Rito leaving Highway Star

[CloisteredFlame]

I think she should do whatever makes her happy. I'm looking forward to hearing the direction she takes, if she gets to release music on her own terms.

I agree.

which might as well mean she is becoming a full time dentist

This made me smile when I read it. She could be anything! Maybe she should do a MV and roleplay as a dentist.

If my "full time dentist" comment based on the vagueness of the announcement (as translated by deepl) made anyone feel some kind of way or implied her quitting music, I apologize.

Awww, I didn't think it was that bad...

Her voice (more of the strength in her tone and/or articulations, not sure how to describe those :3) gave me quite some refreshing tingles in the YK world as it's pretty unique with an almost shounen-like youthful quality in both PARADE and lives, and I thought it might be a good inspiration for future collaboratios. I was really brightened up by her performance when I was at Kaji Fes as it was a very pleasant surprise to me - senya ichiya suited her so well in my opinion, rito was very expressive and playful.

Yes, yes! Her youthfulness was often reminiscent of early Hikaru, but even (I daresay) more delicately expressive as a young voice.

Members of YKL are not considered a (fixed) band/group. I think this is really what 'FictionJunction' means: when everyone is in the midst of walking different paths to search for our very own sounds, we have the fortune to come together at a particular moment to perform music. At the end of our PARADE, we wave our hands and say 'see you!'; maybe we won't see each other again in the next PARADE, or maybe we will.

That word "junction" and this explanation reiterates Kajiura's old comments that "FictionJunction" is actually Kajiura, and those that come along with her at different seasons. "Parade" was a celebration of that idea.

"maybe we will", might indicate she wouldn't be against working with others who have left or moved on in the future (e.g. Keiko).

This also indicates that her music is written with the vocalists she feels can do it, but the music is also able to be performed with the original singer(s), or arranged for and interpreted by a guest vocalist, which is the reason why she's covered much of her old music, sung by other vocalists within FictionJunction (regular or guest).

Like KOKIA or our opera singers

Uhm, KOKIA majored in opera singing in school too! She just didn't go that route and instead went mystical/ethnic/folk.

 

[george1234]

She gave that interpretation fairy recently, but between 2009 and 2018 she was stuck with the same vocalists which is why her "FictionJunction feat LiSA" kind of thing didnt sell (unlike nZk) She did collaborate with many singers before she creates Kalafina but it wasnt under FictionJunction except with YUUKA and Kaori Keiko and Wakana had literary a 1 or 4 songs at the time so nobody knew what was going on maybe not even herself lol, but i appreciate and miss how productive she was at that time.

About Kokia i know i menthioned her separately cause she is a somewhat new addition. I wish there wasnt a 20 year gap in their collaboration though.

 

[CloisteredFlame]

About Kokia i know.

I know you know. I just wanted to give KOKIA some operatic love too!

 

[CloisteredFlame]

rito really impressed me in the HSP 2024 even more than in the KajiFes, because she got to own the stage and express herself much better compared to 2023.

She showed that she can confidently take YUUKA songs and do them justice with her own style, and basically left her impact on Kajiura's music in her gentle/cool way. I would really have liked rito and shuri to have done a song together (for the contrast of styles and harmony potential) before she left.

She's a real star in the making and just needs the right music and the right amount of luck to carve her spot. At least, she got to perform at Budokan and other venues and travel. She has "I worked with Kajiura and sang her harmonies" to add to her CV as an artist. Hope she finds her final style and brings it!