「Kalafina Anniversary LIVE 2025」15th January Tokyo Garden Theater (NO KAJIURA INVOLVEMENT)

My first reaction would be none of them tbh.
I asked the question after watching a song on Emiko's channel that was by Sawano (which I didn't realize the first l time I saw it).

I enjoy Sawano's music for its own strengths and very modern feel, and since he's one of the top anisong hit makers, I was wondering about our girls chances with very different music.

I love Keiko only for the fact that it has created appreciation for deep and low registers for many people where normally for women many treat singing as who hits the higher notes, but her voice outside those rangers doesn't stand out a lot. Hikaru is very expressive on her singing so I think that is a huge bonus for her vs the others but I don't know if the Sawano style is for her. And Wakana outside her voice issues and changes, would need very specific kinds of song that I don't see Sawano doing.
Yes, yes, and yes.

I also don't think they would really work. Maybe Hikaru if her voice was in good shape (I've heard Laco and Mizuki sing some pitches off during lives, so it's not about live pitch issues.).

We have heard Wakana sing "Flag" and cover Ghibli songs and so we know she can deliver that kind of period piece, classic ballad, nostalgic vocal. Hikaru covered "Gira Gira" by ADO, and (seriously!) it could have been her own song with the way she ate it up. Sawano will not write a waltzing piece or a strings-heavy ballad (Wakana's range), but he can write brooding music which prime Hikaru vocal quality with recent Hikaru drive and grit could definitely deliver. He needs unique vocalists for even his slow-paced, dreamy songs (E.g. Gemie - who has a lovely bright voice - on "Call of Silence").

Keiko is actually the one who's less vocally distinct, from the three, to me. in all seriousness. Yes she has the warm, low voice and range but it isn't gravelly or piercing enough to stand out (with character), and she doesn't seem to know how to let loose vocally without going to a yell, so she mostly sticks to the dark mysterious stuff (which only works in Kajiura land or in classic Japanese music).

Hot take from me, I guess, but I think part of the issue in the back of my mind with "Yūyami no Uta" was Keiko's vocal quality / delivery, of course compounded by the generally weaker composition and overly repetitive motifs used by Kajiura and the random vocalization (honestly, traditional Kajiurago with Yuriko, etc., might have been better).
 
I havent deep dive into his music but from what i have heard H n K are more suitable. Maybe Wakana for his Aldnoah songs would fit anything similar to the etherial / dramatic songs she used to sing as Kalafina.
Would Wakana really replace Mizuki? I don't think so. In what song?
 
Couldnt she sing the Aldnoah song her her place for example ? She has a similar voice even if a bit more high pitch than Mizuki, but a backing vocal fixes that.
 
🤔 Which of these songs do you think would work with her (links pasted here for reference)?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vJSusT56DQ
SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:mizuki - "aLIEz" (Live) 中英日德文歌詞 Lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gMXEd49rbg
SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] - "A/Z" ft. mizuki

The thing is Wakana can sing the entire range of the song, since her singing range is some semitones higher than Mizuki.

The tone and metallic belt quality of Mizuki's vocal is what makes the vocals iconic, and importantly goes with the bombastic, driving rhythm and heavier instrumentation. I think you also need a more forward voice to cut through the instrumentation. She also doesn't use much vibrato if any in the upper belt range.

Again, not saying Wakana can't sing it, but maybe not deliver it fully, since she doesn't have that kind of belting ability. Also her mournful voice will change the feel of the song, making it softer.
 
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/スペースクラフト

概要​

かつてはモデル部門とジュニア部門(ジュニア部、Jr.コマーシャルタレント部、東京児童劇団)の株式会社スペースクラフト、芸能部門のスペースクラフト・エージェンシー株式会社(旧スペースクラフト・エンタテインメント)、音楽部門の株式会社スペースクラフトプロデューススペースクラフト音楽出版株式会社から構成されるグループ会社であった。

2025年4月14日付で創業者の大西一興が代表取締役社長を退任し、<a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/スペースクラフト#cite_note-oricon2379481-3"><span>[</span>3<span>]</span></a>。後任にはスペース・ワンや四谷天窓グループを経て2020年よりスペースクラフト・エージェンシーに復帰し、2023年より執行役員・芸能部本部長を務めていた丹下英樹が就任<a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/スペースクラフト#cite_note-oricon2379481-3"><span>[</span>3<span>]</span></a>。同時に経営難のため木下グループ傘下となった<a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/スペースクラフト#cite_note-encount781857-2"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a>。その際にモデル部門、ジュニア部門、芸能部門をすべてスペースクラフト・エージェンシー株式会社に統括した。音楽部門のみ後述の株式会社スペースクラフトプロデューススペースクラフト音楽出版株式会社スペースクラフトパブリッシャーズ株式会社が存続している。

芸能部門ではは、黒谷友香などのタレントが所属する。声優ではかつて平野綾増田俊樹も所属していたが、相次いで退社したこともあり2018年10月末をもって声優部門のサイトが閉鎖されることとなった。なお、その後も古川慎上坂すみれ角元明日香駒形友梨三澤紗千香などの退所者が後を絶たない状態が続いた。

ビーイングと親交があり、所属アーティストの音楽プロデュースを同社が担当することが多かった。岩田さゆり宇浦冴香Bon-Bon Blancoをビーイングがプロデュースしており、基本的にB'z大島こうすけ小澤正澄などの関東を重点に置く作家を起用していた。岩田やBon-Bon Blancoが音楽活動を中止した後は、Kalafina栗山千明などソニーミュージックエンタテインメントが担当するケースもあったが解散・退社が相次いだ。

Shinjuku Island Tower, where the head office is located
Type Public limited company
Abbreviation Specla
Head office location Japan

Established December 1975
Industry Service Industry

Business Activities Management of talents, models, musicians, and voice actors
Representatives
President and Representative Director Hideki Tange
Vice President and Representative Director Yukio Hamano
Major Shareholders Kinoshita Group
Related Individuals
Kazuyuki Onishi (Advisor, Former President and Representative Director)
Naoya Kinoshita (Director[2])
External links www.spacecraft.co.jp

Space Craft Co., Ltd. is a Japanese talent agency headquartered in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of the Kinoshita Group. It is a member of the Japan Licensing Association. This article also covers the related company Space Craft Produce.

Overview
The group formerly comprised Space Craft Co., Ltd. (covering modelling and junior divisions: Junior Division, Jr. Commercial Talent Division, Tokyo Children's Theatre), Space Craft Agency Co., Ltd. (formerly Space Craft Entertainment) for entertainment, Space Craft Produce Co., Ltd. for music, and Space Craft Music Publishing Co., Ltd.

On 14 April 2025, founder Kazuyuki Onishi stepped down as President and Representative Director[3]. His successor is Hideki Tange, who returned to Space Craft Agency in 2020 after stints at Space One and Yotsuya Tenmado Group, and had served as Executive Officer and Head of the Entertainment Division since 2023[3]. Simultaneously, due to financial difficulties, the company came under the Kinoshita Group umbrella. At that time, the modelling division, junior division, and entertainment division were all consolidated under Space Craft Agency Co., Ltd. Only the music division continues to exist through the aforementioned Space Craft Produce Co., Ltd., Space Craft Music Publishing Co., Ltd., and Space Craft Publishers Co., Ltd.

The entertainment division represents talents such as Yuka Kurotani. While voice actors like Aya Hirano and Toshiki Masuda were formerly affiliated, their successive departures led to the closure of the voice acting division's website at the end of October 2018. Subsequently, a steady stream of departures continued, including Shin Furukawa, Sumire Uesaka, Asuka Kakumoto, Yuri Komagata, and Sachika Misawa.

Being maintained close ties with the company, which frequently handled music production for its affiliated artists. Being produced Sayuri Iwata, Saeka Ura, and Bon-Bon Blanco, primarily employing writers based in the Kanto region such as B'z, Kosuke Oshima, and Masazumi Ozawa. After Iwata and Bon-Bon Blanco ceased their musical activities, Sony Music Entertainment took over for acts like Kalafina and Chiaki Kuriyama, but these too saw successive disbandments and departures.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
 
I was doing the FJ text for the post-Spacecraft-exit era of FJ (now up on the site but not finalised) and on the Keiko Hikaru exit point i tried to find again the article saying SC was bought by Kinoshita but i found the wikipedia article instead, which has some corporate gossip inside i wasnt aware of, so i thought of posting it here as well.
 
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