Line #6 Music/Kaoru


1	[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/th_6997.jpg]]
2
3	Kaoru Niikura, known mononymously by his given name Kaoru, is a Japanese guitarist, songwriter and record producer best known as the band leader and lead guitarist of the Post-VisualKei experimental metal band Music/DirEnGrey. Since 1996 he has been involved in the Visual scene as a guitarist for ''CHARM'' and ''La:Sadie's.''
4
5	He has composed most of Dir en grey's songs and is credited as the band's primary composer and producer (Up until the ''Vulgar'' album, where individual credits were dropped). Many of his compositions display great variety in terms of sound, often ranging from soft, slow ballads to upbeat, aggressive metal songs. He is also a proficient soloist; his melodic solos vary greatly in feeling, tempo and technicality.
6
7	Like fellow bandmate Music/{{Toshiya}}, he is also an illustrator.
8	----
9
10	'''Kaoru provides examples of:'''
11
12	* AmbiguousGender: Plays this trope straight as far as appearance is concerned, even more so in his early days in the Visual scene.
13	* DudeLooksLikeALady: [[WholesomeCrossdresser Presented himself as this]] in his early years. Even in some recent photos, he doesn't look like the manliest member of the band.
14	* {{Expy}}: A blatant Music/{{hide\|toMatsumoto}} clone; he is almost in competition with fellow bandmate Music/{{Die}}, and the two often seem to outdo each other.
15	** One of their more recent photo shoots has them looking like [[http://i.imgur.com/f23dDhv.jpg mirror images of each other.]]
16	* ElegantGothicLolita: During the band's most Visual phases, but averted in recent years.
17	* FollowTheLeader: A huge fan of Music/{{hide\|toMatsumoto}} and wanted to be like him (see above). [[AscendedFanboy He did.]]
18	* {{Guyliner}}
19	* HarshVocals: He tries to mimic Music/{{Kyo}}'s singing, though he ends up sounding like Music/MariaCross.
20	* LongHairedPrettyBoy: Has always been.
21	* LongRunnerLineUp: Part of one of VisualKei's most long lived bands. He is somehow proud of it and considers the band and his bandmates as important.
22	* MentorArchetype: Music/{{Yoshiki\|Hayashi}} helped shape his Music/{{hide\|toMatsumoto}} cloning attempt by injecting an Music/XJapan esque vibe to his early works.
23	* OjouRinglets: He has been curling his hair more and more in recent years; in 2011 he went for loose barrel curls, in 2012 he went for EightiesHair, and nowadays he seems to be going for a messier version of his 2011 hairstyle.
24	* OlderThanTheyLook: Almost in his forties, though he looks like one of the band's youngest members.
25	* OurZombiesAreDifferent: Popularized Music/DirEnGrey's tagline: "Japanese Zombie Heroez" which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin -- the band is usually portrayed in music videos as a group of VisualKei zombies playing metal songs (as seen in the [=PVs=] for "OBSCURE", "THE FINAL", "Hageshisa to...," and "DIFFERENT SENSE"). He claims that it first appeared on his ESP Ganesa VIII in a live show and ever since then the tagline has appeared on every one of his signature guitars, picks, and straps. It has also appeared in the band's official merch and as a tattoo worn by some Visual Kei fanboys.
26	* RenaissanceMan: Aside from music, he once said that, during his school years, he was known as an excellent student who specialized in arts and sports. [[BrilliantButLazy He isn't exactly the most studious, however.]] He is also an illustrator.
27	* ScaryMusicianHarmlessMusic: Inverted and, occasionally, averted.
28	* StageNames: He goes mononymously by his given name.
29	* StylisticSuck: His unclean vocals.
30	* VisualKei: Went Post-Visual, but still associated with the scene. Since the ''UROBOROS'' era, he has experimented with VK once again (same applies to the rest of his bandmates), though his style leans more towards "wealthy metal rockstar" at best.

Context Music / Kaoru