YMMV / Malice Mizer

• Broken Base: Tetsu's voice is either so amazing it makes angels weep or reminiscent of a dying cow; Mana is either a delightfully eccentric genius or a source of Nightmare Fuel with added pretentiousness; Even the band in general is either to your taste or not.
• Misblamed:
  • After Gackt's departure, many people began to think of Mana as an egotistic, jealous, slave-driving control freak who had forced Gackt out of the band over something stupidly petty. Mud very much stuck in this case and these days, whenever someone he's working with leaves or a band on his label splits up, people instantly point the finger at Mana and assume he's to blame.
  • Alternately, with Mana fans this is inverted — many view Gackt as an egotistical, jealous, petty It's All About Me diva vocalist who chose to leave the band out of some petty disagreement with Mana and because he wanted his career and his money for himself alone. This impression seems to be the one that has withstood the test of time to some extent: Few bands involving Gackt have stayed together without major delays or a dramatic falling-out.
• Nightmare Fuel:
  • Mana, to some people. Közi, however, can make him look positively harmless.
  • All of Bara no Seidou. Mixed with Tear Jerker considering it's a tribute piece to deceased member Kami.
  • Three Words: Beast. of. Blood.
  • The Illuminati PV. Aka, Interplay of Sex and Violence at its finest. To wit: bondage imagery used as a background to such delights as severed heads, snapped necks, self-harm, mutilation, I Love the Dead, literal bloodbaths, copious amounts of Eye Scream... pretty much the only band member who doesn’t actively engage in nightmarish behavior is Mana. Sweet dreams.
• Tear Jerker: "Saikai no chi to bara" and its PV. It is one of the more visible tributes to late drummer Kami, and blue butterflies — Kami's symbol — can be seen throughout, with one landing on a stylised chrysalis where (presumably) Kami is resting in peace. Near the end of the video, as the three founding members stare at a window, Mana, of all people, briefly leans on Közi's shoulder who leans towards him in return.

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