lolita media library: Brilliant Kingdom

Brilliant Kingdom members Babi (left) and Kaie (right) [source]

This post began as a search to find the name (and hopefully also a recording) of the song played during the Triple Fortune section of the Paradiso 2022 fashion show because the parts I remember have been stuck in my head since the rehearsal.

踊れガラスの靴を鳴らし
笑えドレスの裾揺らし
眠らぬおとぎの花の姫となれ
"Dance and stomp your glass shoes
Smile and flip the hem of your dress
Be a flower princess in a sleepless fairytale"

It was quite the hunt since information is so scattered in different places in both Japanese and English, but I did manage to find the name, and much more. Here's what I pieced together.

Introduction

Brilliant Kingdom is a gothic rock and metal musical duo from Japan, formed in 2010. The primary members are Babi and Kaie, who also run the alternative fashion brand Triple Fortune together. Babi writes lyrics, Kaie designs stage outfits, and both of them sing, dance, and act during performances.

According to multiple interviews, Brilliant Kingdom's goal is to make and perform music that speaks to the heart and aesthetic of people who wear lolita and ouji, and it is an outlet for Babi and Kaie to express another dimension of their artistic world as lovers of art, music, fashion, cinema, opera, and theater. Their primary focus is on live performances (especially at art, fashion, and cultural events in Japan and throughout the world) but they have also made recordings of their music available for sale. They're not necessarily out to be famous for their music but they love entertaining and inspiring others with their artistic expressions.

Babi writes the lyrics to Brilliant Kingdom songs and both Babi and Kaie provide vocals, but they have other musicians compose and produce the music and play instruments on recordings. These are some of the people who have been credited as working with Brilliant Kingdom:

• SIN & ISAO
• Osamu Ishiyama (石山理) / studio junosam
  
• Riu Suzuki (鈴木莉羽)
• FIX LABEL
• Shinichiro Suzuki (鈴木慎一郎)

Website & social media

While it only starts being the band's website around 2010, and is not currently active, the members of Brilliant Kingdom had a website at this link since at least 1999. Peep the Castlevania, Sailor Moon, and Inuyasha cosplays on the older saves :) These days they are primarily active on Twitter.

• Brilliant Kingdom blog (2007-2015)
  
• Brilliant Kingdom Twitter
  
• Twitcasting (this is where their livestreams are hosted, and there are replays available)
• Babi's Twitter
• Kaie's Twitter
• Brilliant Star Decorations Twitter (Brilliant Kingdom organizes this event yearly and performs at it)

Discography

Moonlight Fantasy cover [source]

2010: Moonlight Fantasy ~fantaisie lunatique~

A self released single.

1. Moonlight Fantasy (月下の微熱幻想 (ファンタジア), Gekka no fantajia) [lyrics]
2. Moonlight Fantasy (instrumental)
   

Episode 1 ANGEL cover [source]

2016: Episode 1: ANGEL 

Available for streaming on Spotify and streaming/purchase on Amazon Music. It appears the physical CD has additional tracks, likely instrumental or narration. "My Dear Unloved Maiden" is a rock ballad about Snow White.

1. Prologue ~Betrayal~ (Prologue ～裏切り～, Prologue -Uragiri-)
   
2. Tearful Kiss of Holy Forgiveness (涙に慄え聖なる赦しのキスをしろ Namida ni furue sei naru yurushi no kisu wo shiro) [lyrics] 
3. Fallen Angel's Fate (堕天使の宿命, Datenshi no shukumei)
   
4. Fallen Angel (Fallen Angel ～堕天の誓約～, Daten no seiyaku)
   
5. My Dear Unloved Maiden (愛知らぬ我が乙女よ Ai shiranu waga otome yo)
6. Earth and Sea (大地と海と, Daichi to umi to)
   
7. Angel at the Bottom of the Sea (水底天使 Mizuzoko tenshi)
   
8. Bloody Rose [lyrics]
9. Epilogue ~Salvation~ (Epilogue ～救い～, Epilogue -Sukui-)

Upcoming album release

In this livestream from December 2020, they said they recorded vocals for more songs in 2018 but the release and associated publicity and performances have been delayed due to the pandemic. The song they used in the Paradiso 2022 fashion show (眠らぬおとぎの花の姫, Nemuranu otogi no hana no hime, "Flower Princess in a Sleepless Fairytale") is almost certainly one of these new songs since it seems to have only been performed from 2020 onward. Babi and Kaie explained to us models during rehearsal that the song was about a princess who is picking herself up and moving on after kicking a no-good prince out of her life.

The Brilliant Kingdom concert at Paradiso 2022 didn't include a live performance of that song, but there were plenty of new songs they did perform. One that I didn't catch the name of was about a garden of poison roses, and they invited members of the audience on stage for it. They also performed "Princess, Enter by a Narrow Gate" (姫よ狭き門より入りて Hime yo semaki mon yori irite) which they named in the aforementioned livestream. It's about finding the strength to see difficult things through and reminding us that there is value in doing difficult things because it makes us appreciate the happy, easy times all the more.

I'm willing to bet most or all of these are on this upcoming album. Here's hoping it gets released soon now that things in Japan are slowly beginning to open up again!

DVDs

• 2010: Brilliant Kingdom PV Collection Vol. 1
  

Videos

source

 

Click the links below to listen to of a variety of Brilliant Kingdom songs and get a feel for what their live shows are like. Go to the timestamp provided to hear that particular song.

• 2012: live performance clips (from official Youtube channel)
  
• 1:43 Moonlight Fantasy
• 2:00 Despair XTC (絶望XTC/Zetsubo XTC)
• 3:12 Tearful Kiss of Holy Forgiveness
  
• 4:04 17~Rock You!
• 5:11 Angelic Blaster
  
• 2017 @ Anime Matsuri
  
• 0:00 Fallen Angel
• 6:00 Magical Princess
• 12:15 My Dear Unloved Maiden
• 17:30 Angel at the Bottom of the Sea
• 2017 @ Rufflecon
• 0:00 Fallen Angel
• 2:32 Tearful Kiss of Holy Forgiveness
• 6:26 Brilliant Kingdom
• 2020 @ Tokyo Design Festa (from official Twitcasting account)
  
• 5:06 ? (a new song they didn't announce the name of)
  
• 9:45 Flower Princess in a Sleepless Fairytale (眠らぬおとぎの花の姫 Nemuranu otogi no hana no hime)
  
  • After they sing, there's a fashion walk with the instrumental!
• 24:38 Bloody Rose
• 29:20 ? (another new song they didn't announce the name of)
  
  • The fashion walk continues during this song.
• 2020 Christmas livestream (from official Twitcasting account)
• 1:03:43 Brilliant Kingdom
• 1:08:00 Fallen Angel
• 1:11:56 Flower Princess in a Sleepless Fairytale (眠らぬおとぎの花の姫 Nemuranu otogi no hana no hime)
• 1:23:55 My Dear Unloved Maiden
• 1:32:21 Princess, Enter by a Narrow Gate (姫よ狭き門より入りて Hime yo semaki mon yori irite)