out. Like in Sapporo there's Salmon Miso-Ramen. I am looking forward to that. I don't think we can eat much rice, but Ramen is something I really want to try over there.
HIROKI: You could take the packaged stuff and then go to a Ramen-restaurant with that, too.
Tsunehito: I think I am going to take cup ramen with me.
Ruiza & HIROKI: I'm going to take some, too.
HIDE-ZOU: Well, me too then.
HIROKI: So everyone's taking them. You'll be the representative then.
HIDE-ZOU: Else, what do you want to do?
ASAGI: Well, as Ruiza said, we'll be taking cameras and I would like to take a lot of pictures of the landscape and the atmosphere there. Making videos, too, to record the tour and such. I really want to take a lot of pictures.
Ruiza: Taking pictures with all our strength.
HIROKI: Taking pictures during all songs. All songs.
Ruiza: I would like to walk the streets in the cities, and go to places where I can think: "This is really Europe!"
Tsunehito: I would like to go and buy souvenirs. Even though it is a little scary to go outside. I probably won't be able to go on my own.
HIROKI: Why?
Tsunehito: There are a number of things that'll be new to me and I won't understand the language. But if we all go together...
HIROKI: Just use gestures.
Tsunehito: We could use gestures all together. Trying to communicate just by moving.
HIDE-ZOU: I would like to check out the scenery.
Question 5: To ASAGI: You have beautiful cats and they surely love you very much, but who takes care of the cats during the tour. Do you have a cat sitter?
From: Tsunepune / Germany
ASAGI: It is the same during the Japanese tours, but they willstay at a pet-hotel. So this time, too, during the overseas tour, I will have the pet-hotel take care of them.
Question 6: How do you decide what lyrics to sing in English or other languages? And who helps you translate them?
From: Asagiislove / U.S.
ASAGI: I match them according to the perspective of the song itself, by what stage the song is set on and and in which country it takes place. I do the translating by myself but I also ask for advice.
Question 7: How do you think is your music perceived by the European fans as opposed to the Japanese fans?
From: Kirusu / France
ASAGI: This time is the first time we are going overseas, to see, what the feeling is like. It's probably a new feeling.
HIDE-ZOU: You can see it during live performances, too.
Ruiza: Creating the sound and having it understood.
ASAGI: One thing I would like to do is just like is waving flags together with everyone. That's something I would like to enjoy with everyone.
Question 7: Will the "Ultimate Lover" fan club be eventually available for overseas fans?
From: Harumi / U.S.
ASAGI: Yes, please. We would like that, to show what we are doing and share our experiences,
HIDE-ZOU: It is also about broadening our activities in that sense.
ASAGI: And show more what D is about. More opportunities to go abroad also come along with that. We really want to make it happen.
Question 8: You started a European tour, but do you think it is possible to do even a world tour and maybe come to Latin America?
From: VKSama / Columbia
ASAGI: We want to try to! This time it's a European tour, but we would like to broaden our activities further than that and meet more people abroad. We hope that we can reach many more people eventually.
Tsunehito: We want people from many different places to listen to our music and to show D's songs on stage.
Question 9: What feeling would you like to bring across to the European fans?
From: Sunako-chan / France
ASAGI: Hmmm...really...everything. We want to bring everything from D across.
Tsunehito: Something that you are only able to experience during a live performance. We want to do it with a lot of spirit.
So it's really everything.
Question 10: Do you have a special wish or an aim, you would like to realize during this European tour?
From: Sakiyo / France
ASAGI: We want to experience a number of things, walk around the actual places, and present the live performance as something from Japan through the music. We want to properly express things through our music and have it understood. Then we take all that we've learned and return home.
Tsunehito: We want to bring all of what D has done until now across, that's what we really need and want to do. People should think "That is D!"
(Live Video)
Tags: MJP TV, D
ASAGI: How did you like the live footage?
We are definitely coming to see you, so please wait for us.
Message from the band members:
Tsunehito: For me this is the first time ever to go overseas and it is also the first time to present D live there, but it will be the first time for those who come see us as well, therefore I would like to really give it my all and make it a fantastic performance.
Let's enjoy this together as much as possible and get hyped up.
HIDE-ZOU: For me it is the first overseas performances as well and while there are a lot of things that will be done for the first time, I am really looking forward to it. I would like us perform with all our strength and show what we've got. I want to take all of that experience home with me. Let's enjoy this together.
HIROKI: I am looking forward to meeting everyone abroad. I want to perform with all my strength and let everyone feel with their own body what this feeling is like and have everyone connect through it. So please come see us.
Ruiza: It is our first overseas tour and I am looking forward to it. So let's make it a passionate live performance. Until now there haven't been many chances, but bit by bit I would like to spend some great days in each place and do some great performances.
ASAGI: For me and for D, this is the first time going overseas, and I am really looking forward to it. While Japan is facing difficult times right now, we are still coming to meet you. We want to see what we can do by believing in our strength and continue our activities.
We would like to take everyone's fighting spirit from abroad and take it back to Japan with us.
Therefore, please come meet us.
Sugar from Cure Magazine 47. Â
While trying to verify what issue this came from I found scans of the whole magazine here:
https://blu-ichigo.livejournal.com/10483.html
Surprising that theyâre still up after all these years....
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