*NieR: Automata - Devola and Popola’s Story Explained* Just like Emil, Devola and Popola are returning characters from NieR who play a part in the events of NieR: Automata. While they’re different models from the Devola and Popola we knew from the first game, the connections between the two pairs are quite explicit, and they play a huge part in the sequel too. First, some backstory: the Devola and Popola models from the original NieR were responsible for protecting the Shadowlord and making sure that he could continue to help stabilize the Gestalts. However, the Shadowlord’s Replicant killed him at the end of the game, effectively dooming humanity. This marked the end and failure of Project Gestalt, and all of the Devola and Popola models gathered the Replicant data and sent them to the moon. All the androids started resenting Devola and Popola for destroying humanity, and they became outcasts. As punishment, the Devola and Popola line of twin androids were discontinued and gotten rid of, except for one pair - the pair that we meet in NieR: Automata. For this pair, their memories of Project Gestalt were wiped, and they were allowed to go free. It’s not entirely clear why these two androids were allowed to live, but perhaps they were meant to serve as a reminder to the rest of the androids why Project Gestalt failed in the first place. When we meet Devola and Popola at the Resistance Camp, we find out that the rest of the Resistance androids are pretty cold to them. They’re also forced to perform dangerous tasks for the camp, despite the fact that they’re not combat models. This is the Resistance’s way of punishing them. When 9S asks them why they’re assigned these tasks, they simply say that it’s their way of atoning for past sins. Later on in the game, when 9S finally gains access to the white tower, he has trouble hacking into it as enemies start coming after him non-stop. At this point, Devola and Popola show up, and they fight off the machines while 9S continues hacking. The hacking process goes smoothly until he encounters an unbreakable barrier. Here, Popola grabs the barrier and she ends up short-circuiting herself to bypass the barrier and let 9S in. Devola throws 9S into the tower, and when he tries to protest against leaving them outside with the machines, she tells him that this is their atonement. Inside the tower, Pod 153 provides 9S with the memory records of Devola and Popola. It’s here that we find out about the failure of Project Gestalt and how Devola and Popola from the original NieR had brought about its end. We also learn about how the last remaining Devola and Popola models were subject to verbal and even physical abuse from other androids. At the end of it all, Pod 153 reveals that their memories were wiped, and that Devola and Popola’s systems were programmed to generate constant feelings of guilt and remorse. This is why they accepted all the abuse and felt the need to atone, despite not being the actual Devola and Popola models who failed to protect the Shadowlord. Later on, A2 arrives at the tower and sees that all the machines have been defeated. She also sees Popola lying dead in Devola’s arms. Devola herself is close to death as well. As A2 moves to enter the tower, Devola asks if she and her sister managed to help. A2 says that they did, and Devola responds by saying that she’s glad.
Sean Kelly yeah, I feel like a lot of problems could've been solved if the Shadowlord had just mindjacked Nier for a little bit so he could, you know, actually TALK to him. And explain the big problem.
The Last Dragonslayer they're still roughly around the same age since they were also made to watch over the replicants at the same time it's just these devola and popola units were made first
@@someboiwhogivesadamn they're actually kind of a 'newer' model. But still around the same age as Gestalt/RepliCant D&P. But their memories are wiped since Gestalt/RepliCant D&P fucked up.
Sadly because of no lolis, no scholar girls, no oversized breasts, unnecesary power ups and because they would have a 90% of destroying the story through a rushed end, they will never do an anime based on Nier/Nier:Automata. Maybe one about Drakengard but just because of the manga.
The track of them singing together in the game is "Song of the Ancients - Hollow Dreams", but this video is the tracks "Song of the Ancients - Devola" and "Song of the Ancients - Popola" played together.
Folks over at SquEnix copyright blocked this video several days ago. The dispute is currently being processed, but feel free to mirror this video in case it goes down permanently. Really hoped better of the company considering how long this video has been available for everyone, but beggars can't be choosers unfortunately. Sorry! Edit (4/7/2022): Dispute resolved! Still unsure why this video was targetted initially, given the hundreds of other videos that feature the soundtrack. But here's hoping it doesn't go down again out of spite. 🙏
This song’s instrumental is so soft and sweet along with their voices, they seem like they’re willing to go through so much just for one person. The fact that they’re still getting the treatment ever since replicant/gestalt really hurts
Automata showed very little of these characters. Very little screen time. and somehow, despite that, makes you care so much about them. Games like this are special. Funny, sad, and fun, all in one. If they re-release Taro's previous game's ill pick them up, otherwise, im keeping an eye on his future stuff. I love this game, and am insisting that all my friends who love RPG's to play it. The game I was hoping to get in FF15 was found in a game I bought on a whim.
When the non -vocal version in the library started up, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Had to put down the controller. Happened a couple other times in the game's throwback moments.
@@GENESIS2789 it's kind of different, the title is Song of the Ancients - Atonement, the vocals version is when you hack in the Tower, D&P will show up and the OST w/vocals will play
@isabella an Emi Evans sang this song; Nearly all "NieR" Songs use a made up language, "future english" to fit the atmosphere of the game. This language is mainly inspired by English, French, Gaelic, Portugese and Japanese.
Actually this song's language was completely made up, it was not meant to be a future version of any language. The Wretched Automatons was the one meant to be future English, as for the other songs I can't remember which ones were which future language.
All of them had a different language. From "future" English, French and Spanish to Japanese and Gaelic (There's like 3 languages more that I can't remember). The only exceptions are this one, which was completely made up from scratch and Ashes of Dreams that was made with actual words from different languages and has some actual meaning, which is why it is the only song with versions in real languages. The lyrics from all of the others songs mean nothing at all. A for which songs were which languages, I can only remember that 'Grandma' is future french.
dragonshock It was confirmed and stated that the languages listed were supposed to be interpreted as the future of Earths language. Whereas they combined a lot of the modern used languages, making up a certain ring that is unique to the game. .... Some people forget that these games were taken place in the future.... .-.
The language isn't called "Future English", it's "Chaos Language". And for whoever said Grandma is in future french, it isn't. It's Chaos Language. Every track in NieR is.
Sealand_boy They were essentially tasked with watching over project gestalt/replicant, waiting and watching till the day when the white chlorination syndrome was gone, then they could finally fuse gestalts with their replicants thus ensuring humanity's survival, a process which took decades then originally thought. But certain events happened which inevitably cost them their lives, and the sisters forever branded/cursed for the failure in saving humanity.
Sealand_boy No problems, if you want a more detailed look I'd suggest checking out info on nier through vids on RU-vid or the wiki, you'll get a much better understanding of the stories.
To elaborate, the soundtrack is meant to simulate the inability to keep and make sense of relics and stories from the past (modern day). The old civilization is long gone, and all that's left of its memory are poorly explained snapshots of life, such as moving around in metal crates as a description of driving. Imagine a song in a language you don't understand and try to recite the lyrics from memory. That's the idea. Clinging in vain to a ghost of a beautiful bygone time. Thinking of it now, that might be the overarching theme of the whole game
This is the song that got me into Nier. Had no idea where this was from or what the lyrics meant but it strangely reached my soul. It’s so beautiful and always put me to sleep. Now that I’ve played Nier and know the lore, this song hurts but in a good way.
@@Fihfjxoiwhbbciosbf A lot of songs in NieR are *based* on real languages, but are twisted because the games are set in the far far future. For the best example of how this sounds if you know the source language (at least for an English speaker) check out Wretched Automatons from the NieR OST
I noticed that many people compared 9S to Eve after 2B's death, but I also noticed he behave the same as Popola in Replicant. The three of them had a close person they cared more than everything else, and those persons they cared the most died tragically because their fate could've been different. After their death, the three of them are nothing else but incarnations of chaos and destruction, accusing the world for taking their beloved ones and making it suffer as they have suffered
It's crazy how Devola and Popola, which literally are the reason Nier Automata's world is the way it is (their models anyway), are just small side-characters. You'd never know it if you hadn't played the first game.
They've been shunned by other androids and called to be at fault for the extinction of the human race by allowing Nier to go where he went. I am more impressed that these two are in Automata still on par with the YoRHa-Units and other more modern androids.
yes, its supposed to be a shoutout to the first game, because song of the ancients papola plays in the library the one in the tower is based off of in the first game, the same as automata
oops... *broke the replay button* I LOVE THIS MASH UP SO MUCH, Thank you for uploading this ❤ I love Devola and Popola as well ❤❤❤ This is just perfect ❤
Yeah, I'd hate it if I had it spoiled that Kylo Ren was Kaine's son. Or that Weiss killed Dumbledore at the end, holy fuck I'd be mad if I hadn't experienced that in the game first hand. (Seriously if you're watching the LP, STOP, go buy the game and play the fucking game, then come back.)
As beautiful as Emi Evans' voice is, I believe you also have to thank Keiichi Okabe for composing NieR's soundtrack and singers like Origa who bring Yoko Kanno's compositions to life.
I just played this game a few months ago but hearing this makes me look back at that week like it was the best days from my childhood. What - the - fuck
This is so soothing as well.... Thank you for this draken, really, thank you so much. This will definitely help me in some bad situations or where I'm just depressed. Thanks again draken.
ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_j6uAGANCyw.html Saw these comments a week or so ago and took it upon myself to do it. Hope you like it, even if I'm basically necroposting :D
I came here after Episode 19 of NieR Automata anime's post-credits scene gave us a brief glimpse of Song of the Ancients. It was such a tease. Hoping for a NieR Replicant anime now.
Ok it's 2019 and this still sounds good. Honestly though I'm playing this song as a lullaby for my future child. Ughhh it's so calming and the other variants of the song have so much contrasting emotions with each other my god I can't even.
@@kolz4ever1980 I’m new no longer, Ik this is 3 weeks later but I’ve read through the lore for automata and replicant and played through both games, what a masterpiece. Not to mention the music
I've just remember first time when I tried to get in the tower and they helped me getting in by fighting the forever spawning monsters.. I was collecting all the loop while they are literally dying 😂 couldn't stop myseeelf
The director only gave Emi Evans some direction on how the songs were supposed to sound. But, mainly big props to Emi Evans on her composition using multiple languages to compose such beautiful lyrics for multiple songs.
they didn't give her the lyrics, they gave her general concepts about what the song was supposed to be. Song of the Ancients is the only song that is not based on another pre-existing language, and is entirely made up by Evans. Evans: The only song which has a totally made-up language is “Song of the Ancients” which was the very first song I wrote lyrics for and had been given no guidelines at all other than “imaginary language.” I think that, at this early stage, no one was quite sure how to go about creating these new languages, so they just left me to it to see what happened!
...I am not ashamed to say that I bawled my eyes out during each playthrough... And the friend who lent me the game was highly amused by the fact that my favorite character was the most vulnerable one.
This actually happens in-game. For some reason, after the 5-year skip in the original game, these two tracks are synced up without lyrics while you're walking around in the village. Only while you're outside though; once you go inside a building and come out it's Devola's version again and everything's normal.
Well, really it's Nier and Co. who are objectively the Big Bads from their POV.....I mean, here they are trying desperately to put humanZ back in their bodies, and then YOU come along and kill EVERYONE integral to the project, dooming humanity.
i died when they died.( and pretty dure you guys did also ;) we feel such love for characters that dont get so much screen time.................WHY THO WHY????????????? I FEEL LIKE DYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
I just finished nier replicant and I didn't know these two were the red headed androids from Nier Automata. I got goosebumps when I figured that out. Absolutely amazing
The two from Automata and Replicant are different individual strictly speaking. The two pairs shared the line of being 'Devola and Popola' series of Android. Long story short the pair in Automata is the last of their production line so with the ending in White Tower, the 'Devola and Popola' line is now canonically went extinct
+Ain Automata is on the Japanese PlayStation Store right now. If you're able to make a Japanese PSN account and have enough room to download it then you can play the game early. Otherwise you'll have to wait until 3/7 for a US release and 3/10 for a European release.
the two songs have the exact same vocals, to emphasize the two characters being twins. Those ethereal undertones and the harp beneath the lute? That's Popola's version. Devola's only had the steps and the lute for music.
