Moon (Gackt album)

Moon is the third full-length studio album released by Japanese solo artist Gackt on June 19, 2002. Instead of a booklet, the album comes with a printed note by the artist, asking readers to "sense" the record's story, rather than analyzing the lyrics. The booklet was eventually included in the packaging of Moon's 2003 follow-up Crescent. Both albums are conceptually linked, as well as his more recent album Diabolos from the "Moon Saga".

Release

The album was released on 19 June 2002, by Nippon Crown. In the initial counting week of July it reached number two on the Oricon charts, with sales of 185,840 copies. It charted for 10 weeks. In 2002, with sales of 281,590 copies, was the 67th best selling album of the year. As since its release the album has sold more than 250,000 copies, was certified Gold by the RIAJ.

The first single "Another World" became Gackt's first to reach the top two on the charts. The single reached number two on the third counting week of September 2001, with sales of 111,560 copies. In the upcoming weeks, it was at number three and eight respectively, with sales of 42,490, and 22,850 copies. It charted for 17 weeks, of that eight in the top twenty. In 2001, with 255,640 copies sold, it was the 74th best-selling single of the year, and it sold over 284,550 copies, most of any of his singles, and it is the only second (and latest) to sell over two hundred thousand copies. It was certified Gold by RIAJ.

Gackt

Gackt Camui (神威 楽斗, Kamui Gakuto, born July 4, 1973), better known by his stage name Gackt, is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He has been active since 1993, first as the frontman of the short-lived independent band Cains:Feel, then for the now defunct visual kei rock band Malice Mizer, before starting his solo career in 1999. He has released nine studio albums and, with forty-six singles released, holds the male soloist record for most top ten consecutive singles in Japan music history. His single "Returner (Yami no Shūen)", released on June 20, 2007, was his first single to reach the number one spot on the Oricon charts. He became the first Japanese artist to release his music catalog on iTunes in October 2007.

Besides the modern entertainment industry, his music has been used as theme songs for various video games (Final Fantasy VII), anime films (Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam) and television series. In addition to his music career Gackt has acted in a few films, including a film he wrote, Moon Child, and his international debut Bunraku, and TV series such as the NHK drama Fūrin Kazan. He also performed live in a theatre stage play, including a play written, composed and directed by him Moon Saga - Mysteries of Yoshitsune I&II.