visual kei

English

Etymology

From Japanese ヴィジュアル系(けい) (vijuaru-kei, literally “visual style”).

Noun

visual kei (uncountable)

1. A Japanese music movement that emerged in the 1980s, characterized by eccentric, flamboyant looks and sometimes an androgynous appearance.
   • 2001 May 22, Wednesday, “Re: 'There are only 500 REAL anime fans in the UK'”, in uk.media.animation.anime‎^[1] (Usenet), message-ID <-6y*A5OWo@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>:

     Incidentally, I'm not sure you're bucking the trend so much as going along with it; FTM crossplay is getting pretty popular, although you see more women going for bishounen and visual-kei genderfucky stars than anything else.

Related terms

• fairy kei