Albedo's voice actor(Crispin Freeman) did an absolutely unbelievable job. Especially the scenes where he's just a completely abhorrent, psychopathic manic...which is all the time, but his delivery and imo especially the morbid laughter is just mind-blowingly good even to this day. I dont think Ive seen a movie or played another game with such a fitting and convincing performance.
Agreed, Freeman completely nails this role. It would be so easy for all the maniacal laughter to get tiresome or samey, but it remains unsettling and crazy the whole way through.
If they ever remake Xenogears with voice acting, I’d definitely want Freeman to be the voice of Id and the other personality (who I’m not naming to avoid spoilers for the game).
The Sakura/Cherry motif is thematically connected to something you only find out about in the Database. Joachim and Juli's daughter, who died, was named Sakura. Momo was created to look very much like her.
When they fought the “blue hooded guy” I swear it was unequivocally revealed in one of the cutscenes that occurs after the fight outside in space that it was undoubtedly Lt Virgil. None of the group was there to witness it, but he takes off his mask (it phases out of existence off his face) and he complains to the others to stop talking to him telepathically as he’s not used to it yet. How Casen could have missed THAT is beyond me. Still love Casen though. Maybe he was lost in his mind about theorizing about how alchemy and obscure French apocrypha related to the previous scene while the scene where Virgil’s face was revealed playing out, lol! His face is definitely revealed when Proto Merkaba is summoned, I am sure of it.
Okay. So Casen stopped playing right before the scene in question. Makes a LOT more sense now. I was beginning to worry Casen was going blind or suffering from Retrograde Amnesia or something.
Albedo’s interaction with MOMO is a really interesting story moment. It’s even worse when you realize that he looks exactly like an older version of Jr. and MOMO is being traumatized by someone with the face of a person she cares about… Let’s hope that doesn’t lead to lasting trauma later on!
Visually the Song of Nephilim could also be seen as resembling a nail. So it being inserted into the Merkabah could also be symbolic of nailing the body of Christ. So the moment mankinds hubris killed the body of god lead to the summoning of the gnosis. Momo being r*ped by Albedo now also stands in contrast to the virgin saints like Febronia. As Albedo is Rubedo's shadow, and Momo says she now carries a part of Albedo within herself, could now be seen as an embodiement of Rubedo's anima. Through experiencing and processing this trauma Momo has been ankered into physical reality (like the reality that Albedo said he would provide her with), making her the opposite to Albedo's gnostic desire to transcend physical reality, and thus an embodiment of the alchemical transmutation of Rubedo's shadow
That Censored part had me in tears :'D as someone who played through the Xenosaga games, I was gritting my teeth when they said "let's read up on URTVs"...
you'll understand why Margulis and everyone else is so afraid of the song of Nephilim once you see what really happened on Miltia, but suffice it to say it doesn't just summon the Gnosis, it has other effects, particularly on Realians. It's also a bit of a black box, as many other creations of Joachim, and the events of Miltia aren't well understood even by people who were there to witness them, and so the true causality isn't known. Some of the effects attributed to the song of Nephilim were caused.... by other things. You'll understand when you get to Episode 3 haha With Albedo cutting vs. tearing his head off... it's not the American version that's censored. The Japanese one is. Fun fact, though the game doesn't state it outside of the database (perhaps not even in this game), which might seem like a spoiler, but I feel is okay to share since it has no significance in the future: the bald headed Federation commander is a brother of Vanderkampf... he's very likely himself an agent of UTIC.
With regards to the censorship, I'm of the opinion that the scene is more disturbing in the American version. Obviously I'm not condoning censorship, but in this case it happened to work out for the best. There's another scene in Episode 3 that was censored for the American release. I can't say what it concerns because it's a huge spoiler, but unfortunately, in that case, the censorship was so badly handled that it's almost impossible to discern what's supposed to be happening. Which is a huge shame, because it's one of the most emotionally hard hitting moments of the entire game.
I'm in a replay of Xenosaga 3 now and I haven't hit either moment yet, but my recollection is there are two major instances of censorship that mess things up, the first being the very obvious one you've mentioned that goes from hard hitting to confusing and laughable. There is also one regarding a certain character's fate that if I recall correctly is very confusing in the US version because of what they censored. I won't dare say what it is here though due to spoilers.
I don't know if anyone had brought it up yet but the melody that plays during the song of nephilim has been used in different media before. It comes from a song called "Deus Irae" which had gregorion chants used in funeral rites. I don't know too much about it but I read through some reddit posts and some folks have heard it in an episode of South Park and the movies end of days and frozen. Vox put out a video a while ago going over its influences on movie scores.
The red becoming white line could be just another way of Albedo talking about ascending consciousness above the material body by transforming blood, that which gives the body life, to salt, the pure manifestation of only the body.
It's worth pointing out that Takahashi said, in interviews regarding the Xenosaga I-II DS game, that in his original script, the Song of Nephilim and Proto Merkabah were a single dungeon. He just had to compromise and split them for the sake of gameplay and story balance. The dialogue in the scene where Albedo summons it was meant to callback to that idea: they are originally a single system. As for the power of Albedo's mech, well... the game tries to make the origins and power of it to be a mystery. What his mech is will become clear in later games, with some conceptual connections you might actually enjoy. EDIT: Don't know if you recognized the voice of the man talking inside Virgil's head: it's the Red cloaked figure who was speaking to Wilhelm early on in the game, and the way he talks makes it seems as if, though they belong to the same group, Red cloak is above Virgil in the hierarchy.
Can’t wait for you guys to play Ep. 2. Although, the questions this Episode asks won’t get answered until Ep. 3. The sequel is kinda dark. Albedo gets MUCH more sadistic and crazy in that one. Keep in mind, that when people make contact with U-do their bodies evaporate. If Albedo can regenerate himself instantly, then he would be something like a Christ figure. He would never break contact with U-do. Also, keep in mind, that all realians share a hive mind and are replicas of only a few human beings. They have no unique body of their own. Their body is a clone of someone else’s body. Albedo and Rubedo are really a quartet of one being. “The me inside of you”, line serves a duel meaning which will come into focus in the next episode. That’s the reason I like it at all. It’s a flawed, almost horrible, game. But, I still enjoy it.
Well, to my knowledge, I haven’t heard them say that they’ll play Ep. 2 directly after this analysis. But, they have discussed it as if it’s part of the plan.
French speaker here!! Mike is correct. The difference is in the E. The sound is different depending on it. We have e, é, ê, ë and è, they all sound slightly different ;) Pêche is the fruit and also the verb for fishing, Péché is a sin!
17:49 Just a little correction: "Itai" does mean "ouch", but I think she is saying "ittai..." (いったい...), which is a part of the phrase "ittai naniga okota" (what happened). It's very common in JP stories for them to cut this phrase short after the "ittai" in order to give more impact when they are setting a dramatic scene up, so I think the localization is correct.
Correct me if I'm wrong but for the "mist" covering Albedo's head in the Japanese version, I think it has more to do with Japan censoring decapitation. In the international version, it doesn't cover Albedo's head when it's lying on the ground. There are examples of this in other games in Japan in the early 2000s like in Banjo-Tooie, Gruntilda's detached head was replaced with a sack and in Resident Evil 4, Leon's head doesn't come off when killed by Dr. Salvador. Maybe it's a coincidence, maybe it isn't.
As I recall, there was a pretty violent murder in Japan at around this time where the victim was decapitated so it became kind of a sensitive subject in media.
You guys are doing such amazing work! I love this so much! In regards to the except a corn of wheat quote, I believe the speaker was actually Dr. Mizrahi. It will make more sense as you progress through the narrative, but that is the only way the quote makes sense to me in the context. Somebody else who has played through the games can correct me if I am wrong
Hey guys, a quick note on what MOMO says in japanese after waking up alone. The nuance is difficult to grasp in this case but she says いったい (ittai), not 痛い (itai) Ittai can be translated in multiple ways regarding the context but generally underline the fact that the speaker is unaware of or troubled by the situation they're facing. Now I go back to the video (・∀・)
1:37:30 As Casen is describing the Merkabah I immediately though to the Triforce and googled Merkabah and sure enough the Triforce looks like a part of a Merkabah symbol. interesting
Hey guys, I just finished EP 9. I don't want to tell you guys what to do and all, but sometimes I'm a dumbass and forget to hit the like button. So if you could remind me that would be appreciated.
41:19 not sure if you guys will ever see this comment, but i seem to recall (when this game came out) that the reason it is so censored in japanese is because in Japan, it is very culturally insensitive to show beheading in media, due to it's historical significance. Either way, this scene is just a fascinating specimen when it comes to content and censorship, for both versions.
Commenting again just to say I know I complained in the earlier episodes about the pacing and confusion of those shows but these past few episodes have been a huge improvement in both aspects, and you guys are back on the ball. I'm not sure if censoring what URTV stands for was necessary as, if I remember correctly, the database does give the meaning of the acronym, though what it stands for is so opaque I'm not sure if it clarifies anything. One thing I do love going back through the series (no longer having the games I marathoned the entirety of their cutscenes over the last couple weeks), is just how much of episode 2 and 3 is set up in episode 1... kinda goes back to what you guys were saying back in xenogears about all of that game's early foreshadowing basically spelling everything out in a way that makes it all obvious in retrospect. These 3 games really were meant to be one single entity... well, episode 2 is a big weak point, but nevertheless. Very much looking forward to when you guys get to those... hopefully you'll complete the Saga in about a year. What would be great is if you went back to Mass Effect after Xenosaga -- some very interesting parallels (and dissonances) between the two series I've noticed and I'm curious to see if you'll see what I see there. as always, keep up the great work
Mike translation of Albedo French words is correct! Bien joué mon ami! The first time I played as French speaker but very good in English. loved this scene with French words Threw in. Délicieux
this is my third time trying to finish this episode and it just dawned on me that I bet the reason the knife was censored in the US is because using a knife is relatable but ripping your head off is so far removed from considering it as real, the violence is kind of like diluted.
I could see that. The absurdity of that drives home the inhumanity of Albedo, which makes it okay for a T-rated game. ...Dang, whenever we do meet aliens, we are going to have a lot of problems.
The “ma belle peche” scene was one of the things I saw before starting Xenosaga. When I saw it I was like “that was crazy, I gotta play this”. Also, the URTV definition is in the database, so I wouldn’t consider it a spoiler. I’m also really interested in seeing what happens with Virgil, was not expecting him to return. What is he? How is he back? In the database, it mentioned that he was taking orders from Wilhelm’s assistant, so are U-TIC and Vector working together? Great session, can’t wait to see how all the setups pay off!
The song of Nephilim itself is interesting. The main tune is called Deus Irae and is a premonition big disaster. It is used in a lot of modern media. It comes up when Simbas father dies in the Lion King or when Luke realizes that his uncle and aunt died in Star Wars. There is a great video about this tune: ruclips.net/video/-3-bVRYRnSM/видео.html
Merkabah mysticism is prior to Kabbalah by around 800 years. It was based on the the theophany of Isaiah and Ezekiel and was characterized by the idea that being in contact with God (YAHWEH) was a terrifying experience, which you will see in this game.
09:53 that tech exists in the Federation but is considered last resort, like the Atom bomb in current times. 01:20:00 LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF THE CLOACK GUYS!
Dang. Didn't even realize that the Albedo/Momo scene was essentially a metaphor for rape. I'm learning new things about this game since the last time I played it was over a decade ago. Which means that all the other discarded Kirschwashers are essentially all victims of rape. Albedo truly is a villain.
41:05 they probably took out the knife because they were told by the localization team that it’s too similar to acts of violence that were being committed against westerners in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
the song of nephaline is not really understandable until you get to episode 3, i think you also need the story in the form of a power point presentation they released to fill in the gaps when you learn more about Lemegeton
Little error there: The Song of Nephilim does not go into the Proto Merkabah when it docks. It seems a little as if there is a whole where the Song of Nephilim might dock into, but it doesn't. It only docks its tip to the Proto Merkabah and seems to take control over it. The Song of Nephilim was, however docked into the ground behind the Acute Neurosis Treatment Facility on Old Miltia where it looked as if the upper side was a plaza on the ground. But Proto Merkabah wasn't part of that. Around that plaza on Old Miltia was just normal ground, buildings and a city, not a moon-sized space station.
If I remember correctly In the hitchhiker's guide they get the answer to life the universe and everything which is 42. They find out they never understood the question.
It's too easy to take Margulis's words and apply them literally here. The Gnosis can turn people into Gnosis and are effectively phantoms themselves. What's happening here is similar to what happened in the Miltian conflict and is partly why there was so much chaos. And in the case of URTVs it DOES make them go insane because of their ability to link with U-DO. The song is a conduit through which U-DO can interact with those who seek it.
Thank you for your podcast It is great. As a Hebrew student living in Israel I wanted to tell you that pronunciation of MerkaVa in Xenogears is the correct one (considering Hebrew grammar). In Hebrew it is written as מרכבה. The ב at the end is read as V. The root of the word is רכב (rakev) which means "transport". And in there is even a bus factory in Israel called in latin "Merkavim".
Yay new episode!! I just quick glanced through it but do they really say the name of Vergil?!! I mean Mike did figure that out but I do not remember them revealing his identity? I am missing this scene too? EDIT: Nvm, they did show that scene around @01:37:00. my memory is too foggy it seems
about Rubedo dark part, in the alchemy, there is the black, and the white, like Ying and Yang, and the red is by product of the union of both i don't know all the details, but if im not wrong, the Black (Nigredo) is the good, and the White (Albedo) is the chaos, and by fusing both you get the Philosophy stone, that is Red (Rubedo), i saw on another channel about an alchemist reaction to fullmetal alchemist.
I still dont know whats up with Bunnie, but U-kun could just be U for Usagi aka rabbit, which is a common thing with naming things like that. No idea if that's still somehow connected somehow with U-DO/U-TIC but... anyhow
I had assumed by the song of Nephilim brings madness part they had assumed that the song was the reason why the realian and URTV's went berserk and the calling of the gnosis and U-Do opposed to literally meaning it makes people insane. But that being said, some people touched by the gnosis can become a gnosis while other die which either is the death of the mind/ one's self. I know what people say about Ep. 2....and yes the changes are alarming if you play the games back to back but the story of two still propels the series but the game play does take a beating.....Some of the character models are good while others will eventually grow on you.
Thanks for the excellent content guys! After listening to your analysis of the Takahashi games, and playing the Xenoblade series myself: Do you think that the creators of the excellent Netflix show "Dark" are inspired by Takahashi and Saga's storytelling and concepts? certainly Nietzsche's philosophy is paramount in both cases, but also everything else- it's so similar, and I think it would make perfect sense that the creators themselves have played Xenogears and Perhaps also Xenosaga and were heavily influenced. Particularly, the Series finale- the endless cycle concept in which nothing actually happens- that is precisely the idea behind X3, and the conclusion is similar: both universes phase out of reality as if nothing ever happened . No other media had ever reminded me so closely of the concepts of the Xeno series.
Mintia? There was no mention to it, it wouldn't surprise me if they missed it. I think by this point in the game the Great Joe optional boss can also be fought.
Well, I hope you guys don't write off Episode 2. Case keeps making jabs at it. But then again, I didn't really like the first game. But that largely stemmed from, lack of music, pacing, uninteresting cutscene direction, and slog of a battle system. I really thought Episode 2 was a step up in those areas. Definitely curious to hear gameplay critiques. I know you guys are story first, but I just find it hard to believe you can overlook such glaring flaws like the lack of music.
I said this before pêche is peach in French that means MOMO in Japanese and again it is stated in wikis about Albedo he is a linguaphile he loves making puns with them and using language as a personal whimsy thing that he just enjoys the pêchê and pêche thing is the first clue to that and proof about that him quoting Nietzche and Shakespeare is how he kinda just is I am sorry I got jumbled because I didn't pause the video and kept listening while writing this
Listening to you guys talk about what you think the kirschwasser was saying is aggrivating as someone who played the 3rd game and about Albedo and Rubedo's connections
This is a bit of schpiel, but it's because I think the Momo/Albedo scene is a bit of a blight on an otherwise incredible game. Obviously, it is a really gross scene. Super effective, but probably not in the way that was intended imo. I never got the impression, from the direction of the scene, that I was supposed to see this from MOMO's perspective, I felt like the director popped me in Albedo's shoes. The game, from front to back, objectifies MOMO, so it's hard to accept Albedo's abuse as any more shocking than the frequent upskirt shots we get. The voice direction was weird too, with the actress being directed to make sexy sounds, rather than screaming, or crying, from sheer terror. This moment is never mentioned again, or at least never dwelt on, and feels more like an excuse to have shock value. "We want our characters to experience anguish, but they also need to look hot while doing so."
That's pure projection on your part buddy. I know zero cases of anyone viewing Momo in such a way. Might want to hide those skeletons a lot deeper in your closet.
@@1SpicyMeataball Two logical fallacies, and a slight at my character. Anecdotes don't prove your point, and they especially don't invalidate my perspective. You're a very rude person.
Albedo's voice actor(Crispin Freeman) did an absolutely unbelievable job. Especially the scenes where he's just a completely abhorrent, psychopathic manic...which is all the time, but his delivery and imo especially the morbid laughter is just mind-blowingly good even to this day. I dont think Ive seen a movie or played another game with such a fitting and convincing performance.
Agreed, Freeman completely nails this role. It would be so easy for all the maniacal laughter to get tiresome or samey, but it remains unsettling and crazy the whole way through.
@@cloudkitt what do u expect from the guy who brought life to Alucard? ofc its awesome.
One of my favorite voice actors. Holland in Eureka Seven and Alucard in Hellsing.
It’s sad that Xenosaga is underrated as it is simply because it’s one of Crispin’s best performances ever.
If they ever remake Xenogears with voice acting, I’d definitely want Freeman to be the voice of Id and the other personality (who I’m not naming to avoid spoilers for the game).
The Sakura/Cherry motif is thematically connected to something you only find out about in the Database. Joachim and Juli's daughter, who died, was named Sakura. Momo was created to look very much like her.
Crispin Freeman absolutely kills it as Albedo. I wish he would be in a JRPG again.
Doesn't he also play Jin in later episodes ?
When they fought the “blue hooded guy” I swear it was unequivocally revealed in one of the cutscenes that occurs after the fight outside in space that it was undoubtedly Lt Virgil. None of the group was there to witness it, but he takes off his mask (it phases out of existence off his face) and he complains to the others to stop talking to him telepathically as he’s not used to it yet. How Casen could have missed THAT is beyond me. Still love Casen though. Maybe he was lost in his mind about theorizing about how alchemy and obscure French apocrypha related to the previous scene while the scene where Virgil’s face was revealed playing out, lol! His face is definitely revealed when Proto Merkaba is summoned, I am sure of it.
Okay. So Casen stopped playing right before the scene in question. Makes a LOT more sense now. I was beginning to worry Casen was going blind or suffering from Retrograde Amnesia or something.
As a Christian, I am super thankful that you guys talk about biblical influences without making fun of/mocking Christianity. Thank you!
Anyone actually qualified to talk about storytelling has reverence for the Bible.
Agreed.
UMN.. U-TIC.. URTV... U.. Wii U... its telling us to play Xenoblade X on the Wii U!
Albedo’s interaction with MOMO is a really interesting story moment. It’s even worse when you realize that he looks exactly like an older version of Jr. and MOMO is being traumatized by someone with the face of a person she cares about…
Let’s hope that doesn’t lead to lasting trauma later on!
never thought about it that way, but I would argue that because they appear as a youth and a man, it might be just far away enough.
Visually the Song of Nephilim could also be seen as resembling a nail. So it being inserted into the Merkabah could also be symbolic of nailing the body of Christ. So the moment mankinds hubris killed the body of god lead to the summoning of the gnosis.
Momo being r*ped by Albedo now also stands in contrast to the virgin saints like Febronia. As Albedo is Rubedo's shadow, and Momo says she now carries a part of Albedo within herself, could now be seen as an embodiement of Rubedo's anima. Through experiencing and processing this trauma Momo has been ankered into physical reality (like the reality that Albedo said he would provide her with), making her the opposite to Albedo's gnostic desire to transcend physical reality, and thus an embodiment of the alchemical transmutation of Rubedo's shadow
Could u explain why momo’s r*pe anchors her to reality? Unless it spoils the later games
Crispin Freeman did a awesome job as Albedo on that scene especially the insane laughing!
They’ve finally met Albedo! You never forget that character always amazed he’s not not top villain lists.
Great episode! Mike is right. Pêche, in that context means peach and péché means sin.
That Censored part had me in tears :'D as someone who played through the Xenosaga games, I was gritting my teeth when they said "let's read up on URTVs"...
you'll understand why Margulis and everyone else is so afraid of the song of Nephilim once you see what really happened on Miltia, but suffice it to say it doesn't just summon the Gnosis, it has other effects, particularly on Realians. It's also a bit of a black box, as many other creations of Joachim, and the events of Miltia aren't well understood even by people who were there to witness them, and so the true causality isn't known. Some of the effects attributed to the song of Nephilim were caused.... by other things. You'll understand when you get to Episode 3 haha
With Albedo cutting vs. tearing his head off... it's not the American version that's censored. The Japanese one is.
Fun fact, though the game doesn't state it outside of the database (perhaps not even in this game), which might seem like a spoiler, but I feel is okay to share since it has no significance in the future: the bald headed Federation commander is a brother of Vanderkampf... he's very likely himself an agent of UTIC.
With regards to the censorship, I'm of the opinion that the scene is more disturbing in the American version. Obviously I'm not condoning censorship, but in this case it happened to work out for the best.
There's another scene in Episode 3 that was censored for the American release. I can't say what it concerns because it's a huge spoiler, but unfortunately, in that case, the censorship was so badly handled that it's almost impossible to discern what's supposed to be happening. Which is a huge shame, because it's one of the most emotionally hard hitting moments of the entire game.
I'm in a replay of Xenosaga 3 now and I haven't hit either moment yet, but my recollection is there are two major instances of censorship that mess things up, the first being the very obvious one you've mentioned that goes from hard hitting to confusing and laughable. There is also one regarding a certain character's fate that if I recall correctly is very confusing in the US version because of what they censored. I won't dare say what it is here though due to spoilers.
I don't know if anyone had brought it up yet but the melody that plays during the song of nephilim has been used in different media before. It comes from a song called "Deus Irae" which had gregorion chants used in funeral rites.
I don't know too much about it but I read through some reddit posts and some folks have heard it in an episode of South Park and the movies end of days and frozen.
Vox put out a video a while ago going over its influences on movie scores.
Yep, it’s right here (along with an English translation of the lyrics): ruclips.net/video/2OBB5-bP6qs/видео.html
*Dies Irae*
i haven't played this game since it came out but the thumbnail you went with made all my memories flood back. thanks
The red becoming white line could be just another way of Albedo talking about ascending consciousness above the material body by transforming blood, that which gives the body life, to salt, the pure manifestation of only the body.
Crispin Freemen voices a character named "Albed" in Star Ocean 3, released around the same time. Funny coincidence?
"That's no Song... It's a Space Station!"
-Mike Brown, true Xeno Jedi
New episode to listen to at work. Thanks guys!
It's worth pointing out that Takahashi said, in interviews regarding the Xenosaga I-II DS game, that in his original script, the Song of Nephilim and Proto Merkabah were a single dungeon. He just had to compromise and split them for the sake of gameplay and story balance. The dialogue in the scene where Albedo summons it was meant to callback to that idea: they are originally a single system.
As for the power of Albedo's mech, well... the game tries to make the origins and power of it to be a mystery. What his mech is will become clear in later games, with some conceptual connections you might actually enjoy.
EDIT: Don't know if you recognized the voice of the man talking inside Virgil's head: it's the Red cloaked figure who was speaking to Wilhelm early on in the game, and the way he talks makes it seems as if, though they belong to the same group, Red cloak is above Virgil in the hierarchy.
Can’t wait for you guys to play Ep. 2. Although, the questions this Episode asks won’t get answered until Ep. 3. The sequel is kinda dark. Albedo gets MUCH more sadistic and crazy in that one.
Keep in mind, that when people make contact with U-do their bodies evaporate. If Albedo can regenerate himself instantly, then he would be something like a Christ figure. He would never break contact with U-do.
Also, keep in mind, that all realians share a hive mind and are replicas of only a few human beings. They have no unique body of their own. Their body is a clone of someone else’s body. Albedo and Rubedo are really a quartet of one being.
“The me inside of you”, line serves a duel meaning which will come into focus in the next episode. That’s the reason I like it at all. It’s a flawed, almost horrible, game. But, I still enjoy it.
It’s a terrible game tho
Ignore what the other guy said, even the worst. Xenosaga is a great game.
@@omensoffate I honestly don’t mind Xenosaga Episode 2. The weakest of the trilogy, yes. Has some frustrating bits. Yes. But I still enjoy it.
Do we know if they're going right into 2 from this?
Well, to my knowledge, I haven’t heard them say that they’ll play Ep. 2 directly after this analysis. But, they have discussed it as if it’s part of the plan.
French speaker here!! Mike is correct. The difference is in the E. The sound is different depending on it. We have e, é, ê, ë and è, they all sound slightly different ;)
Pêche is the fruit and also the verb for fishing,
Péché is a sin!
17:49 Just a little correction: "Itai" does mean "ouch", but I think she is saying "ittai..." (いったい...), which is a part of the phrase "ittai naniga okota" (what happened). It's very common in JP stories for them to cut this phrase short after the "ittai" in order to give more impact when they are setting a dramatic scene up, so I think the localization is correct.
Correct me if I'm wrong but for the "mist" covering Albedo's head in the Japanese version, I think it has more to do with Japan censoring decapitation. In the international version, it doesn't cover Albedo's head when it's lying on the ground.
There are examples of this in other games in Japan in the early 2000s like in Banjo-Tooie, Gruntilda's detached head was replaced with a sack and in Resident Evil 4, Leon's head doesn't come off when killed by Dr. Salvador. Maybe it's a coincidence, maybe it isn't.
As I recall, there was a pretty violent murder in Japan at around this time where the victim was decapitated so it became kind of a sensitive subject in media.
@@Inerrant1 I was about to mention the Kobe Child Murders of 1997, but I couldn't find a source that connected the two.
You guys are doing such amazing work! I love this so much! In regards to the except a corn of wheat quote, I believe the speaker was actually Dr. Mizrahi. It will make more sense as you progress through the narrative, but that is the only way the quote makes sense to me in the context. Somebody else who has played through the games can correct me if I am wrong
Hey guys, a quick note on what MOMO says in japanese after waking up alone.
The nuance is difficult to grasp in this case but she says いったい (ittai), not 痛い (itai)
Ittai can be translated in multiple ways regarding the context but generally underline the fact that the speaker is unaware of or troubled by the situation they're facing.
Now I go back to the video (・∀・)
1:37:30 As Casen is describing the Merkabah I immediately though to the Triforce and googled Merkabah and sure enough the Triforce looks like a part of a Merkabah symbol. interesting
Hey guys, I just finished EP 9. I don't want to tell you guys what to do and all, but sometimes I'm a dumbass and forget to hit the like button. So if you could remind me that would be appreciated.
Haha! Next time..
That *is* a joke, right?
It's great to see your journey in this game and all the analysis and theories. Now, aproaching the end of Ep. 1 and entering Ep. 2. Congrats!
41:19 not sure if you guys will ever see this comment, but i seem to recall (when this game came out) that the reason it is so censored in japanese is because in Japan, it is very culturally insensitive to show beheading in media, due to it's historical significance.
Either way, this scene is just a fascinating specimen when it comes to content and censorship, for both versions.
Commenting again just to say I know I complained in the earlier episodes about the pacing and confusion of those shows but these past few episodes have been a huge improvement in both aspects, and you guys are back on the ball. I'm not sure if censoring what URTV stands for was necessary as, if I remember correctly, the database does give the meaning of the acronym, though what it stands for is so opaque I'm not sure if it clarifies anything. One thing I do love going back through the series (no longer having the games I marathoned the entirety of their cutscenes over the last couple weeks), is just how much of episode 2 and 3 is set up in episode 1... kinda goes back to what you guys were saying back in xenogears about all of that game's early foreshadowing basically spelling everything out in a way that makes it all obvious in retrospect. These 3 games really were meant to be one single entity... well, episode 2 is a big weak point, but nevertheless. Very much looking forward to when you guys get to those... hopefully you'll complete the Saga in about a year. What would be great is if you went back to Mass Effect after Xenosaga -- some very interesting parallels (and dissonances) between the two series I've noticed and I'm curious to see if you'll see what I see there.
as always, keep up the great work
Mike translation of Albedo French words is correct! Bien joué mon ami! The first time I played as French speaker but very good in English. loved this scene with French words Threw in. Délicieux
The purple energy is also on the vision where kosmos fights U-DO.
36:25 "URTV units are [censored]." Hilarious
I know, as he was pulling it up I was thinking "Is he really gonna look that up?!" lol
this is my third time trying to finish this episode and it just dawned on me that I bet the reason the knife was censored in the US is because using a knife is relatable but ripping your head off is so far removed from considering it as real, the violence is kind of like diluted.
I could see that. The absurdity of that drives home the inhumanity of Albedo, which makes it okay for a T-rated game.
...Dang, whenever we do meet aliens, we are going to have a lot of problems.
The “ma belle peche” scene was one of the things I saw before starting Xenosaga. When I saw it I was like “that was crazy, I gotta play this”. Also, the URTV definition is in the database, so I wouldn’t consider it a spoiler. I’m also really interested in seeing what happens with Virgil, was not expecting him to return. What is he? How is he back? In the database, it mentioned that he was taking orders from Wilhelm’s assistant, so are U-TIC and Vector working together? Great session, can’t wait to see how all the setups pay off!
All gets revealed. Just wish we got 3 more games :(
The song of Nephilim itself is interesting. The main tune is called Deus Irae and is a premonition big disaster. It is used in a lot of modern media. It comes up when Simbas father dies in the Lion King or when Luke realizes that his uncle and aunt died in Star Wars. There is a great video about this tune: ruclips.net/video/-3-bVRYRnSM/видео.html
*Dies Irae*
This section of the game makes a lot more sense after playing a particular portion of the second game.
Merkabah mysticism is prior to Kabbalah by around 800 years. It was based on the the theophany of Isaiah and Ezekiel and was characterized by the idea that being in contact with God (YAHWEH) was a terrifying experience, which you will see in this game.
Keep up the good work, guys.
09:53 that tech exists in the Federation but is considered last resort, like the Atom bomb in current times.
01:20:00 LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF THE CLOACK GUYS!
Dang. Didn't even realize that the Albedo/Momo scene was essentially a metaphor for rape. I'm learning new things about this game since the last time I played it was over a decade ago. Which means that all the other discarded Kirschwashers are essentially all victims of rape. Albedo truly is a villain.
the gun that kos mos uses reminds me of the angel arms from trigun
41:05 they probably took out the knife because they were told by the localization team that it’s too similar to acts of violence that were being committed against westerners in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Oh dear. You are now up to the part that made me want to run for my life.
the song of nephaline is not really understandable until you get to episode 3, i think you also need the story in the form of a power point presentation they released to fill in the gaps when you learn more about Lemegeton
Little error there: The Song of Nephilim does not go into the Proto Merkabah when it docks. It seems a little as if there is a whole where the Song of Nephilim might dock into, but it doesn't. It only docks its tip to the Proto Merkabah and seems to take control over it.
The Song of Nephilim was, however docked into the ground behind the Acute Neurosis Treatment Facility on Old Miltia where it looked as if the upper side was a plaza on the ground. But Proto Merkabah wasn't part of that. Around that plaza on Old Miltia was just normal ground, buildings and a city, not a moon-sized space station.
If I remember correctly In the hitchhiker's guide they get the answer to life the universe and everything which is 42. They find out they never understood the question.
It's too easy to take Margulis's words and apply them literally here. The Gnosis can turn people into Gnosis and are effectively phantoms themselves. What's happening here is similar to what happened in the Miltian conflict and is partly why there was so much chaos. And in the case of URTVs it DOES make them go insane because of their ability to link with U-DO. The song is a conduit through which U-DO can interact with those who seek it.
Thank you for your podcast It is great.
As a Hebrew student living in Israel I wanted to tell you that pronunciation of MerkaVa in Xenogears is the correct one (considering Hebrew grammar). In Hebrew it is written as מרכבה. The ב at the end is read as V. The root of the word is רכב (rakev) which means "transport". And in there is even a bus factory in Israel called in latin "Merkavim".
Yay new episode!! I just quick glanced through it but do they really say the name of Vergil?!! I mean Mike did figure that out but I do not remember them revealing his identity? I am missing this scene too?
EDIT: Nvm, they did show that scene around @01:37:00. my memory is too foggy it seems
about Rubedo dark part, in the alchemy, there is the black, and the white, like Ying and Yang, and the red is by product of the union of both
i don't know all the details, but if im not wrong, the Black (Nigredo) is the good, and the White (Albedo) is the chaos, and by fusing both you get the Philosophy stone, that is Red (Rubedo), i saw on another channel about an alchemist reaction to fullmetal alchemist.
PS: and this channel linked to your videos of the analysis of Xenogears, and now im stuck here watching all the analysis episodes and im loving it
Out of topic: For october it would have been cool an Silent Hill 2 Podcast. Good video!
This aged well pretty quickly! Thanks!
I still dont know whats up with Bunnie, but U-kun could just be U for Usagi aka rabbit, which is a common thing with naming things like that. No idea if that's still somehow connected somehow with U-DO/U-TIC but... anyhow
my favorite part lol
1:22:04 yeah he's trippin balls lol just playin
I had assumed by the song of Nephilim brings madness part they had assumed that the song was the reason why the realian and URTV's went berserk and the calling of the gnosis and U-Do opposed to literally meaning it makes people insane. But that being said, some people touched by the gnosis can become a gnosis while other die which either is the death of the mind/ one's self.
I know what people say about Ep. 2....and yes the changes are alarming if you play the games back to back but the story of two still propels the series but the game play does take a beating.....Some of the character models are good while others will eventually grow on you.
Thanks for the excellent content guys!
After listening to your analysis of the Takahashi games, and playing the Xenoblade series myself:
Do you think that the creators of the excellent Netflix show "Dark" are inspired by Takahashi and Saga's storytelling and concepts? certainly Nietzsche's philosophy is paramount in both cases, but also everything else- it's so similar, and I think it would make perfect sense that the creators themselves have played Xenogears and Perhaps also Xenosaga and were heavily influenced. Particularly, the Series finale- the endless cycle concept in which nothing actually happens- that is precisely the idea behind X3, and the conclusion is similar: both universes phase out of reality as if nothing ever happened . No other media had ever reminded me so closely of the concepts of the Xeno series.
The biggest victim of Xenosaga censorship was Albedo who had to rip off his own head because they removed the knife.
Remember to like and suscribe folks.
Hi everyone, is the intention of resonant arc to continue through all 3 xenosaga games? Or will they move on to something else after 1?
FF9 Story Analysis when?
Did they do the momo boss? Curious on theor take on the random of it all
Mintia? There was no mention to it, it wouldn't surprise me if they missed it. I think by this point in the game the Great Joe optional boss can also be fought.
Is there a correlation between Great Joe and Big Joe from Xenogears?
The whole cherry talk was amazing...because you guys were completely wrong, but fascinating nonetheless.
I am... currently playing Xenosaga Episode III. Hope you guys can forgive me, I couldn't cointain myself!
Saga x hashi...
Well, I hope you guys don't write off Episode 2. Case keeps making jabs at it. But then again, I didn't really like the first game. But that largely stemmed from, lack of music, pacing, uninteresting cutscene direction, and slog of a battle system. I really thought Episode 2 was a step up in those areas. Definitely curious to hear gameplay critiques. I know you guys are story first, but I just find it hard to believe you can overlook such glaring flaws like the lack of music.
I said this before pêche is peach in French that means MOMO in Japanese and again it is stated in wikis about Albedo he is a linguaphile he loves making puns with them and using language as a personal whimsy thing that he just enjoys the pêchê and pêche thing is the first clue to that and proof about that him quoting Nietzche and Shakespeare is how he kinda just is I am sorry I got jumbled because I didn't pause the video and kept listening while writing this
Listening to you guys talk about what you think the kirschwasser was saying is aggrivating as someone who played the 3rd game and about Albedo and Rubedo's connections
Do they ever realize the Kirchwassers are 99 series?
Virgil's Cloak is Blue not Black that is another guy
This is a bit of schpiel, but it's because I think the Momo/Albedo scene is a bit of a blight on an otherwise incredible game.
Obviously, it is a really gross scene. Super effective, but probably not in the way that was intended imo.
I never got the impression, from the direction of the scene, that I was supposed to see this from MOMO's perspective, I felt like the director popped me in Albedo's shoes. The game, from front to back, objectifies MOMO, so it's hard to accept Albedo's abuse as any more shocking than the frequent upskirt shots we get. The voice direction was weird too, with the actress being directed to make sexy sounds, rather than screaming, or crying, from sheer terror. This moment is never mentioned again, or at least never dwelt on, and feels more like an excuse to have shock value. "We want our characters to experience anguish, but they also need to look hot while doing so."
That's pure projection on your part buddy.
I know zero cases of anyone viewing Momo in such a way.
Might want to hide those skeletons a lot deeper in your closet.
@@1SpicyMeataball Two logical fallacies, and a slight at my character. Anecdotes don't prove your point, and they especially don't invalidate my perspective. You're a very rude person.