Word and Image

[karadin.livejournal.com]

The knell of the bells at the Gion temple
Echoes the impermanence of all things.
The colour of the flowers on its double-trunked tree
Reveals the truth that to flourish is to fall.
He who is proud is not so for long,
Like a passing dream on a night in spring.
He who is brave is finally destroyed,
To be no more than dust before the wind.

Beginning of the Heike Monogatari - 13th century

Gacktastic Vid of The Day - RETURNER

[karadin.livejournal.com]

Not only one of the most cinematic, and for its type, beautiful videos of recent years - GACKT as Sengoku era (1500-1600) warrior, and the same character as Shinigami - or Death God, returning to the place of his defeat.

*note, the costumes for this video were used in the film 'Heaven and Earth' about the warlord Uesugi Kenshin. Most of the budget was used on costumes. The video was shot in one 28 hour period in Nagano Japan, and professional stunt-warriors were used. Though Gackt was in production with the NHK taiga drama 'Fuurin Kazan' at the time, they had no involvement with this video.
(english subbed)