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Yes exactly my thoughts, when i first seen this show and heard that music, i was shocked in many ways, never thought hearing a russian song that deep in anime back then, still Listen to bratja "brothers" to this day ^^
This and the Main Theme from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood are some of my favorites. Definitely one of the most memorable soundtracks in media for me.
That main theme waltz is amazing, it’s just got this *power* behind it, you know? I think “to be continued” is a great lesson on how to play over a drone tone, too, it’s great :)
“Painfully beautiful”; thank you, that’s exactly what this kind of music feels like. Everyone saying it’s just dark or sad never made sense to me, it’s just as much about the slivers of golden light poking through the dark grey clouds as it is about those clouds themselves. That tension is always what drew me to these kinds of compositions
" this shouldn't be so sad" This whole series is sadness incarnate but also overcoming what life has become when you feel like all is lost and there is no hope. I wouldn't be as obsessed with these songs if they weren't sad because it expresses the world they live in before the end.
Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood has the best soundtrack I've ever heard in a show and one of the best soundtracks in general! I would love to hear more analysis of the songs!
Honestly, FMAB has the most insane and emotionally charged counterpoint I've heard and the whole OST is filled with baroque music influences in such a natural fashion and an amazing respect to the melodic lines
There’s this one song in FMAB called ‘Poslude’ that plays in the background when Dr. Knoxx says: "I don't know if you actually exist or not, God; but cut me some slack. Even a guy like me needs a break. Please, let me enjoy the happiness of having a cup of coffee with my family." It’s so heartbreakingly beautiful!
Well I'd say this song is not exactly sad for me, it's more like a deeply nostalgic feeling of missing home. It is telling the beginning and the end of the story in the song. It's played not only for the story of losing Trisha, but also in the very end when Ed and Al are finally going "home" back to Winry and Pinaco and everything is finally solved. I think it's meant to represent both feelings. And it's just a masterpiece.
Yeah, I'd say this song is more "bathes you in feels". I'd consider a song like Rain to have the emotional _impact_ that is necessary to really generate an emotional resonance. If this is "bathes you in feels", then Rain is "kicks your heart in the dick". And I think that _also_ has to do with how it's entangled with the OP sequence and the understanding of the story and the culmination of all the story threads at the very end of the show. Rain is the last OP of the series, and it brings *everything* _raining_ down on you. I think that has a *lot* more emotional _impact_ and _force_ compared to a background track that is frequently used right from the very start of the show through to the end. It's more "immersing", providing an auditory background for events to happen. But as an OP, Rain takes _center stage_ and it's the story and animation that become the backdrop for it.
I had always felt this song comes more from Hoenheim's mourning towards Trisha. Which is why it feels both sad & beautiful at the same time. A husband mourning the loss of his kind & sweet wife, who also gave him the happiest things in his life. She gave him him her time, heart, & 2 children. It's mourning & thankfulness at the same time.
I always interpret the sentiment of this piece as being “bittersweet”. You touch on this with the interplay between the minor keys that feel dark and sad vs the major keys that feel full of hope and joy. It’s a perfect representation of mature grief. It’s simultaneously holding at once the sensation of loss, of pain and sorrow, and also holding the joy, the nostalgia, the happiness of the time spent with that person who’s now gone. It never fails to bring me to tears and cause me to reflect on those I’ve lost on the way.
This song, like the loss it represents, is perfectly bittersweet. The loss of a close loved one is always sad, but the life they lived, and the love they shared is so beautiful that it shines through the pain.
What a beautiful excersise and your explanation ot "walkthrough" is precise, what a joy to listen to! For me, the fact that there are these "jumps" to major chords is like having a (false) sense of positive resolution, only to jump back to minor chords to let us back down. This is the sadness, bringing the ray of light only to loose it after a brief moment. What a skillfull dance of hope, sadness, positivity, sentiment. Once more - great explanation and as usual it is a joy to see your enthusiasm for great melodies :) Thank you.
Beautiful video! This song has had such an impact on me since the first time I heard it watching the anime. I still find myself humming it randomly many, many years later. Like an earworm that's permanently established itself in my brain. Your passion of breaking it down just makes me appreciate it all that much more. Thank you! ❤
You just did the most painfully beautiful piano version of this song while explaining it in an awaesome way. You never fail to impress me. Now we need a full Version of this song from you!
So glad I'm a subscriber. What if I'd missed this fantastic video? Been waiting almost 15 years to see this song's intricacies get recognised. Love your passionate and educational content. Thank you.
This piece is really beautiful, it modulate every time so it take you everything at a new place, you never know where ur gonna be at the next chord, this is what I love in music
Just wanted to let you know that your content got me to play the piano for the first time in nearly 20 years the other day. Thanks for doing what you do.
when i was in music school and taking music history courses, i remember thinking that a lot of the turn of the century romantic/early 21st century pieces sounded hauntingly similar to FMA's music, and i became utterly fascinated with that period of music. it's just absolutely stunning and having that predisposition towards it because of this wonderful score probably helped me appreciate it more. it's probably because they share a key, but it does also remind of the second movement of holst's second suite in F. F minor is just SUCH a perfect key for bittersweet, haunting tragedy
Love this and thanks for covering the breakdown! Added to my playlist haha. Sounds really Neapolitan especially the 2nd section. Also reminds me of schindlers list and let the right one in soundtracks.
When you speak musician, I don't understand a thing. Yet I love how time and time again you seem to appreciate the heck out of music that I've loved in the past, despite not being "musically literate". There's just something magical about music, man.
Thanks for pointing out this absolutely gorgeous song - the opening call sounds like Finlandia (Sibelius). (I've only ever heard Brothers and really love that tune too. Maybe I just like tunes in 3?)
Such an amazing breakdown of this song. Helps me articulate why I love this song. It's that tension between the sadness and the hopefulness/love that it conveys. Amazing song. I'm surprised at the overall quality of all the songs in this show. They're all so well composed and convey emotion so well.
This is a perfect composition that encompasses a lot of what late classical and early romantic composers were trying to convey. It has such a tenderness and the music speaks without even knowing the context. Masterful composition
Thank you for a beautiful video… I love this channel because You discuss the music of some of my favorite composers such as Claude Debussy and Vince Guaraldi, but you also have introduced me to Music I am not familiar with… thanks again.
Your anime ost analysis are pure gold to understanding the technical beauty of these songs, I LOVE IT! I recommand listening to made in abyss ost "VOH" by Kevin Pekin, it is incredibly beautiful and with the context of the story, it is heartbraking how amazing it is
It's great to see you looking into something else than opening and ending songs of anime. I always think the best stuff is found between the front and back cover of a book ;)
FMA Brotherhood is as close as it gets to a perfect anime. The story is deep but not too long and drawn out, the characters are memorable and are so well developed, the fight scenes are epic, and of course, the music is phenomenal. It has aged like fine wine
It does unfortunately lose out on some key early story plot beats, though. A few establishing manga chapters got cut, leaving some early gut wrenchers with less impact than intended. Can't blame it too hard though, the original 2003 anime already adapted the early story masterfully. Though sadly, BH cut my favourite part of the manga which deals with giving The Ishbalan War more context and depth, along with the soldiers that took part in it. So yeah, BH is a pretty good shounen.
@@cdscissorThey didn't even need too many episodes, an episode more with Nina would have added more emotion into Nina story and the train fight episode would have given more context to why we loved Maes Hughes. That's it. Just 2 extra episodes could have made it perfect. And there's a scene of Winry with lantern, that would have been cherry on top.
@@scfdtutorials-ro2ru Good start, but more than that BH needed really a general adjustment to its tone and would really benefit also in adapting the actual manga extras. (The omakes are anime-original and just not as funny as Arakawa's wit) Especially the last extra with Trisha and Hohenheim to really seal the deal.
Thanks for your breakdowns, Charles! I took some music theory classes in college, but I'm no professional nor jazz musician. For a long time I had a hard time finding videos/content that bridged the gap between the very basics and the super advanced, and I think your channel does that beautifully. (Db maj7 in Fm is also my favorite chord, lol)
I can't believe the day came when someone actually understood what this piece is about. Thank you so much for sharing this review. After this I hope this piece gets the amount of attention it deserves
Great video and interesting analysis. That descending bassline reminds me of a tradational 'lament bass'. The harmonic progression through the circle of fifths you pointed out is very common in classical music and has a very purposeful sound. Maybe it's conveying a sense of inevitability or perhaps reassurance? I don't know enough about the context of the song, so I'm just idly speculating!
Trisha's lullaby is one of those beautiful musics that touches you deeply and that I'll never forget. I suggest you to check Vogel Im Kafig from SNK which is also one music that completely fulfills its role and tears you through opposed emotions.
Oof.... right in the feels. Another good one you could have also done is "Requiem for the Brigadier General". Hughes' death/burial scene makes me tear up just remembering it. It was written and composed so well in both the original FMA and FMA:B.
Lol I thought he was for sure gonna cover the 2003 anime’s “Braja” b/c of how iconic it is, but I’ll take this too I’m certainly not complaining-just surprised since I don’t see this one get talked about as much. The melody with the back and fourth call and answer he talked about and how the minor cord doesn’t keep it completely saturated in sadness, especially with that “answer” at the end of each call…idk. To me it definitely leaves each sad moment with an almost hopeful, questioning reply. And I think that even matches WITH the context too. Kind of fits with the story and what Trisha’s death bring on for the brothers: They’re distraught and dower at the death of their mom…yet have that nagging hopefulness in the dark that maybe they can find a way to bring her back. And even beyond just that initial moment-it over-arches into the rest of their storyline with how the transmutation attempt took them back so many steps and left them in a seemingly hopeless situation again, with the add-on of guilt for what Ed feels he did to his brother, but also that hopeful tone of the possibility of finding a way to fix that sin and get his brother’s body back on their journey, even if it may be a harrowing one, and they carry scars from it…they don’t want to give up hope just yet. It fits so well with the overall vibe of the plot and the Elric Brother’s journey
Personally - "Nocturne of Amestris", "Epilogue: A New Journey", "Requiem for the Brigadier General", and "Violoncello's Lament" all rival this theme as well. I'd love to hear break downs of these!
Some of our Christmas carols in Poland have this aspect of sad, tragic lullabies. To the point I wouldn't be surprised if someone had already adapted this one for Church somewhere
Gonna be real most of the time I'm not able to fully follow what you're describing with half diminished and inversion and whatnot, but gosh do I love hearing you figure out and gush about music and shows I love!
You should do the theme to Cowboy Bebop, TANK! It’s fascinating to break it down and see just how faithful it is to the classic blues scale and progression (i i iv i v iv i) it stays-the baseline, the main melody, harmonies, all of it. Yoko Kanno is just smacking you in the face with “THIS IS A WESTERN. IN SPACE. BECAUSE BLUES. GET IT?” Lol it’s almost anal retentive how many overlapping layers there are in that blues format. If you haven’t broken that piece down, it’s a fun one to unwind and analyze for sure!
This also reminds me a lot of music from Elfen Lied (an amazingly gory psychological supernatural horror anime… with an excellent soundtrack). Now I’m wondering if I could make a mashup/medley of parts…
I have no knowledge in music, but the way you explain it gives it such depths in addition to everything I know about FMAB, it's beautiful thanks for this video
I just rewatched and finished this series today! I love everything about the animation, the story, and especially the captivating music. We need more well written and composed animes!
Dude, if you haven’t done it yet, you should do a comparison of this piece to the theme of Elfen Lied. A lot of the chordal progressions are very similar to this piece. Similar dour, tragic mood. Super pretty.
I was looking for this comment, I wasn't sure if I was alone, but a lot of the times in this video it reminded me of Lilium, which is one of my favourite openings. He definitely should look it up!
Amazing song Lilium, i remember the first time that i heard it i was in awe of the chord progression and the whole ambiance of it, also the singer did a beautiful performance in that song
I was surprised you did this song! This song is one of my favorites from the show. It isn't just sad but its beautifully sad. You did a really good job dissecting this song and making me love it even more. If you revisit this show again you should definitely do the Stepping Along or as most people call it "The Train Song". Its simple but I think that's what makes it good.
There's this phenomenal lullaby called Isabellas lullaby from promised neverland , check that out as well, the piano versions go so hard for it, There's also this theme from shiki called eau de vie that deserves some attention with the show also being so forgotten for how good it is
Hi Charles, I watch you from Brazil. Love the way you talk about the way chords brings us feelings. Can you please make an analysis from the main theme of Bridge to Terabithia?
As a musician i always find so amazing that music can convey so much emotions, even if its only instrumental. Very grateful to live in a time where i can see so much people enjoying things that i love about this medium and thanks Charles, i found you casually through memes but eventually you turned out to be one of my favourite music youtubers ever ❤️
When I play lullaby of resembool (basically a string version) on the second chord I love to play Eb7 with a Db-Eb-G voicing. That tone interval alone gives me chills
