ÿþ<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" > <meta name="generator" content="HTML Tidy for Linux (vers 6 November 2007), see www.w3.org"> <style type="text/css"> body { background-color: black; margin: 0px; scrollbar-face-color: #000000; scrollbar-highlight-color: #000000; scrollbar-3dlight-color: #000000; scrollbar-darkshadow-color: #000000; scrollbar-shadow-color: #000000; scrollbar-arrow-color: #000066; scrollbar-track-color: #000000; cursor: crosshair; } .HEAD { text-align: right; margin.height: 4px; letter-spacing: 4px; font-size: 10px; font-weight: italic; font-family: verdana; color: #0000C0; border-width: 2px; BORDER: #02058A 1pt inset;} a:link {text-decoration: none; font-weight: none; color: #0099CC} a:visited {text-decoration: none; font-weight: none; color: #3333CC} a:hover {text-decoration: underline; font-weight: none; cursor: crosshair; color: #0099CC} a:active {text-decoration: none; font-weight: none; color: #0099CC} div.c11 {position:absolute; left:715px; top:220px; z-index:1; overflow:auto} div.c10 {position:absolute; left:210px; top:100px; z-index:1; overflow:auto} div.c9 {font-family: verdana; position: absolute; left: 555px; top: 44px; z-index: 1; overflow: auto} div.c8 {position:absolute; left:129px; top:220px; width:580px; height:350px; z-index:1; overflow:auto} div.c7 {color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: 70%} div.c6 {color: #0099CC} div.c5 {font-family: verdana; text-align: center} div.c4 {color: white} div.c3 {font-family: verdana} div.c2 {color: white; font-size: 70%} div.c1 {position:absolute; left:125px; top:30px; z-index:-1;} #apDiv1 { position:absolute; height:0px; left: 2px; top: 87px; } </style> <title></title> </head> <body> <div class="c1"> <div id="apDiv1"> <img src="FinalMatinHeader.gif" width="746" alt="Mana-Sama.Net"> </div> <img src="websitelayout2.png" width="750" height="554" alt="layout"> </div> <div id="maintext" class="c8"> <div class="c3"> <div class="c5"> <div class="c2"> <a href="http://www.mana-sama.net/info.html">BACK</a><br><br> <strong>Translation from Saizo Magazine Nov. 2010 with photos</strong<br><br> Magazine Photos:<br> (Click the image to enlarge it)<br><br> <a href="http://www.mana-sama.net/images/saizomana.jpg"><img src="http://www.mana-sama.net/images/saizomana.jpg" width="244" height="345"></a><br><br> <p>Welcome Visual-san!! (Last time) <p>The "brute writer" Kadokawa Keiko, who loves visual kei, teaches us all about it. <p>This month's band:<br> <b>Mana</b><br> The most important character in the aesthetic visual scene makes his advent on Saizo!! <br><br> Mana<br> He is the leader of the music project Moi dix Mois. He was also the leader of the famous and influential V-kei band MALICE MIZER now on hiatus. He has also produced Kanon Wakeshima, whom we covered in September of this series. He is called "Mana-Sama" by his fans, and there is no exaggeration with the name "sama". Mana-Sama, who is always dressed in the Gothic Lolita fashion, started up the brand Moi-meme-Moitie in his own image, and designs as well as produces and manages it. It is the Saizo advent of the V-kei androgynous god! <p>New Album (Planed to be released on December 15)<br> <b>D+SECT</b><br> A way to describe it in a single word would be "Genuine". Many V-kei bands have done similar things, but you have not listened to a band with complete works to this degree! A good point of the songs are that the lyrics have a well performed quality, and there is no other like him [Mana] after you see and hear this artist first hand. The aesthetic style of Mana-Sama is like nobody else. No other person could possibly mimic Mana-Sama!! Aah, it is possible to say he is truly distinguished. When I got to see Mana and his behaviors, I became very nervous (laughs). <p><i>"Recently I bought Snoopy pajamas to wear when I'm sleeping"</i> <br><br> <b>Mana (Initial, M)</b> Thank you very much.<br><br> <font color="red">--Mana-Sama is speaking!</font><br> <b>M:</b> huhuhuhu& & <br><br> <font color="red">--First of all, tell us the origin of your name.</font><br> M: waa, don't ask that& . This is a hard question (laughs).<br><br> <font color="red">-- On Wikipedia it mentions you go by T› T* [Mana]& & </font><br> (*Side note -- these are very specific kanji which Mana has chosen to write his name)<br> <b>M:</b> I use a name that interested me.0Its not what I actively use as an artist, but the maniacs (rabid fans) seem to know about it.<br><br> <font color="red">-- So then, is the origin a secret?</font><br> <b>M:</b> Well, it does sell as mysterious. huhuhuhu& & <br><br> <font color="red">--What is some kind of characteristic about lives you haven't talked about before?</font><br> <b>M:</b> Probably the foundation.<br><br> <font color="red">-- So did you wake up to music?</font><br> <b>M:</b> When I was in middle school I listened to western style Heavy Metal, and I thought "There is so much violence in this kind of music!". So in high school I started up a band. Now I incorporate classical music, but as a matter of fact I never learned about classical music. <br><br> <font color="red">-- ehh! So one day you thought about having classical music as the basis. Did you teach yourself?</font><br> <b>M:</b> I did& & it seems (laughs). My parents are music teachers, so since I was a child I've lived in an environment where classical music was always being played. <br><br> <font color="red">--What instrument did you play in your first band?</font><br> <b>M:</b> I played drums.<br><br> <font color="red">-- Wow! Thats surprising (laughs) One bus? Two bus?</font><br> <b>M:</b> Two bus.<br><br> <font color="red">-- and so it was a metal band?</font><br> <B>M:</b> I did heavy metal, but in particular it was a punk band.<br><br> <font color="red">-- (laughs). So you started out in full blown music?</font><br> <b>M:</b> After I left my parent's home I went to Osaka. During that time I played guitar, but it was a lot of trial and error, but I pressed on with the instrument.<br><br> <font color="red">--Therefore you found your talent?</font><br> <b>M:</b> No, I said things more like "What am I cut out for?"<br><br> <font color="red">-- We've been covering a lot of V-kei bands stories up until now, and all the band members who do more feminine style unanimously say "I studied the make up, clothes, and work ethics of Mana-Sama". It was Mana-Sama who practically started this whole androgynous style, isn't it? </font><br> <b>M:</b> When thinking the meaning of this through to the extreme, I could have been the beginning.<br><br> <font color="red">-- How do you take advantage of that?</font><br> <b>M:</b> I questioned inside of myself what is "the ultimate female image," that was when I was doing the frame work for the band during MALICE MIZER time. I thought about the fine arts and how to do it in a theatrical way. Therefore, I investigated that question. <br><br> <font color="red">-- Why did Mana-Sama originally think of looking good in a feminine style?</font><br> <b>M:</b> I thoroughly studied and looked at feminine styles, and I wanted to try it for myself.<br><br> <font color="red">-- And you are particularly beautiful!</font><br> <b>M:</b> Even now I do all my make up myself. Because I wanted to create an image of beauty in myself, I thoroughly studied myself.<br><br> <font color="red">-- There are rumors that when Mana-Sama goes to his neighborhood convenience store he dresses in gothic clothes& & </font><br> <b>M:</b> I didn't know about that (laughs), but actually I don't only own black clothes. I don't have blue jeans either though. <br><br> <font color="red">-- What do you wear when you go to sleep?</font><br> <b>M:</b> I don't have a jersey. Recently I purchased Snoopy pajamas, so now I wear those when I go to sleep.<br><br> <font color="red">-- Do you like the character Snoopy?</font><br> <b>M:</b> When I was a child I slept in a Snoopy futon, and since I was really attached to that, I still like Snoopy.<br><br> <font color="red">-- What color are your pajamas?</font><br> <b>M:</b> Light blue.<br><br> <font color="red">-- Wow, Mana-Sama wears something that isn't black. I want to see!</font> <br><br> <strong>Keiko's Interview Subscripts</strong><br><br> This important artist has been performing for more than 10 years, and Mana-Sama showed up 5 minutes before we started covering the article. I was very surprised. He said "& & I am prepared to speak" and since he does not speak on TV and such other members speak for him, so it was something special to hear his voice. I have been in charge of this series for about two years now, and every androgynous artist has said they are aware of Mana-Sama's members costumes and staging. It was wonderful to be able to meet Mana-Sama. I give thanks to be able to have such a brilliant series finale. To all the readers who have continued on with my series, Thank you! <br><br> Translated by: Sarah@Mana-sama.net <br><br> <b>**Extra Note**</b> <br> I interchangeably used the words "feminine appearance" and "androgynous" throughout the article, but the words originally used in Japanese are more closely associated with the idea of a male performer acting the role of a female, similar to the idea of Kabuki. I changed the words around a little for more convenience for foreign readers to be able to understand, but I hope this explanation helps a little!! <br><br> </div> </div> </div> <div class="c5"> <div class="c2"> <div class="c6"><strong>-</strong></div><br><br> <br><br> </div> </div> <div class="c7"><br> <br> Disclaimer: Mana-Sama.net is a fansite devoted to the Japanese artist Mana. All photos, graphics, and original text belong to Midi: Nette and Mana as I do not own or hold official the rights.<br> All translations, descriptions, reviews, and anything else belongs to the web admin, Sarah, or the original owners with permission. Please do not steal these or claim them as your own.<br> <br> </div> </div> <div id="LinksUpper" class="c9"> <div class="c7"> <a href="index2.html" target="_main">Home</a> | <a href="about.html" target="_main">Website and Admin</a> | <a href="FAQ.html" target="_main">FAQ</a> | <a href="links.html" target="_main">Links</a> | <a href="mailto:admin@mana-sama.net">Email me</a><br> <br> </div> </div> <div id="LinksLower" class="c10"> <div class="c3"> <div class="c7"> <a href="mana.html" target="_main">Mana</a> | <a href="malicemizer.html" target="_main">Malice Mizer</a> | <a href="moidixmois.html" target="_main">Moi dix Mois</a> | <a href="moimememoitie.html" target="_main">Moi-meme-Moitie</a> | <a href="monamour.html" target="_main">Mon+Amour</a> | <a href="info.html" target="_main">Reviews & Translations</a> | <a href="fans.html" target="_main">Fan Works</a> | <a href="http://www.forums.mana-sama.net">Forums</a> </div> </div> </div> <div id="SideBar" class="c11"> <div class="c3"> <div class="c7"> <b>English Publications</b><br> + Interviews<br> + Concert Reports<br> <br> <br> <br> <br><br> <br><b>Translations</b><br> + <a href="http://manaaesthetics.livejournal.com">Monologue Garden</a><br> + Song Lyrics<br> + Interviews<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <a href="http://www.mana-sama.com"><img src="http://www.mana-sama.net/images/m+t_banner.gif" alt="Monologue Theater"></a><br> <a href="http://www.http//www.cdjapan.co.jp/jpop/essentials/mmm/"><img src="http://www.mana-sama.net/images/mmm_banner.gif" alt="International Moi-meme-Moitie"></a><br> <a href="http://www.midi-nette.com"><img src="http://www.mana-sama.net/images/midi-nette_banner.gif" alt="Midi: Nette"></a><br> </div> </div> </div> </body> </html> <br> <br> <br>