Hello, this is comment from yours truly, the bast*rd of this forum.
I actually don't want to comment/post anything to this forum anymore but I'm still checking this forum from time to time *coughs*links*cough* I can't resist myself after grunty kindly mentioned my name on his post.
I like Red Day MUCH MORE than Blue Day. Blue Day was shit. There, I said it. And sorry, grunty-dear, I've watched the Blue day concert. Red Day is a given since I bought the Red DVD.
Red Day started greatly with a very solid misterioso, an entertaining Tetotetometome (yeah I liked the dance, save for the bending-and-make-circling-move on the intro), and a nice fantasia live (dayum those strings arrangement). I can't say I'm glad with Lacrimosa, Wakana's new voice still has no power and obviously not powerful enough to pull this song off. the "Lacrimosa dies illa" was really bad imo. Kagayaku was quite pleasing until Hikaru's part, Keiko's kajiurago was so fine. ARIA was cancerous. Hikaru held her voice on the back of her head while pulling those notes -the thing she did on LisAni live 4- and the result is disastrous. moonfesta was really nice after Hikaru's first stanza, I can't say I like the rythmic gymnastic dance, though. Hikaru's dance on Wakana and Keiko's stanza was laughably ridiculous. I never liked neverending but I'm really pleased with Keiko's solo. Hikarifuru is much better than in consolation where Keiko was shit -not that she didn't hit those notes, her singing was just not pleasant on my ear with many pushed notes-, Wakana was still flat on "todoku kara" though. I'm also really pleasantly surprised with Hikari no Senritsu because of the strings on the chorus. It gave fuller feeling to the song and I really liked it. when the fairytale ends was also gorgeous. really liked it. fairytale was still no par with the one in Red Moon live. oblivious was really boring, it had no energy as the one in 5th anniv live CD and as oblivious in the CD version. Kyrie, re:fairytale. I actually liked consolation on this live. It had the most solid Hikaru so far and I liked Wakana's voice on the chorus, not so much on the "aaaa". Ongaku was also boring. Yume no Daichi was really good, I'm really surprised when Keiko and Wakana sang the kajiurago before "yozora no, doko ka ni...". I don't even like Eden but this live's Eden was good I find myself liking it. imo it has the most earnest/sincere moment so far of the concert. I know their walking around the stage was staged but the girls really looked like they're looking and interacting with the audience, and Wakana was solid on this one. Keiko had too many sharps on Mune no Yukue, Hikaru was sh*t, Wakana not helping much. Alleluia was perfect. Keiko hit all the right notes (save for the slight mistake in bokura wa yuku), Wakana was great (I still think her falsetto sounds really sharp), Hikaru had so little but she did good.
the good: misterioso, tetote, fantasia, moonfesta, Hikarifuru, Hikari no Senritsu, when the fairytale ends, consolation, Eden, Yume no Daichi, Alleluia being the best song from both days.
the bad: ARIA (the worst of both Red and Blue Day), oblivious, Kyrie, Ongaku, Mune no Yukue.
Blue Day started with the worst live rendition of both storia and love come down (not even the live flute and strings helped). The second part was also boring, Natsu no Ringo and I have a dream was still really dry and boring, I only liked Keiko's voice on "yakkou ressha no mado" and the flute. seventh heaven was good save for Hikaru, Mirai is still a bad song. I don't get what all you who said Hikaru's weak voice worked on Hanataba, if anything it made the song sound even worse than it already was. I love Hanataba on CD but this live version is even less good than in Consolation DVD, Hikaru spewing those notes on the last stanza was bad, the Kajiurago was not as good as before, the accordion was really random throughout the songs. I don't know if they printed the sheet music for the accordionist that badly or if they changed the melody or it was simply an improvisation, the accordion wasn't pleasant throughout Hanataba. Wakana still didn't hit the right notes for "kowaresouna" in Gin no Niwa, but other than that Gin no Niwa is good. Manten and to the beginning were still as boring as ever. Numquam Vincar was really great save for the edited/pitch-played violin solo by Konno. Their entrance before Magia was cool, though. Magia-d.u.-signal-Ongaku-HB combo was supposed to keep the audiences and the watchers hyped, and it worked for some people, but it just did nothing to me. Magia's choreography was even worse than moonfesta, I still prefer original Magia to quattro so this version did little to hype me. Hikaru was great in D.U., the same thing couldn't be said for Keiko shouting and as the result not hitting the right notes.
signal, as grunty said, is ruined forever. Looking at people said Wakana did great in signal made me had high hope but alas, nope, nothing. She hiccuped her way out during the first "aaah". the live arrangement was even worse than in Consolation special final with almost all the musicians did random improvisation during their jam session part that I REALLY WISHED THEY'D CUT and stop doing because it did nothing other than making the song long and boring. Sato's part was even more random than in Consolation DVD. And they really should stop introducting the musicians doing the improvisation solos especially when they'd introduce the musicians again after. I'm glad they didn't do it on Red Day's Ongaku.
Ongaku was still boring. Wakana was really solid during heavenly blue but that's that. snow falling, I'm glad they sang it as the CD version which was better than in After Eden DVD but the song was still one of the most sleep inducing song from Kalafina. Keiko still didn't handle her solo well. symphonia wasn't great either, I don't like the way Keiko sang her opening stanza. The encore was boring af. red moon was still way too long, Wakana has no power, Hikaru shouted her way out during the chorus. I really wish they stop singing this song. I don't care what you people said, this song is still boring and on my bottom 10 Kalafina song. I still don't get Kajiura making an almost 7 minutes long song when the main point of the song (according to her) was just the last 40 seconds. believe is still bad. sprinter got even worse and worse overtime. Hikaru still held her voice on the back of her head, the result was almost as bad as ARIA.
the good: seventh heaven, Kimi no Gin no Niwa, Numquam vincar, destination unknown for having the most solid Hikaru moment, Wakana stripped her jacket off on signal.
the bad: everything else.
What made Red Day stood even more than Blue Day was the fact that they did some special re-arrangement on some songs (fantasia and Hikari no Senritsu having strings) and they sang differently than before (the kajiurago on Yume no Daichi). On Blue Day they did something different with Natsu no Ringo with not having Hikaru sang "fue no ne ga..." but looking at her condition it was a wise thing to do. She didn't even sing it well back then in 2010. They added an extra strings part on the beginning of I have a dream but that's that. It wasn't as impactful as what they did to fantasia and Hikari no Senritsu.
I have to run to Keiko's defense to wat11 here. She has done worse than using her cutesy voice in love come down (in your eyes live says hi) and I can't say her cutesy voice reducing any sincerity she had on this song. I think she settled on this kind of singing because she wanted to add more playful feeling to the song that I have to admit sadly doesn't really work. But honestly I don't get anything wrong with Manten, if anything she had better grasp on her notes on this live than those before.
About sincerity, I side with Hatouchan on this one. I think having all their movements choreographed and they had to do some dance really showed how they wanted the concert to be as memorable as possible to the audience and to keep the audiences entertained and not get bored. You might think that it showed how very business-like for them to do but you can't forget that it is a business. They are a part of a show business. They have to be appealing to as many people as possible. We have to acknowledge that there are many kind of fans out there. They can't keep expecting people to like them only based on their singing or their songs, although those were what originally the girls' aimed for. There are people who never saw them live before, there are people who only knew their anime songs, and there are people who like them because they're pretty. It's just a matter of different perspective of sincerity on their part. I see them doing all of these as a part of their sincerity of wanting the audiences to be entertained and for the concerts to be as enjoyable and memorable as ever to all their audiences.
And honestly seasonreaper. This 2-Day live event was held to commemorate their BEST album. It was clearly showed on the concert title, Kalafina LIVE THE BEST 2015 Red Day/Blue Day. It was a given that they'd sing all songs from their best RED and BLUE album. I don't really like all the songs you've mentioned (Eden *but it was a really good in this live*, Mune no Yukue, snow falling, and heavenly blue) but I've accepted the fact that they'd sing those songs even as soon as the Budokan concerts were announced. Complaining about those songs being on the setlist really make no sense.
I don't know how many people will read this since I'm probably the most hated person on this forum but since I decided to post, might as well go all out. those are my thoughts.
tldr: Blue Day was shit, Red Day was good. they should stop doing jam session on signal and cut red moon from their future live concerts.
Nice setlist.
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