Yuki Kajiura LIVE #19 Kajifes 2023 - 30th Anniversary Live

[SurgamIdentidem]

Let me also join into this heated argument!

When it comes to the song choices, I just want to express that, in principle, Kajiura has the freedom to pick whatever she wants. If she decides not to include Kara no Kyoukai songs or songs she didn't write the lyrics to, so be it. While her personal preference certainly isn't the only factor in crafting a setlist, she doesn't owe anyone an explanation for her song choices.

Moreover, I believe it's important not to read too much into the live's title. The 30th anniversary is indeed the reason/occasion for these two unusually large events happening, but one shouldn't expect a perfect representation of her entire discography because of that. To draw a comparison, when you have a birthday party, the occasion is simply the anniversary of your birth, but it doesn't mean you'll necessarily showcase childhood images and read your curriculum vitae at the event. It's a bit of an exaggerated example, but I hope it conveys the essence of what I'm trying to say.

That being said, I think the setlists does show, that specifically performing some her past works was something she wanted to do for this occasion (among other things), and in this context I agree; it's unfortunate that Chiaki wasn't at Kajifes. See-Saw undoubtedly marked Kajiura’s most significant work for at least 7-8 years until NOIR and .hack//sign. And as some of you guys already mentioned, she rightfully acknowledged this by including four See-Saw songs in the setlist.

Now, we don’t know why Chiaki wasn't there. Either Kajiura didn't invite her, or Chiaki declined the invitation for whatever reason. Either way, considering a new See-Saw single will drop soon, it's rather unlikely they are on bad terms. To be clear, I don't want anyone here to get their hopes up, but I do think there's a chance a new See-Saw concert will be announced with the single release. In case this happens, it would put Chiaki's exclusion into a different context. We also must not forget that these singers and musicians aren't on stage for free, so the more people on stage, the less profit the event will make. Kajiura is most likely not driven by financial gain, but minimizing losses is always worth a consideration.

YUUKA she performed with Kajiura last time in 2019 Flying Dog festival so i doubt they re in bad terms.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't she like... quit showbiz?

 

[ritarudandoo]

I didn't like Keiko with Yuriko lol. Keiko's low harmony stood out far too much and overpowered Yuriko. It could be mixing, but I'm more privy to tone and weight being the issue.

Same with Keiko and Joelle. It just doesn't blend well to my ears, where the intention of their harmony is to support the main melody. This is different to, let's say, Hikaru providing low harmony for Wakana, where the intention is to create and highlight that contrast between their voices.


Keiko intentionally brightens the tone of her voice to match Hikaru when she's singing in her nasal tone (in your eyes is the most obvious example). Keiko also sings much more softly harmonising with light Hikaru than she would with Joelle or Yuriko.

I did say "overly" bright voices. Wakana's current voice is bright, but not in a "poppy" way that Joelle's brightness is similar to, likely because Joelle just leans headier in her mix.

I actually disagree with this because I personally think Yuriko with Keiko (for what little we have heard) sounded amazing together. I truly don't think Keiko and Yuriko have such difference in their tone and weight because idk to me Yuriko does have some weight to her tone. Add to that Keiko, like Kowz said, made effort to brighten her voice to match Yuriko's voice, singing in less chesty voice while Yuriko balanced it by singing in a more chesty voice like canta per me and Himeboshi from YKL reprise. Same with Keiko singing harmony for Joelle.

I get that you really really liked what Kalafina had. Years of performing live together did make them click more, but idk it sounds like you're undermining the rest of Fictionjunction vocalists simply because their voices aren't really to your taste. Masking this "I don't like their voices as much as I liked Kalafina" with "only Kalafina can create perfect harmonies with each other because their voices matched each other". This is a very subjective observation that presented like it's a fact.

(me saying this because wow this forum finally feels like a forum after many many years lol)

 

[ritarudandoo]

Let me also join into this heated argument!

When it comes to the song choices, I just want to express that, in principle, Kajiura has the freedom to pick whatever she wants. If she decides not to include Kara no Kyoukai songs or songs she didn't write the lyrics to, so be it. While her personal preference certainly isn't the only factor in crafting a setlist, she doesn't owe anyone an explanation for her song choices.

Moreover, I believe it's important not to read too much into the live's title. The 30th anniversary is indeed the reason/occasion for these two unusually large events happening, but one shouldn't expect a perfect representation of her entire discography because of that. To draw a comparison, when you have a birthday party, the occasion is simply the anniversary of your birth, but it doesn't mean you'll necessarily showcase childhood images and read your curriculum vitae at the event. It's a bit of an exaggerated example, but I hope it conveys the essence of what I'm trying to say.

That being said, I think the setlists does show, that specifically performing some her past works was something she wanted to do for this occasion (among other things), and in this context I agree; it's unfortunate that Chiaki wasn't at Kajifes. See-Saw undoubtedly marked Kajiura’s most significant work for at least 7-8 years until NOIR and .hack//sign. And as some of you guys already mentioned, she rightfully acknowledged this by including four See-Saw songs in the setlist.

Now, we don’t know why Chiaki wasn't there. Either Kajiura didn't invite her, or Chiaki declined the invitation for whatever reason. Either way, considering a new See-Saw single will drop soon, it's rather unlikely they are on bad terms. To be clear, I don't want anyone here to get their hopes up, but I do think there's a chance a new See-Saw concert will be announced with the single release. In case this happens, it would put Chiaki's exclusion into a different context. We also must not forget that these singers and musicians aren't on stage for free, so the more people on stage, the less profit the event will make. Kajiura is most likely not driven by financial gain, but minimizing losses is always worth a consideration.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't she like... quit showbiz?

> Not really true because they could adjust the ticket price to accommodate the extra singer. People who truly wanted to attend the concert can and will definitely fork out an extra 200-500 yen for an extra vocalist. Plus the payment will vary between each guest vocalists, because I think aimer's rate will be higher than the other ladies. They could also be minimizing budget in several areas, like how the Kajiura, FBM, and the 4 Fictionjunction ladies didn't get a special costume for YKL 19.

I agree with the rest of your point, but at the same time - her 30th anniversary having the setlist be mostly of her newer compositions kinda feel like a missed opportunity, because the setlist doesn't really feel like it truly encompasses all her 30 years as a composer proportionally. On the other side, she seemed to be making this live as a "parade", a gathering of as much vocalists that she worked with as possible. Again, this kinda begs the question of her not inviting Chiaki Ishikawa, considering her debut was with See-Saw and without See-Saw then it'd only be her 27th-ish anniversary. But that's a matter only them (and their respective agency/management company) know. We can only speculate.

About Yuuka, iirc she did say she's quitting showbiz after her marriage? Or was it only her taking a hiatus? Because she obviously isn't quitting showbiz and being a singer as she's invited to several (quite plenty, if I might say so) of Wakana solo lives, and even slated to make appearance on Wakana's upcoming (or recent) concert, but unfortunately she fell sick and couldn't participate.

 

[Lorde-Kowz]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't she like... quit showbiz?

Seems like it. She hasn't released any solo work in years and only does mini appearances (like that Flying Dog concert, and a couple of Wakana live streams).

 

[SurgamIdentidem]

Not really true because they could adjust the ticket price to accommodate the extra singer. People who truly wanted to attend the concert can and will definitely fork out an extra 200-500 yen for an extra vocalist.

Ok, yes, you can certainly do that to a certain extent. I don't know what price other artist ask for when they perform at budokan, so I also don't really have a reference for what is considered cheap or expensive, but if the Kajifes concerts only sold out very late it at least doesn't seem to have been way too cheap. Sure, there is a large portion of people (fans) who would've paid much more, but, there must've been also some, especially among the late buyers, who had to look at the price.

On the other side, she seemed to be making this live as a "parade", a gathering of as much vocalists that she worked with as possible.

Yeah exactly, also here you can again make an analogy to a typical birthday party, as Kajiura invited mostly the "friends" she "currently hangs out with".

Well, as someone who quite enjoyed many of her post-Kalafina songs (especially the ones for Aimer and ASCA), I'm personally not opposed to this concept at all, but of course I understand the gripes of OG fans in this regard. I mean, I myself was, compared to some of you, very late to the game (2011 to be exact). While I really do enjoy See-Saw's Dream Field and especially FJYuuka's entire discography, it doesn't mean as much to me emotionally, as it does for many of you to be fair. It's always different, when you were there back in the day, so I totally get, why Chiakis absence could be a bit hard to stomache for some.

About Yuuka, iirc she did say she's quitting showbiz after her marriage? Or was it only her taking a hiatus? Because she obviously isn't quitting showbiz and being a singer as she's invited to several (quite plenty, if I might say so) of Wakana solo lives, and even slated to make appearance on Wakana's upcoming (or recent) concert, but unfortunately she fell sick and couldn't participate.

Yes, I thought she quit after she married, but apparently not completely then, thanks for clarification.

As you see, I haven't really paid much attention to Wakana's solo career...

 

[CloisteredFlame]

I actually disagree with this because I personally think Yuriko with Keiko (for what little we have heard) sounded amazing together. I truly don't think Keiko and Yuriko have such difference in their tone and weight because idk to me Yuriko does have some weight to her tone. Add to that Keiko, like Kowz said, made effort to brighten her voice to match Yuriko's voice, singing in less chesty voice while Yuriko balanced it by singing in a more chesty voice like canta per me and Himeboshi from YKL reprise. Same with Keiko singing harmony for Joelle.

I get that you really really liked what Kalafina had. Years of performing live together did make them click more, but idk it sounds like you're undermining the rest of Fictionjunction vocalists simply because their voices aren't really to your taste. Masking this "I don't like their voices as much as I liked Kalafina" with "only Kalafina can create perfect harmonies with each other because their voices matched each other". This is a very subjective observation that presented like it's a fact.

(me saying this because wow this forum finally feels like a forum after many many years lol)

Personally I'm very interested in hearing Yuki Kajiura's collections of different capable singers take on some of these familiar songs.

It's why we can/could appreciate Kaori, Keiko, Yuriko, or even Wakana doing covers of songs originally sung by English-speaking vocalists like Emily Bindiger and others, or some songs sung by earlier Japanese collaborators with Yuki Kajiura, in spite of the fact that they definitely do not sound like the original singers, and we can enjoy those versions as exciting variations. And this is also why I am enjoying the journey of hearing rito and LINO LEIA work out how to take on some of these classics (especially since the original singers are fully available to do a reprise in the future - more variations), and also get BETTER at singing these same songs (thus refining their techniques and ability to vary and express, just like our core FJ vocalists did over the years).

In my opinion, it's actually an interesting challenge and opportunity (like a puzzle) for Kajiura to work out which voices can take leads of which songs, and who will harmonize what part with who, when doing a retake of an original song. New leads and new arrangements introduce new perspectives and other possible versions of exploration and expression.

No song can only be sung or led or harmonized by one person (whether Wakana, Kaori, Hikaru, Yuriko/Keiko) even if it was originally written for them.

 

[Lorde-Kowz]

Personally I'm very interested in hearing Yuki Kajiura's collections of different capable singers take on some of these familiar songs.

THIS. That's the fun of Kajiura lives for me. Different takes on Kajiura songs and soundtracks. The singer of choice doesn't always nail it (I raged a few times in vol 16 kek) but it's still cool to get some new interpretations.

No song can only be sung or led or harmonized by one person (whether Wakana, Kaori, Hikaru, Yuriko/Keiko) even if it was originally written for them.

Also this. Songs can always have more than one way to be sung, even if they were specifically written with a singer in mind. Like, I'm sure a lot of the soundtracks they've performed in the past were written specifically for Hanae, Eri, Yuri, etc, but the girls still did them justice (most of the time hue) in their way.
In Kalafina's case, we've heard them sing the same songs over and over again, with minimum to no difference. Changing one singer, and adding an extra one is a breath of fresh air.

 

[ritarudandoo]

Seems like it. She hasn't released any solo work in years and only does mini appearances (like that Flying Dog concert, and a couple of Wakana live streams).

In Japanese showbiz culture, when a person says that they're quitting showbiz it means completely quitting, continuing with their lives as normal person. At that point she's no longer considered a celebrity, won't appear in any form of showbiz in any capacity, and the media cannot report on her appearance anymore. Yuuka still appears on Wakana's concerts and they even posted several pictures together. Media still reports on her appearances. Like you can argue that she's not that big of a name, but she's still considered a celebrity. She can still decide to be back to showbiz, but she needs to make her comeback known. What she's doing as of right now isn't what they consider quitting showbiz.

 

[CloisteredFlame]

That's interesting to know.

So there's actually a complete out for individuals from show business and the media/tabloids are expected to turn off their ravenous gaze completely. Totally a unique cultural thing from Japan.

 

[LianaIlia36]

Kaji Fes Day 1

The work for soundtrack II have been sold out when I arrived….;w;. I’m really in the highest row of the eastmost blog~. The people really filled the stadium, including around 200 or so in the backstage seats. What an impressive scene…;A;. I can’t see Konno San from my seat, and Kajiura San was the only one who faces this direction… Is it a punishment for me always keeping my eyes on Konno San instead of her almost every live…lol. There’re 2 big screens for seats with the bad view like my area and the back of those 2 screens showed for the backstage seats, I’d say that it’s 4 screens in total.

(1) Fake garden: It’s an accordion solo. Sorry, I can’t recognize the Song TT. (It’s from Noir days… which I didn’t listen to many instrumental tracks. Not surprised… sorry, I’m a bad fan TT.) He was the first one walking on the stage and gave the solo. It’s a nice opening though.

(2) Canta per me: Yuriko was the only singer, standing at the center of the top stage. There’re only Konno’s quartet and the accordion accompanied her. Yuriko singing was so enchanting, and I really love Konno’s violin <3.

(3) The world: I felt sad that it’s performed at the very beginning. No Emily as the surprised guest for sure….;w;. All 4 FJ vocalists came for this song. Joelle took the lead in the song, and she did really good. But the live performance of the original singer for the song is just too amazing. The singers costume were the same as Live 17. Konno’s violin solo is as crazily good as always. Really love it.

(4) Liminality: The first guest vocalist appeared so fast~ All hail the queen, Yuri Kasahara! She dressed in blue and was at the center of the top stage. I bet that she’s already in her 50s or even more, but how can she sings so amazing at that age.

(5) In the land of twilight under the moon: Konno was alone in this song, not sure when the others in the quartet left. I love Korenaga guitar solo and the lalala part of Joelle. The lalala part of Kaori at the end where Keiko joined her like a duet was also really lovely.

(6) Swordland: I miss Remi soooooo much. I really love her voice. She’s in a queen-like garnet dress. The whole quartet was back now. Having them in this song gave the majestic atmosphere to the performance.

(7) She has to overcome her fear: Konno solo was so good~ I love it. Oh.. and Remi was great as well.

(8) Luminous sword: Remi walked down from the top stage to stand with the 4 FJ members, as the center of the line. Konno’s solo was so fantastic that I forgot about the vocal for a while, but Remi was really nice as well.

(9) Hoshikuzu: Cello did the opening, how nice! Though Keiko used her usual thick chest voice, it sounds so cute in it own way. Kaori did well in this song, a good combination of her and Keiko. Joelle and Yuriko also gave a nice touch for the bridge.

(10) Hanamori no oka: The cello sounds so nice. It made this song so emotional. This is my favourite song from Kaori. Rie appeared for the first time today. She had long pony-tailed with a feminine look. Where did my Prince Rie goooo…lol. Kaori’s legato before the bridge was powerful and touching.

(11) We’re gonna groove: The song started with accordion solo at the center of the top stage. Konno quartet and Rie left in this song.

(12) Obsession: Quite a surprising choice. Lino was the lead singer with Joelle and Keiko on chorus. It isn’t that Lino was bad… her singing was powerful and she handled all notes well, but the problem is her voice is just too sweet TwT. The atmosphere was just not right. IMO, Keiko and Joelle suit this song more. There’s Keiko’s part that I can’t remember where is it from in the original, and she sounds so impressive there.

(13) Senya Ichiya: With Rito… really love it! She sounds so powerful, and delivered her emotion so well. The “Sen no yoru wo” part was the real deal! This is her best performance in YK live, even better than her own song! The other songs that she have done didn’t allow her to show off her powerful singing before. Joelle and Yuriko were the chorus, and Konno was so amazing in his violin.

(14) Point zero: My glorius Yuri Kasahara! She changed her dress to the red one. This performance made me feel that it’s worth coming here tonight, my favourite song from Kasahara! Konno quartet joined in this song. The 4 FJ members did well too.

(15) Salva nos: Kasahara San is always epic! She also danced during the string performance. Konno’s violin was even more epic! Sorry that my report is so Konno-centric..lol.

(16) Hana no uta: Aimer got solo in this song. This girl performance is always full of power and emotion. I love the part near the ending that Aimer sang alone without music. After she finished her part, the music started again, and the song ended magnificently. Awesome arrangement to emphasize her singing!

(17) I beg you: Kaori and Yuriko came for the chorus. I love the sound from Obawo’s percussion and Konno’s quartet that gave an interesting atmosphere - mysterious and playful in the dark way. The music stop again when Aimer sang the part near the ending to highlight her voice. I’m so surprised that I can sing along this song, even I haven’t memorized its lyrics before. I really love this song and listened to it a lot after watching the movie. That’s may be why..lol.

(18) Kai: I didn’t pay any interest in this song for the parade album version, but the live performance sounds much more emotional and better than the recording. This song started with only Aimer as a singer and Kajiura on the keyboard. (I think Kajiura also made some mistake during her solo.) The other instruments joined at the bridge (before the last chorus.)

(19) Asa ga kuru: Keiko and Joelle were the chorus. It’s not often that the main singer can completely overpower Keiko in the chorus..lol. By the way, they are a good match! Aimer was so powerful and energetic. I love the string voices in here as well.

(20) My story: With uillean pipe, the live sound of it is always so impressive.

(21) Parallel hearts: Joelle voice made the song much more energetic than the original. I noticed that Yuriko turned her face to the backstage area during the first and the last chorus. How nice of her! Konno was alone in this song, but his violin was just so amazing!

(22) Stone cold: The 4 FJ singers walked to the leftmost and the rightmost of the stage. Yuriko went to the top stage and interacted with the fans in the backstage a lot. Joelle also followed her in the first chorus. (That made me so envy…lol.) Yuriko singing the bridge was so great, as well as the duet of Joelle and Keiko. Ending with Yuriko’s Kajiurago was also very impressive.

During the talk after this song, Revo came and many singers went on the stage. I guess they’ll sing Saijin no kanata e as the ending.

(23) Sajin no kanata e: There was added intro that is not in the recording. It opened with Korenaga’s guitar, and then Rie’s flute. The original part came, and we have that marvelous operatic part from Kasahara the Queen! On the main stage from left to right are Joelle, Yuriko, Revo, Remi, Keiko and Kaori. On the top stage are Rito, Yuri (changed to the blue dress) and Lino. Unlike the Dream Port live, Revo sang a lot. IIRC, Lino sang Yuuki’s part. (The one after Keiko’s part in the second verse) We have Konno’s solo, Korenaga solo, Rie solo, then the accordion, and here came the highlight, Kajiura&Revo duet! How can’t I ship this couple! LoL

— Encore —

(24) Image theme of Xenosaga II: With uillean pipe and Konno’s quartet. Rito and Lino were also at the top of the stage. They joined in that “yamma-same yame yame yamma-same ame yame yee” part. Joelle and Yuriko were the main vocal. Joelle was so powerful and Keiko&Kaori did well too.

(25) Sokyuu no fanfare: Love Keiko in the opening. Joelle sounds so nice. Rito and Lino also did well in the second verse. Lino, Yuriko and Joelle high note parts were great. The “mukou e” at the end was so harmonious and beautiful. The wonderful ending for the first night!

The concert started at 6pm and ended around 8.30pm or so.

I don't mind the heavy Konno reporting. He is my fav as well! I always watch him. I was so sad when he wasn't there for the 2 times I saw Kalafina live. So this must have been an experience of a lifetime with the quartet and all the band members of course. And I'm surprised and interested in some of the grouping as well for the singers. I will look forward to a release of this if there is one. Better be.

 

[LianaIlia36]

Personally I'm very interested in hearing Yuki Kajiura's collections of different capable singers take on some of these familiar songs.

It's why we can/could appreciate Kaori, Keiko, Yuriko, or even Wakana doing covers of songs originally sung by English-speaking vocalists like Emily Bindiger and others, or some songs sung by earlier Japanese collaborators with Yuki Kajiura, in spite of the fact that they definitely do not sound like the original singers, and we can enjoy those versions as exciting variations. And this is also why I am enjoying the journey of hearing rito and LINO LEIA work out how to take on some of these classics (especially since the original singers are fully available to do a reprise in the future - more variations), and also get BETTER at singing these same songs (thus refining their techniques and ability to vary and express, just like our core FJ vocalists did over the years).

In my opinion, it's actually an interesting challenge and opportunity (like a puzzle) for Kajiura to work out which voices can take leads of which songs, and who will harmonize what part with who, when doing a retake of an original song. New leads and new arrangements introduce new perspectives and other possible versions of exploration and expression.

No song can only be sung or led or harmonized by one person (whether Wakana, Kaori, Hikaru, Yuriko/Keiko) even if it was originally written for them.

This. Yes. I think the change up is good. And yes, the original singers are missed, but it gives others time to shine. And sing songs of hers they haven't before. So I think it's a win all around. No one can replace another, but they are covering their song, not replacing.

 

[CloisteredFlame]

This. Yes. I think the change up is good. And yes, the original singers are missed, but it gives others time to shine. And sing songs of hers they haven't before. So I think it's a win all around. No one can replace another, but they are covering their song, not replacing.

Exactly!
For me though, I would add that people can technically be "replaced" but probably not "replicated". Replacement it just putting one thing into a spot vacated by another thing (like books in a shelf and so on).

I make this distinction specifically because I'd often come across several comments on YouTube about Joelle being a "bad replacement" or "not a replacement" for Wakana because she doesn't sound like her or convey the same nostalgic emotion, but she's literally a completely different human being, with a different vocal timbre, unique almost like a fingerprint and based on shape of the body and head.

What I look at with a singer taking the place of another (or a band member) in a lot of popular bands is, "Can the new person hit all the pitches (speaking of singers) for pre-existing music without having to change the key or the arrangement ? Do they have the range? What can they do better than the previous person? What new thing do they bring and what is being unavoidably missing with the absence of the original performer?" Those are the kinds of things I believe Yuki Kajiura considers in selecting vocalists. I believe she also goes with what she FEELS as they audition and rehearse. Kajiura seems much more of an emotionally-directed composer/producer than purely technical. It's why we always watch her expressions during concerts and MC comments to gauge her feelings about how her music is currently being expressed. At least I do.

Becoming a Joelle fan just in 2020 after knowing about FJ not long before (when discovering her in SH) before first hearing her in Studio Reprise 1, I was pleased when I heard she would join FJ, and a little conflicted about her replacing Wakana, but I trusted in her skills (head voice, dynamics, bright tone, soulful elements) and saw it as adding a different flavor to the songs. I do sometimes wonder how Joelle feels (since I believe it's not possible for her to not be aware) about the backlash against her being in FJ sometimes, and some recent calls for LINO LEIA (who is a far-less developed/capable singer) to take her place but, ce la vie, Joelle's a professional and will keep on giving her best as she always does.

 

[FJMaikeru]

100% agree with the comment above.

I've got to be honest, some of the comments saying LINO LEIA should replace Joelle have nasty undertones. They claim LINO looks more like an idol, which to me sounds like a mix between "she is younger" (ageist?) and "she looks more Japanese" (racist?). I also think the race issue (Joelle is half-American) is the bigger one since Yuriko is presumably around Joelle's age and no one complains about her.

The only thing that these singers should be judged on is their actual singing ability. I like LINO and love Wakana, but it's impossible to argue that either of them are on Joelle's level of consistency and technical ability. Show me a single recent live performance from either of them that compares to Joelle's performance of Hana ga Chiru Sekai: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTGJb-nOcV0.

 

[LianaIlia36]

Exactly!
For me though, I would add that people can technically be "replaced" but probably not "replicated". Replacement it just putting one thing into a spot vacated by another thing (like books in a shelf and so on).

I make this distinction specifically because I'd often come across several comments on YouTube about Joelle being a "bad replacement" or "not a replacement" for Wakana because she doesn't sound like her or convey the same nostalgic emotion, but she's literally a completely different human being, with a different vocal timbre, unique almost like a fingerprint and based on shape of the body and head.

What I look at with a singer taking the place of another (or a band member) in a lot of popular bands is, "Can the new person hit all the pitches (speaking of singers) for pre-existing music without having to change the key or the arrangement ? Do they have the range? What can they do better than the previous person? What new thing do they bring and what is being unavoidably missing with the absence of the original performer?" Those are the kinds of things I believe Yuki Kajiura considers in selecting vocalists. I believe she also goes with what she FEELS as they audition and rehearse. Kajiura seems much more of an emotionally-directed composer/producer than purely technical. It's why we always watch her expressions during concerts and MC comments to gauge her feelings about how her music is currently being expressed. At least I do.

Becoming a Joelle fan just in 2020 after knowing about FJ not long before (when discovering her in SH) before first hearing her in Studio Reprise 1, I was pleased when I heard she would join FJ, and a little conflicted about her replacing Wakana, but I trusted in her skills (head voice, dynamics, bright tone, soulful elements) and saw it as adding a different flavor to the songs. I do sometimes wonder how Joelle feels (since I believe it's not possible for her to not be aware) about the backlash against her being in FJ sometimes, and some recent calls for LINO LEIA (who is a far-less developed/capable singer) to take her place but, ce la vie, Joelle's a professional and will keep on giving her best as she always does.

Exactly. That's what I meant as replacement. It's not saying oh we're trying to replicate the sound of her voice. It's saying here's someone who loves the music and will sing it well. Regardless of what a fan thinks of them, it's Kajiura's impression that's important. And we lose sight of that sometimes. I love when she smiles during a performance, like she did a lot in the reprise of vol 1, when a song is going well. It puts me at ease that she's happy with it, and then I'm happy. At least for me.

 

[Juju]

Hello everyone, sorry for not writing earlier, my second week in Japan was extra busy but now that I'm back at home, and have some extra time in my hands at work, I'll give you my opinion, but it's probably quite biased, as I am simply a music enthusiast, it was my first time seeing a YK live in real life, first time in Japan, I was sitting on my little cloud of happiness.

To me, everything was perfect. Of course some moments were a bit underwhelming compared to others but overall, I had a great time, I don't want to spend time to pick on who sang better and what, in my opinion what stood out the most in those two days is how much Yuki Kajiura loves her music and having all these musicians and singers around her playing her songs.

She was smiling so often, they were often looking at each other with such passion, this is what I saw on that stage, passionate people simply enjoying the music and the fact that they were performing it for fans.

Of course I could tell you that I too, miss Wakana even though I think Joelle is doing a great job, that I would love to hear Keiko sing those English songs again, that I was sitting quite far and couldn't see anything sometimes, that I also expected some songs that weren't performed... But yeah, I'll keep it at that: to me, it was amazing, I had a great time surrounded by artists that I've loved for a loooong time, listening to songs that I've been supporting me and I cried several times the second day because it meant a lot to me, and it's all that matters.

I completely understand that you want the best out of those special lives and so many details can be argued about, but I think sometimes it's nice to just... unplug your brain and just enjoy the moment.

 

[CloisteredFlame]

100% agree with the comment above.

I've got to be honest, some of the comments saying LINO LEIA should replace Joelle have nasty undertones. They claim LINO looks more like an idol, which to me sounds like a mix between "she is younger" (ageist?) and "she looks more Japanese" (racist?). I also think the race issue (Joelle is half-American) is the bigger one since Yuriko is presumably around Joelle's age and no one complains about her.

The only thing that these singers should be judged on is their actual singing ability. I like LINO and love Wakana, but it's impossible to argue that either of them are on Joelle's level of consistency and technical ability. Show me a single recent live performance from either of them that compares to Joelle's performance of Hana ga Chiru Sekai: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTGJb-nOcV0.

It is sad if there is some purist mindset in the vision some people have about Fiction Junction but if you think about it, it's actually laughable.

Those kinds of people are trying to be purist with a group where the composer (Yuki Kajiura) is literally an embodiment of influence from purely Western European classical, operatic, pop, and rock music couched in Japanese sensibilities she later adopted through immersion back in Japan. Her first few solo albums after See-Saw were more-or-less fully in English (including titles and lyrics) and for a while her vocal muse was an American woman (Emily), so much so that YK "forced" (more like diligently nudged) all her pure Japanese vocalists to phonetically learn and sing a whole lot of English language songs, and even developed her own European-influenced pseudo-language (kajiurago), which she uses a lot and obviously loves to hear (a Europhile?)

Where's their outrage then? Why don't they go fight Yuki Kajiura about having so much non-Japanese influence? It's all bonkers thinking.

Other excellent composers in the vein of YK, Revo and Sawano Hiroyuki are very comfortable and made a lot of their impact using elements of foreign (basically European) languages, lyrics, and storytelling, and either Western, Asian, or multi-racial singers (Sawano: Gemie, mp, Eliana, etc.) or "pure" Japanese singers with singing styles directly or indirectly influenced by Western musical culture, not really the nasal Japanese pop idol singing, though sometimes enka influenced (Revo: REMI, Joelle, Kaori, RIKKI, Miki, Mari, etc. ).

Well these super-purist fans have the right to have preferences, but should also develop a more nuanced/richer view of life and creative work, if they are real fans.

 

[CloisteredFlame]

Exactly. That's what I meant as replacement. It's not saying oh we're trying to replicate the sound of her voice. It's saying here's someone who loves the music and will sing it well. Regardless of what a fan thinks of them, it's Kajiura's impression that's important. And we lose sight of that sometimes. I love when she smiles during a performance, like she did a lot in the reprise of vol 1, when a song is going well. It puts me at ease that she's happy with it, and then I'm happy. At least for me.

Kajiura REALLY loves vocal harmony and she's been the single anisong composer doing a lot with it, which is what actually stands her out, apart from her unique sonic worldview (and is why Kalafina going off the radar was a major travesty, thanks SC!)

During the recent NHK music festival broadcast, the foreign social media influencers who spoke remotely about her music honed in on the vocal writing and sonic atmosphere, and so did ASCA and ReoNa. I loved seeing Kajiura smiling so sheepishly with all the praise. She really is a simply lady at heart. who loves music and is just trying to share her heart and take joy, not conquer the world or anything like that. We are all just along for the ride she's on.

 

[ritarudandoo]

100% agree with the comment above.

I've got to be honest, some of the comments saying LINO LEIA should replace Joelle have nasty undertones. They claim LINO looks more like an idol, which to me sounds like a mix between "she is younger" (ageist?) and "she looks more Japanese" (st?). I also think the race issue (Joelle is half-American) is the bigger one since Yuriko is presumably around Joelle's age and no one complains about her.

This, but to be fair they also said that LINO LEIA does have a tone that is very J-pop and idol-like and it seems that her voice is very acceptable and pleasant to the Japanese audience's ears (not so much to me tho lol). I mean, I personally enjoy Joelle's voice more than LINO LEIA's and Joelle has a very bright tone that sounds very Japanese, even more so than Wakana's but apparently the Japanese don't think the same. But at the same time it seems that the ones who've been saying this are mostly males so there's definitely a visual factor behind this taste and choice, which I find weird because I personally also find Joelle to be more attractive than LINO LEIA and she doesn't look too much like a foreigner. Though it's Japanese we're talking about and in general they're pretty chauvinist. I pondered this post and to be honest I've just now realized that the first part about them liking LINO LEIA's voice is probably the Japanese audience just masking their chauvinist and kinda racist mindset.

 

[wat11]

Unfortunately the prejudice and racism in the Japanese culture may be a real thing... hiding beneath the mask. Nippon is also still a very patriarchal society, sorry.

So I'd understand if people preferred Lino Leia over Joelle (a choice I would never ever make - Joelle's handling of her voice, by technique and feeling, are far superior - I'd say this to be objectively true but I am no authority).

I suspect that Wakana vs. Joelle discussion gets muddled a little by the birth-order effect... What I really like about Kajiura (mentioned by many here already) is that she likes to advise/conduct (to FictionJunction) singers to sing in different ways to create original and dramatic sound.

Technique-wise, I'd say Joelle is far more consistent in her singing than Wakana. As far as subjective feelings go... it's up to you. I love Wakana sometimes, I feel safer with Joelle. Live singing is also very hard to pull off (perfectly). I feel most lives anywhere in the world are inferior to the studio versions and I think Kajiura lives are actually somewhat the other way around.

P.S. if anyone dares to take on Yuriko, I'm here (and I doubt she would give a f*ck - she is the badass in the group :)

 

[Decretum]

Honestly—and I’m speaking as a huge Wakana fan, and as someone who has been critical of Joelle’s live performances of the Kajiura classics—the idea that she should be replaced is utterly laughable. Yes, she isn’t Wakana, but who says that she has to be? Her jazzy background and rich voice make her more than capable to be a Kajiura vocalist, and FictionJunction has always been flexible to begin with. Yeah, maybe her vocal decisions don’t always work for me personally, but her work on Vice Versa, the LORD theme, Inside A Dream, etc? She has more than proven herself to be an excellent addition to Kajiura’s repertoire.

Also, I definitely agree with previous sentiments posted on this thread. Joelle’s voice is far more unique and powerful than LINO LEIA’s, and the reception she has gotten from those wanting her replaced definitely stems from Japan’s racial homogeny. And, sadly, her kind of voice is just less appealing to the J-Pop audience. While there are certainly artists who have made names for themselves with deep and/or striking voices (such as Aimer, JUJU, and, well, Keiko), they are the exception, and not the norm. And that’s really unfortunate.