Game Composer Breaks Down TO ZANARKAND from FINAL FANTASY X 

Man, FF music is something else. Have you seen the video I did on Ifrit vs Phoenix from FF16? -> ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hkn8FvqLmhU.html&pp=iAQB

There is so much emotion conveyed in this piece. It fits FFX really well as it's an emotional game.

This track is one of the best piano pieces ever created in my opinion. It is such an relatively simple piece but packs such a brutal punch in terms of invoking feelings into the listener.

This is a song I fell in love from the first moment I started listening to it. I remember that moment. It was Christmas and I received my PS2 as a gift, with Final Fantasy X as my first PS2 game. I was so hyped that I just grab a small TV, place it on the floor and I sit down to use my new console. Then something I never expeted: a sad piano solo started to play. In that moment, everthing around me disapeared, I was alone with that TV and every other noise was filtered, I was fully immersed in that melody. I didn't know his name yet but in that moment Nobuo Uematsu changed my relationship with games and music.

I always see To Zanarkand as Nobuo Uematsu's love note to Final Fantasy. It's incredibly beautiful and emotional and is highlighted in his last FF game

To Zanarkand is one of my favourite tracks in a video game, even before I played FFX. I played it for the first time a few years ago and it hits even harder with the context. Such a powerful piece.

FFX my beloved ♥ It is one of the few games that still makes me tear up to this day. :)

The beauty of Uematsu's mastery is that this track feels like it's telling you a story. And indeed it is. Beat for beat, this piece of aural beauty is like a big "This is -my- the story". More so because each and every part of the piece is turned into a leitmotif that then grows to be its own... tale. Or fragment of a bigger one. I like your videos about Uematsu, Mitsuda, and Shimomura, the three great composers of old Squaresoft. Those videos are few and far between, but they are so good. Especially when you explain why they are so good. Only a fan can properly explain why a master is great, and only a fan that was inspired by those masters can say it as it should be.

This is really awesome, Nobuo really is something else when it comes to composing music. Thank you so much for covering this track Davi, this game has a very special place in my childhood memories, it warms the heart to see such a great song being appreciated 2 decades later :)

If this doesn't play at my funeral, I'm coming back as a big, vengeful skywhale.

Thank you so much for this analysis, Davi. Final Fantasy X is my favorite from the series, and this music always brings so many emotions anytime I hear it. I know this was just an analysis from the music part, but the line from the main character adds so much to it. "Listen to my story. This may be our last chance." This is the first thing you hear in the game, and it hits so hard, specially when you know later in the game as the story progresses. This is simply incredible! Love this game.

Counter point...YES!!! I LOVE IT! Another YES FOR rubato! My mom was a wonderful concert violinist (she started playing when she was five--in 1928), who also played piano, accordion, organ, and in her later years, electronic keyboards, plus autoharp, ukelele, a bit of banjo, and some guitar. She was a MASTER (or I should say MISTRESS) of these methods, both in playing and writing music. I have her whole Christmas cantata that she wrote when she was about 70 years old. The church she was attending at the time, produced the play that year, but shortly after that, she started having health issues. When she passed away in 2014, she still hadn't published it. I inherited her case full of her cassette recordings and her "written" music and lyrics, but I have been totally lazy and not done anything with it. You have just given me an incentive to dig out that case and at least try to interpret and update it from her own personal method of writing music, and perhaps publish it in her name. It's very beautiful. Over the weekend just past, I purchased both of the Coromon sets through Bandcamp. My daughter and my grandkids are totally excited about the music, and finding the .pdf sheet music in the piano set was an extreme blessing! Thank you VERY much for the GORGEOUS music. I hope to be able to afford the game itself, soon (which will ALSO make the kids very happy--grin).

The "glimpse of positivity"/"feeling of hopefulness" is putting a brave face on while facing overwhelming odds of defeat and even success means losing everything, but trying to face your end with a smile and a hope the outcome will be worth it.

FFX was my first proper time playing a Final Fantasy game and while there are things I dislike about the gameplay the story will forever be my favorite telling. I still remember bringing my PS2 home and mom got me this game to start off, and I plugged it in and this theme played... Such a great era of gaming overall, but I'll never forget that moment.

Great video as always! Some of my friends keep saying that they want to play this at their weddings.XD It’s amazing how this piece is loved by many people. When I first heard this piece, I thought it was "so beautiful but too emotional”. Having this play during the opening felt overly sentimental to me, but now I can see how it is perfect for the game. This beautiful piece evokes a sense of sadness and loss that the game conveys. I think the players already feeling the pain early in the game is both effective and meaningful for understanding and connecting with the characters and the world-building of FFX. It’s hard to believe that this masterpiece wasn't originally written for the game! Thanks for the video, Davi. I really enjoyed it.

I used to just leave the game open in the title screen to listen to this piece for hours on loop. It's so good and pure.

Thank you for explaining about counterpoint, Davi! Makes total sense and is such a beautiful result. It’s details like this that help me appreciate music even more. Love your enthusiasm.😊

Cara, tú é orgulho pra nação brasileira.

This song is so special to me. X was my first final fantasy as a kid and I always felt so in love with the story and characters that this song always hit so hard. And when I was 19 a pageant I ran in was video game themed and I suggested this song to be played for formal dress, they selected it, and I won the pageant. Presenting my formalwear to this song was the most beautiful full circle moments in my life.

Just yesterday, my uncle used To Zanarkand as one of the standby songs for his wedding.

Well, the story (and by extension this piece) is very bittersweet, so I'm not surprised you found both happiness and melancholy in this piece.

Not likely to see this but your words gave me some thought on this. I've tried to keep it mostly spoiler free in the remote chance someone does see this. The context for this piece is that it plays both at the beginning of the game, when you know nothing about the story and it's an entreaty by the primary character to listen to it, and it plays near the end, but not *at* the end. It plays again once you know the whole story, obviously the parts you've seen up to that point, but you also now know how the story ends, all that's left is to play it out. It gives a sense of melancholy, obviously, but the ending of FFX is very much a bittersweet one. You save the world, but lose something in the process, but in that loss, something else is also gained, or rather, regained. And, as a reminder, you already know this before you even get to when that happens. You know you're going to lose something, but that greater things will come from it. It wonderfully tracks with the alternating unexpected happy and sad chords. Hmm, thinking on this some more, I think the overall "theme" of FFX is "sacrifice". Everyone sacrifices something over the course of their story. Waka sacrifices his Blitzball career, Kimahri sacrificed his honour... Yuna is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice. All of these are done with the knowledge, perhaps even faith, that in so making these sacrifices, that better things will come for others. Everyone gives up a part of themselves to make the whole stronger and when everyone does it, you'll end up in a better place yourself. Which contrasts strongly with the ultimate villain of FFX who takes everything into himself, taking from others and giving nothing back. Even the Religion he engendered, which is one of *forced* sacrifice, perverting the intentions into perpetuating a cycle of misery. It's only when the heroes make those sacrifices, not because they're told to, but because they choose to, that the cycle is broken.

Word, this is the only song I've tried to learn on piano (well, a cheap keyboard) many years ago, never got it fully, but I got a good bit of it. Good stuff

Wonderful video! This is one of my favorite FF songs ever; we even played it at our wedding! The fact that you haven't played this game yet everything your analysis said was very spot on with the themes of the game is incredible! I won't spoil but the diverging melody and bass seems to be very Tidus X Yuna, and the small bits of happiness punctuating the sadness... wow! Awesome awesome video. thanks! Please play this game!

just found your channel....immediately subbed after watching this.....i've always loved this song....and your breakdown really helped me understand why.....thanks for posting

Thanks for explaining rubato in this piece. I gonna try this out when I play it on the guitar.

It's absolutely a bittersweet moment in the story mixed with sadness and even a sense of devastation. You get this in the opening screen turning into the intro for the storyline and have to travel through most of the game just to get to the point where it plays again, after so many twists and turns.

I remember when Davi had 1,000 subs! You're doing awesome dude and I still love your work!

I love your analysis. Please, do vids on the orchestral version of To Zanarkand as well :)

Sometimes, simple songs are much better... I remember being in awe listening to Zanarkand the first time. But also with "Arvo Pärt - Spiegel im Spiegel". My second favorite track from FF10 is "Wandering Flame". FFX is an exceptional game for manipulating your mood, it's insane.

I've always loved this song, thanks for showing some of the more technical aspects of it that add some punch the emotion of it. Have you heard the Black Mages version of the song? Nobuo Uematsu turned it into a rock opera with English lyrics.

I think when a message is conveyed so well, in a simple manner, this shows mastery of the language in use. Also, will have to look up counter-point. I like when 2 voices move away from each other like this, bringing them back together in a natural way seems like it would be tricky. Then again I'm a beginner on piano, inspired to play from this song.

Love the subtle self-promo in the middle of the video.

I know it's not your usual channel theme, but... a song that uses a similar major lift as a surprise at the end, and is incredible (though you might've already seen it, I don't remember) is Dimash's Qairan Elim. Exactly the same sort of literally breathtaking lift.

Definitely one of my favorite tracks from Final Fantasy as the series from a whole, just nearing Searching from Friends from FF6 Also, please do Coalescence from Risk of Rain!

Ahhh to zanarkand 😢 the game that changes me from a boy to became a teenager

Hearing the song on loop makes the melody sound like it's floating on a tide...which is wholly appropriate for the setting of FFX, as it were

Yes yes yes ! You finally did this one!

Ive been loving the influx of Final Fantasy content lately. Truly a masterwork franchise for music. Are you planning to cover the Titan Lost theme from 16 at any time? Its one of my favorites! :)

As you mentioned, Nobuo Uematsu is one of the masters of counterpoint. The richness of this music, despite the number of tones, is likely due to the use of counterpoint.

Even before i played this game i loved this track so much

The rubato section sounds to me like the track is depicting the player as smashing the keys in frustration but without sounding loud or off key (even though you said it does still use an even sadder surprise cord for that extra emphasis). It's truly beautiful and tragic.

"This is a sad key, if you couldn't tell." \*sniffles and shakes head through tears* N-no... I had no id-dea... \*sobs*

If you're ever looking for some lesser known OSTs that have some very interesting pieces, there is the Narcissu series of Visual Novels. (Showery Sky being a track that I keep coming back to)

The song hit hard if you play the game for the 2nd time

Nobue Uematsu is gorgeous

The song my friend played for me that made me love Nobuo ❤❤❤❤❤😭😭😭😭😭

Another simple, but effective piano track that I think easily stands alongside To Zanarkand is Total Result from Devil May Cry 3.

I learn piano with this track

(First few notes play) Hey, it's the sad meme music!

An oldie, but a classic!

ffx is one of my favorites you should definitely play it

Indeed it is a masterpiece! I really love this song! Thank you for your time and your video, Davi!

MASTERPIECE till today i am playing FF X in PS Vita

I'd love you to break down some masashi hamauzu. Wishes from ff13-2 has such beautiful harmony and strings

This song got me to learn piano and play it for my church

"Listen to my story. this... may be our last chance..."

Love your videos (and FF)! More FF reactions please! 😁

Nobuo Uematsu is like god tier composer!

I was wondering if you could check out the OST for this game called "Speedrunners" or maybe themes from plants vs zombies

You look like a wise Shia LaBeouf

If you seen this any chance of you reacting to rusted pride and contact with you from armored core 6? Never had such chills.

ザナルカンドにてはマジで泣ける

My favorite ff game next to vii. So interesting. Simple can often be more dynamic then then dynamic. How do we listen to the same tract over and over and not even notice

Try listening to this song done on a harp. Heartbreaking 💔

Have you not heard Battle for Freedom from FFXII yet? FFXII has some of the best music in the entire series and Nobuo-san wasn't even part of the team. Hitoshi Sakimoto killed it. Also recommend Esper Battle and Boss Battle, both from the remastered and reorchestrated Zodiac Age titles. 2 more recommendations if you want 'em. The Pervert from Final Fantasy Tactics, my fave OST of all time and one of the darkest tracks I've ever heard in a video game and I've been playing games for 36 years and lastly You Are Not Alone from FFIX one of the most uplifting tracks ever.

It's been 3 months by now. Where are the Touhou music??? Pls do Kobito of the Shining Needle - Little Princess

hey my man, could you listening some of the songs in Ace Combat franchise? in special "Zero" from Ace Combat Zero - The Bekan War?

Dude, play this game! 😃

I'd love or youto do some Risk of Rain music break down. Start with "coalescence" from the first game as its quite important and then listen to "Rain formerly known as purple" "Risk of Rain 2" and "con lentitud pederosa." Really any RoR2 music will suffice.

glp spielt piano track what a classic

I hope one day you review FF VII Advent Children's OST. Especially its version of One-Winged Angel.

ザナルカンド解説嬉しい！英語わからないけど...

can you listen to "Wings that Transcend Spacetime ~ M-Theory" and "Eternal Dance Engine ~ Shall We Dance!!"? it's from the game series Len'en, it's very similar to Touhou!

FINALLY

曲名が To ザナルカンド なんですね。 日本語の曲名だと at ザナルカンド なので意外でした。 (誤訳だったら申し訳ございません)

9:45 that’s the thing… it’s not a hopeful moment in the game. No spoilers, but at the moment this song plays in game the party has found no real solution to their main problem. The only way forward that they have at the time is the same path that has led others to continue the spiral of death. It is, in many ways, the emotional low point of the entire game. There are other low point before that, but in those there was still a sense of rebellion against their fate, that they would find a new path. And in this scene… there isn’t. They’re at the doorstep of the end of their journey and they’ve found nothing. “Listen to my story. This may be our last chance.” Now, contrary to what you might think I do not believe this makes the song mismatched at all. It strengthens it. The song is full of small moments. Someone wanting to say something, but not sure if they should. Someone wanting to do something, but not sure if they can. The hope there is the last hope, the foolish hope. The little light that says there will be a happy ending after all this pain. That says they will pick themselves back up after. That’s what makes it so powerful.

Please, listen to Raphael's Final Act From Baldur's Gate 3. Fucking masterpiece and surprising. 🥰 Love your video keep going !

Please take a listen to blasphemous 1 songs Some i recommend are: Su beso de plata La Marcha del Rotricido Baile de violetas Le Cante de los muertos

and fyi....this song first plays in the intro to the game.....but the visuals show the game at it's lowest, saddest point in the story.....i won't spoil it, but what you're thinking is spot on

Hey there! If i could i'd reccomend you check out the just shapes and beats ost

Please do Grievous Lady from arcaea

CAN YOU REVIEW LOST ARK ASTALGIA OF PHANTASM OST PLEASE?!

Simple notes

so many "composer reacts to" are just bland, but you really got deep into it

Btw the way you say melancholy is incorrect. It is more like Melon-Cawlee. One of those words that sounds really weird if youre used to reading it.

FFX is the best FF!

Love this song. The soundtrack in general. Characters and story not so much