Hikaru (singer)

Hikaru
Hikaru
Background information
Birth name	Hikaru Masai
Also known as	H-el-ical//
Born	July 2, 1987 (age 37); Toyama Prefecture, Japan
Origin	Tokyo, Japan
Genres	J-pop, anison
Occupations	Singer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2008–present
Labels	NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan (2020–present)
Formerly of	Kalafina
Website	h-el-ical.com

Hikaru Masai (born July 2, 1987),^[1] who has gone by the stage names Hikaru and currently Helical (stylized H-el-ical//), is a Japanese pop singer. She was one of the core members of the vocal group Kalafina, which was started by Yuki Kajiura to perform anime television and film theme songs. She is from Toyama Prefecture.^[2] In 2007, she was selected to join Kalafina in an audition held by Sony Music Japan, and debuted on their second single "Sprinter" in 2008.^[1] During her ten years there, Kalafina released five studio albums and two compilation albums, all of which have charted in the Oricon top 10. Her Kalafina profile describes her voice range as the mid-to-high register, a wide range that is "powerful, stylish, and sharp".^[3] Following the resignation of music composer Yuki Kajiura from Space Craft, Hikaru would later leave the label on October 20, 2018, after her contract expired.^[4]

In November 2019, she launched her solo project under the name H-el-ical//, pronounced "he-ri-ka-ru" (ヘリカル).^[5]^[6] In April 2020, she released her first single "Altern-ate-" under NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan. It was used as the theme song for the anime television series Gleipnir.^[7] and reached No. 9 on the Oricon charts.^[8] She has written and released some concept music on her self-titled mini-album and another mini-album called elements,^[9] releasing videos on YouTube. In November, she released her second single "disclose", which was the ending theme for the anime television series Magatsu Wahrheit -Zuerst-.^[10] In November 2021, she released her third single "The Sacred Torch", which was used as the opening theme for the anime television series The Faraway Paladin.^[11] On the same month, she released her fourth indie album Story.^[9] In January 2022, she released her fourth single "JUST DO IT", which was used as the opening theme for the anime television series World's End Harem.^[12] The single was originally scheduled to release in November 2021, but it was postponed until January 2022.^[13]

In April 2022, she announced her first major studio album Kaihouku. Her past four singles were included. The album was released on June 29, 2022.^[14]

Discography

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title	Year	Oricon^[8]	Album
Peak position	Weeks charted
"Altern-ate"	2020	9	4	Kaihouku
"disclose"	2020	24	1
"The Sacred Torch"	2021	41	3
"JUST DO IT"	2022	35	2

As a collaborating artist

List of guest appearances, with selected chart positions
Title	Year	Oricon^[8]	Album
Peak position	Weeks charted
"[Re]Rise Short" (Feryquitous feat. H-el-ical//) Theme song of the mobile game DUEL MASTERS PLAY'S^[15]	2020	–	–	Non-album single

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak	Sales (JPN)
Title	Album details	JPN ^[16]	Sales (JPN)
Kaihouku	Released: June 29, 2022 Label: NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan Formats: CD, Blu-ray, download, streaming	47	931

Studio concept albums

Title	Album details
H-el-ical//	Released: December 1, 2019 Label: Hifumi Format: CD, limited release^[9]
elements	Released: April 5, 2020 Label: Hifumi Format: CD, limited release^[9]
Blooming	Released: December 29, 2020 Label: Hifumi Format: CD, limited release^[9]
Story	Released: November 7, 2021 Label: Hifumi Format: CD, limited release^[9]

Music videos

Concept videos

List of music videos, showing year released, director(s) and album
Title	Year	Director(s)	Album	Link
"pulsation"	2019	Kaito Sasaki	H-el-ical//	[1]
"Avaricia"		Yoshihisa Bamba		[2]
"Splendore"		Kaito Sasaki		[3]
"Amanhecer"		Yoshihisa Bamba		[4]
"yolcu"		Kaito Sasaki		[5]
"紡 - TSUMUGU -"		Kaito Sasaki		[6]
"Mizu - Find your answer" (水 - Find your answer)	2020	Yoshihisa Bamba	elements	[7]
"Kaze - Struggle to admit" (風 - Struggle to admit)		Yoshihisa Bamba		[8]
"Tsuchi - Side by side" (地 - Side by side)		Yoshihisa Bamba		[9]
"Spiranthes"		Yoshihisa Bamba	Blooming	[10]
"Shion" (シオン)		Yoshihisa Bamba		[11]
"Kalanchoe"		Yoshihisa Bamba		[12]
"Saki -SHOW-" (咲 -SHOW-)		Kaito Sasaki		[13]
"I am me"	2021	Minamo	Story	[14]
"midnight"		Minamo		[15]
"Angel"		Minamo		[16]
"Sei -SAY-" (生 -SAY-)		Minamo		[17]

References

^ ^a ^b ""Hikaru"のただのヲタ活 Vol.1 はじめましてと、ヲタ活をする理由のおはなし | SPICE - エンタメ特化型情報メディアスパイス". SPICE（スパイス）｜エンタメ特化型情報メディアスパイス.
^ "Space Craft Group". spacecraft.co.jp. Archived from the original on 2020-07-15. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
^ "PROFILE｜Kalafina OFFICIAL WEBSITE". www.sonymusic.co.jp.
^ "Bunshun: Kalafina Members Want to Get Back Together". Anime News Network. 26 May 2023.
^ "元Kalafina・Hikaru、事務所所属を報告「H-el-ical//」名義でのソロプロジェクトも発表". 8 November 2019.
^ Komatsu, Mikikazu (3 May 2020). "Ex-Kalafina Member Hikaru Posts TV Anime GLEIPNIR OP Song "Altern-ate-" Music Video". Crunchyroll.
^ "Gleipnir Anime Reveals Cast, More Staff, Theme Song Artist". Anime News Network. 26 May 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c H-el-ical//の売上ランキング [A Look at H-el-ical Releases]. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved July 22, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "DISCOGRAPHY – H-el-ical//".
^ Sherman, Jennifer (August 24, 2020). "Magatsu Wahrheit -Zuerst- Anime Reveals Theme Song Artists, October Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
^ "The Faraway Paladin TV Anime's 2nd Promo Video Reveals More Cast, October 9 Premiere". Anime News Network. October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
^ "World's End Harem Anime's Full Promo Video Unveils Theme Songs, More Staff, October Debut". Anime News Network. October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
^ "World's End Harem Anime's Episode 2 and Later Delayed to January (Updated)". Anime News Network. October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
^ "Kaihouku". H-el-ical. May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
^ "[Re]Rise Music Video". DUEL MASTERS PLAY'S. October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
^ "H-el-ical//'s work: Albums". Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved May 10, 2022.

External links

Official website (in Japanese)
Hikaru profile Archived 2020-07-15 at the Wayback Machine at Space Craft (in Japanese)
H-el-ical// at Oricon (in Japanese)

[spice-1] ""Hikaru"のただのヲタ活 Vol.1 はじめましてと、ヲタ活をする理由のおはなし | SPICE - エンタメ特化型情報メディアスパイス". SPICE（スパイス）｜エンタメ特化型情報メディアスパイス.

[2] "Space Craft Group". spacecraft.co.jp. Archived from the original on 2020-07-15. Retrieved 2020-07-22.

[3] "PROFILE｜Kalafina OFFICIAL WEBSITE". www.sonymusic.co.jp.

[4] "Bunshun: Kalafina Members Want to Get Back Together". Anime News Network. 26 May 2023.

[5] "元Kalafina・Hikaru、事務所所属を報告「H-el-ical//」名義でのソロプロジェクトも発表". 8 November 2019.

[6] Komatsu, Mikikazu (3 May 2020). "Ex-Kalafina Member Hikaru Posts TV Anime GLEIPNIR OP Song "Altern-ate-" Music Video". Crunchyroll.

[7] "Gleipnir Anime Reveals Cast, More Staff, Theme Song Artist". Anime News Network. 26 May 2023.

[o-disco-singles-8] H-el-ical//の売上ランキング [A Look at H-el-ical Releases]. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved July 22, 2020.

[discography-9] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "DISCOGRAPHY – H-el-ical//".

[Theme-Songs-10] Sherman, Jennifer (August 24, 2020). "Magatsu Wahrheit -Zuerst- Anime Reveals Theme Song Artists, October Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 24, 2020.

[11] "The Faraway Paladin TV Anime's 2nd Promo Video Reveals More Cast, October 9 Premiere". Anime News Network. October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.

[12] "World's End Harem Anime's Full Promo Video Unveils Theme Songs, More Staff, October Debut". Anime News Network. October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.

[13] "World's End Harem Anime's Episode 2 and Later Delayed to January (Updated)". Anime News Network. October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.

[14] "Kaihouku". H-el-ical. May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.

[15] "[Re]Rise Music Video". DUEL MASTERS PLAY'S. October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.

[JPNAlbums-16] "H-el-ical//'s work: Albums". Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved May 10, 2022.

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Hikaru (singer)

Discography

Singles

As lead artist

As a collaborating artist

Studio albums

Studio concept albums

Music videos

Concept videos

References

External links

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