C
Cerise
Guest
My rankings, especially between Hikaru and Keiko, are very very very close, because I do like all Kajiura's vocalists. Because she works with such a select group, her singers have become almost as much a defining characteristic of her music as her lyrics, her style or her use of kajiurago even.
Like WakaGod (sorry, can I just call you that? XD) said in his post, these rankings are based on how much I *like* the vocalists, not necessarily how technically good or proficient I think they are. I don't know much about professional singing, and my music knowledge isn't great, so in some cases there may be other factors apart from their singing or the way their voice sounds that affects how much I 'like' them.
I'm also considering the 'OST' ladies separate from the 'KalaFJ' girls because I've just always considered them separately and trying to rank them all together is just too difficult and potentially heart-wrenching for me XD
FJC girls:
1 - Wakana
The Wakashark maintains an iron grip. ;) Hers was the voice that drew me into Kajiura's music in the first place, even before I knew the singers' names, or could distinguish whose voice was whose. It jumped out at me in Parallel Hearts, Toki no and oblivious. It was just sooo smooth and rich, and literally made me feel like someone had taken the beautiful tone and timbre of a violin and converted it somehow into a human voice. <3
2 - Keiko (sometimes Hikaru)
Number 2 spot changes all the time because I just cannot commit between Keiko and Hikaru. Right now Keiko has a slight lead, but ask me this two weeks ago and I might have given #2 to Hikaru. OTL
Keiko's voice is truly unique, and I am yet to find another contralto female singer, western or eastern, who can equal the appreciation I have for her. It's soooo velvety, rich and warm. Like chocolate cake for your ears?! XD
She's also so incredibly reliable and dependable in lives, and her stage presence is phenomenal. I guess it also helps that she's amazingly charismatic and good-looking ;P
3-Hikaru
My soft spot for Hikaru increased phenomenally since After Eden. It's made me go back and appreciate even more her voice in the earlier album (SPRINTER <3). She alternates with Keiko on #2 because similar to Keiko, I prefer her voice in a certain range (namely, in whatever range Kajiura wrote her parts in sprinter's beginning, neverending, Hanataba and the like).
At first I don't think I quite understood what Kajiura meant by Hikaru's voice having the quality of metallic bells, but I think I can hear it now. Apart from when she's using that Amazonian-woman rock voice, there's this certain clarity in the way she sounds. Especially in sprinter there's this kind of...springiness? I also love how expressive and versatile she is (both voice-wise and dance/acting-wise XD). It's a bit hard to describe (and I'm probably not going to make much sense here) but in that sweet spot I'm talking about (which is basically where all of her lines in neverending are) her voice has this rolling(?) quality and just seems to...wrap(?)/embrace(??)/curl(???) around your eardrums???? Yup I give up XD
She also definitely catches my eye the most on-stage with her melodrama and angsting. I think some people don't like it for it's awkwardness, but I actually enjoy watching her angst and emote away in their performances. Somehow it gets me really pumped up.
4 - Kaori
She interchanges with Yuriko at times. She used to be my definite 2nd favourite after Wakana, but somehow Keiko and Hikaru just shot right up there, and my appreciation for Yuriko grew to equal Kaori.
Kaori's voice really reminds me of...air. Like, a cool gust of wind, or a light breeze. She has a really bright, light, open voice that I find really easy to listen to. Even though she's quite distinctive and I can recognise her voice easily from other singers, for some reason she's always sounded slightly more generic to me than the other girls? Which is maybe why she's not higher up there, she's got the kind of voice that I would end up liking by default, but it kind of just stops there.
Apart from Kajiura I've listened to her solo works as well (I loved Colours a lot more than Place) and some SH works. I do think she's incredibly versatile (perhaps even more so than Hikaru) and got a lot to offer which Kajiura hasn't necessarily brought out of her yet.
5 - Yuriko
Alternates with Kaori. Because she has a more obvious vibrato(? I think it's called) to me than the others she was a bit of an acquired taste at first. It's also why I definitely prefer her higher range to her lower. When she's singing in songs like salva nos live, or materialise it really blows me away, but songs like Himitsu and HWSITMD took a bit longer for me to like.
I think the live vol 4 MC and that 2008 interview (I don't remember what it's called, I just refer to it as "That one interview where Wakana ranted about sharks halfway through") made me warm to her even more as well. She came across as a really cool, calm, relaxed person, the kind that you'd just want as your real Anego. :D
6 - Yuuka
Yuuka's a tough one because I can never decide if I actually really like her voice or if I don't like it at all. :/ It has this...smoothness or clarity that I like? And it's very piercing, which again, I'm not sure about. But for some reason I get incredibly addicted to her songs, and can listen to them for hours and hours on end. So I'm not really sure if it's Yuuka's voice that I like, or if Kajiura just wrote her some really amazing songs... XD
7 - Asuka
A pleasant-enough voice to listen to, but not much more to me because it is a bit generic. I'd feel the same way about her as other artists that I know but don't like enough to actively follow.
OST/opera ladies:
1-Hanae
Her voice is like someone took the concept of "smoothness" and distilled it into a sound. (Don't think that even makes sense lol) It's not only incredibly smooth but there's this 'coolness' about it, so my ears actually feel refreshed listening to her voice. Like they've dived into a pool of cool, crystal-clear water... (sorry for all of these weird metaphors hahaha). And her voice is also rather tragic-sounding to me, like the way Kajiura describes Wakana's. I think I'm a sucker for voices that sound sad.
Not to mention she seems so classy in person as well, in YK live vol. 9. A true professional. <3
2-Remi
She's kind of Hanae x Eri Itoh for me. She's got a similar smoothness as Hanae, but a slightly warmer and more youthful(?) sound. I love that Kajiura's working with her more now, I absolutely loved her in SAO and Historia III as well as the Sound Horizon stuff. It'd be cool if she became a Kalafina regular, like Yuriko, Fion and Hanae. (Wonder if Kajiura would ever mix Eri Itoh or Kasahara with Kala?)
3-Eri Itoh
She used to be #2, before Remi started working with Kajiura. I LOVED her in tsubasa (ring my song and once upon a time there was you and me are especially just... <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3). In contrast to Hanae ('smooth', 'cool'), her voice has a 'warm, rich' feel to me (like Yuriko). I haven't followed any of her other stuff but apparently she does a lot of musical theatre? Would love to hear her cover Memory, from Cats...
4-Yuriko
Well, Yuriko also sometimes steals #3 spot from Eri. She's an omnipresent being in the Kajiura world, so it's kind of impossible not to love her singing, especially in the OST works where her voice can shine a lot more. Her and Eri Itoh both have this warm, rich sound. I'd say Yuriko sounds richer and warmer than Eri Itoh's voice, probably because of her vibrato. Is it just me, or is Yuriko's very prominent? O.o Either way, I seem to distinguish her from the other girls by listening for that XD
5-Yuri Kasahara
So...I know that she's the most epic, dramatic and powerful singer...and she even may well be more skilled, but her voice has always come across as a bit...bombastic? Not sure if that's the right word. I think she fulfils her role in Kajiura's epic songs really well, it's just that I wouldn't leisurely listen to her voice on its own the way I could for Hanae, Remi, Eri or Yuri-nee. Her voice is a bit too much for me. But she certainly sounds the most impactful of Kajiura's singers I think.
Unranked:
Fion/Kajiura:
I seriously don't know where to put her. XD I think she has a lovely voice, but I wish she'd sing more. Also maybe having more solo parts so I can hear her properly, and then decide where I'd place her...
Emily Bindiger:
She's okay, but I'm not a giant fan of the way she sings higher notes. Prefer her singing low...
Deb Lyons:
Again, I don't really have any feelings on her. She's good, but that's about all I can say.
Emily Curtis:
I think I liked her the most out of Kajiura's English singers. But again, nothing really special...
That Male Voice in Heigen Whose Name I Forget:
He was kind of awesome. I have a half-baked wish that Kajiura would start using a regular male vocalist, but I wonder if maybe it's because Keiko can go so deep that Kajiura doesn't even need a dude. XD
I don't remember/know the other English singers. Also I haven't listened enough to Saeko Chiba and Chiaki Ishikawa to comment on them. I've listened to Saeko Chiba's sayonara solitia, and she kind of just sounded Asuka-ish to me, but I have listened to some See-Saw songs and I'm impressed by Chiaki Ishikawa's power.
EDIT: I'm so sorry this is so long, I hadn't realised before posting
It seems you unleashed the floodgates of Kajiura love in me, sora XD
Like WakaGod (sorry, can I just call you that? XD) said in his post, these rankings are based on how much I *like* the vocalists, not necessarily how technically good or proficient I think they are. I don't know much about professional singing, and my music knowledge isn't great, so in some cases there may be other factors apart from their singing or the way their voice sounds that affects how much I 'like' them.
I'm also considering the 'OST' ladies separate from the 'KalaFJ' girls because I've just always considered them separately and trying to rank them all together is just too difficult and potentially heart-wrenching for me XD
FJC girls:
1 - Wakana
The Wakashark maintains an iron grip. ;) Hers was the voice that drew me into Kajiura's music in the first place, even before I knew the singers' names, or could distinguish whose voice was whose. It jumped out at me in Parallel Hearts, Toki no and oblivious. It was just sooo smooth and rich, and literally made me feel like someone had taken the beautiful tone and timbre of a violin and converted it somehow into a human voice. <3
Of course, it seems, we can't talk about Wakana without inevitably going there, so I'm just going to say:
even though yes, I'm most likely hugely biased because she's always been my favourite, I do agree that her voice has changed and isn't as good as it used to be. I also acknowledge that her live abilities aren't strong. However, whilst I do strongly prefer her pre-2012 voice, I find that I still have it in me (whether genuinely or from pure fangirl stubbornness/denial) to like her current voice. And I'm not very musically knowledgeable nor do I have a good sense of pitch, it seems, so I guess I'm more lenient when it comes to lives. I'm a very easy person to please, and also probably part of it is that half the time I can't even tell when someone's singing off unless it's way off. XD
Aside from that, it's her personality (or what we see of her personality) that I really have a soft spot for. I know some people might think that's a bit irrelevant because it should be all about the music and the singing but I'm one of those people who can't really love an artist (to the degree of a serious fan) if I'm not engaged with them as people. For some reason I just find the way Wakana comes across in interviews, footages and reports really relatable, and she just clicks with me a bit more than the others. Her quirkiness and warm sense of humour are charming, and she comes across as a very kind person. She also gives me the impression of being quite sensitive behind all that exuberance. Again, I know some people might call BS because, of course, I don't know her personally in real life so who knows what's she actually like. But for me personally this plays a part in why I inexplicably just love her as my favourite. Once a Waka-fangirl, always a Waka-fangirl
Sorry for the wall of text, I just felt the urge to further justify why she's my favourite beyond voice/singing ability, considering that's a sore spot around here. And because I would like to hope that I'm not coming across as a blind puppy-love fan who gets iffy when people criticise her. Despite how very intense it is, I do try to repress my bias much as possible.
even though yes, I'm most likely hugely biased because she's always been my favourite, I do agree that her voice has changed and isn't as good as it used to be. I also acknowledge that her live abilities aren't strong. However, whilst I do strongly prefer her pre-2012 voice, I find that I still have it in me (whether genuinely or from pure fangirl stubbornness/denial) to like her current voice. And I'm not very musically knowledgeable nor do I have a good sense of pitch, it seems, so I guess I'm more lenient when it comes to lives. I'm a very easy person to please, and also probably part of it is that half the time I can't even tell when someone's singing off unless it's way off. XD
Aside from that, it's her personality (or what we see of her personality) that I really have a soft spot for. I know some people might think that's a bit irrelevant because it should be all about the music and the singing but I'm one of those people who can't really love an artist (to the degree of a serious fan) if I'm not engaged with them as people. For some reason I just find the way Wakana comes across in interviews, footages and reports really relatable, and she just clicks with me a bit more than the others. Her quirkiness and warm sense of humour are charming, and she comes across as a very kind person. She also gives me the impression of being quite sensitive behind all that exuberance. Again, I know some people might call BS because, of course, I don't know her personally in real life so who knows what's she actually like. But for me personally this plays a part in why I inexplicably just love her as my favourite. Once a Waka-fangirl, always a Waka-fangirl
Sorry for the wall of text, I just felt the urge to further justify why she's my favourite beyond voice/singing ability, considering that's a sore spot around here. And because I would like to hope that I'm not coming across as a blind puppy-love fan who gets iffy when people criticise her. Despite how very intense it is, I do try to repress my bias much as possible.
2 - Keiko (sometimes Hikaru)
Number 2 spot changes all the time because I just cannot commit between Keiko and Hikaru. Right now Keiko has a slight lead, but ask me this two weeks ago and I might have given #2 to Hikaru. OTL
Keiko's voice is truly unique, and I am yet to find another contralto female singer, western or eastern, who can equal the appreciation I have for her. It's soooo velvety, rich and warm. Like chocolate cake for your ears?! XD
She's also so incredibly reliable and dependable in lives, and her stage presence is phenomenal. I guess it also helps that she's amazingly charismatic and good-looking ;P
3-Hikaru
My soft spot for Hikaru increased phenomenally since After Eden. It's made me go back and appreciate even more her voice in the earlier album (SPRINTER <3). She alternates with Keiko on #2 because similar to Keiko, I prefer her voice in a certain range (namely, in whatever range Kajiura wrote her parts in sprinter's beginning, neverending, Hanataba and the like).
At first I don't think I quite understood what Kajiura meant by Hikaru's voice having the quality of metallic bells, but I think I can hear it now. Apart from when she's using that Amazonian-woman rock voice, there's this certain clarity in the way she sounds. Especially in sprinter there's this kind of...springiness? I also love how expressive and versatile she is (both voice-wise and dance/acting-wise XD). It's a bit hard to describe (and I'm probably not going to make much sense here) but in that sweet spot I'm talking about (which is basically where all of her lines in neverending are) her voice has this rolling(?) quality and just seems to...wrap(?)/embrace(??)/curl(???) around your eardrums???? Yup I give up XD
She also definitely catches my eye the most on-stage with her melodrama and angsting. I think some people don't like it for it's awkwardness, but I actually enjoy watching her angst and emote away in their performances. Somehow it gets me really pumped up.
4 - Kaori
She interchanges with Yuriko at times. She used to be my definite 2nd favourite after Wakana, but somehow Keiko and Hikaru just shot right up there, and my appreciation for Yuriko grew to equal Kaori.
Side note: This is weird but I like to think her as like...the 'light' twin to Hikaru's 'dark' twin? I know their voices sound nothing alike, though they both have a very youthful air whereas (aside from Asuka and Yuuka) Kajiura's other singers sound more 'womanly' to me.
It's also because of Kaori v Hikaru that I also end up thinking of Kalafina and FJ being the 'dark' v 'light' twins of each other, since Yuriko is practically the ghost fourth member of Kalafina anyway, so really only the differences of Kaori and Hikaru set the groups apart for me.
It's also because of Kaori v Hikaru that I also end up thinking of Kalafina and FJ being the 'dark' v 'light' twins of each other, since Yuriko is practically the ghost fourth member of Kalafina anyway, so really only the differences of Kaori and Hikaru set the groups apart for me.
Kaori's voice really reminds me of...air. Like, a cool gust of wind, or a light breeze. She has a really bright, light, open voice that I find really easy to listen to. Even though she's quite distinctive and I can recognise her voice easily from other singers, for some reason she's always sounded slightly more generic to me than the other girls? Which is maybe why she's not higher up there, she's got the kind of voice that I would end up liking by default, but it kind of just stops there.
Apart from Kajiura I've listened to her solo works as well (I loved Colours a lot more than Place) and some SH works. I do think she's incredibly versatile (perhaps even more so than Hikaru) and got a lot to offer which Kajiura hasn't necessarily brought out of her yet.
5 - Yuriko
Alternates with Kaori. Because she has a more obvious vibrato(? I think it's called) to me than the others she was a bit of an acquired taste at first. It's also why I definitely prefer her higher range to her lower. When she's singing in songs like salva nos live, or materialise it really blows me away, but songs like Himitsu and HWSITMD took a bit longer for me to like.
I think the live vol 4 MC and that 2008 interview (I don't remember what it's called, I just refer to it as "That one interview where Wakana ranted about sharks halfway through") made me warm to her even more as well. She came across as a really cool, calm, relaxed person, the kind that you'd just want as your real Anego. :D
6 - Yuuka
Yuuka's a tough one because I can never decide if I actually really like her voice or if I don't like it at all. :/ It has this...smoothness or clarity that I like? And it's very piercing, which again, I'm not sure about. But for some reason I get incredibly addicted to her songs, and can listen to them for hours and hours on end. So I'm not really sure if it's Yuuka's voice that I like, or if Kajiura just wrote her some really amazing songs... XD
7 - Asuka
A pleasant-enough voice to listen to, but not much more to me because it is a bit generic. I'd feel the same way about her as other artists that I know but don't like enough to actively follow.
OST/opera ladies:
1-Hanae
Her voice is like someone took the concept of "smoothness" and distilled it into a sound. (Don't think that even makes sense lol) It's not only incredibly smooth but there's this 'coolness' about it, so my ears actually feel refreshed listening to her voice. Like they've dived into a pool of cool, crystal-clear water... (sorry for all of these weird metaphors hahaha). And her voice is also rather tragic-sounding to me, like the way Kajiura describes Wakana's. I think I'm a sucker for voices that sound sad.
Not to mention she seems so classy in person as well, in YK live vol. 9. A true professional. <3
2-Remi
She's kind of Hanae x Eri Itoh for me. She's got a similar smoothness as Hanae, but a slightly warmer and more youthful(?) sound. I love that Kajiura's working with her more now, I absolutely loved her in SAO and Historia III as well as the Sound Horizon stuff. It'd be cool if she became a Kalafina regular, like Yuriko, Fion and Hanae. (Wonder if Kajiura would ever mix Eri Itoh or Kasahara with Kala?)
3-Eri Itoh
She used to be #2, before Remi started working with Kajiura. I LOVED her in tsubasa (ring my song and once upon a time there was you and me are especially just... <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3). In contrast to Hanae ('smooth', 'cool'), her voice has a 'warm, rich' feel to me (like Yuriko). I haven't followed any of her other stuff but apparently she does a lot of musical theatre? Would love to hear her cover Memory, from Cats...
4-Yuriko
Well, Yuriko also sometimes steals #3 spot from Eri. She's an omnipresent being in the Kajiura world, so it's kind of impossible not to love her singing, especially in the OST works where her voice can shine a lot more. Her and Eri Itoh both have this warm, rich sound. I'd say Yuriko sounds richer and warmer than Eri Itoh's voice, probably because of her vibrato. Is it just me, or is Yuriko's very prominent? O.o Either way, I seem to distinguish her from the other girls by listening for that XD
5-Yuri Kasahara
So...I know that she's the most epic, dramatic and powerful singer...and she even may well be more skilled, but her voice has always come across as a bit...bombastic? Not sure if that's the right word. I think she fulfils her role in Kajiura's epic songs really well, it's just that I wouldn't leisurely listen to her voice on its own the way I could for Hanae, Remi, Eri or Yuri-nee. Her voice is a bit too much for me. But she certainly sounds the most impactful of Kajiura's singers I think.
Unranked:
Fion/Kajiura:
I seriously don't know where to put her. XD I think she has a lovely voice, but I wish she'd sing more. Also maybe having more solo parts so I can hear her properly, and then decide where I'd place her...
Emily Bindiger:
She's okay, but I'm not a giant fan of the way she sings higher notes. Prefer her singing low...
Deb Lyons:
Again, I don't really have any feelings on her. She's good, but that's about all I can say.
Emily Curtis:
I think I liked her the most out of Kajiura's English singers. But again, nothing really special...
That Male Voice in Heigen Whose Name I Forget:
He was kind of awesome. I have a half-baked wish that Kajiura would start using a regular male vocalist, but I wonder if maybe it's because Keiko can go so deep that Kajiura doesn't even need a dude. XD
I don't remember/know the other English singers. Also I haven't listened enough to Saeko Chiba and Chiaki Ishikawa to comment on them. I've listened to Saeko Chiba's sayonara solitia, and she kind of just sounded Asuka-ish to me, but I have listened to some See-Saw songs and I'm impressed by Chiaki Ishikawa's power.
EDIT: I'm so sorry this is so long, I hadn't realised before posting
It seems you unleashed the floodgates of Kajiura love in me, sora XD
.
But Hikaru was in brilliant condition. Now it's conversely. Hikaru has a problems (the worst part of her crisis was Consolation Special Live). Now it's better - e.g. on Blue Day (but this ARIA... poor Hikaru...)