Opera Singer Listens to “Emotions” from Xenogears

[@xiscoriera3661]

"Small Two Pieces" is one of the best credits song i ever heard, pretty emotional

[@nickbullinger141]

Fun fact: this has a lyrical version, called Stars of Tears, that was unfortunately unused, which sucks, as it's one of my favourites

[@Eilanzer]

if im not mistaken the song was in the second disk...

[@RinoaDestiny]

@@Eilanzer On the old Playstation 1, there was a trick to pop the lid just right to activate the cutscene that has that song on Disc 1. It doesn't play anywhere else. You're probably thinking of the credits theme Small of Two Pieces.

[@Eilanzer]

@@RinoaDestiny i used at the time my brother pc to find stuff on psone disks, and im almost sure that i could listen to this music there XD

[@RinoaDestiny]

@@Eilanzer You might be able to, especially since the song is on the CD - just not utilized within the game itself. If you do, check it out - the vocals are great! In general, I find majority of the vocal tracks Mitsuda has a hand in are really good. If you haven't heard of his stand-alone album 'Kirite', check it out! Gorgeous work for a story Masato Kato did.

[@askalon4558]

Xenogears was mechanically a weird game, but it has some great soundtracks. I like Shevat theme, Ghraf theme and Faraway promise the most.

[@askalon4558]

I like stomping footsoldiers with a giant mech too xD

[@KVR020]

What is weird about it?

[@askalon4558]

@@KVR020 its a combo based RPG either on foot on in mechs, with fuel to consider and such. More than weird let's say its unique. I mean, did you play any other game where you did kung-fu in a 20m tall mech?

[@KVR020]

@@askalon4558 I dont think its wierd, it is original

[@orangedream267]

>not mentioning bonds of sea and fire Relatedly, a youtuber called Erutan has a FANTASTIC cover of it. It's DELICIOUS.

[@SilverRay85]

It's neat you point out how a lot of this song gives you a "love" impression as a heavy focus of the plot revolves around the romance with two main characters. Funnily enough, though, this is the world map theme!

[@Sauraen]

So glad to see you getting to Gears music! Few things: "Emotions" isn't about emotions at all, it's the overworld theme. Same vibe as "Over the Hill" from FF9. "Small Two of Pieces" was the very first ballad with vocals as an ending song for a JRPG, something which is now a tradition across multiple franchises. It's also an arrangement of what is arguably the "main theme" from Xenogears, which is initially introduced via a music box version, something which is also a trope. I just love when the player gets to hear the full, completely fleshed out version of the game's main theme for the first time at the very end of the game, a theme they've been hearing pieces of throughout the game. This was also done in Undertale and Breath of the Wild. The piece from the Xenogears OST I'd most highly recommend is "The Beginning And The End", which is a piece for 7-part microtonal Bulgarian choir and soloist. Not a MIDI, a real recording! It's one of the most unique pieces of video game music ever! My runner-up recommendation would be "Flight".

[@ElsweyrDiego]

in contrast Xenoblade Chronicles have the full theme right into the title screen. in both cases it's a wonderful thing to behold not just in game, but in life in general, brillant ways to show us emotions and build or core memories being us a child or an adult.

[@meowmeowharmonicus]

I was NOT expecting a Xenogears PS1 music reaction here. This is nice surprise! Xenogears is one of my favorite games even after all these years. This is the music that would play in the overworld map while you would run around to different places. Quick fact, Yasunori Mitsuda composed the music for Chrono Trigger (1995). He made Xenogears in 1998 then went on to do the music for Chrono Cross in 1999. His games' soundtracks are beautiful and still resonate even today. In fact, Yasunori Mitsuda did a 20th Anniversary Xenogears Anniversary Concert a couple years back that, if you can get a copy or see it past all the copyright strikes on YT, is probably one of the most enthralling things I have ever seen or heard in concert.

[@Anita028]

OMG Xenogears :) now we really need the reaction of the ending song "Small Two Of Pieces" you won't expect this...

[@cactusmomma]

From a musically technical standpoint and this specific game, take a look at "One Who Bares Fangs At God" "Shevat the Wind is Calling", and "Balto" from the Creid album. Headphone them, sit back, close your eyes, and let them take over. You'll really see why this OST has held onto so many hearts for 25 years!

[@jelyse14]

4:17 wow, from this one overworld track (instrumental version of the vocal song what was originally planned to be the opening cinematic) he basically guessed one of the major themes of the game. lol Two people, anima and animus, coming together, complementing each other, helping each other. Shows just how well Mitsuda understood the story and themes to incorporate it like that into his compositions.

[@RinoaDestiny]

I recommend "Flight' from Xenogears. It was the first song of Yasunori Mitsuda's that I heard (as a midi file mislabeled as a Nobuo Uematsu piece back in the day) and I ended up listening to/buying the man's music once I was able to. Amazing piece and I totally felt like I was soaring listening to it.

[@Sauraen]

Have you heard the live version from the Xenogears 20th Anniversary Concert? Mitsuda and his orchestrator Mariam Abounnasr manage to make it even more triumphant than the original version!

[@RinoaDestiny]

@@Sauraen Oh yes, I have. What they have done to 'Flight' in the concert is just beyond words. It's so so good. That entire concert was just fantastic. 'Awakening' is another one, considering I still find that to be one of Mitsuda's best final boss themes besides 'Dragon God' from Chrono Cross and 'Battle with the Devil' from Tsugunai.

[@Sauraen]

@@RinoaDestiny Even though One Who Bears Fangs At God is really the final boss theme. Have you seen/heard the Chrono Cross concert?

[@RinoaDestiny]

​@@Sauraen No, I haven't seen/heard that one. When it did occur? 'Awakening' for me counts as Phase 1, I guess. It has all the usual tension-filled final boss vibes. Xenogears really had some neat stuff for their music, though, especially with the Bulgarian choir and getting Joanne Hogg for the vocal tracks.

[@Sauraen]

@@RinoaDestiny Here's one of the snippets of the concert from Mitsuda's studio's KZbin channel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKTWg3RoZrRrpMk Not sure if the whole thing is uploaded anywhere, I imported the Blu-Ray from Japan.

[@BeardGrizzly]

There's a lot of great tracks this game has, with a lot of feeling and emotion (ha!) put into it. It's a great soundtrack, even without a lot of vocals. It's just that kinna vibe. Edit: oh right; forgot to mention. This is the overworld theme!

[@MarcoMeatball]

Oh what? It is?!?!

[@BeardGrizzly]

@@MarcoMeatball YUP!!

[@MarcoMeatball]

@@BeardGrizzly damn! That’s like..DEEP for an overworld theme!

[@BeardGrizzly]

@@MarcoMeatball it goes up from here man :) leitmotifs all over the place too.

[@WildspeakerYT]

Oh... we get deep in the Xeno... well Marco... ITS A WILD RIDE, THE PASSAGE OF FATE

[@mageius]

What's really interesting is the way some pieces in this game "flow" in to each other for some things. 1 of my favorite's is soaring and the music leading up to it alongside the piece after it. Basically it's the build up of 1 of the dungeons in the game that's sorta the "mid point" of the game. It's really an interesting piece when listed to together. Look up the piece soaring from the game and then the music that's around it. Although you might have to look up the pieces online to get the exact pieces in order.

[@gabrieldehyrule]

Oooooh boy Xenogears. Hope you give a try to "the one who is torn apart", its atmosphere is out of this world.

[@kingjamos2422]

Xenogears is still one of my favorite games ever. Great music, a fun combat system, likeable characters, a pretty compelling story, and an MC that face splits in two when you run towards the camera. Okay, that last one isn't a positive, but it amused me. If you never get around to playing it, you so owe it to yourself to listen to Small of Two Pieces. Not a suggestion for a video, btw. I know this is not how you go about it. It is just something to enjoy.

[@Potato-pf2qs]

Here is a list of all the composers throughout the xeno games. All of them are amazing and make this series what it is. People who don’t even play the games will like the series just for its music. Xenogears - Yasunori Mitsuda Xenosaga ep 1 - Yasunori Mitsuda Xenosaga ep 2 - Yuki Kaijura/Shinji Hosoe Xenosaga ep 3 - Yuki Kaijura Xenoblade - Yoko Shimomura/ACE+/Yasunori Mitsuda/Manami Kiyota Xenoblade X - Hiroyuki Sawano Xenoblade 2 - ACE+/Yasunori Mitsuda/Manami Kiyota/Kenji Hiramatsu

[@wgelid670]

Wow I'm glad to see Xenogears on here! The game is really good despite its flaws, and the music is really on the evocative side (though that's usually how Mr. Mitsuda does things). I love it a ton, so this was really cool to see. Good video!

[@TuxedoMagnum]

I love this track. One of my favorite pieces of overworld music ever. It really does evoke emotions.

[@edeonsaint9938]

Oh yeah, and you were totally right about the emotions! In fact, the main theme of the game is how love (of any kind) is so powerful to made wonderful beneficial changes to people and also fuels awful atrocities, always depending of the people.

[@CursedZorthan]

Oohh childhood memories from the golden age of RPG... Xenogears left such a deep impression with it's music, story and gameplay. Thank you very much :)

[@ErakirPompop]

Aaah, emotions - I never got far in xenogears, but this remains a piece I can simply put on in the background and feel relaxed/calm about the day - whatever is going on. What a great track.

[@zikarisg9025]

I spend an ungodly ammount of money to import this gaem from the US, since it was never released in Europe and had to play it on an emulator. Questionable gameplay, but what a story. Now that reminds me on a recommendation: "The Image Theme of Xenosaga II" by Yuki Kajiura from the Xenosage 2 OST, it's pretty damn brilliant!

[@LucidMind0112]

Yasunori Mitsuda is definitely a composer that I suggest to check out. Xenogears remains my most favorite JRPG of all time. Even though it has its flaws, the mature storytelling of the game combined with Mitsuda's musical talent genuinely touched me on such a very personal level when I was a teenager. To this day, I am left with a kind of bittersweet feeling from the game. Knowing there is potential for truly deep and fulfilling experiences of this level in video games as a medium, only to be let down by games that are formulaic releases of the same type of story, again and again. To think, I nearly passed on this game because I didn't like mechs... If I were to compare Mitsuda with Nobuo Uematsu, I would say Uematsu focuses largely on the composition of a song as a whole while Mitsuda focuses largely on a song's melody. In short, Uematsu makes me fall in love with the orchestra while Mitsuda makes me fall in love with the individual pianist, violinist, etc. Anyway, I could write a whole essay on the subject, so I'll stop, lol.

[@glazcanon8593]

While I love the original Xenogears soundtrack, I've grown incredibly fond of the Creid soundtrack, specifically the track named "Lahan" & "Balto".

[@ClessTheAngel]

If you liked this song Marco, I suggest you look at "Tears of the Stars Hearts of the People" from the same OST. I really wonder, without context, what your first thoughts of this one would be. (This whole OST is amazing tbh, maybe a listening stream for later?)

[@blackshade9]

Please, please do more Xenogears music! It's my absolute favorite game and is FILLED with great music!

[@edeonsaint9938]

Xenogears is my favourite game ever in terms of story. It's so... Heavy, dark and sad sometimes that I can't believe it also has one of the most beautiful moments in videogame history. Well, the game is about life, mankind and the struggle of being alive so it makes sense the contrast jaja. Oh, yeah, this game has one of the most beautiful soundtracks made by Mitsuda!

[@メガネさん]

Please dig into Xenosaga's music if you feel like it, Yuki Kajiura took over the serie beggining with Xenosaga 2 and there are so many great tracks. From chores heavy orchestra to weird mixes of jazz, 2000's electro vocals and bagpipe...

[@oro1212]

WOW someone suggested xeno?! I am speechless! Theres a ton of superb tracks! My favorite is The one who is thorn apart. Though many people here would recommend a lot of tracks from that game i am sure. IIf theres a hope that you probable make several tracks from the game in one video? Its actually hard to single out one track really. Yasunori Mitsuda made a tremendous job.

[@Thiago_Alves_Souza]

If someone suggested "Small Two Pieces" there's an orchestra version of it which makes it sound so much like a Disney type of song. That version isn't available on KZbin anymore, it was sent to me by the singer Joanne Hogg many years ago. She sang for a progressive folk rock called Iona, I can email you if you want.

[@MarcoMeatball]

If it’s not on KZbin it means it got taken down for copyright probably? Send it I’d like to listen to it personally.

[@Thiago_Alves_Souza]

@@MarcoMeatball oh idk about that because the person who uploaded it sometimes makes the video private. How can I send you this? Idk how to private message here anymore lol

[@talantus]

Yes, i rememer leaving the game running having this song on loop fpr hours on end just cuz it was such a nice piece. The love story between the two protagonists is very deep and complicated and, as far as I'm concerned, yasunori mitsuda did an amazing job on this game's soundtrack. The kicker? This was only the overworld theme song 😂

[@JeminiThaBard]

This is my fave rpg soundtrack of all time. You gotta do more tracks from it! Also great video!

[@thewhitewolf7241]

Now that I’ve heard it, I can’t unhear this being 90s sitcom music

[@tetraspirit13]

When you talked about MIDI music being enough. That just filled my heart. I feel like growing up none of my friends could appreciate that. Video game music was looked at as lesser than. Marco, honestly, I could just sit at a bar or lounge and hear you talk about music forever. I really wish growing up I could have had this dialogue with someone. Thank you so much!!

[@MarcoMeatball]

Aw buddy thank you! 🥰🥰

[@Kuribohcoast]

This whole soundtrack is absolute gold.

[@ensislucis2395]

This is a world map theme!

[@TSFC-Riki]

YOOO I LITERALLY FINISHED THIS GAME LAST WEEK XENOGEARS’ OST IS SOOOOO GOOD!!!

[@moncimoov]

my number 1 JRPG of all time

[@MrLyramion]

"Escape emotions" - Like YOU putting the FF14 solo duty on VERY EASY to escape FEAR! I was it all live!

[@nero1798]

Xenogears is basically the predecessor of Xenoblade

[@MarcoMeatball]

That I know 😂

[@BeardGrizzly]

Actually, Xenosaga. Another fairly not known PS2 RPG series. Though the connections are very loose.

[@badlatency9979]

​@@BeardGrizzly both. the deep lore of all three series in the Xeno franchise is connected.

[@ff89999]

Best jrpg of all time, let's hope for a remake or at least a remaster!

[@timothystamm3200]

There's a vocal track this theme is based on called star of tears.

[@advendra6078]

Xenogears, one of my best favorite games

[@ensislucis2395]

Stars of Tears is actually a vocal version of this piece

[@MNcoquicoqui]

Sitcom from the 90s? It's actually pretty 80s!!! Very new jazz sound like shows : Moonlighting (check-out the theme song by Al Jarreau, super sexy jazz, song is called Moonlighting), Movies like: Big (Tom Hanks), License to Drive (Cory Haim, 🙏RIP) had that type of sound injected.

[@MarcoMeatball]

You’re right. :) I was barely alive in the 80s so I miss the connections sometimes. 🤣

[@MNcoquicoqui]

@@MarcoMeatball No worries Pavarotti 🎶🎵🎶. It's just a friendly reminder I'm getting old 🤣😵‍💫🥴 (born in '78)

[@TheVgrey]

One of my favorites games of all the time

[@kouleifou]

Xenogears is a really cool game with some flaws. A really ambitious project with some heady concepts, especially for a game aimed at teens. Interesting fact, the game became a victim of its scope, and much of Yasunori Mitsuda's tracks had to be reused in some "interesting" ways. Also, the core members of this dev team went on to form Monolithsoft, who in turn made the Xenoblade games. It really shows this team cares deeply about music, and how its used in their games.

[@Tenzen666]

Please give "The one who is torn apart" a listen. Still from Xenogears

[@M0narch1024]

I feel like a baby for not having grown up with a PS1, somehow had a SNES though Also Day twenty-one, I think, of recommending Stay Gold from the Arknights OST

[@drawingrat6087]

I don’t know if you take recommendations, but if you do, I suggest you take a look at Termination from the Ys Origin soundtrack. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. Great video, by the way. Can’t wait to see more.

[@MarcoMeatball]

i love Ys!

[@tetraspirit13]

The JDK Sound Team is amazing!!!

[@drawingrat6087]

@@tetraspirit13 ikr

[@TheVgrey]

Ah it's the instrumental version is the world map theme

[@ExcelElBard]

Xenogears is one of my favorite games. And it has a lot of nice songs like Small of two pieces. A few years ago on youtube there was the concert of the twentieth anniversary. a spectacular and super emotional concert at the end, with the mythical music box. which made me cry my eyes out. In short, highly recommended if you can see the Xenogears 20th anniversary concert.

[@ajthecat2982]

Please no one tell him that just was just the over world map theme 😂.

[@deltasource56]

may i suggest Libera me from Hell - Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann or My Hero Academia Season 3 OST - All For One + The Power of All For One

[@Alam_Gutz]

react to "world tree" from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 or to "Light from the netherworlds" from xenogears!

[@TallulahSoie]

Xenogears has an absolutely amazing OST. It would be a disservice to yourself if you didn't listen to the entire thing! I also agree about the PS1-PS2 era being the golden age before all modern trouble attached to gaming like a parasite.

[@henriquemolonhalemosdesouz3267]

One of the best World map themes...

[@martinsernaleon3160]

React to small two pieces the song ending, or faraway promise, such a Masterpiece of ost from yasunore mitsuda.

[@badlatency9979]

Well, all Xeno games are fundamentally love stories. Except, arguably, Xenoblade X.

[@rgbcrafts]

Oh Lord, don't do this, I'm a Xenogears hardcore fan.

[@rgbcrafts]

Basically, I'm a b1tch to Yasunori Mitsuda compositions.

[@rgbcrafts]

Not to flood that comment section (already did) but Xenogears is a heavy plot full of psychology/mysticism/Kabbalah references, to the extend of the american translator have not a single clue of what they were refering to. The military group called Gebler in the game plot was a mistranslation, since most westeners wouldn't know about the tree of life of jewish kabbalah at 1998, except being a student of it, actually. The mainframe shown on the intro is called Zohar, the main source of Kabbalah knowledge in our world. Anyway, please, if you can, listen to some songs from Yasunori Mitsuda, mainly from Xenogears and Chrono Cross.

[@MakiLiri]

Please listen to "With Hearts Aligned" from Final Fantasy XIV ♥ I love your content and am curious to how you would like such a song.

[@davidguerrero4519]

if react to another song from Xenogear, Small two of Pieces is the one.

[@elizabethk8718]

Honestly, you owe it to yourself to play this game if you get the chance. There's a little bit of jank and a few suboptimal decisions on the gameplay side, and it's a very slow starter, but the music, cutscenes, and story are all top-notch. The visuals went with an anime style that allows it to hold up even now far better than other games from the era, and once you get about 1/3 of the way through the flaws start to drop away, with the gameplay mechanics fleshing themselves out more and the story threads pulling together. It has some of the most mature takes on mental and emotional trauma in gaming, and characters that are incredibly sympathetic. Just be ready for a long haul... there's a short novel worth of text and an entire anime season of movies in there.

[@MarcoMeatball]

I’ve heard it’s really amazing so maybe I can add it to the backlog

[@loganrussell3064]

Xenogears was an ambitious game, almost too much for its own good smh they had this really grand idea for a 6-part series that would span some 10,000 years and use a lot of philosophical ideas from Freud, Nietzsche, and Jung, and combine it with a ton of EXTREMELY religious overtones, but make it super sci-fi cuz that's the kinda stuff that the director is into lol. This game was revealed at the end to be part 5 of their series, but unfortunately the rest of it got scrapped because Square said "it's too controversial and didn't meet sales expectations..." Edit: also worth noting that (1) the original idea for this game was pitched as a potential plot for ff7 but was turned down cuz "it's too dark and complex for final fantasy", (2) the dev team was like what 30 people? And they also didn't get much funding/resources from square because they wanted to focus more on ff8 after the success that 7 was, and (3) fortunately the main creative team still lives on as Monolith, and are the ones behind Xenoblade (as I'm sure you might have already figured out)