-scape faq-

This section is designed to answer some of the most common questions regading the artists of -scape-. If you have a suggestion for something to be added, please contact us or discuss it on -scape- forums.

Questions
1. What is the current activity status of the -scape- artists?
2. How did [name of CD] do on the charts?
3. Did Mana write music for a Castlevania game?
4. Where can I buy music by the artists of -scape-?
5. Is my CD a bootleg?
6. Is [name] married? How old is he?
7. What is [name]'s real name?
8. How do you write [name]'s name in Japanese? Does it have a meaning?
9. I found a weird song that's not in the discography. What is it?
10. Are there any clips of the Dis inferno events?
11. Is there any Schwarz Stein live material?
12. Where is Moi-meme-Moitie located? Are there any stores in Europe?
13. What is Art Marju Duchain? Was Mana really in it?

1. What is the current activity status of the -scape- artists?
-People-
Mana - Currently the leader of Moi dix Mois and proprietor of Moi-meme-Moitie.
Official site: http://www.mana-sama.com

Kozi - Currently on a break but apparently planning to return to activity soon.
Official site: http://www.kozi-info.com

Klaha - Pursued solo activity and released CDs from 2002-2004. Spent 2005-2008 in seclusion; current status unknown.
Official site: http://www.klahainfo.com

Yu~ki - Status unknown. Last seen contributing lyrics to Kozi's single "Memento".
No official site.

Tetsu - Currently the vocalist and guitarist of nil; also released a solo CD.
nil official site: http://www.afro-skull.com

Gackt - Pursuing a successful major-label solo career.
Official site: http://www.gackt.com

Kaya - Currently active as a solo artist.
Official site: http://kaya-rose.com

Hora - Currently active both as a solo artist and as a hired gun. Released his sixth album "REIGN" in late 2008.
Official site: http://home1.netpalace.jp/godsynthesis/

-Bands-
Malice Mizer - On "indefinite hiatus" since 12/11/2001. A reunion is extremely unlikely given the members' public comments on the issue.
Official site: http://www.malice-mizer.co.jp

Moi dix Mois - Currently active with a new lineup.
Official site: http://midi-nette.com/mdm

Schwarz Stein - Disbanded as of 3/2004. Hora and Kaya have started solo projects of their own.
Official site: http://midi-nette.com/midinette/ss

Eve of Destiny: Current status unknown; no official site.


2. How did [name of CD] do on the charts?
The universally accepted music charts in Japan are compiled by "The Oricon". You can search their database here:
http://www2.oricon.co.jp/search/
For those who cannot read Japanese: the first number listed for a CD is the top ranking it ever reached on the charts, and the second is the number of weeks it spent on the charts. Gackt is the only -scape- artist ever to reach #1 on the charts, with his single "Returner ~Yami no shuuen~".

3. Did Mana write music for a Castlevania game?
No. Mana did write a promotional cell phone ringtone called "La nuit blanche" for "Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance", though. This ringtone is no longer available and was never released outside of Japan.

4. Where can I buy music by the artists of -scape-?
The maintainers of -scape- have compiled a list of the major reputable dealers here:
http://www.scape.sc/shopping.php

5. Is my CD a bootleg?
Some general guidelines are:
- If it was a "buy it now for $9" CD on eBay, it is a bootleg.
- If it contains "bonus tracks" from different albums, it is almost certainly a bootleg.
- If it is from Taiwan or another Asian country outside of Japan, it is most likely a bootleg.
- If the packaging is cheap and has Chinese writing (as opposed to Japanese), it is probably a bootleg.
- If the same seller is selling many copies at once on eBay, it is probably a bootleg.

If you aren't sure, check -scape- or the artist's official website to see what label the CD was released on, and what its catalog number is. If your CD is a bootleg, its label and number will not match.

6. Is [name] married? How old is he?
None of the -scape- artists have revealed their ages except Tetsu and Kozi. Tetsu was born 12/12/1972, making him 36 years old as of this writing (March 2009). According to Tetsu's online diary, Kozi is the same age, making his birthdate 5/29/1972. (he also gave this birthdate in an issue of "SwicH" ca. 1996) In that diary, Tetsu also claims he was the youngest in all his bands, making the rest of Malice Mizer 36 or older as well.
None of the artists have publicized their marital status except Gackt. In his autobiography "Jihaku", he claims to have married a Korean woman but only for a short time. He says he will never marry again.
Yu~ki has also stated that he doesn't want to marry.

7. What is [name]'s real name?
Kami's real name was Ukyou Kamimura.
Klaha's real name is probably Masaki Haruna.
Tetsu's real name is Tetsu Takano.
None of the other -scape- artists have publicized their real names.

8. How do you write [name]'s name in Japanese? Does it have a meaning?
Mana: 魔名 ("mana") - means "evil name" or "demon name". He doesn't use the kanji often anymore, usually preferring to write it either in English or in katakana: マナ
Kozi: sometimes written in hiragana as こうじ ("Kouji"). The exact significance is unknown.
Klaha: No Japanese version. Klaha has stated that the name has no meaning. His real name "HARUNA Masaki" is written 春名真樹.
Yu~ki: No Japanese version.
Gackt: in Cains:Feel he went by 楽斗 ("gakuto"). This was apparently based on a childhood nickname of his. He currently does not use kanji for his name.
Kami: Usually wrote his name just as "Kami". It is an abbreviation of his surname "Kamimura". His full name "KAMIMURA Ukyou" is written 神村右狂.
Tetsu: Wrote his name simply as "tetsu" (his real first name) in his Malice Mizer days. His full name "TAKANO Tetsu" is written 高野哲.
Kaya: Can be written as 迦夜 ("kaya") which he says means "the kanryoubinka (mythical bird) that sings in the night". Formerly he went by 姫 ("hime") which means "princess".
Hora: Sometimes used the kanji 洞 ("hora"). The meaning is unclear; it may be a name.

9. I found a weird song that's not in the discography. What is it?
Songs are often mislabelled on file sharing services. Here are some of the most common mislabellings:
Phantasmic Organ (unmei no deai)
Ruoni Kenshin (kyomu no naka de no yuugi)
Lola - not really a Malice Mizer live, just a session band Gackt did guest vocals for
Thinking Under The Moon (gekka no yasoukyoku)
gekka no yasoukyoku - sometimes mislabelled as Gackt instead of Malice Mizer
Illness Illusion - sometimes mislabelled as Malice Mizer instead of Gackt
Leyata - Le ciel
Remixes - There have been no official remixes of Malice Mizer or Moi dix Mois. Any you find are fan-made creations. Some songs do exist in different versions for the album vs. the single, but there is no "[name]'s Remix" version of any song.
Moi dix Mois PVs - no official ones exist, only fan-made ones.

10. Are there any clips of the Dis inferno events?
No. There is no footage of any of the Dis inferno events. This includes things like the "Horaemon" skit, "Hiroshima Zombies", "t.A.B.u", M10M covering Slayer, Mana's fashion show, etc. These were FC-only events and no video or audio has been released or bootlegged.

11. Is there any Schwarz Stein live material?
One bootleg has surfaced, of a full Schwarz Stein live on 6/19/2003. It shouldn't be too difficult to find on the Internet by now.

12. Where is Moi-meme-Moitie located? Are there any stores in Europe?
Moi-meme-Moitie has two stores currently open in Japan, one in the Marui One mall in Shinjuku, Tokyo and one in Mana's native Hiroshima. There are no stores outside of Japan, and Mana has not announced plans to open any European branches.

Moi-meme-Moitie clothing can be purchased overseas through CDJapan. 13. 13. What is Art Marju Duchain? Was Mana really in it?
Art Marju Duchain was a gothic/visual band active ca. 1998-2000. They had one CD, "Demon est Deus Inversus", and a rare live video. Mana did play with the band one time as a guest guitarist, but was not a member; he did not appear on any of their released material either.