Line #65 Music/Versailles


1	[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/versailles_band_708.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:330:Versailles in 2007. From left to right: Teru, Jasmine You, Kamijo, Yuki, Hizaki]]
3
4	Versailles is a Japanese {{Symphonic\|Metal}} PowerMetal band, formed in 2007 by vocalist Kamijo and guitarist Music/{{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.
5
6	As part of the VisualKei movement, Versailles makes use of elaborate costumes and stage performances as well as [[DudeLooksLikeALady androgynous aesthetics]]. Their particular theme is a mix of French aristocracy, which they use for their stage dress, and [[OurVampiresAreDifferent 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.
7
8	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.
9	[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/versailles-tvt_2598.jpg]]
10	[[caption-width-right:330:Versailles in 2011. From left to right: Masashi, Teru, Kamijo, Hizaki, Yuki]]
11	[floatboxright:
12	Related Acts:
13	+Music/{{Jupiter}} (Hizaki, Teru, Masashi, Yuki)
14	+Hizaki Grace Project (Hizaki, Teru, Jasmine You)
15	+Schwardix Marvelly (Hizaki)
16	+Crack Brain (Hizaki)
17	+Sulfuric Acid (Hizaki)
18	+Lareine (Kamijo)
19	+New Sodmy (Kamijo)
20	+Aikaryu (Teru)
21	+Impellitteri (Teru, live-only)
22	+Sugar Trip (Yuki)
23	+Jakura (Jasmine You)
24	+Cosmo (Masashi)
25	]
26
27	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.
28
29	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.
30
31	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 [[ThePowerOfRock the power of]] VisualKei." 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.
32
33	On July 20, 2012, the band members announced that they would be going on an indefinite hiatus at the end of the year, releasing a SelfTitledAlbum in September and doing a brief farewell tour in Japan before their final performance on December 20. The next year, Versailles' instrumentalists formed Music/{{Jupiter}}, a new band with a different vocalist, while Kamijo began to release music as a solo artist. In 2015, the band announced a reunion in mid-2016.
34	----
35	!!Members
36	* Kamijo: Vocals
37	* Music/{{Hizaki}}: Guitar
38	* Teru: Guitar
39	* Yuki: Drums
40	* Jasmine You: Bass/Eternal Member (2007-2009, deceased)
41	* Masashi: Bass (2010-present)
42	----
43
44	!!Discography:
45	* ''Lyrical Sympathy'' (EP) - 2007
46	* ''Noble'' - 2008
47	* ''JUBILEE'' - 2010
48	* ''Holy Grail'' - 2011
49	* ''[[SelfTitledAlbum Versailles]]'' - 2012
50	* ''Lineage ~Bara no Matsuei~'' - (2017)
51
52	Not to be confused with ''Manga/TheRoseOfVersailles'' nor the French-Canadian series ''Series/{{Versailles}}''.
53	----
54	!!Versailles and its members provides examples of:
55
56	* AllDrummersAreAnimals: 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.
57	* BadassCape: Kamijo often wears them. Teru and Yuki have worn these as well.
58	* BadassLongcoat: Kamijo, Teru, Masashi, and Yuki wear these very often.
59	* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: Jasmine often claimed to be an alien during interviews.
60	* BlackCloak: Masashi, although his is flashier than these usually are.
61	* CallBack: An observant fan may notice that the "Rose" [[http://i45.tinypic.com/iogm7c.jpg photoshoot]] (for the band's 5th anniversary) is set in the same place as [[http://visualjapankei.webs.com/versailles-the_revenant_choir.jpg the cover]] for the single version of "The Revenant Choir" (the band's first single).
62	* CapeSwish: Teru and ''especially'' Kamijo do this often.
63	* CharacterTics: Hizaki is known for rapidly and repeatedly jerking his head around whilst playing guitar.
64	* ColorCodedCharacters: Each member has a signature color (or colors, in Kamijo's case), which their outfits usually (though not always) reflect.
65	** Kamijo - Black and white
66	** Hizaki - Red
67	** Teru - Light blue
68	** Yuki - Dark blue
69	** Jasmine You - Purple
70	** Masashi - Black
71	* CompanionCube: Contrary to popular belief, there are four members of Hizaki Grace Project in Versailles, not three: Hizaki, Teru, Jasmine You, and [[Series/SesameStreet 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!
72	* CoolShades: The band members tend to wear these when they aren't in costume.
73	* CostumePorn
74	* DudeLooksLikeALady: 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 VisualKei scene's history, and Jasmine You also pulled it off exceptionally well. They even look pretty feminine [[http://a0.img.mobypicture.com/4054862c1ffa0706fa71d5ee71007617_view.jpg out of]] [[http://www.lacarmina.com/blogpics/091027_vrock7.jpg costume]].
75	* EverythingsSparklyWithJewelry
76	* EyepatchOfPower: Teru wears one for the "Rose" photoshoot.
77	* FakeShemp: Jasmine's death during the production of ''JUBILEE'' resulted in Hizaki having to fill in a large portion of the basslines on the album.
78	* FlowerMotif: 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 SomethingAboutARose and TheTragicRose.
79	* FluffyFashionFeathers: 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''.
80	* [[GracefulLadiesLikePurple Graceful Men Like Purple]]: Jasmine You.
81	* GratuitousFrench: "[[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench Bonjour]], honey~" may as well be Kamijo's CatchPhrase.
82	* {{Guyliner}}
83	* HellBentForLeather: Kamijo often wears leather pants.
84	* HighTurnoverRate: 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.
85	* IAmTheBand: '''Inverted'''; the band, minus Kamijo, reunited and formed Music/{{Jupiter}}, with a new vocalist in Kamijo's place.
86	* ImpracticallyFancyOutfit
87	* ImprobableHairstyle: Everyone has these, but special mention goes to Teru.
88	* InJoke: Jasmine You = Alien. People who knew Kamijo from his Lareine days may also laugh over "Oh yes, my name is Christmas tree!"
89	* InnocentBlueEyes: Teru.
90	* KayfabeMusic: 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.
91	* LargeHam / ChewingTheScenery: Kamijo seems to have a lot of fun with his stage persona and often meanders into this territory as a result.
92	* LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine: Originally, Hizaki ("The Princess") represented Light Feminine and Jasmine ("The Witch") represented Dark Feminine.
93	* MrFanservice: 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 "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Nj5obT2xH4 Personal Edit Music Video of MASQUERADE]]" videos.
94	* NobodyLovesTheBassist: 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.
95	* OfCorsetsSexy: Jasmine.
96	* OjouRinglets: Hizaki.
97	* OlderThanTheyLook: 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 [[http://i47.tinypic.com/34xs4t5.jpg pass as a teenage girl]] despite being a 33-year-old man.)
98	* OnlyOneName: Everyone except Jasmine You.
99	* [[PeacockGirl Peacock Guy]]: Jasmine.
100	* PimpedOutDress: Worn by Hizaki and Jasmine You.
101	* SomethingAboutARose: 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.
102	* SpikyHair: Teru and occasionally Kamijo.
103	* StageNames
104	* TallDarkAndHandsome: 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.
105	* TheTragicRose: A recurring theme throughout the band's backstory and in their music videos.
106	* WaistcoatOfStyle: Basically every member except for Hizaki, Jasmine, and occasionally Teru.
107
108	!!Tropes applying to Versailles's music, performances, and music videos
109	* AudienceParticipationSong: Kamijo encourages the audience during live performances to sing along with most of their songs. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw30J8dlRCU "The Revenant Choir"]], being one of their {{Signature Song}}s, is a good example of this.
110	* ConceptVideo: "The Revenant Choir". Also "ASCENDEAD MASTER," but that only really makes sense if you watch the fifteen minute short film the band made to accompany it.
111	* CoolMask: In the "MASQUERADE" video, [[MasqueradeBall for what should be obvious reasons]].
112	* CreepyChild: In the video for "ASCENDEAD MASTER".
113	* DanceOfRomance: Between Kamijo and Hizaki in the "MASQUERADE" video.
114	* DeliberatelyMonochrome / SplashOfColor: Portions of the video for "ASCENDEAD MASTER". It's not completely monochrome, however, just very desaturated...except for the rose that Kamijo is holding throughout the video.
115	* DramaticShattering: Teru smashes a mirror in the video for "DESTINY -The Lovers-". The same video also has a non-glass variation near the end when Kamijo angrily throws a bouquet of roses onto the ground, scattering the petals.
116	* DressRehearsalVideo: Every single one of the band's music videos. "Vampire" deserves a special mention for being made entirely of clips of the band performing on a stage in an empty room.
117	* EpicInstrumentalOpener: "Faith & Decision" has a ''seven-minute'' introduction before Kamijo finally starts to sing.
118	* EpicRocking: "PRINCESS -Revival of Church-" (8:16); "The Love from a Dead Orchestra" (8:28); "HISTORY OF THE OTHER SIDE" (9:30); "God Palace -Method of Inheritance-" (10:30); "Faith & Decision" (16:27).
119	* EpilepticFlashingLights: The entirety of the "Shout & Bites" video and parts of the "Aristocrat's Symphony" video.
120	* FrozenFashionSense: Made obvious in the "ASCENDEAD MASTER" video.
121	* AGodAmI: "God Palace -Method of Inheritance-"; "ASCENDEAD MASTER"; "Gekkakou"
122	* GoryDiscretionShot: When Kamijo stabs the Woman In White in the "Aristocrat's Symphony" video, the camera immediately cuts to a red-tinted shot of her eyes. (Then, in the next shot, [[RuleOfSymbolism it begins to rain rose petals]].)
123	* GrandStaircaseEntrance: Hizaki in the "Aristocrat's Symphony" video.
124	* GratuitousEnglish: It's present, but used fairly sparingly, which is probably just as well, since Kamijo's pronounciation is, despite his best efforts...not brilliant. It is noticably starting to improve, though.
125	* GratuitousGerman: "Rosen Schwert" ("Rose Sword").
126	* GratuitousItalian: "SFORZANDO" (a musical term meaning "suddenly or strongly accented").
127	* GrayRainOfDepression: In "HISTORY OF THE OTHER SIDE" and "The Umbrella of Glass".
128	* GreatBallsOfFire: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw30J8dlRCU Occasionally]], although usually [[CostumePorn their costumes]] are the flashiest parts of their live performances.
129	* GriefSong: "Serenade." While the song was composed before Jasmine's death, the music video was released afterwards and dedicated to him. Additionally, "AFTER CLOUDIA", "windress", "Rosen Schwert", and "The Umbrella of Glass".
130	* HarshVocals: Very rare (and used sparingly when they do appear), but they do pop up occasionally, such as in "The Red Carpet Day" and "Gekkakou", among others.
131	* HitlerCam: In "ASCENDEAD MASTER".
132	* IndecipherableLyrics: Thanks to Kamijo's bad pronunciation, most fans don't realize that 90% of the lyrics to "The Revenant Choir" are in [[GratuitousEnglish English]] until it's pointed out to them. His pronunciation ''has'' been getting better, which just means it's easier for English-speaking fans to find out that said lyrics [[WordSaladLyrics don't make sense anyway]].
133	* IntercourseWithYou: The aptly-named "Libido".
134	* InterplayOfSexAndViolence: Many of their more "vampire-ish" songs.
135	** HemoErotic
136	* LonelyPianoPiece: "EPISODE"
137	* LoveNostalgiaSong: "AFTER CLOUDIA"; "SFORZANDO"; "Remember Forever"; "DESTINY -The Lovers-"
138	* MasqueradeBall: "MASQUERADE".
139	* MeaningfulFuneral: The video for "Serenade".
140	** ItsAlwaysSunnyAtFunerals
141	* MetalScream: Not particularly often, but still shows up in a few of their songs, including "The Red Carpet Day" and "zombie". The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M30a8bGUWX0 live version]] of the former has even more than the album version.
142	* MilkingTheGiantCow: Kamijo has always been [[ChewingTheScenery partial to a nice piece of stage]], but he takes his wild dramatic gesturing up to eleven in the last couple of minutes of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne423XWtjf4 "ASCENDEAD MASTER" music video]]. The rest of the band join as well--if they can get away with taking their hand away from their instrument for a minute, they do just that and make it worth it.
143	* MinisculeRocking: "Threshold" (1:59) and "The Theme of Holy Grail" (1:25) from ''Holy Grail'' fit the first definition, being short by anyone's definition. "Reminiscence" (2:29) and "Sound in Gate" (2:36) from ''JUBILEE'' fit the second version of the trope, seeing as how Versailles's songs average about six minutes long.
144	* NonAppearingTitle: The vast majority of their songs. It's easier to count the ones which ''do'' have the title in the song (see TitleDrop).
145	* ObsessionSong:
146	** Passive: "ANTIQUE IN THE FUTURE"; "PRINCE"; "PRINCESS"; "Flowery"
147	** Aggressive: "Beast of Desire" (really, with a title like that, what can you expect?); "Vampire"
148	* OminousLatinChanting: Or, in the case of "Gekkakou," Ominous Latin [[HarshVocals Growling]].
149	* OtherCommonMusicVideoConcepts:
150	** "MASQUERADE" falls under Dance Hall Daze.
151	** "Philia" falls under Junkyard.
152	* OurVampiresAreDifferent
153	* PlayingTheHeartStrings: The beginning of "Serenade".
154	* PowerBallad: Per PowerMetal tradition, each album has at least one: "Sympathia" on ''Lyrical Sympathy'', "windress" on ''Noble'', "Amorphous" and "Serenade" on ''JUBILEE'', and "DESTINY -The Lovers-" and "Remember Forever" on ''Holy Grail''. The Japanese version of "Love will be born again" is also one of these.
155	* RearrangeTheSong: Two of the three B-sides on the "ROSE" single: a rerecording of "The Red Carpet Day" (essentially the same, only with better production values) and the Japanese version of "Love will be born again", which turns it into a PowerBallad.
156	* ReligionRantSong: "Judicial Noir" is a Type 2. "The Red Carpet Day" can be interpreted as a Type 1.
157	* RockMeAmadeus: They perform a style of metal which has this built into its very foundations.
158	* RoyalRapier: Kamijo has a slender, fancy saber in the "Aristocrat's Symphony" video.
159	* SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou: In the video for "The Revenant Choir," Teru (with a switchblade) and Yuki (with a revolver).
160	* {{Shinigami}}: Referenced in "The Love from a Dead Orchestra" and "Shout & Bites".
161	* SignatureStyle: It's generally pretty easy to spot which songs were composed by Teru--his songs tend to be harder than Kamijo or Hizaki's songs and feature more liberal uses of HarshVocals and the MetalScream. (Some examples: "The Red Carpet Day", "zombie", and "Gekkakou".)
162	* SillyLoveSongs: In general, Versailles has two types of songs: songs about being a vampire and love songs. These sometimes overlap.
163	* SlowMotionPassBy: In the video for "ASCENDEAD MASTER".
164	* SocietyOfImmortals: The Descendants of the Rose.
165	* SpectacularSpinning: Every live performance and most of the music videos include at least one point where Kamijo, Hizaki, Teru, and Jasmine/Masashi spin simultaneously. Why? [[RuleOfCool Because it looks cool, that's why.]]
166	* SpiritualSuccessor: They're VisualKei's answer to Music/{{Nightwish\|Band}} and Music/WithinTemptation.
167	* SpokenWordInMusic: "Sound in Gate" and the middle portion of "God Palace -Method of Inheritance-".
168	* SuaveSabre: Kamijo spends much of the ''Aristocrat's Symphony'' music video posing with a slender, fancy saber.
169	* SurprisinglyGentleSong: "Love will be born again"; "EPISODE"; "Sympathia"; "Serenade"; "Amorphous"; "DESTINY -The Lovers-".
170	* TalkyBookends: The music video for "The Revenant Choir".
171	* ThisIsASong: "HISTORY OF THE OTHER SIDE"; "The Nocturne of Love and Sorrow".
172	* TitleDrop:
173	** "Shout & Bites"; "The Red Carpet Day"; "PRINCESS"; "MASQUERADE"
174	** "Shout & Bites" and "The Red Carpet Day" are both named after lyrics in "The Revenant Choir" (the latter also appears in "SECOND FEAR -Another Descendant-").
175	* TitleTrack: "The Theme of Holy Grail," which, for whatever reason, is actually the ''last'' song on ''Holy Grail''.
176	* TogetherInDeath: Implied in "windress".
177	-->''Because I want to see you, because I want to hear your voice,''
178	-->''It seems I'll have to breathe my last breath... and stop.''
179	* TranslatedCoverVersion: The Japanese version of "Love will be born again", which also [[RearrangeTheSong turns the song into a]] PowerBallad.
180	* VampiresAreRich: In the "ASCENDEAD MASTER" companion film. Turns out that the Descendants of the Rose, besides being a group of immortal vampires, are also an immensely successful life insurance company. (Hey, they have to be able to afford those outfits ''somehow''.)
181	* VampiresAreSexGods: ...yeah, pretty much. "Vampire" is probably the most obvious example.
182	* WordSaladLyrics: "The Revenant Choir" is ''made'' of them. This is partly down to GratuitousEnglish, but Kamijo has also stated in an interview that, although he knew the English was rather off, [[LyricalShoehorn he didn't feel that lyrics in Japanese would suit the rhythm of the song]].

Context Music / Versailles