[ HYDE x AMANO Project ]

The VAMPS UK Street Team was kind enough to translate the updated information on the HYDE x Amano website. Here's what they wrote:

"Collaborative exhibition featuring Yoshitaka Amano's illustrations of HYDE as 'Angel and Devil'

HYDE (L'Arc~en~Ciel, VAMPS) and Yoshitaka Amano are collaborating. The exhibition 'Yoshitaka Amano x HYDE 'Heaven's will and Perversion ~NIPPON EVOLUTION~" will be held in August at the Laforet Museum Harajuku, Tokyo.

Amano, known for his character desings for the Final Fantasy franchise, iconified HYDE as a "Hero of two faces (Angel and Devil) spreading his wings to venture the world". The exhibition will boast a collection of over 100 exhibits including illustrations, figures and holograms. Head to the exhibition in order to discover how the delicate and intricate touch used by Amano expresses HYDE.

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Some of his illustrations are on the website:

http://amanoxhyde.com/index.html

Go to the INTRODUCTION to see some of his work!

When: August 9th~31st
Where: Laforet Museum Harajuku, Tokyo
Tickets: 1800JPY
Pre-sale ticket holders will receive "original trading cards".

Original article: http://natalie.mu/music/news/92769

BARKS article regarding the event: http://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000091296



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[ NEW VAMPS OFFICIAL WEBSITE BACKGROUND ]

VAMPS' website was recently updated to feature a new web background. Check it out:






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[ VAMPS ON COVER OF CD&DL MAGAZINE ]

VAMPS will be featured on the back cover for the August issue of CD&DL. The magazine will also come with a VAMPS sticker. Cover photo is not yet available, however you can pre-order the magazine on Amazon Japan here:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B00DBP1A1O/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


The magazine will be released July 13th.



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[ "AHEAD/REPLAY" SINGLE COVERS REVEALED ]

So it looks like the covers of all 3 versions of VAMPS' new single, "AHEAD/REPLAY" have been created by the illustrator Kimsnake. Kimsnake has worked with VAMPS in the past, having illustrated some of the MONTHLY VAMPS magazines and DVD cover.

+ Limited Edition + DVD JACKET A cover:





+ Limited Edition + DVD JACKET B cover:





+ Regular Edition JACKET C cover:

That illustration on the Amano x HYDE website is gorgeous! I absolutely love it! I can't wait to hear more about this collaboration!

On a more pessimistic note, I don't like the new VAMPSxxx home page image. The marker on HYDE's chest looks like fur from a distance and though they both look very handsome, the picture just isn't very flattering, in my opinion. Also, I'm not a fan of yaoi.

Finally, I love the CD jackets, especially the last one since that one actually has a picture of HYDE and K.A.Z, but I really love all of them. It's a strangely cute and funny art style. I was wondering why they never did anything with the "Tales of VAMPS" artist ever again. That was the best inclusion in the Monthly VAMPS Vol. 13 bundle.

it's not fur , it's black paint on his chest

(06-14-2013, 05:35 PM)VAMPkito Wrote: That illustration on the Amano x HYDE website is gorgeous! I absolutely love it! I can't wait to hear more about this collaboration!

On a more pessimistic note, I don't like the new VAMPSxxx home page image. The marker on HYDE's chest looks like fur from a distance and though they both look very handsome, the picture just isn't very flattering, in my opinion. Also, I'm not a fan of yaoi.

Finally, I love the CD jackets, especially the last one since that one actually has a picture of HYDE and K.A.Z, but I really love all of them. It's a strangely cute and funny art style. I was wondering why they never did anything with the "Tales of VAMPS" artist ever again. That was the best inclusion in the Monthly VAMPS Vol. 13 bundle.

(06-14-2013, 07:08 PM)kamola Wrote: it's not fur , it's black paint on his chest

I know. I was saying that at a glance, the paint LOOKED like fur.

haha! that's true ! it looked like fur

(06-14-2013, 09:40 PM)VAMPkito Wrote:

(06-14-2013, 07:08 PM)kamola Wrote: it's not fur , it's black paint on his chest

I know. I was saying that at a glance, the paint LOOKED like fur.

Is that K.A.Z? He looks so photoshopped that is doesn't look like him.

(06-14-2013, 10:45 PM)Tokio Wrote: Is that K.A.Z? He looks so photoshopped that is doesn't look like him.

I know, it looks so odd, like an illustration of K.A.Z instead of a photo. It's not like they can't get a great photo of him, they get great ones of him all the time. I wonder why they did that.

hyde's photo looks shopped, too, but his is just on the edge between photo and a created illustration of him. I have to love that picture of him, though. That expression on his face is so sexual. His bare throat, so...edible.

I love Vampyre hyde.

I really appreciate them doing the fanservice for us, too :D Although personally, these two always seem far too much like great platonic buddies to me, to see something suggestive there.

I'm willing to be convinced, though. Some more photos might help...:P
...or video/ live action...

(06-15-2013, 04:10 AM)Mme. H Wrote: I really appreciate them doing the fanservice for us, too :D Although personally, these two always seem far too much like great platonic buddies to me, to see something suggestive there.

I'm willing to be convinced, though. Some more photos might help...:P
...or video/ live action...

Here ya go-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMqkMVwiHbk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6SCIgGdhsc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdO1PMpcEJo

(06-15-2013, 04:10 AM)Mme. H Wrote:

(06-14-2013, 10:45 PM)Tokio Wrote: Is that K.A.Z? He looks so photoshopped that is doesn't look like him.

I know, it looks so odd, like an illustration of K.A.Z instead of a photo. It's not like they can't get a great photo of him, they get great ones of him all the time. I wonder why they did that.

hyde's photo looks shopped, too, but his is just on the edge between photo and a created illustration of him. I have to love that picture of him, though. That expression on his face is so sexual. His bare throat, so...edible.

I love Vampyre hyde.

I really appreciate them doing the fanservice for us, too :D Although personally, these two always seem far too much like great platonic buddies to me, to see something suggestive there.

I'm willing to be convinced, though. Some more photos might help...:P
...or video/ live action...

I'm digging the image, more because of the eerie painterly feel the photo has. I'm wondering, though, why everyone appears to be surprised that the photo is heavily Photoshopped? The "VAMPS LIVE 2008 BIRTHDAY" pamphlet was extremely Photoshopped. The new image sort of fits that style and I feel like the rendering echoes the illustration style of their new single cover.

(06-15-2013, 01:59 PM)VAMPS + American Street Team + Wrote: I'm digging the image, more because of the eerie painterly feel the photo has. I'm wondering, though, why everyone appears to be surprised that the photo is heavily Photoshopped? The "VAMPS LIVE 2008 BIRTHDAY" pamphlet was extremely Photoshopped. The new image sort of fits that style and I feel like the rendering echoes the illustration style of their new single cover.

I think it's because the tour pamphlets have always had a sort of "unreal" look about them with the exception of maybe the 666 tour pamphlet, whereas the photos on the site have always had at least some resemblance to a photograph. That being said, I'm okay with the photo from an artistic standpoint. I want to think that it intentionally looks more like a painting than a photo.

I just don't think the photo does either of them very much justice. That might be due to the lack of background, making the paint look really stand out. But I suppose I'm probably in the minority in that regard. =P