Well, well, well.. the package finally arrived today and I just couldn't resist immediately watching the concert (ah, the joys of "working" from home). I hadn't previously ordered the Rock & Read book, so I added that in when I preordered the Blu-ray. Is it bad that I thought it was better than the Deep Sanctuary photobook?
That was my major disappointment for sure. It's not only super short, but you almost need a magnifying glass just to make out some of the backstage photos. Would it have been so difficult to add a few extra pages and maybe even throw in some never before seen rarities from the Malice Mizer days? It almost makes me think there was some sort of predetermined page count Mana had to stick to to keep the printing costs low.
As for the concert, overall it was a very satisfying nostalgic trip on my first viewing. Did anyone else think that there were some sound mixing issues? I couldn't tell if it was my tv or the concert, but I had a really hard time hearing the vocalists over the music at times. It was good to see some new footage of Moi dix Mois, but it seemed way too short and didn't include any of the new songs I've been hearing about from their recent sets. Maybe Mana should just bite the bullet and release a maxi-single at this point if he doesn't have enough material for a full album. After all, how many years has it been since the last release?
I loved the Malice Mizer covers though; especially Mayonaka, since it fits with the metal sound a bit better than Gardenia.
I kind of drifted off during ZIZ.. I'm not really a fan of their music to begin with, but I was just ready to get to the main attraction at that point. I kept thinking that that guitarist's outfit looked like something an old granny would wear
The Malice Mizer set ended up being pretty darn solid, despite some of my favorites being missing. I think I loved Madrigal and Ma Cherie the most just because of how playful and lively everyone got. I cracked up when Mana started running around the stage in those platform shoes while handing out the flowers again! I wished that someone had been on vocals for Au Revoir, though. I think audience participation is just one of those things that has more impact when you're there in person, but it was somewhat of a let down watching it back. My biggest fear from the beginning was wondering how the guest vocalists would fit into the lineup, but I've gotta say they did a great job. I think the first guy was probably the weakest (his attempt to be seductive during Illuminati kinda fell flat), even though he pulled off the Tetsu look pretty well. Kamijo seems like he would be the perfect choice for a new vocalist if Malice Mizer ever resumed activity again. He kind of gives off a Gackt vibe and really had some powerful stage presence. I'm not ashamed to say that I teared up a little at the end when it looked like Mana, Kozi, and Yuki were overcome with emotions while gazing out onto the cheering audience. Did anyone else notice that they were awkwardly teetering around when they walked off stage together? I think those platform shoes could very well lead to an untimely accident if they're not careful
Overall, this release is definitely for the superfan or completionist. I think the quality of the photobook could have been given a major facelift for the high price of admission. There's no real justification for this being so expensive (the Mana tax is real). It
is disappointing to hear that the MCs were cut out. Why weren't they just added to an extras section? It feels like there were just some missed opportunities, you know? Despite some of those disappointments, it was more than satisfying to see the old pals back together - especially for those who haven't gotten the opportunity to make it over to Japan.