Author Topic: Characters, music, personalities.  (Read 319566 times)

Alfred F. Jones

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #390 on: January 29, 2010, 02:08:26 AM »
Whoa. I did not think it was possible for me to like Kananananananana more than I already do, but that was pretty damn cool to hear about. She's calm and sane as opposed to whoever it was that created her. Interesting stuff.

Montblanc

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #391 on: January 29, 2010, 10:53:22 PM »
I've always been of the opinion that Kana may have some Mental Unballance in her as well - not to wholly discredit your analysis at all, I think you did a fine job, and are mostly spot on with Kana.

But within the throws of her internal struggles, I believe it's very possible that some instability fractures are also present, which I would take to mean she is not completely sane herself, despite trying to be in order to fulfill her self-imposed purpose, as you put it.

I also think you could have touched a bit more on her lonely nature - if you've never played PoDD, Kana's entire goal in the partaking of the events in that game is based around the fact that the girl who created her stopped paying attention to her (or as I theorize, stopped realizing she even existed), leading Kana to strike out in search of a new home.

In her ending, she requests that Yumemi find a new home for her, to which Yumemi ends up stationing her at the Hakurei Shrine, with Reimu (against Reimu's will). Kana is last seen haunting Reimu at the shrine, laughing joyfully while doing so, happy to finally have a place to call home again.

I pick up a strong melancholic feel in her song, and her character is definitely the lonely type. I doubt she'll be able to find any measure of lasting happiness with Reimu either, considering Reimu is liable to eventually ignore her too. It's kind of tragic to think about - Kana seeks a place where she can belong whilst trying to fulfill her inner purpose, and unfortunately, she can't seem to find that place. Add her struggles against her nature and the possibility of a fragile mind, and you've got quite a sad character.


That's my take anyway. I'm still very fond of yours, as well.

Fightest

  • Fighter than anyone else
Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #392 on: January 30, 2010, 09:03:24 AM »
Aeon: that is indeed one of the things I didn't really get into in my analysis - disillusionment. It's one of the possible results of Kana's plight and, as you mention, seems to be what actually happens pre-PoDD. I would still disagree that her sanity is questionable - she may have gone through a series of traumatic events, leaving her psyche raw and bruised, but she's still all there, I don't really find evidence in the piece of any of the tell-tale marks of insanity.

Montblanc

  • I'll drive my toe into your eye socket,
  • And I'll Spin in it~
Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #393 on: January 30, 2010, 01:30:18 PM »
I find a subtle mark of instability (not necessarily insanity) in her character, as opposed to her theme.

It's reasonable, seeing as how she was projected from a girl who herself was unstable - while she could in fact be a balance to this, leading one to assume she is wholly sane, I doubt she has it in her capacity to be completely stable simply due to who created her. She also seems to hold her wish as a matter of grave importance to her, according to her dialogue, and is presumably willing to go to great lengths to achieve it.

To me, at least, her theme does seem to carry a subtle tone of something being amiss with her, mainly in the introduction.

kaguya_hime

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #394 on: February 04, 2010, 10:33:38 AM »
Satori Maiden,like some melodies in Castlevania,dance like no one's watching.
I prefer the 3rd Eye above all others to some extent> <

Radaxen

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #395 on: April 02, 2010, 06:35:40 PM »
@tc

I like your analysis on many of the themes, but some my opinions are slightly different. By actually playing the themes (on piano) in addition to listening to them for background melodies and such, some themes seem more complex than they seem and others, simpler than I would have thought. Though I don't think I can totally express my opinions for the themes as intricate as you do.

I'm going an analysis of one of my favourite themes here. Pardon if some parts are inaccurate, I'm doing the analysis from memory of the themes by not actually listening to them.

The Ancient Venerable Battlefield - Suwa Foughten Field

This theme, thought at first didn't appeal to me much, already signified to me a special vibe to it at first hearing. It has a grand opening intro, coupled with wind sound effects and syncopated drumbeats. A short 4-bar phrase, then an even more grand repetition of this phrase, which connects into one high note sweeping down into the second part. This second part (broken octaves) doesn't start at the bar, but simultaneously while the sweeping section is about to end. It's like a tunnel funneling into the more simple but mysterious section. I always imagine the beginning signifying the presence of Kanako, a power to reckon with, an extrememly fitting boss aura. The broken octaves part is complemented by the piano, which is supposedly musically more important (since the broken octaves is repeating). This sudden more tranquil feeling brings about the landscape, the scenario, where you meet Kanako. The wind blowing across with leaves scattering around, the mighty onbashira in the vicinity, the 'Ancient Venerable Battlefield'. It then proceeds to a very recognisable part, in which, I don't really know how to describe. But the 'dah-dah, da, dah, duuuh-dah' rhythm is surely memorable to me, and it gives this very imposing feeling to the listener. It's like Kanako charging up her power for some attack. In fact, every time I hear this I'm reminded of Kanako starting the pattern of her Mountain of Faith spellcard, in which the rings expand out before flying off. Every 2 bars of this rhythm, a new outer ring (of Mountain of Faith) appears, bigger than the last, adding to the multicoloured destruction about to expand and disintegrate. This then leads to the next part, which, though it only played once in the whole theme (ignoring repeats), is what I consider the main part:

This part is signified by ZUNtrumpets. A flowing melody, in minor key, and suddenly changes to 3/4 time. It's the embodiment of the presence of Kanako, using her powers to launch her main assault. To me, this is the main part of Kanako's theme. The previous part, the set-up, and the introduction of the environment, is for this main part to come in. To make it more obvious, the melody is changed to 3/4 time, but suprisingly not awkwardly. At the end of this main part comes the broken octaves again, albeit with a more surging bass this time, as for this time it is not introducing the surroundings to us. It lasts twice as long as the first time, with the chord changing the second time. After that, it links to the recognisable part again, and again it is different from the first time. There is a more echo-like feeling to the instrumentation, the sudden flash of the eye Kanako gives you for lasting so long in this battle. This time, the notes surge even more, higher at the end, but instead, it all suddenly disappears:

Now this next part, more quiet, and yet melodic but unfitting of what has happened so far, is more like a flashback to Kanako's past. In fact, what fits this part so well is this youtube video I watched of the EWI version of this song. It is no longer Kanako of the present, but the Kanako of the past, and what she did to triumph Suwako. In between the phrases are high notes decending down, and rising up again, showing the all-knowing brain of the Goddess. The second time this part repeats, it gives a even more 'nostalgic' feeling, with the faster bass notes and added rhythmic 'clap' every 2nd and 4th beat. It then surges back, into the mood we had in the beginning, jolting back to the present. This next part is signified by ZUNtrumpets again, but its elegance in the melody is there. Kanako is using what she had learned to counter her faults. This is signified by the bass part, which actually is still continuing from the previous part, though it's not obvious because of the ZUNtrumpets overpowering them. But overpowering them is what they should do, while the continuing bass part from the 'past' is going on. It then surges high and mighty into a finale-like theme, with strong echo'd drumbeats to back up. However, instead of finishing, it dwindles back into the broken octaves, quiter than the second time, more mysterious than the first time (perhaps because it's in a different key). The wind effects from the introduction are back. It's like the battle is over, and Kanako no longer lingers around the surroundings, but openly shows her true non-imposing self. At the end of this part, it loops back to the 'recognisable' part, but usually I end here if I'm playing the piano version of this piece (which I can't do justice), because that last chord, though not a perfect cadence to end the theme, brings about a peaceful vibe to it, after all the trouble in the past which has brought this Goddess to what she is now, and today.

My opinion relates more to the actual instrumentation rather than linking the piece to the character, but usually my imagination when a theme is playing is when the character is actually moving around doing what it should and would instead of just standing there. Refering to this, Kanako moves a lot, but in the end, she is in reality a very knowledgeable person who knows who to confront and who to trust.
Proceed and Retrieve.

Helion

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #396 on: April 02, 2010, 07:00:10 PM »
Fightest, there is no better way to tell you my appreciation than to say that this thread is in my bookmarks.

Fightest

  • Fighter than anyone else
Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #397 on: April 27, 2010, 03:14:19 PM »
Holy crap, what's this, an update? Yes it is, ladies and gentlemen. Yes it is. Feeling a bit rusty, hope it makes a modicum of sense.

Rikako Asakura - Visionary Game ~ Dream War

This piece displays a truly staggering amount of variety that conceals a straightforward, yet truly vital character core - an intense drive to achieve that borders on tunnel vision. Seeing that Rikako is a scientist, it is no wonder that major parts of her character are an unwavering dedication to her work and a reliance on both methodical and creative thinking. Unfortunately, this leaves lacking in empathy and it is entirely likely that she has suppressed her own emotions as something she thinks of as extraneous factors that impede progess. I will try to illustrate these points part by part.

The introduction segment is an entire section unto itself. A somewhat demure affair, it introduces a pattern that will be kept throughout most of the piece - the melodic line sits in the middle of the musical range, with accompaniment both in pitches both lower and higher than itself. Tension is introduced into this section by the melody's constantly-increasing pitch, as if a pressure steadily, inoxerably building with no outlet, threatening to explode at the slightest provocation.
I get the image that Rikako is someone to entertain many trains of thought at once, something evident from the low- and high-pitched accompaniments - as if her central ideas are always contrasted and compared to a wide range of variations across the scale to keep them well-centred. The building tension and pressure mentioned before suggest a frustration or impatience in Rikako, however - despite her wish to maintain a cool and collected emotional state, she most certainly has trouble keeping her mind constrained.

Eventually, unavoidably, the tension and pressure explode. Both accompanying lines, higher and lower, burst out into a blazing tempo, far overtaking the stumbling, syncopated central line. It is as if every mental process that Rikako is trying to keep under control just breaks free, overtaking the demure central line and leaving it far behind. From this point on, this section is about Rikako's struggle against herself, her fight to bring her out-of-control thoughts back into line. The melody does so slowly, first sounding low, to overcome the lower accompanying line, then rises in pitch to stand against the higher accompaniment. With this, the melody is back in control, slowing down into its measured pace for a short interlude, as if to take a break from the previous struggle.

The next section (we're at 1:37) shows another part of Rikako. A simple 4-bar melody repeats over and over before switching to a different key but maintaining structure. I've always mentioned that such dogged repetition suggests an unusual mental pattern, and, in this case, I believe that this shows Rikako's intentional suppression of emotional input to achieve this unnaturally-focused state. I believe this is supported by the inklings of what may be a melodic line that barely shows through on the third and fourth repetitions of the 4-bar melody, both before and after the key change. The melody never truly shines through, showing the strength of self-control that Rikako possesses.

Afterwards we get a full repetition of the track, sans introduction, something that reinforces the character that we saw on the first play-through. Then what is the section that plays at the end, completely new and unexpected? A free-moving, almost bounding ostinato combined with a somewhat hidden, yet clearly strong and audible melodic line - both suggest to me a self-indulgence of sort, a release from one's own imposed limitations to allow one to just let go and see what the heck happens next. It is truly this part that shows us that Rikako is still human, no matter how machine-like she might try to be.

Thus we have Rikako, a human being with an incredible mind that she can only just keep in check. Perhaps she has decided that blocking out emotion and free thought is the way forward, to become the perfect scientific machine, but it is evident that she still wishes to let her hair down, as it were, every once in a while, a just let it all go to hell.

Solais

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #398 on: April 27, 2010, 03:52:52 PM »
Holy crap, what's this, an update?

\o/

Greatness!

Seian Verian

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #399 on: April 27, 2010, 05:24:40 PM »
Yay, update~! ...And an awesome one at that. I am not disappointed by what you put out on this after so much time.

Kuma

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #400 on: April 27, 2010, 08:16:00 PM »
By the way, wich of the new songs from Double Spoilers would you say is most likely to be Hatate's theme?
Wotters gonna' wot


Fightest

  • Fighter than anyone else
Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #401 on: April 27, 2010, 09:03:31 PM »
By the way, wich of the new songs from Double Spoilers would you say is most likely to be Hatate's theme?

Ain't heard any of them! Do you have links?

Kuma

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #402 on: April 28, 2010, 09:26:35 PM »
Ain't heard any of them! Do you have links?

Sure 
It's a playlist with all the songs I think.


Also, would you think of doing the "Fake character"'s themes? (Mitori's One Way Exccelorator and Sasha's The Fake With High Quality)

[ruro]fixed some broken links[/ruro]
« Last Edit: April 28, 2010, 09:31:21 PM by Black★Ruro Shooter »
Wotters gonna' wot


RainfallYoshi

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #403 on: April 29, 2010, 03:54:02 AM »
As always I love your interpretations on these. <3

Hurry up and get to Chiyuri!  :V

necorelli

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #404 on: May 02, 2010, 02:55:29 AM »
I LOVE YOU. Seriously, the music is what got me into Touhou. Not UN Owen though. I found out through the PCB soundtrack. Nice analysis'.
my cello is a bit too big

VIVItheFujoshi

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #405 on: May 02, 2010, 08:24:13 AM »
oh,our fab music anailsis is return!
...
waiting for Chiyuri,Yumemi...and please this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02q4YVg6cPE ...who is from ZUN, originally for the edition of CoLA in book but ended like a Kourindou-Rinnosuke theme for Touhou Unreal Mahjong (the edition of the book was retrased some years and only now will appears in this spring...i want who new song will appear, then) i want know how  many secret things of Rinnosuke you can discover in this song.

Monochrome Rainbow~* Technicolor Ochoufujoshi!
(?y ahora en espa?ol ,yay!) he will be Adequate?

Fightest

  • Fighter than anyone else
Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #406 on: November 17, 2011, 06:10:13 PM »
And we're back! For as long as it'll take me to get through Ten Desires, anyway. I've got the first write-up nice and ready on a different computer, so I'll upload that within a day. For the meantime, I'll talk about the music of Ten Desires in general.

The impression I get is that ZUN spent a lot of time experimenting with his approaches and devices in 12, and came up with a lot of interesting ideas that, in one way or another, lacked a certain degree of polish. I am talking mostly about the stage music that, whilst still keeping ZUN's distinctive melodies, included unusual elements compared to the more "typical" stage music of 11 and, to an even greater degree, 10.

With 13, I'm really feeling that ZUN's more in control, and has a larger repertoire of musical devices than before. The stage themes in Ten Desires have a strong personality, and A Small Desire's Starry Sky is nothing short of phenomenal. That said, I feel that the boss themes this time around are a weak area - they have drive and personality, certainly, but none really strike me in any way or another. True Administrator is probably the worst culprit here, not only seeming to not know what it wants to be, but also actually being easily half as long as any other final boss theme due to the what is essentially a loop at 1:15.

In other comments, I've had a few requests come in for analysis of stage themes, but I'm afraid I won't do those unless they're something I really like and don't mind listening to over and over again. There aren't too many of these, but Ten Desires has significantly added to this list.

I will not be continuing with character analyses for the pc-98 touhous because, frankly, I hate chiptunes, and I've run out of exceptions.

Alfred F. Jones

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #407 on: November 17, 2011, 06:46:26 PM »
W-wait, no Yumemi?

SCREW THIS I'M LOCKING THE THREAD AGAIN >:(

Spoiler:
Looking forward to Ten Desires analysis regardless. :<
[/size]

Fightest

  • Fighter than anyone else
Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #408 on: November 18, 2011, 09:05:18 AM »
Kyouko Kasodani - Youkai Girl at the Gate

Perhaps appropriately for a sound-and-voice-themed character, we see very little of Kyouko in this piece, but we most certainly hear a great many aspects of her. Indeed, this is unsurprising: Kyouko is a newcomer to her new
abode - the Myouren temple - and is no doubt wary of seeming obtrusive. On the other hand, her very embodiment is that of mountain echo, of sound and of voice - she cannot help but be heard where ever she might go.

Our first impression of Kyouko is the 20-second introduction, filled with diminished chords and tritones - very atonal and impenetrable, rigidly-structured and presented with little melody to follow. This, of course, is not her personality - we first hear her in the middle of reciting her sutras, drowning out everything else that might be happening around us, proudly proclaiming wisdom to the rest of the world, regardless of who might be listening. There is a small amount of comedy in her recital, with the exaggerated and overdrawn emphasis notes on strong beats that tells us that Kyouko might be pious, but she is not solemn in her belief, and is ready to take things with an appropriate grain of salt.

The second part, then, provides quite a contrast to the confidence that we heard in the first. Instead, we get a subdued bass line and a halting, uncertain melody. Gone are the trumpets, replaced by an unlikely flute, giving us a windy, echoing segment that seems almost barebones in its instrumentation. It seems unnecessary to delve too deep into Kyouko's psyche to bring out the root of this transformation - the piece attempts to evoke the spirit of a desolate mountainpeak, where no doubt Kyouko spent a portion of her life before descending to the Myouren temple. It is natural to feel doubt and isolation in Kyouko's situation, where she can never be sure that her sutras - her passion and devotion - ever reach anyone who can appreciate them.

However, the trumpets soon join in, heralding the inevitable mood change to tell us that Kyouko is not one to wallow in such moods for too long. And the change comes, giving us an energetic - if not always major - melody, its confidence and determination restored with a steady rhythm. The third part of the piece portrays Kyouko as calm and sensible, rarely making leaps in the melodic line, always favouring long, tied notes over staccato passages. She is not above enjoying herself, however, letting a little whimsy free every so often.

Fightest

  • Fighter than anyone else
Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #409 on: November 23, 2011, 05:53:43 PM »
Yoshika Miyako - Rigid Paradise

The most curious thing in this small piece is that its two most distinctive-sounding parts - the opening and the melody that appears later - are, in fact, very closely alike. There can be no doubt that this similarity forms the core of Yoshika's concept and character.

When the piece starts we are thrown into a very unusual - for ZUN - set of unmistakable harmonic minors. I cannot help but note that ZUN himself comments that this has given the opening an "Egyptian" feel, which seems all too apt, considering the Ancient Egyptians' extensive religious rituals regarding death and burial.
It is ironic, then, that Yoshika openly flaunts her refusal to stay dead in the comic exaggeration of the presentation of the opening: the instrumentation is loud and brash and the very short length of the segment being repeated over and over again almost makes it sound like Yoshika is taunting the listener.

No doubt finding herself very amusing, Yoshika almost seems to burst out laughing at her own joke from 0:10 to 0:24, before going back into her same old routine. Perhaps Yoshika is not the brightest or most-refined match in the book with her inability to keep a straight face while telling her only joke or even to come up with a new one, but one must admit that her enthusiasm can be infectious, no doubt transmitted through a bite of hers.

At 0:48 Yoshika has grown tired of the one-zombie comedy act and her true nature shines through. The listener will note that the melody we are presented with is actually extremely similar to that of the opening - we simply move to a melodic minor as opposed to a harmonic one and a single note in the second bar's third beat goes down instead of up. Perhaps unwittingly, Yoshika demonstrates to us that her mocking portrayal of death and burial are, in fact, extremely close, inseparable from her.
It seems Yoshika has experienced a change in herself upon becoming zombified and refuses to acknowledge her changed nature, staving away the inevitable realisation by what amounts to cruelly mocking herself. It is hard to say whether she is simply embarassed at her unflattering undead form or whether the resentment runs deeper, but it is likely closer to the former - as the opening, so is the melody of the second part very short, repeating and repeating to show us that Yoshika is not one for an insightful, extended thought or a deep grudge.
Perhaps Yoshika is simply afraid of change, never straying far from her comfort zone and returning every time to a familiar starting position.

Tengukami

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #410 on: November 24, 2011, 02:03:58 AM »
It seems Yoshika has experienced a change in herself upon becoming zombified and refuses to acknowledge her changed nature, staving away the inevitable realisation by what amounts to cruelly mocking herself. It is hard to say whether she is simply embarassed at her unflattering undead form or whether the resentment runs deeper, but it is likely closer to the former - as the opening, so is the melody of the second part very short, repeating and repeating to show us that Yoshika is not one for an insightful, extended thought or a deep grudge.

Yeah, I felt her theme reflected a fair more mentally sharp character than she's normally depicted. Your write-ups are spot on, as usual.

"Human history and growth are both linked closely to strife. Without conflict, humanity would have no impetus for growth. When humans are satisfied with their present condition, they may as well give up on life."

Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #411 on: November 28, 2011, 03:23:15 PM »
I want to ask about yukari, did you ever tend to think that yukari isnt always female?
I mean look her current appearance might not be her true form after all, and s/he or maybe it just appears as a female because s/he or it choose to be that way. What do you think?

ふねん1

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #412 on: November 28, 2011, 03:48:01 PM »
I was beginning to wonder if I'd see this topic updated again. Nice to see it back in action, and with some pretty apt analyses of the new bosses to start off. I know Yuyuko's not a new character, but will you be doing Ghost Lead too? Considering the different circumstances in which you're fighting her this time, perhaps it would serve to shed a bit of new light on Yuyuko, or even justify some aspects of your Border of Life article.

Interesting that you also think that way about True Administrator. I've never taken any actual music theory classes (despite having played piano since I was a kid), so it's not like I can pinpoint why I feel that way, but I wasn't too impressed with that song when I first heard it either. I'll certainly be looking forward to your writeup later.
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J.O.B

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Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #413 on: November 30, 2011, 05:33:17 AM »
The only problem that I have with True Administrator is the fact that it takes a bit too long to get to the point. But when it does, oh my gog oh my gog oh my gog oh my gog oh my gog oh my gog.

AJS

  • Danmakufu Scripter
Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #414 on: November 30, 2011, 08:34:48 AM »
Wow, really amazing interpretations.  It's fascinating to read through all of them to see your rationale as you pick apart some of my favorite songs. :D

Listening to those songs, it's already very apparent to me that the songs are jam-packed with emotion and meaning, both of which I really only "feel" while listening.  It's incredibly difficult for me to describe this "feel", yet I think you managed to somehow transform it into words, and articulated them perfectly.

Overall, I think you excellently captured the essence of each character's personalities with their themes.  I love how you also managed to extrapolate on what was present in the themes to speculate on characteristics that aren't immediately noticeable.  Keep up the good work!

Fightest

  • Fighter than anyone else
Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #415 on: December 13, 2011, 06:22:12 PM »
I want to ask about yukari, did you ever tend to think that yukari isnt always female?
I mean look her current appearance might not be her true form after all, and s/he or maybe it just appears as a female because s/he or it choose to be that way. What do you think?

I have little reason to think that Yukari portrays herself as something she is not from either Necrofantasia or her portrayals in canon works. What makes you doubt Yukari's form?
I know Yuyuko's not a new character, but will you be doing Ghost Lead too?

My answer is a solid, resounding maybe.

The only problem that I have with True Administrator is the fact that it takes a bit too long to get to the point. But when it does, oh my gog oh my gog oh my gog oh my gog oh my gog oh my gog.

Hm. I think True Administrator gets through its best parts way too quickly on account of being half-length.



Seiga Kaku - Old Yuanxian

The magic in this piece comes from its untiring pace and its ability to juggle its instrument selection to perform whatever trick is necessary - throughout the piece the melodic line is carried by trumpet, flute and piano, and each is equally strongly used as support when not on centre stage.

The introduction, from the beginning to 0:15, sets a characteristic tone with high-pitched trumpets playing diminished intervals that go up - a move that can only increase tension for the listener. A strange inclusion of flutes both softens the impact of the initial trumpet blast but also sets the melody to go into a satisfying cadence - one that never occurs due to the trumpets hijacking the line and returning tension to its heightened state. This is a highly invasive opening, grabbing the listener and never letting go, forcing them to follow at the piece's own pace. Indeed, one can even hear a certain malice in the opening, the electrical guitar's bass line providing a deep and ominous backdrop. Indeed, Seiga is not a kind character, at least on first glance. Her first impression is of hostility, hatred and an insidious desire to control through terror. The last time we have heard of such unabashed nastiness was back in Mystia's Deaf To All But The Song, which, coincidentally, also a piece about a malevolent trickster.

There is a small break in the attack at 0:15 that lasts until 0:28, but, really, it serves much the same purpose as the small interludes in the introduction - providing just not enough time for the listener to get comfortable before coming back to the introduction segment. It is interesting how this second segment undergoes three transformations in the duration of the piece, and, while its initial form is subtly worrying and almost human in its vulnerability (flute only), each subsequent transformation (flute and trumpet, flute and piano, flute, trumpet and piano) makes a mockery of the listener for feeling reassured and sympathetic by what is, in hindsight, obviously a cruel trick.

At 0:50 the game ends. There is a certain non-committalness in the piano's repeating of the same chord pattern over and over again, as if Seiga has grown tired, much like a cat might get tired of chasing a hapless mouse and now idly bats at its exhausted prey. It is notable, of course, that Seiga does not let go, and she is certainly not yet done - her malice, still rasping away in the electric guitar, is clear as day, bubbling up at 1:10 to burst at 1:17, where we see what I would describe as Seiga's more private nature.

Starting with much the same chord sequence as the pattern in 0:50, the melody at 1:17 expands upon itself tenfold. The trumpets, before used to instill discomfort and terror are now the centre tool to express a maddeningly charming, lyrical melodic line, full of confidence and power. Even the electric guitar is suddenly overwhelmed by the outburst of every other instrument at Seiga's disposal. It is no surprise that the bored Seiga and this strange, never-before-seen one share so much, as both show her when she is not out to wreck someone's day. Instead, we see a Seiga thrilled to be who she is, easily accepting her actions and her nature. Once again I pull out Gensokyo+ to state that Seiga's chosen function in life must be to terrify people to keep them honest and humble, and to remind them that there are things out there that can easily do worse.

It seems clear, then, that Seiga has found her true calling in life and loves every minute of it. She has a cruel streak that never seems to become truly harmful, so that others get to suffer for Seiga's job is then a welcome perk for the hermit.

De La Witch

  • She is, the most interesting witch in the world.
  • "Keep borrowing my friends."
Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #416 on: December 14, 2011, 06:23:35 AM »
Thread revival!? Do you believe in Miracles!? YES!! Great work so far, Fightest. By the by, if you have time after your TD write ups, do you think you have time to go back and do a write up of Youkai Mounatin-Mysterious Mountain? I would be eternally grateful. Nice to see you back and at em', and thanks!

J.O.B

  • YOU CAN'T MAKE ME CHANGE
Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #417 on: December 14, 2011, 06:41:57 AM »
I actually agree with what you said about Seiga (and also about True Administrator too).

Also, speaking of True Administrator. Do you think it sounds cool and powerful? It doesn't have to sound epic to be either of them.

Fightest

  • Fighter than anyone else
Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #418 on: December 14, 2011, 09:00:48 AM »
Also, speaking of True Administrator. Do you think it sounds cool and powerful? It doesn't have to sound epic to be either of them.

Administrator is so close to being an utterly excellent boss track. Its single failing is what brings it down, and that's the central part, which, I feel, simply doesn't work - the stuttering and jumpiness makes it feel disjointed, and not in any way that can be considered good. It just breaks the pace. Also, I am having trouble forgiving its half-length-ness.

To continue dodging your question - Cosmic Mind is cool and powerful and, I would judge, non-epic in the internet-meme sense. Solar Sect is actually epic in that sense. Administrator, in its best parts, is closer to the latter than the former, which is why the middle shift is so jarring.

Ibaraki Ibuki

  • The Forum Fool
  • Happy Horned Hermit
Re: Characters, music, personalities.
« Reply #419 on: December 26, 2011, 09:37:26 PM »
I really like your musical analyses; they're pretty thought-provoking. Can't wait for your thoughts on Futatsuiwa from Sado.
It's unfortunate you're no longer reviewing the PC-98 themes; I was kinda hoping to comment on Mystic Oriental Love Consultation (which I personally think nicely illustrates Reimu's character).

One quick question: is there a thread where someone does this sort of analysis for stage themes?
Some of Master's sayings:
Nothing happened, but that's still an extra.
Yesterday was not special; tomorrow will be.
Strange and romantic is the fate.