D'ESPAIRSRAY & KIRITO's Historic Two-Man Show Reunites Visual Kei Worlds
When past and present collide on stage, magic happens—and that’s exactly what unfolded on August 23rd at Club Citta’ in Kawasaki when D’ESPAIRSRAY and KIRITO shared their first-ever two-man bill.
For Western Visual Kei fans unfamiliar with the backstory: D’ESPAIRSRAY was a legendary industrial rock act active from 1999 to 2011, fronted by the commanding vocals of HIZUMI. The band’s theatrical yet crushing sound defined a generation of VK’s darker edges. After their disbandment, members scattered—guitarist Karyu joined KIRITO’s former project Angelo, while bassist ZERO and drummer TSUKASA moved on to other ventures. HIZUMI eventually returned to music in 2019 with NUL. Now in 2025, both Angelo and D’ESPAIRSRAY have resurrected, making this meeting point feel almost predestined.
The evening’s subtitle—”Script Revision”—perfectly captured the concept: not erasing history, but rewriting what comes next based on everything that came before. D’ESPAIRSRAY opened with their suffocating industrial aesthetic intact, but the real spark flew during collaborative moments. HIZUMI and KIRITO shared vocals on “KAMIKAZE,” a track HIZUMI wrote 18 years ago that somehow feels more vital now. Later, KIRITO revealed that his composition “CROSS OVER THE WORLD LINE” was actually written during Angelo’s hiatus, inspired by imagining how Karyu would perform it—a beautiful full-circle moment made concrete when the two shared the mic.
The night peaked during the encore when KIRITO invited Karyu and HIZUMI to perform Angelo’s “Script error” together. “There are many different parallel worlds,” KIRITO reflected. “We all fight the same way—that’s how it doesn’t feel lonely.”
Both bands are moving forward with momentum. Angelo launches their “THE TRINITY” tour September 25–October 4, while KIRITO has announced a 12-show “OVERRIDE” tour running November 14, 2026 through January 10, 2027. Check their official channels for dates and ticketing information.