#mutiny animatic

[rileys-battlecats]

you can trust him guys don't worry

[northlt03]

Odysseus ending up on Calypso's island after losing his men (and his sanity) 😭

[epicthemusicalstuff]

I know I’m still learning to do animatics and animate stuff- but I’m bored so I wanted to know- if I were to actually finish an epic animatic (cause I start so many but never finish them)- which song do yall think I should do?

[vint-knight]

Mmmmnm me imagining Odysseus having a small flashback to Ctimine and Eurylochus, then sinking in that if Eurylochus kills the cattle, then it will risk his chance of not only being unable to see his wife, but his own sister, the sister who is also waiting for her husband, now it turns into "We can get home", and we pan around as the soldiers chant along with Eurylochus, and all their loved ones are behind them, the ones that are also waiting for them, and as Eurylochus is about to silt one of the cows throats, appearing just behind Eurylochus, which makes Odysseus scream out for him to stop but it's to late as Eurylochus kills one of the cowsand Ctimine and all the other remaining people who are waiting in Itacha for the other crew members are gone from Odysseus's (And the audience's) line of vision, realizing that they have practically doomed themselves into never seeing their loved ones again... expect for one man

[beauty-and-passion]

So... The Thunder Saga

Or, as we can call it, "Of Intentions and Pride".

By now, Mr. Rivera-Herrans is a guarantee of quality: he makes a song, it will be a bop. He will also psychologically destroy you and hype you up at the same time and give your brain a good scratch - especially if you know the Odyssey already - and the narration is so clear and the characters so flawed... let's just say, you will leave by being completely satisfied.

Fine, the songs might not be musically incredible, but the references, the voices and the lyrics are absolutely perfect. They pick up from all we experienced through Act I and introduce us to an Act that, with those premises, will definitely be characterized by pain. But, like, a lot of pain.

And we all like some sweet sweet angst in our lives, so let's talk about the songs a little more in detail.

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Suffering & Different Beast: We! Got! The! Sirens! In my first post about EPIC, when the Underworld Saga wasn't out yet, I hoped we would have the sirens here and so here they are: the sirens!

I like how Mr. Rivera-Herrans decided to change the events regarding them, compared to the Odyssey. In the original story, Odysseus wanted to hear the sirens' song, so while the crew plugged their ears with beeswax, he was tied to the mast and he actually listened to that song. And yes, it drove him crazy, he begged and ordered to be released, but the crew didn't listen to him, until they were at a safe distance.

So the original Odysseus' encounter with the sirens was characterized by curiosity. He knew they were dangerous and still wanted to listen to them.

But the premises in EPIC are completely different: in the previous song, Odysseus just sang about wanting to become a monster. He won't let anyone stop him from coming back home. This is his main focus - it has always been his focus, since Troy: coming back home to his son and wife. He's not curious about everything, he's not willing to take risks. He's different from his Homeric counterpart.

(I think this also explains Jorge's short about not using EPIC as main source while talking about the Odyssey: he was about to change one of Odysseus' main characteristics, of course he wanted people to not mix up the two things)

So, when Odysseus meets the sirens here, he's not curious about them: he just sees them as a means to his end. He plugs his ears too just like his crew and gets to them the information he needs. That's it. No curiosity, no interest. They're just another enemy.

Hence why, he has to slay them. It doesn't matter if they're begging: he made a mistake once, he won't make the same mistake again. As Poseidon taught him: ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves.

Speaking of the sirens, I also love how their "luring song" isn't just a simple song: they literally use Penelope's voice and shape, to trick Odysseus into getting in the water. And that makes it way more impactful: just imagine this man, after promising himself he will come back home to his wife, sees his wife calling for him. The perfect temptation.

I would also like to point out this sentence from Wikipedia regarding the sirens:

"Some post-Homeric authors state that the sirens were fated to die if someone heard their singing and escaped them, and that after Odysseus passed by they therefore flung themselves into the water and perished."

I don't know if Mr. Rivera-Herrans knew about this, but I love the idea that Odysseus was responsible for their death both in the Odyssey and in EPIC. The only difference is that he was indirectly responsible in the original, while in EPIC he's a ruthless beast ready to slay the sirens firsthand.

Speaking of that, I really appreciate how his crew united around this new version of their captain. He's a "man-made monster" and, as someone on Tumblr pointed out (can't find your post anymore, I'm so sorry!), this can both mean "a monster made by a human" and "a monster in human shape" and they both perfectly sum up who Odysseus is now. Still, they accept this and actively support it... at least when the monster's ruthlessness is directed towards others. They will regret that soon.

One last thing; I like to think that the last line "Odysseus" is a reference to King, because that's another song when he will "kill them all" too.

We're off to a dark start and I love it.

__________________

Scylla: her voice is haunting and beautiful and I will never stop falling on my knees weak with love for those incredible singers. Mr. Rivera-Herrans, thank you for always finding great voices.

I also noticed how, from the moment Odysseus decided to become a monster, the monsters/powerful figures started to understand him. We will see this with Zeus too, but we see it way, WAY more with Scylla.

Odysseus barely talks for the entire song. He says three lines only. But he doesn't really have to talk, because Scylla perfectly explains everything that is going on in his mind.

Odysseus says he doesn't have a lot to say? She says he's hiding "a reason for shame", because he already planned the death of his men.

Eurylochus confesses he opened the wind bag? That left Odysseus "feeling betrayed" and "broke the bond of trust the two men made".

Eurylochus is sorry? Still, Odysseus already made up his mind to sacrifice these men and, since now Eurylochus confessed his betrayal, then he can be one of those six. As Scylla says, "There is no price we won't pay" and "We only care for ourselves".

About the last part, I love how cool and dark her voice is, so driven by bloodlust... it's perfect. And it still explains what Odysseus feels, the heaviness, the regret, the sadness: they're still his men, his companion, his brothers. And if all other times their death was unintentional, this time he actively betrayed them.

But still, despite what he feels, he did it. Because "We must do what it takes to survive". And so he did: in order to survive, he sacrificed the expendables.

And yes it's dark and terrible, but it's also perfectly coherent with the character he is now. He knows he has no chance against Scylla and he must pay a price. He knows must survive, to come back home. So, he decides to pay that price and sacrifice six men, to save more - and most importantly, to save himself. Because in the end, it's like Scylla said: everyone wants to survive. Homo homini lupus.

Even darker. Love it.

(One tiny mistake I would like to point out, because it's the second time it happened: "We're lonely demons from hell", what 'hell' are you talking about, Scylla? Maybe the Christian one? Because I can assure you, there's no 'hell' in Greek mythology. But okay, fine, I'll let it pass, because I've seen this same mistake in a lot of works too - especially fantasy stories with a made-up religion, mentioning a 'hell' that doesn't exist)

__________________

Mutiny: as said before, in Scylla (and in Thunder Bringer) we see the monsters/powerful understand Odysseus and see through him. Here, on the other hand, we see how Odysseus' crew doesn't understand him anymore.

Once again, I love it because it makes sense! Odysseus decided to become a monster, so of course now he's more similar to their enemies, than to the other humans. He's driven by one thing only: home. Empathy, kindness, brotherhood, nothing else makes sense anymore, except for home.

It was still okay, when Odysseus directed his ruthlessness towards their enemies. The problem rose as soon as he directed his ruthlessness toward his own companions.

Why? Because of intentionality. When Odysseus' (and Eurylochus') actions led to the death of most of the men, it was never intentional. It was always a mistake. A mistake he paid dearly, but not something he wanted. Hence why, despite blaming and probably having a grudge against him, the crew never rebelled against Odysseus.

This time, it wasn't a mistake. This time, he purposely sacrificed these six men. And he didn't do it to save others, he didn't even try another plan: he did it, because he had to survive. It wasn't even for his own crew: it was for himself.

That's why, despite six being way less than 500+ held more weight for them. An unintentional sacrifice means "I've tried hard to save everyone and failed"... but an intentional sacrifice means "I'm willing to kill everyone, to save myself".

So, we get the sun god's cows. And considering the premise, this episode is even more impactful. It's not just "Odysseus' men are fucking idiots and ate the cows despite knowing they were the sun god's cows". It's a crew of tired, broken people who went through a lot of shit and have lost all hope of coming back home. They're just men.

And so, as men, they make a mistake. They forget how powerful and vengeful gods can be.

But if they forgot, Odysseus did not and the last part perfectly shows his fear, the sense of urgency, the dread. He knows who is coming, everyone knows it and there's no need to tell who is coming, because everyone just knows he will come and that silent threat is enough to make them run away as fast as possible.

Jsut not fast enough.

__________________

Thunder Bringer: the other songs might just be good, but this one SLAPS SO HARD. I love dramatic songs and this one is INCREDIBLE. The singer's voice is deep, rich, powerful. It's truly a thunderous voice and you immediately know who he is.

That's another great choice: no one calls Zeus' name, nor introduces him. All other gods were announced by something/someone or introduced themselves - but Zeus doesn't need to. He's THE king of the gods, he's THE powerful one. He doesn't need others to tell his name, because everyone knows who he is.

And that makes him SO. FUCKING. COOL. Also because, consider what he said. He didn't tell "I'm pissed" or explained why he was there and his motives. He doesn't need to explain his motives. He just said "I'm here and someone will die, make your choice".

This alone emphasizes the sheer power this figure has. He doesn't need to justify his actions to the mortals: the mortals already know what they did. He's just here to deliver. As he said, he's "the judgment call/The one who makes her kingdom fall".

This is great too, because it's what Zeus does in myths too! In most of the myths, the final decision is up to Zeus: he decides who should be punished or rewarded and his choice is final. (Only the Moirai are above him, but they represent fate and fate was an unmovable aspect of life, so they don't count.)

And the whole metaphor Zeus uses to talk about pride is great too. Sure, it's sexual, but I wouldn't expect less from the guy who fucks everything that breathes. Still, the main focus is not on how much he wants to fuck (which is what most of the people who do rewrites focus on), but on his power. And, in this case, on his ability to unmask every pride and every pretense, to show people's true colors.

Just think about it: when he asks Odysseus

If I were to make you choose The lives of your men and crew or your own Why do I think they'd lose?

he's literally revealing his true colors.

As said before, Odysseus has ALWAYS been obsessed with coming back home to his wife and son. He said it during the Troy Saga, he reconfirmed in every saga: he fights for Penelope and Telemachus, because he wants to come back to them. His crew is made of his brothers and companions, sure, but he never said "I will come back home with them". He always said "I will come back home".

What Zeus is doing now is revealing who Odysseus has always been. He's giving him a choice, already knowing what the answer will be, because he wants him to admit who he truly is.

Do you know what that reminds me of? Berserk. I haven't read it in full, but I know the story and if you've read/heard of the Eclipse Arc, you know too and you understand what I mean.

If you don't know (and don't care about the spoiler - otherwise, skip the next two paragraphs), Griffith is the leader of a powerful army and, during the story, he talks about his dream and how he's willing to sacrifice anything to his dream. His companions? He owes them, he says. Why? Because they sacrificed their own dreams, to help him achieve his. They died, to let him follow his dream. So he needs to fulfill his dream, otherwise their deaths would be in vain.

And when everything goes to shit and after he loses everything and gets one final chance to fulfill his dream, but the price would be the death of ALL of his army... he does it. He willingly sacrifices them. Because that's who he has always been. Because that's what he has always done. Because his dream has always been more important than everything else.

Back to Thunder Bringer: I also love how all voices softer and more subdued, in contrast to Zeus' thundering one. It's a wonderful effect, it emphasizes how "huge" he is, compared to mere humans. Odysseus can't escape, no one can. The tears in his voice are full of pain. But he already made his choice back in Troy - he made it even before sailing from Ithaca.

Now, his nature has finally been revealed. and he will deal with the pain it brings.

But hey, he's not the only one to do it. You have to deal with it too, because, as I said, sweet angst is sweet and these songs are bangers. So listen to them, stream them and shower Mr. Rivera-Herrans with love because he deserves it.

And also, don't forget to stream the new versions of the Troy and the Cyclops Saga! They're new, updated, more beautiful, with better sounds and, most importantly, the revenue will go to Mr. Rivera-Herrans' company and not to the old company that never gave him a cent for them. Fuck them and their greed, this man deserves money and credit and to work on more cool stuff.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll do my 30th listen of Thunder Bringer...

[bigidiotenergytm]

sigh.... still thinking of a mutiny animatic.........

[spineless-lobster]

I cannot wait for all the animatics to roll out because y’all are super talented and also super fast and I’m gonna watch them alllllllll

[alieneyedcow]

Thunder Saga Thoughts

I've been listening to the thunder saga nonstop and I just had to put my thoughts somewhere because the brainrot is real.

I find it so interesting that when the sirens were asking to be spared, Odysseus said he "made a mistake like this, it almost cost my life, I can't take more risks of not seeing my wife." He does not mention the friends that he lost, only that he almost lost his own life. This shows how he's putting his own life and personal mission of reuniting with his family over anything else, including the survival of his crew.

These lyrics also harken back to the cyclops saga where Odysseus tells Polyphemus to "remember them, the next time that you dare choose not to spare." Now when it is Odysseus who chooses not to spare, it is him who does not "remember them."

[wr3nns]

So my roommate and I are quarantined together because we both got COVID together, and I convinced them to listen to the entirety of Epic: the Musical (which, if you didn't know, is a musical retelling of the Odyssey and is full of absolutely GORGEOUS music made by extremely skilled peoples, but it is a retelling of the Odyssey so it gets dark and sad sometimes). They then did so in one sitting, and I wrote down their comments for the entire time because we were stuck together and they had a lot to say. (Don't worry, they gave permission for me to post this to "the forums" because the people would like it, even though I didn't ask to. Great fun, this roommate.)

(I think it's worth noting that I've gotten into the habit of saying "like the musical?" whenever they say "epic", which is quite frequently. We happen to be the pinnacle of humor.)

If you still haven't listened to Epic, go do that and then come back here (it's only a little under 2 hours as of writing this!). The following contains spoilers up through the Wisdom Saga and Hold Them Down (which has not been released yet but there are clips, and I hope that's the actual title but I don't know).

Final warning! Go listen to it if you haven't! You can find it on YouTube and Spotify, probably other places as well but those are the ones I know of.

Heads up for strong language. My roommate swears.

"Full speed ahead = this guy loves his wife"

"Fire but no smoke???? Guys do NOT go to that island"

"Bro do not go to the cave. Bro, they're going to the cave, fucking idiots."

"Bruhhhh… all his men are getting hit by the club! Dumbass. That's why you don't go into the fucking cave."

"Broooo… these guys are DEFINITELY gonna open the bag! I mean cuz there are like four other parts… so there's no way they make it home."

"Bruh… fucking idiots… opening the bag!"

"Yoooo, Poseidon just showed up!"

"Wouldn't you like is FIREEEE"

"Brooo… this guy's gonna cheat on his wife with a nymph."

"Bro this guy's cheatin' on his wife! This guy's cheatin' on his wife! Guys! This guy's cheatin' on his wife!"

"Mmmm… is he gonna cheat on his wife? I feel like it's implied that he's gonna cheat on his wife. Because that's what happened in the book, he had sex with everybody. Then he got home and got mad at his wife. But HE'S the slut!"

"Oh he's not cheating on his wife."

"Bruh… he lowkey wants to cheat on his wife. He kinda wants to cheat on his wife! Okay, whatever."

"Oh, well the prophet is dead. Oh shit they gotta go to the underworld!"

"Uh oh it's the underworld time! Wait I'm almost at the Monster Energy song."

"Oh shit 558 men died because of this guy? Oh it's all his dead men being like, what the hell."

"BRUHHH HIS MOM DIED??? Goddamn. Bruh his mom died while he was gone, that's so sad!"

"Come on… come on… monster! Yes!"

"Whatever. No longer you is taking 3 million years to end, hurry up!"

They made this instead of listening to the song and had to go back to actually hear it:

"Well now he's gonna be evil for real because everyone's telling him ruthlessness is mercy. And he's like, well if everyone's telling me to do it."

"Ooh thunder saga, I bet it's Zeus. Epic Zeus moment!"

"Wait he has a daughter? I thought he had a son. Oh I bet it's an evil siren thing."

"Bro he's getting tricked, his ass is getting tricked!"

"This guy's… this guy's crazy. This guy's getting tricked! It's not Penelope!"

"Oh he knew that, he knew it. Whatever. Whatever. Okay. It's so fucking emo."

"Haha he doesn't have a daughter. I remembered."

"Bruh, everyone's mad at him for missing his wife. You'd let your men die to see your wife? Um, why don't you just survive? Skill issue."

"Oh my god fucking dumbass killed the cow. Idiot idiot idiot. Apollo's gonna get your fucking ass. Dude! These guys keep killing cattle that don't belong to them."

"Ooh this is awesome. Odysseus has to choose between his own life and his men. I feel like he's gonna choose his own life. Because they all suck and they're fucking stupid."

"Oooh, who is he gonna choose, I feel like he's gonna choose himself! Because his crew is all fucking stupid!"

"(gasp) he picked himself! Because he loves his wife so much!"

"(gasp)"

"Oh it's his son or whatever."

"Everyone wants to fuck his mom!"

"Don't call her a tramp."

"Awesome Athena moment."

"No, Athena! Don't blame yourself for Odysseus being a piece of shit. He kinda did that to himself."

"Is it mean to think his son is kind of annoying?"

"I just like Athena when she's being kind of mean. Like I don't care that she's being nice right now."

"Bruh! Oh my god he just keeps getting trapped. Stupid."

"Everyone wants Odysseus. I feel like it would be more interesting if he cheated on his wife."

"I guess it would be too much like Hamilton if he cheated on his wife."

"Bro he's gonna kill himself!"

"That's so annoying. If he's just gonna kill himself after killing all his men… I don't know…"

"Oh Aphrodite's voice is so epic."

"Oh they just made him not cheat on his wife so that Hera would like him!"

"That was fire! That was pretty epic!"

Bonus, re: Telemachus Me: "Be nice to him!" Them: "I'll probably like him more after they try to kill him. You can write that one down too."

[dkmbookworm]

This really makes the ending to thunder bringer stand out, because he did the very thing he was trying to avoid in Scylla

Looking his men in the eyes after sending them to their deaths.

“Eurylochus, light up six torches.”

Hang on…that sounds like Odysseus had Eurylochus light the torches and hand them out. Meaning that Ody made HIM choose, unknowingly, who was going to die. Odysseus knew what giving a man a torch would mean, and he f*cking delegated that task to someone else. So he didn’t have to look these six men in the eyes as he sealed their fate. He let Eurylochus do it instead—and Eury, NOT knowing what it would mean, probably chose six of his top remaining men.

I cannot imagine the inner turmoil that poor man went through before raising his sword against his captain. Oof.

[gigizetz]

mutiny sketches I sent Jay on the brainstorming process for the livestream animatic ;0

[rileys-battlecats]

ive finished the first minute of mutiny im drunk on power

[bringbackmaes14]

My favorite moments from the Epic: The Musical Ithaca Saga Premiere Livestream (in no particular order):

Armando and Jay doing the macarena during Luck Runs Out

Also during Luck Runs Out when Odysseus says "let me pull you aside then I need to talk to you in private" and Jay pulled Armando to the side of the room in a very silly flirty manner and then immediately pretended to smack the shit out of him

Talya and Jay swapping lip sync roles during There Are Other Ways

Troy standing on the table and twerking during Dangerous

Everyone pretending to row during Full Speed Ahead

Luke acting like the cyclops during the cyclops saga, and reprising the role during Circe and Odysseus' fight in Done For

Mason and Jay ballroom dancing during No Longer You

Jay and his mom swaying together during Anticlea's part of The Underworld

Jay's dad messing up lip syncing Hephaestus' part of God Games and laughing about it

During Legendary, Mico is clearly on screen lip syncing as Telemachus but Jay keeps typing in chat "Where's Mico?" And "Mico it sucks we couldn't get you here"

Jay trying to hold Mico in his lap during Just A Man

Steven Rodriguez' cast message between the showing of the Vengeance Saga and the Ithaca Saga

Jay wearing ten billion pairs of glasses during Just a Man and then later in chat saying that whenever he wears glasses that means he's being serious (so obviously we can interpret that Just a Man was super serious)

During Get In the Water Mason kept trying to hand Jay a tiny fork clearly trying to mime Poseidon's trident but then it also seemed like he hadn't actually watched the Six Hundred Strike animatic before because he never ended up handing the fork to Jay and his jaw dropped when Odysseus started stabbing Poseidon, at which point Jay picked up Mason's tiny fork off the table and mimed stabbing Poseidon, much to Mason's amusement

KJ jumping around on and crawling over the couch attacking random people with pillows during Scylla

So many viewers spamming the chat with pancake emojis during Survive

Mason pretending to turn into a pig during Puppeteer

Luke pretending to be the magical boar during Warrior of the Mind

JP pretending to be the cow during Mutiny

The grocery bag that they filled with air and tied up and threw around as "the wind bag" during Keep Your Friends Close and Dangerous

Jay and Luke actually pretending to game as Telemachus and Antinous during Little Wolf with what seemed to be switch controllers

The cast using one of said switch controllers as a stand in for the baby in The Horse and The Infant

Everyone applauding at the end of Charybdis when Odysseus is singing "Penelope" but then going "wait wait" and freaking out when Odysseus starts going backwards. Then Get in the Water started and Poseidon said "There you are. Coward." and Jay yelled "IT'S STEVEN!!!!!" and everyone cheered

Jay just absolutely tackling Mico in a hug at the climax of I Can't Help But Wonder

The entire cast trying to be excited and hyped at the end of the stream while saying goodbye/thank you but all of them had been crying/sobbing through the last two beautiful songs so they all just were wiping their eyes and noses and some of them just could not pull it together enough to look at the camera (looking at Luke Holt and Earle Gresham Jr. affectionately) so it was a very emotional excited goodbye

[yui-onnero]

*gay gasp* It's my time. Okay, so, the Thunder Saga. All of the songs in said saga are great! They're all important and we all love because OH MA GOD are those songs amazing. But Scylla's song has a lot of popularity. Why? Well, it kinda ties the whole saga together and convinces Odysseus that he really needs to be a monster to get back to Penelope. The fact that this is all for Penelope drives him on. This is also reminded to him in Thunder Bringer so that he can make the important decision. (I wish I had someone that devoted to me-) Speaking of Thunder Bringer, can we talk about how Eurylocus and his crew literally stabbed Odyssues less than ten minutes before Zeus comes down? And how he killed the cow? I know he's tired, but the fact that he basically asks for his life from the man whom he just stabbed- But I'll lay off. Anygays, back to the topic. Scylla is also slightly pushing Odysseus further into making the hard decision to sacrifice his crew, reminding him of the monster inside him and how he must bring it out to get home to his darling wife. It is extremely hard for him to give up the lives of his crew, but he needs to get back to his wife and son, no matter the cost. The first lyric is LITERALLY him convincing himself that this needs to be done. That this is his only way to get back home! "They lair of Scylla...this is our only way home..." He is still trying to cope with the fact that he must sacrifice his crew, his friends, to get back to Ithaca. Also, the song is just a banger?! All of them are, but still. The fact that Scylla is actively manipulating Odysseus into killing his men is awesome to experience. Jay how are you so good at this?!

Scylla: I'm hungry...ah, a depressed captain who knows he has to pay to sail through my waters and is going through his character arc! Perfect. *ehem* Deep down~" Seriously, this song is so deep and portrays how Odysseus is finally deciding to get. shit. done. An animatic that shows this really well:

And Odysseus already knows that the creatures are attracted to light, which leads up to Mutiny oh so dramatically. *laughs* I gave you a whole entire crappy essay about it. Hope this helps :3 Also, the music slap. Thunder Bringer and Scylla are favorites for a reason, and it ain't just lore. Have a wonderful day, and may it be Epic.

So, maybe you can explain it, but why does everyone seem so enamored with the song Scylla? Like, don't get me wrong, it's a good song, I just don't...get it?

I’m not really sure! I just really think it’s neat! I’m not sure there is one specific thing that draws everyone to it? But a very pretty voice and a sad story are definite draws!!

[missverasen]

TW: BLOOD, FLASHING LIGHTS

Mutiny - Lego Monkie Kid animatic

[anniflamma]

My Thoughts on The Thunder Saga

I've been thinking about The Thunder Saga all day, even though I have a headache, and I can say one thing: I liked it!

I was mostly prepared for the emotional damage in Mutiny/Thunder Bringer for multiple reasons, like collaborating with Jay on the ending of Thunder Bringer. However, I was genuinely surprised by Suffering, Different Beast, and the reveal that Odysseus had already tried to kill Eurylochus during Scylla. I really wanted Odysseus to go full-blown monster mode in Act 2, so I felt satisfied.

Maybe this is a hot take, but I have never really felt bad for Odysseus. The only time I did cry and felt for him was when his mother was singing to him in The Underworld Saga. I've never been fond of the crying, shooting soldier type, both in fiction and in real life. I've watched too many documentaries that made me incapable of feeling bad for people or characters committing cruel acts on others and then crying about it like they were the victims.

The song Suffering was a delight! You immediately knew something was wrong just from the happy tone of the music, especially since we were left with Monster. At first, I thought it was a flashback, and yes, the comment "daughter" piqued my interest. Then I quickly thought it was a dream, but at the same time, something felt wrong.

When it switched to Different Beast, my first thought was, "Did he just shoot Penelope?🤣 " And yes, we now know it was the Sirens! But the imagery is very ironic. I even see it as a parallel with the first saga, with the infant. Odysseus has a whole song about his struggle with the decision to kill an infant that reminds him of his own child, ends up killing him, and then in the second act, he kills a female creature that looks like his wife without hesitation. That, folks, is character development! Yes, Odysseus knew it was a Siren, and we can still tell that he is somewhat tries convincing himself in Different Beast.

"My real wife knows I'm not scared of the water And my real wife knows I don't have a daughter"

Essentially, he is reminding himself that this woman in front of him isn't his wife.

All the cruelty against the Sirens was unnecessary. But that is the point! He believes that the only way home is to be as ruthless as possible. However, bringing unnecessary suffering to both foes and friends was obviously the incorrect decision.

Musically, the song Different Beast didn't really click for me. I mostly found it edgy and not really "cool," if you know what I mean. I've heard it a couple of times but still have a hard time remembering the melody, weirdly enough.

If I ever make an animatic of these songs, it will probably be all together in one animatic. Those two songs are meant to be one, but I understand why they are separated due to the major difference in tones.

The song Scylla was the least anticipated song for me. The snippets didn't really catch my attention. But I did like the conclusion of making Scylla and Odysseus have a short duet at the end. Scylla's cruelty was just a mirror of Odysseus, and he was the one actually killing his men. I think this saga really was Eurylochus' peak in terms of characterization. Eurylochus confesses that he was the one who opened the bag and has suffered with this weight and guilt. Odysseus, in his state of mind, turns away and tells Eurylochus to light a torch, knowing that action will doom Eurylochus. Odysseus straight-up tried to kill Eurylochus already, and I thought it would happen in Mutiny! XD

That moment was cold! No words, no goodbyes, just "Light the torch."

Then we have Mutiny. I really liked it! The callbacks to Luck Runs Out were a bit expected but felt so good when they happened! I've seen comments here and there saying that Eurylochus was a hypocrite due to his comment from the Circe Saga to abandon the men who became pigs. Odysseus even brings that up! But Eurylochus is very justified in calling Odysseus out for his actions.

"When we fought the Cyclops, you were quick to hatch a plan And when we fought with Circe, it was you who left behind no man But when we fought this monster, we didn't take a stand"

Odysseus could have made a plan that at least could have increased the chances of survival for the six men who died. But he didn't, he only thought of himself and betrayed them first, using them as bait to guarantee his own survival. Eurylochus, in the Circe Saga, was a man who was scared, confused, and filled with guilt for opening the bag. So his wanting to take the cowardly route is understandable, but it's nowhere near what Odysseus did.

So then they fight, epic moment, we all love it! And for the second time, Odysseus tries to kill Eurylochus but ultimately fails because Perimedes stabs him in the back. Odysseus is like, "My brothers, why?"

WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHY??? But that is still the point of Odysseus' perspective. He is acting like a ruthless monster now, so he is in a state where he is incapable of understanding or more like thinking of his victims' perspectives. Of course his men would defend themselves from him, of course they would betray him, of course they would backstab him. If you treat your own friends as disposable, eventually there will be a reaction: they will either abandon you or retaliate. It takes an immense depth of pride to feel secure with someone you have inflicted suffering on. And pride is the very theme in this saga!

When Luck Runs Out plays but the roles are switched, it felt a bit nostalgic in a way, but it's still a bit distorted. This time, Odysseus is the one singing Eurylochus' lines, but it's not him being confused and doubtful, instead, he is scared yet manipulative. Eurylochus opens up and is vulnerable toward Odysseus. He feels hopeless, clearly experiencing survivor's guilt.

"Eurylochus: How much longer must I push through doubt? Odysseus: I need to get home Eurylochus: How much longer must we go about my life like this when people die like this?"

When it doesn't work, Odysseus switches from "I" to "we." I love that detail. It's not genuine, and I love it!

Thunder Bringer… I loved it. There, I said it! There is nothing more! LOVED IT! ⚡⚡⚡ I am so happy that I got to do an animatic for Jay for this song!

Thunder Bringer is the song where Zeus punishes the whole fleet for killing (presumably) Apollo's cattle. My theory now is that Apollo doesn't like Odysseus for killing his cows in God Game, and Athena is probably like, "Yeah, but his men did it, not him." And Apollo is like, "Touché."

EDIT: I know that the cattle is Helio's but I speculating maybe the musical will change that to Apollos. Who knows!

Essentially, Zeus literally comes down and sets things straight. Instead of being sneaky and witty like Odysseus usually tries to be, Zeus just gets to the point, "Who gets to live?" And Odysseus points at Eurylochus/the crew, saving himself from Zeus' punishment. Well, I do see that Calypso's island is Odysseus' punishment in a way. It's an ironic one. He comes to paradise and gets a home and a wife… just not the home and wife he wanted. I have some fun ideas for my Thunder Bringer animatic!

Rest in peace, Eurylochus. You will be missed.