Oh if only you saw the translation for the PAL version of King's Field 4. There's a line that was translated as "the sick babes of darkness fought over the healing H20"
@@hesiolitei miss the era of dodgy translations and voice acting. I recently finished Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires on Switch, and I honestly missed the old dodgy English voice acting
@@Avarice420 oh ive heard things about that notorious game! Ive watched several reviews and think it would be a bit too slow burn and high difficulty for me, but the dialogue and cutscenes absolutely work in favour of the surreal atmosphere and its honestly wonderful to see in action!
Everything from Demons Souls on has been good. There’s cultural things like Pinwheel that could never be accurate, but such is the nature of translation.
1:06:57 the little girl is literally holding Mulberries . To seal a Mulberry tree (little demon) you need spikes, hence the given extra spikes by Seimei. -It’s Sakuya’s choice to seal away the little new demon or use it like how (Seimei used Demon Boy). -It’s the power Doman wanted by sacrificing his daughter to merged his own version of (Demon Boy), so he can go toe to toe with his rival (Seimei). -The Kuon spell is a summoning ritual to create a new obeying Mulberry Demon, (Doman) was killed before the final step and became part of the last merge, creating the new little demon girl.
Finally someone who understands that the Tree and the kids are not divine entities, but rather a malevolent being, otherwise why would the Demon Suppression Spike work on it.
At 49:00 when Utsuki talks about dreaming it's a translation error, she's saying she thinks the worms are dreaming a long dream in their cocoons, not that she thinks she's dreaming.
I think the implication however was to draw the parallels with what the person inside the basket could be dreaming of as well. Especially when it shows that at points you are playing as a person who crawled out of the basket, some of the odd seeming inconsistencies could be explained as the person inside the basket dreaming.
Thought as much! Though maybe a different version since she isn't all gunho on doing bad things. Makes me think the twins were originally victims of this ritual as well but were crueler... or Utsuki is somehow special because she was able to fight the change until she fused with her father. Or maybe 2 twins fusing?
further reinforced by the fact that Abe no Seimei gives her spikes, and tells her that it is her responsibility. So it would be likely that the reincarnation is closer to the twins than not. It could be the twins are crueler because they were failed attempts that despite passing kuon, were unable to let go of the grudges that consumed them, thus continuing the ritual to cause more suffering while potentially creating more of their kind that could understand them. Where as Utsuki/Kureha was able to overcome her hatred because it was implicitly divulged to the fused sisters that the twins were the ones responsible for the elder sisters death, and not Utsuki. This could also play into why the father was so dismissive during that scene as despite his noted reasons in the notes, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that at some point he was a normal dude devastated by the loss of a child, only to on the quest of bringing said child back and losing the ends along the way, know that child killed your other child in an unjustified fit of revenge. Hence his "you're an idiot for not believing your sister." It would be interesting to see the original japanese, simply because of the fact that its entirely within the realm of possibility that during the translation more humanizing elements of the father could have been lost. Fire Emblem Blazing Blade comes to mind, as the big bad in that one lost an entire point of connection to the plot in the translation, that turns him from just a power hungry dude, into what was a father trying to see his children again only to get so lost in the power he needed to do so completely lose sight of his original goal.
Fun fact: The main villain, Doman and third character, Abe no Seimei are loosely inspired by the real character in Japanese folklore. There's even Abei no Seimei shrine in Osaka, Japan. It was small but frequented by many visitors.
I have heard Abe no Seimei due to him being a common reference in anime. Don't know the whole story on him but he is typically portrayed as some massive heroic mystic sorcerer. Seems like his importance was something as big as a pope, but his stuff is not derived from God. Like if the Emperor needed something, he would call on Abe to fix it. Doman on the other hand I only know of because of Fate and he was definitely written as a villain in one of the most entertaining ways. He was entertaining because he was so 1 dimensional as an unapologetic villain having all the classic villain tropes. As in his actions are so predictable but at the same time incredibly annoying to get rid of because he refuses to die. The kicker to his reason to being a villain was because he was bitter about everyone knowing about Abe no Seimei, that he gets completely overlooked. This is despite him being competitive with the things Abe was able to pull of, but falling short, probably due to some character flaw. Kind of like being forgotten despite coming in 2nd place and wanting to curse the world because of it. In the story Abe was in the background trying to help us. Once we defeated him Abe had a one to one talk with Doman, like "Are you ok buddy?".
For historical context; the Heian period was from 794 to 1185AD and it was a major period of cultural growth with the capitol being moved to Kyoto, the suspension of trade with Tang China and later in 1006(ish) AD Japan's first written Novel "Genji Monogatari". The Fujiwara clan was a noble regent family that held the power of sovereigns over Japan instead of the Emperor. Basically if every US Senate representative was biologically part of the same extended family and had the authority to not only over ride the President but also the House and SCOTUS. They were kind of a big deal.
@@Tinfoiltomcat And you are too. almost every single person with European ancestry, is related to King John and any peasant around in King John's time. Except for Martin Van Buren.
I think that maybe the way merging/separating inside the wicker chest works is that the two bodies do actually merge, but the merged entities see themself as separate still. since the ritual is for the silkworms and not the people merging, it makes sense that you wouldn't want to upset the host using your ritual by letting them see what they actually become.
I think that was the intention all along, the mulberry spirits may be sentient but they are still trees in nature and there for bound to where they are, but at the end the reincarnated mulberry kid who looks like utsuki is able to go any war she pleases
33:25 The priest is reciting the first line of the heart sutra (or maka hannya haramita shingyo - 摩訶般若波羅蜜多心経): "Gyo jin han'nya ha ra mi ta ji, shô ken go on kai ku, dô issai ku yaku". the sutra reflects on coming to the realisation of the emptiness of mortal life, the five senses and sufferings. There are recording of the chant on RU-vid if you want to hear the whole song. It's the shortest and most commonly recognised and transcribed buddhist chant in Japan.
Also, as a fun fact (if I remember correctly, anyway): writing these lines on your body is supposed to make one invisible to ghosts. Guess it didn't work out too well for this poor fellow either way.
I thought this was set in Shinto shrines? Are the sutras used in both shrines and temples? During my times in Japan, I generally kept away from the shrines - I thought they were for Japanese people. I just visited the temples - Buddhism is more an international thing. But I probably totally missed the intro, and it was all set in temples after all! Anyway, when I did a Buddhist pilgrimage in Japan (I'm no Buddhist - it was an excuse for a nice 1,000km walk in the countryside!), at every temple we were supposed to say a prayer - it was pretty long, but I had a smaller version. I did the pilgrimage in 2008, and I still remember the words (though the spelling will be completely wrong! It was; Uya uya shiku mihotoke wo rehai shi tatematsuru At least that's the best I can recall after 15 years!
@@ZachariahJ The sutras are rooted in Buddhism, which I believe had a fair amount of influence in onmyoudou's practices, rather than Shinto, which is focused on reverence of nature and the gods found in all things.
@@Shuukuriimudaisuki-sama Cheers for the reply! I was just confused about this particular video really - I know about the Shinto animism (you see it in every Ghibli movie!). But I was wondering if the game was set in a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple. If the priest in the game was chanting a sutra, does that mean he was a Buddhist? Or do Shinto Shrines also use them? I suppose I'm an associate of the Kogen Sect. Not a member - just an associate. Kobo Daishi (Kukai) is my main man!
@@ZachariahJ No problem! The game is set at the manor/estate of a prominent nobleman. The onmyouji fellows are there for the more esoteric part of their job, it seems, namely breaking curses and exorcising evil spirits. They are not priests themselves, but basically masters of controlling spiritual energy? It's kind of hard to describe in a couple words what onmyouji actually do, but they do a lot of spiritual things without actually being priests if that makes sense. 😆 The sutra being changed is just for protection. It's not too uncommon for someone to ask for the protection of the Buddha, especially in dire spiritual situations like this.
I haven't play this game yet, but I didn't realize it was set in the Fujiwara family estate. That adds some historical importance to the settings. The Fujiwara were the puppet masters behind the Emperor during the Heian period. Something they achieved by marrying their daughters to tbe Emperors. Therefore this games is set in the home of the most powerful person in Japan.
The priest's chant is one they still use today! I watched Gab play this a while back and she mentioned learning it when she was doing a tour of temples in Japan. Can't remember what it's called, but yeah.
"bye little boat, I love you!" There's something very relatable about this. Whenever I play scary games I actively try to make it lighter by trying to find things to focus on like this. It usually ends up with me imagining the character reaching a safe room and then saying, "Well, I live here now"
I did not realize I did this till I read your comment. I play with the physics engine to lighten the mood, or carry a pointless prop around and pretend my character is attached to it
@@godzillanightmareWhy do us gamers have little quirks like this? Like, for me it's collecting all the teddy bears in Fallout New Vegas, or giving nicknames to enemies who's names I don't know the official name of. Exp: I call the crows that lay on the ground in Bloodborne, "Derpy Birds."
@@godzillanightmare I carry the waifu's picture around in Signalis for that but also because I thought the game would eventually do something about it.
Kuon speedrunner here. The fading woman looks like Ayako to me, so could be related to that. Also, I think the hole problem can be chalked up to game logic, since it's not needed to be done in Yin Phase at all (again, speedrunner here.) When Kureha throws Utsuki off the cliff *cannot* be when Utsuki dies. When she is thrown off the cliff and you circle back there as Sakuya, *before* you try and open up the wicker basket with Doryo and Kureha inside, if you go down the rope ladder to the bottom of the cliff where Utsuki was thrown, you find her unconscious *but very much alive* (Sakuya even says as such, and the game audibly shows her breathing). However, once you get the mirror and go back to the tree (after Kureha chases Sakuya) and the game has the cutscene where Sakuya burns the tree, descends, and the rope ladder is cut... Utsuki is gone. However, I think you're on to something. I always assumed that Utsuki getting knocked over by vertigo by Kureha after the Lady Fujiwara fight was when the sisters met up again, then they went back to the mansion and met up with Doryo, which is where Sakuya found them. Always chalked up the mansion parts being the same between them as good ol' fashion RE-style repeating puzzles between scenarios. I believe that Mansion for both characters happen relatively at the same time (Sakuya comes at the area from the northeast, and Utsuki from the southwest). Then I believe it happens roughly in this order: - Sakuya goes through the Temple first. You meet Sakuya in Yin Phase a LOT earlier than you meet Utsuki in the Yang Phase (since Sakuya starts in the mansion, and Utsuki in the garden), so it makes sense that she gathered the pieces to get into the Temple first. Then Utsuki goes through the Temple, meets up with Kureha. They beat Sakuya back to the forest simply because this is their home and they know the way around better (or know a shortcut from the Temple, I dunno, the beginning of the game is the hardest to place chronologically). - Sakuya, Utsuki, Kureha, and Doryo head to the Shrine as seen in Yang Phase. Utsuki is thrown off a cliff, Kureha merging with Doryo is interrupted by Sakuya, and between Sakuya getting back to the mulberry tree, interrupting the merge, and getting back to set the tree on fire, someone (my bet is Doman, or possibly the twins) yeets Utsuki into a wicker basket, possibly finishing the job on her first, since she wakes up in the Nursery. All her Nursery stuff happens, and she wakes up in another wicker basket that is *conveniently right next to* where Kureha last was seen in Yang Phase at that point. I believe that THAT is when they merged, as the wibble-wobble same-person, Kureha-Utsuki stuff happens *after* that point. Utsuki runs through the temple, gets back to the tree, jumps off the cliff, makes her way through as normal. So, essentially I think it's this: - Mansion (both phases, roughly at the same time) - Sakuya Temple - Utsuki Temple (possibly with some overlap, like Utsuki is with the priest while Sakuya is fighting Fujiwara and leaving or something). - Sakuya Forest Segment - Utsuki Nursery segment happens while Sakuya is dealing with Kureha/Doryo and the second half of the Shrine, after someone takes unconsious Utsuki away. - Utsuki Shrine happens while Sakuya is dealing with the beginning of the Nursery. Utsuki and Kureha merge in the wicker basket at the moon mirror pool area. - Utsuki makes her way through the first half of Nursery again while Sakuya is finishing it up. - They meet roughly where they meet at the ending. Then Kuon Phase occurs slightly after. The big things this doesn't explain to me is how Sakuya gets injured between Yin/Yang and Kuon. Is Kureha still chasing her or something? If they are merged at that point, why does it seem like they are in two places at once? However, this could be explained somewhat with the teleportation abilities the twins have; perhaps that explains why Kureha and Utsuki can appear to be in two places at once. ... this game is so wibbly-wobbly. xD
I managed to find this game once at a garage sale. It came in the original packaging, had a manual in pristine condition and cost me no more than $3.00. I knew i was lucky to have found it.
God, I miss game manuals. Like, not only was the artwork in them fun to look at, but sometimes they'd have important tips to read up on, and controls. Nowadays, it's either a pamphlet for some upcoming game nobody cares for, or nothing at all. Like, why even bother having those slots in a game case if there's no going to be anything there at all!
The light and dark naming of the chapters is just a reference to yin and yang. There is a light, masculine side (I believe yang) and a dark, feminine side (yin). The feminine side is seen as being reserved and secretive. It actually makes sense to the chapter and how it's so confusing. You play the secretive yin chapter and than the yang chapter to learn more of the story and the secrets presented in the yin chapter. That's just how I interpret it
This type of Japanese folklore horror just hits different. It's not just spooky monsters that are going to tear you limb from limb. It's spooky monsters that you can only kind of grasp the nature of which at best just want to dismember you, but more likely will drag you kicking and screaming into fates that claw at your very soul, things death won't save you from. It's a lot more threatening when the very nature of your being is at stake, not just life and limb. Kuon has its problems, but it does a great job of filling the player with dread. Everything about the mansion and its grounds makes your skin crawl. Even the good people in the story seem uncanny and make you want to keep your distance. Fatal Frame has a similar effect, but I'd argue Kuon does it just a little better, and things like the characters not moving their mouths when they talk just add to the sheer wrongness of it all.
*just an edit to say that a lot of things were lost in translation. i will only write two things you touched on the video: 46:20 about the son's name. Due to a translation mistake, the Fujiwara's son (name which is 万寿 (Manjû/Longevity) is missing from the English version. The name appears twice in the 奥方 diaries. He is indeed the person mentionned in Lady's Fujiwara diary 1 and 2, not Miyoshimaru. Here is the original text: 四月二十三日・万寿が訪ねてきてくれた、ああ、愛しき我が子御前の肉は何と柔らかなのでしょう. I noticed the wiki did also correct the text by "my son came to visit" instead of "Miyoshimaru came to visit". 39:03 on Douman's ploys. The translation of Douman's diary is quite the exageration. Original reads "you dog of the royal court, once the spell is perfected, you'll be lying prostrated at my feet"(朝延の犬よこの呪法が完成したときこそが、貴様が我が足元に屈するときよ) and not "whoring yourself".
i guess a guy on the localization team misread "prostrated", thought it meant something else, or thought the other guy was translating wrong and ended up with "prostituted" then *fixed* it as "whoring"
It's a shame they didn't adapt Ashiya Doman and Abe no Seimei's real life duel, where Doman tried to make Abe no Seimei guess the number of oranges in a box, and Abe no Seimei replaced them with rats. Too much ghost sorcery, and not enough goofy slight of hand, Kuon! (Kuon's one of my favorites, and this video's real good, thanks!)
I am amused that this duel makes it sound like they had a goofy Tom & Jerry-esque rivalry going where each lost duel just ended with Doman shaking his fist and going 'Oooooh that Seimeeiii', with this game being the equivalent of someone writing a super-angsty and edgy fanfic of how their rivalry was actually SUPER-SERIOUS YOU GUYS. I am very amused by knowing this.
The messed up situation with the Lady of the manor may have been due to the influence of the centipede, which was often seen as a collector or sign of bad luck, bad fate or 'evil'. Merging anyone with one of those, even in an already messed up ritual like this, would be bound to have nasty consequences
Commenting again for the interaction! Because Buddhism is the most common religion in Japan. The way I look at the ritual is basically a way to cheat the afterlife reincarnation system. And quickly run through all 8 animal reincarnations before being re incarnated as a fully human baby. Giving you a second chance on life basically. And there are rumors of people being able to remember past lives and stuff like that. And I know it's easier for animals to reincarnate as a better animal next time because it's harder for animals to sin in Buddhism basically. But as a human there are so many sins so most humans don't end up reincarnated as another human right after they die. Most of them have done more bad than good in their life (just eating meat your whole life is enough to have you reincarnate as an animal in the next life I'm pretty sure). So humans who did particularly bad things such as killing a family member are definitely going to be reincarnated as an insect next after spending a significant amount of time in buddhism he1. 1 but I guess the way this ritual works in order for you to retain all of your memories you have to retain some of your previous form. Which is basically your soul. So your soul is in the original form you died in but also merging with a centipede and then a rat and then a little bit of a bigger animal etc. I feel like this doesn't fit perfectly but I definitely believe that this is what the game was going for in my opinion. A way to skip all the other reincarnation and retain your own memories. Maybe not all of the memories but your personality and a lot of them
That sums it up perfectly. A few questions remains, like why the way the ritual was intended, the silk worms end up "ascending" into mulberries (maybe that makes sense in the context of buddhism). Or why Doman was confident it would work despite never being intended for humans. Or the ritual existing in the first place. Not that important overall, the mysteries and guess games keep the setting fresh in the unlikely case FS ever wants to revisit it.
@@uruloki2758 I'm so glad you commented! Because that sent me down a rabbit hole I googled about mulberries and silkworms to see if they held any symbolism or there were any Legends involving buddhism. And here's a quote about them "Silkworms represent the path of the Buddha, and the seeds of their virtuous deaths will beget the greatest holy beings of Buddhism. In this way, the process of sericulture and especially the killing of silkworms is depicted as a noble sacrifice, enabling the fulfillment of bodhisattva vows and promoting the greater Buddhist goods of perfected compassion, generosity, and the ultimate end of suffering.” So it's definitely no accident that silkworms and the mulberry tree (which they do eat in real life) were put into this game! I would love from software to do a remake like they did with dark souls 1! My biggest problem is I loved the setting of Sekiro but something about it just didn't feel the same as dark souls. I love all of the other games bloodborne included. But just something about sekiro I can never really get into the game! Maybe because it's not horror like the other games? PS Unfortunately I can't add the 1ink to the source I used without my comment getting immediately deleted due to them cracking down on spam on RU-vid now. But you should be able to easily find it if you just look up silkworms symbolism Buddhism.
@WhitneyDahlin idk the people turning into carp/dragon things were pretty spooky. But for reals though I understand. You mentioned Buddhism is the most common religion in Japan, is that current day as well or just back then?
12:41 - I'd argue that the thing Miyazaki brought to the FromSoftware table was streamlined, accessible gameplay that didn't sacrifice depth, and more refined and responsive controls, which combined together created an experience still had a bit of a learning curve, but only enough to entice you to overcome it rather than quit entirely. that delicate balance of creating obstacles that you feel like you can overcome with enough knowledge and skill is the formula they tried and almost got with Demon's Souls but absolutely nailed with Dark Souls. but yeah, pretty much everything else was a staple part of FromSoft games right from the very start. Miyazaki is only one guy, and helped a lot, but he was leading a team who already had their own distinct methods of worldbuilding and storytelling and he absolutely did not mess with their methods.
It never ceases to impress me how most of FS's games carry very similar themes and iconography of Shintoism after so many decades even beyond the more obvious titles like Kuon and Sekiro. I'm seeing bits of this Shinto-esque pull in Bloodborne, Elden Ring and even the recent Armored Core 6. In particular, the Mulberry tree, metamorphosis imagery, the twins and the emphasis of needles sealing away otherworldly entities are all elements Elden Ring absolutely leans into and we even see this repetition again with other FS PS2 titles like EverGrace.
Woah, i wasn't expecting the rivalry of Ashiya Doman and Abe no Seimei to appear in a videogam (other than Nioh 2). For context, these were 2 of the most renowed Onmyos during the Han period, with Seimei having a well known reputation as a powerful exorcist and a sage while Doman was known for dabbling in the dark arts, summoning demons and craving power in his selfish desire to surpass Seimei
I think when they enter the box, the corpse became a cocoon for the living dead to use, like going inside them and then would later burst out of it, that's why Kureha can be seen 'coming out of' corpses and the brother guy, and why the remain of the cocoon (corpses) can still be found in the box. I don't know HOW they did it with rat or centipede, but that's the best I got.
I think it’s probably supposed to be the soul using the bodies as cocoons. I saw another comment that this ritual seems like a way to speedrun the Buddhist reincarnation cycle (when you commit sin, you reincarnate as an animal and if you do more good than bad, you reincarnate as larger and larger animals until you reincarnate as a human). The original body of the resurrected deceased is also in a constant state of decay. I think the soul goes into the body of the offering in the wicker box and gradually sucks the energy out of it. When the merging is complete, both bodies are left behind and the discarded human corpses probably become wrapped into a cocoon for later consumption (since their flesh is still intact)
There are 2 scenes I remember in Kuon: 1)The peek hole scene 2)When running the castle, there was a Juon moment when there's a ghost looking at you on top of a pillar as you pass by. great game!
I like the detail that the twin from the not burned tree has a bleeding punture near his neck that I think comes from the fact that that one had the spikes in the past
I feel like although 9 grudges is the kanji used the ku is more a play on the fact that 9 九 is an unlucky number in japanese because of it's similar sound to a different ku 苦 that means pain and anguish. So like a lot of weird japanese word play it has a ton of meanings like nine grudges 九怨、eternity 久遠、and something like painful grudge 苦怨
I was a bit confused as isn't the number nine pronounced 'Kyū', not 'Ku'? Must be the play on words due to their similarity. Like Okami meaning 'Wolf' and 'Great God'.
The title menu song from _Final Fantasy X-2_ is given in-game (in the North American release, at least) as "KUON: Memories of Waves and Light". Emblematic of the era, the fan-translations of the soundtrack titles circulated quicker, which saddled it with "Eternity ~Memory of Lightwaves~".
Not enough people talk about this game. As far as I'm concerned, it's a masterpiece. It's a shame copies are basically impossible to acquire, I'd love to have a physical copy.
Yeah it’s a shame that the only way to get your hands on this game is emulation unless you wanna spend ridiculous amounts of money on a physical copy if you could even find one
I just looked on eBay and there are 20+ copies available of Kuon. They are very expensive though, so I am assuming this is what you meant by 'basically impossible to acquire'. Physical media is great and all but we're blessed with emulators and in the end it's the game itself that matters. The developers worked on the game, not the packaging. Enjoy. :)
Ironically, this game's release was slighly overshadowed by a closely timed release of From Software's Otogi 2 for Xbox. On the footage that shows Kuon's gameplay at TGS 2003 it's possible to hear DoRe - Voice song on the background which is a main theme of Otogi 2 (and both games feature Abe no Seimei character as well).
When I heard the priest chanting I got flashbacks! This is Hannya Shin-gyō, or the heart sutra. He is starting at the very beginning, missing only the “kanjizai bosatsu…” This is a very widely used sutra so with a few threads to go off of hopefully you can find a translation that will quench your curiosity! These words were written in sanskrit originally, but have been translated to japanese and pronunciation! I really love this sutra. It described the perfect emptiness beyond existence and would comfort those confronting death. What a noble priest, speaking words of enlightenment and peace despite his current conditions.
Also fascinating given so many characters are trying to return to earthly existence, and are in fact trapped in it by the ritual they undertake, fearing death. Very on the nose depiction of our desires and hungers tying us to this world.
I know remakes are the new craze now for survival horror but if this company remix this game that would be pretty amazing and re-released in everywhere I'm pretty sure a lot of horror fans would love it.
Yeah unfortunately fromsoft have heavily shifted their focus since demons souls and now kinda just make the same game over and over. Im not complaining though they're great games, just a shame the devs don't have as much artistic freedom anymore.
I don't like horror games but I played through this and had a lot of fun. It's not difficult or really even challenging because you can heal at any time infinitely. The atmosphere and story is what kept me playing. If they had taken out the infinite heals, I think the tension could have been improved and encouraged you to use more spell cards. My first playthrough I barely used spells because I didn't know if I'd need them later and who cares if I take damage using melee when I can just meditate after.
I suppose the Onmyouji are somewhat analogous as a social class to priests in medieval Europe. Not quite royalty, but because they're in charge of interpreting God's will and what not they were considered rather important.
i'm also glad you appreciate pre-Miyazaki fromsoft. They have made almost entirely high quality games their entire existence. Miyazaki is the cherry on top of the banana split. EDIT , sorry i'm posting again but the 45:57 something stuck out to me. Sekiro. Has a similar 'feudal japan' art style, ( i don't really know if thats even a real thing.) But yeah the horror , traditional folklore thing. Oh and of course the CENTEPIDES in there. ou appreciate pre-Miyazaki fromsoft. They have made almost entirely high quality games their entire existence. Miyazaki is the cherry on top of the banana split. EDIT , sorry i'm posting again but the 45:57 something stuck out to me. Sekiro. Has a similar 'feudal japan' art style, ( i don't really know if thats even a real thing.) But yeah the horror , traditional folklore thing. Oh and of course the CENTEPIDES in there. I realise they're associated with stagnation and decay in Japanese lore. Probably a commonplace idea but it's still a nice bit of connection between the two games
In other appearances (including Abe no Seimei's appearance in Otogi, another From Software game) I always assumed that he/they is protrayed as somewhat androgynous/nonbinary because they got so powerful in both Yin/Yang mastery that they essentially embody both male and female aspects.
I remember playing this game with my old pink PS2 when I was younger, around middle school. It left quite a lasting impression on me, especially with the Kuon phase. After "crawling" painfully through Yin and Yang phases, I suddenly started playing as this buffed and overpowerful female baddass, walking through the creepy manor like it was a walk in the park while casting powerful spells left and right. It was both unexpected and extremely satisfying! :D
Loved this video, started with your Cosmology of Kyoto video and love seeing this stuff, just so neat. Great job, looking forward to everything in the future!
I never realized this was made by fromsoftware. I remember playing this after work in broad dayight and it would still scare the hell out of me when my cat would scratch/push open my door while I was playing when I was home alone lol. And omg that scene early on when you look through the hole @.@. Anyway I was in to Japanese ghost stuff like juon back then so I loved this game. It was so satisfying to get the kuon phase and be able to finally just wreck sht with the op lady lol
I had never even heard of this until I played through all the dark souls and search up the game company named trying to find other games of theirs. Ive never been able to play this though but I always LOVED the concept behind this game. I'm just such a sl+t for horror set in old japan!
God, I desperately want to play this, and have finally decided to take the emulation route (after doing that for Shadow Tower Abyss a while back) - feels so goddamn creeptastic Also, I think i watched everything else you’ve put out, so happy to see a new video drop! This feels like an unofficial sequel to the video about the game focused on the supernatural history of Kyoto (which was amazing and I’d never heard of it)
Completed that game about a year ago, emulation of course. Was fascinated with the setting (I'm a huge fan of medieval Japan), and surprisingly deep story.
I love the story for horror games rooted in some traditional local culture/mythology/ritual. Fatal frame comes to mind that also made me interested in the story. Enjoyed your vid.
29:02 playd this game with my brother when i was 7 years this moment was such a shock that we stopt the game and had nightmares for weeks... to this day i cant look trough peepholes because of anxiety Thanks very much for the video and to let me remember a core memory again^^
this was an extremely well made and engaging video. i think you did kuon a lot of justice - i had no idea what the fuck had just happened when I finished it and I didn't try to figure it out
The title menu song from _Final Fantasy X-2_ is given in-game (in the North American release, at least) as "KUON: Memories of Waves and Light". Emblematic of the era, the fan-translations of the soundtrack titles circulated quicker, which saddled it with "Eternity ~Memory of Lightwaves~".
I’ve heard so much about this Japanese horror game, and I gotta say that it’s a very interesting and fun looking survival horror game that FromSoftware ever made on the PS2. I just wish that it gotten a remaster release, if the game was very well received back then. I seriously love this creative title screen they’ve made.
This review was good. You got yourself a sub for this. While I played Kuon back in the day from a friend in middle school who was into Japanese culture. I had forgot the damn name for the longest time so this was perfect.
The chant at 33.30 is Heart Sutra, if you wanna check it out. Its have translation too which is really deep and philosophical. Talking about existentialism and something similar.
I loved this game. I bought it when it was new, and I had no idea it would eventually become a cult classic decades later. It definitely made me a fan of FROM. I just loved that they made games with these Japanese folklore themes. The Otogi series on Xbox was also a favorite of mine from this era of their games.
Maybe I'm also over-analysing it, but the silkworms and cocoons makes me thinks of Miquella and Elden ring, and the centipedes makes me think of Sekiro. Crazy how this shinto folklore symbolism permeate every Fromsoft games.
To this day Kuon is my favorite horror game and every time I see one of these analysis videos popping up I'm so incredibly happy that people finally recognize the beauty of this game. I remember getting it at the local store when it came out though the game magazine I read at the time gave it a horrible rating. Back then the game was so incredibly creepy to me that I had to take large breaks while playing. The story, besides some obvious flaws, is still so great and I'd say much better than what a Resident Evil game came up with back then.
I love your channel! This was the best video! I love this game and you doing a very deep dive of it shows a lot of love in each of your videos. Thank you! ❤
I absolutely love this game and I'm so glad to see you've done such a thorough job analyzing it! I haven't played it in like 10+ years now, but I remember I went out of my way to buy a used copy from Amazon (no packaging) to play it myself after watching someone do a let's play of it on RU-vid. Money well spent. My wife and I discussed theories on the story for a good few days after I beat the Kuon phase with Seimei (which was so pimp, gawdamn). I also loved the three main chars were all chicks of considerable talent and skill. I didn't realize it was a From Software game until AFTER I played Bloodborne and went back to play Kuon again. Thanks for covering this little gem!!
Thank you for pointing out that while Hidetaka Miyazaki is an amazing game director and designer, a lot of what we love about Fromsoft predates him, and what he's doing so well is being an amazing torch carrier, and building on what his predecessors did. I'm not sure where From would be without him, It's really hard to have senior staff like Naotoshi Zin move from game design to running the company, without creative vision, and cohesive design both being sacrificed. Miyazaki is innovating, but he's also continuing the best design elements and philosophies of early Fromsoft.
Thanks for making this video! I remember playing this back when I was a teen and I really enjoyed it. A small thing I wanted to add is that Ashiya Doman and Abe no Seimei are historical figures that get referenced in games and anime. They are both in the shin megami tensei series, but I never noticed. I did learn about them from playing the mobile game Fate Grand Order and it seems to hold the same character archtype: that while Ashiya Doman is a powerful onmyōji, he can just never quite catch up to the genius born once every lifetime that Abe no Seimei is.... this leads to him becoming resentful and having an ugly heart that just wants to beat Abe no matter the cost.
I always thought this game was really beautiful. The colors are so striking and everything is just so unsettling. The main menu cycling through different artwork, the main theme, the multiple protagonists. It's incredible.
amazing video. I found this game really haunting when I watched Gab play it years ago. this was a great way to revisit it. thank you. and thank GOD you can pronounce Japanese properly... I should sub to you just for that.
So the tempest (or screamers as I call it) were the primary reason of why I couldn't keep playing the game, even at low volume and no headphones, those are way too loud and scared the shit out of me lol. It kinda felt like a cheap jumpscare with no visuals which just doesn't help either. Which is a shame because I was invested 😢 Thank you for the video, it was the best way to know more about this game
Very fascinating. 🎭 Finally someone who talks in detail about this game and actually takes the time to analyse it and explain it properly. (Even with a hint of humor. I like that a lot.)
The spell is made not for human resurrection but silk worm. The one guy mentions the sad cries of the awakened silk worm and how the temple was designed to prevent the silk worm from getting out. The twins and the mulberry trees are ... some kind of physical manifestation or something but tied to the manor still it seems. The end of the game involving the 9th cycle allowed the sad worm to become a child who can leave the Temple with the incarnated body of the sisters flesh.
the lady fujiwara calling the boy her child could be one of two things; its just a turn of phrase[every likely] or the more likely option; she ate/combined the mother/father too
When i got my internet in 2006 i kept seeing a lot of gamers mentioning it on the old game forums. It definitely was a well known game even after 2 years. [it released in 2004]
I actually have a copy of this game, I played through it years ago right after Kings field 1 and 2. I was on a From software binge. I'd forgotten about the game until I saw this video
