Don't forget to tune in today! It's Kalafina's first video broadcast in a VERY long time so no one should miss it.
Tweet by Wakana | Tweet 2 by Wakana | Tweet by Hikaru | Tweet by Keiko | Tweet by Ghibli wo Utau
⏰YOUTUBE LINK⏰
Live Commentary
Love how they recreated their regular radio program “Kalafina Club”. They did a quick acappella session performing “Hoshizora No Distance” by THE ALFEE.
Thankfully they are planning to archive the video😮💨Was scared they wouldn’t!
Now they are talking about their participation in the upcoming “Ghibli wo Utau Vol.#2”. They were directed by Satoshi Takebe and it was really nice being able to see each other during the recording instead of being completely separated in the process. Seems like Wakana will probably be the lead since she was in a bigger room when the recording happened while Hi/Kei were in smaller booths.
Awww 🥰 I adore how Keiko is already holding on tight to both Hi and Wa 💙🖤🤍Someone please make five million gifs of this broadcast!!🙏 I want to use so many moments as new reaction gifs for my blog. I can't believe we finally have new material.
Wakana has such a long history with Ghibli and it obviously means so much to her that she gets to sing a Ghibli song together with Hi and Kei as Kalafina 🥹
They cannot reveal the song they will be singing but they share some of their favourites. Wakana is partial to “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind”, Hikaru loves “Totoro”.
LOL at Wakana and Keiko trying to recreate their reaction when they found out they would take part in the album. Adorable🥰 Brings back so many memories from their old live broadcasts.
Game corner with sketchbooks!! Ahhh!! Pure Nostalgia!! They each need to draw a sea otter 🦦 Wakana did a decent job, Keiko’s drawing is a little adventurous. Hikaru’s is so freaking cute. Next up, they are doing a dinosaur 🦖 Once again, Keiko does a wild design.😅Last prompt is a witch/wizard🧙♀️Wakana did an amazing job, so cute!
Q&A corner: There’s a question about their sports activities/work-outs. Keiko already shares everything on social media so she lets Hi/Wa answer the question. Hi does zero and Wa does some stretching/strength training. Preference regarding tsubu-an or koshi-an. Request for maiyaiya and a quick self-introduction. They share theor sleeping schedules. When asked about their dreams for the future: They want to do lots of fun and interesting things together in the future, especially in their private time.
They will do an Instagram Live on Wakana’s and Hikaru's account right after this broadcast so check that out!!!
We should look forward to some more announcements in the future!
To wrap up the live, they sing “Mune no Yukue” 💙🖤🤍 Interesting choice taking the most recent YKL setlists into account. Either way, never thought this song would make me cry since it’s not among my favourites but damn, this hit me right in the feels 🥹
This Friday, on September 5th, Keiko will be holding a live broadcast to celebrate the 50th episode of her YouTube program "Keiko's Room."
Wakana and Hikaru are invited as special guests 💙🖤🤍
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M5CvQPmJmw
OMG!!! So excited. I am sure they are gonna sing something. Keiko mentioned on Yodel yesterday, that they had met again to sing so they might have done a brief rehearsal. Since Keiko's Instagram Story is using Kugatsu as background music, that would definitely be a very likely candidate and obviously a perfect choice for the beginning of September. Either way, even if they don't sing anything at all, I am so hyped for this!!!
Kalafina to Participate in Volume#2 Of The Special Studio Ghibli Tribute Album!
Back in 2023, a special #Studio Ghibli Tribute album produced by Satoshi Takebe was released. Wakana was among the 12 participating artists, she also took part in the "#Ghibli wo Utau Concert" which was held in March 2024 and was later streamed online. It has just been announced that a Volume#2 of this album will be released this year in November! It is once again produced by Satoshi Takebe. And there is a big surprise!! Among the 13 participating artists, Kalafina will be in charge of one of the tracks!! 💙🖤🤍
Title: 「ジブリをうたう その2」
Studio Ghibli Tribute Album “Singing Ghibli” Volume #2
Cover illustration: Goro Miyazaki
Release date: November 19
Price: VICL-66103 / ￥3,630（tax incl）
Homepage: https://ghibliwoutau.com/
ORDER NOW!!
Also available on CDJapan!!
Participating artists:
Aina the End, Yuda Ohno & Sota Hanamura (Da-iCE), Sakurako Ohara, Aya Ogawa & Iroha Okuda (Nogizaka46), Kalafina, Shigeru Kishida (Quruli) & Shiori Tamai (Momoiro Clover Z), GLIM SPANKY, Ninjin (from Rokudenashi), NON x SOIL & "PIMP" SESSIONS, Taro Hakase & Satoshi Takebe, Penthouse, Win Morisaki, Hiroko Yakushimaru
Tracklist: Will be announced at a later date!
Keiko's comment on Yodel/Instagram:
I am pleased to announced that we as Kalafina have had the opportunity to participate in the making of the Studio Ghibli Tribute Album “Singing Ghibli” Volume #2.
For me, when I hear Ghibli, the first thing that comes to mind is Wakana-chan. Haha, I am not kidding, it's 100% true. During my time in Kalafina, we were involved in a variety of anime productions which allowed us to travel overseas many times to perform our music. During that time, I felt that the popularity of Ghibli films both at home and abroad was a huge source of pride for Japan. But what really made a big impression on me was how Wakana-chan would talk about her love for everything Ghibli whenever she was asked questions related to anime.
Of course, Ghibli films are fascinating to me as well. I have always wondered what it is about these films that make them so beloved among people of all generations, I don't really have an answer though...I think one of the charms of Ghibli films is that they make you ask yourself questions like this. They teach us the importance of taking your time to really think about things.
I am very honored to have the opportunity to sing Ghibli music as part of this project. I hope many people will get to hear the harmony created by the three of us. Phew, so glad we finally get to reveal this announcement 💙🖤🤍
Comment by Kalafina on Twitter
We are honored that Kalafina will be participating in "Singing Ghibli Volume#2." We're thrilled that the three of us will be able to deliver the music of Ghibli films, beloved worldwide, in harmony. We hope everyone enjoys it.
Kalafina (Wakana, Keiko, Hikaru)
Comment by Hikaru on Instagram
I am pleased to announce that we will be participating in the Studio Ghibli tribute album "Singing Ghibli Volume#2."
I am so honored to have been given such a valuable opportunity!
I'm also happy that the three of us can sing together again(*^‿^*) I'm savoring this happiness.
Ghibli films are loved by so many people, transcending all boundaries of age, gender, nationality, etc.
I'm one of those who have been exposed to them since I was a child. It truly feels like a dream…!
I'm a little nervous, but I'll sing with all my heartfelt respect.
Comment by Wakana on Instagram
Kalafina will be participating in the second Studio Ghibli tribute album, "Ghibli wo Utau Vol.#2," produced by Takebe Satoshi. 🧚✨Following my participation on the previous album, I'm incredibly happy to be once again involved with the world of Ghibli, which I love…🥹✨
And this time, it's as part of Kalafina!! 🫣💕
I'm truly happy that the three of us will be able to sing for you all again. Please look forward to the release! ♡🌱
Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh! SO EXCITED!!! We are getting an actual new release!! A Ghibli cover is the perfect start!! I KNEW they were recording something back in July!! I wonder which song it's going to be....? Hopefully a solid ballad that will highlight their harmony work!
Wakana, Keiko and Hikaru shared some photos of the three of them getting together, presumably to celebrate today's broadcast of January's Kalafina Anniversary Live. Not sure if these pictures were taken today but they are definitely not from a long time ago. Based on Keiko's hair, her nails and her outfit, this must have been a very recent get-together, might even have been earlier today. Actually, Keiko was wearing the exact same outfit when she came to support Hikaru at her "Seven Deadly Sins" Live on May 24th. Maybe Wakana was there as well and they had a little celebration after the evening show? Hikaru does look pretty exhausted so it would make sense.
It's finally here, sorry for the long wait!! Let me share some overall thoughts first( ^_^)/~~~
Venue: Probably the newest and fanciest venue I‘ve ever been to. Loved all the screens with Kalafina visuals. They had them across the entire area, some bigger, some smaller and a really big one in front of the venue itself. The theater appeared to be a bit intimidating at first glance but I actually appreciated the layout, I feel like you got to have a pretty decent view from most places, even in the upper balconies.
Collaboration events: This one was somewhat of a fail for me. Originally, I wasn’t too impressed with most of the collaboration food but I was still eager to get it, especially the stuff that was wrapped nicely. The chocolates looked lovely but they were already sold out when I arrived at 11:00 on the 15th.🥲Was also planning to get the katsu sandwich in the Kalafina packaging but that was sold out as well. Not afraid to admit that I cried a little when I realised I woudn't be able to get them...I did get one of those gorgeous tray sheets at Taco Bell at least🙌 Managed to secure one of those tiny photo cards too but meh, honestly nothing to write home about. Gave me the opportunity to write something on the message board though so that’s a good thing 👍 The whole gacha situation was a challenge to say the least. So exhausting! I got a numbered ticket (#127) for the queue so I could start lining up at 13:30 (was actually one of the first people to enter). This worked out pretty smoothly and everyone was able to enter earlier than expected. At first I was lining up in the wrong queue because they were telling people they had to go through the on-site merch sale area first. Thankfully, a staff member came over and guided me and some others to the direct queue (after all, I wasn’t planning to buy any merch since I had already made my reservation). My first gacha round didn’t take too long since most people were still busy buying merch and there were a total of ten machines (also had prepared my 500 yen coins the day before so I didn't have to line up to change my money). I was moderately lucky but didn’t get some of the items I wanted🙃 So after I picked up my live goods during my assigned time slot, I got back in the queue to do a second gacha round😅. This time the wait was long, probably an hour or so. Also, 10,000 yen just gone☠️Thanks to @concretebadger and my super kind friend, I managed to get the complete set! BANZAI🤗 I also got two lovely tokutens for participating in the big flower stand project (a postcard and badge of the drawing). Almost didn't get to meet up with the organisers of the project but thankfully I ran into them right before the start of the show (generally, I find it fascinating how many people I managed to run into despite the sheer amount of people at the venue - thanks to everyone who said 'hi').
Seat: I really liked my seat and am glad I went for the balcony area. Had a completely unobstructed view of the stage🥰It was a little further away of course but I did bring my binoculars so it was fine.👍 In my vicinity people were thankfully not very keen to stand up all the time so I had one less thing to worry about. The screens on the side were also a perfect size to see their facial expressions. The people in charge of the projections made sure to include a lot of close-ups 😍 Bless them!
Sound: Maybe it was just my specific location towards the left side on the balcony but the sound system was a bit off I think, or possibly the manipulator did a horrible job with the mixing? How did everyone else feel about this? The background music was often overly loud (if not to say obnoxiously noisy) and drowned out the vocals. During some parts, it was honestly hard to hear the girls among all the other noises. It was much better during songs that had a more simple or acoustic arrangement. The microphones seemed to have some issues too at times because there were a few distortions (?) which made their voices sound different (?) and occasionally, you just couldn’t hear them singing the beginning of certain lines - this could theoretically be chalked up to them being hesitant and starting too quiet (Wakana does that at times) but it happened a little too often to all three of them which is why I‘m assuming there might have been some technical issues.
Vocals: What are seven years? Nothing! It was like no time had passed at all! Some people may disagree but for the most part, the girls sounded amazing to me! I thoroughly enjoyed myself and very rarely heard notes that made me cringe. I was amazed how they managed to just pick up where they left off. Of course there were parts that were less flattering and they had some of their usual hiccups but I feel like they handled everything pretty well. Have they done better and more polished live renditions of some of these songs in the past? Probably (tho there were some stand-out performances that impressed me more than their old versions). Overall, there was clearly a lot of effort and love put into each and every performance and at the end of the day, that's all that counts for me. They didn’t “phone-in” their singing, they put all their heart into it and you could tell. I even liked songs that I am usually not such a huge fan of (e.g. “ring your bell” and “ Alleluia”). Also, say what you will but there’s a huge contrast between the YKL Kalafina covers and the real thing, it’s almost jarring how different they sound so I particularly appreciated performances of the songs that had previously been covered at YKL. Needless to say, I much prefer the real thing! It's just not the same without Wakana and I must say, Wakana delivered solid vocals during most songs that required those super high and long notes. Hikaru also did a great job and sounded powerful throughout most of the setlist. She was getting visibly tired though towards the end of the up-beat section (Wakana on the other hand surprised me with her stamina). As for Keiko, do I even have to say it? She delivered a fabulous performance as one would expect from her. She nailed all her epic long notes (e.g. “Hyakka Ryouran”, “Kyrie”, “Hikaru Furu” - she sounded better than she did during the 10th Anniversary Live if you ask me)
Production & arrangement: Honestly nothing special or outstanding. They kept it simple and remained faithful to Kalafina’s usual M.O. The focus was on their voices and there wasn’t anything extravagant to distract from that. On the contrary, I feel like there was a conscious effort being made to include more acappella parts to highlight their harmony. With the exception of a few instrumentals and solos, I don’t think Satoshi Takebe added a lot of creative twists to change the original sound. He even mentioned in a tweet that he wanted to pay tribute to Yuki Kajiura’s work, stay true to her music/style and not make it his own or anything.
Atmosphere: 1000/10. The girls were in such a good mood and determined to make this concert the best experience ever. It really felt like they had never been apart. Their interactions with each other were heart-felt and didn’t come across as staged or forced. You could tell how much they missed performing together. The audience was also super responsive and everyone seemed to have the time of their lives (myself included of course).
Setlist: Admittedly, it wasn’t what I had hoped for but it was pretty much what I had expected from this sort of live so I can’t be mad. And there were a few really pleasant surprises that I didn’t think they would include (“Hanataba”, “Lacrimosa”, “Kyrie” and “Hyakka Ryouran”). Also beyond happy that they did an acoustic version of “sprinter” because that’s so much better than the studio version (which I typically don’t like). Check out a detailed report below the cut 〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→
1 oblivious: I knew it was coming and it’s usually not a song I’m particularly fond of but this performance may have been the best one I’ve ever heard (biased opinion but hey, you can’t blame me for that😅). The song kicked me right in the feels! Or maybe it was just like a dream come true to hear/see them together again! When they appeared on stage, they looked like angels. What a revelation to see them in all their glory once the sheer curtain was dropped. They sounded amazing, absolutely breathtaking! Was impressed by everyone’s vocals. Shout-out to Hikaru for her high notes! For a few lines in the beginning, Wakana didn’t quite sound like herself (the distortion I was talking about earlier?) but I am not sure if it was a lowered pitch or something the manipulator did on purpose to smooth out her voice. It sounded okay and wasn’t too distracting so I didn’t mind it. Later on, her voice sounded like it usually did during “oblivious” so maybe it was just a glitch or whatever. When Wakana and Keiko did their little back-and-forth duet thingy, I almost started crying because I had missed them so much. WaKei FOREVER 🤗
2 Kizuato: A bit bummed that they didn’t perform “Kimi ga Hikari ni Kaete Iku” (then again, I might have said so it was probably a good thing) but this was a beautiful performance so I can’t complain. The three of them once again sounded amazing and their harmonies were to die for.
3 Mirai: Typically one of their weaker live performances and this was no exception. But really, it’s about getting that connection with the audience, running around on stage, greeting the audience and having fun. I don’t mind if it’s not polished and I usually don’t even pay attention to that during this song.
4 Hikari no Senritsu: Felt a bit all over the place so I wasn’t quite able to get into it. The music was overbearing at times and it took away from the charm of a few individual lines. I expected to be touched by the performance since Keiko had been going on and on about how this was her favourite song to sing together but I didn’t have a particularly strong reaction to it. To be fair though, it has never been one of my favourite songs so that might have been the reason for my rather lukewarm reaction. An interesting cello solo from Masateru spiced things up a little but otherwise, there weren’t any significant changes.
5 storia: For this one, I always keep my expectations low regarding vocals because I know it’s a hit and miss when it comes to Wakana and Hikaru. It’s been like this forever so I’m not surprised to hear them struggling at times. Nevertheless, this is a song I have always enjoyed so I can easily look past minor issues. As expected, the girls did struggle a bit (Hikaru in particular didn't deliver the most flattering performance) but it was totally fine. That final chorus once again caught me right in the feels, especially the WaKei part🥹Both the YKL cover and Wakana's solo cover are still fresh in my mind so to finally hear the song as it is meant to be, feels like such a blessing.
6 ring your bell: The piano intro was a bit misleading and for a couple seconds there, I seriously thought they would be introducing a brand new song 😅 It was a nice touch though, I do enjoy intros like that (probably Takebe's idea). Surprisingly, I liked this performance more than I thought I would. I usually give this one a pass because I don't care for the unflattering vocals. I've never understood why it keeps getting performed when it is such a challenging song. But this time, I honestly enjoyed almost all of it (especially Wakana's parts at the end- she did a great job here). Those YK cover versions pale in comparison if you ask me.
7 Hanataba: What a surprise! 😮 Possibly one of their best (if not the best) performances of the night. Usually not a fan of the accordion but here I didn’t mind it. They made some minor changes to the arrangement to highlight the accordion and the vocals. The girls were on fire, especially Hikaru. You could tell she was happy that her chosen song made it onto the setlist.
8 Lacrimosa: From one surprise to another. I was actually expecting them to sing “Consolation” at this point because according to the previous MC, this was meant to be their “Consolation” album block. Would have been happier with “Consolation” to be honest but “Lacrimosa” was a nice treat too. The background music was quite loud again so some vocal parts weren’t discernible or got overshadowed by other stuff.
9 Manten: I don't remember much from it so it must not have stood out to me.
10 to the beginning: Never liked it but this time, I had a blast. A fantastic performance with so much energy and love put into it. The audience went crazy of course so that was also fun to watch. While I personally do not stand up for songs and categorically refuse to partake in any weird arm movements (clapping is the most I will do), I still think it's nice to see everyone so invested.
11 Kimi no Gin no Niwa with strings: This was beautiful. Just strings and piano. Quite a few more acappella lines than usual I think. Gorgeous arrangement.
12 sprinter with strings: What can I say? Perfect. No notes. Tears everywhere. So glad they decided to go for an acoustic version (by now we all know how much I dislike the studio version). It wasn't as emotional as that Arena Live encore performance but for me, it came pretty close.
13 Hyakka Ryouran: Became a big fan after the 10th Anniversary performance. Didn't expect them to include it once again in the setlist but I certainly didn't mind. This one was just as solid I would say although I feel like Keiko was actually a bit stronger here than she was back then, especially during her "yaiba".
14 misterioso: Meh, one of my least favourite Kala-songs but coincidentally, one of their most frequently performed tracks. I have always wondered why but I guess there are people who love it. Wasn't really into it so I don't remember anything significant.
15 One Light: Super happy about it. A perfect candidate for their up-beat corner and really a true banger. Don't think there has ever been a bad performance of this, they always slay. I believe they missed the mark a little on that moment where they all come together to raise their arms right before the climax. It felt a little rushed so the cameras for the screen didn't capture it properly XD (it was probably fine for those in the front rows who could see every detail up-close). Either way, the audience erupted into cheers when Hikaru did her infamous "yukeru" kneel.
16 Kyrie: Wooohoo, one of my favourite Kala-songs so I am always excited to hear it performed live. Certainly a surprise though because I didn't think it would be chosen for their Anniversary Live setlist. The audio was pretty messy during this one and I was sad to hear that Keiko's drawn out "Kyrie" at the end didn't get as much attention as it deserved.
17 Ongaku: It started out a little weird in a slightly different tempo than I am used to (at least I think so?). It was a minor thing but big enough to distract me a little for a minute or so. Keiko slayed though and Super!Wakana knocked it out of the park (loved how Keiko held her hand when she helped her walk up the stairs for the solo)
18 heavenly blue: A long-ass up-beat section comes to an end with another banger. After this one, Keiko even said that this was one of their most challenging corners they ever did. It's always fun when Keiko asks the audience after "Ongaku" if we can handle yet another up-beat song (of course we can!) and they transition right into either "Signal" or "heavenly blue" (pretty much their go-to songs for an epic ending). I do love "heavenly blue" so I am happy they included it. The background vocals during the bridge were a little too loud for my taste so you couldn't hear the girls properly (the bridge is one of my favourite parts of the song).
19 Alleluia: There was no doubt in my mind that they would either finish the main section or the entire concert with this song. Didn't expect to love the performance as much as I did. Usually not the biggest fan of the song since Wakana's parts are not particularly flattering for her and even Keiko tends to get a little shouty at times. But this time, I rally enjoyed the song and the minor issues didn't really register with me all that much. Guess I was just too deep into the emotions they were trying to convey.
En1 Magia: So glad they included this! I always thought it was a shame that it didn’t make it onto the 10th Anniversary setlist. We heard a lot of YK cover versions in the past couple of years (to a point where I was getting a little tired of the song) but this revived my love 😍 So good!! The guitar solo sounded weird to me and didn’t have a proper transition to Keiko’s bridge part but that might just be my personal perception. Maybe the guitar fans among you thought it was great😅Keiko’s solo also lacked a bit of oomph but I think it was her microphone’s fault 🙃Hikaru sounded a bit quiet too at times. Hopefully they can fix those minor issues with some studio magic before they do the TV broadcast.
En2 Hikari Furu: Sounded a little meh vocal-wise, certainly one of their messier live versions of the song and overall, one of the least enjoyable performances of the night for me. Lots of things came together here so I can’t put the blame on a single factor. For some reason, their voices wouldn’t blend well together and both Wa and Hi had a couple of screechy moments. Wakana sounded almost hoarse when she started singing (maybe she got a little emotional?) and at the end she had some very noticeable shaking during her long notes (I know she has that a lot for her solo stuff too but I didn’t really notice it all that much in other songs from that night but here it was hard to ignore). The background music was also quite loud during the climax of the song so it didn’t exactly help to make it sound better. Keiko delivered an awesome "mabushii asa" though.
En3 into the world: Perfect ending to be honest and again, nothing beats this, not even a YKL cover (although I will say that I enjoy those too). It was kinda bittersweet though. Obviously this song is about taking new paths, not knowing what lies ahead. And really, this is what we have to deal with right now.
At this point, the future is blurry, no one knows what will happen to Kalafina. The girls didn’t even hint at any possible future activities. There was just an endless amount of appreciation for the past and present. Every time one of them thanked the fans for patiently waiting for Kalafina’s return, I couldn’t help but tear up a little. Yes, the wait was rough and I am sure many people lost hope along the way but I personally always knew we'd see them back together again. And when Wakana straight up broke into tears during an MC (with Keiko comforting her and shielding her from the cameras), I cried like a baby (especially when Wakana cried even harder and made Keiko tear up too) 🥲 All the pent-up emotion just came to the surface. Hikaru on the other was determined not to cry throughout the whole concert. They are too precious for this world!! I really hope they don't cut this moment from the broadcast (but knowing them, they probably will). For the time-being, I’ll just follow Keiko’s advice and continue listening to Kalafina and love them🥰Who knows, maybe one day…? I'll never give up hope and I don't think the girls will either. While she didn't outright say it, Keiko couldn't help but utter a few hopeful words, more like a prayer actually, "叶うならまた~/And if my wish would come true, maybe [we can do this/sing together] again~" It was an amazing concert, I had the time of my life and will treasure those memories forever. Thank you Kalafina!!
Cannot wait for the TV broadcast to experience all of this again and to relive every little detail. I should have written the report right away (or taken some extensive notes) when my memories were still fresh but my schedule for the following days was simply too busy. Now I'm back home and fighting against a jet-lag so the finer details are escaping me T_T (I feel like I am getting a few things mixed up and don't even know which things happened in which MC)
theartofmadeline
romaincrisis
stormborns
dededos
snowghoul
vaporwave
