Opera Singer Reacts: To Zanarkand (Final Fantasy X) 

"The people and the friends that we have lost, or the dreams that have faded... never forget them". It doesn't matter how many years have passed (more than twenty now, right?), but I'll always tear up a little at the mere thought of the ending moments of Final Fantasy X. Tidus and Yuna; that hug before he fades away, and her final words to her people until the moment the credits roll. I think it's one of the biggest works of art in gaming, amplified by its magnificent score - To Zanarkand, in particular. What a wonderful piece; it's still one of my favorites after all of these years. I'm sorry to hear about your father; I wish that he's at peace and that his memory lives on within you.

To Zanarkand always manages to steal a couple of tears from me when I come across it. The song is dripping with the sound of mourning, but it always offers a narrow path forward. It’s a masterwork.

the first few notes just send chills down your spine eh?

I just found your channel tonight via Nier music and was happy to see To Zanarkand here. I’m really sorry about your Dad. This particularly hit home for me because my own Dad passed away a few years back and this was actually a song I chose to play at his funeral. It’s not that he shared my love of this game, but I remember him buying me my copy and it just felt fitting somehow. Will always have a big place in my heart this one.

Thanks for sharing with us. I just discovered this channel today and have been binging! Love the content.

Oh man. This song means so much to me because it's some of the most time I've spent with my older brother, watching him play this game, and looking at the intro every time we turned the game on. Years later, my girlfriend was playing around with custom 'home rooms' in VR and she found the place where To Zanarkand plays, near that campfire with all of their weapons in the ground, while To Zanarkand plays in the background. She called me since she knows it's one of my favorite games of all time and asked me if I recognized this place since it's from 'some final fantasy game'. I put on the headset, right next to that fire and the music started playing, I sobbed like a baby. There's not a more nostalgic song than this one in the world for me, it's meaningful to see that other people feel the same way too.

Sincerely, thank you for being so personable and highlighting such works of art. I hope you keep up the awesome work.

Hey Marco, i've been watching a few of your videos and just really wanted to tell you that I really appreciate your thoughts and relationship with music. You are really good at describing the beauty of music and how it relates to the human condition in such a way that is very inspiring to me. Im really sorry to hear about your dad, I genuinely wisj you all the best. Please keep making videos and could we maybe get some videos of you singing?! That would be really cool!

For me this is my go to song to play on the guitar, when I'm feeling kinda down about something. Sometimes I just sit down with an acoustic and play it on a loop for more than half an hour, just vibing and thinking. Probably the song I've internalised the best. Could play it with my eyes closed while doing calculus in my head or sth. The melody just drags you along. It's the kind of song that could play on a loop because I forgot to turn it off and I might not notice for an hour. Edit: Condolences for your loss earlier this year.

This song is in my top 5 of final fantasy songs. I especially love the orchestrated version at the end of the game.

This song blew me away the first time I heard it, and the entire game sent me on an emotional journey. At the time of this game coming out I had both my parents still with me, but going back to it again and again over the years especially after losing my parents, the game does hit me different, and this piece along with the hymn of the fayth especially.

Final Fantasy X is a game that completely changed my life in a time where it was much needed. It will never fail to make me bawl my eyes out in the best way possible.

For those we have lost. For the dreams that have faded.

I saw the "Distant Worlds" final fantasy orchestra tour in Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio. I got the tickets for my dad for fathers day and it was a blast. My very first memories of life almost are sitting on the couch and watching my dad (at the young age of 21) playing Final Fantasy 7 for hours. Being able to go experience that with him was a really special moment because he does nothing but work hard to provide for the family and doesnt get to do leisure things very often. Final Fantasy's music will FOREVER be embedded in my memories of growing up. Nothing gives me more inner peace than listening to something like Aerith's theme. (often listen to it when im feeling sad as you described for this song.) Special shoutout to those pieces of music that stick with us and lift our spirits in the toughest of times.

It was nice listening to this with you. There is always a strong sense of nostalgia when I hear this song in its entirety... But also a sense of urgency due to it being my phone ring tone since I got my first phone capable of using custom song as a ring tone.

One thing I learned from final fantasy that I've applied to video games and movies is that I learned to appreciate the journey of a person or story and not the destination. I really enjoy playing ff games because it allows me to feel the emotions of the characters and I'm not a very emotional or empathetic person. When I listen to this song it allows me to feel sadness.

Thanks for the video Marco. I hope you can find some amount of peace with your loss, as hard as it is. 💚 I started learning piano 2 years ago and it was a decision largely inspired by this piece. Anytime I’m feeling sad or thinking about personal loss I sit at my piano and pour all those feelings into playing this song. Even if I end up crying, it gives me a great sense of comfort in that I can keep moving forward.

Plz keep doign what u r doing, rarely seen anyone catchign the "magic" of music so on point and refelcting it so personally. Your are great man.

I lost my mother to cancer in march 2021 and I understand you completely, it's funny because as a teenager I used to love this song as well, it brought this nostalgic feeling which I couldn't comprehend back then. But unfortunately now I do. And FF X is about moving forward, being strong, and cherish the moments you have with the people you love.

I just discovered you channel and i really like how you talk about the music and the feelings it evokes. Im really happy to see someone also enjoing the NieR and FF music as i do and i also listen to it all the time. I wish you the best of luck and will continue to enjoy the music together! Wish you all the best!

I love this song. The first time I heard it I was struck by how it contrasted with another song that plays over the title screen, prelude or the crystal theme from ff7. Predule has this feeling like a promise of adventure, where To Zanarkand is like this moment of reflection on a long journey.

Sorry to hear about your father, friend. Glad you found some solace in this song

tbh i just can't listen to this song without crying :,)

I appreciate your content so much... Thank you. Truly.

I heard this when I first played the game around 10 or 12 years old. To this day I’m 27 and I keep coming back. Nothing can take me to the same state of mind that his song does. It’s so sad. But so hopeful all at once.

Recently I heard a cover of this song on an erhu, and that instrument brought out so much more emotion, I 'd recommend looking it up

I've made a Discord server if you'd like to talk with other folks about game music or make requests! discord.gg/wvzEZTBkf7

For me, the FF main theme will (probably) always be the perfect send-off for the start of an amazing journey. And yet, when this piece played it felt strangely fitting. It only became moreso after finishing the game and returning to the title screen... and to this piano. This was the first FF to have voice acting; a change that sounds simple, but which was jarring for those of us who started in the 2D era. Today, voiced characters are a matter of course, but X was imbued with a fundamentally different quality in its story and overall tone. This was an evolution for the series, and To Zanarkand was the perfect landmark to signify that.

FF X has some of the most emotional themes. I'm fond of Movement In Green (one of it's two names), specifically the HD version and the part with some traditional Japanese instruments. It's one of the most beautiful, relaxing but adventurous, and somehow saddest and tense things I've ever heard.

For me, the opening to Final Fantasy X was probably the most memorable opening of the FF games. Mostly because of this track. Love piano music and love the mood it sets going forward. What server/datacenter are you on in FFXIV btw? If you don't mind sharing?

Btw.... walked down the aisle in my wedding to this song.... understatement to say I Looooooooove it and this game😻😹

I felt sad and tears when you mentioned your dad passed away. My dad abandoned me when i was little. Final Fantasy music helps me get by

Great take on it being a rememberance of those who are gone seeing as this song plays when you're at a bonfire having a last meal of sorts with the dead.

I'm so happy you said you love final fantasy and is ones of the reasons you got into classical music. Me as well, whenever I talk about final fantasy 10 I'm on the verge of years! I deeply love that game and is heartbreaking sorry of loss and hope. I hope that in the future you'll listen to the classical music in Tokyo ghoul. Thank you for sharing. I cried watching /listening to this. The people and the friends we've lost our dreams that have faded never forget them.

Final Fantasy really nails these moody pieces. One of my favorites is from Final Fantasy 6 in "Forever Rachel." The track only plays around a specific character at a certain point in their story, but in really punctuates the feelings of guilt, loss, and eventual peace that story concludes with. Majestic.

This song has been my ringtone since 2002. FFX carried me through a rough time in my life, so i will never change it.

Funnily enough, playing this song on a keyboard piano in a gmod Theater server really helped me through a tough time in my life. It would help me relax.

Almost two decades since I played FFX and this song still makes me feel feelings and get teary.

I remember listening to this on a Distant Worlds concert, when the first few note plays I'm already crying in tears even though I've listened enough of times on my CD.

FFX its the first FF i played, and i love it, the story and the music really got me.. since then i began to play others FFs = )

One of the first final fantasy songs I ever heard. And still one of my favorites

the people and the friends that we have lost or the dreams that have faded, never forget them

So many emotions and nostalgia

I've Lost my mom a year ago and I can't deny when I listen songs like that, I feel the lost, and I can't listen It and not cry during I hear It. Even now, I can't write this comment without crying... It's so hard to loose someone that I think I'll never be the same cold and lonely man. I guess I'll never get over her lost and this song makes me feel like you said here. Sorry, but I needed to comment It. Nice analysis, greetings from Spain.

Marco -- I lost my father to cancer earlier this year as well, in late March. There was a stretch of about three months where nothing seemed to feel "real" to me. I would do my 8 hours of work for the day and then just, not really do anything. Even idle activities like playing a new game or watching a new show felt like too much effort. I started replaying some of the older FFs as comfort food and also kind of falling back into just listening through a lot of my old JRPG soundtracks. While it wouldn't be accurate to say it brought me joy, it was the one thing that helped keep my mind distracted until eventually I got back to a point where I felt like I could start putting one foot in front of the other again. Hang in there and I hope you find your peace.

This song also holds special significance to me, because my first GF and met through our common love of FFX. It was a long distance relationship and I remember us chatting (on AOL in the early 00's) and both of us having the title screen playing in the background.

My absolute favorite piece of video game music is the opening theme to Solstice. It's incredibly impressive that Tim Follin was able to accomplish that sound on an NES.

man it always hits hard this one i remember playing ff10 i was maybe 14 at the time i got sucked in and whisked away to this new world with silly Tidus an man all the music was amazing but this at the end had me stopped sat there for the first time a tear was shed for a gaming experience about to be concluded an adventure over a story never forgotten thank you Sqaure an Nobuo Uematsu

It does the same for me. Also makes me feel like I'm losing something important rn. I started crying when it started.

Theme Of Rena from Star Ocean 2 is a beautiful and emotional piece, the arranged version even more so. Highly recommended.

December 2001.... before i got my ps2 that summer... that 2002.... and getting here, how our lives get here... to that winter of 2002.

Any thoughts on kingdom hearts music? Nobuo Uematsu and Yoko Shimomura are my favorite composers! I'd love to hear your opinions on some of Yoko's song's if you're interested in any of them.

an absolute classic song

This this year i bought a Nintendo Switch and finally bought ffx/x-2... I played it for the First time even tho im a die hard Final Fantasy Fan... And when IT opened Up inhad to think of my dad... He died a year ago on August 30. In my Arms... I cried so hard when i Heard it

I’ve played FFX on and off for probably twenty years and my god, To Zanarkand never fails to make me emotional, quite often bringing me to tears. Somehow, the live version recorded for Distant Worlds II is even better then the studio version. Then there’s The Truth Revealed and the portion of To Zanarkand that plays in the Ending Song, they’re even fucking sadder. FFX is and always will be one of my favourite games and the soundtrack is a huge part of it.

I cried so much when I literally entered into FFX's main menu scene (as SteamVR environment), and heard "To Zanarkand" again...

This song, for me, has the heaviest emotion outside of Aerith's theme. Listening to this after the pilgrimage to Zanarkand only intensified the emotion behind the arrangement. 2 years late, but thank you for sharing. I hope you'll touch on the FFIX soundtrack. Eternal Harvest and Rose of May in particular. :)

I'd honestly love to see your reactions to some of the songs from the games Dark Cloud 1 and 2. They're two of my all time favourite games and I remember their soundtracks very fondly

I always love that the Nier music always connects the Bright potentials with almost dark fear, or a Dark Story giving a bit of hope.

No thoughts. Just hanging out and listening with you. *pats head* Be well!

I listen to this song whenever I feel sad or anxious. It's so quiet and calm, in great contrast to some of the more loud or bombastic songs on the roster. FFX was the first final fantasy I ever played and as awkward and cringe it can be at times, it's a phenomenal game and holds pride and place in my top 3.

You should check out the version by The Black Mages (formed by three of the composers at Square - including Nobuo)

A Fleeting Dream/someday the dream will end broke me too

This song isn’t the most complicated and I’m not the best at piano but I learned this song start to finish and I’ll never forget how to play it.

I lost my dad from cancer in the night from dec 23rd and dec. 24 of this year... I also recently met a girl I knew from childhood. I always loved her, we got separated when her parents moved away... but I don't think she has these feelings for me in return anymore... This song also reminds me of the things lost and the things gone... This is a rough period for me.

Yo, I feel you. I used to listen this song a lot with my ex girlfriend and even after 4 years it still hurts to listen to even tho I love it.

FFX if my favorite game of all time. From the music to the story, the gameplay, leveling system. All of it. I’ve played it on every system it’s released on and I’ll continue to play it till the day I die.

Dammit why did I click, now I'm choking up and holding back tears at work... gotta just put my hood up and hope nobody else in the shop walks by now haha

Well if I could I would recommend u to listen to one hundred things haha but if I should choose one... Hmmm The Tartaglia Boss Fight soundtrack from Genshin impact. At least the first 3 minures, its very beautiful and smooth, and it haves small pieces of italian traces or so I think. Btw u won a new sub:D and I love so much how u analyze and say everything like it comes out of your soul lol.

Love your content! Hope to see you do some FFXIV music reacts soon too

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

There! Now I found this video! FFX is my favorite FF and has my favorite video game music. I just couldn't ever get into any other FF besides Tactics Advance. The more Japanese inspirations in this game set it apart from other Final Fantasy games that are obsesses with Western, European culture and music, so it felt very fresh to me. Definitely my favorite FF characters, world, story, lore, etc as well.

Liking your content so far. Did you heard Dawn of Arkrasia Ver.Opera from Lost Ark? Any chance you could make a video out of it?

best ff are 7 10 nd 12 serious 10 2 wen yuna sing is so goo too 1000words song is just so good

I always felt a bit more strongly with Someday the Dream Will End/A Fleeting Dream. Not sure if it's the reminiscence of being back in the city where the game started, continuously driving on (even through the battles in Zanarkand, not switching to the regular battle music) knowing that the end of the journey is imminent. I think with both songs, it's hard to know how much is innate to the music and how much is reinforced by remembering back to the storyline when the songs play.

Its somewhat letting that inner innocents go and maturing into an adult and what it costs us on the way there.

My favorite Final Fantasy song. It makes me glad that there is another kindred spirit who likes this song. While this would be the video game version, I a orchestral version on replay. I know there's plenty of them on RU-vid. But this one replay: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BRsW5iDbUL0.html

If I listened to it when I'm sad I think it would be too much lol..

Hello again my friend! I looked back in my comment and it was butchered by auto correct. What I meant to say was that I hope you look into the OST of Tokyo Ghoul. It's very similar to Final Fantasy in that there is this deep sense of sorrow and longing. I recommend the songs Aozora, Auferstehung, Schmiterling, LIVE ~Will~. These are my personal favorites out of a large selection of incredible tracks. I hope you are doing well Marco. Enjoy your upcoming weekend brother. Take care of yourself. :)

Sorry about your father , just came across your video so might have been a while ago now x

We need more nier replicant/automata and final fantasy X content please 🙏

ohhhh man there's so many more good tracks from FFX, FFX-2. Besaid, Tidus n Yuna's theme, 1,000 words, and so on.

FFX pulls on the heartstrings too much I forgot the steamers name but after she beat the game she was screaming “THIS GAME IS PAIN!”

You mentioned FF VII through X and XIV, but no VI? Have you played FF VI? There's an actual "opera scene" in VI, which should interest an opera singer like yourself. It'd be cool if you could react to the opera scene music from FF VI.

You know the piece is good when you start the game and immidiately start tearing up, even if nothing happened yet. FFX soundtrack carried me through breakdown I had after girlfriend ditched me and it's calming me since then. (I also had Besaid Island theme set as my alarm clock for like 10 years - only to be dethroned by This Little Light of Mine from Genshin)

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

well.. my bffes... was ff8... and my best friend getting Diabolos.... and then realizing how weak that summmon was. 5 years later.

FFX is what I consider the LAST Final Fantasy... because that is the last one that the OG creator, Sakaguchi Hironobu is involved in. He left SquareSoft after FFX and made his own studio called Mist Walker, meanwhile Square merge with Enix not long after (into SquareENIX) and went through a huge change (for better or worse).

To zanarkand AND Auron's theme in the same game.

I feel the exact same way about this song ❤ Here is a version I feel is just so poignant music.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PSjTN8WSGNk.html&si=niYj745s0AUV_H6-

Version from original game is better, this one is from remaster version.