X Japan, as they are known in the United States is the most successful rock band in Japanese history. They helped shape the Japanese cultural music phenomenon, visual-kei. In this movement, the artists wear makeup, have elaborate hairstyles and costumes, usually coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Glam rock, metal, or pop artists use their visual style to transgress mainstream ideals of beauty, gender, and propriety. In this way, their iconography looks similar to anyone familiar with David Bowie or KISS.
However, X Japan’s fame has come at a cost. They have had a tumultuous history. From physical pain to brainwashing and suicide, their story is filled with unbelievable woes that director Stephen Kijak puts at the center of his film.
Much of the film revolves around Yoshiki, the band’s charismatic drummer. Kijak describes Yoshiki as a “keeper of secrets, bearer of crosses, and the vessel of boundless creative genius reaching across classical symphonies and massive rock conflagrations.” He adds, “[Yoshiki] is vulnerable and venerated, difficult and determined, enigmatic, and surprisingly open — in short, a brilliant subject.”
Yoshiki’s influence in Japanese popular culture resulted in his own Stan Lee-created comic book character called Blood Red Dragon. After watching this film, it’s easy to see why he inspired a larger-than-life character — Yoshiki’s energy and passion for music makes him push himself to extreme lengths, playing to exhaustion and collapse. He is a superhero of sorts, battling his own body in order to do what he loves.
WE ARE X culminates in the band’s successful show at Madison Square Garden, providing a moment of triumph among disappointments and obstacles. The band’s perseverance will touch devoted fans, and inspire others to delve further into the world of X Japan.
— Diana Martinez, Film Streams Education Director
