Top 8 Kalafina Songs in Anime (OP & ED)

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Kalafina, or as I like to call them, “Yuki Kajiura’s Personal J-Pop Trio”, is a popular vocal group that was formed by the great OST-composer herself, Yuki Kajiura (famous for her work in titles such as Kara no Kyoukai, Fate/Zero, and Madoka Magica, to name a few).  Ever since the group’s conception in 2007, they have become a sort of phenomenon within the community, with their majestic and heavenly vocals that are generally attributed to very high-end and critically-acclaimed anime.

All of their tracks are marvelous and are proof that the group have indeed solidified their place in the anime world as a premier vocal trio.  However, today, I am singling down my personal 8 favorite Kalafina opening and ending songs in anime that just made those shows they are attached to all the more enjoyable or, in some cases, the ONLY enjoyable part.

NOTE:  This list was VERY difficult to create, and I feel that any of these songs can overtake each other’s spots.  However, I did do my best, though it is still a rather imperfect list.  Therefore, if you guys have any complaints, please calmly do so in the comments below.  Tell me where you could’ve put which, or maybe something that I didn’t add to the list that you felt was really good.  Also, for some reason, decent-quality Kalafina OP and ED YouTube videos are a bit of an odd one, so I might post the full version for some parts of this list, which should be fine because I’d rather you guys listened to the songs in full anyway.

 

Ok?

 

Ok.

 

Now, without further fanfare…

What’s up, everyone, my name is Ken,from thebuttonsmashers.com, and today, I present to you my Top 8 Kalafina Anime OP and ED Themes.

 

8.)  Oblivious

Kara no Kyoukai:  The Garden of Sinners, Movie #1- “Overlooking View” ED

Starting off with this little gem, “Oblivious” was a nice little song that encapsulated the sort of mysterious aura that the entire first Kara no Kyoukai movie was all about.  Though not really having any sort of animation to it (in fact, none of the Kara no Kyoukai endings, which were all sung by Kalafina, have any sort of animation), the song itself is great enough on its own and compliments the anime just fine.

7.)  Magia

Mahou Shoujou Madoka Magica ED

NOW THIS IS MORE LIKE IT.

If the opening theme is a stark contrast to what the anime inevitably was (i.e. NOT your typical light-hearted magical-girl anime), this one fits the dark tone of the show better, all while looking and sounding amazing at the same time.

6.)  Hikari no Senritsu

Sound of the Sky OP

Whereas the previous Kalafina song was full of dread and despair, this one is really calming and cleanses the soul.  With a sort of Gustav Klemt-esque backdrop featuring the main heroines from the show, “Hikari no Senritsu” is part of what makes Sound of the Sky one of the most feel-good anime out there, not to mention just how beautiful the song really is.

5.)  One Light

The Heroic Legend of Arslan ED 2

Without a doubt the most hyped-up and upbeat Kalafina song.  It just increases the overall epic nature of the show itself, the animation is wonderful, and it’s just a great compliment to Arslan Senki as a whole.

Seriously, just listen to how hyped it is.

4.)  Heavenly Blue

Aldnoah Zero OP 1

Oh lookie, another action-packed Kalafina song.  This song is just downright amazing, from those intro vocals to the majestic refrain and then the fast-paced chorus.  It’s amazing to hear that no matter what the pace, Kalafina’s vocals and harmony still remain as fluid as ever.

Now, if the show only had even a mere fraction of the goodness that was this OP, I might have liked Aldnoah Zero better.

Oh well, c’est la vie.

3.)  Ring Your Bell

Fate/ Stay Night:  Unlimited Blade Works ED 2

Ah yes,THIS ending theme.

The ending theme that I shamelessly sneaked in my Top Ending Themes (go check that out by the way SHAMELESS PLUG).

Well, I mean, you already know the reason I put this song so high on the list.  Not only does it compliment UBW well, it also has some nice animation and just heavenly vocals.

AND THAT CHORUS.  OMG THAT CHORUS.  I always thought that heaven was kinda like this song’s chorus:  you have this wonderfully animated scenic background, and then you have a choir of angels singing their majestic hymn.

Oh wait, those weren’t angels singing.  It was Kalafina.  Whatever, same difference.

2.)  Sprinter

Kara no Kyoukai:  The Garden of Sinners, Movie #5- “Paradox Spiral” ED

Kara no Kyoukai is a wonderful spectacle of a series that must be experienced by all (in my humble opinion).

Paradox Spiral is arguably the best part of Kara no Kyoukai as a whole.

Now, add this brilliant ending theme to that mindfuck of a movie.

Perfection.

It doesn’t even matter if it doesn’t have any sort of animation to it.

It’s that great.

 

 

 

However…..

 

 

One song definitely trumps this song and the others.

 

 

Of course, not by a long shot, because it’s all Kalafina and I love them all so much.

 

 

However, my #1 Kalafina song just holds something special in my heart.

 

 

 

 

 

And that song is…

 

 

 

 

1.)  To the Beginning

Fate/Zero ED 2

Now, I’m not saying that I’m biased just because it’s Fate/Zero

But this song is pretty damn amazing.

I thought that Fate/Zero’s first opening theme, “Oath Sign” by LiSA (another AMAZING artist, but I’ll get to that some other time), was freaking amazing and that nothing could ever top it.

However, when I saw this opening, with its majestic animation and gorgeous vocals, both of which are simply to-die-for, I fell in love with it, and now I’m extremely conflicted on which of the two do I love the most, and that’s saying something.  Where “Oath Sign” utilized the action-packed concept of the anime, “To the Beginning” harmonized perfectly with the dark, grim, and utterly beautiful moments.

I’ll let this song’s heavenly chorus speak for itself.

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And that about does it for my top Kalafina songs in anime.  Obviously they did a whole lot more than these and they’re all great songs and everyone should check them out if you haven’t done so already.  Let me know in the comments below what YOUR favorite Kalafina song is, maybe put something that I missed or a different order than my list perhaps.

As per usual, leave a comment down below pertaining to your thoughts on this top list, on the topic itself, or if you would like me to make a top list of anything.  And, speaking of liking, give the review a thumbs-up if you enjoyed it and follow me on Twitter for updates

Aaaaaaand, with that, I bid you all adieu.  This has been Ken for thebuttonsmashers.com Anime Reviews, and I’ll see you all in the future!

One Comment

  1. My favorite for me is still Heavenly blue and to tell it is my favorite anime i watched Fate/Zero,stay,ubw and many others but i enjoyed the most Aldnoah.Zero(just to tell not everyone dislike the anime)