#I don't know how to explain what his musical motif is but it's there

[frobby]

the evils of princess tutu have infected me and now when listen to classical music I'm like "oh its fakir's muscial motif"

[estcaligo]

Sebek and Romance

Some thoughts after this event update

I really liked this small detail in this part of the event - a "bittersweet" (or "sweet and sour" literally, from Japanese) moment between Sally and Jack. When she leaves her basket for Jack (which Trey refers to as a "bento"), we get to see the NRC guys reacting to that display of affection.

Surprisingly, Sebek's reaction was very calm and mature.

When Grim says "Bittersweet? I wanna try eating it!"

Sebek comments "Haha. Grim, that's something even you can't devour" in a calm manner.

In many fanworks, especially fics, Sebek is often depicted as inexperienced or nervous when it comes to matters of love. I enjoy this interpretation too because it can be funny sometimes. But understanding and reacting to romantic interactions is a learned skill (like any social skill), and we should remember a few points:

Sebek has loving parents who have three children. Considering the history of their relationship, I imagine they aren't shy about showing how much they love each other, including in front of their kids. I'm sure Mama Zigvolt has, at least once, explained to Sebek that this is because Mama and Papa love each other very much. So, Sebek is familiar with these kinds of feelings from his family.

Books, books, books.

Books are a big part of Sebek's life - for hobbies, studies, and bonding (for example, with his grandfather or the Prefect). He reads a lot on various topics, and naturally, throughout his life, he must have come across books with romantic themes. We can learn a lot from books, including social skills, even if it's only in a descriptive sense. So, Sebek has also learned about romance through literature.

Arts and culture.

Sebek is familiar with operas and musicals, as mentioned in the Endless Halloween event. We can assume he has some interest in them or, at least, participates in watching them with his family nowadays too (because he mentioned Zigvolts spend quite a lot of time together, like attending parks, so why not.)

We don't know what kind of plays he watches, but we can assume there are at least some romantic motifs, as is often the case in classic operas and theater. Watching actors - who often exaggerate emotions - could give him an understanding of how romantic situations unfold, and this exposure can likely have an impact on him. 

He also does thorough research into the arts when required, and some romantic themes might come up. For instance, if he knows Aurora, he must be familiar with her story, including her love interest and the kiss plot (though TWST may have twisted these stories, I presume core elements like the love story remain intact). So, Sebek can learn about romance thought art.

Lilia's supervision.

Sebek spends a lot of time with Lilia as his pupil, along with Silver, so naturally, he absorbs a lot of information about the world from his teacher - not just combat skills. And, well, Lilia's wisdom might be mischievous, if not dubious at times. In Ghost Bride event, it's noted that one of Sebek's visions of courting his future partner involves…well

which is kind of cute, if you ask me.

So, coming back to this event's reaction:

Seeing the display of affection between a loving couple is nothing new for Sebek, and he understands it surprisingly well.

At least when it comes to other people...

[scalefeathers]

Thinking once again about how Nobuo Uematsu and Masayoshi Soken are both completely amazing composers but in completely opposite directions let me explain

Disclaimer I am not a music theorist; most of music theory is black fucking magic to me. I barely know what a chord is and the circle of fifths makes me quake as though before an Elder God. I just really like both of their works and sometimes I have thoughts about things. Also this is all just my opinion, it's fine if you don't agree, etc.

So: Uematsu is first and foremost, in my opinion, an absolute master of melody. I believe it's what makes his work so iconic and makes so many of his pieces so instantly recognizable. The Final Fantasy theme, the chocobo theme, Dancing Mad, Vamo'alla Flamenco, fucking One-Winged Angel--Just from seeing those names, you've probably got one playing in your head already. You could start humming it right now. Maybe you are already.

And it makes perfect sense when you consider the era he was working in, because back in the 8-bit and 16-bit era, the melody was all you had. When you have such a tiny amount of storage space to work with, you can really play only one, maybe two notes at a time. You can't do anything that's layered, because you only have one layer to work with. I think that's why so much video game music from that era is so memorable and iconic. It's not just because you played so much Street Fighter II when you were a kid that the music is indelibly seared into your brain (though that probably doesn't hurt); it's also because Yoko Shimomura wrote really solid melodies that had nothing else competing for your aural attention (apart from the in-game sound effects, which are probably also seared into your memory). (Yoko Shimomura, btw, also composed the music for Final Fantasy XV, the entire Kingdom Hearts series, and like 50 other games over the past 40 years, another fucking icon).

But back to Uematsu: like I said, melodic genius. Even when his work is upscaled into full orchestral arrangements, that core melody is always front and center. And his affinity for melody makes even more sense when you consider that before he got into video game composing, he was writing commercial jingles. (Younger folks may not be aware, but there was a time when practically every product had to have its own theme song, and the best ones were short, snappy, and instantly memorable--and for that, again, you need a strong, simple melody. Ba da ba ba ba, I'm lovin' it.)

Compare: Soken. Soken only started at Square 12 years after Uematsu, which isn't that long in human terms (to me at least, cos I'm old), but it is a long fuckin' time in video game years. By the time he started composing for games, there was so much more you could do with game music in terms of layering, complexity, and sound, and you can tell from his work that he takes full advantage of that. His work is complex and dense, a rich layer cake of themes and motifs, all beautifully merging and weaving together, often to extraordinary effect.

And again, if you look at his pre-music career, it makes a lot of sense that he'd have that approach to music, because he first got into the games industry as a sound designer; I believe that he is the sound director for all the FFXIV expansions, as well as being the composer. So of course he'd be very aware of not just how a sound (or piece of music) works on its own, but of how it fits into the greater whole, and of how to layer and balance lots of different sounds to create something greater than the sum of its parts. And of course it makes sense that he'd bring that approach to his compositions as well.

As a consequence of this approach, though, his music often lacks the memorable melodies that characterize Uematsu's work. Like, I ground (grinded?) Dun Scaith a lot the last time it was on the Mogstone rotation, I know all the boss themes extremely well and can recognize each of them instantly. But if you asked me right now to hum one? I don't think I could. (This isn't a deficiency, to be clear; music doesn't need a prominent core melody in order to be good.)

And that's also not to say that all his music lacks iconic melodies. His vocal tracks, pretty much by definition, have to put a single melody front and center; and then on top of that (or rather, behind it), you have all that trademark Soken richness and depth. Which is probably also why his vocal tracks go so fucking hard.

I think that's also why, out of all the expansions, I like Heavensward's music the best. Most of Heavensward's score is written by Soken, but the main theme is Uematsu's, and you may notice it's basically a tasting menu of like 5 or 6 excellent, very recognizable melodies, one right after the other. And basically every piece on the Heavensward soundtrack incorporates one or more of these melodies. So it really does give you the best of both worlds, and gives the overall score a cohesion that I don't see as much with the other expansions.

TL;DR, Uematsu and Soken are both amazing composers with very different and complimentary styles that reflect their differing backgrounds and the different eras of games in which they have worked and I just think that's neat.

[superkooku]

Have you listened/watched epic? And if you have what’s your thoughts?

Personally I think it’s a good thing to show to a friend new to Greek mythology. I just finished watching the last saga and I have to say I loved it, beautiful. Sad it ended tho :(

It might not be very accurate but I love the hardwork the cast put into it and so I love it very much

My thoughts on Epic the musical

So yes, I know about Epic. I even participated in the secret santa thing and am what we may call 'a winion'.

I just finished watching the livestream too ! I especially loved seeing the cast members were reacting to the sagas (Luke Holt was so funny in this 🤣. Also, Jorge carrying Mico like a baby in 'Just a man' and Mason being extra the whole time... so many gems in that livestream)

Since Epic is finished AND I have animatics of the Ithaca saga, I'll use this opportunity to make a more in-depth review of the musical. Instead of separating it in "good" or "bad", I'm reviewing it criteria per criteria.

The cast

Like I previously said, I LOVE the cast chemistry. They're all so fun and lively. I follow some of them separately, like Janani or Troy Doherty, and they're just delightful. Especially Troy as Hermes, he always manages to make me laugh. Every single time 😂.

Also, he gives me a bit of Mettaton vibes since he's extravagant, always over the top and a bit self-absorbed (the Hermes persona, I mean, not Troy Doherty himself). Maybe that's why I like him so much :3

And of course, there's Jorge, mr. Jalapeño, the man with the plan. I love how both passionate and humble he is, how he takes the time to thank everyone and just how much of a bundle of positive energy he is. I know it's an internet persona, but what I can see from him is some hopefully really nice guy in real life too.

Anyways, awesome cast chemistry, everyone made me laugh and they're all having a good time.

The music

This music is so beautiful 🥰. All the motifs, the emotions, the instruments, the voices ! If I had to rate Epic from the music alone, it would be 5 stars. I'm not saying this in a professional angle or anything, it's my personal feeling.

Seriously, I don't really have that much to say about the music because, to me, it's just that good. I love the variety, how different instruments synch themselves and, yeah.

The characters

Annnnd that's where the blind positive praise stops, unfortunately 😂.

Don't get me wrong, it's not awful either and there are good points. My favorite Epic characters are Hermes and Athena.

The rest ? It's mixed. In order not to make this too long, I'll focus on only some of them.

The story is very character-driven so I won't really delve into it in detail.

Odysseus : he's a good protagonist, especially in the first act. His dilemma is interesting, he has a strong personality and I like that he is just a broken man and not some mighty overlord... except in the Thunder and Vengeance sagas. I feel Jorge exaggerated the monster message a bit too much, imo. Odysseus is supposed to be a witty liar, a warrior of the mind. Not someone like Achilles who solves problems by fighting or fights gods like Heracles, much less freaking Poseidon.

Poseidon : okay ! I liked him in the first act, because FINALLY Poseidon isn't a surfer dude. He's a terrifying force of nature that was angered by mortal hubris (though the hubris thing isn't explained by Epic). In Get in the water, he kept his intimidating side. Because he's, yk, the king of the oceans, one of the most powerful Olympian gods. But his defeat partially ruined him for me 😂. It just doesn't make sense. Why is Odysseus afraid of Scylla and even tip-toes around Hermes, who is friendly, when he can stabby-stab Poseidon ? Why didn't Poseidon counterattack? So many questions.

Zeus : my problem with Zeus is easier to explain. Again, he was awesome in the first act, less so in the second. What I loved initially is how regal he was. Powerful, intimidating, kingly, but not evil either. He warns Odysseus of the gods' will and of fate, which always realizes itself in mythology. In Thunder Bringer, he's fine. His lustful and flighty side is shown, but we could interpret his intervention as avenging Helios and punishing the ones who ate the cows, instead of "Zeus is evil". But in God Games ? He's so pettyyyyy and childish. Where is the kingly attitude ? This "Beast Zeus" should come against Kronos or Typhon, or maybe when Athena and the others threatened his position. Not after a freaking game ! He just strikes Athena with thunder because she won fair and square. At LEAST Luke Holt absolutely killed it, so it's cool to listen to.

Penelope : she's underdeveloped :( . Okay, her bond with Odysseus was respected, they're adorable together. On her own ? Eh, she's fine. Which is a shame because she simply didn't have enough room to exist outside of Odysseus. Also, the fact that she doesn't interact once with her son is criminal imo.

I do have some other issues with characters like Circe and Calypso (basically they're declawed compared to the Odyssey), whereas I'm completely fine with others like Eurylochus, Telemachus or every god except Zeus and Poseidon. Though they're not perfectly accurate either but I don't have problems with them.

The crew in general is also underdeveloped, so I didn't feel much for them (until discovering the scrapped Elpenor and Perimedes songs/lh). They played their roles correctly.

I hated the suitors (that's a positive in Epic) and laughed when Antinous died. Though I wished they were more pathetic and less threatening. Musically it'd be worse but story-wise more fitting.

The story

Overall, it's fine. Most of the best points come from the Odyssey itself, the one change I liked the most was having Odysseus and Poseidon meet (not the way it ended though).

Also, story-wise, I prefer act 1 over act 2, because it's less over the place and more grounded.

But emotion-wise and music-wise, forgetting about the Odyssey, act 2 wins the cake.

Those were my thoughts on Epic :3

I tried not to judge it too much according to the Odyssey and some of my friends are more demanding on that plan (for perfectly legitimate reasons btw). But it's hard to separate Epic from the wonderful work of Homer and it's lacking in some areas.

Still, this journey was very fun, I love all the passion Jorge, the singers and the animatic artists put in, there are a lot of good things about it (I can't mention everything). I don't want to rate it because it's too rigid of a system. I listen to the songs on loop and, ultimately, I'm thankful Epic exists :)

I may come back to this post and reblog stuff if I have new relevant thoughts to add. I'll probably rank the sagas in another post.

[storm-driver]

hi, i have feelings about cartoon nostalgia and the audience perception of them 20 years on

this is gonna read hyper-specific, but bear with me

i refuse to credit butch hartman for the way danny phantom came out during it's first two seasons, at least outside of the initial pitch and the idea of the protagonist having white hair. i know the majority of enthusiasts for this show are more than aware of hartman's antics at this point. these anctics, i won't get into. other people are far more suited to explain that stuff vs me, a random guy on the internet. but there's very specific topics that i don't often see get brought up in detail, like the production and staff behind this show.

i'll get into it below the cut so as not to clutter your dashboard. but if you're not familiar with the actual production history of danny phantom, this might be interesting to read.

it's common knowledge these days that stephen silver is the one who developed the design for danny based on hartman's original rough sketches. the similarity between each drawing is apparent, but you can see clear as day which design was gonna be more apt for animation and overall audience allure back in 2003.

he also did character designs for hartman's other poster child, Fairly Oddparents. the trend is similar, though far from a huge concern. character design overhauls happen all the time in media production. designs might be too complicated for animation, so they get stripped down. or maybe things aren't complex enough and more nuance needs to be added. that's normal stuff, and i am not dunking on hartman for not nailing danny's design right out the gate. i'm pointing this out in case you've ever looked at butch hartman's recent work and wondered "how are these done by the same artist?"

the answer is they weren't. hartman had to adapt to stephen silver's conceptual designs in order to work on the storyboards. take from that what you will.

onto the actual writing.

butch barely wrote a single episode for this show's first two seasons.

steve marmel helped write at least 28 episodes of the original two seasons, with writers like sib ventress and marty isenberg bringing a good amount of episodes to the table, as well.

butch hartman is credited primarily for directing and storyboarding this show. the episode pitch and writing was by other people almost entirely. the ONLY episodes in the first two seasons that hartman is credited with having written are mystery meat, one of a kind and splitting images. and he's credited with co-writing these episodes alongside steve marmel and mark banker. ie, he did not write these episodes on his own. and allegedly, butch hartman had a tendency to be credited as a writer for an episode, even if he only wrote a few lines of dialogue. again, take from that what you will.

past that in season 3, he wrote infinite realms, torrent of terror, forever phantom, urban jungle, and ofc, phantom planet. which a lot of people know, these episodes in particular weren't the most enjoyable, nor was the overall direction of them very good.

a director's job is to make sure that the overall tone, feel, and message of the show is being kept consistent with intent. that means meeting with producers, who are the ones managing the, y'know, producing part of the whole project. it may sound like the director is the one heading the project if it's their job to keep things in check. which, i will not deny, hartman must've put in a good deal of work to make the show come out as well as it did.

but pile that with some of the off things per episode. the mean-spirited way that characters tend to be taught lessons, the voice direction getting a drastic change in season 3 (you can hear it explicitly with david kaufman suddenly going for higher pitches instead of the usual one he's done so far). there's really only one consistent motif in the entire show's OST. which isn't a bash against the music producer. it's a concern that the director of the show never asked him to change things up, and ONLY stuck to this one motif.

to briefly touch on the mean-spirited thing. there's multiple instances in the show where danny or someone else is seen fighting back against whatever has given them trouble, or they're taking matters into their own hands to ensure they won't be hurt ahead of time. and repeatedly, the show likes to kick these characters back down for trying to stand up. it's a trend in all of butch hartman's shows, and it's treated more like comedy than anything else. it's up to audience perception on how to view it. but for me personally, it starts to feel like an overused gag and turns into something more malevolent after seeing it overused almost every single episode.

okay besides that, i actually wanna look at specific examples of episodes that steve marmel wrote for. again, this is the guy who's more or less responsible for the show's serialization.

the complete list of episodes is as follows:

Mystery Meat, Parental Bonding, One of a Kind, Attack of the Killer Garage Sale, Splitting Images, What You Want, Bitter Reunions, Prisoners of Love, My Brother's Keeper, Shades of Gray, Fanning the Flames, Teacher of the Year, Fright Night, 13(Thirteen), Public Enemies, Memory Blank, Reign Storm, The Ultimate Enemy, The Fright Before Christmas, Secret Weapons, Flirting with Disaster, Micro Management , Kindred Spirits, and Reality Trip.

multiple episodes listed here are from the first season, which a lot of people consider the show's best. and of the handful listed for season 2, he wrote all of the hour-long specials.

i would be here for hours talking about how steve marmel tackles all of these characters and concepts significantly better than hartman does in season 3. but that's a topic best praised elsewhere. point is, if you watched any of these episodes and thought to yourself "wow, that was actually kinda clever," steve marmel is more or less the guy responsible.

butch hartman was in charge of direction, but that does not give him exclusive credit for every single line of dialogue or plot beat. there could be a LOT we just don't know because people on production staff don't want to comment. but the writing consistency taking a dive off the board by season 3, which is the same season that steve marmel departed from the project due to conflicting direction in the story? you might deduce that butch hartman was not the prized writer and artist behind this otherwise beloved cartoon.

to dredge up an easier-to-tackle target, season 3.

my criticisms are 18-year old echoes at this point, you've heard them all. from otherwise pointless episodes that don't develop the characters or world, to completely out-of-touch writing (looking at you, phantom planet) that juxtaposes the characters with everything we've been told about them so far. it became a slog of a season that didn't have any build-up to it's finale. the occasional gem of an episode like frightmare helped in some aspects. or the promise for something later with d-stabilized. but it all gets swept under the rug thanks to a rushed finale with poor build-up, bad writing direction for the characters, and most importantly, an unlasting effect on the viewer. (or a negative lasting effect, which is arguably worse)

for a season that knew it was on its last leg before inevitably needing to give up, there's seldom few episodes dedicated to advancing an overall narrative, and thus give a slimmer of hope for a satisfying conclusion. instead, the show goes all in with villain-of-the-week stories, and even the returning villains are hardly taken seriously or given more to do besides just being there.

of course, we know the reason steve marmel had left the project was because hartman wanted the show not to taken a more story-focused drive. it almost starts to feel like spite that kept the show so horribly grounded, letting it become stagnant before eventually being forgettable.

all this is in service of letting people know, it really wasn't butch hartman that made the show, not alone. death of the author and all that nonsense aside, he pitched the concept. and it takes a lot of love and dedication to make a concept something you can physically see and adore. don't let him swath in all the credit. recognize the others who made the work you can still enjoy.

[randomfandomblabdom]

Fallen Order & Survivor Musical Themes

Has anyone done this yet? Here is a comprehensive list of all of the character themes/motifs found in the Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor video games for anyone interested. I tried to give several examples of each and also included some of my own thoughts. You can listen to many or as few links as you want. If I missed anything please feel free to add on or let me know.

FALLEN ORDER CAL KESTIS - I'm giving Cal two separate sections because I'm pretty positive he now has two separate themes and in attempts to make it less confusing, I've decided to very creatively refer to them as Fallen Order Cal and Survivor Cal. I'm a genius, I know. Fallen Order Cal is consistently heard all over both games. It's his primary theme. It feels young and heroic and wide-eyed... Remember feeling like nothing could touch you when you were young? That's the sort of feeling I get from Fallen Order Cal. It's not happy per se but it's hope and optimism sprinkled with naive youthfulness and an undertone of solemnity. He's been through some serious shit but he's a kid, he's young. The grief and trauma are there for sure but they haven't encompassed him completely. There's still some hope behind those eyes, there's a healing journey to go on, and there's a chance to take on this Empire. It's only until Survivor that the theme starts feeling a little more grounded just like the transition from childhood to adulthood. Fallen Order Cal in Survivor feels a bit less magical, that youthful spirit has diminished, that hope has dwindled.

CAL KESTIS

THE PATH OF THE THREE SAGES

PEACEKEEPERS

A FRONTIER WELCOME

ABOVE THE CLOUDS

A STEP TOO FAR

SURVIVOR CAL KESTIS - So, I originally thought this was a minor key variation of a section of Cal's theme but I've since realized that it technically is a completely separate theme. That being said, thanks to @foxykatie425 in this insanely detailed reply to my frustrations regarding this theme that put what I was hearing into musical terms way out of my element in terms of explaining, I've realized that I may have been somewhat correct. I don't know if the two themes are actually connected, that would be a question for the composers but at the very least, it's definitely a secondary darker theme for Cal as it only ever plays in reference to him and I'd wager a guess that it's the main theme of Survivor as a whole. Compared to Fallen Order Cal, Survivor Cal feels drained, heavy, tired, burdened, and above all else, dark and foreboding. There is a genuine weight to this theme that just feels sinister. There is a hint of Fallen Order Cal there but as that post says, it almost feels like it's on the verge of falling apart. He's not the same man he was five years ago and the fact that this theme is the first thing you hear music-wise in the game and accompanies your very first view of him is an incredible way of subconsciously telling that to your audience right off the bat.

DARK TIMES

ABOVE THE CLOUDS - note: this theme and Fallen Order Cal switch back and forth constantly in this track and I find that so interesting.

NOVA GARON

NIGHTSISTER MERRIN - Merrin's theme is interesting to me because it doesn't sound anything like the type of music you might use to accompany a witch or magic user. It's not necessarily fantastical or whimsical or anything of the sort. In fact, it sounds more like something you might use for a superhero. It's a little bit timid or unsure or even afraid in Fallen Order but god damn has it built in confidence and strength once Survivor rolls around. The only time you hear that sort of timidness to it again is during the first kiss on Jedha which has such interesting implications for her being a nervous wreck in that moment. I also adore how it sounds as an action cue which you hear several times throughout Survivor. It sounds like it comes straight from the best MCU movies and yes, I do mean that as a compliment.

TO DATHOMIR

PEACEKEEPERS

MERRIN

THE WILL OF THE FORCE

TRIDENT

FLIGHT

CAL & MERRIN'S LOVE THEME - Look, I genuinely did not think they would actually go through with making Cal and Merrin canon, I honestly thought they'd chicken-shit out and I was certainly not expecting them to get any sort of love theme if they did but here we are... and we somehow got both. Cal and Merrin are canon and they got a love theme. Holy fucking shit. It just has all that warmth and sweetness of a friend-to-lovers romance too.

FIELDS OF DUSK - ORCHESTRAL VERSION

CAMPFIRE

A STEP TOO FAR

THE ABYSS

BD-1 - I said in my post regarding my thoughts on the Survivor score that these two video game scores are quite possibly the closest we've ever gotten to a John Williams sound from a composer(s) who is in fact, not John Williams. Not that every piece of Star Wars music has to sound like the big man himself, part of the reason The Mandalorian theme was so positively received was that it was such a different sound for Star Wars but I stand by what I said: this is the closest a composer has gotten to a John Williams sound and they have clearly done their research. Some people might not know this but R2 and 3PO have a very small motif heard throughout the films. It's not played very often and is sometimes not very noticeable but it's there and BD-1's motif is not only similar but definitely sounds like it exists within the same universe. I also love that droids are so often musically presented as very childlike, innocent, and mischievous. BD in particular has a very playful energy.

BD-1 AND THE BOGLINGS

MERRIN

THE WILL OF THE FORCE

TRILLA SUNDURI/SECOND SISTER - Trilla's theme legitimately activates my fight or flight response and when I say that, I mean mostly my flight response cause you won't find me messing with this shit. It's very much in lieu of the famous Psycho violins which were written to heighten your senses by emulating screams. I wish we got more of it cause it's intimidating as fuck and a piece of dark side art.

FIGHT AND FLIGHT

TRILLA

THE WILL OF THE FORCE

CERE JUNDA - Don't hate me but I haven't quite fallen in love with Cere's theme yet. That's not to say it's bad by any means, it's absolutely beautiful. It has such a deep melancholy vibe to it, like an inescapable sadness. It almost has a feeling of failure to me weirdly enough.

THE PATH OF THE THREE SAGES

DESERT RUINS

SIEGE

THE VISITOR

ENO CORDOVA - I've mentioned this before but again, for people who might not know: the music that is widely considered to be the main theme of Fallen Order - so much so it was primarily used during the recap at the beginning of Survivor - is Cordova's theme. It's such an interesting artistic choice because I think many people would've made it either Cal's theme or given the entire game its own theme in general. I listen to this one a lot honestly. It's so calming and safe feeling.

THE PATH OF THE THREE SAGES

FAILURE IS NOT THE END

ENO CORDOVA'S THEME

THE NARKIS ANCHORITES

BODE AKUNA - Yes, Bode does have a theme and you know what? It slaps. I really like it. It's very adventurous and feels quite friendly which is ironic as hell. It does get some heart-wrenching renditions nearer to the end of the game. It's the music that swells when he force-pushes Cal and everyone collectively shits themselves. Oh, it also has some dark renditions as well.

ABOVE THE CLOUDS

A STEP TOO FAR

BROTHERS

THROUGH DARKNESS

RAYVIS - As far as I can tell, Rayvis does not have a set theme but he is usually accompanied by high-playing strings and his boss fight music is the best example of that. I actually don't think a lot of Rayvis moments ended up on the score soundtrack which... how dare they.

WARRIORS CODE

DAGAN GERA - I thought Dagan didn't have a theme for the longest time but it turns out he actually does have a tiny motif that I do wish had been more thoroughly realized in the score because it's so menacing and I absolutely love it. It's most prominently heard during his last confrontation with Cal. He is also usually accompanied by low-playing horns. Not always but usually.

RELEASE ME

TO THE RESCUE

GRAND OCULUS

KATA AKUNA - I'm going to rant about this one for a second, okay? I have spent the last few weeks wondering what the hell the melody that plays throughout the track Through Darkness is. I was sitting here plucking out melodies on a piano app (cause I don't own a keyboard) and was like, "Okay, it's not Cal's theme, it's not Bode's theme, it's not Merrin's theme... what the hell is that series of notes??" Yes, I'm aware that not every note has to mean something but these just felt like they did. It's played at such an emotional point in the game and for two scores that already work heavily around themes and motifs and musical ideas, it didn't make sense to me that this little series of notes would mean nothing, especially at such a poignant moment. Funnily enough, it only just occurred to me while making this post that it's fucking Kata's theme. At least I think it is. Well, motif. It's not a fully developed theme but it definitely has the makings of one. That's not even me making a wild guess either, these notes appear in other places in the story that feature Kata.

NOVA GARON

THE ABYSS

THROUGH DARKNESS

GHOST STAR - I'm adding this for fun because I think it's gorgeous and I love it but it leads me to ask: why has there been no official release of Ghost Star? With or without vocals? This is a genuine question. It does not appear on the Cantina album nor is there even a snippet of its melody on the score album. It makes me wonder if the song was maybe added later into production? Trust me, I love the orchestral cover that has been going around and people are obviously seeking it out cause the track has gained thousands of streams in the months since the game was released. It was at 10k the last time I looked on Spotify and it's currently at 24k as of writing this. I'm just genuinely surprised EA/Respawn or hell, even Lucasfilm hasn't capitalized off that.

GHOST STAR

GHOST STAR W/ VOCALS

Thank you most sincerely if you made it all the way here :)

I liked this. I should do this for more scores lol.

[myheadphonesareneverloudenough]

Nerdy Prudes Must Die; musical motifs

i have so many thoughts about Nerdy Prudes Must Die and specifically the musical motifs used throughout. so buckle up, i want to talk. (theres a whole breakdown under the cut.)

so, if you didn't know already, Jeff Blim is a musical genius. and in the Hatchetfield universe, theres so many musical motifs that get used in every show. but there's one in particular that i don't know what to call it, but i'm gonna say it's 'the nerds' theme'. it's this one right here;

i've heard some call it Pete's theme, which is wrong. this specific melody is the theme of Pete, Richie, and Ruth's self worth and their inescapable tragedies. when we meet the three friends, it's very obvious that they see themselves at the bottom of the high school food chain. the nerds have accepted that they are worthless and will amount to nothing in school, because that is where society has placed them. it's as simple as Pete's song Cool As I Think I Am. he very literally does not see himself as valuable as the other students. but when that idea shifts from Cool As I Think I Am to Cool As She Thinks I Am, suddenly we have Pete realising his self worth, and the motif shows up;

and right after that, Pete is beat up in a parking lot by Max Jägerman. Pete's own self worth can only go so far when you have people like Max denying it constantly.

so now there's lyrics to this motif, and yes, Pete is the first one to sing it. But that doesn't make it any less Ruth and Richie's.

just like Pete, Richie finds his self worth in the acceptance from others. Once Max is gone and Richie makes friends with the football team, he realises how great it is to be alive. he realises that he deserves to be alive.

when Max comes to kill him, Richie justifies his self worth with the motif that returns for him this time, not Pete;

now they're not his final words, but Richie dies after declaring, "I'm Not A Loser". when he finally gets some self worth, he is murdered and never gets to fulfil that worth.

Ruth's self worth is a little different. she views her worthlessness as unfair. she believes that if she was different, she could be something great. unlike Pete and Richie, Ruth really shows that she has bigger dreams. Ruth wants to be the star of the show. she wishes to be appreciated, and her ungodly horniess can honestly be seen as a metaphor for wanting to be loved. Ruth sings about her self worth in the most Ruth way, with her own number in the BBQ Monologues.

the climax of the song (which Lauren kills, btw) the motif comes back again in the background. This time, it's for Ruth and her self worth;

does the fact that Ruth's version of the motif doesn't include the 'im not a loser' lyrics have to do with Ruth having more belief in herself? that she doesn't need to explain she isn't a loser because she knows she isn't a loser and deserves to have a chance in the spotlight? i sure as hell think so.

but Max kills her immediately after. he stops her from ever living out her big dreams of being a star.

the motif comes back again, obviously, in the reprise of Cool As I Think I Am;

the lyrics change this time around, and Pete sings 'you have to do it', which is him telling Steph that she has to be the one to kill him. despite Pete learning how to have self worth throughout this whole show, he still views himself as expendable. could this be justified with the fact that his two best friends just had their hopes and dreams shattered in death? probably. the point is, at some point during Max's killing spree, the death of his best friends, and the summoning of the Lords in Black, Pete has managed to convince himself that he's worthless again.

now. in the end, it feels like a happy ending due to the nature of The Best of You, but there are still a lot of loose ends to be explored. and on top of all that, the Nerds' motif comes back one last time;

because Grace kept the Black Book and continued to use it, and the Lords in Black are far from fair, i think Pete's torment and tragic narrative is not over by the end of NPMD.

so yeah. Pete, Richie, and Ruth are 'doomed by the narrative', as are most people in Hatchetfield. but these three characters are specifically doomed by their own self worth, and the narrative will never let them truly become their true selves.

and Jeff Blim wrote a banger melody to tell that story.

[anxiousalene]

My Thoughts On the Vengence Saga 🔱🩸

HOLY SHIT ODYSSEUS MY GOD, BRO DID NOT HOLD BACK. The saga started with I'm not sorry for loving and it was sad on Calpyso's part (WANGUI COOKED SHE ABSOLUTELY COOKED) but I'm really glad Jorge didn't have Odysseus accept her "apology" because what she did even though she tries to justify it, it was 100% wrong AND THEN HERMES SHOWED UP AND WE GET REFERENCES TO THE TROY SAGA, OCEAN SAGA AND CIRCE SAGA. AND I LOVE THE "IF YOU DANCE WITH FATE THEN I KNOW YOU'LL ENHANCE YOUR STATE" LINE. I LOVE HOW MANY THINGS GET PERSONIFIED IN JORGE'S MUSIC LIKE PRIDE AND DANGER FEEL AS IF THEY'VE ACTUALLY COME TO LIFE. ALSO, THE FACT THAT JORGE'S SISTER VOICES THE PRINCESS WINION IS SO FUNNY TO ME, LIKE WE HAVE THE WHOLE FAMILY NOW. BUT DANGEROUS IS A BANGER LIKE I KNEW IT WOULD, ALL HERMES SONGS MAKE ME WANT TO DANCE. THE WINDBAG MAKES A SECOND APPEARANCE SO WE ALREADY KNOW THAT IS GONNA HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANCE. ALSO, ODYSSEUS IS GONNA USE RUTHLESSNESS FOR SURE. I ALSO LIKE THE "DON'T THANK ME FRIEND, I'M NOT THE ONE WHO FOUGHT FOR YOU" and Odysseus is like who then?? I was kinda hoping that Athena would show back up and it would be this whole big moment but she didn't :( RIP. Charybdis is REALLY COOL it was different from what I expected and I'm pretty sure it's Jorge's only entirely solo song In the show which is really cool. I also LOVE that right before Odysseus explains he doesn't have to fight Charybidis we get an electric guitar rift to show that he's using his intelligence. AT THE END HE SEES ITHACA AND HE'S ALMOST HOME AFTER ALL THESE YEARS AND THE MUSIC IS SO SOFT COMPARED TO EARLIER IN THE SONG. But... POSEIDON SHOWS UP. IM ANNOYED FROM A SHOW PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE JUST LET THE POOR MAN GET HOME BUT STEVEN IS ALSO SO TALENTED. HE WENT BEAST MODE FOR GET IN THE WATER. I like how intentional Poseidon's threat of "I'll take your son and gouge his eyes" to give an eye-for-an-eye deal to harm Telemachus as Odysseus did to Polyphemus. I also love Odysseus really does use all his tricks because he tries to show Poseidon to forgive and almost "Greet the world with open arms" but when Poseidon ignores him, he goes F* it. Then Poseidon uses his final boss move "OCEAN SHATTER" and Odysseus gets weighed down in the water by everyone who has died because of him in someway. But what I find heartbreaking is instead of singing their own motifs or "final thoughts" they all sing Waiting and his name until something clicks in his mind. ODYSSEUS GRABS THE WIND BAG AND OPENS IT WITH GLOWING RED EYES DESPITE KNOWING THAT IT WILL BLOCK HIS ONLY WAY HOME. HE USES IT AS A JETPACK AND STRIKES POSEIDON WITH HIS BOSS MOVE "600 HUNDRED MAN STRIKE" JORGE DID SUCH A GOOD VOCALLY TO SHOW HOW ANGRY AND SURE OF HIMSELF ODYSSEUS IS. ALSO WHEN HE'S ATTACKING IT SOUNDS LIKE LEGENDARY AND I THINK IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE HE'S CLOSE TO HOME SO HE'S MORE SIMILAR TO HIS SON. ALSO, THE VOICES OF THE CREW IN THE BACKGROUND IS JUST AHHHH. ALSO, I LOVE THAT WE CAN HEAR THE WND BAG MUSIC AND THE STORM MUSIC AS THE BATTLE IS GOING ON. Then Poseidon proceeds to taunt Odysseus by the fact he released the storm because now Poseidon can kill him and there's no way for him to get home. ODYSSEUS GOES APESHIT, or rather VERY CALM. We hear the danger motif as Odysseus walks toward Poseidon and Posiedon says "You can't kill me" and Odysseus says "Exactly" HE PICKS UP POSEDON'S TRIDENT AND STABS HIM OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER TO THE POINT WHERE POSEIDON IS BEGGING HIM TO STOP. but Odysseus has a Ruthlessness is mercy mentality and doesn't stop even as Poseidon, god of the seas, is calling him a MONSTER. AND THE CRAZIEST PART IS Poseidon relents the storm and asks "How will you sleep night?" and Odysseus goes "Next to my wife" AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH LIKE LINE IS SO ACTUALLY INSANE LIKE THIS SAGA WAS AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER AND ODYSSEUS HAS TRULY STOPPED CARING ALSO, EVERYONE'S VOCALS WERE OFF THE CHARTS AND IM GOING TO BE OBSESSING ABOUT THIS FOR THE COMING WEEKS. As usual, thank you to the entire Epic Crew and everyone behind the scenes for making these sagas, they are awesome.

[aspoonofsugar]

Hell is Forever

Adam's song fucking rocks and it is pretty important for the story, the characters and the themes. Let's see why!

DISNEY-LIKE SONGS

Overture has two songs, which pay homage to classical Disney tropes:

Happy Day in Hell is a combination of the "Introduction song" and the "I want song"

Hell is Forever is the "villain song"

This is important because Hell is Forever is both a mirror and an answer to Happy Day in Hell. In other words, to understand Adam's song, we must quickly consider Charlie's. Just like to understand Charlie's journey we need Adam's character.

HAPPY DAY IN HELL

1- Happy Day in Hell as the "introduction song"

The introduction song shows the world and how the protagonist fits in it. Or in Charlie's case how she doesn't fit:

Charlie: There's a warm, fuzzy feeling That wafts through the air Every street so revealing It's hard not to stare! It's a realm so appealing it beats anywhеre If you don't mind the smell… It's a happy day in Hell!

The point of the song is that Charlie is the Princess of Hell, but refuses to see Hell for what it is. She is so focused on dreaming (ideal), that she forgets where she is (reality).

This is highlighted by both the music and the imagery.

Musically, the demons are not in harmony with Charlie. Rather, they contradict what she is saying:

Hi, mister! (Demon: Go fuck yourself!) Demon #1: There's an endless trash fire that's burning my soul (Charlie: Hello!) Imp: And a ton of barbed wire to shove in his hole! (Charlie: Ah, excuse me!) Demon #2: Doing what is required, we all have our role Demon #3: I'm not doin' well! Demons: Another shitty day in Hell!

Visually, Charlie at one point finds herself surrounded by musical notes:

She is so enthralled by her music and lofty dreams she ignores her surroundings. She is lost in her own head.

2- Happy Day in Hell as the "I want song"

I can hear all their stories The lost and displaced And I know that they're more of an acquired taste But if I open the door and I give them a place At my Hazbin Hotel It'll be a happy day in Hell!

The I want song conveys Charlie's desire, which is really the story's main message. In other words, it is the main theme: everyone can redeem themselves and hell can become a happy place.

So, Charlie's song conveys both her goal (the theme) and her main flaw (her inability to face reality).

HELL IS FOREVER - THE VILLAIN SONG

What about Adam's Hell is Forever? Well, it is the villain song, so it introduces the protagonist's main external obstacle. Not only that, but it is really Adam and Charlie's first fight, which is commented by a visual detail: the sheets of paper both characters use.

Charlie starts her speech by showing Adam and Lute drawings that explain her Hazbin Hotel project:

As the song goes on and Adam grows more and more dismissive and rude, Charlie's papers get more and more ruined.

Charlie squeezes them, as she is trying to repress her frustration and Lute symbolically cuts them, as the two angels are cutting Charlie's hopes down. Finally, Charlie herself burns them, as she is about to explode in anger:

At this point, Adam ends the discussion with a piece of paper, which says: "Fuck you, I do as I want!!":

And both Charlie and her drawings are unceremoniously shoved out of the room:

What does this motif tell about Charlie and Adam?

It suggests two things:

1- Charlie and Adam are both immature and it shows in their respective papers. Charlie tries to convince the angels to support her plan with a bunch of childish drawings and no substance. Adam's extermination order is instead mean and gives no explanation about his choice. This isn't by chance, as Charlie and Adam are two men-children with deep self-issues, that stem from their relationship with the Rulers of Hell. Charlie wants to make her parents proud and to have them back. Adam wants to make Lucifer and Lilith suffer and to destroy their world. Charlie and Adam pursue these opposite objectives through personal projects, where they position themselves as leaders of the people (the demons and the exorcists).

2- Charlie and Adam's fight is a political one, which is why "papers" are a perfect metaphor for it. What's interesting is that the Princess of Hell and the Leader of the Exorcists fight for different ideals. Charlie fights for redemption, whereas Adam fights for extermination. The nature of their personal beliefs drives them to clash.

In other words, Adam challenges Charlie in two different ways:

He is similar to Charlie, so he highlights and amplifies her negative traits (the character flaws)

He is Charlie's opposite, so he believes a different truth (the anti-theme)

Let's explore these two ideas.

CHARLIE'S WEAKNESS

Hell is Forever starts with Charlie's reprise of Happy Day in Hell:

I know Hell's population is out of control It's a bad situation It's taking a toll If we rehab these Sinners And cleanse all their souls At my Hazbin Hotel— Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself! Right! Extermination! I know you guys fly down Just to kill once a year And it must be annoying To schlep all the way here If they join you in Heaven That trip disappears! You can wave that chore farewell It'll be a happy day in—

This reprise is too quick and it is overall confusing. Charlie jumps from one idea to the other and fails to make a strong case for her hotel. Sure, Adam has no intention to listen, but Charlie's performance doesn't help. The result is that she is interrupted before she can finish:

Adam: Let me stop you right there Charlie: Oh Adam: Save us all precious time Charlie: Okay…

After this moment, Adam imposes himself and doesn't let Charlie speak her mind:

Charlie: Okay, but— Adam: Just try to chillax, babe You're wasting your breath Charlie: Hehe…

He keeps covering Charlie's voice with his to the point it is almost impossible to hear what Charlie is saying. Pretty rude, right? However, isn't this exactly what Charlie does to Vaggie in Happy Day in Hell?

Charlie: If I can show them the dream I've dreamed That any soul can change! Vaggie: Those angels' minds are hard to change Charlie: Then they will know everyone can be redeemed From the evil to the strange! Vaggie: They're bloodthirsty and deranged!

Basically, Charlie is initially so self-absorbed, she doesn't listen to her loved ones. This makes it pretty fitting that her major antagonist is a self-absorbed douche, who doesn't listen to her.

Charlie has two problems when it comes to communication:

She is unable to convey her feelings (she can't keep up with Adam's arguments)

She doesn't consider others (she dismisses Vaggie's warning)

These two flaws are why she loses to Adam in their first battle.

ADAM'S TRUTH

Adam answers Charlie's happy go lucky tunes with a powerful rock song. This musical difference mirrors the two characters' opposite belief systems.

Charlie believes everyone can be redeemed. Adam believes no-one can redeem themselves:

Adam: 'Cause Hell is forever Whether you like it or not Had their chance to behave better Now they boil in the pot 'Cause the rules are black and white There's no use in tryin' to fight it They're burnin' for their lives Until we kill 'em again!

Charlie believes true happiness lies in everyone being happy, so it can be reached only if Hell becomes a happy place. Adam believes true happiness doesn't exist, as he could not find it in Heaven. The only way to feel satisfied is to hurt people, who have it worse than you:

Adam: And when all's said and done (Said and done) There's the question of fun (Ah-ah) And for those of us with Divine Ordainment Extermination is entertainment!

Charlie asks for empathy. Adam enforces justice:

Adam: Fair is fair, an eye for an eye!

This frame references the internet music video Bad Apple:

The character on the screen is called Eiki Shiki and she is the judge of the dead. She decides who goes to Hell and who goes to Heaven.

Adam is similarly framing himself as a supernatural judge of what's right and what's wrong. All while reminding Charlie she is a "bad apple" herself, as she is Lilith and Lucifer's daughter and her parents gave humanity the worst apple ever.

In other words, Adam embodies a strict and unforgiving system:

Adam: Did I hear you imply That they don't deserve death? Are they Winners? Are they Sinners? 'Cause it's cut and dry

He divides the world in good people and bad people, blessed and sinners, winners and losers. If you are suffering, it is your fault. If you are happy, it is to your credit. Good luck and bad luck become moral attributes.

Adam references this hierarchy throughout the whole song and makes it very clear:

He is at the very top, surrounded by holy light and blessed.

Charlie is at the very bottom, covered in bloody guts and cursed.

There are two things that are interesting about Adam's point of view.

First, Charlie shares Adam's white and black vision to an extent. She lacks Adam's mean nature, but she too has a simplistic understanding of good and evil:

Angel Dust: "Oh, I'm a bad man on the streets who never got enough hugs, now, where's an innocent kid I can sell crack to?" Wow, who wrote this? Charlie: It's great right? Keep going!

If you are good, good things will happen to you! If you are bad, bad things will come! At the beginning of the series, she is acting on this belief. What makes her different from Adam is that she believes it's never too late to start "being good". Still, her idea of good is superficial.

Secondly, Charlie and Adam express opposite ideologies, but what is their approval rate?

Charlie is initially believed by no-one:

Angel Dust: I'm choosing to be here and I think it's all stupid. We're in hell, toots. That's kind of the end of the road, ain't it?

Adam has instead a large group of people following his creed, which is why he symbolically summons a bunch of golden exorcists in the climax of his song:

ADAM: IDOL

Adam's golden exorcists are both:

The groupies cheering the rockstar

The followers adoring the cult leader

That is because Adam is built on the idea of "idol", both in the musical sense (a singer and musician) and in the religious sense (a fake god). This double nature is highlighted in Hell Is Forever by two metaphors.

A concert (musical motif)

Bow-now-now-nownow Guitar solo, fuck yeah! Oh, da-ah-ah now-now-n-now-n-now-n-now-n-nownownow

Adam's song mimics a rock concert with improvised "guitar-solos" and fans cheering and dancing.

The golden calf (religious motif)

According to the Bible, Moses goes up to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, but takes a long time and the Israelites lose hope. They start adoring a calf made of gold, only to be called out by an angered Moses once he gets back. In short, the golden calf is an idol, a fake god. Adam is the same:

As shown above, Adam has the golden exorcists (his personal golden calves) be a part of his choreography. He uses a guitar made of light to attract them like moths to a flame. Three of them position themselves behind him, so that it seems he has 8 wings. This is very much not accidental, as the frame is referenced also in official merch:

Why 8 wings?

It's because the Seraphims have 6 wings and they are the higher ranking angels. So, Adam imagines himself with 8 wings because he wants to be above the Seraphims. In particular, he wants to be better than one specific Seraphim:

Adam: You?! Judging me?! You're the most hated being in all of creation! Lucifer: Well, your first wife didn't seem to hate what I had to offer… or the second, bow-chicka-pow-pow!

And finally he wants to be God:

Adam: No… you don't get to end this! I'm fucking Adam! I'm the fucking man, and you're just some fucking clown or something! I started everything on Earth! All of mankind came from these fucking nuts! You all should be worshiping me, you ungrateful, disgusting, fucking losers-!

Adam's first appearance foreshadows his ending. He is introduced as a shining golden idol (a rockstar), but in the end he is unmasked (literally, as he loses his mask :P) as a wanna-be god. His light is enthralling, but it is fake.

CHARLIE: TRUE LIGHT

Charlie is still immature, naive and a little self-centered. However, she has much potential and she is slowly starting to shine of true light. After all, she is the Morningstar, the brightest star.

So, she is able to guide a lost moth:

The other exorcists follow Adam's artificial light, whereas Vaggie finds a better and more natural light in Charlie.

Not only that, but throughout season 1 Charlie starts growing and faces some of the weaknesses she shows in Happy Day in Hell and Hell is Forever.

In You Didn't Know she is finally able to find a proper retort to Adam's argument and she sings it in a reprise of Hell is Forever:

Charlie and Emily: If Hell is forever, then Heaven must be a lie (Emily!) If angels can do whatever, and remain in the sky The rules are shades of gray when you don't do as you say When you make the wretched suffer just to kill them again

This reprise refuses a black and white vision and shows Charlie is slowly outgrowing her early mindset. So, she is shown finally thinking back at Vaggie's (and Lucifer's) warning:

Charlie: I was told not to trust in angels Adam: By her? Lute: Ha! She should know Vaggie: We should go

In The Show Must Go On Charlie openly resists Adam, not only with words, but by attacking him:

Adam: "These sinners are my family"! Do you even hear yourself? You should've stayed in your place, girlie- Charlie: That's Princess of Hell to you, pig!

And after the fight she is cheered up by her loved ones, who end the season with a reprise of Happy Day in Hell:

Everyone: We can do this We can build it Best hotel that you've ever seen! Twice the bedrooms, we can fill it Lucifer: With more sinners than you can dream! Lucifer and Vaggie: It starts with you, Lucifer, Vaggie and Angel Dust: You know it's true, Everyone: Fulfill your destiny!

Charlie and Emily: If Hell is forever, then Heaven must be a lie (Emily!) If angels can do whatever, and remain in the sky The rules are shades of gray when you don't do as you say When you make the wretched suffer just to kill them again

This reprise is important because Charlie starts the story by singing alone to a kingdom, which refuses to sing along. In the end, though, she is surrounded by the people she inspired and who love her. They are reminding her of her own song. So, Charlie might not have a huge army of mindless followers, but she has a small group of loved ones, who accept her for who she is and believe in her.

Finally, the reprise is slightly different from the original:

Everyone: We can do this (Charlie: We can do this) We'll be better (Charlie: We'll be better) Though redemption may take a while (Charlie: Though it may take a while) Wayward sinners, clear their ledger Alastor: And we're doing it with a smile Charlie: Al! Angel, Vaggie, and Niffty: Yeah! Lucifer: Oh this guy… Charlie: We'll make a difference, wait and see Charlie and Vaggie: We're gonna do this, you and me Everyone: And then tomorrow it will be a fuckin' happy day in Hell!

Today isn't going to be a Happy Day in Hell, but tomorrow might be. Charlie has grown enough to accept she can't change things overnight, but she knows she still has to try together with her found family.

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

(Some) Subtle Musical Connections and Callbacks in Epic: The Musical

I wanted to make a little mini-compliation of these little connections or references I noticed because I haven't seen them anywhere else yet!

"The Horse and the Infant" X "Survive" - the melody on Zeus's line, "I don't think you're ready"/Odysseus's response, "I know that I'm ready" is used in his exhortation to his men, "That is who we're fighting!" The parallel continues throughout the verse, culminating on "right here and now," because he is calling on them to face the looming challenge, which is the only way they have a chance to survive, just as Zeus did to him. He's using an almost divine authority

"The Horse and the Infant" X "Monster" - the opening guitar lead is the same, because we are being introduced to Odysseus (first as he originally is, and then as the changed monster-man he chooses to become)

"Full Speed Ahead" X "Puppeteer" - the melody on "Ithaca's waiting! Penelope's waiting," is used as the opening plucked melody in Puppeteer, because Odysseus knows they had been so close to home. His longing has been painfully renewed and he's thinking of home as Eurylochus comes up to him

"Luck Runs Out" - The ensemble gradually joins in with Eurylochus as he convinces them to doubt Odysseus. Initially they only sing on the word "How?" Which acts as a response to Odysseus's two statements, "We've come this far," and "You doubt that I could figure this out?" But as the song goes on, they begin singing along with Eurylochus on, "You rely on wit / And people die on it," showing their gradual realization and agreement with him

"Keep Your Friends Close" - The melody on Penelope's name is distorted from what it usually is, representing that the vision of Penelope is not real. Additionally, the melody on the word "open" in the four repeated "Just keep your eyes open" lines mirrors the danger motif.

"The Underworld" - As explained in a previous post, when Odysseus's drowned men are crying out to him, Athena's piano is in the background, because not only did he lose her mentorship (a "death" in itself, referenced in "Monster"), he lost his men as a direct consequence of losing Athena. He "severed his own head" and theirs along with it, and her piano plays to represent how those losses are intertwined

This is only a few, but I wanted to highlight some things that I hadn't seen mentioned elsewhere (although they may well have been--I might've just missed them! I'm still pretty new to the fandom)! Feel free to reblog if you find more!! I'll keep adding on/do the same as I find them as well. Ahhh, this musical is amazing!!

[espionn]

so uh. hi epic the musical fans.

i finally listened to the entirety of the concept album after putting it off for.. way too long. i have Thoughts. i havent been able to stop thinking about it. so basically here's a long post of all my gushing about epic so i don't keep blowing up my friend's texts about it.

-first and foremost: i am insane about the "man vs monster" trope. i love it. just a man was always going to be one of my favorite songs, but listening to it back now that i know the entire story (after listening to monster especially) HOLY SHIT. the moment he killed that baby, he was never going to come home as "just a man". i think that no matter what choice he made, he was never going to relive his old life. either his wife and son died, or he threw away his own innocence and moral ground. of course later he makes greater and greater sacrifices, but there was never going to be any turning back from that. and the fucked up part is he knew his choice before he made it, even when he was pleading with zeus. that final "i'm just a man" as he commits his first truly indefensible act is haunting.

-i really really like athena's piano motif, it feels so good every time it comes in

-i LOVE polyphemus's song. its the first really dark and sinister feeling part of the musical, and it HITS. the deep, cavernous feeling of 600 men holding their breaths when polyphemus first appears. that slow, reverberating eeriness. polyphemus's voice is *perfect.* it's perfectly inhuman and intimidating. you can hear how enormous he is in just the quality of his voice. it's incredible. and it works really nicely into the horror of survive. you really feel the size of the cave, the darkness, the terror the crew is feeling once polyphemus gets the club. its so good musically

-the theme in luck runs out coming back later in mutiny... im unwell

-CIRCE'S VOICE OH MY GOD (i already know im a lesbian there is no need for this) (i would have gone inside too im not even gonna pretend otherwise. eurylochus is a stronger man than i)

-love love love the harp part in wouldn't you like, it's so obvious but still so good. its also just a very fun song and i love hermes's VA, theres so much energy in the performance

-there are other ways is SO good, especially after a few re-listens. there's this latin swing quality to it that works so well. ive said my piece on circe's voice, i don't think i need to explain. i also really like the subversion of expectation. "forgive me", "i'm just a man", and for people who know the og myth, we're bracing ourselves. but then ody pushes away and earns circe's respect. her slyly coming back in with "there are other ways of persuasion" after he mentions poseidon is excellent. i love this version of circe a lot

-the repeat of "all i hear are screams" while in the underworld with his dead crew calling for their captain... lord. also, knowing that the people in the underworld are chanting their last thoughts makes the scenes with polites and ody's mother so much more emotional. his "i took too long" as he embraces his mother, still waiting for him in the grave, is soul-crushing.

-no longer you is one of my favorite moments in the entire thing. every line has a double meaning. and "i see a man who makes it home alive... but it's no longer you" is such a perfect narrative catharsis for all the themes that have been building

-and then its followed by monster, which brings the resolution to just a man that we've been waiting for. when i originally herd the line "ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves", it didnt fully resonate with me, but this song made me realize what it was saying as odysseus, hurting so badly, does the only thing he can to lessen the weight of the guilt. the music makes it feel so big. its a moment of catharsis in its own way. underworld saga is short but it delivers blow after blow

-different beast... damn. this song doesnt hold back any more than odysseus does. i don't think he would have been quite so vengeful if the sirens hadn't impersonated penelope specifically, but they effectively went for the one part of him he still cherished, and that sealed their fate. still, the shrieks of the sirens overtop of "kill them all" is heavy

-scylla. what can i even say about scylla. her voice is *haunting*. ethereal. inhuman. knowing what's going to happen, this song is an experience i cant even describe. odysseus and scylla both understand, they both know what's happening. "eurylochus, light up six torches" / "deep down, we're only demons from hell". im going to break something

-mutiny bringing back the theme from luck runs out is so big. hearing odysseus being unable to defend himself, only wanting to go home. the real betrayal from eurylochus, having been willing just two sagas ago to abandon everyone and run with him, now willing to kill him to save the rest of the crew. later, with helios's cows, i wholeheartedly agree with the idea that it was a suicide. he isnt stupid. but he's hungry, and tired, and while ody is willing to become the monster to get home, eury isnt. to him, this is the easiest way.

-the echoes of the same pleas from the horse and the infant, again in thunder bringer. but he knows he's going to do it. i dont think its about penelope and telemachus anymore, not really. its about everything they represent. they are a destination. closure. normalcy. an anchor. he has to get to them because they are all that's stopping him from admitting what he's done

-TELEMACHUS

-i understand why some people dont like the time jump and sudden change of perspective, its definitely jarring and a bit weird, but i also think its the best you can do with something as nonlinear and oddly structured as the odyssey.

-little wolf is such an earworm, ive been finding myself chanting "fight little wolf, fight little wolf". athena's piano cue as she appears to help out telemachus is a deeply satisfying moment. i LOVE the theme coming back in, but this time with athena's voice overriding the suitors', and "little wolf" going from a taunt to an endearment. i also just need to say... antinous's voice. vile character but damn can that guy sing

-ok ok fine i see why god games is so popular

-not sorry for loving you... hm. im torn on this song. i think its good at portraying calypso as a sympathetic abuser. and i dont think theres an issue with sympathetic abusers. but i guess it might have worked better if we saw odysseus's point of view instead of just hers. it feels a little weird focusing on the perpetrator rather than the victim is all. i think its possible to do both effectively and this doesnt really. pretty song though

-dangerous is so good though. its so catchy and exhilarating and i was so happy to hear from hermes again

-i do have a question though. what's the deal with the wind bag? i didn't fully get it earlier either, i didnt see why eurylochus used the last of it behind odysseus's back, that didn't make sense to me. and now i dont know why hermes gave it to him. he says the gods went through a lot of pain to get it, but *why?* if using it dooms his hope to get home, why would they give it to him? i know he ends up using it to save himself but like. it's not like they knew that would happen. what was the plan here?

-anyway. get in the water into 600 strike is powerful. i dont have much commentary but i really like the questions and answers posed by these songs. and "how will you sleep at night?" / "next to my wife." is pretty iconic

-PENELOPE OH MY GOD

-the reprise of the "waiting, waiting" theme, oh god im not ok

-hold them down is EXCELLENT, its so murky and revolting and antinous's voice SELLS it

-the song odysseus being from the suitors' point of view was an excellent choice. ody becomes, thematically, one of the monsters. the choir chanting "od / dy / se / us" is powerful and heavy and terrifying. the music is so good at making you feel like one of the suitors, in the dark, weaponless, with the king circling you and picking you off one by one. he really feels like a stalking predator. after 20 years of nothing but hardships and gods and monsters trying to keep him from home, now that he's here theres nothing any of them could hope to do to save themselves. the king has come home and he's PISSED

-"show yourself" and then the piano doing a cascading chromatic scale... this musical is so good

-i just listened to would you fall in love with me again for the second time. fuck me. its worse than the first time. (as in the emotions. not the quality.) i love that she asks him what he did, and he tells her. that says so much about them both. she isn't afraid to hear it, she just wants to know what he's been through. and he recounts every awful thing he did, without hesitation, trusting in her judgment completely. he's finally able to unpack all that trauma. and she just listens. she challenges him when he claims to no longer be the same man. this whole time, he's only had himself, his own narrative, his belief that he's become a monster. and now she pushes back, and says "i look at you and i still see the man i married". and then a soaring reprise of the theme from just a man comes in.... i need it known that i feel very distinctly not ok.

so i just spent 2 hours going back through to write all of that when i could have just said: it is VERY GOOD. im going to be thinking about this for a while still.

[prismarts]

Hiiii Prism. Hey so. Wanna introduce me to Epic The Musical???? I see it on my dash all the time now but I never bothered to look up what it actually is. On purpose lol. Because at first I totally skipped over it thinking it was some Percy Jackson fanart, and then I thought it really wasn't that big of a deal, and now it seems to be a HUGE deal to so many people on Tumblr. And I enjoy the kinda not-in-that-fandom-adjacent tea-sipping vibe veeeeeery much. So. I literally do NOT know what it is. Is it like Hamilton??? Is it a Percy Jackson fanwork??? Is it neither???? You have now been given the absolute power over whatever you let me know. Because I have no clue.

Go wild. (Please haha.)

OH HI FRIEND!! HI BAB!!!

Okay okay uhhh finedje. I NEVER had to pitch something to someone without the ability to just physically sit them down and like show them before cause I'm generally bad at explaining things but LEMME TRY!!!

So so, Epic the Musical is a musical concept detailing the Odyssey that is being made and like chopped up into 9 sagas! We have 8 of them now so one more to go!!!

Made by the wonderful, and very silly, Jorge Rivera-Herrans, Mr. Jalapeño himself. He wrote it with the theme of ruthlessness in mind, as in when do we adopt the philosophy of being ruthless to other people and when do we show kindness and mercy. (I may be explaining this wrong, Jorge has so many little videos explaining his process about creating Epic, i might leave a link so you can hear from the man himself)

It's not like a Percy Jackson fanmade thing, I know Jorge has read the Odyssesy and is essentially adapting it into this musical in his own way (I say this cause some people just can't comprehend it being its own thing as an adaptation). I don't think Jorge has read PJO? I could be wrong.

It could be compared to Hadestown the Musical? BUT THE ONLY SIMILAIRITY IS THE LIKE ADAPTATION OF A GREEK MYTH INTO A MUSICAL, OTHERWISE THE GENRE AND STUFF ARE VERY DIFFERENT.

I will uhhh keep note that Epic takes heavy inspiration from video games and anime which has the musical take several creative liberties and not be a one to one of the actual Odyssesy. One example of like the video game inspirations is every saga having some sort of boss battle esque song at the end, as if you are going through a video game, level by level.

And the anime inspirations are heavy in the ways Jorge uses iconic anime imagery or like I guess visual tropes in his references whenever he commissions artists to do animatics or animations.

THAT'S ANOTHER FUN THING TOO!!! Aside from the thousands of fan animatics that come out with each saga, Jorge also just commissions art, animatics and animations from artists with each new saga that he'll debut during the album's live watchparty where we listen to the whole musical up till the latest saga. So we have like fan animatics but also in a way, canon animatics and animations on how things go down.

He puts so much care into the music and the like themes and and uhhh musical terms escaping my head but he carries over chracters and their musical motifs so well throughout the story.

He also uhhh does open auditions to EVERYONE like ANYONE could audition for Epic with just leads to so many hidden gems of singers and songwriters that he just hypes up so much, he hypes up their work in Epic and their own personal musical endeavors.

Some of the amazing cast are: Teagen Earley who plays Athena, TROY who plays Hermes, Steven Dookie as Polites, Talya Sindel as Circe, Barbara Wangui as Calypso. Of course, Jorge himself plays Odysseus and he is also just incredible vocally.

HE ALSO uhhh casts his family members in this which is super fun and wholesome and I won't spoil who they play cause its such a fun treat to discover as you listen.

Aaaaaaaaaaa what else-

It is also very silly, we get quite a few silly moments and I really enjoy that. Jorge is really good with sprinkling the silly moments in between the songs and just delivering such a good experience. A lot of the silly moments just become memes and that's also a fun time.

I just love the way he adapted the musical in this very very unique and amazing thing, it's this phenomenon of like story telling and music and also just a collaboration of art between not just the cast who come from so many places but also the HUGE community and I think that's the most special part, y'know?

I think that's all? Imma try to link some of Jorge's shorts and videos here just for fun and because he might explain things better lol.

Thank you for the ask bab! Hope this helps explain, I'm not that good at it lol xD 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙 *hugs*

[logicpng]

What are the boys preferred song/music genres? They all seem so interesting and with such different personalities so they must also have a lot of music they like!

yknow it's funny because i think about this a lot. i have playlists on youtube i occasionally add songs for (alongside with urs, though theirs sadly still underdeveloped), though it's less on their personal preferences and more based on vibes. most of the music in them doesn't have lyrics, so it's based more on musicality. i know most people prefer spotify to youtube but i'll post links if people want

this is a tangent however 🤭

i think rigel prefers cheery pop kind of music, a bit of chiptune. sometimes he's also fascinated by music created to be used as stock for business videos and commercials and such, nothing music so to speak, but it doesn't do for him much emotionally. though it's really not a challenge to make rigel sentimental, even if it's not for reasons he can fully explain. i'm thinking all in all he'd prefer lighthearted music, either happy or more melancholic

vega's enjoyment for music and sound is more based on the rhythm and instrumentation used. it's hard to pinpoint the exact genre? i really think he would enjoy frums (flashing imagery is common in their stuff, careful). otherwise a lot more electronic stuff, lacking lyrics, maybe like drum and bass, jungle, edm-ish? kind of stuff. i think it somewhat soothes his inner workings, helps with the constant data sensory he's experiencing

aldebaran, while starts out as a mix of the two, does end up growing into developing his own tastes. i think he'd really enjoy electroswing. among specific artists, calavera and camellia. come to mind. as an aside, his char playlist is definitely based on more intense stuff all in all, but i mostly associate electroswing and pseudo-classical harpsichord kinda motifs to him in music. sound helps him with sensory issues even more as well

edit: i can see aster as a whole enjoying xenharmonic/microtonal music a lot. it's not a specific genre and rather how the instruments played are tuned

(to extremely oversimplify it, most western music has 12 notes per octave, and microtonal music has the octave split into more notes than that, like 18 or even 36. it feels fitting since unlike a human listener they don't have a period of adjustment to the new strange sounds. if the concept is new to you Zhea Erose may be a good start, though it can be difficult to listen to at first)

[zkoh001]

Okay so. I really like the Hands of Time as a concept, twin wielders of time, their music motif is one of the coolest in nijago, and also the reason for one of the biggest mysteries at that point (what happened to Kai and Nya's parents) And villains caring for each other and twin dynamics are always cute as hell.

But like... They don't have... A motive? At all?

Well they do. One of them. Krux has a pretty cool motive, he's probably grieving his brother, wants to be ready for his return, and right the wrongs of the alliance. Cool. Acronix doesn't have that, but hey, I can definitely get doing dumb shit cause "big bro knows what he is doing. Probably." (Yes they are twins, but Krux is definitely the older brother between the two)

No, I'm talking about their original one eighty. Think about it, these two were members of the alliance, literal war heroes, and then they win, and they were like, yeah, theres no problem so. Let's be the problem. Why?? Wanting power? Thats... Really weak. And disappointing. Krux kidnapped his old friends, for years, because he wanted power? (I would buy it if they were run of the mill villains, but they are not, they are fallen heroes) Yeah, at that point he might have had a better reason, the whole brother missing, power missing (because Ray and Maya), and they "betrayed" him in a sense. But what got them there is reeeeally shaky.

I heard the idea that Chen manipulated them with his savvy, and Clouses dark magic, and yeah. That makes a whole lot more sense (tho that would make the twins incredibly tragic) Also, that would explain how the hell Chen knew about where Kai's parents were, maybe he gave Krux the idea in the first place

Ehh. I feel like we lost out on a lot with the Hands of Time. If you have some good rewrites or fanfic, link me.

[transhetanybodys]

explain why you dont like Philip

It's mostly an issue of how he's framed by the narrative. I will admit that the narrative doesn't have infinite time to do incredibly intricate explorations of all of the characters' psyches, but I would've appreciated a little bit more for him. I will also admit that I was in a similar situation to him, with my father attempting (and failing lmao) to cheat on my mom, and I responded in basically the exact opposite way that he did. The fact that I don't find his response relatable doesn't at all mean that he is a bad character, but I feel that the reasoning behind his response would have greatly benefitted from additional exploration and elaboration.

Philip is apparently still attached enough to his father to put his life on the line for him without hesitation after he essentially ruined his mom's life (not to mention the fact that the Reynolds Pamphlet couldn't have been great for Maria's social life and standing either.) Not only this, he is seemingly one-mindedly enthusiastic about being his father 2.0 after his father did this. Does he care about continuing and living up to the legacy of his mother, who from what I've read did more than her fair share of raising him? No, he just wants to be Hamilton 2.0, not Eliza 2.0. Why did the influence of his feminist aunt Angelica fail to instill the value of continuing and living up to the legacies of the women in his life in him? I don't know, the musical isn't interested in answering that question.

The musical presents his fate as being almost pre-determined. The ten duel commandments motif is inextricably linked with him when he's nine years old and the conflict that lead to his death hasn't started yet and continues to be linked to him until his death. This framing to me takes agency from him, suggesting that his fate was written in stone as a child rather than allowing for any acknowledgement or exploration of the fact that he was an adult man who made a choice and could have made a different one. If the musical was interested in exploring why he had a frankly misogynistic response to his father's mistakes, doubling down on being an extension of the man who ruined his mother's life and seemingly not caring at all about being an extension of his mother, I would probably like him more or at least not think of him as a bad character, but as it stands it seems more interested in using him as a prop for Hamilton (and admittedly Eliza)'s arcs than a fleshed out character.

Philip saying that he forgot what Eliza taught him is something I want to give the musical the benefit of the doubt on. The interpretation I've seen in fan spaces is that he's saying that he miscounted the ten steps of the duel, forgetting her lessons of teaching him to count to ten. I sincerely hope that this is not the only intended meaning of this line and that he's also saying that he forgot her lessons about appreciating life for what it is and not getting into stupid unnecessary conflicts that could kill him, but as we never see her attempting to instill the lessons she attempted to instill into his father into him, I am being generous with this interpretation. The alternative, that he really is just saying that he forgot her lessons about learning how to count (while following his father's much more widely applicable/deeper lessons got him into the duel in the first place) is not great! Don't love the implications of that contrast of his father's lessons that can be applied to his life outside of the duel and his mother's lessons that were a very basic skill with no larger relevancy to his life and the philosophy that he should approach it with.

Honestly this could all be solved for me with a few breadcrumb hints that he's wildly overcompensating for his father's betrayal by trying to be an extension of him. Shoving down his feelings of anger and betrayal by acting out their polar opposites. Or something along those lines. It doesn't have to be that exactly, I just want to know why he misogynistically doubled down on devoting his life to furthering the legacy of the man who ruined his mom's life beyond 'that's what needed to happen for Hamilton and Eliza's arcs going forward.' I want to know more about this guy who looked at the same situation I was in and responded in the exact opposite way and the musical isn't interested in giving that to me. Why is he like this.

[songforten]

hi i feel the question must be asked - thoughts on the soundtrack and scoring from 13's era as compared to murray gold's work?

sigh... honestly? complicated. i have a lot of feelings and many of them are contradictory.

i'll start with this: it's one of my personal favorite things about thirteen's era, though admittedly the bar is low. i think segun akinola is an incredibly talented composer and when his music is good, it's GOOD. i loved all the times he played with the beginning and end credits to suit the episode, like in demons of the punjab and village of the angels, that kicked ass every time. i really appreciate what he brought to the show, i just wish.... hm. how do i put this. i wish his talents had been utilized better.

like. here's my absolute favorite song from the era. it's unbelievably great. it slaps so hard when played in the show AND when listened to in isolation.

and thirteen's full theme? one of the most gorgeous character themes i've ever heard, and it suits thirteen really well.

but a lot of the other stuff.... i just feel kind of meh about. i've listened to all of the scores all the way through in order to complete my ultimate doctor who playlist, and one thing i noticed is that there's a lot of songs on the album that just kind of feel like four separate songs stitched together with like 30 seconds of one droning note in between. at one point, i took notes on one of the songs to try and explain my feelings about it.

that was in regards to this song:

try listening to the song with my commentary if you get the chance, it's kind of the easiest way to see/hear what i mean in this post.

anyway here's an example of a song with very little of the silence that was boring bothering me so much:

"I'm Not Giving Up" is over 3 whole minutes shorter than "All Is Ending". can you guess how much silence there is in "All Is Ending"? (hint: if you guessed about three minutes and fifty-two seconds, you'd be correct.)

i listen to a lot of different orchestral music. i haven't run into any other composers who do this with full album releases, and it just kind of confuses me? i'm not a music theory person, so if there's some reason for this i wouldn't know it, but it makes some of these songs kind of suck to listen to in a playlist. if they were cut down into separate songs, i'd be far more enthusiastic.

the other thing i'm not crazy about are the character themes. the doctor, the master, the cybermen, and the daleks all have recognizable themes, and they're pretty good. except... imo all of them except the doctor's are massively overused. i don't think this is inherently akinola's fault, nor is it a problem exclusive to thirteen's era -- i seriously cannot listen to murray gold's "I Am The Doctor" anymore because of how much the show overused it, despite it being objectively a pretty great song.

but other than those four, did you know there are character themes for the companions? because i didn't until a couple weeks ago, and like i said, i've listened to all of these songs front to back with careful analysis AND seen all of these episodes at least twice each. i never picked up on these character leitmotifs 😭😭😭 i would say that that's on me for not perceiving them, except i know i'm not the only one. pretty much everyone i've talked to has been surprised to hear there are character themes. if you're curious, here's a youtube series exploring those themes and when they're used. it's a good, informative series with well made videos, but the whole time i was just kind of frustrated that i wasn't able to really pick up on these motifs. even now, i can't remember what yaz's leitmotif sounds like. i honestly have no idea, i would have to go back to the video and check. it just doesn't stick into my brain in the same way, say, donna's theme or bill's theme do.

furthermore, this is graham's theme. the whole thing. this is all of it.

for comparison's sake, here's rose's theme.

and if that's not the perfect microcosm of how these characters feel to me like. in terms of complex characterization and interesting arcs and feeling like real people. complex themes aren't always better, that's not what i'm saying -- more that the companions aren't really allowed to be important in the same way that they used to be.

graham's theme doesn't appear until episode four. and then doesn't reappear until the last two episodes of the series. meanwhile rose's theme is like. so recognizable from the very first note & it plays at crucial moments (first example off the top of my head is the ending of The End of the World). clara's theme is so recognizable that it can play in a scene that doesn't feature her at all After she left the show and yet in a way that completely evokes her presence. you couldn't do that with the thirteenth doctor's companion's themes, and even if you did, the audience uhhh. probably wouldn't notice!

i struggle to articulate my feelings about akinola's music, especially in comparison to gold's. gold's music is so important to me and i genuinely rank him among the best composers ever. i really, really like segun akinola... when he's allowed to make any noise. but most of the time with the sound mixing his music just fades to the background to the point of silence, forgotten entirely, and it's a shame.

tl;dr i dislike how akinola's songs are cut in the released albums, i think a lot of those songs needed to be cut down a little bit from the versions in the episode, and some of it probably could have stayed unreleased. i do wish his character themes were more recognizable, and i wish the ones that were recognizable weren't overused to the point of annoying me. i think he's a fantastically talented composer, and most of my problems with how his music on the show is used are not inherently his fault. i vastly prefer murray gold's music, but that's more a testament to how much i love murray gold than any amount of dislike of segun akinola. i'm excited both for gold's return to who and to see what akinola does next. if you prefer his music to gold's, i totally get you and i'm kissing you on the mouth. most of this is just personal preference!

sorry for how long this got. the doctor who soundtrack is, like, the ultimate autism topic for me. i'd love to talk more about it, feel free to send me asks or whatever anytime :3