Kalafina 18th single "One Light" for Arslan Senki [confirmed]

First I want to say sorry for my harsh words, I admit it. I just don't see why do we have to excuse them when they're doing bad. When they sing badly, then they sing badly. They're the professional singers, not us. This problem of easily forgiving/excusing the girls when they weren't doing good is the biggest problem of Kalafina fandom. Same as Kajiura and her song creating process. That makes us who simply state that they're doing bad look like the really bad villains. Sometimes we (the critics) do use harsh words but it's just our disappointment showing after they keep let us down.

As for me, fotw is their last chance. No songs in this single is "put-on-repeat" material. I've been looking for new artists to follow and I've found some, after all. Leaving Kalafina is now even easier.
 
I think I already explained what I'm thinking of One Light, so to sum up: too generic, HB/Believe/RYB-like, but still rather enjoyable.
Mahiru: why filtering the voices!?!?!?!?!?!? This song could have been a marvelous balad but the voices of the utahimes are disgusting, like if they were sick!! It's happy that I don't know who I should be throwing insults at because I really have a lot of them expecting to be sent out...:omgz::swt::anger::orz::stupidtable::voodoo: (sorry for this "onion invasion" but I'm really upset...)
Samidare: ...well, same as Mahiru. I love this unexpected tune, and its "retro" feeling, but again, what's wrong with the voices (although it's a bit less obvious there, except for Hikaru)!? :barf:

tl;dr: One Light eventually is the better song of the single. Damn. Kill me.

REALLY, REALLY DECEIVED. Kajiura-sensei, you'd rather pull yourself together, you're sinking into the "crappy commercial music" ease. Take a break, or idk, but really, you'd better make something, PLEASE. I really hope that the FOTW new tracks will help because I'm REALLY, REALLY concerned. Not joking.
 
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Thank you @SurgamIdentidem !
I liked One Light (generic to their recent songs but better than HB and Believe) and im alright with Mahiru (agree with @Daiima. I also thought there was something rather off about their voices) but didnt like SGSKN. IT reminds me of a toned downed version of HNS for some reason.

I miss the good ol' days man. Oh well, maybe their new album would redeem themselves *fingers crossed*
 
Let's talk about the a-side first:
I know most of you will heavily disagree with me but One Light is actually my favorite a-side since THE BEST. Yes, I know I "should" hate this song. It is a rather generic anison rock song with some Kajiura tweaks here and there, but I just enjoy it so much, I can't help it. Absolutely LOVE the bridge, although it is an unsurprising Kajiura classic.

Next up are the b-sides:
As I already mentioned multiple times on the forum, the b-sides have been the main reason why I always kept believing in Kajiura and Kalafina this year. None of the latest a-sides managed to blow me out of my shoes, however there was always at least one b-side on every single (exept hb of course) that managed to do that for me. Unfortunately this is not the case here.

Mahiru is a song filled with mostly vocal solo parts with a simple piano accompaniment. Upon hearing the preview I was really hoping that there would be some strings in it but sadly there are none. I love Gloria, so I have obviously no problems with those kind of songs, however this one doesn't even come close to aforesaid song. There is just sooo much repetition of the same melody! My favorite part is by far the middle, where things get changed up a bit by throwing in a Kajiura classic key change before it goes pretty much right back to the same melody yet again. I don't dislike this song by any means, the girls sound very nice and the song has a lovely atmosphere but this composition is just a bit too simple for my taste. Very nice but underwhelming.

With samidare ga sugita koro ni my feelings get really mixed up. I mean, seriously: is this a leftover track from the Saeko Chiba era?! Imho this just DOESN'T sound like Kalafina AT ALL!!:cry: And again: too much repetition. If you listened to the preview, you pretty much heard the song, I'm not joking! All you missed is a Wakana pre-chorus you feel like you've already heard somewhere, lalala towards the end and a piano ending which sounds just like the ending of mahiru again. Now, the problem is that I actually really enjoy the main melody and the overall style of the song but at the same time it just feels like Kajiura didn't put a lot of effort into the composition. Yes, I have to compliment Kajiura on surprising us with something probably none of us would've expected but the experiment kinda failed this time imo. If she put this song let's say on FJ's elemental I would actually be able to appreciate it but here it just feels out of place. Samidare might be the worst b-side Kalafina ever released but at least it's not downright bad.


So in the end One Light is still my favorite song on the single. I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed with this release which makes me feel even more anxious for their next album.:hide:

Sorry for the negativity.:bow: If you enjoyed the single more than I did then that's your ingenuous opinion and you don't need to justify it to anyone.:groucho:
 
Thanks, @SurgamIdentidem!

Let me just keep my review simple and short: "Mahiru"... Kajiura has touched my heart. The assignment of the vocals was PERFECT. I have no complaints about HIKARU's delivery of her vocals in this song. WAKANA... oh WAKANA!! One light is not a song for you but Mahiru is.... She's an epic vocalist, when given the appropriate song to sing. Those high notes coupled with KEIKO's harmonisations. And can I just say what I love about Kajiura's compositions are the random key changes ahaha totally worked for me in this song and wasn't generic like the ones she had in her most recent releases.

Mahiru might as well just be a KEIKO x WAKANA ballad ahah my favourite kind of ballad :3

@magicmagiamahou : I guess that dramaticism you describe in HIKARU's voice is reminiscent of "Hanataba" to me.... where she was just giving us too much in a ballad! :XD:

Question: What is this "filter" some of the members have mentioned being used in "Mahiru"? I don't really hear it..
 
Just as a general FYI, Kalafina fans don't like One Light, but those watching Arslan Senki unfamiliar with Kalafina actually do. It was the same with heavenly blue, which a lot of Aldnoah fans really liked (though they obviously aLiEz better).

One Light has grown on me, but I still find it generic. Generic doesn't necessarily mean bad though. I like how Kajiura mixed the background instruments - very dynamic (on headphones).
Mahiru is pretty. I love Wakana in this. Keiko should've used her deep voice (I don't like how she does the "kanashimi" in the first verse). Hikaru...sigh. I pray for your voice. Needs a complete retake.
Samidare is listenable. It's different, though. Maybe it'll grow on me, but for now, it's one of those Kalafina songs I probably won't want to put on repeat. Like some others, I can't hear the filter. Sounds fine on my headphones.

It's not their worst single, but I expected better after ring your bell. Patiently awaiting the live versions.
 
Here goes my review :plot:.

Ok, for One Light, I would have to agree with @SurgamIdentidem . Even though it's generic to a T, I enjoyed the song too much to care. I think it's Kalafina's best chorus in a long time (really since KNGNN or Alleluia... I can never remember which came when XD).

Mahiru: I actually like Wakana's part in this, even though it has a lot more vibrato than usual. Though Hikaru sounds disgusting in it, almost like she did in Red Day. I think she should see a vocal coach to regain her higher/sweeter register.

Samidare ga: This is definitely different from the girls' usual style, to say the least. It is repetitive, until the lalala's (Neverending, anyone?). And, thanks for that little solo behind Wakana, Yuriko. We could all hear you XD.

I'm hoping that they have better songs for FotW, and have that be just as a masterpiece as their other albums. I feel like I'm being too positive...
 
Atlas Star said:
Thanks, @SurgamIdentidem!

Let me just keep my review simple and short: "Mahiru"... Kajiura has touched my heart. The assignment of the vocals was PERFECT. I have no complaints about HIKARU's delivery of her vocals in this song. WAKANA... oh WAKANA!! One light is not a song for you but Mahiru is.... She's an epic vocalist, when given the appropriate song to sing. Those high notes coupled with KEIKO's harmonisations. And can I just say what I love about Kajiura's compositions are the random key changes ahaha totally worked for me in this song and wasn't generic like the ones she had in her most recent releases.

Mahiru might as well just be a KEIKO x WAKANA ballad ahah my favourite kind of ballad :3

@magicmagiamahou : I guess that dramaticism you describe in HIKARU's voice is reminiscent of "Hanataba" to me.... where she was just giving us too much in a ballad! :XD:

Question: What is this "filter" some of the members have mentioned being used in "Mahiru"? I don't really hear it..
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the filter is really prominent all over Samidare. i can only say listen to Wakana's part in Alleluia or the whole dolce, then you'll get what we mean.

i just wanna repeat that Hikaru in Mahiru doesn't sound like how sounds in Hanataba. Those two are really different. Just listen and compare how the girls sing the same melody in the last verse of their corresponding stanzas. Hikaru's is laughably bad and her breathing is all over the place and she pretty much cut her singing after one word.

I don't have much problem with repeated melodies since I love lapis and Hanataba. their melodies are gorgeous especially Hanataba with that Kajiurago. I just don't like Samidare's melody at all. Mahiru is like a downgraded lapis ver.2.0.
 
OK I'm going to continue my opinion from right at the start: I like One Light. Is it generic? Yeah, it is. However, I enjoy it. I find myself nodding my head to it and it gets stuck in there even when I'm not listening to it. It could've been better, but I'm okay with it.

Mahiru I like. It sounds really pretty. However it's not really anything amazing that I'd keep going back to, not like many of their other ballads.

Samidare I'm still not sure what to make of. It's fun, I guess.

I think the problem I have here is that whilst I do like all three tracks to some extent, there's nothing really all that special here. I could get any of this from numerous other artists. One Light itself is probably my favourite of the lot, but it's still merely good, not amazing.

Guess I'll just wait for FotW.
 
One Light - Same old "generic-Kalafina-anime-opening," but I quite like it, though not as much as Heavenly Blue. I like the energy exuded by this song, and it fits the anime well.

Mahiru - Very simple ballad. Don't have much to say about it, although like others have mentioned, Wakana's vocals are pleasant in this one, especially when coupled with Keiko's.

Samidare etc - It's mellow and of a totally different style than I would expect from Kala, but at the same time it's very ordinary J-pop. If someone told me that this was a cover of a Saeko Chiba or a See-Saw song then I would've believed it. I also thought the filtering of the vocals was unnecessary. It wasn't that bad in Alleluia as it added to the 'ethereal, heavenly' atmosphere, but in this case it was jarring.

Overall, a weaker single compared to RYB. My impressions are more or less similar to seasonreaper's. One Light is my favourite track, but it's definitely not their best song, and the b-sides are plain and forgettable.
 
Atlas Star said:
Question: What is this "filter" some of the members have mentioned being used in "Mahiru"? I don't really hear it..
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Seems that I'm almost the only one to find the voices much too nasal to be "real" in Mahiru.
 
Okay, I am not going to listen since I am getting the single tomorrow (really excited to hear how it sounds on record, did anyone else get the vinyl version?) and I am just tired of hearing of all the negativity already... I still love Yuki and the girls, yes I understand that they are human and maybe need a break from time to time, but they are still sounding great to me. Maybe this single wasn't for everyone, and I get that with some (I did not care for some songs, on other singles or albums, but eventually they grew on me) so everyone has an opinion. But let's not fill the entire site with the negativity, and let people have their opinions yes, but then not get in a bind over them.
 
Kirito said:
Just as a general FYI, Kalafina fans don't like One Light, but those watching Arslan Senki unfamiliar with Kalafina actually do. It was the same with heavenly blue, which a lot of Aldnoah fans really liked (though they obviously aLiEz better).
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I always wonder what non-kalafina listeners think of their music. From what I've read, most of people like it until they realize how similar their songs sound across the board.
Liana_Ilia said:
Okay, I am not going to listen since I am getting the single tomorrow (really excited to hear how it sounds on record, did anyone else get the vinyl version?) and I am just tired of hearing of all the negativity already... I still love Yuki and the girls, yes I understand that they are human and maybe need a break from time to time, but they are still sounding great to me. Maybe this single wasn't for everyone, and I get that with some (I did not care for some songs, on other singles or albums, but eventually they grew on me) so everyone has an opinion. But let's not fill the entire site with the negativity, and let people have their opinions yes, but then not get in a bind over them.
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The negativity didn't exactly come out of nowhere. The last few singles were exceedingly underwhelming, and One Light has just continued the trend.
 
One Light - I could put on repeat but if we are going to go there, I'd prefer Heavenly Blue. I think the longer version of OL redeemed the TV size though and I never disliked it to begin with. The choruses are the best part.

Mahiru - It's pretty but meh. I thought I would like it, but it's no Gloria.

Samidare - The style of this song is one I have never liked so I don't think it would grow on me if I listened to it more. This is arguable, but this is probably the most "un-Kalafina" song I have ever heard. I know I've said before that they have no genre, but there is usually a hint of Kalafina color in any of the music they sing and I can't hear it in this aside from their voices.

Repeating myself to say that this is one of their weakest, if not weakest single they've released. It's not bad though, just not my preference.
 
sora said:
I always wonder what non-kalafina listeners think of their music. From what I've read, most of people like it until they realize how similar their songs sound across the board.
Click to expand...
I'd say only ttb/hb/believe (and one light to an extent) sound the same. The rest of their anime A-sides are pretty much different from each other and do show off Kalafina's diverse repertoire.

Lots of F/Z fans love ttb. Mainly because it's not LiSA and it fits the show very well. It was the most anison song Kalafina had done at the time, but I think many liked it because of the passionate vocal delivery and the strings. It was actually one of my favorite A-sides too until its structure was recycled in future songs.

Fans liked heavenly blue because of Hikaru's verses (which we all like too, but we dislike the repetition as we already had that in consolation which non-Kalafina listeners have not heard). Many of them rate heavenly blue as one of their favorite OPs for the year for its adrenaline rush.

FSN fans were meh with believe as they found it same old same old, but many of them were very fond of ring your bell.

Though the song that probably every non-Kalafina fan loved upon first listen was Magia. Everyone who had watched Madoka Magica love it to death, and was probably Kalafina's true breakout moment.
 
Kirito said:
I'd say only ttb/hb/believe (and one light to an extent) sound the same. The rest of their anime A-sides are pretty much different from each other and do show off Kalafina's diverse repertoire.

Lots of F/Z fans love ttb. Mainly because it's not LiSA and it fits the show very well. It was the most anison song Kalafina had done at the time, but I think many liked it because of the passionate vocal delivery and the strings. It was actually one of my favorite A-sides too until its structure was recycled in future songs.

Fans liked heavenly blue because of Hikaru's verses (which we all like too, but we dislike the repetition as we already had that in consolation which non-Kalafina listeners have not heard). Many of them rate heavenly blue as one of their favorite OPs for the year for its adrenaline rush.

FSN fans were meh with believe as they found it same old same old, but many of them were very fond of ring your bell.

Though the song that probably every non-Kalafina fan loved upon first listen was Magia. Everyone who had watched Madoka Magica love it to death, and was probably Kalafina's true breakout moment.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's pretty much the impression I got as well.

When I said that the songs sound similar, I was actually referring to the FSN fans. That being said, a good number of them preferred RYB(in the silence) as a closing theme.
 
I'm disappointed. This single isn't my cup of tea. Mahiru is pleasant, though it would have been better if Hikaru had restrained her voice a bit.
 
Here some brief thoughts on the single.

One Light: I already liked the TV version and the full one is even better. It's not a masterpiece and it doesn't pretend to be like that but it's still a nice song. I still don't like the difference of energy beetween Wakana and Hikaru's deliveries but the chorus it's catchy and the verses are ok. It's a generic anisong piece but Kalafina vocals give it a special vibe.

Mahiru: A nice plain ballad. Not a track I'd put on repeat cause after a while it gets boring. I find Hikaru's vocals to be a little strange. It's like she couldn't decide beetween her fierce style and her fragile one. Tbh it sounds like she doesn't have the control over her voice to decide which way to go.
On the other hand, as usual, Wakana shines on this kind of songs, her voice is smooth and relaxing. One thing I don't like it's the plain feel it gives me. I mean, there is no climax at all, just changing vocalist. There was space enough to put strings or whatever in the end.
Side-note: I love the lyrics. Literally a gem.

Samidare: I have mixed feelings towards this song. I like the melody (even though it's not Kalafinesque at all) but it's all that. Just a pre-chorus like part which is nice. The same part is repeated over and over, again and again. Nothing to say on the vocals. Keiko sounds lovely (except for the 'high note' on 'mono no tame') and the other girls too. Not great but not bad.
Side-note: Love the piano outro.
 
Kirito said:
I'd say only ttb/hb/believe (and one light to an extent) sound the same. The rest of their anime A-sides are pretty much different from each other and do show off Kalafina's diverse repertoire.

Lots of F/Z fans love ttb. Mainly because it's not LiSA and it fits the show very well. It was the most anison song Kalafina had done at the time, but I think many liked it because of the passionate vocal delivery and the strings. It was actually one of my favorite A-sides too until its structure was recycled in future songs.

Fans liked heavenly blue because of Hikaru's verses (which we all like too, but we dislike the repetition as we already had that in consolation which non-Kalafina listeners have not heard). Many of them rate heavenly blue as one of their favorite OPs for the year for its adrenaline rush.

FSN fans were meh with believe as they found it same old same old, but many of them were very fond of ring your bell.

Though the song that probably every non-Kalafina fan loved upon first listen was Magia. Everyone who had watched Madoka Magica love it to death, and was probably Kalafina's true breakout moment.
Click to expand...

This is something I can agree with too. I've seen people saying that everything they do sounds the same before but it makes no sense, even if you're just looking at anime tie-ins. The SH songs all sound notably different whilst Hikari no Senritsu, Lacrimosa, Magia and Kimi no Gin no Niwa are all equally and entirely distinct. The only parallels I can really see are between TTB/Misterioso and HB/Believe. Outside of their anime works, maybe a couple of their slower ballads might sound similar but there's only so much you can do with a ballad anyway. Compared to other artists like, say, Ali Project or Dragonforce where almost everything is identical from what I've heard, Kalafina is a lot more distinct. Or used to be, at least.

Actually listening to the single a few more times, I think I do enjoy all of them. I don't think they're even close to the best works they've done and they don't really stand out compared to other artists' works, but they are songs I can appreciate. I reckon they could come across nicely live, too.
 
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