Visual kei and aesthethic culture

Abstract

Visual kei is a name defining the style of dress, specific makeup, fancy hairstyle, specific type of music, diversity, freedom, mixing and combining genres. It is also  creaton of yourself, something more than just role playing, theatralization or the desire to stand out in the crowd - it is a lifestyle inspired by the inexhaustible source of possibilities. The following article is focused on the Gothic variation of Visual kei, created by the popular musician Mana. He created a new world that quickly inspired fans of the genre, combined with Japanese alternative music (j-rock) and gothic inspirations. He also created a recognizable image that fans can easily take over (Lolita Fashion style). Moreover, I would like to point out how the receception of the Visual kei in Poland looks like. Why is this trend not so popular? Is Visual kei only a musical fusion or just a specific image? Or maybe the current reception is difficult because of the fact that lot of changes have occurred within the visual kei itself - sometimes it is hard to tell what specific kei style the band is presenting and whether it is still a particular style of music or just a peculiar image.