Versailles (band)

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Versailles in 2007. From left to right: Teru, Jasmine You, Kamijo, Yuki, Hizaki

Versailles is a Japanese Symphonic Power Metal band, formed in 2007 by vocalist Kamijo and guitarist Hizaki, both of whom were already established musicians at the time. Alongside second guitarist Teru, bassist Jasmine You (formerly known as just Yuu), and drummer Yuki, they have enjoyed a fast-paced career. First self-produced on Kamijo's personal label, Sherow Artist Society, they were signed to Warner Music Japan in mid-2009.

As part of the Visual Kei movement, Versailles makes use of elaborate costumes and stage performances as well as androgynous aesthetics. Their particular theme is a mix of French aristocracy, which they use for their stage dress, and vampire mythos, which influences the band's backstory. The backstory in question is fairly elaborate; the idea is that the band are the "Descendants of the Rose," a group cursed with immortality. Each member plays their own role, and many of their songs and music videos tell part of the story. The band takes extreme care with both their visuals and their music, and have stated on numerous occasions that they hope to become known all over the world. Kamijo has also criticised the VK scene in general, saying that too many bands put too little emphasis on the music when they should be paying both factors equal attention.

Versailles are unusual in the Japanese scene, as, within two years of the band's formation, they had already toured Europe and visited the US once. They also released their first album on iTunes so that overseas fans could buy their music easily. Gathering fans abroad is important to them, so they have done all they can to make their work accessible. Unfortunately, they ran into a hitch in the States when a solo artist also using the name Versailles attempted to sue them for plagiarism. They got around this by changing their name to Versailles Philharmonic Quintet for their future USA releases.

Versailles in 2011. From left to right: Masashi, Teru, Kamijo, Hizaki, Yuki

Related Acts:

  • Hizaki Grace Project (Hizaki, Teru, Jasmine You)
  • Schwardix Marvelly (Hizaki)
  • Crack Brain (Hizaki)
  • Sulfuric Acid (Hizaki)
  • Lareine (Kamijo)
  • New Sodmy (Kamijo)
  • Aikaryu (Teru)
  • Sugar Trip (Yuki)
  • Jakura (Jasmine You)


The band went major in 2009, signing on with Warner Music Japan, and began to plan their second album and world tour. However, tragedy struck when, on August 9, 2009, bassist Jasmine You died suddenly and unexpectedly of an illness, the exact nature of which has not been made public. The album and tour were postponed and all live performances were cancelled. Versailles did not return to the music scene until October, when they played at the Visual Kei festival Vrock, with Matenrou Opera's bassist Yo standing in for Jasmine.

On September 4, 2010, they announced that Masashi was now a permanent member of the band after serving as the support bassist on their world tour; Jasmine You has been made an eternal member.

In early 2011, Versailles starred in Onegai Konaete Versailles (Please Fulfill My Wish, Versailles!), a variety TV Miniseries which can best be described as "Versailles solves mundane problems with the power of Visual Kei." They provided the theme songs for the films Vampire Stories: Brothers ("MASQUERADE") and Vampire Stories: Chasers ("Vampire"); Kamijo also produced the soundtrack for the latter.

Not to be confused with the already-mentioned American singer-songwriter, the film, the play, the TV series, the video game, or Rose of Versailles.

Members:

  • Kamijo: Vocals (2007-present)
  • Hizaki: Guitar (2007-present)
  • Teru: Guitar (2007-present)
  • Yuki: Drums (2007-present)
  • Jasmine You: Bass/Eternal Member (2007-2009, deceased)
  • Masashi: Bass (2010-present)
Discography:

Studio Albums:

  • Noble - 2008
  • JUBILEE - 2010
  • Holy Grail - 2011

EPs:

  • Lyrical Sympathy - 2007
Versailles (band) provides examples of the following tropes:
  • Adorkable: In some interviews and behind-the-scenes features, the entire band is this, but Hizaki and Teru seem to get these moments the most.
  • The Alcoholic: Well, perhaps not quite that far, but Yuki loves a drink or three, claims to drink almost every day, and has admitted to being disappointed if he gets chosen as the Designated Driver.
  • All Drummers Are Animals: Yuki himself averts this, although his role in the band's story ("The Warrior"/"Dark Master Yuki"--yeah, real subtle there) seems to play off this stereotype.
  • Anime Hair: Especially Teru.
  • Badass Cape: Kamijo often wears them. Teru and Yuki have worn these as well.
  • Badass Longcoat: Kamijo, Teru, Masashi, and Yuki wear these very often.
  • Bare Your Midriff: Teru, a rare male example.
  • Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: Jasmine often claimed to be an alien during interviews.
  • Bishonen
  • Black Cloak: Masashi, although his is flashier than these usually are.
  • Cape Swish: Teru and especially Kamijo do this often.
  • Cast Full of Pretty Boys
  • Character Tics: Hizaki is known for rapidly and repeatedly jerking his head around whilst playing guitar.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Jasmine You had a habit of providing this in almost every interview. If he wasn't claiming to be an alien, he was pretending to not understand Japanese, or acting out a random skit with the band member next to him. At the very least, he'd be mimicking Kamijo's gestures. He also sometimes performed magic tricks on stage.
  • Color-Coded Characters: Each member has a signature color (or colors, in Kamijo's case), which their outfits usually (though not always) reflect.
    • Kamijo - Black and white
    • Hizaki - Red
    • Teru - Light blue
    • Yuki - Dark blue
    • Jasmine You - Purple
    • Masashi - Black
  • Companion Cube: Contrary to popular belief, there are four members of Hizaki Grace Project in Versailles, not three: Hizaki, Teru, Jasmine You, and Elmo. OK, so all that last one does is assault Hizaki and have its wicked way with toy pandas, and it's probably no good with instruments, but it's been around for so long it may as well be the official mascot!
  • Cool Shades: The band members tend to wear these when they aren't in costume.
  • Costume Porn
  • Dude Looks Like a Lady: While all of the band members have managed to look rather feminine at some point, Hizaki is one of the most convincing crossdressers in the Visual Kei scene's history, and Jasmine You also pulled it off exceptionally well. They even look pretty feminine out of costume.
  • Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Masashi has this look in spades.
  • Elegant Gothic Lolita: Hizaki's style. He even once modeled for Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, one of the largest lolita brands.
  • Everything's Better with Princesses: Hizaki's role in the band's backstory.
  • Everything's Sparkly with Jewelry
  • Eyepatch of Power: Teru wears one for the "Rhapsody of the Darkness" photoshoot.
  • Five-Man Band:
  • Flower in His Hair: Hizaki and Jasmine.
  • Flower Motif: Roses. Lots and lots of roses. Roses on clothing, roses as props, roses as decorations, roses given to the audience during live shows. See also Something About a Rose and The Tragic Rose.
  • Fluffy Fashion Feathers: Kamijo is fond of these, Jasmine You wore these a lot (especially in his hair), and most of the band's outfits have had feathers on them somewhere.
  • Graceful Men Like Purple: Jasmine You.
  • Gratuitous French: "Bonjour, honey~" may as well be Kamijo's Catch Phrase.
  • Guyliner
  • Hair Decorations: Hizaki wears flowers in his hair; Jasmine wore flowers and feathers.
  • Hell-Bent for Leather: Kamijo often wears leather pants.
  • He's Got Legs: Teru.
  • High Turnover Rate: Hizaki seems to have this problem with entire bands...before Versailles, he was in Crack Brain, Schwardix Marvally, and Sulfuric Acid, amongst others, before founding the Hizaki Grace Project. He's also played support for Lareine and created a lot of solo material.
  • Iconic Logo
  • Impractically Fancy Outfit
  • Improbable Hairstyle: Everyone has these, but special mention goes to Teru.
  • In-Joke: Jasmine You = Alien. People who knew Kamijo from his Lareine days may also laugh over "Oh yes, my name is Christmas tree!"
  • Innocent Blue Eyes: Teru.
  • Kansai Regional Accent: Listen to Hizaki speak. You don't have to understand a word of Japanese to notice that he has a strong accent of some description. And seeing as he's from Kyoto...
  • Kayfabe Music: They have a rather elaborate backstory, with each member of the band having a unique role, and many of their songs relate to the story in some way. However, they don't keep up the facade as much as most other "concept" musicians, and at times don't take their own story very seriously.
  • Kindhearted Cat Lover:
    • Hizaki has a Persian cat named Sonia and has often tweeted about her.
    • Similarly, Masashi has a cat named Psuke whom he often blogs about. He even has a pillow with his picture on it. Aww.
  • Large Ham / Chewing the Scenery: Kamijo seems to have a lot of fun with his stage persona and often meanders into this territory as a result.
  • Light Feminine and Dark Feminine: Originally, Hizaki ("The Princess") represented Light Feminine and Jasmine ("The Witch") represented Dark Feminine.
  • Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Kamijo, occasionally.
  • Mr. Fanservice: All the band members are this to some extent, but Kamijo seems to take the crown. They seem to be aware of this, too; it's the only possible explanation for the "Personal Edit Music Video of MASQUERADE" videos.
  • Multicolored Hair: Teru (black and white/silver), formerly Masashi (black and red) and Yuki (brown and blue).
  • Nice Shoes: They all wear platform-heeled boots.
  • Nobody Loves the Bassist: Hugely averted with Jasmine You; he was one of the most notable names in the VK scene, and his death halted Versailles' career for several months. Since then, the band has been trying to make sure Masashi also doesn't fall into this trope--and it seems to be working.
  • Of Corsets Sexy: Jasmine.
  • Older Than They Look: Kamijo looks pretty good for someone who's pushing 40. Similarly, Hizaki and Teru look like teenagers despite both being in their early 30s. (Let's repeat this: Hizaki can pass as a teenage girl despite being a 33-year-old man.)
  • Only One Name: Everyone except Jasmine You.
  • Peacock Guy: Jasmine.
  • Peek-a-Bangs: Hizaki is the only band member who hasn't had these at some point.
  • Pimped-Out Dress: Worn by Hizaki and Jasmine You.
  • Pretty Boy: All of them.
  • Princess Curls: Hizaki.
  • Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Masashi.
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning: Masashi.
  • Something About a Rose: All of Kamijo's outfits have a rose on them, and most of the band members have had an outfit or two with roses on them (one of Hizaki's dresses in particular is literally covered in roses). Additionally, Kamijo always throws a rose to the audience at the end of every live show.
  • Spiky Hair: Teru and occasionally Kamijo.
  • Stage Names: Although, for the most part, their stage name is just a shortened version of their real name (e.g., Kamijo Yuuji -> Kamijo; Masayuki Ishikawa -> Yuki). The only exception is Yuuichi Kageyama, better known as Jasmine You.
  • Stupid Sexy Flanders: Hizaki often gets this.
  • Tall, Dark and Handsome: Masashi is the tallest member of the band (185cm/6'0" without the heels), consistently has pitch-black hair, and is a Bishonen like the rest.
  • The Tragic Rose: A recurring theme throughout the band's backstory and in their music videos.
  • Waistcoat of Style: Basically every member except for Hizaki, Jasmine, and occasionally Teru.
  • White-Haired Pretty Boy: Teru.
  • Wholesome Crossdresser: Hizaki and Jasmine You.
  • Who Wears Short Shorts?: Teru is a rare male example who doesn't play this for laughs.
  • Widget Series: Well, a widget band, being a widget in the widget genre of Visual Kei. Let's see--Hizaki resembling a woman, Jasmine You resembling a peacock covered in glitter, French aristocratic vampires (with Kamijo resembling Lestat to an almost creepy level), immortality, a running gag with a toy Elmo...and that's not the half of it...
  • You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Teru has mostly-silver hair; Yuki and Masashi used to have blue and red streaks, respectively.

Tropes applying to Versailles's music, performances, and music videos

Because I want to see you, because I want to hear your voice,
It seems I'll have to breathe my last breath... and stop.

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