EPIC THE MUSICAL got me so ridiculously hyped up but now I have no idea what to do with this energy

OPEN ME :D
Warrior of the Mind animatic: • Warrior of the Mind [ ...
Ruthlessness animatic: • Ruthlessness | EPIC Th...
My Goodbye animatic: • My Goodbye [ EPIC: The...
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[@MathewMcKenna]

my lord all of these went so hard

[@nadsestaenlaluna]

YES OMG THANK YOUUUUU

[@SoKeefe4ever]

The newest part of the saga comes out on the 14th of this month if you would like to listen to those too! They are all amazing songs. The Troy saga, The Cyclops saga, The Ocean saga, and the newest one will be the Circe saga

[@signna]

wait til you listen to the circe saga ☺️

[@pondbrothers806]

If you ever do this again, I’d really suggest Survive and Luck Runs Out. Two of my favorites from this series, really!

[@TimothysBloggingPortal]

I am so glad you finally watched it

[@nantae1047]

He listened to "just a man" without the context... he's too pure, do NOT let him see the animatic or get the context

[@rachelq130]

Looking through the comment section i think it’s to late for that 😂

[@dragonstouch1042]

The Horse and the Infant is the context

[@deranged_dragon9471]

Out of ALL the songs to listen to without the animatic context, he chose the worst one. 😂

[@Camp_Half_Blood_Is_Here]

Same with Polyphemus and Survive. I want him to react to them SO BADLY but I also don’t want him to because of the emotional whiplash and just the depression that comes with it 😭

[@ShyyGaladriel]

Tw the baby is killed. By our mc. 🥲

[@xSilverEchox]

When you also realize the amazing voice for Odysseus also WROTE THE DANG THING. HES SO TALENTED

[@alongstorycutshort]

Was looking for this comment. Jorge is incredible.

[@questworldiangreenknight7455]

SO TRUE!!! He could be the next if not much MUCH better Lin Manuel Miranda

[@peaceofpie94]

@@questworldiangreenknight7455 before I looked up Jorge to learn more about him I thought to myself “imagine if he was Puerto Rican like Miranda haha. Probably not likely” and then HE IS PUERTO RICAN. STRAIGHT FROM DORADO. I am absolutely delighted at the theater/musical talent coming from our little island, especially as a Borinqueña myself :]

[@Harbringer12]

​@@questworldiangreenknight7455 I've literally been saying this exact thing to friends and family.

[@Camp_Half_Blood_Is_Here]

Mr. Jimbo Pimbo is going places

[@all_data_deleted5464]

The way I always saw it was as Poseidon being like “Oh my gods, why did you have to tell my son your name? There are rules that I have to follow as a god. If you had just killed him I wouldn’t have been disturbed, but he called for my help and now I have to go through all this to teach you a lesson because you couldn’t do one simple job.”

[@whitenobeard]

Plus Poseidon in general has always cared for his children. So Odysseus doxxing himself and then essentially making fun of the cyclops he just permanently disabled and robbed. Truly tucked Poseidon off, especially Odysseus claiming that what he did was a mercy. Hence "ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves" essentially saying that had Odysseus just killed Polyphemus he would have spared him and his crews life. Then Odysseus makes it even worse by trying to smooth talk his way out of punishment instead of apologizing. The same thing he did with Polyphemus, and just like Polyphemus it fails. And just like with Polyphemus, his crew suffers for his arrogance.

[@lovenwolfkick8161]

That is the way I was it as well, he never actually apologized.

[@robertmartens9072]

I think it is exactly this. Poseidon is sayong that if they had killed polyphemous he would have no idea who did it and would have just been angry. But by just blinding him poseidon now has a target for his anger

[@kirstenwyatt9675]

Plus, wasn't disability worse than death in Greek mythos?

[@severigne_m7652]

Fr, like you couldve given my son the glory of dying in battle but nooo you left him disabled and gave him a life of ridicule instead. If you killed him, not only would I have known, you also wouldve shown him a little more respect.

[@codasinger5298]

Poseidon wasn’t saying “a true hero kills people”, he was saying “you’ve killed yourself and your men because you couldn’t kill the cyclops.” He meant that Poseidon would’ve never know who killed his son if Odyssius hadn’t left him alive and spoken his name

[@furygeist]

Yes! Like, Odyssius, we get it, yer upset about your friend. But why tell the cyclops your name?! I get that having a bunch of starving soldiers fight the cyclops, even blinded, was not in their favor and a tactical retreat was necessary.... But there was no reason to name yourself after saying you were Nobody. 🤦‍♀️

[@anniefemmas5097]

​@@furygeist Literally Athena's most famous student, he is famous for making not very wise and, above all, proud decisions. ODYSSEUS is known as a story that teaches something about Greek mythology, yes, but it also teaches a man believing himself to be on par with the gods in intelligence and seeing how that only got him into more trouble.

[@newdaydiscoveries1828]

@@furygeist Not only did Odysseus give his name, he gave out the information about his lack of divinity, and that he's the King of Ithaca. In the Greek world and mythology, at the time the epic was written, that would have been the equivalent of giving not just your name, but your address, phone number, social security number, and your bank account. What he did was very, very arrogant in the heat of the moment. It was so incredibly stupid and that's why Athena gets so angry with him. She can't protect him. He opened his mouth when he would have KNOWN how valuable that information was and gave it out ANYWAY. His short speech narratively serves its purpose for shock value and shows how passionate and extremely overconfident Odysseus was about their defeat over Polyphemus. Odysseus: "This is EXACTLY who I am and where to find me. Come at me bro, you won't. You're blind and I have the power of a KING." Polyphemus: "Bet, but I'm not gonna fight you. Oh Dad....." Athena: *Nope, I'm out. Not fighting this idiot's battle for him. I'm gonna tell him before he comes running to me.* Odysseus: "Oh shi-"

[@Malygosblues]

But that first thing sort of is what he's saying. I think Jay Herrans has said explicitly that the arc Odysseus undergoes in Epic is one where he abandons mercy to become ruthless. The song Ruthless references lines from Just a Man where we see this setup. Comet-meteor, candle-blaze, ripple-tidal wave, reason-blame. It's about crossing the line into something greater and more serious. So we see Man paired with Monster. Poseidon even calls himself "The monster that always draws near". The gods are monsters. One of the major themes of Epic seems to be Odysseus stepping out of the mindset of a man to becoming more of a cold hearted godlike character.

[@sneakypotato3595]

I took it as “Polyphemus came crying to me so in order to take mercy on myself and stop him, I have to kill you” “If you had killed him, I wouldn’t have to kill you”

[@sky8554]

Fun fact! Every character has an instrument that represents them musically, Odysseus' is the guitar, and it changes from acoustic to eletric based on how ruthless or human hes being, which is why in my goodbye you heard the electric guitar, while in just a man it was acoustic and softer :D

[@JacobMinger]

I like to think of this musical as Peter and the Wolf on steroids with Greek gods.

[@starriderentertainment8644]

I love that because of Jay, we are just nerding out about instrumants parts and music in general XD

[@Camp_Half_Blood_Is_Here]

@@starriderentertainment8644 and Greek mythology. He’s got us trapped! Once you enter the fandom, *you’ll never escape*

[@words-with-wooly]

The electric is also used when he's tapping into the cunning and strategy Athena taught him, which is why it comes up whenever he and her interact or when he's laying down plans

[@theblueenchantress7537]

@@Camp_Half_Blood_Is_Here this is why he tries taking our souls every other Epic challenge lol

[@mayadargeon2172]

"Just A Man" is the second song of the entire musical, which is separated into different sagas (So far, there are only three out, "The Troy Saga", "The Cyclops Saga" and "The Ocean Saga" with the Circe Saga coming out 14th of February. The entire musical has been outlined to have 40 songs in total, to be separated in 9 sagas, shared in two parts.). The story isn't about the Trojan War itself, but of Odysseus' journey home. The Troy Saga basically narrates just the victory of the greeks, and "Just A Man" is the song depicting Odysseus killing Hector's son, which hit different compared to everyone he has already killed as a soldier, because it's literally just a baby. Frankly, out of all the songs you chose NOT to listen with an animatic, this one might have been the worst choice, just because the imagery of Odysseus cradling the baby in his arms, struggling to kill him with his blade and finally deciding to just drop him from the window of the tower, wrapped in a blanket just to not see it is just. Heartbreaking. And it really helps drive home Odysseus' moral query here, that follow through the entire musical, just how many awful acts can one man justify before becoming a monster ? As for "Ruthlessness", if you didn't notice, Odysseus... Didn't apologize. He justified his action, told Poseidon it was all self defense and that, really, it was all the cyclop's fault. Odysseus is very proud of his smarts and is renowned for his cunning, to the point where he's persuaded to be able to trick a god. And that's this attitude that pisses Poseidon off so much. I don't if he really would've let them go had Odysseus actually groveled, but Odysseus didn't and that way, dug his own grave, and the one of his 600 hundred men crew that he managed to keep completely alive for the 10 years it took to win the Trojan War, only to be reduced to 43 by Poseidon in this song.

[@GuyNamedFaith]

Also when Poseidon said "you could've avoided all this, had you just killed my son", I dont think its because he doesnt care about his son, i think he was in a way mocking Odysseus for not killing the Cyclop, bc if Odysseus did kill the Cyclop, Poseidon wouldn't have known

[@the0black0bullet]

Well the cyclop already killed a couple so it wasn't 600 anymore but posidon definitely gave them a stronger blow

[@mayadargeon2172]

@@the0black0bullet psh, semantics

[@TailsFan]

It drives it home, sure, but I don't think he could actually finish it if he had to see the baby before it fell. I can't watch animatics of that song, I made the mistake of watching two and one of them hurt my heart so much I cried and ran to hug my son.

[@alex._420]

Thank you so muchI was wondering why the album I found deezer had only 5 songs LMAOO it was only one part, good to know!

[@cameronhutson1982]

Jorge Rivera-Herrans has an INSANE mind. He’s composed it so each character is partnered with a specific instrument and has given the gods a more “mystical” and imaginative sound while humans have more “basic” instruments paired with them. And he’s just SEAMLESS at working them in and using the instruments as clues to the story.

[@remnants9974]

isn't it normal for musicals (or any media using music) to give characters specific leitmotifs. it's nice but I don't see how it requires an insane mind.

[@slyfoxcub6578]

Poseidon: Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves Translation: Poseidon: Murdering you is my form of a self-care day

[@TheCozyCinnamonRoll]

i mean same here

[@crystalkatsuka]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@devinwhite5064]

I see it as not leaving loose ends that will later become a problem. like bandaging a wound before it festers and kills you. In this particular case he showed the cyclops "mercy" by sparing its life. Allowing Poseiden to be called in for vengence. Had he been ruthless he'd have spared himself and his crew the pain.

[@enigmatic2878]

Not only did Odysseus spare the cyclops, but blinded him, told him his name, which means the cyclops can just go up to daddy and said that Odysseus was mean

[@pigking7879]

I see it more as a "Showing us mercy is just ruthlessness", because Odysseus showed mercy to the Cyclop

[@Tyr5555]

“All Greek gods are at least a little piece shit” mathew Mathew was struck dead by a lightning bolt

[@PromethealBee]

AND ALONG CAME ZEUS 🕺⚡️⚡️⚡️

[@flumeryxx]

​@@PromethealBee HELP 😭😭😭

[@dragb9284]

What did Hades do

[@Tyr5555]

@@dragb9284 kidnap his wife

[@TortelliniR0lls]

@@PromethealBeeHE HURLED HIS THUNDER BOLT

[@azural5722]

About the apology bit in Ruthlessness, that was *not* an apology. Any apology immediately accompanied by excuses stops being a real apology. That's why Poseidon actually becomes *more* vicious in response. What he wanted was an apology. Not some desperate tirade shirking responsibility.

[@lalas181]

He also never said any form of "I'm sorry". No "I apologize", no "Please forgive me", no "My bad, bro"- absolutely _nothing._ Apologizing and explaining yourself is fine, but "we meant no harm" super does not read as an apology in the context of stabbing someone's son in the face and then bragging at said stabbed person about being cleverer than them.

[@furygeist]

Yesssss! Yes! He didn't apologize and take responsibility and in doing so, he doomed his men.

[@rachelicey604]

Yeah. That’s kind of on Odysseus. Was very stupid on his part. Like seriously, at least be like ‘I am deeply sorry for my harm to your family and disturbing your peace. We will take care to avoid harming any under your protection or lineage in the future.’ Or maybe even, ‘If there is any task or job you may want us to complete, perhaps we may compensate by providing for a current need of yours?’ That’s all he had to say. Notice, as well, that in what I said above Odysseus never apologized to the cyclops for hurting him. He apologized to Poseidon for the trouble which is all Poseidon seemed to care about anyway. So many ways to honestly say ‘We’re sorry we were stupid enough to upset you. Please don’t kill us. We’re useful and we’ll make it up to you’. Totally could have been fine, but nope! This idiot had to be prideful.

[@GrayLou]

It's very in line with Odysseus always having to do things the clever way. A true apology is an admittance of wrong doing, a confession that can then be leveraged against you. As a king, he likely avoided direct apologies in his diplomacy. What he offered instead was a pretty worded way of saying "we're not the bad guys, your son had it coming," which Poseidon obviously didn't take well. To make matters worse, the god Odysseus had the most contact with, and the one most likely to engage in his clever back and forth, was Athena, who Poseidon didn't get along with. This "apology" exemplified his wit, and people died because of it.

[@sneakypotato3595]

But let’s be real, would Poseidon really just let him leave with an apology?

[@wingeddangernoodle]

the fact that you DIDNT listen to them in order is hurting my soul. The songs all together tell a story that makes everything about them hit harder, and they do a lot of referencing each other.

[@sugasweet435]

Seriously, the first animatic I saw was Ruthlessness, but when I watched animatics in order the sight of Posideon dropping the baby was pure neuron activation😫

[@fleischsalat318]

​@sugasweet435 why the spoilers?? I hate that so much. I'm still hoping he watches it in order and I would like him to discover these things by himself. That's why we watch someone reacting 😭

[@sugasweet435]

@@fleischsalat318 that wasn’t a spoiler, he literally watched Ruthlessness in the video. I was referring to something that happened in the video he already watched and didn’t mention what it was connected to. Spoiler free bud

[@ashleydean8895]

He never does and it gets annoying.

[@SilverGallowglass]

@sugasweet435 Yeah, I heard "Luck Runs Out" (one where all the clips were put together because this was before Ocean Saga dropped) and then back tracked to Troy Saga. Also, there are so many references to other songs that make those songs better in context. Ruthlessness especially is so rich with callbacks to other moment in other songs that happened before.

[@hippoeleven4440]

For the record, Poseidon was pissed because Odysseus harmed his son's honor, instead of letting him die an honorable death in battle. Honor was everything in ancient Greece, more valuable than life.

[@morriganedda2472]

20:15 and then he drops a baby from a wall (which is why he says ‘forgive me’) Anyways, while you can listen to each song by themselves, I do think that it’s best to listen to them in order. The songs flow seamlessly into each other and really just tell the story. There’s so many amazing animatics in this fandom, I look forward to the next EPIC video

[@novascott1313]

It's awesome how even earlier in the song, he says "Close your eyes and spare yourself the view", speaking to both the audience (who are likely watching in horror) and to little Astyanax, who he's going to throw from a freaking wall. Like OOF

[@Nara.Shikamaru]

@@novascott1313At least there are tellings of this part of the story where the guilt of this is on Achilles’ son.

[@elizabethgatchell4546]

I also interpreted the line as him telling himself, like “I don’t want to watch myself do this horrible thing, I don’t want to watch while I hurt you.”

[@OutOfTheDarkTW]

Epic basically tells the story of odysseus For context on the song "my goodbye" Athena warned odysseus to finish off the Cyclops because until he's dead he's still a threat, and she basically leaves because he "dug his own grave" because he made an enemy out of Poseidon by doing so

[@baddgercatz3367]

The thing about Poseidon asking him to apologies, is that Odysseus didn't actually do that- Odysseus tried to justify what he did, but he never apologized as Poseidon asked him to

[@dragonstouch1042]

Wisest of the Greek heroes ladies and gentlemen

[@firestarhh824]

I love Mathew but him saying like “Athena isn’t even saying why she’s Getting rid of him” is so funny Because how does he not consider that if he listened to the songs in order it would make sense

[@cassiebillion3511]

Right!? It's one thing that bother me sometimes with the reactions. They're never in order so there are silly misunderstandings xD

[@neivilde.1242]

it's the way i screamed "yes" when i saw the notification and the circle saga is coming out so soon too!!!

[@JeminaMonnie24601]

Haha yes me too, clicked so fast!

[@EG-hy9mv]

Ah, my favourite character in Epic, ✨Circle✨, right up there with Diabetes and Banana Peels

[@neivilde.1242]

@@EG-hy9mv hahhahahaha it keeps autocorrecting it, i can’t lmao

[@allthingsjustice6465]

Me to 🤣

[@ashleyhaiumy4196]

Me too😭😭 I was going in his chanel every day to see if he had posted

[@ArbIe-lu2jd]

Yay! I'm so glad you listened to this musical 1:33 - Warrior of the mind 7:24 - ruthlessness 13:28 - my goodbye 17:53 - just a man And for context, the last song is Odysseus throwing Hector's son, Astyanax, from a wall.

[@indigoolantern5669]

I love that this was left as a little side note at the end of the comment which could very well be the most devastating realisation 😂. Also thank you for putting time stops, I really hope for a new Epic video soon!

[@baldberryz]

The way that Jorge Rivera-Herrans writes the music is so interesting! I don't know if you noticed it, but in both Ruthlessness and My Goodbye, there was the phrase "Just A Man" and "When does a man become a monster?" which were referencing back to Just A Man, which I find so interesting, and one of the riffs Athena does in My Goodbye is actually the same one she does in Warrior of the Mind!

[@meltedwaxx]

Specifically I wanna point out (for Mat, OP you probably already know this lol) that those riffs totally symbolize her and Odysseus working together and her being affected by him. She only does it after he does in Warrior of the Mind, and then at the end of My Goodbye she *stops* doing it because they're breaking it off. Jay's music is so full of symbolism I love his writing so much.

[@itsameprincesspeach]

Also in ruthlessness when Poseidon criticizes Odysseus for not finishing the job with Polyphemus, the instrumental inserts a piano (Athena’s representative instrument) because he didn’t listen to her. It feels like a little I told you so even though she isn’t actually in the song which is pretty cool

[@Grimichor]

Now, in There are Other Ways, it once again references back to that with 'I'm just a man, I'm just a man, forgive me'.

[@BrittanyArtPoetry]

For context for ‘my goodbye’, during the fight with the cyclops Athena told him to kill it but he decided not to- and even made the massive mistake of telling the cyclops his name in order to prove a point (remember them), this tactile error (the second in a row) is what caused them to split.

[@TheSaharay1]

For the future, the term is tactical, not tactile.

[@darknezfire]

Sorry, what was the first error?

[@somedudewatchintv5297]

I was just about to say that.​@@TheSaharay1

[@nattyj3246]

​@@darknezfire I think it was hesitating on killing Hector's little son, but I'm not sure

[@oceanowl39725]

I really would recommend to listen to the songs in their order, that just hits different on another level, especially if you listen to Keep Your Friends Close and right after that to Ruthlessness, the CHILLS i got! The Musical is about Odysseus and the adventures in the 10 years on sea while trying to get back home to Ithaca, Penelope and his son. If you don't know the order: Troy Saga - End of the Troyan War, beginning of their journey back: The Horse and the Infant Just a Man Full Speed Ahead Open Arms Warrior of the Mind Cyclops Saga - looking for food in the cave, fighting Polyphemus to escape death: Polyphemus Survive Remember Them My Goodbye Ocean Saga - sailing home, kept by a storm made by Poseidon, finding&meeting Aeolus, meeting Poseidon: Storm Luck Runs Out Keep Your Friends Close Ruthlessness And next week (14th Februrary) comes the Circe Sage

[@Ansixilus]

Cannot overstate the importance of this. The musical sung through, so the songs carry all of the story, and listening to them in order actually does tell you the whole thing.

[@sourpatch1743]

THISSSSS IM LITERALLY BEGGING HE LISTENS TO THEM IN ORDER MOVING FORWARD

[@Dani_77709]

You just can't randomise this. The heavy weight of the emotions this musical inflicted on me must be felt by others.

[@TheMysticRivers]

Odysseus: the greek with the biggest balls for basically going through the pantheon and pissing them off one by one

[@user-cm8di3eb2t]

Except for hera

[@stomyn]

11:50 "Was he just tricking him to get an apology?" Not unlikely, but unfortunately we'll never know since Odysseus never actually apologized

[@AgRoseCrystal]

Mat is so lucky he didn't watch the animatic of "Just a Man" because I think he would be horrified of what was happening at the time of Odysseus's singing.

[@dragonstouch1042]

You kinda need to watch it in tandem with Horse and the Infant if you don’t want Odysseus to come off as a total psycho

[@furygeist]

​@@dragonstouch1042 I mean... He yeets a baby off a wall. Kinda psychotic no matter that the gods were messing with him. 😅

[@dragonstouch1042]

@@furygeist I raise you this: what happened to literally every other Greek who was given a prophecy that a baby would grow to kill them and didn’t immediately act upon it, especially when Paris was one of those prophecy kids

[@abaddondraws7705]

Would like to give a quick explanation on Poseidon's view of the whole thing with Polyphemus and Odysseus! Odysseus only blinded Polyphemus which then allowed Polyphemus to pray to Poseidon and since Odysseus decided to reveal who he was instead of just sticking with calling himself Nobody Polyphemus now knew exactly who to mention to his father! It's important to note that Poseidon is not mad that he didn't kill his son, he is mad that Odysseus revealed himself and allowed Polyphemus to pray to him, hence the whole ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves! Because if Odysseus had just killed Polyphemus (or not revealed who he was) then none of this would ever have happened since Poseidon wouldn't know who to punish! Poseidon's message is that sometimes you have to be ruthless to show mercy to yourself! - Hope this makes sense!!

[@whitenobeard]

Plus Poseidon in general has always cared for his children. So Odysseus doxxing himself and then essentially making fun of the cyclops he just permanently disabled and robbed. Truly tucked Poseidon off, especially Odysseus claiming that what he did was a mercy. Hence "ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves" essentially saying that had Odysseus just killed Polyphemus he would have spared him and his crews life. Then Odysseus makes it even worse by trying to smooth talk his way out of punishment instead of apologizing. The same thing he did with Polyphemus, and just like Polyphemus it fails. And just like with Polyphemus, his crew suffers for his arrogance.

[@lavielavendel9011]

WOLFY IS GREAT (and the songs ofc BUT WOOLFY)

[@LeeHeree09]

FINALLY AFTER ALL THE SEARCH I FINALLY FOUND SOMEONE APPRECIATING WOLFY IN THE COMMENTS 💥 ILOVE THEMMEMRNKJEBNKSLKNA

[@Daja_W]

"its just a song about how much he misses his family" babes nooo its a song about how he's about to kill a literal infant

[@mikecraftva]

him: being annoyed about not having any context also him: not listening to the songs in chronological order

[@keona5560]

Typical Mathew

[@siverikapash]

I'm surprised that you didn't watch an ANIMATION for JUST A MAN (the last song), because I'm sure that I've seen few at youtube and they were INCREDIBLE. Also watching one of them could have helped you to understand that this song isn't just about Odysseus misses his home, it's about a little childe that he was told to kill.

[@lagggoat7170]

Also it would have been funny had he stumbled on Wolfys additional joke variant (where the last "forgive me" ends in a "yeet")

[@lassalicatmeow]

the just a man animatics all are so powerful and filled to the brim with raw emotions too! i was shocked that was the one without an animatic that he chose. i needed to see him cry like i do LOL.

[@geminiqueen7388]

10:59 Mathew the reason this part is said is the fact Odysseus gave his name out to Polyphemus in semi-arrogance after inflicting pain and suffering onto him. If he had killed the cyclops, it wouldn’t have prayed to Poseidon to avenge him. Poseidon would’ve never known

[@djmo9808]

The "Matthew Not Having Context" saga continues 😭 I love that you reacted to this musical, it's actually so good. Though, a part of me was sad that you didnt react to the sagas/songs in order because you missed so much of what was happening + song call backs (like how in "My Goodbye" Athena references "Just A Man") Still, I hope to see more videos on this, you'll be blown away each song for sure :DDD

[@stressedandunimpressed]

The first time I heard this musical I was in absolute awe. I went in blind and was greeted with something truly special. Super excited for the Circe saga on the 14th

[@lop90ful1]

its gonna be amazing

[@DinoandGalaxy]

Fr

[@mothersteele3218]

Ironically, Id say the one song he listened to without an animatic is the one that benefits most from being listened to with one. Just a Man can be kiiinda confusing if you don’t fully know what’s going on

[@Cygnusart0843]

7:30 it’s about the Odyssey which takes place after the Trojan war. (2 songs take place during the final days of the war. The rest are Odysseus’s journey home.)

[@SIMPLY_GJ]

Fun fact: in the this is my goodbye animatic when Athena sings and the chorus rises and these "spirits" appear behind her, amongst them the person with curly hair, glasses and a bandanna around his forehead is Polites (Odysseus friend) who was killed just a few songs before by the cyclops and as can see he's holding a baby.... that baby was the one Odysseus killed in just a man by the word of Zeus who told him that if he didn't kill the baby that same kid would destroy Odysseus kingdom and family when they got older.... Them showing up here shows that Polites and Astyanax (the baby) deaths were the two major lossess/deaths that Odysseus has felt guilty about leading up to this very moment

[@Twainrants]

HE HAS FOUND EPIC THE MUSICAL IM SO HAPPY RN

[@legospideyz]

THE CIRCE SAGA COMES OUT FEB 14 AND I AM SO EXCITED AND I HOPE U ARE TOO WOOOO IM SO HAPPY U REACTED TO EPIC hermes' voice is INCREDIBLE his song wouldnt you like is in the circe saga and we've heard a snippet of it and its SO GOOD a LOT of the songs in the musical do callbacks to just a man and its the best thing ever (and just a man is surrounding odysseus feeling guilty for having to kill hectors son )

[@Skeepers_]

YES I’M SO HYPED!!

[@transmascmess.68]

REDSON PFP SPOTTED

[@legospideyz]

@@transmascmess.68 YEAHHHH

[@Wriley_Katcoff]

Something you’ll notice on a second listen is that lyrics from “Just a Man” are in both “My Goodbye” and “Ruthlessness”. Since it is the second song of the show, it is called back pretty often to reference how much things have changed.

[@nocturnalexecutive3107]

Poseidon is angry not because Odysseus maimed his son. He is angry, because Odysseus maimed his son AND stupidly told him his name, letting the cyclops live. It's like beating up a mafia member and then telling them your address. Now Poseidon, as a god, has to get involved to protect his reputation by killing Odysseus. If Odysseus never did what he did and killed the son, Poseidon would've had the excuse of not knowing who it was.

[@DrowsyKodi]

Everything is just so much more impactful when watching in order a lot of the musical nuances build as the story goes on and different motifs start popping up where you least expect them as the story develops

[@ian3523]

FINALLYY SOMEONE REACTS OMG but pls listen to it in order, it would be such a better experience

[@ceciliesunde5356]

Really is, and it gives all the context and impact

[@ThoseShouldBeRPandas]

"Does he mean its being merciful to myself by making you pay?" NAILED IT IN ONE! Thats exactly what this is about!

[@Jully5Jullyet]

Please! Listen them in order! It will make A LOT MORE sense. And YES, as a lot of people commented here, you HAVE to watch the animatic for Just a Man by Wolfy.

[@yasminegoussous6259]

Yaaaaayyyy!!! Epic! About time! This is gonna be fun! ... you probably should have checked the order of the songs...

[@TheWiseGrif]

He never does, for any series

[@erineynon-daly562]

"Luck Runs Out" from Epic is also great! Would highly recommend listening to that one as well!

[@nikpopnanime]

every saga is like 4-5 songs, so you COOOULD listen to one saga per video! you would understand the context more! unrelated but many characters have an instrument that plays when theyre singing!! for example poseidon is a trumpet, athena is a piano, odysseus is a guitar (type of it changes depending on the context tho like, nylon guitar for emotional moments, electric for cunning odysseus, idk if theres more :])

[@NixNeri]

YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY LISTEN TO THEM IN ORDER, THE STORY IS SO WELL DONE 😭. I didn’t listen to it in order at first bc I only liked a few songs as stand alones, but listening to them in order contextualizes so much of the story/lyrics. I love Epic so much, I’m so excited for the next part, The Circe Saga, which comes out on the 14th btw, bc “Done For” is one of my favorite songs

[@aidancurry218]

I’m so glad you reacted to this and liked it so much! I REALLY wish though that you had listened to Just a Man first, because My Goodbye and Ruthlessness both have references to Just a Man in them, as motifs that are carried throughout the show. It’s frankly amazing how this musical uses motifs.

[@katinka01114]

Poseidon is mad because Odysseus went Halfway. He blinded the cyclops, cursing him to a long life blind, while also telling him his name. If Odysseus killed him, none of this would have happened. If he was ruthless, this wouldn't need to happen. Mercy. But Ody didn't commit. Good, but not great. Now? He gets punished. You made your own bed, lie in it -type of thing Also for My Goodbye. Not sure how intentional it was, but knowing Jorge, I can imagine it was, but with Odysseus there was a change to the Greek Hero Archetype. Before, like with Achilles, it was very emotional, with big heroic deeds. With Odysseus, the idea of a Smart Hero was introduced, who decides based on logic and wit, rather than emotion. But when it comes to the Cyclops, he is thinking with his heart, instead of his head, so he is failing as a hero in the eyes of Athena. Hence her goodbye.

[@Wargulf2838]

Polyphemus was blinded by Odysseus, claiming to be "Nobody". when he was, Polyphemus cried to other cyclops for help, but he was shamed and laughed at because poor Polyphemus claimed "Nobody blinded me". when Odysseus made his escape he revealed his name and claimed to show mercy in letting him live. Odysseus could have killed him, and nothing would have happened. poseidon would have been angry, yes. but he wouldn't have anyone to blame with absolute certainty, and since every mortal die at some point, Poseidon would have eventually made his peace with Polyphemus' death. instead Odysseus stole from him, lied to him, blinded him, let him shame himself among his peers, fled, gave his real name to him, let him live in shame and darkness, and claimed this act of insulting disdain was "mercy". In meaning well by usual standards, he has made the gravest of insults to someone he didn't wan't to hurt. "ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves"

[@thethingwithfins]

For Poseidon's sake... He was more so upset that Odysseus taunted the cyclops by revealing his name as he sailed away. And because of that the cyclops could pray to daddy and demand vengeance. So he has to hear about it, and it makes him look bad if he doesn't retaliate supposedly. And when he is confronted and asked to apologize its not sincere... like at all..... So examples are being made... For my goodbye... Athena has been his teacher for his entire life pretty much, and following her guidance to harden his heart, do what it takes to win, etc. He has had to watch people die, suffer and lost many people close to him. And at this point he breaks, this song plays right after the encounter with the cyclops mentioned in the prior song. Where they blinded the cyclops and he decides that he will not in fact finish the cyclops off after they've basically escaped and chooses mercy instead. However instead he reveals his name to the cyclops and now that cyclops knows exactly who to tell daddy Poseidon hurt him. Consequences ensue. "Just a Man"... Yea the gods basically took a young boy and made him into a monster in his own eyes. He spent his life serving them and doing what he had to do... and this song is playing as they tell him in order to end the war, and make sure that troy cannot retaliate... He has to kill the prince... who is an infant... and of course he does it... because the gods are goading him on to do it. SO TLDR the gods fkking suck is an accurate statement.

[@dragonstouch1042]

In fairness to that last one, what happened to literally every other person in Greek myth who didn’t outright kill their prophesied destroyer? Hell, Paris was one of those very prophesied destroyers!

[@beastwriter3915]

Keep going with this Just a Man Remember Them Open Arms And the rest Edit: oops, I just finished the vid, you already did Just a Man 😅 Also, the sound designs are conscious symbolic decisions Odysseus is a guitar, acoustic when he's gentle, electric when he's serious Athena is a piano, and the electrical clock sound effect is her telepathic communication ability, Quick Thought All the magical elements are represented by electronic sounds It's really cool

[@samimiller827]

I have a 12 hour drive from home to college, and this series is always in my playlist on the drive and it becomes a concert in my car

[@marshy_5406]

You really should listen to the songs by it’s order. It not only impacts the way the songs affect the story but also give so much more emotion

[@julianaxihluke3748]

I love that you noticed the riffing in "warrior of the mind" Athena only starts after she hears odysseus do it effectively sealing their relationship. And later in "my goodbye she does the exact opposite, starting with the riffs and going back to her holding the last note when she leaves him. I haven't heard anyone else talk about this before.

[@k0rinka]

Tbh I can't wait for you finding out Circe and Hermeses' voices Like They're amazing And Hera's voice Oh lords

[@ringzofmarz]

FINALLY! I’ve been waiting for this!! Also the complexity of the line in ruthlessness when he says “you could have totally avoided all of this had you just killed my son” and the animator shows him holding a baby and then dropping it. At the very beginning of the musical during the war of Troy, we see Zeus come to Odysseus and tell him that a defenseless baby prince of Troy, was going to rise against him in the future and take away his family and his kingdom, and Odysseus initially pleads and begs for another way other than violence but when told there is no other way by Zeus, he sits and reflects and wonders “when does a man become a monster?” And walks to the edge of the castle walls and drops the baby right in front of his mother and people. And we see him grapple with the guilt of that through the rest of the musical constantly being told by his closest friend that there is a way to be kind and merciful, but being told by Athena that death is honor and that he should kill and fight. So he never reveals his name to the cyclops, but after he killed his men, and trapped them he became so bitter and spiteful. Even though Athena urged him to kill the cyclops as they fled he said no, and then taunted the cyclops from his ship as he sailed away “I am Odysseus king of Ithica, I AM YOUR DARKEST MOMENT, remember me the next time you dare choose not to spare” and left Posideons son blind and humiliated. He could kill an innocent child, but falter when killing somone who killed so many of his men and his best friend? And then boast about it?”

[@world0felegance]

He wasn’t saying that he was doing this because he hurt the cyclops. He was coming to defend the Polythemos because he was his son and telling if he had just killed the cyclops instead of letting him live he wouldn’t be dealing with Poseidon right now. So this was all his fault

[@WhoIsMike]

Fun fact… in the story Athena interacts with Odysseus and other disguised as a guy named Mentor. So when Jorge (voice of Odysseus and writer of EPIC) wrote this song and the line “if you’re looking for a Mentor, I’ll make sure your times well spent” I found that really cool.

[@neivilde.1242]

epic is such a cool musical, you really need to hear the creator, jorge rivera herrans talk about it, he has loads of videos on his channel, where he breaks down his creative process, inspirations and all that, and it's just so cool to see how passionate he is about it and the detail that goes into it. in total it has 40 songs, that he releases in sagas, 9 total. it's the story of the odyssey obviously. so far we have the troy saga, the cyclops saga and the ocean saga, and the circe saga is coming out feb 14. he has recaps of the storyline of each, i don't wanna spoil it cuz when you listen to them in order, the story is clear. although there are things he explains in videos that you don't get immediately, like in warrior of the mind and my goodbye, when athena and odesseus talk, it's in the "quick-time" dimension, you can hear like a clock when she arrives, so that's why it's out of time. in warrior, she's showing him a flashback of when they first met and she decided to take him as her disciple. you should really listen to it all in order on your own time, cuz it's so satisfying to hear the themes repeated. also a favourite detail of mine is that when there is a chorus/ensemble, when it's with the gods, they can have a c hours coming out of nowhere because they are gods, they can do whatever they like, so when he's singing "you are athena" and the chorus repeats it, it's athena being amused by him and having a chorus there, but when he's with the crew, the ensemble is always the crew. it's all so cool, definitely listen to it on your own id say, and when the circe saga comes out, have a first listen video, that'd be cool

[@Hollow_Apollo_]

Well, if this didn't get me even more hyped for the Circe Saga coming out next week

[@McClintonforThree]

Was anyone else tearing their hair out when you realized he wasn’t going to listen in order? 😂😂😂

[@fictional-girl_05]

Yes, that was an electric guitar in My Goodbye. One fun little fact about Epic is that a lot of the characters are associated with a certain instrument. Athena is a piano, Odysseus is a guitar, but the type of guitar changes depending on the context.

[@Ryan-16779]

i cant possibly explain how happy this video made me, i absolutely love epic the musical. its also so cleverly written because there are so many hints in the music who is singing, if its a god or not. jorge rivera herrans is such an incredible songwriter and singer. i could rant for ages about all the things that make this musical so incredibly good

[@CaptainMargaret42]

Dude, this was so fun!!! I highly recommend (if you haven't already) listening through all the songs that are out so far. Also, if you listen in order, you'll get all the context you were missing and all the questions you had are answered. Jorge has them in Sagas of 3 to 5 songs each and 13 out of the 40 songs (3 Sagas - Troy, Cyclops, and Ocean) have been released so far.

[@Sydberry]

I LOVE that Ruthlessness animatic!!! It's so well drawn and symbolized! And the song is so well sung

[@Saphira1198]

I mean, to be fair to Poseidon... Odysseus didn't actually apologise? He tried to justify his actions, but he never apologised. Which, I think, is quite the nice detail of Odysseus trying to talk his way out of situations without ever admitting to wrongdoing on his part. Very Athena of him.

[@siverikapash]

OH MY DEAR LORD- YOU DID A VIDEO ABOUT EPIC * SCREAMS *

[@fourth_wall_broken3550]

Haha that lost song was about Odysseus being ordered to kill an infant by Zeus. Hes talking to the baby during the song.

[@xinex5166]

‘Luck runs out’ is my favourite, has been since Gorge first came up on my FYP a few years ago. Honestly the best musical to come out of TikTok, so much talent converged to make it all.

[@theworldaccordingtogavin440]

In “my goodbye” Athena had to leave after Odysseus fell into hubris and announced who he was after injuring the cyclops. He could have just left without dropping that info, but he was “just a man” and had to tell the cyclops in anger after it killed his bff and men. She knew it was Poseidon’s son, he didn’t. And by telling the cyclops, Odysseus made it impossible for Athena to help him any longer.

[@wolfishpotato6978]

Mat before listening to a single song: You guys have been requesting this for so long and I'm so ready for it! Me, having seen Mathew get blown away by Disney songs and having listened to Epic several times: No, no you're not lol. I can't wait! After the video: Yep. As expected. So to explain Epic, it's a musical currently being written still and it's a retelling of the Odyssey

[@user-kd2li6rh5x]

IM SO HAPPY YOU DID IT!!! I’ve been OBSESSED with Epic for a while so I’m so excited you reacted to it!

[@stephaniec3022]

Yes! Epic combines my love for Greek mythology with my love for musicals and doesn't fail to deliver! Please react to more, especially after the Circe saga comes out.

[@ringzofmarz]

“Just a man” is what he sings right before dropping the prince of Troy from the wall of the castle in front of his mother and people. He claims Zeus made him do it. But he could have gone against Zeus.

[@paleobolt8069]

You can't understand how incredible excited I am that you a reacting to this.

[@roselian2714]

BRO I MUST BE PSYCHIC I JUST RE LISTENED TO EPIC AND WAS THINKING ABOUT RECOMMENDING IT TO MATTHEW ON THE DISCORD AND OMFG IT HERE HOW DID I KNOW

[@sneakypotato3595]

It is EVEN BETTER when you listen to all of them in order because the songs all parallel each other and each character has their own instrument and it’s absolutely amazing

[@phinnking]

okay first of all, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS IVE BEEN WAITING SO LONG. second of all, please do more of this. I'd heavily recommend you listen to it album by album (beginning with the Troy saga, then the cyclops saga, and then the ocean saga) so you can get some sembelance of plot, character development, and the usages of overture and reprises. But if you'd rather go with your usual "listen to it in random order and guess what's going on" I'd recommend you listen to the songs, Open Arms (from the Troy saga), Remember Them (from the cyclops saga), and Keep Your Friends Close (from the ocean saga) :))

[@NeonNeslon]

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST CONCEPT ALBUMS EVER. I'm so glad ur covering it now

[@Animefan24]

If you love these songs you should listen to the sagas in order Troy, Cyclops, and Ocean Saga. Circe saga is coming out next wedsnday which is valentines day. Also the creator of Epic the musical is the voice of Odeyssus.

[@Carolus_B]

One thing to note on Ruthlessness, is that Poseidon told him to apologize for his son's pain, but instead Odysseus justified and offered an excuse for his actions. In the end Poseidon was genuinely trying to teach Odysseus a lesson, one he doesn't learn till much later in the story.

[@missing_names8001]

You need to watch the animatic for Just A Man, it's so sweet and sad but its beautiful. I hope you listen to more songs from this because they're all awesome!

[@SpectralArchivist]

I've been obsessed with this musical for almost a year now... it's so good. Also, I highly suggest watching them in order, or at least keeping in mind what order they take place in. It'll make the story make a bit more sense. (Note that the musical is still a work in progress, so we only have the first 4 (almost 5) sagas.) *The Troy Saga* The Horse and the Infant Just a Man Full Speed Ahead Open Arms Warrior of the Mind *The Cyclops Saga* Polyphemus Survive Remember Them My Goodbye *The Ocean Saga* Storm Luck Runs Out Keep Your Friends Close Ruthlessness *The Circe Saga* (Releasing on the 14th) Puppeteer Wouldn't You Like Done For Other Ways

[@angelajaime5155]

AHHHHHHHHHHHH YOU DID THE ANIMATICS!!!! I would have loved if you did the animatics for Just a Man, (by Wolfy of course) the visuals are truly a punch in the gut. If you're interested in more EPIC songs, I recommend Mircsy animatic for Polyphemus and My Goodbye, their animatics have a quite strong contrast to Wolfy's Thanks for the reaction!

[@animustudios2257]

Aaaaahhh! You've missed that little expression Athena made after he yells, "You're Alone" line. I loved these animations!!

[@jarmandog413]

11:50 if you listen to the actual words used by Odysseus, he never apologized just tried to justify his actions and shift blame. Poseidon was not in the mood for excuses, apologize or die, don’t try to outsmart your way out of this.

[@aniflowers1998]

If you continue going through the Epic songs, you should totaly sticking with reacting to animatics for them! It makes it easier to figure out what the songs are about, especially if you listen to them out of order. (Plus the animatics just go really hard xD)

[@froggy12koreangirl]

I have never been so excited for this reaction- MATTHEW, this series, community, vocalists are… amazing. I definitely recommend listening to it all- they just had the 3rd Saga but I’ve been so in love with what we have so far!-

[@sourpatch1743]

WAAAA I WAS SO EXCITED WHEN I SAW THIS NOTIIFFFF Though I do have to mention you are listening to these wildly out of context XD I really really reccommend trying to listen to them in order from here-on out if you continue making videos on the musical because there were a lot of times where you would've been able to understand the song(s) better if you had only listened to the song prior. Maybe do a reaction per arc? The Circe Saga is coming out the 14th and I believe in order the arcs are the Troy Saga, The Cyclops Saga, and the Ocean Saga. If I remember correctly they have just about 4-5 songs each! Regardless, loved the reaction and I'm so so so so excited that you're finally reacting to this musical!!!!

[@creelcreepypasta9414]

Each of the characters has an instrument connected to them. Athena, piano. Odesseus, guitar. The type of instrument depends on the mood. I think acoustic for emotion parts and electric guitar for strong moments. The creator talks about it on his TikTok.

[@Abigailk59]

I am so happy you did this! I highly recommend you listen to all kf then in order. So far there are 3 sagas out (with the fourth coming out February 14th). I've listed them below in order of saga and the songs are also in order. This is the best way to get the full story and understand a built more what is happening at each point: 1. The Troy Saga: - The Horse and the infant - Just A Man - Full Speed Ahead - Open Arms - Warrior Of The Mind 2. The Cyclops Saga: - Polyphemus - Survive - Remember Them - My Goodbye 3. The Ocean Saga: - Storm - Luck Runs Out - Keep Your Friends Close - Ruthlessness 4. The Circe Saga: - Puppeteer - Wouldn't You Like - Done for - There Are Other Ways Sorry for the long comment. I really hope you do a part 2, all the songs are amazing and deserve to be listened to.

[@biancabarbu1254]

i need you to listen to these in order because they are so good in context. I'm so glad you're doing EPIC, it's so great

[@softly3359]

Epic the musical has become so much of my life in the short time I've had it, I love it so much, I'm so excited for the next saga coming out next week

[@tlowgh125]

Love that you’re getting into this. Mildly hurting MY adhd that you didn’t watch them in order. 😂😂😂 But yeah this musical is fantastic and the next installment of tunes is set to release on the 14th!

[@buahahaevillaugh1113]

YESSSSSS EPIC THE MUSICAL IS A WORK OF ART IM SO EXCITED. Please listen to all three saga's in order. It's a whole musical and the creator releases it in parts. The fourth set of songs, the circe saga will come out on valentine's day.

[@adelina201]

after your comments on the cyclops, i really hope you react to the songs centering on that. Polyphemus, Survive and Remember Them are my favorites for sure, and I recommend you watch them in that order, btw! Also an hot take, but I'm on the cyclops' side. Afterall, they killed his favorite sheep 😭

[@world0felegance]

Also he stated that he wanted to follow Athena but when she told him the path to take he almost deliberately didn’t listen and it cause his crew to suffer needlessly and then rather than owning up to it, he blamed her for his actions and she was done with trying to waste all her time on the strategies she had been for someone that wasn’t going to listen.

[@m_art_ha_b]

I'm so happy you did this!!! It is amazing!! The third sage comes out on valentine's day, Feb 14th!! ❤🐷