07.06.2026… 🦇💕♾️ Happy Heavenly Birthday to the one and only ISSAY, of Der Zibet. 💖
Yes. Hi 👋🏻. It’s me. The Redditor that’s sooo normal about this man and his band that all of less than 100 people have even heard of.🤡
It’s been a while since I last posted, but seeing as today would have been a very special occasion, I’ve come back from the land of touching grass to deliver some words, express some complicated but heartfelt feelings… shoot the sh*t if you will. (EDIT: this maybe another LONG-@$$ one, but else is new with me?!, so uhh… yeah. Read at your own risk I guess!)
So, on that note, ahem,
Dear Issay-san: on what would have been your 64th birthday at the time of writing this, the thing I wish I could say most to you is….
Thank you.
Thank you so much for your art, your music, your poetry and and your other artistic adventures… I’m sure I’m not the only one still here today who can still feel your light and the 110 percent that you always refused to ever give less than on stage, of your most authentic self. They shine through, still, so miraculously our phone and TV screens. It’s so weird to think that very soon here, you’ve been gone 3 years… yet, as cliche as it may sound, it’s almost like you never left. We remember you always for the performances you gave, the laughter you shared, and the songs that you sang- with lyrics that even now, still continue to touch the deepest parts of my soul, like no other artist could, (aside from Acchan, but I’m sure hearing that wouldn’t hurt you, as you thought oh so fondly about him, I think more than anyone will ever truly know.)
Thank you for your Bravery. For being such a positive role model, trendsetter, and icon for the LGBTQ+ community, 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈( whether you even saw yourself this way or not.)
Although you yourself were definitely not the first one to dare to do so,
I often wonder how different the Vkei scene would be for queer Bandomen today had you never started rambling on about your highschool experiences with “Say Gex”, and just how you saw yourself as a queer person in terms of sexuality and gender, (and oh no nonchalantly too!) I think if it were anyone else but you, they most likely would’ve censored themselves, (especially as a Japanese artist doing an interview on their life’s origins during the midst of the AIDS crisis,) but once again, you refused to. Cuz you always valued authenticity over face.
Most who got to “know” you like me would probably christen you with the terms “Ballsy” and “Fearless”. Cuz’ you didn’t give a damn what anyone had to say or think of you. It didn’t matter a single bit, because that was just who you were, and that was just your life. Perhaps in reality, this was only a small stone that you threw into a massive pond…. But its ripple effects were somehow big enough to reach me.
So, on that note… Thank you, Issay, for not only being the one to save my life…
but for giving my voice power. 🏳️⚧️💛🤍🖤💜✨
For helping to end my adolescent self’s long journey of self-indifference and confusion. For giving me the language and words to describe myself, and for opening my eyes to the fact that the world doesn’t have to live in a black & white box- especially how I wanted to live my life. Finding out that I was NB-transgender was perhaps the very LAST THING that I would’ve ever predicted of life-altering events to happen to me…. But it’s largely because of you and the positive impact that you had on me that within the mirror, I was finally able to look at myself, and see right through to find the truth. MY truth.
And if we’re talking on the subject matter of truth… I don’t think I would be here, even typing this all today, had I never “met” you, through your companionship with Acchan. 🥹** **I stand here now, quickly approaching the 10 month mark of me starting HRT/testosterone, (and within the next 2 months, a full year.)
It feels so weird that I’ve accomplished so much within such a small time frame… and yet you’ve been gone for about the same. Sometimes, I still catch myself closing my eyes and daydreaming about getting to thank you, for all that I’d just tapped about here, above. Sadly, that dream will never be fulfilled. But there’s never a day that goes by where I don’t think of you.
So for the last time: thank you Issay, 💕 and Happy Birthday.🥳** **
I hope wherever it is you are now,
I hope your soul is celebrating with Acchan, hide, and all the other Bandomen we’ve sadly lost over the years. I hope you are in a place that is far away from pain… and I hope that you are continuing to rest in peace. I love you.. and miss you even more. No matter however much time passes by me. You’ll never stop being a hero to me. I’ll continue to do my best going into the future… and make sure it is a future where people will know about the absolute badass that you were, and that people will remember your name.♾️💕
POST EDIT: Thank you to anyone who stool around to actually read all of this parasocial nonsense.😭
In the light of it being Issay’s heavenly 64th, (and before I FINALLY shut up,) I wanted to share with all some rare photos of him that I have saved up! For the past 3 years on pintrest, I’ve been building a collection of all the photos I could find of him, as a way to memorialize him, (and because I think he was INSANELY photogenic.😭💖)
I hope y’all enjoy. 😊 please take care, and remember: you matter to this world.💖 Have a super day!