Gakuto Oshiro (大城 ガクト, Ōshiro Gakuto, born July 4, 1973),[nb 1][9] better known by his
mononymousstage nameGackt (stylized in
all caps),[nb 2] is a Japanese singer-songwriter, musician, record producer and actor.
Born in
Okinawa,
Japan, to a
Ryukyuan family, Gackt learned the piano at a young age and was raised on
classical music and
enka before becoming interested in
rock music while attending high school. He has been active since 1993, first as the frontman of the short-lived independent band Cains:Feel, and then from 1995 the now-defunct
visual kei rock band
Malice Mizer. Gackt started his solo career in 1999 with debut
mini-albumMizérable and first full-length album Mars (2000). He has released nine studio albums and, with forty-eight singles released, holds the male soloist record for most top ten consecutive singles in Japanese music history.[11] They are mostly conceived around two conceptual stories "Moon Saga" (Moon, Crescent, Diabolos, Last Moon) and "Requiem et Reminiscence" (Rebirth, Re:Born) which are performed live in uniquely elaborate concerts. His single "
Returner (Yami no Shūen)" (2007), is his first and only single to reach the number one spot on the
Oricon charts.[12] As a solo artist, Gackt has sold over 10 million records.[13] In 2007 became a founding member of
S.K.I.N., a Japanese visual kei rock supergroup.
Gackt was born on July 4, 1973, as the second of three children in a
Ryukyuan family, in
Okinawa of the
Ryukyu Islands,
Japan.[14][15] His father was a
music teacher, who primarily played the
trumpet, and his mother was also a
teacher. Gackt has an older sister and a younger brother.[14] He lived in Okinawa until he was 7 years old (with short periods when was 16 and 26),[15] because of his father's job, living in many different cities on
Honshu and
Kyushu islands in addition to Okinawa:
Yamaguchi,
Fukuoka,
Shiga,
Osaka, and
Kyoto.[14][15] He studied in the Moriyama High School in Shiga, and was enrolled in the
Kyoto Gakuen University.[16]
Gackt's musical education began at age three when his parents initiated his classical
piano education. At age seven, continuing his classical piano education became more difficult because of time spent at
elementary school and the repeated change of instructors due to relocating from city to city. It would take another four years until his parents allowed him to quit lessons. However, after losing a piano competition to a boy he met in the
middle school, Gackt voluntarily returned to his piano studies, even writing orchestral scores.[17] He has credited the classical pianist and composer
Frédéric Chopin with being "the one who taught me the beauty, depth, fun, sadness, the kindness of music; that music could grant people courage, and the meaning of the layers of sound. It isn't an exaggeration to say Chopin is the foundation of my music".[18] Since his father played the trumpet, Gackt is also familiar with
brass instruments.[14] Having only listened to classical music and enka while growing up, he did not become interested in rock music until high school, and went on to master
modern percussion.[14]
Music career
1993–1998: First musical efforts and Malice Mizer
In the early 1990s, Gackt was working as a
host and
dealer in a casino, while also being an assistant drummer for an amateur band. At the time he wanted to become more serious about his music activity but had a negative perspective on life. While at the casino, he met a businessman who inspired him to find a purpose in life, that being music.[14][17] About a year later he left the band and he found himself working multiple jobs, among them as a sound technician at a studio where he could practice drums.[14][16] When Gackt was twenty-years old, he met guitarist You Kurosaki, his future solo career support guitarist, at a music
live house in Kyoto. They formed the band, Cains:Feel, whose name had biblical reference to the story of
Cain and Abel.[14] The group lacked a vocalist, so Gackt became the
frontman, and the band went to record a demo tape before disbanding.[14]
In 1995, he was introduced to the visual kei band
Malice Mizer which was on hiatus due to the departure of their frontman
Tetsu. Gackt moved to Tokyo and joined them in October 1995.[14][16] As their vocalist, pianist and primary lyricist on studio albums Voyage Sans Retour (1996) and Merveilles (1998), he also contributed two songs in their catalog, "Regret" and "Le Ciel", the latter being their most successful single as a band.[19][20] During this time, the band's fame soared; and, after four years and two studio albums, in January 1999, it was officially announced that he left the band.[16] According to his autobiography, the members' differences, the sudden income of money, and his isolation from the band led to his departure.[14]Mana said he contacted Gackt in regards to him participating in the band's 25th anniversary concerts in September 2018, but the singer declined.[21]
1999–2001: Solo debut, Mizérable, Mars, and Rebirth
Gackt launched his solo career on January 1, 1999. After completing his recordings, his first gig as a solo artist was the 99 Gackt Resurrection tour held in 11 locations across Japan.[22] It was followed on May 12 with his debut release, the
extended playMizérable, released by
Nippon Crown. The album peaked at number two, spending 12 weeks on the Oricon charts.[23] It spanned the same-titled single "
Mizérable", which peaked at number three, spending nine weeks on the charts.[24] In July, he performed at Shock Wave Illusion in Osaka and
Tokyo.[22] On August 11, Gackt released his second single, "
Vanilla". It peaked at number four, spent 10 weeks on the charts, and enjoyed considerable success.[24] It was certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).[25]
In 2000, on February 9 and 16, the third and fourth singles were released, "
Mirror" and "
Oasis". They peaked at number nine and number seven, respectively, and both spent six weeks on the charts.[24] His fifth single was released on March 8, "
Seki-Ray", which peaked at number seven, charting for six weeks.[24] At the beginning of the year, Gackt was joined by support guitarist and associate producer
Chachamaru. For
Caparison Guitars, Gackt designed two guitars, named "Marcury" and "Venus", which he occasionally uses in his live performances.[26] On April 26, his first full-length studio album, Mars, was released. It peaked at number three, spent five weeks on the charts,[23] and was certified gold by RIAJ.[27] The following day Gackt went on a nationwide tour Mars Sora Kara no Homonsha -Kaisō-, which included 16 concerts, and on July 1, he performed the final concert at
Yokohama Arena.[22] On August 30, the sixth single, "
Saikai (Story)", was released. It peaked at number seven, spending six weeks on the charts.[24] The seventh single, "
Secret Garden", was released on November 16; it reached number ten, and charted for five weeks.[24] On December 16, 2000, Gackt released the first in the series of Platinum Boxes.[22]
In 2001, on March 14, Gackt released his eighth single, "
Kimi no Tame ni Dekiru Koto", which peaked at number six, and charted for 18 weeks, Gackt's longest-charted single until 2009.[24] On April 25, the second studio album, Rebirth was released. It was Gackt's first concept album, conceived around a fictional narrative during the time of
World War II, named "Requiem et Reminiscence". The album includes previously released singles "Seki-Ray" and "Secret Garden". It peaked at number three, spent 21 weeks on the charts.[23] On May 3, Gackt went on the Requiem et Reminiscence tour, which included 18 concerts at fourteen venues.[22] The final concert was held on June 23 at the Yokohama Arena.[22] His ninth single, "
Another World" was released on September 5. It was Gackt's first single to reach number two spot on the charts, spent 17 weeks on them,[24] and managed to sell over two hundred and fifty thousand copies.[28]
In the second half of 2001, during the release of "Another World", Gackt started his second concept, project "Moon Saga". In 2002, on April 24, he released his eleventh single "
Wasurenai Kara". It peaked at number four, spending five weeks on the charts.[24] On June 6, Gackt went on the nationwide live house tour which represented his new concept and included nine concerts at eight venues. The final concert was held on July 10, at Zepp Sendai.[22] On June 16, the third studio concept album Moon was released. It is Gackt's best-selling album, reached number two on the charts, and was certified gold by RIAJ.[33] On September 22, 2002, at the Beijing Worker's Gymnasium, in
China, a large musical event "China-Japan: Holding Hands, Moving Together" was held as part of "Japan-China Diplomatic Relations Normalization 30th Anniversary Commemoration", and Gackt was among the handful who represented his homeland.[22] On October 14, he continued the concept with the nationwide tour Kagen no Tsuki (下弦の月, The Waning Moon), which included 22 concerts among fifteen venues.[22] The final concert was held on December 24, at the Yokohama Arena. On New Year's Eve, Gackt performed "Jūnigatsu no Love Song" at the 53rd Kōhaku Uta Gassen.[34]
On March 19, his thirteenth single, "
Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume", was released, which is the second of five to reach number two on the charts, spending 10 weeks on them.[24] It was certified gold by RIAJ.[35] On May 4 the nationwide tour Jōgen no Tsuki (上弦の月, The Waxing Moon) was launched, continuing the concept of the previous one, and included 13 concerts at eight venues.[22] On June 11, the fourteenth single, "
Tsuki no Uta", was released and was ending theme for anime Texhnolyze.[36] It peaked at number three, and it was certified gold by RIAJ.[35] On July 6, the final concert of the tour was held at the Yokohama Arena.[22] On August 16 headlined the
All Night Nippon summer festival organized by
Nippon Broadcasting System.[37] On September 26, Gackt released his autobiography Confession (自白, Jihaku).[38] On September 27, he performed as a special guest at the
TV Asahi 45th anniversary commemorative "Kingdom Rock Show".[39] On October 2, Gackt performed the
John Lennon song "
Love", at the "Dream Power: John Lennon Super Live" concert organized by
Yoko Ono in
Saitama Super Arena.[40] Besides the film and musical recordings for the project, in October he published a novel Moon Child Requiem (Moon Child 鎮魂歌).[41] On November 12, the sixteenth single, "
Last Song", was released and peaked at number five. It spent 13 weeks on the charts and was certified gold by RIAJ.[42] On December 3, the fourth studio concept album, Crescent, was released. It also peaked at number five, through 11 weeks on the charts, and was certified platinum by RIAJ.[42] It included his movie Moon Child theme song "Orange no Taiyō" (オレンジの太陽, Orenji no Taiyō, "The Orange Sun") which sang with co-star
Hyde (singer of
L'Arc en Ciel). On New Year's Eve, Gackt performed "Last Song" at the 54th Kōhaku Uta Gassen.[43]
2004–2005: The Sixth Day and The Seventh Night, Love Letter, Diabolos and Tokyo Dome
In February 2004, his first compilation album, The Sixth Day: Single Collection was released. It peaked at number three, spent 23 weeks on the charts,[23] and was certified platinum by RIAJ.[44] On April 29, Gackt went on the nationwide tour The Sixth Day & Seventh Night, which included 15 concerts in eight venues.[22] In May, Gackt released another compilation album, The Seventh Night: Unplugged, containing the acoustic arrangements of previously released songs. It peaked at number five, spent eight weeks on the charts,[23] and was certified gold by RIAJ.[45] On July 4 was held the final concert of the tour at the Yokohama Arena. In October, the eighteenth single, "
Kimi ni Aitakute", was released.[46] It peaked at number two, spent 17 weeks on the charts,[24] and was certified gold by RIAJ.[47] In December, he appeared and performed at the
M.net/Km Music Video Festival, where he received the award for "
Best Asian Rock Artist".[48] On New Year's Eve, Gackt performed "Kimi ni Aitakute" at the 55th Kōhaku Uta Gassen.[49]
In January 2005, Gackt released the single "
Arittake no Ai de", which peaked at number seven,[24] and his fifth studio album, Love Letter, on
Valentine's Day. It peaked at number five, spent 13 weeks on the charts,[23] was certified gold by RIAJ,[50] and was re-recorded in Korean and released in June for the Korean market.[51] In April he returned to dark rock style and "Moon Saga" with the single "
Black Stone".[52] The single peaked at number three[24] and was certified gold by RIAJ.[53] In May, his twenty-second single, "
Metamorphoze", was used in the movie Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam.[54] It was his fourth single to reach number two, spent 13 weeks on the charts,[24] and was certified gold by RIAJ.[55] In August, Gackt released his twenty-third single, "
Todokanai Ai to Shitteita no ni Osaekirezu ni Aishitsuzuketa...".[56] It peaked at number three[24] and was certified gold by RIAJ.[57] In September, his sixth studio album, Diabolos, was released.[58] Conceptually, it was a prequel to the previous "Moon Saga" albums. It reached number four on the charts[23] and was certified gold by RIAJ.[59] Gackt launched his nationwide tour, Diabolos ~Aien no Shi~, including 36 concerts across Japan, which ended with a final Christmas Eve spectacle at the
Tokyo Dome,[58] in front of more than forty-two thousand people and costing 500 million Yen (roughly $4.3 million).[29][60]
2006–2007: First solo tours in Asia, international releases and S.K.I.N.
In 2006, he continued his tour with a concert on January 14, in Korea, at Fencing Stadium in
Korean Olympic Park, which was his first Asian solo concert.[61][62][63] In the same month his twenty-fourth single, "
Redemption" was released, which included theme songs "Redemption" and "Longing" of the
Square Enix game, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII.[64] On February 28, he appeared at the graduation of the Maiko High School in
Hyōgo Prefecture. Besides the words of encouragement, he performed an unreleased song especially written for the graduation. It was released the following year on February 7, as "
No ni Saku Hana no Yō ni".[65][66] Since then he continued to appear in graduation ceremonies,[67][68][69] with 13 performances by 2023.[70]
In August, at an
Otakon conference, it was publicly announced that he would form a rock supergroup,
S.K.I.N., with
X Japan drummer
Yoshiki,
Luna Sea guitarist
Sugizo, and guitarist
Miyavi.[71] The group had an ambitious vision to be the first Asian band to conquer the world charts.[72][73] On December 24, Gackt went on a small nationwide fan club tour Training Days – Dears Reserved Unique Gackt (D.r.u.g./Drug) Party, which also continued with four concerts in Korea and Taiwan in January 2007.[74][75][76] The tour, being his first livehouse tour since going solo, had a specific theme as while performing rock songs embraced an all-out androgynous style approach.[72]
On June 20, Gackt released his twenty-seventh single, "
Returner (Yami no Shūen)", which was the first in his career (both solo and as a member of a band) to reach the number one spot on the Oricon charts.[12] Its music and video were inspired by the NHK Taiga drama Fūrin Kazan in which Gackt played
Uesugi Kenshin.[77] The supergroup S.K.I.N. made debut performance on June 29, 2007 at
Long Beach Arena, California, but no further activities were announced.[78] On 10 October,[79] he held a press conference at the
Apple Store in
Ginza, Tokyo, where besides advertising the first
iPhone, Gackt announced he would have his entire back catalog, with new, previously toured, live song recordings, put up on the
iTunes Store, as well as that "
The Greatest Filmography" would be released on October 9 in the
United States and
Canada. His album Diabolos was released on October 26 in eighteen European countries.[80][81][82][83]
On November 17 and 27, he performed at M.net/Km Music Video Festival in
Korea as a special guest star,[84][85] and he appeared and performed at the 2007 Japan-China Cultural Exchange Grand Concert Final in
Beijing where sang "Jūnigatsu no Love Song" in Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin.[22][86] On December 19, Gackt released a compilation album, 0079–0088, including songs used in the Gundam franchise.[87][88] Gackt also performed at the 58th Kōhaku Uta Gassen.[89]
2008–2009: Requiem et Reminiscence II tour and Re:Born
In December 2008, Gackt returned to the story of "Requiem et Reminiscence",[90] releasing his twenty-eighth single "
Jesus".[91][92] It peaked at number seven, spending 10 weeks on the charts.[24] On December 14, Gackt went on his longest nationwide tour, Requiem et Reminiscence II -Saisei to Kaikō- (Requiem et Reminiscence II -再生と邂逅-, -Rebirth and Reunion-),[93][94] which included over 60 concerts in more than 45 cities, reaching an audience of over 210,000 spectators.[95]
On January 28, 2009, his twenty-ninth single "
Ghost" was released,[96] and peaked at number six on the charts.[24] On May 18, Gackt was scheduled to perform a concert in South Korea at Seoul's Olympic Hall, but due to the effects of the
global recession, the sponsors of the concert withdrew their support.[97][98] In commemoration of his 10th anniversary as a solo artist, Gackt released four singles: "
Koakuma Heaven", "
Faraway", "
Lost Angels", and "
Flower", one week after another, starting from June 17 and ending on July 1.[99] They all managed to enter the top ten on the charts.[24] On June 13, Gackt began the arena part of the tour, and on July 4 held a fanclub concert to celebrate his birthday at the
Yoyogi National Stadium.[100][101] On July 11 and 12, he held the final concerts at the Saitama Super Arena.[102]
As both Gackt and the
Kamen Rider Series'
Heisei period run had its 10th anniversary, he became involved in the 2009 edition of the franchise, Kamen Rider Decade, to perform its theme songs. These are the first singles that were not written by him, and were released by
Avex Trax and
Avex Entertainment. In March, his thirtieth single and the series' opening theme, "
Journey Through the Decade", was released, peaking at number two and spending 25 weeks on the charts,[24] and certified platinum by RIAJ.[103] In August, he released the second theme single for the Kamen Rider Decade film All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker, "
The Next Decade". It peaked at number four and spent nine weeks on the charts.[24] He also appeared in the film as Decade's iteration of the character
Jōji Yūki.[104] The collaboration finished in January 2010 with the release of the final single, "
Stay the Ride Alive",[24][105] which charted the same as his previous one.[24]
In September, he performed as a representative of Japan at the
Asia Song Festival at
Seoul World Cup Stadium in Korea.[106][107][108] In September he also participated in the 2009
Animelo Summer Live concert.[109] In October, Gackt performed as the main artist in the Wow Live! Thanks For Music show held in Yoyogi National Gymnasium, in Japan.[110] On December 2, he released his seventh studio album, Re:Born, which also featured RR II story related
audio drama. It reached number nine on the charts.[23] On December 9 was released his thirty-six single "
Setsugekka (The End of Silence)/Zan", it reached Top 5 on the charts.[24] On December 12, he held a fanclub cover concert conceptualized around fictional school, "Camui Gakuen", at the Saitama Super Arena.[111]
2010–2011: The Eleventh Day, move to Avex Group and Yellow Fried Chickenz
In 2010, on February 14, Gackt participated as a representative of Japan at the Asia Pops Festival held in
Niigata, in homage for the victims of 2007 Chūetsu earthquake.[112][113] On March 6 and 7, he performed the theme songs "
Setsugekka (The End of Silence)/Zan" at the festival organized by
Koei to promote their new
Wii game, Samurai Warriors 3, at the Saitama Super Arena.[114][115] On April 17, he officially announced that he transferred from Nippon Crown to
Avex Group's recording conglomerate.[116]
Prior to the transferring to Avex, he organized a band project
Yellow Fried Chickenz, whose name refers to human cowardice, that included Chachamaru and
Shinya Yamada.[117] Besides the nationwide tour in June and August,[118] from July 16, he made his first appearance touring Europe, performing sold-out dates in
London,
Paris,
Barcelona,
Munich, and
Bochum.[119][120][121] On July 21, the compilation album, The Eleventh Day: Single Collection, was released by Nippon Crown, which was a collection of the singer's singles from the second half of his tenure with the record label.[122]
In July and August 2011, Gackt toured Europe for the second time with Yellow Fried Chickenz, and later toured across Japan. In Europe, he visited 9 countries and performed 14 shows, starting on July 20-21 at
Bataclan in Paris, including also first time performance in
Cologne,
Amsterdam,
Toulouse,
Berlin,
Budapest,
Warsaw,
Leipzig,
Stockholm, and ending on 11 August at
Ray Just Arena,
Moscow.[123] They gathered an audience of 20,000 people.[124] A year later on July 4, 2012, at a concert at the
Nippon Budokan, Yellow Fried Chickenz was disbanded.[125]
2012–2014: Best of the Best tour, and move to independent G&Lovers
In 2013 his first national tour in four years was announced, titled Best of the Best Vol. I, which started on May 11, and ended with three consecutive shows on July 7 at the Yokohama Arena.[133] It had an attendance of 80,000 people.[133] In July, it was accompanied with the release of two compilation albums, Mild and Wild, including two new songs "Claymore" and "Sakura Chiru...".[133] On December 22, the final concert of the fourth festival of cover concerts was held, which conceptualized around a fictional school, "Camui Gakuen".[134] On December 26, a special live concert was held where Gackt performed along with the
Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.[135]
In 2014, since February 12, with the release of his forty-fourth single "
P.S. I Love U",[136][137] his records were released by his independent record label G&Lovers (G-PRO), distributed by
Crown Tokuma.[138][139] In August 2014 was released second novel related to the story of "Moon Saga" (also Gackt's
theatre play).[140] On October 1, Gackt released his forty-fifth single, "
Akatsukizukuyo (Day Breakers)".[141] On December 26, the second live concert with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra was held.[142]
2015–2017: Last Moon and Last Visualive tour
In celebration of Gackt's 15th anniversary on July 1, 2015, the remix album titled, Gacktracks -Ultra DJ ReMix-, was released.[143] It contained club remix versions of his songs done by Japanese DJs, including
DJ Koo,
Taku Takahashi,
Tomoyuki Tanaka (FPM),
Jazztronik,
Marc Panther and many others.[144] Gackt stated he personally would not decide to do the project from a musical perspective because he was not fond of
EDM.[145] He chose the DJs on a first-come, first-served basis, and, because of the great interest for participation, he believed in a second collaboration in the near future.[146] He also expressed his concern on the decline of originality and growing irrelevance of music in modern daily life.[147] On July 3 a release party was also held.[145] On October 7, 2015 his forty-sixth single, "
Arrow" was released.[148][149] In the same month, he embarked on another small tour of cover concerts conceptualized around a fictional school, "Camui Gakuen",[150] and with it performed on Hyde's band
Vamps "Halloween Party" at
Makuhari Messe,[151] and on
Niconico Super Party at the Saitama Super Arena.[152]
His solo live tour in almost seven years, Last Visualive Saigo no Tsuki –Last Moon–, started with a fanclub only concert on March 19, 2016 at Misato City Cultural Hall in
Saitama,[153] with the first public show being held on March 21 at the Colany Hall in
Yamanashi.[154] The tour ended on July 3 with two consecutive shows at the Saitama Super Arena. Overall, a total of 42 concerts in thirty cities were held, with an audience of about 120,000 people.[155][156][157] There were planning talks about holding a world tour.[158] The eighth studio album Last Moon was released on April 27, 2016.[159] The 48th single "
Tsumi no Keishō (Original Sin)" (罪の継承~Original Sin~, lit. "Inheritance of Sin: Original Sin"), conceptually related to the latest album, was released on March 22, 2017.[160]
2018–present: 20th anniversary, temporary hiatus, and return
On July 4, 2018, the "Last Songs" concert was held in celebration of his 45th birthday at
Shinkiba Studio Coast, Tokyo, which was broadcast live via
NicoNico Live.[161] Between October 11 and 25, eight live performances of the "Camui Gakuen" event were held.[162] On December 31, Gackt sang the national anthem of Japan for the Japanese kickboxer
Tenshin Nasukawa before his bout with American boxer
Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the Saitama Super Arena.[163] He also joined the live broadcast of Fuji TV as a special guest commentator for the main and semi-final matches.[163] On March 22, 2019, Gackt participated as a representative of Japan at the Hong Kong Asian-Pop Music Festival.[164] On July 4, 2019, a concert was held in celebration of his 46th birthday and 20th anniversary of solo career at
Pacifico Yokohama.[165] The 20th anniversary national tour Khaos started at
Grand Cube Osaka on January 11 and ended at
Fukuoka Sunpalace on February 29, 2020, a total of 20 performances in eight cities in total,[166][167] with an audience of about 60,000 people.[15] In the late 2020 provided theme song "Exterminate" for the theatre play Road59.[168]
In June and July 2021 held a live tour "Last Songs 2021" with South Korean singer-pianist
K.[169][170] On September 8, 2021 it was announced that Gackt would go on an indefinite hiatus for a medical treatment of prolonged neurological disorder from childhood which caused severe
dysphonia, a neurological vocal condition that prevents him from singing and other activities.[171][172] In his promise of recovery vowed to make a new album and tour in the future.[173] On May 17, 2022, it was announced that he was not fully recovered but will resume activities by the end of the year,[174] and in January 2023 stated to feel at "80%".[175]
On January 28, 2023, Gackt sang the national anthem at the
sumo retirement ceremony in honor of
Hakuhō Shō.[176] In March started a live tour "Last Songs 2023" with South Korean singer-pianist
K with whom collaborated two years ago, performing ballads and other songs in arrangements with strings and piano.[177] In September 2023 made a surprise appearance and talk show at the "Thai-Japan Iconic Music Fest" held at
Iconsiam in Bangkok, Thailand.[178] In November published his second autobiography Confession II (自白II, Jihaku II),[179] and expressed desire to perform worldwide.[180]
Acting career
Gackt's introduction to
filmmaking, in addition to music videos, came in 2001 and 2002 with two TV documentaries. First, he traveled to
Madagascar for the TV show Ima Hadaka ni Shitai Otoko-tachi (いま裸にしたい男たち),[181] then participated in the children's documentary, Hero's Hero, both aired on
NHK.[182] In 2003, he worked on the script and starred as Shō in his film, Moon Child, which was filmed in Taiwan.[183] It was released on April 19 in Japan, and screened on May 13 at the
Cannes Film Festival and on April 12, 2004, at
Philadelphia Film Festival.[184] He voiced Seiji in the
original video animation, New Fist of the North Star, for which two of his older songs were used as themes and released as a single "
Lu:na/Oasis".[185] Gackt also assisted as a model and provided the voice and the motion capture for a main character Lau Wong in the video game Bujingai by
Taito and
Red Entertainment.[186][187] His next involvement was in 2006, with the Final Fantasy franchise, for a video game Dirge of Cerberus, and again in 2007 for a video game Crisis Core, where the character
Genesis Rhapsodos was modeled on, voiced and co-created by Gackt.[188] Besides that, Gackt composed and performed two theme songs for the first game, which were released in the single "
Redemption".[188]
In 2007, Gackt played the
Sengoku-perioddaimyōUesugi Kenshin in the
NHKTaiga drama, Fūrin Kazan,[189] for which he was nominated for the TV Navi award as best-supporting actor in a drama category.[190] Gackt recalls that Kenshin was always portrayed as a very tough man. Thus his vision with
female myth in mind, which presented him clean-shaven and with long hair, received harsh criticism, but
Ken Ogata expressed his approval and supported Gackt's work in the drama.[191] In the same year Gackt was a voice actor in the Japanese dub of the French animated-live action film, Arthur and the Minimoys.[192] In 2008, Gackt was filming in Romania for his first international film debut, Bunraku, which was released in 2010.[193] The next year he appeared as a prisoner Takegami Teijiro on death row in the second episode of the TV series, Mr. Brain,[194] and Joji Yuki in the film Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker.[104] In 2008 and 2009 collaborated as an actor, with main character based on him and were used his songs in two slo-
pachinko's, Yamasa Digi World SP Bounty Killer and Gladiator Evolution.[195][196]
In 2012, Gackt appeared in the Sengoku Basara television drama, Sengoku Basara: Moonlight Party, as the games' depiction of warlord
Oda Nobunaga.[210] He also performed the series' theme song "
Hakuro" (his 42nd single). He was also seen in a dual role as a Professor of Neurology Shiki Takashi and Yumeoji (literally translated "Dream Prince") in the drama Akumu-chan, which is based on the novel Yume Chigai (夢違) by
Riku Onda.[211] In mid-2013 was the voice actor of Travis Grady and provided image song "Claymore" in Japanese dubbing of Silent Hill: Revelation.[212][213] In November 2013, Gackt appeared as a guest-star in two episodes (21 & 22) of the Indonesian
Tokusatsu series, Bima Satria Garuda, as "Noir", the mysterious "Bima Legend" Knight from Parallel World.[214] In 2014, he repeated his role in the movie Akumu-chan,[211][215] and starred in the drama Time Spiral as a
time-traveler university professor Shuya Tatsumi, based on the web novel Tokeru Rasen (解 け る 螺旋) by Eren Mizumori (水守恵蓮).[216] Gackt collaborated with
Square Enix on the role-playing game 3594e -Sangokushi Eiga- for
iOS, based on the story of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a Chinese historical novel. The in-game playable character, military general
Lü Bu, was voiced by him and he also provided a
theme song.[217]
In 2015, Gackt made a cameo appearance in Origami, a short film by director Cato Ochi.[218][219] It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.[218] In the same year he voiced the characters Uesugi Kenshin and Sengoku Gackt which was modelled after him as well as provided the opening theme song of the mobile game Sengoku Shura Soul.[220][221] In early 2016, it was announced that Gackt was to have his first lead role after 14 years in the movie Karanukan (2018) directed by Yasuhiro Hamano (浜野安宏).[222][223] The movie is set at the
Yaeyama Islands of
Okinawa, and Gackt portrays photographer Hikaru Ooyama who falls in love with a girl, Mami who mysteriously disappears.[222][224] In the same year he voiced Maten Ruedo in the mobile game Othellonia,[225] was a voice actor for
The Fiend with Twenty Faces providing also opening and ending theme songs for the anime Trickster,[226][160] and also dubbed the main role played by
Tom Hiddleston in the Japanese dub of Kong: Skull Island.[227][228]
In August 2018, it was announced that Gackt will have a co-leading role as 18-year-old student Rei Asami in a live adaptation movie of the 1980s comedy manga Tonde Saitama (翔んで埼玉), written by
Mineo Maya (魔夜峰央). The film was released in early 2019 to critical acclaim,[229] and Gackt was nominated at the
43rd Japan Academy Film Prize for
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.[230] In October 2022 was confirmed to have started working on Tonde Saitama sequel,[231] which was released in November 2023.[232]
Theatre
In May 2010, a play named Nemuri Kyoshiro Buraihikae was staged at
Nissay Theatre in Tokyo, in which Gackt starred as the main protagonist.[9][233][234] The show ran for 120 performances in seven cities until February 27, 2011, with an estimated 150,000 spectators.[235] In 2012, Gackt announced a plan to continue the concept of Moon Saga with a stage theatre play written, composed and directed by him, 'Moon Saga - Mysteries of Yoshitsune, in which he starred as
Minamoto no Yoshitsune, starting from July 15 at
Akasaka ACT Theatre in Tokyo.[236] The final two of 60 shows were held on September 26 and October 2, in Tokyo.[237][238] The estimated audience was about 50,000 spectators.[140][239] The second "Moon" stage theatre adaptation ran from August until October 2014, with 40 performances in seven cities,[240] notable for the first major use of
projection mapping in theatre stage plays.[140][241][242]
A sample of "
Jūnigatsu no Love Song" (2001), a Christmas love song inspired by
September 11 attacks in New York City. It was later recorded in English, Chinese and Korean language.
A sample of rock song "
Returner (Yami no Shūen)" (2007), Gackt's first and only number one spot on the
Oricon Singles Chart, and prominently featuring Japanese traditional instruments.
Gackt has a low-pitched voice,[56] with a
vibrato pitch at
D3-D4,[243] and is capable of using
falsetto like for example in song "
Ares" and "
4th" among others.[244][245][246] In his songs he shows wide range and often sings in both low and high notes in the same song, sometimes also adding the falsetto.[247] According to Gackt, he had expanded the vocal range too much between 2003 and 2004, and searched for a right expression until 2005, since when he has been getting more straightforward.[248] His voice was described as "very melodramatic",[249] as well as "smooth, sleek, unnaturally heartfelt",[250] "velvet" and "molasses".[244]
Songwriting
His songs range from melodic ballads to intense hard rock songs,[248][251][252] in which he masterfully combines "raw rock elements" with "listener-friendly compositions".[250] Josephine Yun in A Concise Report on 40 of the Biggest Rock Acts in Japan (2005) noted his "talent for orchestration and for blending classical elements into the rock genre ... and his style ranges from romantically classical to experimental and unfolding progressive rock".[244] Many songs, like for example "
Mind Forest",[253] "
Metamorphoze",[254] "
Returner (Yami no Shūen)",[77] and those related to the album Last Moon,[255][256] are distinctive for their blend of modern Western musical instruments and
traditional Japanese musical instruments,[257] a kind of music called by Gackt as "
Zipangu rock" from which can be sensed it originates from Japan.[255]
Gackt often "stressed the beauty and importance of Japanese lyrics", writing "all of his music and lyrics to quality, not quantity".[244] He uses double meaning words,[258] and lyrics are "meaningful and heartfelt".[259] They also deal with emotions of sadness, kindness, coexistence, beauty, fragility, depth of love for others and loneliness among many others.[247][260]
His process of writing songs and making concerts is by first writing the story, then writing and composing the songs based on it with a specific image in the live performance.[258][261] It results in songs that are conceptually related, but still independent from each other.[262] Most of his studio albums are conceived around two conceptual stories: story of "Moon Saga" (Moon, Crescent, Diabolos, Last Moon), set in Asia (mostly Japan) and Europe is a vampire story although by itself it is not, as the vampires were presented as a way of expressing a certain evil side and existence of humans.[140][261][262][263] The theme is based around the
existential questions of humanity, a symbolical and psychological story about the repetition of human sins, war and the question of what is the ultimate meaning of human life;[262][264] and story of "Requiem et Reminiscence" or short "ЯR" (Rebirth, Re:Born), which is set in
Nazi Germany during the
World War II and questions where humans start and end and why at the same time destructive and loving, humanity decides to start wars.[94][100][102][248]
Performances
Gackt is known for his unique concerts,[90][94][100][101] which he wants to preserve as works of art.[56] His conceptual kind of
concerts related to "Moon Saga" and "Requiem et Reminiscence" are different from typical music concerts neither they fit in the usual categories of a musical or a theatre play. Thus Gackt calls them "Visualive", because they are formed by a story, music, movies, theatre and musical elements, as well as live performance (with Gackt "acting" as the story protagonist).[94][100][263][265] The shows are elaborately divided into two basic parts, conceptual and entertainment, which can be further divided into four parts, firstly is introduction concept movie followed by first set of concept songs, secondly has stage clothes change and second set of concept songs, thirdly after a video of relief has a separate set of songs and MC with audience engaging in playful entertainment, and fourthly has ending conceptual performance and closing movie.[94][100][157][257][266] Reviewers described them as rock spectacles with a teartful story that will make the audience wishing for a peaceful world.[94][100] During the performance of "
Rain" on 2002 and 2003 tours had the water drops falling like a rain from the ceiling onto the stage.[267] His final performance of Diabolos tour in 2005 at
Tokyo Dome (costing roughly $4.3 million[29]) received praise and shocked the audience,[64] as included entering the arena on a horseback in full gallop with four other horse riders,[90][268] in a suspended coffin during "
Lust for Blood", singing "
Love Letter" hanging 20m in the air, and disappearing in a sudden smoke explosion.[60][63] The 2008-09 Requiem et Reminiscence II and 2016 Last Visualive - Last Moon tour concerts lasted up to four hours.[102][156]
The Visualive concert format was originally created during the Requiem et Reminiscence tour in 2001, and according to Gackt, it took him almost ten years to arrive to a satisfying point of form during the Requiem et Reminiscence II tour in 2008-2009. However, he found such way of expression as difficult and physically and mentally exhausting, with a profitability that is not in accordance with the demands of
entertainment industry.[263][269] By 2007 he had a lot of requests to tour worldwide, but such large-scale shows are difficult to have in foreign countries and need significant logistical support for transportation.[81][82][97]
Similarly his Camui Gakuen festival shows (2009-2019) have him performing
cover versions conceptualized around a same-titled fictional school of which Gackt acts as the student council president wearing a school uniform.[111][134] He can be seen cross-dressing as a female, being a drummer of SEX Japan (pun on
Yoshiki and his
X Japan), or a guitarist of The Balue Hearts (pun on
The Blue Hearts) among others.[151][270] Gackt's example of a more typical concert is D.r.u.g. Party tour (2006-2007) featuring his rock songs,[75] with Oricon review noting his eroticism and charisma while performing,[74] and Gackt considering it his and worldwide's pinnacle of an all-out
androgynous style by a man.[72]
Cultural status
Gackt is considered a Japanese
pop and
fashion icon,
J-pop/
J-rocksuperstar and
Japanese idol, and due to his involvement with the visual kei movement, which emphasizes
androgynous and changing appearance, he is referred to as a "living manifestation of readers' fantasy men" found in
bishōnenmanga.[1][2][271][272][273][274]Otaku USA magazine in 2007 stated "His 'more than human' appearance and persona were a hit with the mass media in Japan. It was as if a fictitious character suddenly popped out in the real world".[275] He has been compared to fictional characters like
Griffith from Berserk,[1]Cloud Strife and
Squall Leonhart from Final Fantasy,[186][276] as well as having been an inspiration for manga characters.[277] In his late career his appearance changed to more "
macho".[278]
Gackt became associated with Japanese
daimyoUesugi Kenshin who he played in NHK Taiga drama Fūrin Kazan. Gackt was subsequently invited to act as Kenshin at
Jōetsu city's traditional 82nd Kenshin Festival in August 2007.[279][280] In August 2010 he participated in the 85th Kenshin Festival for the third time, with a record attendance of more than 240,000 visitors.[281] Four more times he reprised the role in the festival,[282][283][284][285] with a new record high number of 243,000 visitors in August 2015.[286]
Over the years, Gackt appeared as a performer, guest and regular member on several television variety shows, including Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ, and since 2009, TV Asahi's New Year's special Geinoujin-Kakuzuke-Check (Celebrity Rating Check), where he holds the record of 71 individual winning streaks,[175][301] building an image of a top
connoisseur and "first-class entertainer".[302][303][304] Gackt was one of the judges of Japan's first season of
Got Talent show which premiered on February 11, 2023.[305][306]
Gackt appeared in many
television commercials, including for
Fujifilm,
Shiseido,
Daihatsu,
Niconico,
Tsutaya,
Square Enix, and
Konami, among others.[307] From July 2014 to August 2016 in collaboration with
Nestlé Japan was started a gaming channel "Game Center" with daily video release of Gackt playing video games, gathering more than 15 million views in first season alone.[308][309] In 2019 became ambassador for
PUBG Mobile in Japan, a collaboration that until 2023 saw him contributing original models of himself, skin outfits which wore in his career, weapon skins and voice pack.[310][311][312][313][314]
Gackt's other entrepreneurship projects include, among others, producing a line of sake "Chateau Gackt" in 2013.[317] In 2016, he co-founded a real estate company with Satoshi Ikeda, named Gackt & Ikeda Asia Bridge Partnerz, in Kuala Lumpur.[318][319] In 2017, he got involved as a core member and strategic advisor for Asia of a
virtual currency project, Spindle.[6] In 2019 was chosen as the executive organizer of the Japan Grown Diamond Association.[320] In 2023 went on a long-term collaboration with a newly constructed winery and vineyard at
Kaminokuni, Hokkaido.[321]
Philanthropy
The year 2007 saw the creation of the Save our Dears charity to help the victims of the
Chūetsu offshore earthquake that struck the
Niigata Prefecture.[322] To raise funds for this charity, Gackt designed a keychain and bracelets, in addition, the charity also featured two Orico UPty
MasterCard credit cards.[322] Gackt's fan club Dears,[nb 3] raised ¥2,000,000 (US$26,041) which Gackt donated to the city of
Jōetsu at the 83rd Kenshin Festival in 2008.[322]
On December 14, 2010 he participated in and performed in a Hohoemi project charity event called "Message! to Asia", by DATV at Tokyo Dome, whose profits were planned to help street children in
Cambodia and the
Philippines.[325][326] For an auction at the event, he auctioned his custom 1999
Pontiac Firebird Trans Am MS6, which was sold for ¥6,015,000 (US$72,033).[327]
In 2011, because of the
Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Gackt founded the "Show Your Heart" charity for collecting money to buy supplies for the victims.[328][329][330] In March, a truck convoy with 72,000 lb (33,000 kg) of food and clothes was delivered and a nationwide street-corner fund-raising campaign was held, with Gackt's participation,[331] which collected ¥25,234,490 (or US$320,193).[328][332] All money collected through bank transfers and
street fundraising activities was transferred from
Rakuten to the
Japanese Red Cross, totalling ¥208,181,735 (US$2,641,564).[328][333] Part of the 2011 world tour and other activities of Gackt's band project
Yellow Fried Chickenz revenue was also donated to the Japanese Red Cross.[334] At several theatre plays of his Moon Saga: Mysteries of Yoshitsune I (2012), with the help of the
Ashinaga (organization), orphans from the earthquake were invited and also received a monetary donation for scholarship.[238][335]
In addition to making a private donation, Gackt sold merchandise during the 2020 tour which raised ¥4.7 million (roughly US$44,000) to support the reconstruction of the recently burned-down
Shuri Castle in
Shuri, Okinawa.[15][336]
Personal life
Gackt is and feels pride in being an ethnic Uchinanchu i.e.
Ryukyuan.[15][337][338] When he was young he experienced discrimination for it in Japan but it did not have a negative effect on him.[15] He reportedly also experienced discrimination in a Paris hotel in 2015 for being Asian.[339][340][341] His stated life and music goal is giving people hope, connecting them and uniting Asian countries.[81][342][343]
When he was 20 years old, Gackt was briefly married to a South Korean woman,[344][345] and his "last big love affair" which ended in 2014 was reportedly with Japanese-born South Korean singer
Lee Ahyumi.[180][346][347][348]
Gackt has lived for most of his life in Tokyo, Japan. In 2012 he moved to the Philippines and Hong Kong,[349][350] with his primary residence located in Malaysia, where he has a mansion of 1,700 square meters situated in a
residential area on the outskirts of
Kuala Lumpur.[318][351][352] In 2022 was announced to be building and designing a new mansion in Malaysia.[352]
He also speaks Mandarin, Korean, English, and some French.[29] He has a second-degree black belt rank in
ITFtaekwondo, as well as experience in other martial arts like
karate,
boxing,
jiu-jitsu among others.[353] In the past years he enjoys playing
poker and since 2017 plays competitively on live tournaments, with largest cash of $75,600 from fourth-place finish in Aria High Roller, Las Vegas.[3][354][355]
He stated that his philosophical way of life is similar to Japanese
Bushido.[193][343][356] His personal religious belief is close to a
nature god.[357] His family believed that their deceased members became gods and they should venerate them, hence exist two conceptions of
Ryukyuan religion in Okinawa whether to venerate the ancestors or nature. It does not have a well-defined theorization and rituals, but the practice is an acknowledgment of everything that surrounds people,[358] "a love of nature".[224] Gackt every year with his 20-30 staff members is cleaning his family
Monchū tomb deep in the mountains of Southern Okinawa from where his ancestors originate, while the family altar in Northern Okinawa because his great-grandfather founded a town there.[359]
2008-09: Requiem et Reminiscence II ~Saisei to Kaikou~ (Requiem et Reminiscence II 〜再生と邂逅〜)
2009-19: Kamui Gakuen
2013: Best of the Best Vol. I
2016: Last Visualive Saigo no Tsuki –Last Moon– (Last Visualive 最期ノ月 –Last Moon–)
Club tours:
1999: 99 Gackt Resurrection & Easter Live
2006-07: Training Days – Dears Reserved Unique Gackt (D.r.u.g./Drug) Party
Theater, Hall tours:
2020: Khaos
2021: Last Songs 2021 feat. K
2023: Last Songs 2023 feat. K
Notes
^Gackt's exact birth name was publicly unknown until 2017. For a certain period of time was considered that Gackt Camui (神威 楽斗, Kamui Gakuto) was his real name,[1][2][3] but
ASCAP, beside "Gackt" and "Gackt C," listed
GakutoOshiro, which are a Japanese given name and surname.[4][5] They were confirmed by Gackt on December 26, 2017.[6][7] His year of birth, 1973, was also unknown until November 5, 2009, and instead his public profile used 1540.[8][9] This was a remnant of his claim to be a vampire from his early career.[9]
^On June 4, 2009, in commemoration of his solo career's 10th anniversary, his stage name "Gackt" became stylized in all-capital letters as "GACKT".[10]
^Dears is the former name of G&Lovers, Gackt's official fan club. As of October 1st, 2013, it was renamed to G&Lovers. On March 15, 2016, an international fan club was also opened.[323] Specially reserved events were organized for the members, like an annual trip, which so far visited Hawaii, Seoul, Sydney, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Paris, Singapore, Toronto, Macau, Thailand, and Rome.[324]
^"Gackt「僕の音楽の基盤はショパン」". Barks (in Japanese). March 1, 2010.
Archived from the original on September 4, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2010. Original quote: 「...そんな僕に音楽の美しさ、深さ、楽しさ、悲しさ、そして音楽は勇気を与えることが出来るモノだってこと、重なり合う音の意味を教えてくれたのがまさしくショパンだった。僕の音楽の基盤はショパンだと言っても過言ではない。僕にそこまで大きな影響を与えたショパンの楽曲、その魅力と魔力。自分の耳と心で確かめて欲しい。...」
^
ab望木綾子 (January 5, 2007).
"Gackt、ファンクラブ限定ライヴで大サービス". barks.jp (in Japanese). Global Plus.
Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
^"Gackt、出陣式でアレを片手でもてあそぶ!?". barks.jp (in Japanese). Global Plus. October 25, 2007.
Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
^
abcKazuki Arimoto (December 3, 2008).
"Gackt独占インタビュー" (in Japanese).
BIGLOBE. Archived from
the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
^"Gackt、新曲が劇場版「仮面ライダー」主題歌に決定" (in Japanese). Oricon. October 22, 2009.
Archived from the original on December 26, 2009. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
^Garcia, Cathy Rose A. (September 20, 2009).
"K-Pop Stars Steal Spotlight at Asia Song Festival". The Korea Times. Retrieved December 2, 2023. Gackt, a former vocalist of Malice Mizer and one of the pioneers of the visual kei movement in Japan, gave one of the most explosive performances of the night. Gackt rocked the festival with his powerful voice, hard-hitting rock tunes, exciting visuals and special effects.
^"Gackt籲募款震災 紀香、黑人、范范支持". libertytimes.com.tw (in Chinese). The Liberty Times. February 14, 2010.
Archived from the original on April 19, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
^"Gackt見参、さいたまスーパーアリーナが戦国時代に". barks.jp (in Japanese). Global Plus. March 8, 2010.
Archived from the original on August 18, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
^"Gackt、エイベックスへの移籍を発表". barks.jp (in Japanese). Global Plus. April 17, 2010.
Archived from the original on September 4, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
^Claire (June 6, 2012).
"Yellow Fried Chickenz to Disband". jame-world.com. Japanese Music Entertainment.
Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
^蔡加讚汪圓圓沒傾婚事 (in Chinese). SINA.com. March 19, 2012. Archived from
the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
^"Gackt、メジャーリーグ開幕戦にて国歌独唱!". mu-mo.net (in Japanese). avex marketing Inc. March 30, 2012. Archived from
the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
^"GacktニューシングルはスノボCMソングの冬バラード". natalie.mu (in Japanese). Natasha. December 18, 2012.
Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
^"Gacktが"呂布"に扮した新曲PVを一部解禁". barks.jp (in Japanese). Global Plus. September 24, 2014. Archived from
the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
^"GACKT、7年ぶりコンセプトツアーの追加16公演を発表". barks.jp (in Japanese). Japan Music Network. January 7, 2016.
Archived from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^"GACKT、激しいダンスでも魅せるコンセプトツアー開幕". natalie.mu (in Japanese). Natasha. March 20, 2016.
Archived from the original on March 23, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
^"Gackt、「ヘリコプターの免許を取ろうかな」". barks.jp (in Japanese). Global Plus. January 24, 2011.
Archived from the original on July 26, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
^"Gackt、「いい女性が現れたら結婚しようかな」". barks.jp (in Japanese). Global Plus. February 4, 2011.
Archived from the original on July 26, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
^"Gackt新曲「暁月夜」PVで三国志の武将熱演". natalie.mu (in Japanese). Natasha. September 24, 2014.
Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
^
ab"GACKT、愛に向き合う長編映画「最高の作品を皆様に送ります」". natalie.mu (in Japanese). Natasha Inc. February 9, 2016.
Archived from the original on February 11, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^"GACKTさんが語るTVアニメ『トリックスター』と怪人二十面相" [GACKT-san talks about TV anime Trickster and the Fiend with Twenty Faces]. animate Times (in Japanese). animateLAB Corporation. November 23, 2016.
Archived from the original on March 10, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
^Naoto Migita; Masanori Morise; Takanobu Nishiura (2010). "A Study of Vibrato Features to Control Singing Voices". Proceedings of 20th International Congress on Acoustics. Sydney, Australia.
S2CID14821385.
^Alexey Eremenko.
"Love Letter". AllMusic.
Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
^
abAlexey Eremenko.
"0079-0088". AllMusic.
Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2019. 0079-0088 defines pop/rock: the genre is about taking raw rock elements and using them to construct accessible, listener-friendly compositions, and there's no one to rival Gackt in the ability to do this, possibly not just in Japan, but in the rest of the world as well ... Gackt's smooth, sleek, unnaturally heartfelt voice.
^
abCecile, Emilie, Valerie (Ongaku France) (2009). "Gackt - Meeting a Japanese superstar". Hard Rock (in French). Vol. April–May, no. 23.{{
cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)(
English translation)
^
abMoko Shimizu (September 20, 2015).
""LAST VISUALIVE"へ向けてGACKTの壮絶なドラマが始まる" [Approaching the Last Visualive, GACKT's Sublime Drama Begins]. OKMusic (in Japanese).
Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
^
abcMidori Ono (October 2005). "Diabolos - 美しき悪魔からの誘い". Arena 37C (in Japanese) (277). Japan.
^
abcMami Akagi, Tour Pamphlet (GC025) - Special interview (in Japanese), pp. 18–26
^"GACKTのライブで衝撃的だった演出ベスト5(おすすめDVD&Blu-ray)" [The 5 Best Shocking Performances at GACKT's Live (Recommended DVD&Blu-ray)]. Visualrock.net. V系ロック魂. June 11, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
^"過去最高24万3000人 第90回謙信公祭の入り込み発表" (in Japanese). Joetsu Journal. August 24, 2015.
Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
^"「Message! to Asia」@東京ドーム画像". barks.jp (in Japanese). Global Plus. December 16, 2010.
Archived from the original on July 26, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
^"Gackt「Show Your Heart」、有言実行". barks.jp (in Japanese). Global Plus. April 1, 2011.
Archived from the original on July 21, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
^嶋野 雅明 (September 19, 2019).
"【対談全文】GACKT×玉城知事(前編) 首里城との関わりは誇り「1人のウチナーンチュとしてやれることを」" [[Full text of the interview] GACKT × Governor Tamaki (first part) Proud of his involvement with Shuri Castle "What I can do as an Uchinanchu"]. Ryūkyū Shimpō (in Japanese). Retrieved December 3, 2023.
^
ab"Gackt (visual voices guide)". behindthevoiceactors.com. Retrieved June 18, 2022. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.{{
cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (
link)