I apologize for mispronouncing Xiao, that was an oversight on my part. Also disregard the telephone near the end of the video! Also Xiao main some day. 😫
I thought it was like a part of the theme I usually missed but was there, either ways, you might get to the Honkai Impact Dual Ego theme over time, it’s gonna be kinda a same concept
It testifies to, as Marco comments about Genshin Impact music, Genshin Impact music leaves everything on the table, telling you everything that is going on through the music. Yeah. That.
Sad fact: In one of Zhongli’s voice lines, he states how he occasionally brings Xiao gifts of potent adeptal medicine and painkillers because Xiao suffers from constant and intense physical pain from his Kharmic debt.
I hope Xiao and Venti can really meet one day in-game cuz iirc, it seems like Xiao felt a sense of peace when he heard of Venti's tunes from afar 🥺🥺 Xiao has a voiceline about Venti but sadly Venti doesn't have one about Xiao
zhongli and xiao are the two characters i feel you need to know a little about how chinese spirituality and philosophy works to really grasp them. xiao was, if i understood correctly, originally a yao (one of the four kinds of demons in chinese culture), a peng bird to be exact. his arm tattoo is a peng bird btw! and peng birds are known for just. appearing out of nowhere like he does. he's also a guardian yaksha, and in chinese spirituality, slaughter of any kind generates resentful energy (what the eng translation called "miasma"). the dead ofc would resent their killer, and xiao has spent about 2k years killing things. no matter if he was justified or not, because this philosophy takes into account the perspective of the other side. so it's not exactly shadows, but the weight of his war crimes and continued murders for the sake of liyue. he has so much accumulated karma he's actually an active danger to people around him, since resentful energy can drive someone insane, and this is actually very plot relevant!!! (not spoilers, mind, just real life info that happens to be plot relevant) ive always taken xiao as a very like. tragic character. he's loyal, caring, and keeps on a brusque, aloof persona to distance himself from other people bc he doesnt want to hurt mortals. i love this birdboy so much. it's not that he's edgy, but you can only be broken and fixed so many times before your seams start hurting people.
This is why he's one of my absolute favorites and I'm tired of people throwing the "oh he's so edgy" card around. He's a character with a lot of weight and sadness on his shoulders and it affects how he even interacts with others.
What irks me so much was, dude is literally depressed, literally in a lot of pain, full of (bad) karma, yet he keep protecting his nation and people And people call him edgy 14 years old Edit: he sounds a loooooot more gentle in CN and JP dub (idk about KOR) but the translation still didn't do him justice
I... speachless. Marco is such a wizard at reading the intentions of music. Just casually explains Xiaos character with only 20 seconds of listening to this. Just.. just wow
To be fair, that’s exactly what YuPeng Chen was trying to do when composing it. Any great composer will try to tell you everything about a character with just the music
@@spiderdude2099 It's a language I cannot understand, but I'm glad that music is indeed considered a "language", as it allowed Yu-Peng Chen to communicate what he wanted to his listeners.
@@spiderdude2099 Dimeng Yuan composed it, well "arranged", Yu-Peng Chen is credited as a composer because the battle theme leitmotif is used at the start and end of the song. But Yu-Peng Chen never made any demo music
Only now I noticed that in the moments when Xiao calms down the flute plays... It was mentioned in his quest... but for some reason I only noticed it now.
Story and design wise Xiao is one of the most interesting characters in Genshin. Hell, in all of gaming even. I always have a strong urge to give him a hug, he's always in pain. Also congratz on guessing his chara correctly on the music alone. This really is a skill.
@@Tohlemiach Right? I love Xiao but in all of gaming is going too far. If i had to guess this guy hasn't played many good story driven games like Yakuza.
1 minute in and he's already deciphered xiao, although it's only an analogy. definitely a testament to yu peng chen's skill in writing the music, and marco's experience in deciphering it.
Everyone calls Xiao an edgelord, but how would YOU act if you were constantly poisoned by the souls of monsters you killed as part of your duty, and caused constant pain, and just by being around people you would slowly kill them with your aura? You’d probably be a bit antisocial and angry
This is really on point. Xiao's situation, when one really sits down and thinks about it, is pretty horrifying. He's permanently living within a portable toxic/abusive environment, which basically acts like a chronic illness. I won't compare it to a mental illness because it's not really his brain acting up. Many people call him an edgelord, partly spurred by his EN voice acting in my opinion (it's much more aggressive than the CN version). I don't see him that way at all. He's a person living within a cloud of pain and darkness, which can't really be bettered through anything he does except for fighting, and he still manages to be a relatively balanced person and do good in the world.
i play using JP voice, i can attest his JP VAs also isn't edgy. JP version also closer to his CN voice in terms of tone. it's honestly bit jarring to me (as a Xiao-main) everyday i'm hearing Xiao talk and when he does his skill/burst it's powerful, yes, but hardly "very harsh or forceful". so very different than what i heard in this video (with the EN version).
EN VA side likes to embellish everything. Makes them all sound louder, squeakier and extreme in general. I dislike it very much and that’s why I switched to JP. I still miss EN Jean and Tartaglia but if it means I can hear gentler battle voice lines, then I am willing to abandon EN voices.
Xiao's theme is probably the only one, or one of the very few ones that is a bit dark and serious thematically (which is basically the charaterisation for Xiao) and I like it for being so different than everything else, and the Erhu slaps. As always, spot on analysis and waiting for the next one :D
As a Xiao main, I love this ! You're truly amazing Marco, thank you so much. If you want to know more about Xiao I recommend reading Xiao's Developer Insight, Yakshas: The Guardian Adepti, and Primordial Jade Vista description, its all easy to find. Also, I recommend listening his cn and jp va that shows more of his complex emotions.
yesss while the english one is good, I believe the chinese and japanese va really truly showcase his personality a lot more better than just Xiao being an 'edgelord' in english :D
I usually don’t comment but since no one mentioned this info I feel obligated to inform you 😂 If you’re within the mountains of Liyue at nighttime, an eerie plaintive soundtrack will play that’s actually Xiao in his original bird form calling out into the night for his dead friends.
Xiao's situation is pretty sad. His purpose as a Yaksha is to destroy evil, fight monsters. But that has a bad effect on his karma which is in turn what is physically painful and consuming him. I don't wanna spoil too much tho... but yeah, he lives his life mostly hidden from humans since they can't be around him too long, otherwise they'd be affected by his karma or simply him being an adeptus/yaksha (have not fully understood which it is myself lol)
@@disappointing. Wait, I thought Adeptus was a race and yaksha was a title? Or am I missing something? Ganyu is a adeptus but she is not a yaksha. The five yakshas were people who were appointed by Zhongli to defend Liyue through contract. In fact, Zhongli’s base form is a Adeptus like Cloud Retainer, Mountain Shaper, whoever that last one was.
@@seraphywang4638 i think adepti are like protectors of liyue, and yaksha as a sort of demon, though im not sure edit: yakshas are beasts that can turn human (google) like xiao, his beast form is a bird
Your comment on the first 20 seconds make me feel the world is unfair... How, just how.... You always spot on on every explanation and analyzing music theme.. on every videos.... I wish you share your practice to us for understanding and analyzing music.... So I can be better and appreciate music more... Just how....
Music is a storytelling language, more than just sounds. A skilled composer who knows how to use the various meanings that sounds culturally convey can tell a whole story without words. It's not as common to see in modern music, but in opera and classical pieces it was a very big part, so music that uses those forms can really dig into layered information if a skilled composer knows their craft (like Yu Peng does). Like any language, it takes study.
there's also a different, orchestral arrangement of doombane that's used in a cutscene in the perilous trail archon quest, especially because of how it ties into what it means for his character's development. it's one of my personal favourite pieces of music in the game. i would say that you should wait till you get to that part of the story before listening to it because i feel like you might pick up on a lot of things from the music alone sjdhjs
During one of your genshin streams you asked if Genshin gets dark. Xiao's character demo here was probably the very first hint of any of us got that Genshin would eventually have a darker trajectory lol
Xiao my boy 🥰 I love his theme so much, electric guitar suits him so good. Especially, I love the moment with fast high piano notes switching to high guitar notes, which give me a feeling of supernatural reaction and speed the character has, and something mentally abnormal happening to him. The suspense! And much appreciation to the trailer itself, with red flashlights showing Xiao's pain when he hits enemies and black and white frames as a representation of his connection to that dark side. Rewatching it always makes me want to get Xiao, even though I already have him. An impeccable analysis as always, thank you, Marco!
2 things. Marco is amazing at being able to read a character purely through their theme. Hoyo-mix is amazing at being able to write a character through music alone.
Yes, Xiao is my favorite character too! He has a lot of layers to his personality and story, and I really think that the English voice acting doesn't portray him in the way the original did (serious in a kinda cold way, stubborn, self hating), and in English he only comes as edgy. And the music really tells us the OG Xiao feel, I love it!
Xiao took my heart back in the climax of Liyue. ...what am I saying. They ALL took my heart at one point. But Xiao is my main right now and he's sooo fun.
i'm not even surprised you summarize the core character of Xiao seconds listening to his music. especially that part about "shadows", the one thing that consuming him but also one he has to endure bound by duty (or at least he used to be). you'll absolutely love Xiao's back stories. the part where you said "fighting our own demon"...? can't helped but grins at that bcs Xiao's title is Conqueror of Demons.
Xiao is in my opinion one of the two saddest characters in this whole game. Scaramouche being the other. Xiao is one of my absolute favorites! In the game, you meet Xiao and you just think, okay, this character just doesn't want to be around humans. But after learning his past and interacting more and more with Xiao, you find that deep loneliness, a little shred of innocence remaining, and that exhaustion against the war he wages. There is agony and helplessness. He's a person in near constant pain, who knows that he is a ticking time bomb but still fighting it to the bitter end. Xiao has a special place in my heart because you are right. There is duality. He fights for the good in the world, even knowing that doing so quite literally tears at his soul. There is darkness inside him, perhaps bitterness or hatred for the unfairness of his circumstances. He's a person whose innocence was nearly completely obliterated, leaving behind something dark and feral.
Im a Xiao main and he's by far my favourite character in Genshin, so im super happy to finally see you react to his theme and character demo! And as always you were absolutely on point with your analysis XD Even the mental health aspect you mentioned at the end was a major aspect of his story that came out during the perilous trail event That story emotionally DESTROYED me! But it was one of my favorite experiences in video games and i would love to see play through it some day :D
the words you used...to describe the character are so freakishly accurate, in the way I wish I could say them in that way as an old player but i couldnt. Musics are amazing you are amazing
I always find it very impressive how Marco understands just for the music. and I think it's cool for him to see the trailer later to confirm the answers.
As expected of Marco, you easily figured out everything about the character in the first few seconds. It's amazing how an experienced person can tell a story with music, and then another experienced one understands it
I wouldn't say Xiao has a very "dark" or "evil" side, his role is more like that of a demon hunter/exorcist (I'm using the term "demon" losely here), I think this "darkness" you feel in the track is less of Xiao himself and more of the forces he's trying to vanquish and the trauma he experiences after ages of fighting them.
Oh my goodness this video made me so happy as a Xiao main!!!! 👏👏💗 I will always love the Conqueror of demons!! His story/music is truly so moving, it’s almost startling in its darker tone and it made me so happy to see your emotions in this reaction. Xiao is so strong, and yet it is his very strength that hurts him the most. He is tortured by the fear of losing those close to him, so he tries keep others away as much as possible but doesn’t realize how lonely he truly is, or that there are still those who care about him. I can’t wait for you to hear more of his story in game. 😌 His first ever banner came out shortly after I first started playing Genshin, and after watching his trailer and demo I immediately knew that I wanted him to be my first 5 star. He came home on a 50/50 and I’ve been a proud Xiao main ever since. (now AR 59 approaching AR 60!)
Xiao's story is pretty dark. Which reminds me...Touhou, Castlevania & Umineko aside you need to hear some Berserk music (Hai Forces, Hai Yo and 4 Gatsu).
Hello Marco, again spot on with understanding characters through music! Also, yeah, alot of jumping! I hope next characters will intrigue you as well as Xiao and previous did!
👍👍💕 I don't know what to say. I'm very impressed with your analysis. That is Xiao's life. I want to play him too but I get motion sickness from his movement. He moves so fast and jumps up and down. I really respect those who master in playing Xiao.
As everyone else has mentioned in this comment section and you have analyzed it on point in your video I want to say that despite all his suffering and pain The main character that you play grows closer to Xiao than any other person really does personally The more you get to know the character it shows that Xiao does have a timid side that would enjoy peace and joy if only he could Again his suffering reminding him what he is But the traveler still shows him kindness which in some rather wholesome voicelines he is actually really confused by as he does not understand human emotions well And I remember one of his voicelines that you get when he is highest friendship He says that he'd do anything to protect the Traveler and that he wants to get to know them better Throughout the story (especially the Chasm quest) his character goes through extensive character development And Xiao is just a character that I truly appreciate as he is 3 dimensional Thank you for this video I've been playing genshin pretty much since the start and watching your videos Is like reexperiencing the game and my experiences again Thank you so much! :D
You decipher Xiao right away in the first minute, so amazing for you to read music so easily like a open book and a testament for Yu-Peng Chen's skill in making music. Its some times just as frightening as amazing how accurate you are (in a positive way XD)
You nailed it as always! I love watching your Genshin videos on the music and how it connects with each character. I can't wait to see your take on the Sumaru character's music over the next year as they are released!
you're so good at understanding through music 😭 it shocks me every time "jumping jumping jumping fast. powerful, but not powerful in a brute strength way but powerful in a quick, efficient-" like HOLY FUCK DUDE SJFBDNBF thats literally how he operates in lore (from my understanding) and how he is as playable (im a xiao main ehe).
My God. Back at it again with an awesome analysis!! You did my boy Xiao so much justice, and as someone who mains him in the game, I was grinning the whole time throughout the video! Thank you so much for another music breakdown. Also, I can’t wait to see how you will react to *that* scene in the chasm starring Xiao. I hope you will get to see that part soon 🙏
god damn I love how describe character based on his or her theme. Seeing more of such videos will be wide, specially Inazuma characters or 2nd half of Liyue ones
I was sooo excited when I saw this in my feed! Xiao is one of my favorite characters, and to see you decipher the little bits of his theme that even I didn’t catch myself was great! I’m excited to see when you learn more about him :3
Xiao is technically a demon contractually bound by his god to protect their people, and lives among the adeptus(other kinds of spirits bound by the same contract), he ends up actually genuinely caring about them fiercely loyalty tho, to the point he’s had to be stopped from sacrificing himself (it’s kind of a habit with him) he is, a badass
This is the first Genshin trailer I saw and loved. Xiao is my first 5 star too. I'm happy he's getting a bit of limelight now. I enjoy him playing in mobile than on PC.
I'm always blown away how well you are able to tell things about a character from the theme. Xiao is really fun to play btw you should definitely try for him on his next banner
It's a testament to Yu Peng really knowing how to use music as a language that's recognizable to people who also have studied it as a storytelling medium. It's super cool to see.
everytime i watch his videos i feel like all musicians speak a secret language between themselves because there's NO WAY he can decipher a whole character in like 5 seconds in
I'm absolutely shocked! How? Just how do you capture all this from a few sounds?? When you said about the outburst scream, I almost fell out of my chair! This is a 100% hit in Xiao's story! I hope I'm not spoiling the plot for you, but Xiao is really cursed and your feelings about the music (darkness, chaos, pain, screaming) are completely consistent with what he experiences as the hero of the game.
Its always amazing how you can discern so much about a character from just a few minutes of the character theme, kudos to both you and the composers over at Hoyoverse
I apologize for mispronouncing Xiao, that was an oversight on my part. Also disregard the telephone near the end of the video! Also Xiao main some day. 😫
One of us Xiao mains one day..
Luckily I got him.
Your pronunciation of Xiao is actually not bad so don't worry to much about it!
I thought it was like a part of the theme I usually missed but was there, either ways, you might get to the Honkai Impact Dual Ego theme over time, it’s gonna be kinda a same concept
Well your pronounce sounds cool so its okay 😂
I AM A XIAO MAIN I LOVE HIM
Holy... not even 2 minutes in you were already able to decipher Xiao's moveset and how he canonicaly operates as a yaksha! Absolutely amazing, Marco!
This is how musicians communicate 🥲
It testifies to, as Marco comments about Genshin Impact music, Genshin Impact music leaves everything on the table, telling you everything that is going on through the music. Yeah. That.
The fact that he chooses words "jumping jumping" is gold.
Sad fact:
In one of Zhongli’s voice lines, he states how he occasionally brings Xiao gifts of potent adeptal medicine and painkillers because Xiao suffers from constant and intense physical pain from his Kharmic debt.
I hope Xiao and Venti can really meet one day in-game cuz iirc, it seems like Xiao felt a sense of peace when he heard of Venti's tunes from afar 🥺🥺 Xiao has a voiceline about Venti but sadly Venti doesn't have one about Xiao
Also when traveler gets close to him we soothe him :3
@@minami_uuu Play the Lantern Rite for this year :)
@@blarghinatelazer9394 i mean, they alrdy met officially on xiao's story teaser hehe (the new one)
@HinaWolf i wonder if the purification we used on dvalins tear and the people of natlan can be used on xiao
When he mentioned xiao as jumping jumping, I immediately chuckled because xiao’s gameplay jump a lot
Pogo-man in action
zhongli and xiao are the two characters i feel you need to know a little about how chinese spirituality and philosophy works to really grasp them. xiao was, if i understood correctly, originally a yao (one of the four kinds of demons in chinese culture), a peng bird to be exact. his arm tattoo is a peng bird btw! and peng birds are known for just. appearing out of nowhere like he does. he's also a guardian yaksha, and in chinese spirituality, slaughter of any kind generates resentful energy (what the eng translation called "miasma"). the dead ofc would resent their killer, and xiao has spent about 2k years killing things. no matter if he was justified or not, because this philosophy takes into account the perspective of the other side. so it's not exactly shadows, but the weight of his war crimes and continued murders for the sake of liyue. he has so much accumulated karma he's actually an active danger to people around him, since resentful energy can drive someone insane, and this is actually very plot relevant!!! (not spoilers, mind, just real life info that happens to be plot relevant)
ive always taken xiao as a very like. tragic character. he's loyal, caring, and keeps on a brusque, aloof persona to distance himself from other people bc he doesnt want to hurt mortals. i love this birdboy so much. it's not that he's edgy, but you can only be broken and fixed so many times before your seams start hurting people.
This is why he's one of my absolute favorites and I'm tired of people throwing the "oh he's so edgy" card around. He's a character with a lot of weight and sadness on his shoulders and it affects how he even interacts with others.
What irks me so much was, dude is literally depressed, literally in a lot of pain, full of (bad) karma, yet he keep protecting his nation and people
And people call him edgy 14 years old
Edit: he sounds a loooooot more gentle in CN and JP dub (idk about KOR) but the translation still didn't do him justice
@@ignivite3592 yeah Kinsen did an amazing job voice acting him.
I... speachless. Marco is such a wizard at reading the intentions of music. Just casually explains Xiaos character with only 20 seconds of listening to this. Just.. just wow
To be fair, that’s exactly what YuPeng Chen was trying to do when composing it. Any great composer will try to tell you everything about a character with just the music
@@spiderdude2099 It's a language I cannot understand, but I'm glad that music is indeed considered a "language", as it allowed Yu-Peng Chen to communicate what he wanted to his listeners.
He’s good
now i want him to react to guilty gear strive character themes since those songs tell a story of who they they are
@@spiderdude2099 Dimeng Yuan composed it, well "arranged", Yu-Peng Chen is credited as a composer because the battle theme leitmotif is used at the start and end of the song. But Yu-Peng Chen never made any demo music
"Jumping jumping jumping"
Are you sure you can't see the future ?
He heard 23 Seconds and just described Xiao without knowing shit about him
Only now I noticed that in the moments when Xiao calms down the flute plays...
It was mentioned in his quest... but for some reason I only noticed it now.
true
Oh my god you're right
Wow I missed that despite having watched it countless times
Omg that makes sense... When Venti played the flute that saved him from madness...
Story and design wise Xiao is one of the most interesting characters in Genshin. Hell, in all of gaming even. I always have a strong urge to give him a hug, he's always in pain. Also congratz on guessing his chara correctly on the music alone. This really is a skill.
So truuuu. A precious boi who needs to be happy....
Story-wise? In all of gaming? Bud, I love Xiao, and I love Genshin, but get some perspective, please.
@@Tohlemiach Right? I love Xiao but in all of gaming is going too far. If i had to guess this guy hasn't played many good story driven games like Yakuza.
1 minute in and he's already deciphered xiao, although it's only an analogy. definitely a testament to yu peng chen's skill in writing the music, and marco's experience in deciphering it.
Everyone calls Xiao an edgelord, but how would YOU act if you were constantly poisoned by the souls of monsters you killed as part of your duty, and caused constant pain, and just by being around people you would slowly kill them with your aura? You’d probably be a bit antisocial and angry
Only in English though. In Chinese he sounds detached and reserved, but polite.
He’s not really angry he said himself he doesn’t hate anything or anyone but himself which is just really.. sad
Egdelord, yes. But nothing compared to Scaramouche 😅
that's just eng dub that mischaracterizes him a lot 💀 in japanese and chinese dubs he's very gentle and quiet
Edgelord isn't really a bad term tho
Another thing is, the song ends where it began: one lone flute, in silence, with no companions.
Interestingly there's a Chinese flute called Xiao. Not sure if it's the Xiao playing in this piece though
Xiao is:
- best son
- tragic backstory bait
- an( angsty )emo boi
- best pogo stick
- the last of his kind
This is really on point. Xiao's situation, when one really sits down and thinks about it, is pretty horrifying. He's permanently living within a portable toxic/abusive environment, which basically acts like a chronic illness. I won't compare it to a mental illness because it's not really his brain acting up.
Many people call him an edgelord, partly spurred by his EN voice acting in my opinion (it's much more aggressive than the CN version). I don't see him that way at all. He's a person living within a cloud of pain and darkness, which can't really be bettered through anything he does except for fighting, and he still manages to be a relatively balanced person and do good in the world.
i play using JP voice, i can attest his JP VAs also isn't edgy. JP version also closer to his CN voice in terms of tone. it's honestly bit jarring to me (as a Xiao-main) everyday i'm hearing Xiao talk and when he does his skill/burst it's powerful, yes, but hardly "very harsh or forceful". so very different than what i heard in this video (with the EN version).
EN VA side likes to embellish everything. Makes them all sound louder, squeakier and extreme in general. I dislike it very much and that’s why I switched to JP. I still miss EN Jean and Tartaglia but if it means I can hear gentler battle voice lines, then I am willing to abandon EN voices.
literally the EN version makes him sound edgy. His CN, KR and JP voices are calm- a jarring contrast to his lore.
Coolest character in the game. Specially after perilous trail, such a cool design from hoyo.
Xiao's theme is probably the only one, or one of the very few ones that is a bit dark and serious thematically (which is basically the charaterisation for Xiao) and I like it for being so different than everything else, and the Erhu slaps. As always, spot on analysis and waiting for the next one :D
As a Xiao main, I love this ! You're truly amazing Marco, thank you so much.
If you want to know more about Xiao I recommend reading Xiao's Developer Insight, Yakshas: The Guardian Adepti, and Primordial Jade Vista description, its all easy to find. Also, I recommend listening his cn and jp va that shows more of his complex emotions.
yesss while the english one is good, I believe the chinese and japanese va really truly showcase his personality a lot more better than just Xiao being an 'edgelord' in english :D
i laughed at the "jumping jumping jumping" 1:10 bc thats literally his playstyle.
I usually don’t comment but since no one mentioned this info I feel obligated to inform you 😂
If you’re within the mountains of Liyue at nighttime, an eerie plaintive soundtrack will play that’s actually Xiao in his original bird form calling out into the night for his dead friends.
Xiao's situation is pretty sad. His purpose as a Yaksha is to destroy evil, fight monsters. But that has a bad effect on his karma which is in turn what is physically painful and consuming him. I don't wanna spoil too much tho... but yeah, he lives his life mostly hidden from humans since they can't be around him too long, otherwise they'd be affected by his karma or simply him being an adeptus/yaksha (have not fully understood which it is myself lol)
Xiao is both an adeptus and a yaksha. yaksha is a race, adeptus is a title :)
@@disappointing. thank you for clarifying!
@@disappointing.
Wait, I thought Adeptus was a race and yaksha was a title? Or am I missing something? Ganyu is a adeptus but she is not a yaksha. The five yakshas were people who were appointed by Zhongli to defend Liyue through contract. In fact, Zhongli’s base form is a Adeptus like Cloud Retainer, Mountain Shaper, whoever that last one was.
@@seraphywang4638 i think adepti are like protectors of liyue, and yaksha as a sort of demon, though im not sure
edit: yakshas are beasts that can turn human (google) like xiao, his beast form is a bird
Your comment on the first 20 seconds make me feel the world is unfair... How, just how.... You always spot on on every explanation and analyzing music theme.. on every videos....
I wish you share your practice to us for understanding and analyzing music.... So I can be better and appreciate music more...
Just how....
Music is a storytelling language, more than just sounds. A skilled composer who knows how to use the various meanings that sounds culturally convey can tell a whole story without words. It's not as common to see in modern music, but in opera and classical pieces it was a very big part, so music that uses those forms can really dig into layered information if a skilled composer knows their craft (like Yu Peng does). Like any language, it takes study.
I mean he spent years for that
Fun fact, the musical instrument is also called Xiao
Edit:Chinese name “箫”
Karmic debt would be the shadow in this context.
Xiao jumps around and plunges and zooms and everything u just described him to be 😆
The moment you said *Duality* it was a huge *W*
Xiao mains are happy now. I don't know how you decipher this all but astounding non the less.
there's also a different, orchestral arrangement of doombane that's used in a cutscene in the perilous trail archon quest, especially because of how it ties into what it means for his character's development. it's one of my personal favourite pieces of music in the game. i would say that you should wait till you get to that part of the story before listening to it because i feel like you might pick up on a lot of things from the music alone sjdhjs
What do you think of the new thumbnails?
i find it nice its unique
It sure suprised me but its beautiful
Late reply but, I think the thumbnail looks nice :D
During one of your genshin streams you asked if Genshin gets dark. Xiao's character demo here was probably the very first hint of any of us got that Genshin would eventually have a darker trajectory lol
Huh, jumping. lol
You're absolutely right, Marco. Absolutely. Right.
Wow thumbnail so fancy :D
Xiao my boy 🥰 I love his theme so much, electric guitar suits him so good. Especially, I love the moment with fast high piano notes switching to high guitar notes, which give me a feeling of supernatural reaction and speed the character has, and something mentally abnormal happening to him. The suspense! And much appreciation to the trailer itself, with red flashlights showing Xiao's pain when he hits enemies and black and white frames as a representation of his connection to that dark side. Rewatching it always makes me want to get Xiao, even though I already have him.
An impeccable analysis as always, thank you, Marco!
Xiao in JP voice by the same VA of Kirito from Sword art online and Soma from Food wars
2 things. Marco is amazing at being able to read a character purely through their theme.
Hoyo-mix is amazing at being able to write a character through music alone.
to sum up Xiao's gameplay. "Nobody cared who I was until I put on the mask"
Your analysis was so accurate it gave me goosebumps not even kidding
Yes, Xiao is my favorite character too! He has a lot of layers to his personality and story, and I really think that the English voice acting doesn't portray him in the way the original did (serious in a kinda cold way, stubborn, self hating), and in English he only comes as edgy.
And the music really tells us the OG Xiao feel, I love it!
Xiao took my heart back in the climax of Liyue.
...what am I saying. They ALL took my heart at one point. But Xiao is my main right now and he's sooo fun.
i'm not even surprised you summarize the core character of Xiao seconds listening to his music. especially that part about "shadows", the one thing that consuming him but also one he has to endure bound by duty (or at least he used to be). you'll absolutely love Xiao's back stories. the part where you said "fighting our own demon"...?
can't helped but grins at that bcs Xiao's title is Conqueror of Demons.
general alatus...... falling in...
Xiao is in my opinion one of the two saddest characters in this whole game. Scaramouche being the other. Xiao is one of my absolute favorites! In the game, you meet Xiao and you just think, okay, this character just doesn't want to be around humans. But after learning his past and interacting more and more with Xiao, you find that deep loneliness, a little shred of innocence remaining, and that exhaustion against the war he wages. There is agony and helplessness. He's a person in near constant pain, who knows that he is a ticking time bomb but still fighting it to the bitter end. Xiao has a special place in my heart because you are right. There is duality. He fights for the good in the world, even knowing that doing so quite literally tears at his soul. There is darkness inside him, perhaps bitterness or hatred for the unfairness of his circumstances. He's a person whose innocence was nearly completely obliterated, leaving behind something dark and feral.
Marco is definitely an anemo boy enjoyer
👀👀
Femboy enjoyer? 😳
Music really is the language everyone can understand (aside deafs people qwq). On point analysis as always Marco!
Im a Xiao main and he's by far my favourite character in Genshin, so im super happy to finally see you react to his theme and character demo!
And as always you were absolutely on point with your analysis XD
Even the mental health aspect you mentioned at the end was a major aspect of his story that came out during the perilous trail event
That story emotionally DESTROYED me! But it was one of my favorite experiences in video games and i would love to see play through it some day :D
:)
With your analysis I realized the guitar is xiao and background his charmic debts binding to him, and he's the rock line that fights with the music
this guy knows everything about xiao from just a few seconds of his theme song holy crap
the words you used...to describe the character are so freakishly accurate, in the way I wish I could say them in that way as an old player but i couldnt. Musics are amazing you are amazing
I always find it very impressive how Marco understands just for the music.
and I think it's cool for him to see the trailer later to confirm the answers.
As expected of Marco, you easily figured out everything about the character in the first few seconds. It's amazing how an experienced person can tell a story with music, and then another experienced one understands it
I wouldn't say Xiao has a very "dark" or "evil" side, his role is more like that of a demon hunter/exorcist (I'm using the term "demon" losely here), I think this "darkness" you feel in the track is less of Xiao himself and more of the forces he's trying to vanquish and the trauma he experiences after ages of fighting them.
Oh my goodness this video made me so happy as a Xiao main!!!! 👏👏💗 I will always love the Conqueror of demons!!
His story/music is truly so moving, it’s almost startling in its darker tone and it made me so happy to see your emotions in this reaction. Xiao is so strong, and yet it is his very strength that hurts him the most. He is tortured by the fear of losing those close to him, so he tries keep others away as much as possible but doesn’t realize how lonely he truly is, or that there are still those who care about him. I can’t wait for you to hear more of his story in game. 😌
His first ever banner came out shortly after I first started playing Genshin, and after watching his trailer and demo I immediately knew that I wanted him to be my first 5 star. He came home on a 50/50 and I’ve been a proud Xiao main ever since. (now AR 59 approaching AR 60!)
lmao my man was Shaken at the karmic debt reveal
"These are matters for Adpati. STAY OUT OF MY WAY."
Marco nailing characters not even 2 minutes in once again XD I love his videos so much
Xiao's story is pretty dark.
Which reminds me...Touhou, Castlevania & Umineko aside you need to hear some Berserk music (Hai Forces, Hai Yo and 4 Gatsu).
Behelit is also a great Berserk one
Xiao's title is actually "Conquerer of Demons"! I think it's always crazy how you perfectly map out these characters.
Praying to the Archon of Luck that you'll be one of us soon Marco ! Xiao wanters shall become Xiao havers !
OMG I have been waiting for this video!
Hello Marco, again spot on with understanding characters through music! Also, yeah, alot of jumping! I hope next characters will intrigue you as well as Xiao and previous did!
5:01 the classic Marco "I was right" moment
Hahahahehehehhahehshs
Woah, you even nailed the part about depression! Zhongli provides Xiao with "painkillers" which are interpreted as antidepressants. Great reaction!!
👍👍💕
I don't know what to say. I'm very impressed with your analysis. That is Xiao's life.
I want to play him too but I get motion sickness from his movement. He moves so fast and jumps up and down. I really respect those who master in playing Xiao.
xiao has one of the most depressing backstories in the entire game, him and scaramouche are hard competitors for the number 1 spot lmao.
I don't remember where exactly it is, but you can hear Xiao call his friends in-game in his form of adepti
I feel gigachad energy just by watching the thumbnail
Lmfao
As everyone else has mentioned in this comment section and you have analyzed it on point in your video
I want to say that despite all his suffering and pain
The main character that you play grows closer to Xiao than any other person really does personally
The more you get to know the character it shows that Xiao does have a timid side that would enjoy peace and joy if only he could
Again his suffering reminding him what he is
But the traveler still shows him kindness which in some rather wholesome voicelines he is actually really confused by as he does not understand human emotions well
And I remember one of his voicelines that you get when he is highest friendship
He says that he'd do anything to protect the Traveler and that he wants to get to know them better
Throughout the story (especially the Chasm quest) his character goes through extensive character development
And Xiao is just a character that I truly appreciate as he is 3 dimensional
Thank you for this video
I've been playing genshin pretty much since the start and watching your videos
Is like reexperiencing the game and my experiences again
Thank you so much! :D
My pleasure!
Xiao’s Chinese name literally means the wind, and speed lol
Xiao is my baby, I love him with all my heart
3:37 if you want to whatch a Super Marco Saiyan
You decipher Xiao right away in the first minute, so amazing for you to read music so easily like a open book and a testament for Yu-Peng Chen's skill in making music. Its some times just as frightening as amazing how accurate you are (in a positive way XD)
You nailed it as always!
I love watching your Genshin videos on the music and how it connects with each character. I can't wait to see your take on the Sumaru character's music over the next year as they are released!
you're so good at understanding through music 😭 it shocks me every time
"jumping jumping jumping fast. powerful, but not powerful in a brute strength way but powerful in a quick, efficient-" like HOLY FUCK DUDE SJFBDNBF thats literally how he operates in lore (from my understanding) and how he is as playable (im a xiao main ehe).
My God. Back at it again with an awesome analysis!! You did my boy Xiao so much justice, and as someone who mains him in the game, I was grinning the whole time throughout the video! Thank you so much for another music breakdown.
Also, I can’t wait to see how you will react to *that* scene in the chasm starring Xiao. I hope you will get to see that part soon 🙏
Glad you enjoyed!
This has always been one of my favourite demos, so glad to have seen your reaction!
Why did your thumbnails become deep-fried baked within the course of a month
I hired a guy. This means you like it right? Deep fried bbq we like that?
Marco never ceases to amaze me, just look how quick he gets whatever the music tells
I can't wait for you to play Xiao's story quest to know him better🥰
Jumping, jumping, jumping
Im honestly speechless youre so spot on
Thank you so much for doing these one at a time and giving them the individual attention they need. Keep it up!
god damn I love how describe character based on his or her theme. Seeing more of such videos will be wide, specially Inazuma characters or 2nd half of Liyue ones
❤️❤️❤️❤️ individual videos so they all get their time to shine
I was sooo excited when I saw this in my feed!
Xiao is one of my favorite characters, and to see you decipher the little bits of his theme that even I didn’t catch myself was great!
I’m excited to see when you learn more about him :3
Marco's thumbnail is getting better and better damn it's very elegant
Spot on analysis as always. I'm rendered speechless by what you can read in the music.
He is air … it’s all to it
Xiao is technically a demon contractually bound by his god to protect their people, and lives among the adeptus(other kinds of spirits bound by the same contract), he ends up actually genuinely caring about them fiercely loyalty tho, to the point he’s had to be stopped from sacrificing himself (it’s kind of a habit with him) he is, a badass
YOURE SO GOOD AT ANALYZING MUSIC I REALLY ADMIRE YOU
bruh this man is incredible
Xiao’s trailer is one of my absolute favorites! Loved seeing you get really into watching it at the end there 😄
a video of one of my favorite characters released the day before my birthday, love it
Your comments are so accurate it always makes me scream. This time even more, because I'm a Xiao main. I'm glad you're a part of the Xiao nation too
That's why I'm a Xiao enjoyer hehe
This is the first Genshin trailer I saw and loved. Xiao is my first 5 star too. I'm happy he's getting a bit of limelight now. I enjoy him playing in mobile than on PC.
the primal scream was so spot on!! praying you get that xiao!
Ahhh perfect once again! As a Xiao main I’ve been so excited for you to do this one!
Xiao the most badass character in genshin
I'm always blown away how well you are able to tell things about a character from the theme. Xiao is really fun to play btw you should definitely try for him on his next banner
It's a testament to Yu Peng really knowing how to use music as a language that's recognizable to people who also have studied it as a storytelling medium. It's super cool to see.
everytime i watch his videos i feel like all musicians speak a secret language between themselves because there's NO WAY he can decipher a whole character in like 5 seconds in
I really love listening to your reaction and review of genshin music, hope we get to see more of these, especially with upcoming Sumeru update.
I'm absolutely shocked! How? Just how do you capture all this from a few sounds?? When you said about the outburst scream, I almost fell out of my chair! This is a 100% hit in Xiao's story! I hope I'm not spoiling the plot for you, but Xiao is really cursed and your feelings about the music (darkness, chaos, pain, screaming) are completely consistent with what he experiences as the hero of the game.
Its always amazing how you can discern so much about a character from just a few minutes of the character theme, kudos to both you and the composers over at Hoyoverse