#(angel's leitmotif)

[bivampires]

you know it's serious when they get a leitmotif...

[aidaughter]

i love listening to the matrix soundtrack and playing spot the leitmotif

[thisisnotjuli]

Goncharov score masterpost

I want to make a post to keep track of all the Goncharov score that’s been uploaded to tumblr, so I will link to all the one’s I’ve found so far and update with any new ones that come up (if you know any I’m missing please share the link!)

Main Theme uploaded by @caramiaaddio

Main Theme (End Titles) uploaded by @if-only-angels-could-prevail

Main Theme (Reprise) uploaded by @raccoonfink

Main Theme uploaded by @eternenty

General Soundtrack uploaded by @mortal-ghost

Shortened Main Title as used in the original theatrical release, uploaded by @somanyofthekids

Main Theme (Opening Credits) uploaded by @fireball-me

The Bridge Breaks uploaded by @nicewizard

The Clocktower uploaded by @dungeonmastersconsortium

Farewell Scene uploaded by @levuna (pointed out to me by @graduatedpillowmonster, thank you!)

Farewell Scene - Extended Version uploaded by @levuna

Tempus Fugit - “Clock Theme” uploaded by @trupowieszcz  (pointed out to me by @graduatedpillowmonster, thank you!)

Goncharov Theme in Minor uploaded by @mapplejuice  (pointed out to me by @graduatedpillowmonster, thank you!)

Katya’s Leitmotif (Vinyl Rip) uploaded by @unscharf-an-den-raendern  (pointed out to me by @graduatedpillowmonster, thank you!)

Andrey’s Theme uploaded by @the-frosty-mac (pointed out to me by @muzic4sewerratz , thank you!)

It Is True (Extract) uploaded by @hex-of-els (pointed out to me by @graduatedpillowmonster, thank you!)

Memories Of Water - Goncharov Soundtrack uploaded by @rismrus (pointed out to me by themself-- please do feel free to toot your own horn!)

Katya’s Sonata uploaded by @arcanistvysoren

“For My Love” Andrey’s Serenade uploaded by @diagnosed-anxiety-disorder

Stolen Time uploaded by @avatar-of-the-vast

Sharing A Dance uploaded by @the-frosty-mac (pointed out to me by themself)

In The Boathouse uploaded by @madame-karenina

What Was And Will Be uploaded by @piano-flute

Overture on the Clocktower uploaded by @dead-minecraft-fandoms (pointed out to me by @mccoppinscrapyard, thank you!)

Privyet Goncharov uploaded by @rismrus (pointed out to me by themself)

Goncharov’s Gun uploaded by @netcup

Sofia’s Serenade to Katya, from the deleted scene in the boat where she sings “Come Raggio di Sol,” uploaded by @melongumi

Sofia’s Theme uploaded by @andrey-transgenderism

Icepick Joe’s Leitmotif uploaded by @whimperandabang

Waltz of the Pearls uploaded by @raynaonyourparade

Katya’s Theme uploaded by @fancydunamancy

Katya’s Theme (a different version) uploaded by @katyathemegoncharov

Katya’s Death Song (ночь, улица, фонарь) uploaded by @traumagician

Lovers Forlon - “Katya and Sofia Final Goodbye” from the deleted scene, uploaded by @colours-of-the-galaxies

Andrey On The Bridge uploaded by @reinbel

Palace Dance Scene uploaded by @lostlovepunk

Dirge of the Living uploaded by @paradoxicalpockets

Smoke and Mirrors uploaded by @andrey-shot-first

Goncharov, Alone uploaded by @khufiya-khaufnak-antariksh

If You Loved Me, You Wouldn’t Miss uploaded by @thetasteoffire who also provided a transcript in a reblog of this post (link)

Clocktower Confrontation uploaded by @rismrus

Goncharov’s Dream uploaded by @verochkasnightmarecorner

Love Theme uploaded by @literary-potat0

Time Motif (All Things Twist) uploaded by @oldbay-on-apples

Predatel'stvo (Katya's Lament) uploaded by @lierdumoa

Shootout on the Old Bridge uploaded by @raynaonyourparade

This Is It uploaded by @angrycatlovesfandoms

Gonchorov’s Theme and Sofia’s Theme uploaded by @koalas-cave

Last Train uploaded by @minotaurlovesyou

Now Departing uploaded by @theshadowbastard

The Courtroom uploaded by @traegorn

Goncharov’s Death uploaded by @loruleyuga

Katya in Peril (Vinyl Rip) uploaded by @unscharf-an-den-raendern

Te Deum (Cathedral Scene) uploaded by @3liza

Katya and Sofia uploaded by @elluminis

Love Theme uploaded by @tweltchy

Katya’s Theme uploaded by @maebird-melody

The Betrayal uploaded by @kip-can-fiddle

Chase Scene uploaded by @fireball-me

Prayer Scene uploaded by @fireball-me

Delusions by the Clocktower uploaded by @sleeveace22

A Clockmaster’s Lament uploaded by @rismrus

If only time would stop for us uploaded by @fireflydragon2005

Apples at the Market uploaded by @raynaonyourparade

Four Seconds (The Clockmaker Reprise) uploaded by @lostinthewinterwood

Demise uploaded by @hyrixmusic

In The Church At Midnight uploaded by @composerinprogress

Departing Naples uploaded by MINDSSACRE

Dockside #2, one of the unreleased tracks, uploaded by @reptilemodernism

Unnamed Fragment from Goncharov’s death scene, uploaded by @quizshow1994

Bonus:

Cover of the song Goncharov (2010) by @idiopathicsmile  (pointed out to me by @graduatedpillowmonster, thank you!)

At Goncharov’s Gate (PC Version), song written for the PC game with a Super NES port released in 1994 for PC-DOS, uploaded by @badgraph1csghost (pointed out to me by @graduatedpillowmonster, thank you!)

Intro to Goncharov (Super Nintendo version) uploaded by @badgraph1csghost

You Think You Have Time, a remix of the original theme that wound up in Hotline Miami DLC, uploaded by @coolwitchaunt

Bonus Disc Menu uploaded by @turtrose

Goncharov 8-Bit Theme from the Goncharov NES game, uploaded by @moonset-music

Trailer for Goncharov (2022) directed by @madphantom

Live action FULL MOVIE: Goncharov (2022) directed by @madphantom

Blooper Reel for Goncharov (2022) directed by @madphantom

One of the official trailers was recently recovered by @talkshowhost1996

A soundtrack compilation is now available on soundcloud

Analysis of the music in the Ballroom Scene by @clarionglass

Analysis on the overall sountrack by @odense

[cringefailvox]

a very fun worldbuilding quirk that would suit hazbin hotel is if the whole show operated on musical logic but was self-aware about it. there are elements of this already, like vaggie begging charlie not to sing and the sharks exclaiming "they're fucking singing?" after loser baby, but i think it would be even more fun if characters actively acknowledged when they hear strains of music coming in when a song is about to start, where demons who are new to hell have to adjust to the fact that at any moment, they might burst into song without meaning to, or get swept up in a choreographed street performance that someone else set off. people having their own unique leitmotifs that blend with others depending on their relationships or mood, duets springing up between compatible voices on the fly.

alastor's insistence on reprising or crashing other demons' songs being characterized as rude or untrustworthy because what kind of dick steals your own lyrics and sings them better? what kind of demon doesn't have his own tune? vaggie being exempt from the compulsion because she's an angel, but learning to find her voice for charlie's sake so that they can sing together. angel dust only ever singing backup vocals for val bc he's val's property, and then being elated when husk draws him into a duet where their voices have equal strength. the vees bursting into "spontaneous" trios as a marketing ploy. when people sell or lose their souls, their leitmotif becomes subsumed under the melodies of their contractor. alastor only singing his own theme when he's alone; charlie humming her motif constantly, no matter where she is. lucifer forgetting the lyrics to his songs the more depressed he becomes, and rediscovering them again when he reconciles with charlie.

just, hell with an inescapable, compulsory musical culture that everyone is aware of.

[angelscassetteplayer]

does anyone else get the urge to commission someone to write a character theme for your ocahskdhskaa

[cobragardens]

Holy Kittens, Y'all: My Favorite Good Omens Moment Has Gotten EVEN MORE ROMANTIC

Okay so I wrote this post about my favorite moment in Good Omens, and the stuff people are pointing out in the reblogs and comments is blowing my freaking mind, and I HAVE to show you how beautifully this all fits together, like I am flailing at my desk about this.

@vidavalor points out this gif from @soft-ange-aziraphale [Source]:

Here it is in sequence (gifs 1-4 from Fuck Yeah Good Omens):

I can't stop laughing over Aziraphale's smile, which shows, as @quoththemaiden says, that he's "utterly delighted with himself" and knows perfectly well that he's minxing Crowley; and this tiny extension of the moment convinces me even more that Crowley is desperately fighting a smile himself here.

Actually there's a lot in @quoththemaiden's comment that's insightful and well-put:

Totes agree with all of this.

And then. AND THEN!

I knew Crowley was trying to communicate something with this Shakespeare line, but I didn't know what until @paperbunny and @musingsofmaisie put it out there: Crowley is complimenting Aziraphale here, telling him he's enjoying being in Aziraphale's company, telling him his humor worked.

Remember how I keep banging on about how much equivocation Crowley does? This is more equivocation. In 1601, Richard Burbage was 34 years old, so age hasn't had the chance to wither his infinite variety yet. The stupidity of demons and the ignorance of angels regarding the human aging process prevent surveillance from noticing the poor applicability of this line to Burbage, but since the first half of the line fits Aziraphale (who does not age at all) more than Burbage (who is merely not yet old) it stands a chance of indicating to Aziraphale that Crowley is speaking about him. And the underlying true meaning of this equivocal statement would be A DIRECT RESPONSE TO MY FAVORITE MOMENT: Even though I have known you so long, you still surprise and delight me.

(Crowley's Antony & Cleopatra line also accomplishes something else important: it gets William Shakespeare to go away so they can speak privately, because Shakespeare doesn't want them to see him writing it down.)

A Dip Into Speculation

I don't think the evidence for it is binding enough to say for sure, because the evidence is really just that it fits together so nicely and lines up so well with A&C's coded romantic messages in 1793; the (pretty overt, actually, I mean damn) romance in 1827; the size and nature of the fight in 1867; the yeah, really overt romance in 1941; and in 1967; and yes okay now that I'm thinking about it the whole series, but I have this View about how the rest of the 1601 scene goes.

And in fact there is Word of Gods that could be interpreted as evidence against this little pet headcanon I have, though it doesn't necessarily have to be:

Here's my assertion: Aziraphale volunteers to go to Edinburgh for Crowley. Crowley cheats the coin toss to accept Aziraphale's offer and to keep up appearances as a demon. Rather than making a deal with (or asking a favor of) an angel, he's 'cheating' him (without the angel's knowledge, but with his consent), which "moves the dials" of evil a bit and would also make Aziraphale appear less at fault if this instance of the Arrangement is ever discovered by Heaven.

This can coexist with Gaiman's statement, above, that it doesn't even occur to Aziraphale that Crowley cheats the toss. THEE ongoing leitmotif of Aziraphale's view of Crowley is that he thinks of Crowley as much more genuinely evil and much less in need of ways to create cover as evil than Crowley actually is.

(Which is interesting, given that he also clearly thinks that Crowley is not as evil as he pretends to be, that he is and wants to do good, and that he deserves to be an angel again. [There is a whoooole nother essay slowly curdling in the churn in my head about how Aziraphale is obliged to practice doublethink and how that stunts his personal development because that's what happens when people aren't free.])

Here's what I mean when I say Aziraphale volunteers.

Does Aziraphale ask in this tone because he is actually feeling suspicious and curt, or because he has to sound suspicious and curt? He could be perfectly willing to do Crowley a favor and would still need to sound the way he does. It's difficult for me to believe this guy--

--or this guy--

--are really all that bothered by the idea that Crowley might want something from him.

Crowley's response sounds like a(n unconvincing) protest of innocence. Maybe it is. But he doesn't disagree with the premise on which Aziraphale based his question, which means Aziraphale now has confirmation: Crowley called the meeting because he wants to ask Aziraphale to do him a favor.

Close your eyes and listen to Sheen's delivery of this line. The way he says it is so soft it's got no judgy angelic sting to it at all. Is this really a prissy answer to Crowley's semi-rhetorical question? Or is Aziraphale using the cover of a prissy answer to ask Crowley, Is what you want related to the no-good you're up to, i.e., demon work?

Either way, Crowley answers:

Is Crowley making a demonic jibe at Aziraphale in return to "You're up to no good," or is he telling Aziraphale, Yes, what I want from you is related to my work, and to your work, esp. what you've got on right now?

Aziraphale volunteers some information about his schedule and what it is he's got on right now.

--he says, and the velvety way Crowley says "Ohhh," tells us--and could tell Aziraphale--that Crowley already knows this. In this coded communication I'm suggesting, Crowley's tone on "Oh" confirms to Aziraphale that the thing he wants help with does indeed have to do with Aziraphale's trip to Edinburgh.

So Aziraphale gives Crowley his travel details: Yeah, I have a couple of blessings and a minor miracle to perform. It's going to suck; I have to ride a horse.

Crowley's like, yeah, riding horses does suck. You have my sympathies. (Phrasing it as an insult to God: "Major design flaw if you ask me.") And then he says, I have to go to Edinburgh too this week. Tempt a clan leader into stealing some cattle.

And here's where I think Aziraphale volunteers to do Crowley's Edinburgh job for him:

If, as I propose, Aziraphale understands already at this point that Crowley is asking him to take Crowley's Edinburgh temptation, then this response tells Crowley he's willing to do so.

And then they have a little bit of kayfabe theater and a little bit of miscommunication between themselves. Crowley suggests Aziraphale take Crowley's Edinburgh job. Aziraphale protests "You cannot actually be suggesting what I infer you're implying," even though, as Crowley immediately points, out, they've now done this dozens of times.

Now, obviously Aziraphale is pretending innocence here with "You cannot actually be suggesting," etc. But he's not pretending innocence to Crowley. He can't be: Crowley knows about the dozens of other times just like Aziraphale does. So the protest of innocence is for surveillance; it's the spirit, not the letter, of the protest itself that's genuine: I am reluctant about this.

And Crowley misses it.

He reads the surface layer of the equivocation, the Heavenly pearl-clutching; and the surface layer is where he argues. "We've done it before," he points out. "Dozens of times now. The Arrangement--"

But Aziraphale, visibly frightened and looking around, cuts him off. "Don't say that." Getting caught in an Arrangement would be much, much worse than getting caught in a one-off deal.

Why is this suddenly a problem? says Crowley. You know we've been getting away with this; you know they don't check up.

It's not pearl-clutching at all; Aziraphale is worried for Crowley's safety.

When Crowley says--

--is his tone half wheedling and half impatient because that's how he feels, or because it must sound like that? Is it soft only out of courtesy to the other people in the Globe?

There's no difference to the outcome of this scene or the story as a whole whether this romantic interpretation of the Edinburgh bickering is correct, because we've already got a solid base of evidence that the characters have romantic feelings for each other and show each other affection and care in this scene. In my opinion this interpretation fits the tone of the rest of the Globe scene better than only the face-value interpretation. What Gaiman and Mackinnon say about Crowley cheating the coin toss and Aziraphale not being aware of it can still easily apply.

While these three statements together aren't enough evidence to convict, so to speak, if my initial argument about the interpretation of "Buck up!" and Crowley's reaction is correct--and the cool stuff other people have found and pointed out suggests it is AND explains Crowley's Antony & Cleopatra line--this reading of the Edinburgh bickering is, if not ironclad, at least valid.

And holy shit, people, that makes this scene romantic af from beginning to end. I could not have asked for a better little gift from my fellow humans. 🤯I have such a better understanding of the entire 1601 scene because people from anywhere with an Internet connection sat down and spent their time sharing their ideas, and it just makes the lit-nerd lobe of my brain so happy. I love you all, you romantics and nerds and perverts.

[amuseoffyre]

One of the things I've been really enjoying is spotting the use of recurring leitmotifs in S1 and S2. This one (I've dubbed it Twinkle Twinkle Little Star) turns up twice when an angel calls on someone else for help.

[hypertextdog]

waking up at 1pm in 2024

unread tumblr dm notification 1: What was that beautiful *girl's* name ... at the *party*

unread tumblr dm notification 2: have you heard of "leitmotifs"? likely not. well believe it or not, toby fox's portfolio is rife with them ...

unread tumblr dm notification 3: good morning AL ☺️

unread tumblr dm notification 4: [youtube link to "you've been gnomed official music video"] Lol

unread tumblr dm notification 5: Sweet Dreams My Little Angel Petunia Specialwish

unread tumblr dm notification 6: hey, sorry to bother you but what was the name of that beautiful girl from the party?

unread tumblr dm notification 7: good morning AL ☺️

unread tumblr dm notification 8: Hi lovely ❤️hhytextdog 😍 wont you be a dear 🦬 and click HERE -> http://cenma.computersuicide.web <- with haste? 😍 ...

unread tumblr dm notification 9: good morning AL ☺️

unread tumblr dm notification 10: hi hypertextdog. 18 days ago you made a post about how south park is cringe and mentioned in the tags that RWBY is also cringe. A 30-year-old RWBY fan nigh immediately left a hateful but ambiguous reply, and you screenshotted it and cropped out the username and pfp in order to make it unclear that this replier was a diehard RWBY fan. You then deleted the reply, blocked the replier, and appended the ambiguous screenshot to the original post, with a caption that opened with "some big talk from this south park enjoyer." But they weren't a south park enjoyer. They were just a very assertive RWBY enjoyer. I want you to know I'm onto you

unread tumblr dm notification 11: how does this rash look tho [3 images attached]

[brokenjardaantech]

a very un-professional analysis of whispers in the walls' soundtrack because i think they deserve a special mention

my feelings after completing whispers in the walls (spoilers hidden below)

ik a lot of people have already screamed about old men yaoi so i won't repeat that here and instead scream about the soundtrack. my memories are fussy so pardon me if i get anything wrong and feel free to correct me in the comments/reblogs.

don't get me wrong, warframe has always (to me, at least) had a dang good soundtrack. from the new war's 'F - C - G A♭ B♭' and the obvious mockery/corruption of 'we all lift togther' into 'for narmer', to the terrifying screams of the angels of zariman, then to the tranquility and peace of drifter's intrinsics, and finally to the wailing operatic(?) soprano of the orowyrm fight. DE knows how to use music to facilitate storytelling.

whispers in the walls is no exception.

the login music being the same as the music played when you first step foot into loid's laboratory? the sense of mystery and meloncholy behind the notes and the vocals? (i would dare say, as if it is loid's lament?) the throat singing in the combat music obviously connecting the murmur to the man in the wall? the this is what you are leitmotif playing when the operator is forcefully transferenced out of their warframe? magnificent. but not just these.

you know how, towards the end of the quest, the operator transferences into the vessel(?) in the lab and reaches out for the other vessel (i presume to be inhabited by the man in the wall)? and when the vessel in the lab touches the other vessel's face i.e. when the qte is done, the music suddenly changes from the combat music to the lab's theme? the lab's theme which, to me, sounds like loid's sorrows? the gestures of the vessels are the exact mirror of the very first cutscene of the quest. in the initial cutscene, it was albrecht caressing loid's cheek and loid leaning into his touch; with the vessels, it is the vessel in the lab caressing the invading vessel's. and you can kind of see the moment the invading vessel no longer carries the man in the wall but albrecht himself: when the vessel's face changed from anger to disbelief, then to the obvious relief as he leans into the lab vessel's touch. that's when they hit us with the harmony, the second voice that is distinct from the original one from the login theme or loid's lab, weaving the notes together with the original as the invading vessel finally closes his eyes and rests. loid and albrecht seeing - or at least feeling - their love for each other again after albrecht's departure since void-knows-how-long. also, the fact that the voices are singing together in the last line(?) of the soundtrack, and the camera is focused on loid, the man himself? (like he finally, at long last, got the final piece of the puzzle and realise that albrecht truly loves him back and wants to be with him?) i don't have words for the emotions sweeping through me apart from quietly sobbing and screaming into a pillow. i would say 'beautiful' but it's far more than that. it feels intimate; the sadness is still there because albrecht is still gone, but i feel like there's also hope that just one day, albrecht will break through, and he can go back to this world without threatening loid with the presence of the man in the wall.

a person with proper musical training can probably analyse the soundtrack much better than me. probably. but even without it, the way warframe utilises their soundtrack as part of the storytelling and play with our heartstrings - and not just to pump our blood during combat - is marvellous. i would even say that without the soundtrack being composed and arranged like this, the emotional impact of the quest wouldn't have been the same, so bravo + standing applause + thundering footsteps for those who worked on the soundtrack, and extra applause for the people in charge of the vocals. the soundtrack is a work of art.

and DE please release the soundtrack soon please i'm begging you. you bet i'll be looping the shit out of it in my orbiter.

[inamindfarfaraway]

I love how cleverly Black Friday recontextualizes Christmas music and imagery to be menacing and sinister:

Green is Wiggly’s colour, commonly associated with the supernatural and extraterrestrial because in terms of lighting, it’s very unnatural. You only see green light naturally occur in seemingly mystical phenomena like the auroras. In terms of animals, Wiggly’s trademark bright green is pretty rare and primarily used to warn predators of toxicity or be more attractive to a potential mate. In human culture, it’s the colour of American paper money and frequently considered the colour of greed (wanting more money and material things) and envy (wanting what others have).

Red is the lighting colour of human evil and vice. It’s most prominent in scenes like Wiley’s deal with Linda and Sherman strangling Lex. This also makes sense: red is blood, danger, fire. But together the villainous colours for lighting are the colours of Christmas. Often when things are the worst, people being immoral and Wiggly exerting his power simultaneously like during the riot, the lighting is also paradoxically the most festive.

The Christmas tinsel on the upper level looks completely ordinary, until it’s used as the tentacles of Wiggly’s true face. Not only is this being so otherworldly and incomprehensible that he’s ‘played’ by parts of the set (same with the stage light eyes), but it visually shows that he’s to a degree been part of the story the whole time, looming over the characters’ heads. An element of his spirit has always been there and remains after he’s defeated, just like the unfair, exploitative socioeconomic structures he takes advantage of. He isn’t killed at the end, merely overcome and kept at bay for now, just like the flawed nature of humanity.

In his first scene Frank, the personification of capitalism, sings sections of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” with Wiggly replacing Jesus. This is entirely of his own free will, as the toy shipment hasn’t even been unboxed. But then paralleling Wiggly with Jesus (“open your heart up to his love”, “The father’s the son, the son’s the father”, “the birth of a god”, “[Christmas Day is] going to be my birthday”, “you have kept the shepherd from his flock”, “He will rise up with joyful noise”, etc.) and associating him with Christmas music (the tune of “Carol of the Bells” is one of his leitmotifs and sung to in “Wiggle”, he’s introduced in person to jingling bells in “Made in America”) become motifs throughout the show. This theme is both a dark, terrifying perversion of everything Christmas is meant to be about, right down to Wiggly amplifying selfishness and greed while Christmas promotes selflessness and generosity; and a sobering reminder that through the extreme commercialization of the holiday, we ourselves have already corrupted it.

Why “Carol of the Bells” specifically, though? That piece of music contains the “Dies Irae” leitmotif, a widespread musical shorthand for death. The Gregorian hymn that originated it, Latin title translating to “Day of Wrath”, refers to Judgement Day. In this event God will supposedly judge all human souls and select those who have been good and followed his ways and laws to receive eternal reward, while those who have been sinful and disobedient are condemned to suffer forever. Given the strong ‘Wiggly = the Christian God but evil’ theme… what judgement do you think Wiggly would cast upon humanity? Makes the corresponding lyric “When Wiggly comes” even more ominous, doesn’t it?

[chaifootsteps]

havent seen the show. is it true that vaggie and charlie dont get a single duet in the show until the last episode???

i wont claim to be an expert on writing musicals, but a song that establishes the relationship between the main character and their love interest should come early right? to me the expectation would be that chaggie should have their own recurring leitmotif that gets flipped on its head during their conflict (charlie finding out vaggie is an angel) and then brought back around by the end to show the growth in their relationship once they make up

for fucks sake do they even kiss? or flirt? or do anything? i know we all say that viv didnt come up with chaggie originally but are we even sure she knew they were together at ANY point during the production?

They kiss after their duet in the last episode and that's about it. I think there might be a blink-and-you-miss-it cheek kiss in there something, but I think I blinked and miss it.

Other than that, no. They don't flirt, kiss, hell, they don't even start referring to each other as girlfriends until a few episodes in.

[flonbowe]

So I was thinking about Mettaton, and something hit me

Mettaton Neo has a very angelic design. I may be stretching it, but considering what a certain other angel looks like

The resemblance is very much there. Mettaton's Ex and Neo forms look far more human than anything or anyone in the underground, including Frisk themselves during the Genocide run. Mettaton Neo is specifically a form used in a last case scenario to stop you. Now depending on how you view the Neo form, this can probably mean a few things. My two cents is that its Mettaton trying to keep himself and you fooled. Mettaton first and foremost is a showman. He's a TV star, and even if he may no longer have an audience, there's no way he's going off air lying down.

Now why would this relate to his Neo form resembling the Angel? Well he's bluffing, whether intentionally or not he is bluffing. He can't beat you, and deep down I think he knows too. The best he can do is stall for time to get as many people out and evacuated as possible, to inspire hope. Its why he stays in the underground, and its what he's good at: inspiring. So he fights you and blocks your path, in the face of a demon he uses the visage of an Angel as the last line of defense for Monster kind. Undyne has fallen, the Asgore will fall too, but Mtt cannot let the monsters hopes die too. I know this isn't in game, but this kind of idea is even further expanded with this cover of Power of Neo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI0CxTgpA6Q

It uses a bunch of leitmotifs, and one of which is Bergentrückung, the other theme of someone who tried to bring hope to the Monsters, and the theme of who will fall after Mtt. This is also apparent with how Power of Neo is a more techno Mtt themed version of BAATH to begin with. At every point in the Mettaton Neo fight, from design to music to personality: Mettaton is stalling and pulling an intimidation act as a last ditch effort, since he doesn't know Sans is waiting in his church to play ball with Frisk. https://www.tumblr.com/dn-838/738700806141952000/how-aborted-genocide-affects-the-mettaton-neo?source=share This post goes more in detail on other aspects and Is generally just really interesting. But what I want to point out is what this means for Spamton Neo. By this logic, Spamton ALSO uses the visage of an Angel. Just for funnies, lets compare sprites too!

I know im using fan made content again but after UTY, that really isn't too bad I think, especially for a more for fun exploration like this. Speaking of fan made content, lets see where that sprite came from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkDjXdp2Ayc&t=69s

Notice how it only uses the first part of the loop, it doesn't go on and doesn't continue Power of Neo fully. It doesn't have the full meaning of Mettaton's heroic sacrifice to help people, as instead of an Angel to save the Underground, Spamton is that Angel of Death in Undertale's prophecy (in the Snowgrave route anyway). Like Mettaton, Spamton also uses the visage of an Angel to achieve a goal, but no matter what route it is its a dark perversion of Mettaton's goals. Mettaton wanted to inspire the Underground and achieve his dreams, trying to stall and kill Frisk to either save them from Asgore, or save the survivors from You. Spamton wanted his freedom and attacks and tries to kill Kris for their soul so he can be free. He also assists in the Snowgrave route, being an accomplice to many many deaths for 15 minutes of fame. This idea is more properly conveyed in the last parts of Big Shot with the use of Power of Neo. Oh yeah this was a Mettaton analysis whoopsie Ok so I know this was a Mettaton Neo thing at the start but man I just wanted to gush and gush about Mettaton cuz man I really can't get enough of him. He's the only one of two characters in Undertale to directly have connections with the Angel prophecy when it isn't just the Delta Rune itself, he inadvertantly saved the Underground because he's what made Alphys get the Royal Scientist posi--OH WAIT YEAH THATS SOMETHING I CAN TALK ABOUT OK SO SIDE TANGENT METTATON UNINTENTIONALLY SAVED THE UNDERGROUND AND I FIND THAT REALLY REALLY COOL! Because Alphys used Mettaton as a project to show to Asgore to become the Royal Scientist, this let Alphys work on the amalgamates and also create Flowey. Without Flowey, the barrier wouldn't have broken and no one would have been freed. Yes I know this isn't all solid since Mettaton didn't somehow cause 6 random kids fall down but you get the idea. Mettaton transitioning saved the world totally I NEED MORE METTATON AUS GRHEYCGDHWUDYGHJWYDH IM GOING TO GO FERAL!!! HE'S NEEDS IT AHHHHHHH!! Ts!Underswap is honestly amazing for Mettaton. I mean Mettacrit. He doesn't get his JoJo body, but is that going to stop him? OF COURSE NOT!

HE'S METTACRIT! AIN'T NO ONE STOPPING HIS DREAMS! He's also a wonderful little gist of Mettaton's whole character, just get rid of Alphys (sadly). Someone who wants to achieve their dreams, wanting to share the love and kindness around, with of course the sassy show stealing charm he needs.

But what if that wasn't so easy

SURPRISE! UNDERFELL TOO! We got the whole holy trinity of Undertale au's, specificallyyyyy

I MAY BE READING TOO FAR INTO THIS BUT I LOVE METTATON GAMMA SO MUCHHHH Its still our same ol Mettaton, but now his dreams are falling on deaf ears. He's Spamton in nature instead of Fabulous. Everyone is violent and blood hungry, so a simple cooking show with a touch of murder won't be enough, or another beautiful rendition of Oh My Love~! Its clear (to me anyway) that Mettaton in this au is nowhere near as big a star as he is in the normal Undertale continuity. In his intro monologue he brags about the audience he brought in, and during the fight he's much more focused on what the Audience wants rather than the show HE wants. Something OUR Mettaton just wouldn't do. This is the same sexy rectangle who basically just broadcasts whatever he wants. I forgot the exact dialogue and screenshot but its just not something Undertale Mettaton really does. Underfell though? A different story. He's bound to his viewers in a bad way till Frisk comes along. He's even more bound to Alphys in this AU as her little science fair project. GOD I LOVE THIS GAME ITS WHAT I'D WANT FROM AN ACTUAL UNDERFELL GAME! Oh my god I haven't even talked about Deltarune Mettaton and Mike and how that works OK SO THIS IS ENTERING MY PERSONAL FANON BUT Y'know how Spamton and Mettaton have their parallels? Y'know how the internet has been down in Deltarune?

Chapter 3's dark world is definitely TV themed, there's no way it can't. I know Tenna is the big TV related baddie now, but Im using Mike in this take. If Spamton is the more passive parallel to Mettaton, Mike in this chapter 3 take would be the darker direct parallel. Instead of the dreamer from humble beginnings who, even if he can be vain and self centered at times, still means well deep down like Mettaton is, Mike would be the cynical producer type who's fueling problems in the industry to make it big on top. A dark Mettaton if you will. Basically like this

https://www.tumblr.com/paintedhen/703948707502145536/determinators-determinators-mettaton-has?source=share

WHICH SIDE NOTE METTATON IN DELTARUNE IS DEPRESSING IM SO SORRY FOR HIM

https://www.tumblr.com/everysongineverykey/691083816166686720?source=share

I KNOW I KEEP LINKING OTHER POSTS BUT ITS NOT MY FAULT EVERYONE IS COOKING! GRAHHH Mettaton's such a character man. He makes me think lots of things and I wish I could gather my thoughts more clearly

[silenceinternalmonologue]

going absolutely batshit insane at the way the melody of the verses in 'the point of no return' function as a leitmotif symbolizing power/sexuality within the phantom and christine's relationship throughout the musical.

i mean, LISTEN. the first time we encounter this melody is in 'little lotte', where the string section is playing it throughout, but it is only heard sung in christine's verse:

No, what I love best, Lotte said, Is when I'm asleep in my bed And the angel of music sings songs in my head The angel of music sings songs in my head

the next time is the phantom's verse at the end of the title track:

I have brought you to the seat of sweet music's throne To this kingdom where all must pay homage to music You have come here for one purpose and one alone Since the moment i first heard you sing, i have needed you with me to serve me, to sing for my music...

christine again in 'why have you brought me here':

Raoul, I've been there, to his world of unending night To a world where daylight dissolves into darkness... Raoul, I've seen him! Can I ever forget that sight? Can I ever escape from that face, so distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face in that darkness...

and again in 'twisted every way'

What I once used to dream I now dread If he finds me it won't ever end And he'll always be there singing songs in my head He'll always be there singing songs in my head

so this leitmotif appears four times before it is used as the main melody in 'the point of no return'. up until then, it is used as a sort of bridge within the structures of the other songs: a verse which is sung with a different melody than the rest of the song, which makes it stand out.

this is interesting in itself, but what REALLY gets me insane is once you realize what this melody is representing. for each variation of this melody, the lyrics are discussing the phantom and christine's power over each other and the connection they have. christine's 'singing songs in my head' line is recurring, and although the phantom only sings this melody once before 'the point of no return', in it he admits that he needs christine, which is in sharp contrast to the rest of the title track where he is establishing dominance over her and putting her under a sort of trance.

AND THEN. during 'the point of no return', they EACH get a verse sung in this melody, not as a bridge but simply the verses of this song. in other words, these short pieces of melody we've been hearing in earlier songs have all been to the tune of 'the point of no return'-- everything was leading up to this, this song which is as much an externalization of sexual feelings as it is a power play between these two characters.

sorry for the ramble i'm just losing my shit right now i REALLY hope someone gets what i'm saying here

[srs-deep-dives]

Tifa's Theme: A Musical Deep Dive (Part I)

(A repost from my old side blog no longer in use. All future analyses will be on this one.)

Greetings and welcome to our deep-dive into Uematsu-senpai’s masterpiece of a character theme. We will examine the rich marriage between composition and storytelling – ie. how its musical elements express Tifa’s personality, conflictions, relationships, and story motifs. If you’ve come with zero knowledge in music theory, then my hopes are that you will leave here somewhat enriched (no prior knowledge is required). If you are a fellow geek for music, then I hope this adds insight in a storytelling sense. Ultimately, the goal of this post is to more deeply understand Tifa Lockhart.

I have divided this analysis into five sections each built on the prior: (A) the key; (B) the intro; (C) the leitmotif; (D) the game’s use of the leitmotif; and (E) the compilation’s use of the leitmotif. (The leitmotif of course being Tifa’s recurring melody, of which the first subphrase is sampled above.) Because Tumblr allows only 5 videos per post, each section will be its own post, bar for the first two which will overlap in Posts I and II.

So have your headphones/audio ready, and let us commence.

Disclaimer: these are simply my own interpretations offered with supporting evidences. I can only, to my best limited efforts, speculate as to what Uematsu did or did not intend when composing the piece.

Section (A): The Key

Tifa’s Theme is composed in the key of F major, one of the happiest keys in music. It is argued by many, in fact, to be the happiest key (though this is subjective).

“F major is at once full of peace and joy…” – Ernst Pauer (19th C. composer).

This is a reason, I presume, that Uematsu-san chose F major for the track which represents home.

“Welcome home, Cloud,” is the first line that Tifa speaks to Cloud in the game. “I’m home” (from the Japanese dub, 唯今 – “Tadaima”) is the last thing Cloud says to Tifa at the end of Advent Children. Home is our first story motif embodied by Tifa’s character.

But of course Uematsu’s decision likely only began there.

“F major is at once full of peace and joy, but also expresses effectively a light, passing regret – a mournful, but not a deeply sorrowful feeling.” – Ernst Pauer (quote continued).

So we have peace and joy with an undertone of mournfulness; a juxtaposition between two opposing ends of the emotion spectrum. To appreciate how the key of F major achieves this, we can benefit from a quick comparison with two other tracks.

It might surprise you that Tifa’s Theme – our warm song of home – shares the very same key notes as the tensest and most sorrowful track in Final Fantasy VII. Listen to the Cries of the Planet is composed in F major’s relative minor key: D minor. It has the same key chords as F major, yet the chords serve different functions (something we will get to later). Put another way, it has all the same notes, yet they are arranged differently. Where F major is (argued) the happiest key in music, D minor is almost universally called the key of “true sorrow.”

Let’s compare the two tracks here:

I wanted to begin with this little contrast for three reasons. First, to excite you non-music-theorists about the emotive power of music. Here, from our two related keys, come two completely contrasting moods. Second, we are concerned with what and how the notes will speak. Third, well… that’s a little more selfish. Listen to the Cries of the Planet is my favorite track in the game.

Our other track is the main section of One-Winged Angel (there are a total of three keys in this track.) It is curious that the foil character to Tifa has his theme in the relative minor of hers. Like a mirror – for as Sephiroth is Cloud’s darkness, Tifa is Cloud’s light. D minor is also the key from Those Chosen by the Planet.

And now, onto our deep-dive into Tifa’s Theme, which features in the original game, Advent Children, and 2020’s Remake. For now we’ll be using the piano sheets from Advent Children.

Section (B): The Intro

Tifa’s Theme begins with a tonic chord (the ‘home’ chord of our key). The further we move away from our tonic, the greater the tension (‘instability’) will be.

By ‘home’ here I am referring to the music’s tonal center – not ‘home’ the story motif which Tifa embodies. In light of that distinction, however, with the tonic being the home point of the track and home being a story motif central to Tifa’s character, we are simultaneously referring to both.

So we begin with our tonic (the F major chord) which draws us “at once [into] peace and joy.” Yet there is concurrently the hint of a mournful undertone. Only a tiny, tiny allusion – perfect for our introduction to Tifa. When we first meet her after all, we’ve no idea of the burdens locked in her heart.

This opening tonic is presented in whole notes (the longest kind of note in common composition). In our piano version, these whole notes are arpeggiated (see the squiggly lines to their left), meaning that the chord is ‘spread’ or ‘rolled’ – the notes are played and held one after the other from the bottom up. We are at once drawn in by Tifa’s inviting warmth and we linger there.

Our tonic is immediately succeeded by a chromatic chord (a chord composited of notes outside the key; notes that ‘don’t belong’). This second chord is, in fact, is the sort we would expect to find in F minor. It does not ‘belong’ in our key of F major – thus the mournful undertone which would have been further hinted is brought into direct statement. Foreshadowed is the revelation of Tifa’s burdens. She is carrying deep and unsettling secrets.

How does this work? Uematsu-san has effectively ‘borrowed’ the second chord of the F minor key and inserted it into the track’s opening chord progression. This subverts the natural expectation of our ears and creates instability – a trick he will frequently pull to toy with our emotions.

Uematsu-san then extended this borrowed chord to heighten the mournfulness by adding a 7th (a note seven intervals above the root note which further colors the mood). This enlarges the magnitude of Tifa’s mournfulness: we feel that her burdens are heavy.

The next two bars instantly carry us back to the tonic (see the harmony on the bottom stave below). This occurs in a slow fall, a faster fall, then a faster, now extended lift: the intro’s re-establishment and emphasis on the motif of home. We are never to stray from feeling at home when we are around Tifa. Simultaneously, these bars speak the ‘locking away’ of Tifa’s burdens. Her sufferings are buried quickly as her love for others is brought to the forefront.

Where our chromatic chord had an added 7th to heighten the mournfulness, our tonic build is extended with a 7th and 9ths in its lift – heightening home in a stronger comparative sense. Tifa being a home to others, in other words, overpowers her own sufferings.

There are three things we can grasp from this sequence of slow-fall to faster-fall to faster-extended-lift.

First, Tifa holds a profound motherliness toward others which outweighs thought for her own wellbeing.

Second, Tifa is insecure in dealing with her emotions, and thus strives to keep herself distracted from them. We will see this displayed right from the time of her childhood:

At 8, unable to cope with her mother’s death, she treks up the perilous mountain to try and ‘find her’ on the other side;

At 15, unwilling to face the grief of her father’s murder, she recklessly rushes to confront Sephiroth;

At 17 (in Traces of Two Pasts), she confesses to Jessie that she has been “running” from learning the truth about Nibelheim;

At 20 (in Remake), she admits she’s not even allowed herself time to decorate her apartment;

At 22 (in On the Way to a Smile), she avoids being alone in keeping extra busy with the bar and the kids during Cloud’s absence.

Thirdly – and perhaps most jarringly – Tifa embodies home despite her life being plagued by suffering.

Tifa, who lost her home and had to rebuild her life from scratch, provides a home for Cloud, Marlene and Barret, Avalanche, and later, Denzel.

Tifa, who lost her mother as a child, mothers everyone else, is for all intent Marlene’s mother, and becomes the mother of a family unit with Cloud, raising two kids who are not her own.

We have now travelled through the first subphrase of the intro.

We begin Subphrase Two with our opening tonic again, but this time in a quite surprising extension. Rather than adding a happy 7th or 9th to accentuate the warmth of our home chord, Uematsu-san gives us an E note which clashes with our F. Moreover, he builds the chord from this E as the bass (bottom) note.

What does this mean? Dissonance. Home is re-emphasized, but now directly with mournfulness. Although Tifa’s burdens are locked in her heart, they are ever lingering in the picture.

Compare this tonic (with the clashing E) to our opening tonic in Subphrase One. We now also have an additional climb in the harmony, which includes an added 9th. So while we can more deeply sense Tifa’s mysterious burdens (even though she’s our place of peace), extra emphasis is placed on her warmth and motherliness.

Subphrase One opening vs. Subphrase Two opening:

And so we continue Subphrase Two, following the pattern from Subphrase One. A chromatic chord follows the tonic – again ‘borrowed’ from the key of F minor – bringing Tifa’s plights to bubble once again. But before we can linger on them, we are taken back to an extended tonic chord – this time with an ‘unbelonging’ note.

From the next bar, however, things begin to shift…

Before moving onto this shift, let’s consider what we’ve covered so far. We began “at once full of peace and joy” (Tifa’s warmth pulled us toward her, pulled us home), to be immediately carried into an expression of suffering (Tifa’s secret, unsettling burdens were glimpsed). That suffering was overpowered – but not entirely suppressed – by a magnified emphasis of home (Tifa locked her burdens away behind her nurturing kindness). The suffering surfaced briefly again, and again home was accentuated (Tifa’s endless heartache continues, beneath the bounds of her love).

As is very clear by now, Tifa is facing great internal conflictions. Let us dig into what the music so far has conveyed of those conflictions.

Spoken in long-value notes, our Subphrase One melodic chords convey Tifa’s hesitance in expressing her burdens. That they shift and waver between tonic and chromatic conveys her uncertainty.

Subphrase One conveying hesitance (in long-value notes):

Subphrase One conveying uncertainty (tonic > chromatic > tonic):

Tifa is longing to confront Cloud with the truth of his psyche. At the same time, she is uncertain of both what that will bring and what the truth is: she fears losing Cloud; and she doubts the validity of her own memories from the events he is recounting so accurately. These hesitancies, fears and doubts are gnawing at her heart, buried from the rest of the world under the forefront of home.

Subphrase Two contains less long-value notes and more wavering than Subphrase One, building the intensity of Tifa’s conflicts clashing within her. Rather than wavering from tonic to chromatic to tonic, we go from a dissonant tonic to a chromatic chord to a tonic with chromaticism to more tension in a predominant chord. I’ll get to what this means in the next post, but for now, just know it is a chord of instability.

Subphrase Two (less the final bar) building instability:

Following our new tension chord (the predominant G minor in blue) we have just one bar left to end the phrase. As it is the end of the intro as a whole, we expect to return to the tonic. But (bless Uematsu and his subversions)… the opposite happens.

Our ears expect resolution, but we are instead dragged right into the highest point of tension. Here, we are pulled into the world of the dominant chord.

Continued in Part II here.

[wasabi-beeeeatz]

Let me talk about how full of emotions ORDER and WAR are and how each song has a story.

So we all know about the two out of three Prime bosses in Ultrakill yes? And their stories? If not, let me summarize each story.

Minos -

Former Judge of Hell and former King of Lust. Gabriel sentenced him to the Lust Layer and took over the job of the judge. Minos created an utopian city in the Lust Layer to protect his people from the heavy winds only to get STRUCK down by Gabriel and get his large corpse overrun by Parasites, said corpse gets controlled by said Parasites and destroys EVERYTHING he worked hard on building. His soul gets trapped into the Flesh Prison and he becomes Minos Prime.

Sisyphus -

Was a king, cheated death twice and his punishment is to roll a boulder up a hill for all eternity up until the Heavens went silent. He used this downtime to form an army and wage war on the Angels of Heaven, knowing that he'll fail in the end. His head gets sliced off by no other than Gabriel, causing the army to quiver and lose the army now that their beacon of hope got slain. He formed into a Prime soul rather quickly so the Council trapped him into the Flesh Panopticon in fear that he'll break out once he wakes up.

NOW let me talk about their themes, starting with Minos Prime and ORDER.

Minos was a pacifist and still is. He only fights V1 because of the crimes against humanity it had caused up until this point in P - 1. When confronted with Gabriel he didn't fight, he tried to reason with the Archangel only to get his body brutally broken in the end. He didn't watch over his Kingdom of Lust for the fame and glory, he watched over it to give the sinners there a peaceful afterlife as he thought the act of lust was not a sin worth getting punished for. His Prime soul reflects this by having a hole for a face. His story is solemn, depressing and hopeful AND his theme, ORDER, reflects that by having the intro to it have like a violin like instrument playing. The Requim leitmotif that plays in the middle of the track is LOUD and IN YOUR FACE but yet it still has that violin like instrument playing. The song is more quiet and melancholy than WAR, which is VERY loud but we'll get to that very soon, but it still has that anger to it. He is angry at you, V1, and he is going to give YOU judgement for the sins you have done. When defeated, he will apologize for not saving his children from this cruel, dark world that is now run by Machines. He is at fault for not being able to save his people from being thrown into disarray after getting slain by Gabriel.

Now let's talk about Mr. One must imagine aka King Sisyphus, a tyrannical king that cheated not once but twice in his life time.

Sisyphus was no pacifist. He was a tyrant who deserved his punishment. He fights V1 as if it was a game or warmup for the real deal of crushing the Heavens. He quite literally has the power of the sun as his absence of a head gets replaced by a glowing orb that resembles the bright star. He decided to wage war on the people of Heaven, fully knowing that he'll just fail but he still did it. He was frustrated, angry, FULL of RAGE that he got punished but he enjoys it. He enjoys his punishment and his theme, WAR, reflects that. WAR is loud, abrasive, and in your face, with a guitar like instrument playing in the intro. It is showing how ANGRY Sisyphus is. The Sands of Tide leitmotif in the middle of the track is LOUD and IN YOUR FACE, much like the Requim leitmotif in ORDER but it has the feeling of enraged to it. The leitmotif is NOT quiet, it is LOUD. IMPATIENT. ENRAGED. It shows how he cheated, lied, and got his way in his life time and afterlife time. He fights V1 as if the machine was just an appetizer. When defeated, he will ramble on how the times of King Sisyphus has now ended, that he never regretted a single second of it and died laughing.

TL:DR;

I love these two old men and I hope whatever the third Prime boss is gets a theme that is equal to ORDER and WAR and gets recognizable as well.

[unintentional-edgelord]

Companion post to the previous regarding Girouette and the Double Megamerge, though it goes more into differences between the one in ZX and that in Advent.

From Vent and Aile's perspective, while the double merge has given them the power to keep going, what they had to go through to get there is nothing short of horrible.

The ZX script straight-up tells us that they consider Girouettes' death their fault - Model Z does so, as well. We don't know anything about their dad so we can perhaps assume he was never in the picture, but either way, Giro's death now means that Vent and Aile have lost not one, but two very important parental figures in their lives. Sure, they've got a guiding force in Model X, but unlike Giro they've been matched with him for a week at most, and that bond hasn't been forged quite to that extent yet.

This is also at a point in their lives where they think finally, finally, they have exactly what they need to stop any more lives from being lost instead of being that helpless child they were at the theme park, so it's bitterly ironic that the moment they get the power to do this, they lose yet another parent.

The musical cues in the original ZX add an additional layer to it. On first playthrough, you wouldn't be likely to realise that Fragments, one of the "sadder" songs of the game which is present when Girouette dies, has the same melody as Snake Eyes, the theme of Slither Inc. HQ - interesting that they chose to use this theme instead of Metallic Soul, which is considered the theme of the Biometals and used during other sad moments of the game. Perhaps it's in direct reference to Serpent having a hand in Girouettes' death, the same way it's played right at the start of the game when Vent and Aile are talking about their deceased mum?

Either way, the one-two gut punch of that transition from Fragments to Trinity is powerful as hell; the fade out from Fragments leading into the bass line of Trinity lets you know there's some serious ass-kicking about to happen. Interestingly enough, the leitmotif of Trinity (that synthy bit) doesn't appear elsewhere in either ZX soundtrack; maybe in Rockin On if you squint really hard with the intro electric guitar It's honestly a damn shame because it's one of the coolest tracks in the game. Determined Eyes from Advent didn't allude to it either - but that theme is a whole other level of badass, so I'm not too fussed. Just would've been a really cool callback!

Anyhow, the title "Trinity" as well could not only be a reference to Vent/Aile and both Models X and Z, but could also be in reference to Girouette and the Biometals; those lending the protagonists their strength. The whole tone of the track and the way it's built up really gives you the feeling that something monumental and never-before-seen is about to happen.

It's also interesting to contrast the original in ZX to the Double Megamerge cutscenes in Advent.

In the first one, Vent/Aile look like they're visibly in pain from the strain of the merge, as you can see:

And then they emerge triumphant from it - the pain, the sorrow has now given them the fuel and determination to carry on and become "a hero who can protect everyone." The framing of the scene, coupled with the soundtrack, is iconic and powerful as hell, particularly the shots of the helmet crystal and the hair spreading out like angel wings behind them - both of which are homaged in Advent.

I also like that Advent brought back Metallic Soul and not Fragments for the scene leading up to it. That theme feels a lot more like Vent and Aile's this time around, and hits a lot more poignantly than Fragments would in my opinion. Now if only they'd brought back Rockin On as the boss theme... Advent as a whole could've done a better job of tying into ZX to be quite honest.

As for the scene itself, I know the original in ZX is practically identical for Vent and Aile, but as I've noted previously, they both visibly look like they're in massive pain when they perform the merge for the first time. (It's also never explained why there's an energy surge that kills the mavericks afterwards, although it's super awesome - maybe Models X and Z channelled any excess power from the merge outwards to avoid killing Vent/Aile from too much energy?)

Advent contrasts this for them both, although more so in Aile's case than Vent's. Aile's is obviously a clear homage to magical girl anime, but she looks relaxed pretty much the whole way through, laughing and smiling at X and Z's cyberelves at the start and her joyful expression doesn't really disappear right until the end when she's confronting Grey. Vent's merge hints maybe that he's still in some pain, based on that yell he lets out - but it comes across less like a yell of pain and more like a kiai, feeling incredibly powerful. His scene gives off the feeling that not only has he grown into the responsibility and power that comes with wielding both Biometals, but he also utterly owns it now. Honestly, I don't think I'll ever get over how well-done the snappiness and timing of Vent's scene is.

On a mildly related tangent, though it is nice to see how happy Aile is during the merge in Advent, I will forever be annoyed that her scene doesn't feel as impactful as Vent's. It feels long and unnecessarily drawn out; yes I understand it's a contrast to the original in ZX and yes I understand it's supposed to be a magical homage, but not once (to me, anyways) does it feel to me that "this is the hero who saved the world four years ago."

Not even when we get the iconic helmet crystal forming, or the shot with the hair spread out like great seraph wings.

I mean come on, you're going to compare this from Aile's:

With this, from Vent's?

You did Aile dirty, Capcom.

You did Aile dirty.

(Disclaimer, while Vent is my favourite of the duo, Aile has a special place in my heart as she was who I used during my very first playthrough of ZX, and I'm honestly annoyed they chose to focus more on fanservice than anything else when she showed up in Advent. She so deserved better.)