I can't stop thinking about Blade saying gifts are unfamiliar.
And I can't stop thinking about Kafka and Silver Wolf, hearing that, and making it a mission to bring him gifts whenever they travel somewhere for their script - even if he's there with them. About the confusion in his eyes when they steal buy something and turn right around to hand it to him.
About his room starting out completely empty except for the bare minimum necessities, a few spare clothes and what he needs to take care his Shard Sword, but filling up with little trinkets and gifts over time. Clothes and jewelry and perfume from Kafka and posters, figures and plushies from Silver Wolf. About them also bringing food back, expensive specialties swiped from a restaurant and the weirdest option they could spot in a lone vending machine, a category of gifts that doesn't leave anything behind (except the photos they both take of the three of them eating together, or of the faces he makes when Silver Wolf manages to trick him into trying a suspicious snack while he's distracted with polishing his weapon).
About Kafka spending hours finding clothes and jewelry she thinks would suit him, because that's her love language. She gets him makeup too, refusing to let his good looks go to waste. She knows he can't put it on himself, they both do, and he doesn't care for his appearance enough otherwise - but he'll let her do his makeup for him anyway, because she enjoys it, and because he finds it soothing.
About Silver Wolf also buying him clothes, but the ones she gets aren't his style at all, and just barely his size. She gets them for him, but just so she can steal them right back - her love language is quality time, and she fills Blade's room with gifts she can borrow along with a moment of his day. It still counts as a gift, she insists, practically swimming in an oversized jacket she swiped from his closet.
About how in another life, Yingxing gave gifts to the people he loved and in this one, Blade receives them from those who love him.
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Ranking (Most) Monster Hunter World/Iceborne Battle Themes
This tier list will be mainly based on how much I personally enjoy it, so themes' accuracies to the monsters' personalities n such take less of a priority over simply sounding pleasing to the ears (but other factors may additionally pop up depending on the track). Monster Hunter's music sounds as unique as it does because each song tends to have one or two instruments that steal the spotlight for each theme, so in my commentary under the cut, I'll be giving these instruments a small highlight as well! Here's the full tier list! For the large monster area themes, I choose a representative monster for each: Rathalos for Ancient Forest, Diablos for Wildspire Waste, Legiana for Coral Highlands, Odogaron for Rotten Vale, Lavasioth for Elder's Recess, Barioth for Hoarfrost Reach, and Pink Rathian for Guiding Lands.
Commentary goes in order of the tier list from top to bottom n left to right. There's a lot.
(@junko-jinko since you were interested heh)
Red Glare In The Darkness (Nargacuga) - Nargacuga’s theme takes the top spot! The instrumentation is so unique and upbeat, it’s a blast every time I listen to it. The bass guitar section slays, and the chorus is mind-blowingly perfect. It could bring tears to my eyes. Instrument highlight: bass guitar and piano
Brutish Indigo (Brachydios) - Piledriving its way into second place is Brachydios’ theme! This song grew on me exponentially recently thanks to really listening in and appreciating the mallet instruments that pop up in the intro and bridge. Whatever that mallet instrument is, it fuckin’ ROCKS! This whole track carries the ‘harumph’ of a big monster ready to have the most intense boxing match of its life. Instrument highlight: mallet percussion
Spark Of Blue (Zinogre) - ROCK N ROLL TAKES THIRD PLACE BABY! That electric guitar is a godsend, I just wish it was emphasized more! This theme is insanely catchy, too. A hype battle theme through and through. Instrument highlight: electric guitar
Safi’jiiva (Not released on Spotify) - Holy fuck this medley takes me to a higher plane of existence. Honestly you could just ignore everything else and focus on the target theme (LIKE JEEBUS CHRISTMAS THAT BASS HAUNTS ME) and that’s enough to warrant its spot among the greats. But I won’t just focus on that cause this whole theme is awesome! Exceptionally fitting for an elder dragon that could evaporate you with a tiny droplet of its fire. Menacing, but turns around into a heroic masterpiece. Instrument highlight: choir and bass
Congregation Of The Fearless - The composer really took all of the themes of the other areas and combined them into one flawlessly. My jaw is on the floor as we speak. Coral Highlands’ instrumentation really shines the best here, harnessing the handpan/steel tongue drum to its fullest potential. And I hear that electric guitar and bass guitar in there! Such slick implementation! Instrument highlight: handpan/steel tongue drum and bass guitar
Keeper Of Hades (Vaal Hazak) - The back-and-forth between piano and harpsichord throughout this theme is so god damn good AUGH. Perfect mix of regality and lethality. Instrument highlight: harpsichord and piano
The Brilliance That Rules The Everstream (Kulve Taroth) - I’ve always adored Kulve’s medley. Each phase shimmers like gold. The organ in the second phase is always an attention-getter and the choir in the third phase is godly. It’s just solid (gold heh) all around, from beginning to end. Also I swear there’s a moment in the third phase’s verse that has a motif used in How To Train Your Dragon, which adds to the nostalgia for me. Instrument highlight: choir and organ
Ancient Leshen (not released on Spotify) - A theme I haven’t paid much attention to until now (but I have beaten this mofo), and once again I am floored by how excellent this sounds. Every single instrument gets its time to shine and sounds absolutely lovely! Instrument highlight: vocals and flute
Splendiferous Silver Sovereign (Velkhana) - The piano is the star of the show and it owns it! I love the staccato rhythm of the drums and brass crescendoing into the piano solos. Fit for the elder dragon of ice! Instrument highlight: piano
Morning Star Of The Dark Tide (Namielle) - An underrated theme for an underrated elder dragon! While it's on the slower side, it maintains a very entertaining rhythm with interesting use of marimba and piano. I’ll ride these waves any day. Instrument highlight: marimba and piano
Alatreon (not released on Spotify) - I haven’t really given Alatreon’s theme much of a listen before since I have admittedly never beat him. BUT now that I am listening to the full thing I can say with certainty this hits hard. This track really just says ‘oh you’re SO fucked’ and I love it. Instrument highlight: percussion and guitar
From The Rumblings Come A Song/A Single Bloom In An Eternity (Shara Ishvalda) - The perfect example of how to make battle music terrifying as fuck. The first phase is nothing to scoff at, but the second is when all hell breaks loose. THE GOD DAMN LAUGHING SNUCK IN AT ONE MOMENT??? HELLO??? Can’t believe this track can manage to be both creepy and really fun to listen to at the same time. Instrument highlight: mallet percussion and what sounds like a pungi flute??? Not quite but its very similar
The Invading Tyrant (Bazelguese) - Bazelguese’s theme is the One-Winged Angel of Monster Hunter. It’s incredibly iconic and instantly fills you with fear in and outside of the game. And once the intro subsides, it builds up to a banger chorus that shines with heroism. Instrument highlight: assorted strings
Murmurs From The Land Forbidden - One of the best area themes in the game. The chorus kicks major ass and that flute can fuckin’ get it. Instrument highlight: flute and whatever that introduction instrument is… synths???
Empress Of The Flame (Lunastra) - Teo’s wife improves his theme in every aspect. Not only harp, but also piano and harpsichord?! What a treat to the ears! Instrument highlight: harp and harpsichord
Ruler Of The Flame (Teostra) - Man I feel bad for sleepin’ on this theme. Those drums are absolutely fantastic and the whole song grooves really well. Instrument highlight: drums
The Howling Of The Lone Wolf (Yian Garuga) - This theme feels like orderly chaos in a way. It’s bombastic, but doesn’t go into overdrive. Those bongos are groovy, and it definitely snatched up some of Brachydios’ amazing mallet percussion. Instrument highlight: bongos
Roars Across The Hinterlands - That introduction woodwind hits real hard. Doesn’t waste its time to get right into the action. It’s a really fun take on a theme for a snowy area. Instrument highlight: percussion
World’s End (Arch-Tempered Nergigante) - Spiky boy 2 electric boogaloo! This version is one I feel like I can listen to more often and really enjoy. Nothing too special, but that chorus sure can be a banger. Instrument highlight: drums
Dancer In the Coral Highlands - Instantly hooked with the handpan and/or steel tongue drum introduction. A pleasant mix of hard-hitting ferocity with moments of elegance slipped in-between. Instrument highlight: handpan and/or steel tongue drum
Guiding Lamp To The Otherworld/How Life Springs Anew (Xeno’jiiva) - First phase takes its sweet time to establish the otherworldly nature of Xeno, but the second phase is where it’s really at. The headstrong march of the brass and drums leads the charge until the chorus unleashes a pretty string symphony. Not something I’d replay often, but gosh darn it I’ll revel in the beauty while I can. Instrument highlight: assorted strings
Even Elder Dragons Tremble (Nergigante) - The chaos radiates off this spikey boy in waves and the music reflects that perfectly. A rambunctious romp with an angry overgrown hedgehog accompanied by this song makes it all the more entertaining. But it’s not really a song I’d listen to on loop or come back to often. Instrument highlight: assorted brass
The Shadow Upon The Tempest (Kushala Daora) - I’m surprised at how much I find this song to be decently enjoyable when I find Kushala hunts in World to be really annoying. Really does sound like what someone would hear in the middle of a tornado and being windblown to hell and back. Instrument highlight: orchestral chimes
Savage Of The Ancient Forest - Standard fare, let's ya know what you're in for and it serves its purpose well. Instrument highlight: trumpet
Rulers Of The Wildspire - On the milder side, has a lotta fun instrumentation though. But unfortunately it’s not something I’d prefer to listen to over other tracks. Instrument highlight: assorted percussion and guitar
Forces Of Land And Life - The bells are what make it interesting, otherwise it just kinda feels blander than the others on the ‘alright’ tier. The chorus really only lasts about ten seconds. Instrument highlight: bells
Beast With Fire Upon Its Back (Zorah Magdaros) - As slow and surprisingly tame as this track is, it does feel like the embodiment of scaling up a mountain-sized volcanic monster. Is that organ I hear in the chorus aftermath? Instrument highlight: assorted brass
The Beast Bares Its Fangs (Tigrex) - Another instance where it's very fitting for the monster, but doesn’t have much replayability. For some unknown reason the added harp riffs sprinkled in make me laugh. Ah yes, let's give the aggressive feral creature that can damage you with its roars alone some nice lil’ harp riffs :) Instrument highlight: harp (for the funny)
The Voracious Devil (Deviljho) - I will live and die a Deviljho hater (not even him throwing other monsters around like toys can save him from my burning frustration hunting him), and his music definitely reflects how much of a prickly bastard he is. Definitely not replayable for me, but it sure does get the point across that you do not wanna cross paths with this giant pickle. Instrument highlight: assorted strings
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