Rondo Across Countless Kalpas + Kyoden: A Cleave Across the Transient World || MUSIC REACTION

[@MarcoMeatball]

i appreciate your very sweet comments. They fill my heart.

[@ruivilavega3588]

Idk if you noticed but they were many tooo Hi3rd references in the Kyoden' s trailer with the14 swords makin references to the 14 Herrschers in order also your videos are amazing, you should react to Girl Inside a song of HI3rd, also you can hear Honkai World Diva in Kyoden

[@ИгорьСеминога]

No you`re sweet

[@Stallord2292]

My favorite thing I've heard said about this cinematic so far is ''This could have been a sex scene and it wouldn't have been this intimate.'' Lovely analysis as always Marco!

[@laithahmed3507]

LITERALLY 😭

[@fazadhikarizqkoswara9429]

Forget analysis, join horny😂 i hate this game drawing that sides beyond my control sometimes😂

[@ben-taobeneton3945]

Of course 👌😂

[@farhanishraqifti1489]

Who said that and where? Was it a youtube comment?

[@zeromailss]

fr fr, I was so shook the first time I saw this animation. Putting aside the insane quality of the animation and music, I never thought MHY would do this

[@ItBeGiR]

Black Swan: "Wait, it's all cosmic horror?" IX, the Nihility: "Always has been."

[@scylla1772]

Even ix can't resist bobbing his head to this tango

[@imnotreanalbertospynotatal6968]

Since launch, I always thought Yaoshi would be the cool mysterious Aeon and IX would be insignificant and boring but oh boy was I wrong

[@birubu]

Funny little space blob fella do a little trolling (they have neutralized more minds than you can possibly comprehend)

[@liandoaethend2403]

​​​@@imnotreanalbertospynotatal6968 depression is always mysterious, it'll attach itself to someone by surprise :)💀👍 Well, you can even see in the lore, about Self Annihilator which are people like Acheron ig, the other one group name that i forgor how to spell, and Doctors of Chaos (which despite the name, the wholesome group that wants to prove to IX that existence have meaning, they are in fact iirc emanators, to be emanators is to attract the gaze of an aeon too, in which case, IX gaze at Doctors of Chaos is with curiosity) Theres even text that saying some Annihilation Gang member tried to kill IX (AG ig "main" mission is to kill other aeons) but theres findings that by just near IX you can feel the sense of worthlessness (essentially fell into deep despair depression), those members cant be found anymore

[@elainasynranelt]

Marco buffering in the beginning and accidentally saying sexual is hilariously accurate.

[@nataliakuros9498]

it is 😂

[@guiltylegion7037]

Bruh the vud actually buffering at the start

[@babytacprimo]

At least he manage to hold his sanity. Mine lost half of it😂

[@ben-taobeneton3945]

That was peak reaction. He was like: "Oh Fuck!" 👌😂

[@DiegoPrs]

And they were really good friends...

[@twalker5801]

“I have no idea what’s going on. That’s really cool.” My thoughts exactly.

[@elainasynranelt]

Killed subconsciously is a big deal when it comes to Black Swan. Because she is entirely a memetic entity. She’s ONLY memory. So when met with Acheron’s self annihilating mind, the nihility that dwells within her, black swan is literally ripped apart as it tries to consume her existence. She could have actually died in that moment.

[@MrYamiBakura]

I actually think that's why Swan is on Nihility and she used to walk a different path before this encounter.

[@elainasynranelt]

@@MrYamiBakura in game paths have nothing to do with actual lore related paths.

[@_TheStormThatIsApproaching]

​@@elainasynranelt For Acheron, Boothill, Robin as well as the Trailblazer, seems like it does.

[@Kkk-kt4lx]

​@@_TheStormThatIsApproaching well yeah, but then everyone on the Luofu should be hunt, but they're not. And everyone on Belobog should be preservation, but they're not.

[@_TheStormThatIsApproaching]

​@@Kkk-kt4lxThat's why I'm only mentioning the newer characters. And it seems like, from what they said in the developer's live stream, they're going to keep following that logic more in the future.

[@ItsTanuki0_Clock]

Acheron is truly terrifying as a character, someone who has part of the power of an aeon and whose massacres are so brutal XI literally makes her repress such memories acting like the memories black hole it is and presenting as almost a double personality to Acheron. It's quite ironic how much she clashes against Black Swan as a memory keeper, because memories being completely erased without a trace is a fate worse than death for memory keepers, and the fact that based on voicelines Acheron wasn't aware of what happened inside her mind and just thought a pretty girl had invited her for a dance not knowing why she was so scared makes it more brutal

[@TheDwagonHD]

The memories stuff is just one of the common effects of being an Emenator of Nihility. Its your conscious trying to delete itself, to reach "non existance". (Other things could include stuff like their bodies are litterally falling appart/decomposing) And infact... since the aeons have to stay on their path, and Nihility is the state of non-existance. IX cant do anything consiously. (There are some of the Genious society that are baffeled there are Nihility Emenators in the first place) And alot of Nihility Emenators... most likely dont like their new existance. as they are destroying themselves. (They are called "Self-Annihilators" fyi) Alot of them are actually trying to remove nihility from the universe. and some think that their existence itself spread Nihility to others. acting like a sort of virus. You can read more about it in the PomPom post on hoyolabs about Emenators that was released a few days ago.

[@felixrowan646]

In Acheron's case and likely others as well, IX's influence might be a blessing. She doesn't want those memories and at this point Black Swan doesn't either. I absolutely adore how nuanced the Paths can be in Honkai.

[@225Reaver]

Within the music of the Rondo, immediately after the transition the strings were something taken right out of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. An instant, beautiful downturn into horror. And within Kyoden, those refrains of Honkai World Diva, Raiden Mei's theme throughout Lament of the Fallen... It's enough to bring a tear to the eye of the veteran Honkai Impact 3rd players...

[@MarcoMeatball]

YES

[@teyvatato2148]

Is the last section after Acheron cuts through 'end' (the piano bit with the rising strings) also referencing that Diva ost? Or is there another HI3 track that they're pulling more from there? Sorry I just love that section so so much and am thirsting to hear anything t related. I really need to play HI3.

[@225Reaver]

​@@teyvatato2148 The mornful piano music does has it's source from Honkai World Diva, yes - you should definitely check out the various renditions of the song, you'll see the parts where it's taken from very quickly and how they've changed it to fit here!

[@hermdude]

And not to mention the Nightglow refrain during the "Sky" section (or should've been translated as the "Void").

[@CruxBlanco]

​​​@@hermdudeI knew I hear more Honkai in that video. I feel like I hear something too in the Shiraga Oni sections which I think are Kevin's/Flamechasers/Elysian Realm themes just slightly tuned?

[@drawingspider7798]

Tango, as you said is such a sensual dance. A sensuality accented by the sound designers with these steps and cloths brushing. Like two people undressing each other. I'm no musician or dancer, but as an animator, I was over the moon watching this. Dances are some of the hardest moves to draw right. Pretty sure there was a lot of rotoscopy involved and the result is absolutely breathtaking. Loved the brutal, carnality in the second part too.

[@Jessica-jz3ss]

Yup, you're hearing a small snippet from Honkai World Diva in Kyoden.

[@SoryWearsPrada]

Also snippets of Journey from HI3rd too!

[@xxsirinxx6791]

You can hear a tiny bit of nightglow before the flaming sword appears.

[@DomainOfEden]

as a cellist, i was waiting patiently for your analysis!! the detail i loved the most abut the musical story telling was how the violin represents black swan and the cello represents acheron. since black swan starts leading the dance, the violin sets the mood and the cello responds. as soon as acheron starts "consuming" black swan with her memories and the hunter/hunted motifs, the cello steps up and sets the pace in a very agressive way while the violin just keeps on spyraling. i appreciate a lot what you do, marco!! keep up the great work 🫶🏼🫶🏼

[@Alcaatraz01]

Btw, the Duke being dead was off screened so we didn't actually see it happen ourselves. So don't worry about feeling like it's a big loss finding out this way. It was simply mentioned in early dialogue of the latest patch.

[@sheepsong5681]

it was so funny how we had that cool annihilation gang intro teaser from a couple months ago and then in Acheron’s animation we found out ifrit died

[@3Drcf]

​@@sheepsong5681 theres a theory that the annihilation gang is still present in the story. We've seen Constance interact with Black swan.

[@Orionis_Delta]

Not the thumbnail making you look like you're a third wheel in this Tango. 💀 But yeah, the Rondo trailer basically takes place before the Penacony story but context wise, you'd know more about it in the later half of the current instalment of the Main Story on the cosmos's greatest resort. :) In regards to the second trailer, it is definitely Honkai Impact music! It's mostly a mix of Honkai World Diva (for the most part), but from what I heard in that trailer, it's also POSSIBLY the first half of Yesterday (albeit slower?) and the first piano notes of Nightfall (when the Edict of Fate is about to switch to the Edict of Flame). So depression all around! Yay... A sweet bonus: The 12 Sentinels + 2 bearers are neat references to the 14 Herrschers from the Honkai Impact universe. The first 12 Sentinels are shown in the same order as the Herrschers did during the Previous Era of the Honkai Impactverse.

[@SnKanon]

Uh, no? It takes place when we''re having a date with Firefly...

[@xavehans]

the tango is absolutely gorgeous and sensual, and the transition to an absolute terror is so amazing. how they can keep doing this damn

[@OoyamaAina]

Realising the violin and cello being voicing as the two characters within the instrumentation makes the ending climax and the build up to it my favourite part of the track. The cello reaches same pitch as the violin to show Acheron has caught up to Black Swan in that wild sequence while the violin is stuck in crotchet staccatos, moving up in pitch once in 2 bars, like trying to run in a dream she just can't seem to make headway. (This was the analogy that worked best in my head and Penacony being mostly in a Dreamscape is a complete coincidence-) The change from the cello's steady ascension to the frantic movement almost feels like you get caught in a roaming monster's field of vision and they start charging at you at top speed, real spooky stuff. Real excited for this upcoming banner, hope everyone in the comments' pulls goes well.

[@aranyss]

Me as a cellist when everyone's mistaking the cello as a second violin 🥲 Cello has a crazy wide range!

[@yukineko3409]

​@@aranyss So I wasn't crazy! I thought the other string instrument sounded too low to be a violin but I'm a layman when it comes to music. Glad my ears didn't fail me at least.

[@mahmudalvi4523]

Swan: Tries to read mind. Mei: Trauma dump

[@pakboris2268]

Trauma dump which you didn`t poured

[@Juimimi]

Don't call her Mei Honkai 3igger

[@anmoldembla4743]

I like how Marco just get straight to trailer breakdown without any intro this time

[@rafaliefatah]

12:06 yes it is, there are lots of HI3rd references. that 12 sentinels is actually 12 previous era herrschers in order + current era origin and end (finality)

[@bluestar5679]

When you say previous era do you mean during Kevin’s time or previous as in Kiana’s enemies?

[@NihilityJade]

@@bluestar5679both, since corruption existed in the previous era, but origin and finality are current era

[@jakeblitzcoffie4859]

​@rydogdadualie7215 Origin is both PE and CE, same as Finality. End is what Finality was called in PE, but it is still the same authority, just Kiana instead of the CoF taking a on a humanoid form.

[@jakeblitzcoffie4859]

I don't know why people say the 12 Herrschers when there were actually 14. This is stated many times in the manga and game. Both Era's have 14 Herrschers total. The 12th is Corruption, and then Origin and Finality are the 13th and 14th Herrschers. Even though Origin technically came before reason in PE, Finality is even older and therefore the actual first Herrscher. It's kinda confusing, but HoO is 50,000 years old, whole Finality is billions of years old and the only true Herrscher. The point is, there are 14 Herrschers, not 12. Lot's of people keep making this mistake who don't know much Hi3 lore.

[@NihilityJade]

@@jakeblitzcoffie4859I guess people say 12 herrschers because they consider origin and finality to be separate, but I don't know either

[@lepuslunae]

The tango is also a dance of seduction, which here is so fitting. Another small detail that Mihoyo knocked out of the park is that originally the tango was danced between two women. Moreover, Swan starts the dance leading Acheron, but by the end it's Acheron taking the lead. The symbolism in the music, vis dev, editing and animation is just so good. They just went above and beyond in this animated short. And as an illustrator for my day job, the color theory chosen for this tells its own story. Every single detail of this short was purposefully done.

[@scylla1772]

5:42 I just noticed that just after the camera zoom's into Acheron's eye, it then zoom's into Swan's eye, shortly before memory-Acheron attacks. Don't worry about the "spoiled" Duke Inferno twist, it's basically a footnote at the end of 2.0's story.

[@Tube4life679]

Pretty much I've seen lots of people describe this dance as Black Swan looking onto the Abyss, the Abyss looked back.

[@mr.mrowmusic8255]

6:30 this is the only time in the entire video they play the same melody at the same time. Black Swan by now has fully submitted and that is SO COOL

[@anime-lk8kq]

WHOAAAAAAA

[@adir6094]

THATS INSANEEEE

[@Wookiescantfly]

So TL;DR She's an Emanator of Nihility with a lot of paralells to HI3 Raiden Mei, but her story seems to be "what if she never had a Kiana in her life?" Izumo's lore reads a *lot* like HI3 Earth's situation, and Acheron is believed to have been the "Sovereign of Thunder" (literal english translation of the German word Herrscher funnily enough) as well as the "Sovereign of Origin." Which, again, are the two Herrscher authorities Raiden Mei wound up with in HI3. In HI3 she winds up using her powers together with Kiana to *save* the world, but we can see her at the end of the trailer doing something that looks a lot like she destroyed Izumo with her power. In one of hoyo's lore dumps they revealed that being an Emanator of Nihility means that you lose something important to gain acess to IX's power; one of your senses, an organ, or, in Acheron's case, your memories. Something about what Acheron did at the end of the trailer fulfilled the condition for earning IX's gaze, likely to do with the nature of her homeworld being doomed to destroy itself from the beginning.

[@Alex-dn5ns]

Marco Meatball music analysis was something I awaited since the short's launch! Now, all we need is Philip Hartshorn's analysis of the visuals and we're set. This cinematic is peak in every aspect and deserves all the attention.

[@celestialambert1775]

A collab between the two of them would be an AMAZING listen!!

[@Alex-dn5ns]

@@celestialambert1775 honestly, they should've done it again for this one, yeah

[@かんちょう-q9p]

yep, I'm waiting for his reaction on the animation and myriad celestia trailer, too

[@Ilwenray85]

5:34 He was killed off-screen, all the knowledge about it is in these videos. But if you rewatch the video where they show him and the rest of the Anhilation Gang, you will hear him say this when asked by one of his "daughters" for a backup plan if they lose: "To cling to life is to delay in cowardice." Since the beginning they were just deathflags with legs. Still, it is worthy of respect how good their lore is constructed: as a -heliobi- the only way Ifrit would have died, is against IX the Nihility/Naught. Edit: As playeronegamervloger9762 pointed out, he wasn't a heliobi, he was born from a Phase Flame. But that conclusion still works because he wouldn't have died any other way regardless.

[@motivateddad]

Bro's first day out was the only thing in the whole universe that could kill him,lmao.

[@playeronegamervloger9762]

I don't think Ifrit is a heliobi? Just a different kind of Fire being.

[@Ilwenray85]

@@playeronegamervloger9762 You are right, thanks for the correction. He was born from a Phase Flame. He lacks the posession feature of the heliobi, but keeps their _a flame that never runs out_ inmortality trait that gives name to his house: the Ever-Flame Mansion. So even if I was wrong about the species, the conclusion still works: he wasn't going to die any other way.

[@yarrowsprig]

Marco, thanks for being like the really cool nerdy music teacher I never had

[@MarcoMeatball]

Welcome!!

[@SenBotsu893]

1:28 bit of a freudian slip there. made me giggle thx for that

[@Ashes228]

I've literally checked every single day since the video came out waiting for Marco's piece. Love it, 10/10 thanks big guy.

[@MarcoMeatball]

Glad you like it!

[@maglag]

3:45 I love how this part flows and the fact it's clearly based off one of the most (if not THE most) famous tangos, La Cumparsita by Gerardo Matos Rodriguez. I also feel some Astor Piazzola in this piece, and the "horror" part generates such a feeling of discomfort SO FITTING for this cinematic. Actual majestic work from Hoyoverse This cinematic, especially its music, brings me such a sense of familiarity as someone who grew up listening to this kind of music because of older relatives and the areas I'd visit as a child

[@redinspanish]

Thank you! I’ve been going insane thinking “wait bro was that La Cumparsita?” But I haven’t seen someone point out that it is yet, so this was terribly needed confirmation that I wasn’t just going insane

[@maglag]

@@redinspanish At the very least, the chord progression is pretty much the same, in that part it's just exactly the same if I'm hearing it right. You can try humming the main melody over that part and, for the most part, it fits perfectly with the rest of the instrumentation

[@Missdreavus1]

It's so funny seeing you go back and forth between analyzing the music and going "wait a second is that-" in the second video lmao love your analysis as always

[@Missdreavus1]

Also like four whole notes from Nightglow play right before the fire sword lol

[@T29hotrod]

Marco in the thumbnail looking like he wet the bed, and thinking how to tell his parents.

[@miafrost22]

i adored this animated short so much especially for its impeccable music, and your analysis is really making me appreciate it WAY more than i already have. when mesmerized by watching something it's inevitable to miss a lot of details haha but you really help me revisit those details, and let us know what the music specifically represents in a scene + the emotions it contains that really contributes to the atmosphere and storytelling. and it blows my mind that i keep learning new things to appreciate!! it really is endless when it comes to art. thank you so much for always sharing your thoughts and knowledge marco, i really appreciate your presence in this community 😭❤️🙏

[@MarcoMeatball]

thank you for this sweet comment.

[@miafrost22]

​@@MarcoMeatball and thank YOU sir! 😊

[@OutboundFlight87]

The idea is that as a follower of Nihility Acheron mindscape is actively deadly to Black Swan because she erased her own memories and Swan is made of memories

[@Aona_Music]

These two pieces are honestly incredibly profound and beautiful. From the dynamics and power of Rondo Across Countless Kalpas to the intensity, drama and storytelling proficiency of A Cleave Across The Transient World, the music plays an incredible role in unfolding the narrative here. Love the Carmen comparison also! That's something I also picked up on myself

[@Shogunelite]

I knew there was a reason i loved the tango so much, music is such a universal language that it gave me emotions i don't know how to define but certainly felt it!

[@Shin-gn7ng]

12:49, that's cause thats exactly whats going, utter loss, emptiness until even she has lost herself and blade became "naught"

[@InquisitorAstelon]

The swords in Star Rail are listed in the same order as the Herrschers appear in Honkai. They have different names, Mist instead of Wind, but they're clearly the same concepts. Very interesting and direct parallel between the settings.

[@LeonDiCaprio]

I was waiting for this video to come out. It's such a good trailer, no way Marco would miss out on this one.

[@butterknight1236]

really love how they added "world diva" into the motif of acheron really puts into perspective of much it is inspired by honkai impact

[@D_Peeks]

I have been WAITING for this reaction/breakdown. More than anyone elses. Seeing you're dissection musically was what i wanted since seeing it

[@ChrisMorray]

I love how the music and the animations complement each other so well. The violins in the Rondo Across Countless Kalpas, with the "Predators catching their prey" violin going higher and higher every time it switches to the next, even as the last ones become more fundamental with a bacteria being consumed, culminating in a black hole that absorbs all as the true apex predator of the universe. In A Cleave Across the Transient World, it's often suddenly quiet, with only a mournful piano remaining. I think this represents Acheron herself: "nothing" is left. Her homeworld was erased from existence, but she still roams the universe. Her sword is called "Naught", to represent the nothing-ness that remains of her homeplanet. And yet we hear that sorrowful piano.

[@martinfernandez1713]

i think you are the first person that actually says this is a tango, me being argentinian i got so surprised they actually selected some of my culture´s music

[@ben-taobeneton3945]

Man, the best part of all this Acheron & Black Swan tango scene is at 3:42. Black Swan: _"That is why I took action"_ 🦢 This scene is so peak, the way the cello syncs and that assertive, smug stance, the way she raises her head high by showing how proud and dominant she is, is amazing! I find it so artistic and sensual. As well, a _certain something will happen soon._ That was beautiful! One of the most memorable parts out of all. 🙏💃

[@norucelezia1915]

12:06 Honkai World Diva, iirc you've reacted to it before so I'm glad you've caught on to it! 😁

[@natasha01108]

at 10:21 11:12 and 12:00 you can hear "Honkai World Diva" from Honkai Impact 3rd "Lament of Fallen" symbolizing the Raiden Mei.

[@jonong3836]

Kyoden's music is actually pretty neat because it contains a number of leitmotifs from HoYo's other Honkai games. For example, the music uses Raiden Mei's leitmotif (most prevalent in Honkai World Diva) throughout the whole video. When the video transitions between the swords "Fate" and "Flare", you can hear 2 piano notes repeating for a short while. This is seemingly another reference, specifically one made towards Nightglow. Nightglow is the music played during Himeko's very famous cutscene in Hi3rd. If you listen to Nightglow, the first 2 notes are the same one as the ones played in Kyoden. (SPOILER) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - HIMEKO from the Previous Era was the 7th Herrscher, and her Herrscher core was made into a Divine Key. Kyoden's "swords" are all direct references to these Herrschers and Divine Keys. This is likely why you hear Nightglow's piano notes.

[@Teniun1992]

There is also a bit of Hoyoverse sadism, when the Nightglow starts to play while the "death blade" is on the screen and not Her fire. There are also many hints and easter eggs, but I am afraid I would spoil things. The thing I can share though is the feeling that this cinematic somehow connects GGZ, HI3, Genshin and Star Rail - a proof that they all are indeed in one Hoyoverse.

[@achnologiadragon]

Yessss i've been waiting for a breakdown... It was really cool the first time I saw it. The imagery and the music that complimented it sent chills... Always a good time having you interpret the piece .

[@TearHere-w7n]

3:08; I really appreciate what your doing in your channel.. there are things that I find so amazing but can't put it into words (since I don't know the idea or concept behind) or things I missed but you always surprise me when you point it out.

[@kaze5278]

After seeing these i was genuinely waiting for your ost analysis over this Marco (the sync, synthesizing, the tension, the rhythm and not to mention the choreography of both the animation and the music) Tbh these were one of the best trailers ever made by hoyoverse

[@Infelious]

I wonder did you expect the tango element to turn into Psycho? Its such an amazing shift. Hoyo are trust artists at their craft.

[@homurak8]

I could not stop laughing when I saw your eyes flashing at 6:27 omg

[@Megatank29]

Taken a back a moment by the lack of an intro, but loved analysis! The tension through the Rondo was intense. (I heard the tango in this is Argentine Tango, but I could be wrong)

[@MarcoMeatball]

just dont see the point of an intro when it's so obvious what im doing :) sorry but glad you loved it!

[@Megatank29]

@@MarcoMeatball that's fair! Just got use to intros from...well, everyone at this point so a dive immediately threw me off lol. Yea, I enjoy the breakdowns a lot, cause I get what they are telling me what to feel, but you peel back the curtain a bit to understand how!

[@mado9290]

These reactions and analysis are always a pleasure. Keep em up

[@SeikerHikaru]

These two shorts hit two different vibes for me as a writer., For Rondo it's purely in the transition between when Swan is in the lead and Acheron is in the lead. Swan's lead is sensual, intimate, a mood meant to bring ease as she peers into Acheron's memories to learn about her. Yet the SECOND Acheron takes the lead, when what's deeper in comes out, ALL of that intimacy flies RIGHT out the window as Swan (a memetic being of living memory mind one) is violently assaulted by the true depths of whatever the hell is lurking deep in Acheron's mind. She went into that tango expecting to learn something about this beautiful Ranger and came out of it five different kinds of traumatized by the truth she got a glimpse of. Kyoden is ALL me as a long-term Honkai fan going absolutely nuts with the parralels to HI3rd's story, ESPECIALLY the Previous Era. The entire story hinted in Kyoden rings of a version of the Previous Era gone EVEN WORSE, from the "Shiraga Oni" sharing Kevin's VA in the JP version (Satoshi Hino) to the 12 Sentinels being dead parallels to the 12 Herrschers. There is so many parallels to read into, so many interesting ideas about who and what Acheron actually IS as a person. Acheron isn't simply a counterpart to Mei within HSR's side universe like Bronya Rand and Silver Wolf are to Bronya Zaychik, she IS Mei. A Mei from a world far worse, far more torn apart that even HI3rd's Earth ever was.

[@antross6433]

don't worry too much about the Duke haha, it's disappointing to find out before getting to penacony but this information isn't revealed in the story at all, you have to watch the animation to find out anyway 😅 also! great catch on the honkai impact 3rd references! there's a lot in that trailer but the way they used the melody from Honkai World Diva seems special to me - makes you wonder if HI3 Mei could've met the same fate as Acheron or maybe if Acheron and Izumo could've been saved if it weren't for IX. it's possible that the monster's who destroyed her planet came to be because of a stellaron or in other words... honkai? i'll definitely have to come back to Lament of the Fallen and compare the two for more clues, the music reference was 100% intentional!

[@tamekutsu]

I always enjoy watching Marco examine the music and give little bits of his personal wisdom. I was just a little surprised in this one though because I didn't realize how intense things actually were for him. Just watch his eyes towards the very end of the video. This man really loves this stuff.

[@tite93]

FINALLY

[@BlackReaper0]

The detail on the violins was aweome!

[@hmmmooops]

I only watched this animation earlier today and my heart actually started beating faster at the thought of watching it again in this video.

[@savannahwalker6405]

I freaking love these videos.

[@inariindahir]

and you are the first I saw to understand the meaning of jazz at the beginning of the trailer and the warning there ^^ consider me impressed ;) Also Black Swan looking into Acheron mind is literally the phrase : "if you gaze into the abyss the abyss will gaze back at you"

[@LookNoHands_]

I absolutely love you doing these analysis and giving me an inside into the underlying musical themes. As an information what we think happens is that whenever Acheron fights she gets into the "Red Oni" form and afterwards she forgets. After annihilating the Annihilation gang (lol) she forgot what she even did

[@jo3y960]

This whole cinematic was craaaazyyy dude. Musically, how they invert and everything

[@dashithewolfdashi8402]

it's still amazing just how accurately you're able to understand the story by listening to the music

[@legendaryswordsman653]

For the dance between the two of them this is mentioned briefly in the 2.0 main story about already having a dance partner. What happened is black swan wanted to find out about duke inferno death so looking into her memory and just before the switch you can see her take him out but we also see that she has taken many more lives and it almost sucks her in as we see the aeon of nihility. The many lives are also well illustrated near the end of that part where you see them all falling down from above

[@SoryWearsPrada]

I would like to add that not only there’s a Honkai World Diva snippet in the Kyoden trailer but also the melody you recognized towards the end is the song Journey! Really good catch 😊

[@chrisegan5917]

I really enjoy seeing your take on video game music and how passionate you are about it. I would love to see your take on the main theme of Digimon Survive. Particularly the instrumental version.

[@MarcoMeatball]

Ooooo yea! I heard it recently

[@dorothelazyone9922]

In 6:08 to 6:09 there's a quack? I don't know what word is used to describe the cry of a geese/swan somce I'm at least 80% sure that they used a geese and not a swan, for dramatic purposes I believe. Also in the part we're they talk about the second sword I Heard the leitmotiv of himeko/an instrumental version of night glow from HI3

[@Undead_Overlord]

There’s a leitmotif from Nightglow before the Flame blade as well

[@Aarkwrite]

My favorite tango used to be the True Lies one but I think that’s only second best now after this one.

[@MagusDouken]

One thing I know another person caught with this was that when Acheron took over and began her violent dance, the strings that played secondary took over and made the main violin take the step back from the spotlight, so each set of strings were Black Swan and Acheron and where they stood in their dance/mental battle

[@DianaDxD]

I was looking forward to your reaction the most to this trailer cuz I really wanted to know your opinion on it and I'm happy you did🤩

[@HeWhoShams]

I loved the part where Black Swan is reaching to escape but instead of the VA screaming they used the strings to mimic her cry for help. Alot of people are missing it. When she asks, "What have you done?" It's not Acheron in the present that asks, it's her switched version in the past. "Excuse me.. Are you asking me?" As if to clarify which version of Acheron is Black Swan asking. (Meanwhile the present Acheron continues to dance, unaware, the trials Black Swan is going through). We are also told by Adventurine she brings "Finality." A quirk of the Aeon of Finality is that he travels backward in time mumuring a prophecy. Acheron is, all but confirmed, the emenator of nihility. Black Swan comes face-to-face with IX BUT we, ourselves, have also faced IX in Simulated Universe. When you meet IX it immediately ends your run. Black Swan suffered the same fate by being sucked into the black hole. This begs the question "WHY?" Is Acheron like this when she is Mei from HI3.. well if you know any lore from HI3, Mei would give the world to protect Kiana (HI3 MC), there is a parallel here. If you read the relic set: Pioneer Diver of Dead Waters, Acheron has a companion named Frebass. Frebass is set on traveling into a black hole because "Even Akivili (Trailblazer Aeon) hasn't been there." Frebass ends up succumbing to it's power but Acheron makes it out.. losing the one companion she cared for most.

[@seraphinaaizen6278]

Black Swan thought she was going to play mind games with this naive girl who wandered in on this Great Game being waged by galactic powers. And then made the mistake of looking inside her head and realizing: "Oh shit. I'm trying to rizz one of the most dangerous killers in the universe."

[@_Choco_]

The animation is incredible, the animators did a phenomenal job! The music really tied it together. The choreography was also mesmerizing! 6:05 had to be my favorite part! I loved the animation and the intense violin music. Also, if you look at the background, you can see a swan and a snake!

[@colorlessguard]

oh i didn’t expect you to break down both of these vids! being a HI3rd captain made all the hints/references surrounding Acheron all the more better… im not sure if you’ve gotten to Penacony yet but i hope in the future you’ll cover some of the great tracks the planet of festivities has given us 🙏💖

[@Avitus2010]

I watched this video! And.....in this video for the whole time, I don't even seem to be breathing! It was so beautiful and incredible! I just experienced the whole range of emotions. At the same time, all these emotions, even negative ones, were pleasant to me. That's for sure the Animators tried their best. By the way, the moment when the screen changes to black and red. I had a feeling that there was a second personality living inside Acheron. Some kind of monster that destroys everyone who tries to look at it. Because I had a strong feeling that the Swan was on the verge of death. Well, it's not for nothing that we were shown a lot of miniatures in the background where a predator runs after prey. And as we know Hoyo. They don't just show anything in their videos. And the annihilation team. They were so weak for Acheron that she didn't even remember them. It's incredibly creepy! It still gives me the creeps.

[@BrittanyLeeBuilds]

What’s also cool is in the beginning of the dance it is clear that black swan is leading she is mostly in “control” but in the end Acheron is clearly the one in control indicating the story happening

[@arialaksono6754]

just for explanation, the lower notes it's mean blackswan take a lead to their dances, and the high notes mean acheron take a lead

[@gachasimp7437]

btw, the music in the second animation is a variant of "honkai world diva" the song of Herrscher of Thunder (also used in GGZ) the song has a lot of variations now

[@2455Phoenix]

There's a bit of Honkai World Diva in Acherons Kyoden trailer very neat

[@tpv51]

Lol the moment i saw this trailer i immediately thought of this channel, great reaction!

[@reviqqo3699]

so w/o spoiling much, the visuals you see around 'black swan being chased' is because she's a memetic entity following the path of the remembrance, one that's aim is the collect memories of all sorts to preserve, whereas acheron is related to the nihility, obviously sustaining the concept opposite to the remembrance, that everything is meaningless/nonexistence, thus the shots of a predator chasing the prey and eventually getting caught BECAUSE 'running away is futile, all suffer the same fate', as a belief of the nihility, ofc also representative of tearing away at black swan's existence because she's only existent via memory.

[@Juimimi]

Extremely high quality commentary. 12:45 That's nihility, pretty on point. You were on point the whole video 😂😂

[@Elfandspartan]

Tango can be actively combative. That's where you get the passing of lead and follow back and forth.

[@justacat5069]

6:05 I love this part it reminds me of Fantasia. The animation and art is so beautiful ♡.

[@jetaimesooshi]

imagine your subconscious suffering...could be us lol the flow of the music ofc always adds to the tension. it's so good

[@ElemXCR]

Finally a music reaction from you and an initial analysis. Hopefulyl an in-depth one of the Kyoden trailer. You might catch something ;)

[@armonox]

Also at 10:17 there Nightglow leitmotif. At 11:56 we can clearly hear Honkai World Diva. I also think there others heavy inspiration on other honkai ost, but can't point out those

[@ЯрославаОрлова-у1ч]

I was waiting for it! Thank you!

[@thelonemadladed]

3:25. That is an interesting prediction, one that will very rapidly change

[@basicgiraffology3709]

OMG that was Mei's theme in the background on the second video! So much more aggressive than normal, maybe showing this version of Mei was lacking that gentle nature we know. SO cool and interesting

[@Bobby-ls4sk]

In the second video, just before the weapon "flare" is presented, you can hear the first notes of nightglow (hi3rd, Final lesson), and just after and at multiples times of the video there is small portions of "honkai world diva", the song for "Lament of the fallen", theme of Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei (who has horns too) I love what they did with these trailers/animated shorts, but seeing this many references at hi3rd, i can't help but think that nobody (except trailblazer) is safe. Not himeko again, please 😟

[@ssjgodgoku5987]

Yea I was waiting for this too!Such a good video!

[@khalidgeith416]

ive been waiting for this reaction since Day 1 !!!

[@sleepingalligator]

Great commentory as always.

[@Drachii]

Ay yo I was waiting for this video from this great guy :D

[@xiawoo]

i love how you analyse things

[@antrepeyous]

I cannot believe he got all that from the bg of the first 30 seconds! WTF?! Also I didn't even think about how something like the environmental music in a video like that would have meaning like that, thanx for teaching me this.

[@MarcoMeatball]

i gotchu.

[@MegaMrASD]

5:54 I'M sure he was sorry to find out this animation was actually the first time any of us heard about Duke Inferno being dead, because it's only mentioned in passing later in the story, we are never shown