Kalafina Post-Kajiura thread (Upd:「Kalafina Anniversary LIVE 2026」Jan 14-19 2026)

Lúa said:
My first reaction would be none of them tbh.
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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.

Lúa said:
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.
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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).
 
george1234 said:
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.
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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や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、その後も古川慎や上坂すみれ、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や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。
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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)
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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.
 
https://x.com/Kalafina_Staff/status/1976603631630811414

Kalafina Anniversary LIVE 2026 開催決定！！
2026.1.14(水)東京 / NHKホール
2026.1.15(木)東京 / NHKホール
2026.1.19(月)大阪 / フェスティバルホール
出演：Kalafina(Wakana・Keiko・Hikaru)
音楽監督：武部聡志
詳細は特設サイトをご覧下さい
#Kalafina_Anniv2026
https://www.red-hot.ne.jp/sp/kalafina/
G25OhmCbAAAVFYe.jpg:large
 
Kugayama said:
https://x.com/Kalafina_Staff/status/1976603631630811414

Kalafina Anniversary LIVE 2026 開催決定！！
2026.1.14(水)東京 / NHKホール
2026.1.15(木)東京 / NHKホール
2026.1.19(月)大阪 / フェスティバルホール
出演：Kalafina(Wakana・Keiko・Hikaru)
音楽監督：武部聡志
詳細は特設サイトをご覧下さい
#Kalafina_Anniv2026
https://www.red-hot.ne.jp/sp/kalafina/
G25OhmCbAAAVFYe.jpg:large
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Wow, this is good news! It's 3 days too, and in multiple locations, so a 'territorial expansion' of sorts.

Kalafina deserves to continues to exist and perform as a unit. I am hoping they are able to eventually negotiate for anime music again. Now, that would be awesome!

So January 2026, maybe they can be doing a concert once every year, then additional smaller appearances (on TV, etc.) as the opportunities come.

In fact, Takebe seems to have really taken them under his wing. It was good that he and Kajiura had a meeting (if I'm not mistaken) during the brouhaha before the 2025 concert, so that served as a sort of unofficial 'handoff', in my view.
 
^ Everyone who followed them for 10 years and has bought the CDs read the booklet knows they re by her unless its just anime fan who only connects the song to the fav series and doesnt care who makes it. Trying to hide it wont work.

They can only hope for new fans to follow them blindly. If they release new songs the contrast between the old and the new ones in quality will be striking unless they hire someone really good, and they ll lose fans as a result, unless they make less good songs on purpose to appeal to wider audience but in that case they ll stop being the Kalafina we knew they ll just be 3 girls who sing together who happen to be called Kalafina.


Btw you can look at the artist versions of Kajiura anime songs, l remember it had happened with one of Yui Makino's songs, was it tsuki no shijima where she replaces Kaori Nishina with her own voice in the album version of the song. It didnt sound as good.
 
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toshiroukajiura said:
I wish they stop taking Yuki Kajiura’s songs for granted. They absolutely and deliberately try not to credit Kajiura.
Anyways, I am looking forward to them having new songs. Yuki Kajiura music not being produced and directed by Yuki Kajiura just sounds different. 😂
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It was weird to not mention Kajiura for the 2025 reunion, while they performed her music. I'm just wondering if there will be any changes as things evolve over time, including with the SC situation, that is the change in the company's ownership structure.

Anyway, it seems that the girls' goal was to revive the group at any cost and they achieved that, even if a bit controversially, but to be honest Kajiura left the group as producer, so from that point on they always had the freedom to continue without her. The songs are part of Kalafina and also part of Kajiura. Also, the rights of the music are such that Kajiura couldn't stop them even if she wanted.

I have come to believe Kajiura exited from the SC contract so as to take control of her music and career (especially more of the rights) by starting off on her own (the Mori situation was not the whole story, I suspect).

Kajiura can continue to remain proud of the fact that she discovered the girls and created the group and their music; no one can ever take that from her. I also think she wishes them to continue to succeed on their own terms still as an evidence of their hard work, and which still speaks loudly about her foundational impact in bringing them together.

My only desire is that Kajiura should continue covering the songs she wrote for them at anytime she feels it works within her concert song structure.
 
toshiroukajiura said:
What I meant is HOW THE GIRLS of KALAFINA AGREED TO THIS KIND OF SET UP. Kinda disrespectful since I work as a composer also for a band. Haha. I hope they planned the revival in a respectful manner.
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I am totally in agreement. You can see my reactions in this forum thread.

They made a calculated decision and hoped for the best, just to revive the group. I understand the choice they made. Kalafina coming back might still have been a faint dream today if they had not taken the risk, but it is a reality now.

They girls rightly got a lot of pushback from fans about it, which affected the positive vibe of the reunion, though I am not in favor of any threatening comments directed at the girls. It's just difficult for me to stay in that place of initial anger/disappointment for my own peace of mind.

Kajiura did nothing wrong in her initial or subsequent Twitter/X posts regarding the reunion.
 
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