Everything Is Final Fantasy

We love Doctor Tot! Gargan Roo creeps us out. We evolve our feelings on Zorn & Thorn. We get thrown in jail. And we get to Cleyra which opens up all kinds of interesting political parallels to the real world.

We wrap up our series on the Studio Ghibli film, Ponyo, with an examination of the power of a child's imagination. The ending reminds us that there are all different kinds of love, and the music gives us a tiny bit of tonal whiplash. What are the best lessons we can learn from Sosuke and Ponyo?

Lisa makes the highly controversial decision to leave her young kids alone. And they end up in peril. I relate this part of the story to the first time I lost track of my own child and the fear that entailed. Plus, do the hard magic rules introduced by Ponyo's mom undercut the magical realism the story has been building?

On this episode Ponyo becomes human and we dive into a concept popularized by Mr. Rogers and Ms. Rachel, "there's no such thing as other people's kids."

On this episode we dive into more metaphors from Ponyo from Studio Ghibli. How one key scene reminds us that parents aren't here to control their kids. How growing up, self-discovery, even coming out as LGBTQ requires bravery from the child and understanding from the parent. #studioghibli

On this episode we continue the story of Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, continuing to evaluate the magical realism of the world, environmental themes, and accurate portrayals of parenting. Plus, what are the appropriate parameters for telling what is essentially a love story between two children?

As we dive into the story of Ponyo (on the Cliff by the Sea) we wonder about its unique use of magical realism. Plenty of our favorite fantasy stories are "weird" in many ways but Ponyo feels like the rules of its entire world work like the rules that kids make up when they play.

We spend nearly an hour and a half setting up our conversation about Ponyo, a silly kids movie where a boy falls in love with a fish! But is it so simple? Let's dive into some themes, chat about why my son LOVES this movie, and break down the insanely deep superstar cast.

We dive into a pair of iconic Final Fantasy pieces of music from FFV - Home, Sweet, Home & Dear Friends from FFV. How does Nobuo Uematsu use relatively simple techniques to evoke such deep emotion and nostalgia? And what do these folk tunes gain and/or lose when translated for large orchestras or paired with vocals?

We continue with FFIX including a battle we totally forgot about, a reunion with Tantalus, a visit to Dark City Treno and more inner-monologuing especially from Dagger and Steiner.
(Apologies for the rough audio on this one, the issue should be fixed in the future)

We listen to and analyze six pieces of music from Final Fantasy XI. With all of us having limited experience with the game itself, we pull primarily from Distant Worlds and New Worlds albums and think on the nature of medieval or renaissance music. Xenogears, Final Fantasy VIII, and FFVII Rebirth all get comparative listens as does the 1996 film The Rock.

We listen to some weird, cooky, odd, strange, silly, and spacey music from the first nine Final Fantasy games. What makes a piece of music weird? What storytelling techniques does Nobuo Uematsu use to upset expectations? And how cool is it when the strange music gets beautiful?

#finalfantasy #videogamemusic

We discuss the history of Final Fantasy music live in concert, most especially the long-running Distant Worlds series. Then we listen to an analyze the song Distant Worlds from Final Fantasy XI in four different variations. Plus, some cherished memories of going to see, and of performing, live music.

We listen to and analyze the primary battle themes from Final Fantasy I-VI. Distant Worlds, Black Mages, and Pixel Remasters all get involved in the conversation as we dive deep into what makes Nobuo Uematsu battle music so compelling.

We listen to and analyze the battle themes from Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, and Super Mario RPG. Then each of us brings two other non-Final Fantasy pieces of battle music to discuss including one of the most famous pieces of video game music ever written.

We listen to and analyze Dancing Mad, the masterpiece final boss battle music from Final Fantasy VI. What techniques does Nobuo Uematsu use to invoke Bach fugues and which are more akin to classic rock like Emerson, Lake, & Palmer? How does it so expertly give voice to the villain, the ruined world, and even our heroes? Let's listen!

Nausicaa must race from the toxic jungle back to the Valley of the Wind to tell everyone what she has learned but once again the forces of industry and violence and power get in her way.

Nausicaa saves and meets the Pejitei Pilot who seems to think he is the hero of this story. He wonders about her as she discovers a deep truth about the world.

Our hero crosses the threshold into the toxic jungle and fully embraces her mantras of non-violence. Plus, we witness a strangely beautiful vision.

This Studio Ghibli classic carries a powerful message of non-violence but it is also a complicated question when our hero is moved to take a life.