⚔️ Oh How I Miss Live RPG Music

Greetings, Disciples of the Blood God!

There was a bit of sad news from Square Enix today: The Final Fantasy 7 Remake Orchestra is being delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. That includes the June concert that was coming to my hometown of Toronto. Looks like Square Enix is trying again in May 2021. May the world be a little less virus-y by then.

It's to be expected, obviously, but it's still a downer. I've been to a few of Square Enix's Distant Worlds live performances, and they're always excellent. I like live music, period, even though I don't indulge often. I also have a couple of Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess concerts under my belt, and at least one Video Games Live performance.

It's hard to remember the playlist for each performance. I just remember some spectacular standouts. One of the Distant Worlds concerts I attended did the entirety of the opera scene from Final Fantasy 6—yes, that one. Though, for the life of me I can't remember if they sang it in English, Japanese, or even Italian. I do remember they didn't opt for the garbled synthesized SNES "voices." That would've been something.

One of the most interesting things about shows like Distant World is that it goes to cities around the world. That includes Japan, of course. The concert playlists are assembled for a worldwide audience and aren't always tailored for the nostalgia of a specific audience. One Distant World concert I attended some years ago noted that the composers get a lot of requests in Japan for Clash on the Big Bridge, a popular song from Final Fantasy 5. It took quite a while for Final Fantasy 5 to make an impression on western audiences—it's still a hard game to pick up and play, unless you want to settle for the awful "redone" sprites in the mobile/Steam version—so the conductor stopped to explain the origins of the song. He also mentioned how popular it is in Japan but wasn't acknowledged much overseas. Just a cool example of how different cultures get nostalgic for different things.

If you get a chance to attend Distant Worlds or another Square Enix concert, I recommend it. It's a unique experience, and there's nothing quite like getting to hear your favorites performed by a live orchestra. If you're lucky, legendary Square Enix composer Nobou Uematsu might show up to conduct. Hey, it's happened to me. More than once.

Hopefully all this virus nonsense will pass, and we can attend live shows again sooner than later.

Stay Safe and Happy Adventuring,

Nadia



This Week on Axe of the Blood God

Kat and Nadia sit down to review Trials of Mana remake, and in the process delve into a bigger question: Does the Mana series hold up? Nadia thinks yes, but Kat isn't so sure. The pair also delve into the Secret of Mana soundtrack, celebrate Fire Emblem's 30th anniversary, and more! [Listen here]

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