How "Embers" become a "Wildfire" [Honkai: Star Rail]

[@the_.little._lily]

27:34 “There is a reason the crew of the Astral Express is called The Nameless. This story was never about you. It’s about them.” I think about this line a lot.

[@julialungan4722]

I guess i got a new roman empire

[@keiyousu7454]

This was something I initially thought when going through the comment section for Wildfire. The Trailblazer gets a cool cutscene, but the lyrics are completely from the citizens of Jarilo-VI.

[@rosejohnston6596]

Bro tricked me into learning music theory by making it about star rail

[@Malroth00Returns]

Bro tricked me into learning about star rail by making it about music theory.

[@MIZvalvod]

@@Malroth00Returns "we have been tricked, deceived, and quite possibly bamboozled"

[@JohnRSoviet]

This comment was approved by the Intelligentsia Guild

[@tanxixuanmoe9275]

Hah fortunately I'm both a music learner and HSR player

[@pigeonsyndrome2249]

Bro tricked me into playing Honkai Star Rail by making it about music theory

[@FrostTwig]

Another interesting point about the use of the Electric Guitar for Wildfire is that its tightly linked to the relationship between Serval and Cocolia. It was an instrument that they worked on together, but as the Steleron's influence corrupter Cocolia, and made her push Serval out of her life, Serval took the instrument with her, and is still symbolized by it. This comes across as a literal story representation of how the strings represent the people, and how the Steleron's influence drives us away from that.

[@JonathanBarouch]

I can't say for sure that that was the intention, but it's a very real link either way!

[@lagrangewei]

Hoyomix always heavy on Electric Guitar, its their style. Serval did take the Guitar to the battlefield after Cocolia defeat but she was never at the battle as she remain to defend her brother. it is an interesting take, but the song is really about the people than the relation with Cocolia... they ain't really fighting Cocolia, they are fighting their fate... Cocolia just lost the will to fight... it is somewhat interest that genshin boss music if about the boss, but starrail boss music, is about the place.

[@ravendethshadow]

@@lagrangewei My personal take on it is that the electric guitar is synonymous with serval as just one of the many voices of the people of Jarilo-VI. I don't think it's a coincidence that it came in at a more pivotal point of the whole composition/story.

[@manunova5929]

Isn't rock the music style of one of the previous generations of Belobog? Wildfire would also represent the will of previous generations.

[@StarBittys]

@@JonathanBarouch I think it probably is intentional, since proper electric guitar was absent from the rest of Jarilo VI's soundtrack leading up to it. One detail FrostTwig got slightly wrong (whether as a misunderstood detail or a typo) was that after Serval and Cocolia split, Serval didn't take the electric guitar -- Cocolia kept it until after her death. It really does represent the union of their ideas, and is so representative of Serval that it's her weapon as a playable character, so I was really struck when I learned that she didn't have it until afterward. Honestly, the inconsistency between her as a gacha character with that weapon/instrument, and her role in the story without it... I think that made it hit harder, weirdly?

[@Clmrn]

the other reason the song hype the moments SO MUCH, is because the in game voice line that definitely help, especially the Cocolia line saying " You are but cinders of the Old World soon to become ashes! ", followed by the song saying " WE MADE A CHOICE GO FIGHT AGAINTS OUR FATE ", with her throwing a massive meteor, shivers go through my spine the first time i experience that

[@gabrielcorpuz5649]

And the music stops during her monolouge, making the song drop even harder once it gets back

[@momsaccount4033]

I love that you don’t obnoxiously praise the music and construction of the game’s scenes the entire time. You delve pretty deep into how the music works in accompanying a specific scene and you appreciate what the scene accomplishes while being critical when necessary. You’re one of the smarter people on this platform. Keep making stuff like this, this video is fucking phenomenal

[@JonathanBarouch]

That's one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me, thank you mom

[@marielcarey4288]

"Wow the visuals of this game are good, I love this ga-" 🔫🙂

[@META_mahn]

I do think that while the criticism is not unfounded, the issues that appear may actually be due to the fact that Hoyoverse does not make AAA titles designed to be run with 3GHz processors that have 8 cores each, multithreading, dedicated graphics, and 16 gigabytes of RAM. They're only really able to work with 4 gigs of RAM and a processor that runs maybe at 2.5GHz with 4 cores if they're lucky. Hoyoverse tends to get overambitious frequently and as a result quality does drop on occasion. Another studio would pre-load the fight while the cutscene plays, but there's a nonzero chance that all of the preloading they COULD do was performed and any more would be asking the processor on your phone for way too much.

[@momsaccount4033]

@@META_mahn Yeah, valid, but I still think it’s important to point out flaws when they come up. It’s not like acknowledging an issue means I hate the game. I want to clarify that because a lot of people instantly assume I am either hating on a good game or defending a bad product because I criticize or praise a specific detail. So many people nowadays see things too black and white. Small tangent aside, I love HSR but there are some small things I can nitpick when it comes to how the story is written too, not just the execution. I don’t nitpick because I feel like I need to call out every flaw for the sake of calling out flaws. That would be very unproductive. I nitpick because I find the resulting topics of conversation to be thought-provoking. I’m sure that the original video poster feels something similar too. It’s good and very healthy to both praise and criticize when warranted, so that others will be able to learn from the example.

[@JonathanBarouch]

@@META_mahn Yes, I think most if not all of the issues were caused by technical limitations and deadlines, not design flaws or laziness.

[@Marcopolo1254_]

i honestly dont know why this doesnt have more views, its really well made

[@sylahkischilling]

Because it is still a small channel

[@dreamweaver4183]

​@@sylahkischillingthat and it's rly recent

[@klinetalladen]

it's up to us to help his channel grow

[@idaard8]

i almost didn't watch it because it's a video to do with hsr and simply put, i avoid videos on hoyoverse games like the plague (i play the games tho)

[@BT10e]

Just wait the algorithm

[@hayond656]

Omg, the "It's about them" at 27:38 with the Fire TrailBlazer's Ult hit me hard

[@jamesorozco8480]

I feel like tearing up at that line, like the way he says it just makes it

[@nore9580]

that segment made me realise that star rail is written in the second person

[@QuinticGhost]

Hit me harder than the trailblazer hitting me with that lance

[@anristellariza9036]

An extremely fun note to add to the theme of "This story isn't about you, its about them" btw, is that Seele and Bronya are extremely powerful OFFENSIVE units, and the form you get is a powerful Defensive unit. It's actually really cool to have the same kind of thematic in a game where characters are gacha-dependent, even if the message can be very easily lost by the nature of not having said units. The idea of being given the will of the Preservation, and using it to protect and watch over the people who change the outcome of the fight(both in and out of gameplay) is stellar, and makes me wish for the possibility of a non-gacha title from Mihoyo. If they can do THIS with arguably one of the least inspired game archetypes to exist, what the hell can they pull off with no holds barred game?

[@JonathanBarouch]

hehe. Stellar. You bring up some really good points, and I hadn't considered that about Bronya's coordinated attacks and Seele's incredible power!

[@higorgabriel2598]

I didn't get my seele until after beating cocolia, so something funny that happened is that I defeated her with serval instead, Wich feels fitting in its own way.

[@JonathanBarouch]

@@higorgabriel2598 "That's for ghosting me"

[@francescoettwedda-1875]

Least inspiring game archetipe you mean the gachas? I'm Sorry for the question my main language is not english

[@wetnoodlex]

The question is: Why would they make a non-gacha title? There's no money in that. Genshin rakes in 30-40 million every month depending on the banner released, and HSR does similarly. With ZZZ, they'll probably be making 100+ million monthly very consistently. It's just a no brainer to continue creating gacha games. That said, why would you disparage a game just because it has gacha in it? Genshin had a rough start, but has since become one of the best story driven games on the market, and I haven't interacted with the gacha for over half a year now (until Navia in 3 days). The gacha is separate from the main story unlike many other gachas that have some way of integrating their gacha into the story like "recruiting". The only gripe I have with the gacha in HSR is that a lot of individual character story and information is locked behind them, but besides that, you could experience the entirety of the Belobog arc without ever interacting with the gacha system. I just don't quite understand why you say "the message can be very easily lost by the nature of not having said units". It just sounds like a word salad to sound interesting, but I just disagree. I don't see how you can't get the message just because you don't have the units from the story. You can see them in the cutscene and that's really all you need lol. The main gameplay/combat is very much separate from the story itself but canonically you are fighting alongside the characters from the arc. I guess you want a more traditional game where you always have characters that are relevant to the story fighting in a party with you. While I'd prefer not having to pay for every new character that comes out/farm daily to be F2P, I don't lose any satisfaction from having units in my party that aren't currently relevant to the arc. I'd argue the game is more fun because you have the option to mix and match units in any given party without limiting them to a certain arc in the story. If you wanna say it's less immersive, then sure, it is unfortunate that you can't get new characters for free despite developer time and money spent to design and create them alongside the free content every patch.

[@kingcrowbro2486]

You know, its funny. There's a part of me that always knew that this song was the *it* factor for me, but having not only Wildfire broken down, but coming to realize just HOW much build up and work was put into Jarilo's soundtrack just to make sure it landed with maximum effect? Yeah, I can confidently declare from the roof tops that Wildfire is the reason I'm in love with this game. Hoyoverse truly, simply, does not miss.

[@cjcjcj2296]

I loved how you delivered the line at 27:43 while showing the splash art of the trailblazer’s ult, with everyone in Jarilo 6 on it. Excellent video that should have more than the (at the time of writing this) 1900 views it has.

[@eggsans69]

Fr that’s my favourite splash art

[@Yasha_U]

wait holy shit I didn't realize that, THATS REALLY WELL MADE

[@arc_boi]

That part of the video gave me CHILLS. It was SO well executed and absolutely 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@MercuryA2000]

That's one of the few ult arts that I've taken a moment to study, because it really does encapsulate why you got that alt in the first place; you're picking up the dying embers of this world, of these people, and turning it back into the raging wildfire it deserves to be. You're just the kindling they've been waiting for.

[@helloneighbour2408]

Everyone? Like the guy we JUST beat up and the girl we barely encountered 5sec before the fight? Serval and Seele make sense, but not the others. It shouldve been Hook and Natasha

[@eXian12]

Why did my tears started to well on Wildfire Part 1!? The way you presented the "story" of the OST of Jarilo VI is amazing

[@Uyhn26]

I love that you not only analyzed why the music in HSR is good with layers of themes back-and-forth in a musical perspective, but also you managed to capture some of the spirits of the storytelling in this game; their ambition, their love, their norm and their soul. It makes the music all the more enjoyable when you fully understand the story they want to tell; the music, after-all, is there to enrich the story, and tell us things that cannot be expressed by words alone.

[@JonathanBarouch]

I couldn't agree more

[@elena8953]

you may not be a chef, but we let you cook and you delivered A FIVE COURSE FUCKIN MEAL let me preface this by saying that I only listened to wildfire once before this video, and it was three months ago during your karaoke livestream. We listened to your whole video during a lengthy car trip on speakers to enjoy everything, and we both got CHILLS. This is such a carefully crafted video, beautifully paced and with a good amount of lore and insight on the story of HSR for the uninitiated - just like us-. boy oh boy, approaching this track the way you did was such a smart idea. it's like looking at an exponential curve, which sllooowly picks up (with the examples of Jarilo's tracks) and then fckin SKYROCKETS when you unleash wildfire in its unpredictable strength. I swear when 26:35 kicked in our jaws dropped, chills ran, car took off in the sky to do a triple pike jump to then crash back in the highway (slightly hyperbolic) this is to say you did this track justice, and this video is incredibly well balanced in terms of lore to technicalities to pacing to emotional buildup. the time you invested in it *shows* and I'm so glad to see how well this turned out. SOOOO BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR MR BAROUCH👏👏👏👏 ps I love the definition of "Inception BWAAAH". also, your fine humor is always much appreciated. also also, holy FCK your editing is so good

[@JonathanBarouch]

I think that's the ideal experience actually! Having heard the song but not much and not in a long time, that is. I can imagine you had a really strong experience and that's really cool! I'm glad I spent enough time on the lore too, because I had no way of knowing if I was going too fast or too shallow. So that's great! And you're right, it does have the feel of an exponential curve :) Sorry about the damage to your car. It sounds like you had exactly the experience I was hoping to offer, so this makes me very happy to read! Thank you

[@freedragoons]

"This story was never about you, it's about them." I've never thought about how both Jarilo and the Xianzhou pan out. In both places, the people that do the most and make the biggest sacrifices are the citizens that are affected by what's going on, and we're just there to help. The names that will go into the history books are the people from the locale that are involved, while we are just called the Astral Express Crew, the Nameless. That's so poetic and brings a whole new meaning to how I'm gonna view this game. Also, loved the deep dive into the motifs that build into that climax. I had noticed throughout Jarilo that the "people's theme" was heard so much, but never put together the whys and hows that make it so impactful.

[@vapeannigama9632]

This is a great video, the way that music can influence a story is insane. Also, when you said "You know what my favorite part of a video game is? When everything stops happening" my youtube showed an ad, and proceeded to crash. I had to top myself from dying of laughter

[@JonathanBarouch]

KZbin WHY

[@NemSumeragi]

This happened to me as well 💀💀💀

[@blakedout]

It happened to me too 😭

[@kadeknadya3726]

It happened to me as well

[@TheDarkKillerGR]

thats hilarious, thank god it didnt happen to me tho

[@aa-yy1oc]

Dude, I don’t know crap about music and I had no idea what the technical music terms meant. Yet I was hooked from start to finish. You were able to convey the messages and intricacies behind each track so flawlessly, my jaw literally dropped at some of your conclusions (“It was never about you…it’s about them”) I view Jarilo VIs music so much differently after realizing the extent of how much the music progressed over time. The way you explained the significance of each instrument was also super super cool.

[@kuvjason7236]

This video reminded me of WHY the vast majority of players fell in love with HSR overall and why Belobogg is heavily favored over the Xianzhou Luofu arc. Here is hoping the Penacony arc can redeem the mediocrity Xianzhou Luofu left behind

[@Deny7747]

the saviour for me was that we finally interacted with Kafka =)) but yeah compared with Belobogg the story was okayish, felt kinda rushed as well

[@ohwhy9362]

I don't know about you but damn did Penacony redeem the mediocrity of the Luofu, and that's an understatement

[@crashsparrow6943]

@ohwhy9362 Did it really? I feel like the beginning of Penacony was incredible but a lot of the things they set up didn't have a satisfying payoff, and the latter half was just nonsense dialogue.

[@boss.mimoto6570]

I kinda have to say that Penacony is still isn’t as tight as Belobog. I think Penacony have too many parallel story, not to mention that multiple POVs that I disagree with. Belobog is just right, since you first arrived, explored the overworld, escaping to underworld, Bronya meet with Seele, meeting Svarog, coming back up, to confronting Cocolia, getting the lance. Everything is cinematic, tight. I also disappointed by how underwhelming us getting the harmony path is, comparing to preversation

[@raeoverhere923]

"Wildfire" goes so hard; there's a reason even after leaving Jarilo VI and going through an entirely different story arc, people still reference it. HOYO-MIX seriously never disappoints, and if you haven't looked into some of their work in Honkai Impact 3rd, I'd highly recommend it! I know you've covered the Mondstadt tracks in Genshin, but I'd love to hear some of your takes on the music in some of the animated shorts from HI3rd. The two that come to mind (that make me cry literally every time) are "Rubia" in the short "Shattered Samsara", and "TruE" in the short "Because of You", but every one of the animated shorts they've put out for that game are phenomenal. Star Rail has been a long-time dream for MiHoYo, it's a passion project through and through, and I'll keep looking for more anlayses to come as the game continues and evolves.

[@JonathanBarouch]

I've added those tracks to my notes!

[@leah9049]

It can be hard not to get blown away without overpraising a composition. But you managed to be as neutral as possible while dissecting a piece of art that makes me wanna scream and cry at the same time. THAT is worthy of respect. Thank you sir for helping me understand this masterpiece of a gaming ost highlight. THANK YOU.😊

[@Arylith]

I really like the way you visualise the motif. I've been looking for alternatives to traditional music notation and yours is nice

[@JonathanBarouch]

It's a far cry from a full system but I've really enjoyed playing around with it for the last few videos and hope to develop it further! Thank you

[@Ohsoverysleepy]

I realy suck at identifying notes by ear cause I play the sax and don’t listen to other instruments in media if there is a sax. Otherwise I focus on the melody and try to figure out how much the notes move up and down and the visuals he provides help me know I’m not the only one who does it!

[@vergil1320]

Now that im just listening to the songs I’ve now realized that there are so much depths to these that I previously couldn’t catch

[@writerducky2589]

Ngl, that transition into the battle at the end was perfect. I love breakdowns like these, they give a whole new appreciation of the work that go into this. Thank you❤

[@MissPinkLady]

You know the song is SO good when the first beats alone, from watching the Trailblazer struggle, yet determined, to pull the lance out of where it's plunged. The song beginning with uncertainty, if the Trailblazer's determination is worthy of Qliphoth's recognition or not, makes me shed tears I had to stop doing what I was doing to gather myself because it was such a powerful moment. The moment that lance was in their hands, the flames of Preservation has been lit and until the end of that fight the flames just grew brighter. For the surface, for the underground, for Jarilo VI. Carry their will, and melt the Frozen March. You said it so well. This is their story. I'm glad I found this vid on my feed, it's so good!

[@julianr8544]

18:34 - 18:56 Wow, that actually made me cry when the music kicked in, now knowing the thematic meaning behind it gives it more weight. As others have said, this is a really well made video that brought the emotions of this fight back. It doesn't make sense that it's been over 6 months already😭 What gets me is that there was a huge possibility of me never playing star rail and experiencing all this cause I already had Genshin I was dropping money and time into and didn't think I could afford the time for another gacha game from Hoyo but bless my two friends for hyping it up and bringing me in.

[@JonathanBarouch]

I only started HSR because I happened to be thinking about getting back into Genshin RIGHT when HSR dropped, so I did that instead LOL

[@MefoWho]

@@JonathanBarouch do hope you get back to genshin to some extent. I love your storytelling and ive re-watch the song of the ancient analysis too much just for the quotes. Hope you can explain how simple melodies keep giving me chills

[@makotoyuki3869]

You seriously need to do a video on either Sumeru or Fontaine’s music in Genshin. The usage of different arrangements of Fontaine’s main theme heard throughout Act V and correlating with the story was *chef’s kiss.* It would make a great video, for sure.

[@JonathanBarouch]

Noted! I haven't played past Liyue but I know those soundtracks (and Archon quests) have some amaaaazing moments.

[@cjcjcj2296]

+1 fontaine's last archon quest hit HARD because of those leitmotifs

[@lucklei4665]

Nahidas theme being EVERYWHERE on sumeru always gets me teared up everytime i watched the amazing character demo😊

[@TotherKoala]

@@JonathanBarouchtrust me, the story only gets better from there

[@katiem.3109]

Also, a lot of the songs from Inazuma are really good. Especially the ones from Tsurumi Island, but also Kitsune's mask.

[@Lucerious92]

For all the time you spent wondering how you were going to cover this song without spoiling too much of the actual in game moment I think this was probably the best route you could go. I haven't even played the game but I still felt some of the impact you were describing and a sense of satisfaction when Wildfire finally started to play. Letting us explore each of the previous world's themes was a clever move :) Now, go get some rest ya goof

[@JonathanBarouch]

Thank you! That is quite validating and makes all the redrafts worth it :) I'm glad you had a strong experience with it, and I slept SO MUCH today!

[@Zolwiol]

@@JonathanBarouch You have crafted a tale of its own. Redrafts were worth it

[@TaigaClaws]

“BUT THEN SHE KILLS YOU” “but its okay” xD thats literally how our two deaths happen

[@MarcoMeatball]

wow Jonathan!

[@JonathanBarouch]

Thanks for watching, Mr. Meatball!

[@tayloroh8563]

I'm not a musician but I loved Wildfire during my playthrough and I have such a better appreciation for why it invoked the feelings it did. Thank you for breaking the soundtrack down and also telling a great story along the way! Also your voice is very soothing!

[@NuSpirit_]

I couldn't put my finger on why I loved Jarilo so much compared to Herta Space Station or The Xianzhou Luofu, but this explained it well. It just blended so well together it just works. Maybe I'm wrong but I have a feeling that later chapter didn't have much of it, or at least not to that extent, because despite liking the Luofu very much, it just didn't have the same spark as Jarilo.

[@JonathanBarouch]

I feel much the same way. The Luofu has a lot to love, but both in the story and the music it isn't nearly as cohesive.

[@Relf_G]

HSS had just introduced us to the main cast, so there wasn't a big emotional thread to pull on yet. The Luofu was a bit too grand in scale for me, it was always big threats and two dozen generic NPCs. Belobog was able to give us big stakes through the lens of individual characters. I think emotional payoff moments work better that way.

[@harithrazak799]

I appreciate the fact you highlight what's happening with the soundtrack by changing the font color of what's happening like in Frozen March. Really helps to identify the components better

[@kono152]

I never played Honkai star rail, but damn that part with the vocals just filled me with chills. Amazing vid as always man! Keep em coming!

[@ChibiNinjaVT]

"Embers is the sound of a people waiting to die." I got fucking CHILLS from that line, holy shit

[@SamaiCat-xoxo]

I Know I cried so hard for some reason. I never realized it till now😭💕

[@ZayTheOracleArchive]

27:35 “this story was never about you. It’s about them” sent ducking chills down my spine. Great Video man

[@bbqtime5735]

I just wanna say, thank you for enriching my appreciation of some of my absolute favorite video game music, between videos like this, your various NieR videos, and especially the Xion video because of how big of a deal Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days was during my childhood. Thank you for bringing back that moment when I first heard Wildfire in all its glory, while giving me the tools to understand its significance on a mental level in addition to the emotional level that I'm sure we all just KNEW during our time with Jarilo-VI. I hope you know just how much your work in making music theory approachable is appreciated.

[@JonathanBarouch]

Thank you so much :)

[@reezwave]

As someone who knows nothing about music. I never thought I'm glued to watch a music breakdown for 29 minutes. I guess besides that I love Star Rail, it's also because you made it visually easy to understand. So, thank you for this video, it makes me appreciate video games more. I hope your channel grow big soon, you absolutely deserves it!❤️✨

[@No1AldamonFanGirl]

1:28 OK, *now* I need a crack fic with Mary Poppins as a Nameless. Thanks for that

[@terrycornelius4]

Honestly I don't mind the screen crack transitions between songs as long as they do it in the right time. It's supposed to be a common turn-based RPG thing. It would be nice for the songs to continue like the way you did it in this video but the ones they already went with I think works just as fine. It's like a reminder that you aren't watching a movie, you're playing a game.

[@renno2679]

I didn't mind it too but after seeing it without the music pause, god damn I hope the HSR team figures it out too. The tricky thing about it is that the screen crack is technically a loading screen.

[@terrycornelius4]

​@@renno2679 I don't mind the pause because to me it reminds me that I'm playing a game, not watching a movie. I get that immersion is good. The majority of (if not all) Triple A games these days do these smooth cutscene-to-gameplay transitions so you feel immersed in the world they made, and I totally get that. But for me personally, being reminded that you're just playing a turn-based RPG on a phone after being immersed in the quality cutscenes they put out makes the moments hit a lot harder.

[@braddl9442]

@@terrycornelius4 it also serves a function to remind you the cut scene part is over and the game is going again

[@terrycornelius4]

@@braddl9442 That's exactly my point. I think while it's cool to immerse yourself in the game's world, it's also important to differentiate between gameplay and cutscene.

[@Xaveze]

Wildfire is the song that got me into the game. I heard it somewhere else and knew I had to experience it in game. Also the developers changed how the lyrics enter during the Cocolia fight, now they start with her second line before the attack. Honestly I'm not sure which is better because the lyrics can make it hard to focus on what she's saying and vice versa.

[@JonathanBarouch]

Oh man, I thought I was going crazy! I remembered the cue happening when she launched the attack when I first played but then it was in a different place when I went through the second time to get footage. Personally, I think it works much better the original way. Not only is it less distracting, but it made the transition more of an EVENT instead of a sloooooooow ramp

[@Xaveze]

@@JonathanBarouch same! I honestly would’ve continued to question my sanity had I not begun clicking on every reaction to the fight that got recommended to me on KZbin and noticed the differences there.

[@GoshaVivisektor]

You sure? In all of videos on youtube the lyrics enters "with her second line before the attack". That's some Mandela type shit

[@Xaveze]

@@GoshaVivisektor 100% sure, I even went and checked. I wanted to link them in this comment but for some reason the replies always failed when I did so.

[@GoshaVivisektor]

@@Xaveze Really? That would be awesome to see. Could you reply with this video title please?

[@731winter]

At 25:30 it almost sounds like it was always intended for the cracking of the ice to be part of the song as though hope has finally become strong enough to crack through the icy chains trying to contain it and the music responds by useing the violin to show that ascent the violin even takes the same pause to go lower as though trying to say hope alone isn't enough to finish the fight

[@idoreuven6828]

the fact that ive heard the ending of the track during cocolias death so often, yet, after learning about the motif, I quite frankly shed a tear. understanding the meaning behind the music makes these tracks hit so much harder than they would other wise. well done hoyo, well done.

[@PdroxCbon]

Fucking BRAVO, I just discovered your channel and I was NOT expecting to get emotional over this, thank you for sharing this with us. Music really is a most beautiful thing.

[@the_dark_soul_of_man]

The "S"es in Frozen March always invoked footsteps for me, like the people are mustering all their strength to march on, but they are so tired that they are just dragging their feet, thus the sweeping sound.

[@Aan-kun]

Holy shit I feel like I've just unlocked a new layer of understanding and enjoying music

[@jobro5112]

I LOVE how you displayed the musical elements of Frozen March at 16:29!!!! Making the words change color when the elements show up in the music??? Such a good way of presenting it.

[@Ollie_668]

Why did this video almost make me cry?? Awesome video dude

[@ThatGuy-nc8nf]

With all the endless relic grinding and FH malding I do in HSR, I often forget most other elements of the game such as the music. I never knew exactly why Wildfire stirred my feelings the first time I heard it kick in and why it was so impactful in the first place, I could never find the right words to describe it. I especially appreciate content like this, there is meaningful explanation to the significance of the instruments as well as how the music progresses. I know jack about music terminology, but listening to you explain the soundtracks is so interesting. The visuals definitely helps a lot, and this just makes it clearer to me that music has so much influence in establishing atmosphere and giving description to places, whether you're just doing fetch quests or on your way to defeating a literal Stellaron with the burning will of Preservation. The last part, even if I fought Cocolia so many times, that will never get old, I just wish the version in the game was a bit more cohesive and on point with the drop in the 2nd phase (the first time it drops was during Cocolia's small speech before the "Last Choir of Genesis" which kinda took away from its potential, but awe-inspiring nonetheless.)

[@smauguh]

Once again... I simply can not say it enough time.... But Thank you. Thank you very much for making music analysis understandable and accessible to people. Thank you for making us understand WHY we love certain tracks as much as we do! Being able to revive those moments with the knowledge of what has been planned concerning the music part is always a bliss. (I put Embers in the Astral express ever since I got the opportunity to do so and now I get why I feel so nostalgic yet proud when I enter the train). I allow myself to ask, will there be an analysis of the music of Xianzhou? Because I know it has quite a large variety and a much denser story, number of tracks and events that are built on these... I hope one day maybe! Once again, amazing work and GG for giving us the smooth transition of Wildfire, it is purely amazing. Looking forward to your next vid!

[@JonathanBarouch]

Thank you so much, this is wonderful to read! I'm sorry to say I don't currently have plans to do a video on Xianzhou because I didn't have as strong an experience from that soundtrack as this one, but it's certainly not off the table and I've taken note of this! :)

[@bicotti]

Discovered your channel a while back and binged through the entire catalog, but unfortunately, I had never played the games your videos covered. That being said, Honkai: Star Rail is something I've played since it was released, and Jesus, having the emotional connection to the subject enhances your videos. The edit you did of the final fight perfectly encapsulates the 'feeling' of playing it for the first time that I never managed to show my friends while gloating about the game. This video will always be something I will refer to when shilling Star Rail.

[@JonathanBarouch]

That's a huge honor! I'm glad I hit a topic that's familiar to you. That was a major goal with this video. I wanted to make that moment hit even for people who haven't played, and I realized there was no way to do that without summarizing the whole dang plot and soundtrack 🤷‍♂️

[@magicalgirl1296]

Belobog was a great little compact jrpg experience. My favorite part of Star Rail so far. A beleaguered people fighting a losing battle for 700 years against an impossible enemy, fracturing under the strain. And right when their Supreme Guardian begins to falter, a trio of visitors appear from beyond the stars.

[@shanebechtel8186]

Awesome video Jonathan! I just want to say that your breakdown of Frozen March where you highlight the key words to demonstrate them as they happened in the song was brilliant! Definitely helped me keep track of and notice all the components you listed.

[@parafoxl7619]

16:04 i actually LOVE this freeze because it makes the upcoming drums hit so much harder!! Especially as the drums that queue us back in start before the cracks open.

[@tanamisalt.4415]

THANK YOU for making the transitions between scenes so smooth

[@rosem363]

Your work is always amazing and easy to digest. You're my absolute favorite KZbinr thank you for what you do

[@JonathanBarouch]

That's insanely high praise, thank you so much!

[@haltosan3603]

I have to say I really like the idea of analyzing musicality as its own narration device. The fact that you also seek to illustrate the music's connection to the lore and are able to explain the lore too at the same time earned a like and a sub from me! I think I got recommended this channel since I usually look at HSR and Genshin content on KZbin and I'm glad I did. I hope you can do more Honkai Star Rail and Genshin Impact music breakdowns in the future. E.g, I feel like the new Fontaine region has a lot of beautiful and interesting themes to delve into such as Focalor's theme in the finale cutscene of the archon quest.

[@JonathanBarouch]

Thank you so much! I haven't played Genshin since the Golden Apple Archipelago but I'm strongly considering watching the cutscenes for Fontaine. I hear amazing things.

[@Xin1994]

Absolutely incredible video but one other thing I noticed is how the initial drum beats in wildfire sound suspiciously like hammer falls. We learn later that Qlipoth, the Aeon of preservation dictates the change of eras when he strikes his hammer, creating a new "Amber Era". as the trailblazer takes the lance we see a vision of preservation with his hammer raised.

[@JonathanBarouch]

I think you're absolutely right!

[@zenmode3125]

Haven't watched the vid yet, but PLEASE i hope you talk about Godfather (Svarog's theme). It's so underrated in comparison to Wildfire, and It had so much more impact than the Wildfire scene. It was the first major danger in the game. Most songs were "wintery", but when Svarog's fight began, it was clear. If we can't convince him, hw WILL kill Stelle and March. Not incapacitate or make them faint from combat. They will DIE. He states that. And then, as the first roadblock, he fucking STEAMROLLS your team.with massive AoE damage, the hand stun that deals a ton of damage if not defeated in time, and more than just 1 health bar. The song has SO MUCH impact, the raw loud noises i can't even describe (I'm no music expert, idk the genre's name) with the choir in the back singing as this 2,5m tall robot beats the utter shit out of you. It took me 4 attempts to beat him, and when i did so with only Yanqing and Tingyun alive, i was ECSTATIC. March would live, and Stelle would make progress. Nothing in the game so far has made me.feel so hyped as Svarog's first fight. Phantylia, Kafka, everything felt risky but not as important. Svarog was the first major threat, and we were weak. Now, with our leveled characters and relics, by the time we reach phantylia and Kafka, bosses just don't feel overwhelming anymore. They're just obstacles to be defeated, and so far, none of the bosses's soundtracks have managed to evoke the same feeling. Edit: describing he synth as the stellaron and the acoustic as Belobog fighting back was genius. This whole video was amazing.

[@JonathanBarouch]

Believe me, I really wanted to talk about Svarog more than I ended up doing so in the final cut! The Jarilo VI soundtrack is so rich and it was just impossible to hit every topic that deserved exploration if I was going to stay within my video length goals. I'll consider this a request to return to "Godfather" (and "Underground") at some point in the future.

[@deresfer1525]

Of all the tons contect I watched about wildfire, some better, some worse, they never stood a chance in comparison to this piece of art. Its not just a "Musicianname" reacts, its a full on scientific work you can pull up at the musical academy as your diploma, it has a lecture in it, it has humor and most importantly -- clearest of all passipon to music expressed in the most scientific yet never boring way. Thank you a lot for your work Johnathan and all those people who taught you music and helped you in any other way to get to a point of making this video. I genuenly enjoyed every second of it and many more P.S. Thank u so much for making the song link in without that break on a loading screen, appreciated you`re a real G for that

[@otakusama6781]

Wow. That last part with you bringing back the diagram of the People's Theme... chills.

[@themanwithnoname3250]

Another fun detail about Frozen March, to me, is that subtle beat in the background that sounds a bit like a heartbeat. Safi'jiva's theme from MH:W does something similar to evoke the fear such an encounter entails. You can sort of feel the whole world holding it's breath during the piece, and I love that.

[@SnZ]

This kind of video is what makes me loves even more about game soundtracks! your breakdown analysis, how you describe the music emotions, and how each instruments represent something in the story is really shows how deep the meaning and the connection of "of snow and embers" Album's soundtrack and the whole story plot. Massive respect on the composer for creating such a banger with a deep meaning, and you for breaking down of it, with simple and easy to understand words. May your cooking will always as *wildfire* as this!

[@emmanuelchua6387]

Simply Beautiful Breakdown of Honkai Star Rail's Music Composition in a video, as a game dev, i truly appreciate your work here, opening the mind of others that the nitty gritty things that the game devs put into their games and i gotta say this channel is underrated. Keep up the good work, and hope to see more in the future.

[@FluxIsAWeeb]

What you pointed out at 27:39 brings up a good point that I realized. The lyrics of the song are the Nameless speaking to and about the people of belobog _"Pain will come with a blade, pain will wake up the despondent crowd in this dormant world somehow"_ Both the pain of the trailblazer getting impaled aligns with the pain Qlipoth feels as they can only watch as their city inches closer to oblivion... you earn Qlipoth's blessing, in hopes to relight that fire into belobog once more. _"Find the way or get lost-We have no way to know-Where they all headed for-See the light from afar-Just blaze through the thorns"_ This section I feel is the Nameless looking at the future of Belobog. All they did was *blaze a trail* through the frozen thorns that had blocked their way, whatever happens after is up to belobog. I think it's best represented in _the_ Iconic line "We made a choice (to help you), so fight against your fate." It's both the Nameless putting the fate of belobog into their own hands, and the battlecry of belobog itself as they take it in stride.

[@ThatOneAlternateUniverseAries]

I absolutely love the perservation splash art, it shows off the spirits of the ones that joined alongside you. The ones the story is truly about!

[@Xiangli_Yao_1]

Thank you for making this video. I feel deeply touched by ways I simply cannot explain. ❤

[@JonathanBarouch]

Thank you so much for the donation! It was very important to me that I make this video, and I'm just grateful that it has meant so much to other people as well :)

[@Tokyoite-9844]

This kind of content about HSR is just, so fresh

[@alaeus2310]

Excellent video. I have to be that person however, and say that Lingering Heat also plays during Seele and Bronya's conversation in front of the orphanage, before Bronya leaves for the administrative sector. Of course, this only reinforces her theme of "protecting the will of the people", especially since Seele herself is arguably the strongest "flame" in wildfire. Other than that small error, absolute masterpiece.

[@JonathanBarouch]

DDDDDDDDANGIT no I'm grateful, I'm just annoyed at myself. I'll add this to the corrections, thank you!

[@tarotteapot7825]

this video let me experience one of my favorite songs from my favorite game as if i was hearing it for the first time again. thank you.

[@co7769]

Literal chills all over my body when I heard that that song is meant to represent the people of belobog just waiting to die as that is all they can do

[@Athkore]

Man I am so blown away with how you explain music, espetually with the way you show it creating a link with the explaination and music itself gives me so much respect for the artists. The scene at 16:15 was so clear and let me appretiate the song in its entirety despite the fact I know absolutly nothign about music.

[@CaptainRikkai]

NEW JONATHAN VIDEO LETS GO I love listening to your video essays at work, I've rewatched all your Nier ones countless times!

[@Silver926]

It doesnt matter how good future tracks get, nothing will ever replace that feeling you get when hearing Wildfire for the very first time.

[@kaemeral0322]

I sincerely cried my eyes out watching this video. Since the beginning of the game Belobog has been my favorite region, specially the city maps, it feels like a home to me and I've always loved the music that plays in those spaces. Understanding how everything is made, and how the story is reflected on the music, it brings me so much joy that I just cry helplessly. Seriously, you did an excellent job. If I already loved Jarilo-VI chapter, now I just love it even more.

[@rosjivenus1355]

DAMN DAMN CHEELS KEPT RUNNING DOWN MY SPINE AWESOME JOB!!! Both the analysis and the script!!

[@doogong]

I love how you colour the text in accordance to accordance to when it happens in the tracks! It makes it super clear what I'm supposed to be listening for

[@temetyly]

Wonderful work, I listened to the song first, so I got to have it recontexualised and made really moving. As per usual great breakdown of strategies, appreciate ya

[@the_turan]

MAN, YOU ARE AMAZING, all my vision changed ones in for all for musics

[@Duarte_GB]

You know I actually thought the drums where suppose to represent the hammer of Qlipoth. But yea the last stand feel is definetly there too.

[@JonathanBarouch]

...Actually I think you're right, that makes a lot of sense.

[@mj47327]

Since HSR2.2 just finished, I can't wait for your musical analysis for Penacony

[@Bishie4Bara]

As someone who knows nothing about music notes, phrases or anything I just want to say I enjoyed watching this video and could follow along with what you were talking about thanks to your infographics with numbers, boxes and highlights. It was entertaining and informative. Thank you for making this video accessible for people like myself, good video.

[@pontsuleinchen]

Jarilo-VI will always have a special place in my heart, and I really think its the music that's the biggest contributor for me in this one. Wildfire makes me burst out in tears every time I hear it. It's just that good. It is desperate, determined and empowering at the same time. Thanks for the amazing breakdown! ♥

[@Firelord6127]

In the songs where there’s the repetitive “s” sound for the vocals, it sounds like steam in some way, be it pressurized steam pushing an engine or the steam put off by dousing a flame

[@JonathanBarouch]

I was legit disappointed that Yifan Lin kept using 'S's in Chapter 2 because I also felt like it had a special tie to Belobog!

[@wickedraptor2651]

y'know my (unfinished) music theory course i took in college may not have gotten me any jobs. but man did it make this game so much more enjoyable

[@Division101]

Wildfire is one of the best game music I have heard in a long time

[@SuussyBakka]

I love the way you explained how impactful game music & clever game engine work can impact a gaming experience

[@jaedenn_]

This video presents everything you're talking about so perfectly. You've done some genuinely incredible work here! That final sequence of having the entire track cut together was great and reinforced my love for this game.

[@reezwave]

I came from the algorithm. Very well made video, I hope we get to experience something like Wildfire again in the next world Penacony.

[@ragdollars2059]

What’s amazing is for someone who plays this game and has beaten this chapter like I have. I forgot how emotional the hit of wildfire is and I forgot what mood we were in. So this video actually allowed me to relive the emotions in a stronger way than when I first watched even knowing the sick ass drop in wildfire. And I’m glad you were able to actually mesh the audio together since it always bothered me in the boss how cocolias vocals clash with wildfire making it a bit awkward. Amazing video!!

[@JonathanBarouch]

That's AMAZING, I'm so glad you got that payoff!

[@Robocrab-td8dr]

How can a video simply be this good

[@azorailke6057]

I immensely enjoyed the video! I'd like to see more! You've earned yourself another subscriber!

[@godofyeets4636]

27:39 Let’s talk about when he says ”…it’s about *Them*” the preservation trailblazer splash art shows up with all the characters. Perfect timing

[@Zephyr_frost17]

I'm really glad this video exists. you've helped me convince my friend to play HSR because i showed them this. They tried to play it and felt it was a little easy and had too many lore dumps so they ended up falling off the band wagon. I've been trying for so long telling them to at least complete Jarilo VI. but still wasnt enough, I shared your video to them and not too long after i received a message "Huh, that's really cool" "Maybe i will play it again" Turns out i just had to talk about music and that would've done the trick. but even if i did, I would never be able to explain it as engaging and cohesive as you did here! Thank you, Now I finally have someone to talk about this game with!

[@JonathanBarouch]

My sister had almost exactly the same reaction actually. All hail Akivili! #notacult

[@Mamayki1643]

Absolutely an amazing video! Thank you for sharing the technical knowledge that you have, learned a lot and now I can appreciate something I loved even more!

[@aracelyd7523]

YESSS I missed your music breakdowns!! I can't wait to see what else you make :D I would love see more kingdom hearts and genshin impact

[@koboldconclave7141]

I was vibing with this pretty well and then the "I see the and I feel nothing. NOTHING!" goof hit and I was sold.

[@Yuki_Ika7]

the Jarilo VI arc is my favorite arc in any gacha game ever and the music is a thing of beauty, sadness and hype!

[@mitsuki1388]

Amazing video! Jarilo-IV was my favorite part of the game musically cause it always felt more cohesive but I never really stopped to figure out the details of why and this video was great at showing that.

[@Alice_Haukea]

This is what I like about games and fictional universes the most. The effort and design that went into soundtracks and character stories. The lore and inspiration. The themes and messaging. It bothers me more than it reasonably should when I see people glaze over stuff like this without being able to appreciate or recognize the beauty. Sure, I wouldn't have been able to explain this song like you did. No. But I feel the vibe, I feel the emotional build up. For me, this song was more than just music playing into my ears. Music and good lore resonate with my core. I want to share this video with my friends, but majority of my friends consume media at the surface level. They won't understand the point of breaking down this song. To them, the song either sounds cool or it doesn't. But either way, they aren't going to linger on it. Would be cool for you to do a video like this for "Cries of Coral" from the Armored Core VI soundtrack. Beautiful song.

[@JonathanBarouch]

I've lived with someone who plays their games on mute! It's like a knife to the heart every time. Glad you had such a connection! I don't know Armored Core but I'll add it to my notes.

[@leonchitowo]

KZbin randomly recommended me this video,and i loved it! Clicking it was a very good decision. Your commentary it's SO GOOD!!

[@janieceng2153]

this is very well made! hope you can analyse the xianzhou’s music as well, it doesn’t receive enough praise it deserves