So I’ll put it under a cut
Anonymous asked: Has Uematsu-sama retired or something? really miss his music at FF new instalments
Oh, no, he hasn’t retired. He left Square Enix in 2004 and founded a company called Smile Please, though his first client was SE. In 2006, he founded another production company called Dog Ear Records. So he’s got two music companies going.
Also, Smile Please provided the music for Final Fantasy XIV.
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How did I forget “One-Winged Angel” has lyrics?
Is it because I was just so over exposed to the song that it just flies over my head now or…
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(via das-feuer-liebt-mich-nicht)
Final Fantasy XII frequently uses duality and parallelism to inspire character development. A perfect example of this is the connection between the fon Ronsenburg brothers.
I could go on and on about all the similarities between Captain Basch fon Ronsenburg of Dalmasca and Judge Magister Gabranth, but I’ll discuss only one of my favorite parallels between the two men, one that’s quite frequently overlooked. During the course of the game, both brothers are forced to kill someone they care for. The songs that play during Basch’s and Gabranth’s emotional scenes are named, respectively, “Sorrow – Liberation Army Version” and “Sorrow - Imperial Version.”
Both tracks contain the same leitmotif, though the two songs sound hardly alike at all. It’s very fitting for the identical twins who think and act so differently. When it comes down to it, however, Basch and Gabranth express their grief in the same way.
“Sorrow - Liberation Army Version” is played after the betrayal of Vossler Azelas, when he knows he is too weak to leave the Dreadnought Leviathan before the impending Mist explosion. Basch says nothing except for an acknowledgement of his friend’s loyalty to Dalmasca. The Liberation Army (otherwise known as “Resistance”) version of the theme starts out small and quiet, but then crescendoes dramatically at around 1:15. It perfectly captures the spirit of both Basch and Vossler, especially their determination. They are soldiers fighting for a cause; the heavy, noble tone reminds us of the sacrifice and sadness in defending one’s country.
And then there’s “Sorrow - Imperial Version”, first played when Gabranth is ordered to kill Judge Magister Drace, his comrade and fellow protector of Larsa Solidor. There’s an implied romantic connection between the two, which makes it all the more heartbreaking when Drace tells Gabranth to kill her quickly and to watch over Larsa. Unlike in the Liberation Army version, the changes in dynamics are gradual. The tempo, however, is very inconsistent. The Imperial version doesn’t contain the same feeling of honor and pride. It’s much more mournful, imparting a greater sense of needless loss.
What’s remarkable, however, is the gentleness that both songs contain. They could almost be used as a lullaby of sorts. During their respective scenes, Basch promises to protect Ashe and Gabranth promises to protect Larsa. No matter the differences between the two tracks, there’s a feeling of security there. Both Basch and Gabranth are determined to protect what they hold dear, no matter the consequences.