Arknights - Vows of the Sea // Reaction & Analysis

[@Bylov6812]

I forgot if you mentioned it, but it was SUPPOSED to be a sea shanty because many of them should've been singing like in The Golden Age Will Return Again, but notice how he's the ONLY one singing. Others are gone, dead, killed, missing. Hence it became a sea song of sorrow.

[@ziitania9939]

I was about to comment this. It's really telling to his character that this song feels like it's supposed to be sung by a full crew, but he sings alone.

[@intenseavarice34]

This is what hit me super hard about this song. It carries such power, such meaning; and yet you can HEAR how hollow it is, you can hear how there should be more voices.

[@Piquliar]

Honestly, Ak's seaborn related music hits different.

[@ExceedProduction]

Definitely the best thing to come out of the AK lore. They just do everything so right with them. Well, aside from it taking so much focus.

[@MizukiStone44]

As a note, this character's 'animal aspect' is the Humpback whale, which might recontextualize the start of it.

[@blackhammer5035]

This took me three or so listens to really appreciate. Ulpianus singing this for his crew, who are almost entirely dead or gone, so he has to sing the responses himself. He is the leader, so he does the calls, of course, but he has nobody left to respond. I also love the "sonar ping" sound. Ties in the aquatic theme with the Aegir being extremely technologically advanced.

[@Shadow6OO]

I'd argue that the there are definitely some call and response sections in it, such as: "Can you feel the might of the winds at our backs?" (call) "Aye, aye, we're coming!" (response) Just that since it's a lone singer (for lore reasons found in other comments) then he's doing both parts instead. And since it gets to be unclear the difference betwee the calls and responses, the back-and-forth sounding lyrics (I don't know terminology, sorry) of the whole "The vows to defend her," "We made long ago," could be apart of that rythm. It's safe to say that proper sea shanty version would feel very different, but I don't think much would be changed lyrically to fit, though changing up the tempo may be needed. Sidenote, I'm not sure if anyone else brought it up, but it's heavily implied that this is one of the actual anthems of the Abyssal Hunters, meaning that all of them were taught it and expected to have it memorized for sake of singing on the high seas anyways.

[@blackhammer5035]

May or may not be intended, but it's fitting that it IS a solo singer doing both the calls and responses, given Ulpianus is mostly a solo operator at this point. He's the only one still singing the song.

[@Shadow6OO]

@@blackhammer5035 Yes. That's the lore stuff that I meantioned saying other people probably covered.

[@char1194]

AYE, AYE WE COMING WITH THIS ONE 🐋🐋🐋

[@SoulWhiteAngel]

A solo sea shanty. A great song for such a cool character.

[@chaosstripe9446]

The atmospheric instrumentals are to give the feeling of the empty space. I think based on the lore that his is supposed to feel a ghost ship with one lone surviving captain left trying hard to keep fighting and hold onto himself and his slowly slipping humanity. The visuals on this are key: most of the song is what he sees around him, the ghosts of dead crewmates. But at 3:00 when the people disapear is what is actually real. Next you should definitely listen to Broken Sun and/or Merciful Broken Sun. Both versions of the song are kinda short, but really great. They're especially good compared against each other in my opinion.

[@danbarnard9785]

I kind of hear this song as a song of lament that transitions partly into a shanty. In the beginning, it has the tone of someone alone reminiscing about memories of the past. At around the 1 minute mark of the original video (or around 1:30 in this video), when the other AH characters come in to the background it feels like it transitions into the past memories (be it dream or thought) of the character with the 'shanty' feel (which feels like a rope pulling rhythm with a pull on beats 1-2, reset on beats 3-4). As the song progresses, it talks about people we have lost (far fewer sailors from the start of the song), until he's all alone in the end. The final phrase feels like he snaps out of his memories (or awakens from a dream) bringing it back into a song of lament. As others have posted too, there is a slight 'call and response' with the 'Aye, Aye, we're coming' line repeated at the beginning of the 'shanty' portion of the song. I haven't had a chance to read the story for this one yet (a lot going on this month), but will revisit when things slow down (had to get the game play in at least).

[@Nirion2206]

Great analysis as always. You can hear the shanty vibe immediately, but it's way darker then you expect. It's still catchy as hell, as many shanties are. The deep low voice helps the darker vibe a LOT. Love it. In any case, my recommendation - "Color your night" from Persona 3 Reload.

[@ReinTenebres]

As for what the song is used for, this character led his troops in chorus in his songs as a test. Their foe is capable of taking over their bodies, and doesn't care for song or the arts, so they use this as a testing method.

[@briankim370]

The intro part of this song is like the cry of a humpback whale

[@intenseavarice34]

Every time the call and response section comes i always sing the response section as loud as i can, its so pwerfully sad to hear the response of a shanty sung by only one voice, and the voice of the caller no less

[@emce1624]

man you need to see the boss battle theme on this path of life event. it's crazy unique

[@Dmitrihson]

Lonely Ulpianus shanty...

[@brigetbirbaew]

Like Bylov said this was originally a shanty even if its not sang that way anymore. He is one of the few abyssal hunters left and stayed away from the other few known to still be living for quite a long time. He alone sings the song his military company once sang together. Awesome video! I really enjoyed the break down on shanties! Joining in on reccomending Whistle Stop! Its an interesting one for sure

[@Tojiro1106]

WE'RE SO BACK TO THE SEA

[@andhikasoehalim3170]

I feel like the only thing that this song is missing is having multiple singers like you are on a ship and the crew sings along like the Dragonborn theme of Skyrim.

[@Haptic_Sensation]

I think what they wanted was to make it sound like almost everyone else is dead or missing, so he's the only one left to sing.

[@mistared4021]

noun: shanty; plural noun: shanties a small, crudely built shack. So obviously not a shanty. Also, interesting bit lifted off of from the original comments on the song, note the constant use of "we" as there's just a single singer with no chorus (unlike sultifureta navis, for example).

[@thomaspetersen4105]

A shanty is also a seaman working song- I think, this is meant here.

[@mistared4021]

@@thomaspetersen4105 I'm aware, I was joking.

[@blackhammer5035]

Ulpianus is pretty much a one-man show most of the time, so it makes sense he's singing a song meant for the Hunters by himself.

[@spiritus_noctis]

Day 2 of asking for arknights EP "whistle stop"

[@juicyjuustar121]

HELL YEAH love that one, one of my favorites as of late

[@brigetbirbaew]

Seconding this!

[@Greennaris_Rater]

Hey, did you do Goden Age will return Again? If not, pls react to it

[@ShahzebAsh]

Yes, he already did golden age last year along with under the tides boss battle

[@hideandslide4586]

yoooooo