Man, remember visual kei? It was all the rage among anime fans in the late 90’s and 00’s, back when I first got into the hobby. Fans discussed bands like Malice Mizer and Dir en grey right alongside their favorite series despite them not having any obvious connection, and the cross-dressing singer Mana, a major influence in the Gothic Lolita fashion movement, was just as popular to cosplay as pretty much any given anime character. Although the movement seems to be largely in decline these days, at least among U.S. fans, Visual Prison is here to remind us of its glory days.

For those not up to speed, it can be hard to get a handle on just what visual kei is. If you were to ask a dozen different people to describe it in terms of western musical genres, you’d get a dozen different answers. Personally, I’d call it something like a cross between goth rock and metal in terms of sound. The band members’ appearances also are emphasized – hence the “visual” part of the name – and their ostentatious hair, makeup, and costume styles usually lie on a continuum between glam rock and, again, goth rock. Their lyrics tend toward florid expressions of angst, full of various metaphors for pain and heartbreak. It’s all about big expressions of big emotions, filtered through big hair and elaborate makeup and costuming.

So, you can see why it’s a perfect backdrop for what essentially boils down to an idol series featuring vampires.

Yes, I know that visual kei as a musical…