- Raphael (group)
Infobox Musical artist
Name = Raphael
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Background = group_or_band
Origin = Japan
Genre = Visual Kei
Years_active = 1997 - 2001
Label = For Life Music Entertainment, Inc
Associated_acts = Rice
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members = Yuki
Kazuki
Yukito
HiroRaphael was a Japanese
Visual Kei rock group formed in 1997 [http://d.hatena.ne.jp/keyword/Raphael Hatena] retrieved Aug 25 2008] when the members were only 15. The band disbanded a year after Kazuki died in the year 2000 at age 19. [http://music.goo.ne.jp/artist/ARTLISD1146587/index.html Google Music Artist Profile] retrieved Aug 25 2008]Members
*Sakurai Yuki - vocals
*Watanabe Kazuki - guitar (main composer and lyricist)
*Honda Yukito - bass
*Murato Kazuhiro - drumsBiography
Raphael was originally formed in 1997 and their first concert was held on December 10 1997. Their first album Lilac was released in 1998 and was followed with a video. They arrived on the Oricon chart for the first time when the song "Yume Yori Suteki na" was used for the TBS show "Kyaiin Kanbyou no Megumi no Heart" (キャイーン・寛平の女神のハート). They released two singles on the same day, one hitting number 37, and one number 38. [http://www.forlife.co.jp/raphael/ For Life Entertainment] ]
In 1999 their major label debut, "Hanasaku Inochi Aru Kagiri," hit number 25 on the Oricon charts..] Their later releases centered about graduation because it was around the time the members would have graduated from high school, had they not dropped out to pursue music. [http://www.barks.jp/artist/?id=52000661&m=bio Barks Raphael Profile] retrieved Aug 25 2008]
After Raphael disbanded, Yuki and Hiro began a collaborative project named rice while Yukito went on to form BLACK LOVE.
Discography
Albums and mini-albums
*"Lilac" (Apr 7 1998)
*"Mind Soap" (Dec 1 1999)
*"Sotsugyô" (卒業) (Mar 23 2000)
*"Fumetsu Hana" (不滅華) (Feb 21 2001)
*"Raphael Singles" (Aug 1 2001)ingles
*"White Love Story" (Nov 1 1998)
*"Sick~XXX Kanja no Karute" (Sick～xxx 患者のカルテ～) (Feb 20 1999)
*"Sweet Romance" (Apr 29, 1999) (#38 Oricon Single Chart)
*"Yume Yori Suteki Na" (夢より素敵な) (Apr 29, 1999) (#37 Oricon Single Chart)
*"Hanasaku Inochi Aru Kagiri" (花咲く命ある限り) (Jul 23 1999) (#25 Oricon Single Chart)
*"Eternal Wish ~Todokanu no Kimi e~" (eternal wish～届かぬ君へ～) (Oct 1 1999) (#28 Oricon Single Chart)
*"Promise" (Nov 20 1999)
*"Lost Graduation" (Feb 2 2000)
*"Evergreen" (Aug 23 2000)
*"Akikaze no Rhapsody" (秋風の狂詩曲) (Nov 1 2000)Video releases
DVDs
*2001-04-25 - Forever and ever (DVD - making of)
*2001-09-19 - Raphael Clips (DVD - pvs)
*2001-09-21 - Last (DVD - concert)
*2001-09-21 - First (DVD - concert)VHSs
*2001-09-21 - First (VHS - concert)
*2001-09-21 - Last (VHS - concert)
*2001-09-19 - Pictorial Poem 2 (VHS - pvs)
*2001-04-25 - Forever and ever (VHS - making of)
*2000-08-23 - Raphael Special LIVE "graduation" -2000.3.4 Nippon Budokan- (VHS - concert)
*2000-03-24 - Pictorial poem (VHS - pvs)
*1999-09-20 - LILAC - vision of extremes II (VHS - pvs)
*1998-08-01 - LILAC - vision of extremes (VHS - pvs)Demo Tapes
*1997-12-24 - Eternal Wish, todokanu no kimi e (tape - demo tape)
References
External links
* [http://wiki.theppn.org/Raphael Wiki.ThePPN] (Special Wiki for Asian Pop Culture)
* [http://www.forlife.co.jp/raphael/ FOR LIFE MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT] (Japanese)
* [http://www.h-do.com/ 華月オフィシャルＨＰ] (Japanese)
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