Kalafina in Budokan 28 February - 01 March 2015

wat11 said:
I think the only two songs I like from start to finish are Seventh Heaven and Hikari no Senritsu. The singing is good and in HnS, the instrumental in the middle is very nice. The live at that point seems sincere too, as the three walk toward the crowd, in that instrumental part. just clapping hands. smiling. that would have been enough.

The rest of the live has no sincerity whatsoever. I don't buy the moves or fancy visuals at all. It is business as usual. I hope that Kajiura is working on something new, preferably a soundtrack. Otherwise, it's not gonna cut it (

listen to love come down. is that Keiko? or in Manten? That's why I always listen to mp3s first. You concentrate on the sound rather than the visual which is impressive. what a show. kalafina sure has moved a lot. maybe a bit too much.

I noticed the Greek months. face palm. @george1234

I seem to be trying to keep the happy tone down, sorry for that but it's my opinion :)
Click to expand...

No sincerity? Haha. Well, I think you'd find yourself in the minority. I felt it. The crowd felt it. We returned their love, which we most definitely felt in each performance, with a never-ending round of applause that only grew louder with time, and was eventually filled with vocal cheers. I'm not sure how you couldn't feel it.

Look at the documentary for the making of this live. See how they insist on getting every single thing right. From every lighting choice to the exact count it takes to get them from the side arena to the stage. Every step, every move is rehearsed to perfection so as to give their audience, the audience that brought them to Budokan, their very best performance. They talked to the person in charge of lighting, discussing with him every step of the way as they rehearsed. It's something not even YK Lives get right (it was unfortunately rife with mistakes). You'd think that it's not that important, but it really adds to the performance as a whole. It's distracting when lights come on when they're not supposed to, both for us and for the singers (is it time to sing already? Yuriko Kaida was mislead by lights once during YK12. She was understandably tired after singing for so many days). It can be used to breathtaking effect and I hoped it would translate well to video but it unfortunately hasn't. Not completely anyway. The visuals are a part of the lives and Hikaru was the only one I had problems with (and yeah, Hikaru sounds a lot better when there are visuals to distract, haha). Aria was most definitely butchered by her this time but I can accept the other performances.

So yes, I definitely felt their love. And the crowd loved them back. Very, very much.

Also, you have to remember that the Budokan is a very large stage. There is quite a distance from the center of the stage to anyone in the audience. Some people actually like large halls like this, but I dislike it for this distance it puts between us and them. Ah well. They know that some people don't like it so they continue perform at halls of varying sizes. A large hall does have its charm though. The double quartet is doable only because the stage is this huge.

They definitely cut quite a bit of the MC. It's quite barebones now. I kept waiting for some of my favourite moments but it's not in there. :(
 
Hatouchan said:
No sincerity? Haha. Well, I think you'd find yourself in the minority. I felt it. The crowd felt it. We returned their love, which we most definitely felt in each performance, with a never-ending round of applause that only grew louder with time, and was eventually filled with vocal cheers. I'm not sure how you couldn't feel it. (...)

Every step, every move is rehearsed to perfection so as to give their audience, the audience that brought them to Budokan, their very best performance.
Click to expand...

That actually might be the problem. If it's that rehearsed, it definitely may come across as not sincere. Unless you're a really good actor.

Mind you I've not seen the lives, just commenting on what I'm reading.
 
grunty said:
That actually might be the problem. If it's that rehearsed, it definitely may come across as not sincere. Unless you're a really good actor.

Mind you I've not seen the lives, just commenting on what I'm reading.
Click to expand...
Why though? It's a choreographed part of the performance. What makes them appear sincere? Do they have to break into a spontaneous song and dance together with the audience as they clap along, singing kumbaya? They want to make it look good, and it did. The parts that aren't choreographed are there for all to see too. You see it as insincere, I see it as them giving their all for the audience.

There was alot of MC that was cut. A hell lot. Not even the messages of thanks remained. Like what the fuck are they thinking.
 
Hatouchan said:
Why though? It's a choreographed part of the performance. What makes them appear sincere? Do they have to break into a spontaneous song and dance together with the audience as they clap along, singing kumbaya? They want to make it look good, and it did. The parts that aren't choreographed are there for all to see too. You see it as insincere, I see it as them giving their all for the audience.

There was alot of MC that was cut. A hell lot. Not even the messages of thanks remained. Like what the fuck are they thinking.
Click to expand...

I had a long ass response written but why fuel your negativity towards our little community... I'm sincerely happy for you that you still enjoy Kalafina. Kumbayaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa my lawd, kumbayaaaaaaaaaa...
 
Well, I find the "perfect" dance to be insincere. Of course it's an opinion, of course I know I am minority.

Never mind the sincerity, I judge them primarily on their singing and I failed to see the brilliance. To me, they don't even sound like themselves let alone make small mistakes in front of a huge crowd. I realize it was huge (I have seen the lives even though I skipped parts) and they were incredibly nervous yes. That doesn't have to change my opinion on their singing.

I am sure that visuals helped a lot to compensate their singing.

As for my fandom, I never considered myself a hard-core Kalafina fan. I am mainly interested in it through Kajiura but frankly their recent performances can't make home in my mind. You might feel connected to them in every way possible but I just don't.

I think Kajiura is talented. She has it. However, I find her work to be unreliable, inconsistent and unstable. You might think that's a genius quality. I might agree.
 
Sorry to butt in out of the blue. I haven't watched the performances yet so I won't comment much on it, but having joined the forums for more than a year now (even though I'm still relatively new compared to a lot of you here), I can see that there's a good lot who don't seem to enjoy the recent Kalafina/Kajiura/FJ works - I mean, you guys seem to only have negative things to say most of the time. Not saying your opinions are wrong, I think everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, and it's okay if you don't like what you see/hear, but it just makes me wonder - why are you guys still here (and investing a good amount of time criticising things you don't enjoy)? Surely your time can be better directed elsewhere, to other artists/music that are actually worth your time? Just wondering/saying.
 
@wat11 first Lemme just thank you for keeping it real! In a strange way you opened my eyes towards the performance in a slight way. And @grunty for pointing out how the choreographed steps and movements may have added to the "insincerity"... Some really good points being discussed, so thank you to you both.

I didn't watch the documentary because I don't understand Japanese, so thank you @Hatouchan for debriefing the Jist of it. Your description of how the girls delivered the concert is reminiscent of the styles of live performances of the late Michael Jackson, how everything had to be perfect down to the lighting and steps. Perhaps it is true that the atmosphere and soul of live performances may never be captured by video and audio recording...

I must add that it great that they put so much effort and energy into creating the "perfect" performance, but it's another thing whether or not it was delivered properly. Perhaps the insincerity described is a commentary on the stoic, emotionless movements contributed by constant rehearsal and repetition of the steps. I personally enjoy spontaneity, but in a venue like Budokan, I suppose there is no room for that...

Look at me jumping back and forth in this post lmao! Point is, both point of views remain valid, because both co-exist, in a nearly complementary nature.
 
a-chan said:
Not saying your opinions are wrong, I think everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, and it's okay if you don't like what you see/hear, but it just makes me wonder - why are you guys still here (and investing a good amount of time criticising things you don't enjoy)? Surely your time can be better directed elsewhere, to other artists/music that are actually worth your time? Just wondering/saying.
Click to expand...
Because people can still be a fan of their previous work?
 
lapis said:
Because people can still be a fan of their previous work?
Click to expand...

That's all good but...

<How it looks like to me>
You like this BBQ flavoured potato chips (or crisps) Brand A makes. You go to the supermarket one day and find the greatest shock of your life - Brand A doesn't produce that flavour anymore, they've replaced it with spicy flavoured ones. Instead of moving on with your shopping (and maybe check out other brands), you stay there for the next three hours telling other shoppers who stop to pick up the spicy flavoured ones all the flaws you find with this new flavour, how much you dislike it and how good the BBQ flavoured ones were.

I don't know, to me it's just weird. I'll spend those 3 hours shopping for other things.
 
Well funny you should say that a-chan because that's exactly how I feel about where Kalafina is now. Won't elaborate on that anymore.
The analogy makes no sense though. I can go back and eat the old flavor.

I stick around because Kajiura can do better and surprise me from time to time. I have negative opinions which may lead to a good discussion instead every time someone says negative, it's why do guys stick around then?

Discussion keeps a forum/community/house alive.
 
wat11 said:
The analogy makes no sense though. I can go back and eat the old flavor.
Click to expand...

a-chan said:
Brand A doesn't produce that flavour anymore, they've replaced it with spicy flavoured ones.
Click to expand...

:XD:

That's just what I think, you don't have to agree :innocent:

EDIT: Oh, and it's not that negativity is bad. I'm sure none of us here like a 100% of everything that we see/hear. But to hate it 99% of the time, that's a different story... Life is short and time is precious, I'd rather not waste it on something I hate.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
a-chan said:
why are you guys still here (and investing a good amount of time criticising things you don't enjoy)? Surely your time can be better directed elsewhere, to other artists/music that are actually worth your time? Just wondering/saying.
Click to expand...

I actually quit the board for a time cause I've had it with some vocal delusional fans that couldn't handle the truth about Wakana sucking live but here I am.

I'm nostalgic in hoping that Kajiura does something that excites me like her stuff from 6+ (especially 10+) years ago... And she sometimes does (signal CD ver) but sadly it's few and far between. Much like the hardcore fans, I guess I am also delusional. I quit other artists that I considered myself a fan of before (coughbjorkcough) so I'll probably ditch Kalafina threads (we'll see with far on the water) and give up on Kajiura sometime...

Do I have other artists that I follow? I do but I've also given up on many that I considered special (at the start) much faster than with Kajiura (yo Yasuharu Takanashi).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
a-chan said:
:XD:

That's just what I think, you don't have to agree :innocent:
Click to expand...
I think what he meant is, the comparison doesn't work because we, the fans of Yuki Kajiura, can still listen to her older compositions whenever we like, so it's not at all comparable to a brand putting out a new flavor and discontinuing the old entirely. She could start writing the most hopelessly vapid, generic-sounding trash imaginable (and yeah, I know there are some who seem to think she's already done that with the most recent singles...), but that won't magically retcon Seventh Heaven out of existence.
 
I can see where A-chan is coming from - there are artists who I used to be into as well, but their style changed and I'm not into them any more. e.g. I was disappointed by recent Smashing Pumpkins albums, but 'Siamese Dream' is awesome and always will be. I could join a SP forum to talk at length about how their 'Zeitgeist' album is rubbish, but why bother? After I've made my stance clear, repeating it over and over will just upset people and won't do me much good either.

Another example that Kala fans might relate to: a friend of mine is a huge fan of Our Lady Peace (a Canadian band) but their 'Gravity' album was so disappointing and generic that it nearly reduced him to tears. The difference between that and their previous record 'Spiritual Machines' was...imagine going from 'Consolation' to an album where everything sounds like 'Heavenly Blue' and the 2014/5 singles that we grumble about! He's now resigned to the fact that they'll never record another 'Spiritual Machines' in the same way that I know that Billy Corgan won't make another 'Siamese Dream'. Or that YK won't make another 'Seventh Heaven'.

I just want this long-winded reply to highlight that although I don't see any point to expressing constant negativity, I do know how frustrating it can be when you start to drift away from an artist you used to enjoy. I guess I could give a friendly and respectful reminder that this forum has plenty of threads dedicated to other artists/songwriters, so nobody should feel they're unwelcome.
 
Now I've had some time to reflect on the lives and watch a few bits back here and there, I can give a quick rundown.

Positives:
  • Keiko, being Keiko. Not much else to say.
  • Wakana's performance. This is the Wakana I fell in love with those years ago (OK she doesn't quite have her old voice but shh). Her voice was gorgeous throughout and most importantly, consistent. I've been worried about her for a while but this proves she can still do amazing things.
  • The lighting. Flickering of lights during Numquam, the starry background of Alleluia etc. So cool.
  • That sudden appearance at the start of Magia. Impressive
  • Hikaru on some occasions, probably more often than not for me. She did have some truly wonderful moments even with her overall weakened state
  • Red Moon
  • Alleluia being goddamn perfect
  • Moonfesta :love:
  • Hikari no Senritsu being wonderful
  • Seventh Heaven at last
  • Hanataba being perfect, and having Hikaru's voice work in her advantage. I love this performance so much.
  • Numquam Vincar. One of my favourite Madoka pieces and what a performance
  • Signal especially Wakana's jacket removal, dayumn
  • The girls being super cute and having fun
  • Those dresses, all of them but especially the Blue ones
Negatives:
  • Hikaru on some occasions. I do hope she's okay and it was just a slight bug or nerves, she's capable of better. As mentioned above, I think she still had plenty of good moments even though she easily stood out as the weakest of the three, especially on Red
  • ARIA being a mess
  • Camerawork in general being garbage. Lots of shaky shots, out of focus on occasion, almost completely ignoring the band with the exception of Rie. Skipping footage of Konno and Korenaga during solos is a real issue for me
  • Not appearing in the Japan Expo doc
  • Ring Your Bell and Far on the Water being cut
  • Questionable setlist. Believe on both days, Mirai, snow falling and Heavenly Blue all being in there made for some incredibly boring moments, having Eden and Mune no Yukue as well doesn't help either. Nice job including my 6 least favourite songs.
  • No Kimi ga Hikari or Mata Kaze makes me sad, and not a single non-tie in b-side. No serenato either. I had no hope for Sandpiper but the others could've made it
  • Magia[quattro] instead of regular Magia
  • The text on the spines being somewhat hard to read because it's too dark on black
  • The free poster not being of the Blue dresses
Overall though, I enjoyed both lives. Despite having more songs I don't like I preferred Blue for a bunch of reasons; notably better Hikaru, red moon, Signal, Hanataba and Destination Unknown, that Numquam, those dresses and overall it seems like they put more effort into everything for Blue in regards to visual spectacle. Alleluia probably stands out as the best performance though, I cannot fault it at all and it made me tear up. I'm very happy with Wakana's performance overall, after all the little issues she's had over the last year or so especially she really showed what she's capable of here, just wonderful. Keiko is Keiko. I just hope this is a rare occurrence for Hikaru, from what I've seen she's usually a lot better and she showed significant improvement after the first few songs on both days, plus still managed to deliver some lovely vocals on a bunch of occasions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top