The Josh and Gackt Fan thread!

[Laura Organa Solo]

Now in EXTRA LARGE

Brought to you by Gackt.com!

Unfortunately, Gackt's fanclub Dears doesn't care as much about their non-Japanese fanbase, so the news report is entirely in Japanese. The gist of it is just announcing the basics -- background on the production company, the director, and Josh Hartnett.

I may be reading it wrong, but it sounds like Gackt's character might actually be Josh's character's partner of some sort (Gackt fans were guessing he might play the villain, since during his five forays into acting, he played the main villain in three of them; plus, his voice just seems really well-suited for antagonists).

My friend Mer provided my website with a translation of Gackt's comment, supporting my reading that Yoshi might be the Nameless Wanderer's partner and not nemesis:

It was an honor to perform and be able to present to the world a fresh rendering of Uesugi Kenshin in last year's taiga dorama, "Fuurin Kazan". I had a strong interest in this role, set in a borderless world in the near-future, where I could express the ways of the samurai as Josh Harnett's partner.

More than anything, I was really touched by the way the director personally came to Japan to present to me his desire that I play this part. I really felt that this role is for me, so I consented to playing the part.

Many important Hollywood actors are lined up for roles in this movie, and I want to prove myself through acting and expressing myself throughout the world. [I think?]

Please wait for this with high anticipation. I'm going to make yet another dream of mine come true.
Kamui Gakuto

Gackt's entire discography is available on iTunes, and I highly recommend Mars and The Sixth Day if you've never heard of him before. If you think he looks like a woman, I sugges tchecking this gallery briefly.

More later, if people are interested.

P.S. Eheh, this is, I think, the first photo I've seen of Gackt looking so short. At 5'11", he towers over a lot of Japanese people.

[Jocasta]

Hi Laura (this is Crazyonyou from imdb). and thanks for the picture and the translation, I'm sure I won't be the only one who will definitely want to see more, so thanks again for offering.

I forgot to mention... they look great, seriously hot!
How do you like Gackt's look?

[Laura Organa Solo]

Hi there! Thanks again for the invitation. I hope you won't regret it because I'm about to make a massive reply to this with an FAQ of sorts. XD;;

They DO look cool. I can't tell you how excited I was to see them together.

As for my opinion on Gackt's appearance, I think he looks really slick. X3 For the last... 13 years or so, Gackt's hair has consistently been dyed various shades of brown, red, and blonde (in a society as homogeneous as Japan, everyone and their mom dyes their hair). It has rarely stayed its natural black for long until this last year. I expect he had to keep it black for Fuurin Kazan, and now this. I'm not going to lie, I love it.

/ramble I feel guilty talking about Gackt too much in your Josh Hartnett forum. I hope it's okay. XD

[Jocasta]

I feel guilty talking about Gackt too much in your Josh Hartnett forum. I hope it's okay

That's ok by me. It's good to hear another view. The net is totally buzzing with this new picture!
I think Josh's look is great, the Western style clothes but I'm confused about his facial hair... in the pics of him in Bucharest his almost clean shaven. And I like the pictures of Gackt with the blond streaks but this is a cool look too.

[Laura Organa Solo]

There are several reasons I am making this post. First of all, because sometimes concrete information on Gackt is scarce. It's definitely hard to find all in one place (especially since a couple people on Wikipedia have decided the article is essentially their property).

Second, because it can be annoying to sift through fangirls squealing to actually find things out about him.

Thirdly, because Gackt is kind of weird, and I feel the need to explain his weirdness to Westerners who haven't been exposed to him constantly for the last few years. :3

Gackt FAQ

1. Who is this Gackt guy?
   Gackt Camui, or Kamui Gakuto (神威楽斗) in Japanese is, first and foremost, a Japanese rock musician from Okinawa. 2008 marks the ninth year of his solo career, and in those nine years he has released nine full-length albums, and a bazillion singles.
   
   He writes all of his own music and lyrics, and has produced a lot of his own works as well. He mostly provides vocals and piano (he is a classically trained pianist -- his parents made him start taking lessons when he was four or five), but he can also play guitar, drums (he started out his modern music career as a drummer and ended up singing because his first band needed to record their demo tape and they didn't have a vocalist yet), violin, shamisen (traditional Japanese instrument), biwa (same), and supposedly learned to play brass instruments from his father. Some video examples here, although I'm not sure about the bass.
   
   Prior to his solo career, he was the vocalist for a now-defunct visual kei (rock bands with a wild, visual flair) band Malice Mizer, who I think was partly responsible for bringing modern goth culture to Japan. However, he had almost no creative control in Malice Mizer, so I'm not going to discuss them much.
   
   Gackt has also been dabbling in a variety of other media, which of course brings us to acting. His first full-length movie was Moon Child, a delightfully pulp John Woo-style action film. I had low expectations before I saw it -- Gackt authored the story (more on this later), and starred in it, as did even more famous Japanese rock musician Hyde (of the band L'Arc~en~Ciel, one of the most consistently popular bands in Japan for the last fifteen years).
   
   Following Moon Child, did some voice acting: one of the main antagonists in New Fist of the North Star (anime mini-series), the main character in a PS2 video game (Bujingai -- he also did all of the motion capture for the game's animations), and the much-hated, play-quoting antagonist for two more video games -- Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. The latter were a HUGE deal both in Japan and to gamers world-wide, as the Final Fantasy series is one of the most popular of all time.
   
   Aaaand he also wrote two books: an autobiography, Jihaku, and Moon Child Requiem, a fiction novel that details the events of the movie that were glossed over, and from an alternate perspective as well. It explores the racial tension and race relations that the movie touches upon.
   
   
2. How old is Gackt? Why do I keep hearing about him being a vampire?
   Gackt admitted to being born in 1973. Gackt started saying he was a vampire when he was in Malice Mizer as a part of their dramatic gothic image. He does NOT actually think he is a vampire. At this point, it's just something he jokes about.
   
   
3. He looks like a woman! Is he gay?
   To most Japanese, he doesn't really look that much like a woman. In fact, if you look at the majority of Gackt's peers in the music industry, he's actually quite masculine.
   
   In Japan, beautiful men have been considered the height of aesthetic beauty for hundreds of years. Beautiful men are a staple of the entertainment industry, and I think it would be safe to wager that more male musicians are enviously pretty than not, because it helps sell their stuff to women of all ages.
   
   It's a safe bet that he isn't gay, though. Not only have there been a couple tabloid scandals involving angry ex-girlfriends and disappointed groupies, but has stated a couple times (and I am explaining this loosely because I don't have exact quotes on hand, unfortunately) that relationships bonds between himself and a woman and himself and another man are different, and the latter isn't conducive to a romantic relationship.
   
   It's a possibility that he is bi, though. That said, he has done some overtly homoerotic things on stage during the 2000, 2002, and 2003 tours, but I'm pretty sure this is largely to please the majority of his female fanbase because, to put it bluntly, Japanese women love hot gay action.
   
   
4. What's the deal with the recurring "moon" theme?
   It's called The Moon Project and it's the most extensive "concept album" that I think has ever been done. The Moon Project consists of three original albums (Moon in 2002, Crescent in 2003, and Diabolos in 2005), the three concert tours for each album, the movie Moon Child, and the novel Moon Child requiem. The story begins in Heian-era Japan around 900-1200 AD and continues at least all the way up to 2045.
   
   It's REALLY complicated but it's also really amazing. And it's the reason Gackt's concerts in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 have rather large casts of dancers, as each performance portrays something story
   
   If you're curious, Eien no Yume's "Moon" page is the best guide to the entirety of The Moon Project, although some of its sections contain spoilers for the movie Moon Child.
   
   
5. Coming soon: "Is Gackt a self-centered egoist? Has he had a lot of plastic surgery? Is he a total phony? WTF, he says he can see dead people? Is he the WORST dancer ever?" and answers to more questions like these.

More when I am not really tired and have made sure it's okay to have posted this.

Recommended Viewing

• Gackt as Uesugi Kenshin in battle, 2007.
• As Uesugi Kenshin and performing "Returner", on the Kouhaku New Year's Special. Performing on Kouhaku is a big deal in the music industry.
• Utakata no Yume, 2004 "The Sixth Day & Seventh Night" concert opener. One of my favorite performances.
• Ash, "Diabolos" concert, 2005
• Rain, "Waning Moon" concert, 2002. It's rumored that he actually DID pass out after he went off stage here, and there are photos of him being lugged around unconscious. Gackt haters say it's just attention-whoring and melodrama, but thanks to Fernando Chien's MySpace post, we now have more than just Japanese industry people saying "Gackt sleeps three hours a night, trains like crazy, and is a workaholic."
• Mizérable music video, 1999. It's still one of his best videos.

[Laura Organa Solo]

Originally Posted by Jocasta

That's ok by me. It's good to hear another view. The net is totally buzzing with this new picture!

Thanks a lot. <3

I think Josh's look is great, the Western style clothes but I'm confused about his facial hair... in the pics of him in Bucharest his almost clean shaven.

Confession: for years I associated Josh with the boy-next-door image because of movies like Halloween H20, The Faculty, and Virgin Suicides. It wasn't until I saw him in Sin City that I remembered "Oh yeah, TIME HAS PASSED, I guess this guy has gotten older just like I have."

Seeing him with a mustache is still kind of... I don't know, a bit of a surprise for a split second, though. X3

[Soss]

Great picture and info, Thanks! Love the way Josh is dressed. Not sure the goatie is for real, never seen it that dark and thick before????

[aloha]

This is Gackt in the picture? I thought it´s a female costar. no seriously.

but holy boly, Josh looks ubber super hot there. I wonder if that´s a fake beard or his own (I guess fake)

[Italia6]

thanks for info and pictures :-)

[aloha]

hey haven´t noticed that before but his hair looks amazing there

[Italia6]

Originally Posted by aloha

hey haven´t noticed that before but his hair looks amazing there

i totally agree with you

[aloha]

Originally Posted by Jocasta

The net is totally buzzing with this new picture!

oh it is?? that´s cool. I hope we get to see more of that soon

I feel guilty talking about Gackt too much in your Josh Hartnett forum. I hope it's okay.

honestly I would rather read only the Josh related news, sure Gack is also in the news which is fine, but I´m not really interested too much in this guy. if he´s in the news with Josh it´s okay then.
No offence

Originally Posted by Jocasta

but I'm confused about his facial hair... in the pics of him in Bucharest his almost clean shaven.

I guess it´s a fake beard (again LOL), cause it looks to full kinda. don´t know what do you guys think?

[annieHARTNETT]

wow josh looks stunning.. very different like he has loads of makeup on

[aloha]

I just think, and that´s weird, he looks great with the beard there. maybe it´s cause of the whole look there which makes him look great with that

[Jocasta]

This is Gackt in the picture? I thought it´s a female costar. no seriously.

Silly aloha, he looks like a guy to me.


(Kers, I added the quote I was referring to, I didn't realise it was confusing without it).

[aloha]

what do you mean? I was talking about Josh. and he looks great there

[watashimokomi]

Jocasta, thanks for these words about Gackt.
I mean that is so cool to read everything here
It is like my dreams come true.

Laura Organa Solo, thanks for the short bio.
I think that would be interesting for those who have not heard of Gackt.
I really do believe he is more attracted by women. I have never thought I would think of someone like Gackt as a sexual ideal. But it seems to me that he is attractive to both men and women.
I am still not sure about his age. You know they have different dates for his birthday.
oh, and do you know if his real name is Satoru Okabe?

About Josh on the picture
He seems to be very awesome - and I belive he is going to perform a very cool man. I just hope they fight together

[aloha]

LOL this fight thing always confuses me, seems I have to read again what this movie is all about. will there be a fight in that movie? Josh is always cool in fight scenes

[watashimokomi]

aloha, I hope there will be a fight

[aloha]

well I wouldn´t dislike it to see him fight
I´m just still thrilled how he´s looking in that picture. it´s really true, he always has a different look. you can´t compare any of his movies (Just from the look) with another one (okay except maybe H20 and Faculty)