Kalafina 5th album "far on the water"

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^ It is not, when the promotion is exciding an amount (like when for example in TV you see a certain product advertised twice or more on every break its becoming brainwash, since it has long reached the goal of making itself known). But in this case I said it jokingly, not seriously, since they were doing so many radio talks :)
 
Maybe it's brainwashing but they were working hard to promote it. It was so many events they attended - they did their best. We can be proud because of it.
And thanks this popularity they can do in future more amazing lives. It's a good way I think.
 
I wouldn't call it brainwash, just overexposure (which wasn't a bad thing in this case). People can choose to not buy the album despite seeing so much promo, Kalafina doesn't have magical powers to force them. People like what they have been hearing.


Anyhow congrats to the girls! As far as I know, they are still a relatively niche group (despite the string of mainstream-ish songs they've released recently), so it is definitely something to be proud of. :')
 
I'm a big Maaya fan, but I think she's only popular with anison fans IIRC. I don't think she has HUGE mainstream popularity in Japan.

I'm happy for Kalafina :) The album was good, even if it wasn't exactly my cup of tea. And yeah, as long as they keep reaching new milestones their future looks stable so I'm happy for that too.
 
Experimenting is probably a good sign overall even if it means this particular release is weaker than some others, many bands do it, and a lot tend to fluctuate from strength to strength as they release more material, it's a common process. Most of the responses seem to give the impression that it's not a bad release at all, just weaker than prior releases. It's not a full downwards trend either, After Eden was a slight lull and then Consolation/Alleluia/KnGnN were all positive growth, plus the b-sides for Believe and RYB were fantastic. Whilst I still haven't gotten my copy to confirm, I'm under the assumption that I'm happy enough that there is still potential for further growth and continued good quality material in the future.

I've scheduled my delivery for Thursday now so I'll get my chance to listen soon. Could get it delivered tomorrow but I won't be here.
 
I've reading for quite some time that "it's a good thing that FOTW has good sales figures because it means that they are more and more known".
I repeat again, I don't think this is a BAD album. But their weakest, because I find so many flaws in its main songs, yet I like it more and more every day. The original songs are for the most really enjoyable but very experimental and, but for one or two, not really Kalafina-style.
This is where, for me, lies the issue. It's nice to see Kajiura-sensei experiment new things. One time. But I really hope that she won't keep in this way. For me, Kalafina is baroque, is G.L., is romance, is lyricism. I often think that with Kalafina, she could write a genuine opera and make them perform it, all the four of them are capable of it.
It's nice to listen to Kalafina having a rock, a 90's or a dance song once, twice, even maybe thrice. But I want no more songs that are made of several slices of other ones put side by side with no transition like RYB, or songs where Keichan struggles to reach an upper octave (yes, I know that Mahiru is not on FOTW, but it still is a very meaningful example of how recent songs could bother me).
I really wish that Kajiura-sensei won't tell to herself "wow, FOTW worked so well, I'll keep doing experimental or mainstream songs ever and ever and fill in the 6th album with them", another album that I won't enjoy fully at the first listening. I know that Kara no Kyoukai or Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica have an end, but for me, Kalafina is meant to sing for those kinds of anime, not for Aldnoah.Zero or Arslân Senki, there are other bands who sound way better for that.
But, I'm sure that if the sales of this album are so good, that's because there are tie-ins of several famous animes on it, thus the fans of any of those anime may add to the regular Kalafina fans buying it ("I loved what they did for my favorite anime, I'll hear at what else they do"), even if they already know only the theme song of their series, leading to huge sales. The more distinct anime with tie-ins on the album, the more potential buyers.

tldr; (Essay Caesar, those who didn't read salute you) I would prefer Kalafina doing less releases, selling less copies, being less famous, but being loyal to themselves and to their first day fans.
 
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Daiima, I do agree with you that it is very dangerous for Kalafina to sell more and become mainstream, even though I'm not happy with its current state (well, isn't that a twist of events). Still, I really don't think Kajiura is experimenting new things, unless you're talking about Kalafina's own little world. Otherwise, only Monochrome sounds like a experiment of sorts to me. The rest...
 
Daiima said:
I know that Kara no Kyoukai or Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica have an end, but for me, Kalafina is meant to sing for those kinds of anime, not for Aldnoah.Zero or Arslân Senki, there are other bands who sound way better for that.
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I agree. But even with anime like Mahou Shoujo Madoka, Kuroshitsuji can take a very good position. The best selling singles were: Magia, Ttb, Hikari furu, Kimi no gin no niwa... Not One Light, RYB, believe (I like OL and RYB-but they aren't such amazing like Magia or Lacrimosa). So fans choose not main-stream Kalafina. I think that last singles were a try how people like main-stream Kalafina. And it's a result - they were in top10 even if the singles had a medium quality.
After far on the water Kalafina surely return to darker anime. I'm sure.
 
Back to the sales topic. Firstly, I'm only following Kajiura-San and Revo. I just can't understand sales numbers. FOTW sold about 25k on the first week while Nein ( Revo's latest album ) sold 46k. From what I see FOTW had very powerful advertising unlike Nein which had first song sample on radio and short MV.
The only thing that explain this for me is the loyal fan base for ( by loyal I mean those who buy everything ), and the repetitive songs in the album ( A sides )
Finally, please don't say that Sound Horizon is more famous than Kalafina.
 
Daiima said:
I really wish that Kajiura-sensei won't tell to herself "wow, FOTW worked so well, I'll keep doing experimental or mainstream songs ever and ever and fill in the 6th album with them", another album that I won't enjoy fully at the first listening.
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This is my sentiment exactly. I am really happy FOtW is doing well for Kalafina, but I don't want this to become the new 'norm' for future releases.

And yeah, part of it is for personal reasons, I admit, but the (newer) song structures just seem kinda... generic to me. I don't mind experimenting and having anime tie-ins or what not (I came in through Lacrimosa after all), but the flaws in this album overshadow the pros for me.

I never really gave my review mostly because I only liked Usumurasaki and the DU-ish part of monochrome and even those did not grow on me after a few listens. The rest were just kinda okay, but it's overall not a terrible album.

I do wonder though, if album sales will keep up the momentum in its total sales (not sure how the vinyl counts).
 
If I had listened to Kalafina when they first debuted, I wouldn't think HnS and storia is Kalafina, nor Te to te to me to me, nor even I have a dream with its simplicity.

If I remember correctly, Kajiura mentioned that Kalafina was her lab for her to experiment, and I for one am glad she's still doing it. Even if the experiment isn't a success, that's just what it is - an experiment. If it means Kalafina can branch out to new sounds and genres, then go for it. A lot of people complain Kalafina's songs sound the same, and this disproves that accusation.
 
george1234 said:
thank you!! Can you try finding these too ? (far on the water commemoration events)

September 9 at Nagoya
September 10 at Osaka
September 11 at Sapporo
September 17 at Fukuoka
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Sorry for I cannot find those, george. Maybe because that event was for retail store visits and radio show appearances only (the setlist we had in Nagoya was from a radio show, iirc) in those regions mentioned. Mini-lives was on Lazona and Nishinomiya only. :)

Im glad their nationwide campaign worked so well. Congratulations to the girls... two years of waiting since Consolation era is really worth it!

EDIT: beautiful FOTW Special BK scans :love:
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The only "experimentation" she has in the album is monochrome. Other than that, she has done the types of music in fotw album before.
Nothing new, not even trying hard enough to change the lead vocalist or whatsoever.

The album is not bad btw, i am still able to enjoy it. It is just recently it lacks of someting new outside of what yuki has done before. (Not for kalafina album)

Edit: totally agree with kp-x
 
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I'm reading a lot of criticism about this album here in this thread, and in no way do I disagree! As @Daiima pointed out, Kajiura is bringing Kalafina into a more mainstream current, which may attract newer fans, but at the same time disappoint her older, loyal fans that were with Kalafina "from the start". I agree that the recent ani-songs are far from the ranks of their initial single releases (i.e. "sprinter", "oblivious").

Their image has changed dramatically since their debut. Heck, the first single was released when the identities of the two singers were LITERALLY hidden behind scarves (lmao!). They were going for a mysterious feel, as pointed out by the UTATANE interview (accompanied in the progressive DVD). In the same interview (along with various interviews around that time), the Kalafina girls did mention that they were going for a European style, which reflects some of the baroque and romantic styles of their songs from 2008-2011 (i.e. storia, Lacrimosa).

As their popularity increased, I'm guessing they had no choice but to adhere to the weight of their new fandom. They came from hidden concealed otherwise unknown singers to now pretty well-known among the anime fandom. Let's face it - it's hard to get by these days in the music industry. Knowing how infamous SONY is for pushing for sales, I can imagine how Kajiura feels obligated to go down this path of composing "generic" songs.

NOW WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID!

Can I just say... I am in love with "usumurasaki" and "musundehiraku". Just immensely impressed. I never saw myself to fall in love with "musundehiraku" but gosh this song just has so much hope and despair at the same time (signature Kajiura move right there)! And "usumurasaki".... Not even "signal" can get me through a chest work out as well as this song! So much power and darkness.... I'm madly in love with Middle Eastern styles of music combined with the alluring voice of WAKANA (i.e. "magnolia").

"Hokage" is pretty dullsville to me... Not to say it is a bad song; I'm just not a huge fan.

"Sorairo no Iso" - I really like that key change right after the first chorus... and then the back and forth between WAKANA and KEIKO at the bridge. HIKARU is so underrepresented in this song lmao it reminds me of the "seventh heaven" album.

I think my biggest complaint about Kalafina albums in general is the inclusion of tie-in anime songs that don't really go well with the album-exclusive tracks... It was okay in "seventh heaven" because at the time, all the Kara no Kyoukai tie-ins were pretty much their image of being mysterious and what-not so everything just went very well together.

By the time we got to "red moon", "Hikari no Senritsu" was interestingly placed between "red moon" and "tetotetometome"... also "progressive"? Didn't really work well IMO.

Then "After Eden": I love "Magia" but it just does not match at all! As someone previously mentioned, Hikari no Senritsu should have been swapped with Magia :XD: but of course, I know that isn't doable for obvious reasons :p

The release of "Consolation" was when this was very apparent: "moonfesta"? :XD: What also kind of bothered me was "mirai" and "manten" and "to the beginning"... The latter two were skipped all the time for me whenever I played the album. Once it reached track 10, skip skip skip to Hikarifuru or Yume no Daichi.

And now finally at this point, "One light" kind of is an eye sore to me... ( or rather ear-sore ). "Ring your bell" I like as a song, but I don't think it goes well with the flow of the album... Thoughts?
 
I've said before that changes are difficult. This criticism thing happened with every album since Red Moon (as far as I remember, the Red Moon thread is still here and there were a lot of people not liking it at all). If they'd remained the same that in Seventh Heaven, the criticisim would be the no-change. The old songs won't go anywhere (and we have a lot of them), and the new songs are enjoyable. We all win.
 
Sofia said:
(as far as I remember, the Red Moon thread is still here and there were a lot of people not liking it at all)
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I looked at the Red Moon thread, and it seemed to get extremely positive feedback from most people (unlike here where it's more mixed). I haven't looked at AE or Consolation's threads, though.

Must... Not... Listen.... Until..... It.... is.... my.... birthday.... why must it be a week and a half until it....:comeback:
 
I remember people saying they liked few songs, mixed feelings about Red Moon and general dislike almost for yami no uta and hoshi no utai. Nobody said anything was shit, thankfully, but there were some complaining about it being chaotic. I read it some years ago, so I remember just the things which impressed me then.
 
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