The leitmotif of the main theme "Edge of Dawn" is in almost every song in the game, with one notable exception being God Shattering Star, which lacks it entirely. The main title screen also has a beautiful church organ rendition of the Fire Emblem series theme which flows into an instrumental of Edge of Dawn.
It does make sense. God Shattering Star s Nemesis singing his own praises. All the other tracks are more in the now instead of a hymn to a necromantic has-been.
The Thunder version of this song is just a piano solo the whole way through. In gameplay it feels like when a battle happens, the chaos happening around you just vanishes and it's just you... and her... and you just want to help, but the only way you can is to end her suffering... it's honestly heartbreaking.
The trick this time around is that the Thunder version of this track (the in-combat music) is the very solemn and somber piano solo version of the song. A Funeral of Flowers is the final battle song used on the Silver Snow route, the route that happens if during a Crimson Flower/Edelgard run you decide to defend the Church instead of staying with Edelgard. At the very end, you must face the head of the Church anyway, who has succumbed into despair/madness, despite all your best efforts to save her, The "Song of the Nabateans" (I recommend taking a quick listen to it) is the main leitmotiff heard at the big drop 2:10, and it hits specially hard since it's basically a lullaby used by Rhea, and she sings it to you at one point in the game. To me it's the painful reminder that despite facing something/someone who looks nothing like the Arcbishop, it is still her all the way through. I feel this track is a bit underrated when it comes to the final map/battle themes of the game, since it's so easy to connect with the "other" big two (Apex of the World and God-Shattering Star). Plus, statistically I think Silver Snow is the route that people have played the less, since the % of people who defect Edelgard during "her" route is not a big one.
ironically enough, edelgard's route is supposed to be the "secret" route, i guess intsys assumed more people would naturally choose to side with the church. so even though silver snow is the easier route to get, it's still played significantly less
@@drlybel0ved It's more that Crimson Flower was not part of their intended routes during the beginning development of 3H, and that Edelgard's route was added onto it during development since a lot of devs wanted to play with Edelgard.
A rushed funeral is a beautiful way to describe the moment it happens due to it seemingly happening out of left field when the situation happens where this music plays.
I love this song, God Shattering Star and Apex of the World (Apex of the World is my favorite of the 3), but this is definitely underrated especially the thunder version, it’s just pure piano and arguably more emotional. With God Shattering Star, it’s epic and you want to win the battle. With Apex of the World, it’s mostly tragic, but at least the war will be over after the battle, with Funeral of Flowers, you just don’t want to fight at all, and is the most tragic boss to fight especially with the dialogue of the students
I always talk about how Funeral of Flowers is probably Fire Emblem's most well-composed tracks (And probably one of the best videogame tracks I've heard ever), having the right amount of sadness, grief, emotion, power and epicness that describes the games depiction of the tragedy that war is for everyone. I love God-Shattering Star, Twilight of the Gods, Id (Purpose) and all of that but I feel like none of them plays with your heart as much as Funeral of Flowers does, it combines so many themes that you hear throughout the game (Song of the Nabateans, Gazing at Sirius, Garreg Mach Monastery, Scales of the Goddess, Edge of Dawn, etc etc.) to put it into this tragic and deep down desperate song that is truly fit to put in an Oscar-winning movie's climax. And like it's not just the symbolism, but the instruments here are amazing, the violins and pianos are on point as always and give this track the heavy feeling (especially the violins and other string instruments that might be there), the slight choir that can be heard from time to time gives the song the feeling that this is something that's affecting *everyone*, the xylophones make this song feel wistful, and the trumpets (I think?) makes this feel magical. It's just a masterful track, and its thunder version is just as impactful, by being just a piano solo yet it's one of the best piano performances I've heard. I didn't even play Silver Snow nor particularly care about Rhea that much (though I do like hearing Song of the Nabateans and Gazing at Sirius), but even then when I hear this song my heart feels heavy, it feels that impactful, and I've only gotten to love this track more and more as time passes on.
Church route is mandatory to me now that I finished it, the truth about Rhea, Byleth, Seteth everyone is important and Rhea's motivations are justified to me
Man… Spoiler for the ending of Silver Snow: I felt like you yes but after this fight the scene with Rhea as she becomes herself again just a view moments to look at the player with a blood stained face and but warm and happy eyes and says: ,Mother your here…’ as she then drops in your arms and dies… that moment really got me hard and I really felt bad for Rhea. Meanwhile in Crimson Flower you ram your Sword as hard as you can into her head killing her… the difference… that’s why I don’t like that Route. Killing her myself feel just wrong having seen the other scene first. Which was my case, first Route was Black Eagles but I didn’t support Edelgard.
@@blackglurakx2409 she doesn't die in SS even if u don't marry her, because if she would have die then you'll get CF outcome too: Byleth gets his normal hair back, crests disappear, etc. Watch her S support because it's my fav scene of SS :)
@@blackglurakx2409 well, there's no confirmation that she lives if u don't marry, but knowing that crests are still there + the hair thing is a clear sign to me
Your analysis is really good ! The end of silver snow is actually quite surprising so yea, it's quite well said. I would recommend "At what cost", from the DLC, a gorgeous song
while i appreciate the hybrid versions, with this song specifically i feel like the dual mix misses out on the impact of the song (spoilers for people who havent played the silver snow route of FE three houses). normally in fire emblem, there is a map theme ("rain") and a battle theme ("thunder"), where the battle theme is a more intense version of the map theme, which amplifies the feeling of being in combat. However, with Funeral of Flowers, the map theme is already pretty full, so the battle theme is the piano solo by itself, and the completely shocking transformation of the song is genuinely tear-jerking
@@MarcoMeatball lol dw, I think it was. But underneath you can (just barely) hear the thunder version at points, and I think i got it confused with some of the versions that mix both songs. thats my bad lol
2:27 When i heard that part in game, i was immediatly shocked out of the gameplay mood and was just sitting there listening with my jaw at the floor. Such a beautiful track. If i could reccomend another track to you i would really like to hear your thoughts on "Queen of the vilebloods" from bloodborne. It is in my opinion probably one of if not the most terrifying track that fromsoftware has ever made, its absolutly increadible.
Ah the most underrated track in the game. I like this one better than God Shattering star to be honest. Especially with the “Song of the Nabateans” woven into it it’s damn beautiful. Also the reason you don’t recognise this track is because it’s exclusive to the Silver Snow route so you wouldn’t have heard it in Azure Moon.
Okay every 3H boss theme has now been covered… except At What Cost from the Ashen Wolves DLC You must complete the collection * Palpatine voice * DEW IT …plz
Your analysis of the context of the song of it being a bit rushed and having a sense of urgency despite the feeling of loss is pretty spot on with what actually happens in the game (this is the final map theme of Silver Snow, the route you get if you choose black eagles and do not side with Edelgard) By the way, you should totally checkout the music from the Xenoblade Chroncles series, some pretty great tracks in there, I would reccomend the main theme from Xenoblade Chroncles 1
My favorite Xenoblade track would have to be Engage the Enemy. The first few descending notes let you know that there's some HEAVY stuff that's about to go down.
A Funeral of Flowers is definitely one of the first ever final boss songs I’ve listened to that made me so emotional to tearing up, it’s such a good song, so many emotions packed into a song.
When I think of this track, I think of someone important in one's life, saying, "All good things must come to an end. Do not mourn me, nor what I used to be: fight, live on, seize your future even as we both know I will not be a part of it, as much as it will undoubtedly hurt. But just as there was great beauty in the good times past, there is also great beauty to be found in moving on." ...goddammit, I've got a stone in my throat now.
If you want more tragic fire emblem music to listen to, i cannot recommend "Don't You Dare Speak Her Name" enough. It's one of the best tracks from Awakening, and is my personal favorite from that game. I'm suprised I haven't seen anyone react to it on RUclips yet!
There's something about this song that just makes me want to cry every single time I listen to it. Silver Snow was the last route i played so the pent-up emotions of all the other routes and all the suffering I'd seen in the previous routes just came crashing down on me when i reached the final map of my last route. Listening to A Funeral of Flowers, knowing this was going to be the final battle after over three hundred hours of playing this game just felt so surreal to me. Three Houses holds a major soft spot in my heart, especially the incredible soundtrack of this game, I'm honestly really excited to listen to all the remixes of the tracks that we'll get with the upcoming musou spinoff of three houses.
The final map themes of the modern fire emblems are just incredible, though i gotta say that there also are a bunch of incredible pieces that aren't from any of the final maps. Some of my favourite non-final-map fire emblem soundtracks have got to be (in no particular order) Fódlan Winds (i don't think i need to explain this one xD) Goodbye King of Delusions/Indomitable Will (this one is the one from this list that felt the most like a final boss theme to me. It reminds me a lot of Lord of a Dead Empire and the Scions' Dance in Purgatory, two of the most devastating pieces from fe3h's predecessor Echoes) Sea Winds and Travellers (my mom always says it reminds her of the time she spent in Ireland in her youth. I've never been to Ireland but i love this one nonetheless, it was my favourite track to listen to during the small exploration sections of echoes where you wouldn't be fighting any enemies. It just sounds so calming and nostalgic) The Scions' Dance in Purgatory (this one is absolutely devastating with context and definitely the reason why i like to say that berkut walked so Dimitri could run. Berkut is an incredible character and I'm so thankful that IS decided to give us the masterpiece that is azure moon after testing the waters with berkut, who's sometimes nicknamed prototype Dimitri by fire emblem fans) In a Silver Garden with You (there's something about this song that's just tear-jerking when you listen to it with context. It's such a bittersweet but beautiful piece) Echoes (i guess it's the nostalgia for this one. When i finished my first playthrough of echoes and returned to the title screen, with this track playing, not going to lie i cried a little) What Lies at the End (this one is like the Fódlan Winds of Echoes, it features the Heritors of Acardia Leitmotif which i honestly love) Heritors of Acardia (this one is the Leitmotif for a lot of the songs from echoes. It's from the perspective of the goddess mila and i absolutely love listening to it with that knowledge. It's just incredible when fire emblem gives you a song with lyrics that is from the perspective of one character from the game) Gazing at Sirius (this one has the song of the Nabateans as its leitmotif which i think is the Heritors of Acardia of fe3h. One may say that the Heritors of Acardia of fe3h is Seasons of warfare but lore wise it's definitely the Song of the Nabateans since seasons of warfare is about a character who opposes the gods meanwhile the song of the Nabateans is about the children of the goddess, just like how heritors of Acardia is from the perspective of a goddess) and, unironically, Shambhala (Area 17 Redux) That last one just feels so out of place in a game set in a medieval fantasy world but i actually loved that on my first playthrough of fe3h. Perfectly captures the vibes of the Agarthans, absolutely love it. 100% looking forward to the musou remix of this one, i have a feeling that this dark horse of a soundtrack is going to be bomb in its musou remix (that is if they do give us a musou remix of this song but given that few3h has a lot of Agarthan symbolism already I'd be surprised not to get a remix of their theme song) As for the Final map themes, it's definitely 1. Twilight of the Gods & God-shattering Star 2. Apex of the World 3. A Funeral of Flowers 4. Id purpose 5. At what Cost? 6. End of all For me.
Of all of the "Final Boss" songs from Three Houses, this is definitely the saddest, most tragic one. In a way, the other where epic, or had some sense of showing a light at the end of a terrible tunnel. This one though? Makes you feel like things really don´t get much better at the end.
Yeah, the events that precede this song are unbelievably tragic. It’s the ultimate loss, and you can hear even in the song a reluctance to proceed, but the music also driving forward, rushing the momentum of the song along. You have no time to mourn, and although the situation seems hopeless, there’s the faintest tinge of hope, a light that can be seen at the end…..if you can make it there.
Spoilers for Silver Snow ahead. The part that plays at 2:11 is the same motif as the Song of the Nabateans, which Rhea sings earlier in the game as a reflection of the loss of her people. Now at the end of Silver Snow, you're forced to face her after she loses control and assumes her dragon form. The song of her people that has been used in the past to symbolise Rhea's pain is now being used for her, as one of the last Nabateans facing death at the hands of her reluctant friends. And the fact that it could be at the hands of the reincarnation of her mother, holding a sword made out of her bones, is quite tragic. I think it's a good example of how the same song/motif can be used in a way where it flips on the "owner," in the same way that The Edge of Dawn is Edelgard's song but in Apex of the World (at least in Azure Moon, because it remains as Edelgard's in Crimson Flower) the motif is used for Dimitri taking his own path (which you could argue Edelgard wants in that ending) and the tables have turned. Each time the person is the result of their own demise, and their friends are the ones to take up their song and mourn for them. It makes you wonder if the characters are stuck in this cycle of self-demise and forced conflict. In terms of other Fire Emblem: Three Houses music, At What Cost? is a great track that's the final theme of the DLC, so I'm not sure how many people have been exposed to that.
I love this track from Three Houses because similar to what you say, it wroughts an extreme level of tragedy to what is happening, ESPECIALLY at 2:20, when Rhea's main theme blasts in. Truly a magnificent track.
that ending is just...so... good! I was a God-Shattering Star stan for a while, and then when i found out about Silver Snow i checked out this final map theme and it just completely blew me away. I now wholeheartedly believe this is the best of the 3 final map themes, and my personal favourite theme from the game. Anyone else?
For someone who hadn't played Silver Snow, your interpretation of the theme is quite accurate. It is a theme for an absolute tragedy in the story, one that occurs after so much prior suffering just when things seemed to be getting better. It is a sad but necessary moment, something that must be done for the good of all no matter how much it hurts, no matter how unfair it is. A moment in which you must perform an act that she would ask you not to mourn.
YESSSS I love A Funeral of Flowers, I know people would hate me for this but I think it's better than God Shattering Star, and to me it's because it invokes a feeling of sadness. This isn't a big bad, this isn't a hopeful battle... You're fighting who is essentially your grandmother, a kindly woman who guided all of Fodlan while her heart ached for her mother, now in a state of madness. This is Rhea's song. And it helps to push that emotional context behind the fight. "Rest in peace, by Sothis's side!" Also don't know if you've ever gotten suggestions for it, but has anyone suggested Solaris Phase 1/2, or Kingdom Valley from Sonic 2006? People like to meme on the game, but the music is really good, especially Kingdom Valley.
~disclaimer: this comment could be looong~ This is my favorite piece of music inside the game. You're not really far off with what you said that happens during that song. A great tragedy happened, you have to get over one last fight and thsi very fight emotionally drags you down...it gets even heavier when the piano sets in while you fight other units. I love that this track combines so many different emotions, so many things like great loss, tragedy, epicness and still the urge to move forward bc if you don't set an end to this now the world will be in great danger - makes me wanna replay the game some more times (thanks to you haha:D) Since you reacted to the three normal final tracks, why not react to "At what cost" next? It's the final track of the dlc and sounds...more like you're fighting something scary, like you have to win one last battle, the result of something terrible (which basically happens, so yeah they transferred that really well in that song). The most "disturbing" part is when you listen carefully to the background noises during the track but I don't wanna take that away if you have that on your list anyway:D Great video again, I'm kinda into watching others react to game music and when they go into detail like you it's even better^~^
I just found your channel and man I really love your reactions and how you analyze the songs! If I had to make a suggestion it would be "The One They Call the Witch" or "Daughter of the Dark God" from Octopath Traveler. They are both very similar, but the second one defiantly feels more intense. But in a good way!
What I loved about Three Houses is how each route you can take in the game felt real. They all felt like valid paths the story could take, endings that stirred emotions and felt like proper conclusions. It was a lot of fun experiencing each path. It would be difficult to choose my favorite of the endings now, because they all have a serious touch of tragedy.
Always gets me how the thunder version is the softer of the two for this track. Hearing this on the map then stripping layers until it’s just a lonely piano to back some of the most emotional combat in the game is just incredible. “Don’t Speak Her Name” from Fire Emblem Awakening does something similar: it’s the same version in and out of combat which makes every encounter feel incredibly emotional. Definitely recommend giving that one a listen too!
LEITMOTIF!!! THATS THE FRIGGIN WORD I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR FOR YEARS!! YOU SIR HAVE SINGLE HANDEDLY ANSWERED THE QUESTION OF "Is there a word for something when music sounds like the lyrics or vice versa?"IM FLABBERGASTED
It's so nice to see you react to more Fire Emblem Three Houses Soundtracks 👌🏻❤ I saw someone in the comments recommended you to listen to "At what cost" and yeah you should if you have time ! There is also "Between heaven and earth" from Fire Emblem Three Houses 🤩
This is one of my favourite songs from three houses. Both the rain and thunder versions are amazing. I personally would recommend shackled wolves(from three houses, but not a final boss theme) and music from Astral Chain. I love almost every track in that game. Love your videos!
Loved the vid. There is actually a piano version, but the previous trend of (solo piano: rain vs full orchestra: thunder) has reversed. I can’t say why the composer did so, but my guess would be to utilize solo piano to signify the sheer age and loneliness of this route’s opponent. Doesn’t have to be on video since you just reacted to it lol but I highly recommend you check this piece out in its thunder variant. Purpleschala also does a solo piano cover (though she writes an ending so it’s not technically fully accurate). There's also sheets for piano (three might be full ensemble but I haven't looked) but there's some chord voicings that are a bit off, and there's this tempo change that is legitimately impossible. Rachmaninoff himself likely couldn't have played it lmao. That tempo change at 2:05 on piano is a pain in the ass to play by the way, but the way 1:20 is written is the impossible bit. Immediately after the 1:20 bit is a really fun bit with countermelodies that you miss out by not hearing the piano variant here. A Second, as per digesting a piece of music written for a series without consuming the actual media, you miss out on key thematic elements, like leitmotifs and the like. This isn’t a dig at you as FE:3H is a gargantuan game but that’s how it is lmao. Other people compliment your deduction of the mood the piece sets - and I agree - but the main mentor-turned-antagonist this piece is set to utilizes her theme except reformats it to be tragic and desperate, as opposed to the light and airy theme it was before. Look up “Song of the Nabateans” if you have the time, then listen to the variants of this piece if you’ve got the time- her theme is at 2:20 in this reaction. Good stuff. You note that the piece seems urgent at the end, and rushed. You're right, but I would like to note that the ending of this route is not fully confined in this piece. This is only the battle. The aftermath, and the reflection, are instead in this piece that immediately follows. ruclips.net/video/m-D8fsqrO3Q/видео.html So you were right in expecting a slower and more somber end. Additionally, you can hear the Nabatean leitmotif rearranged - again in solo piano, I assume again to demonstrate the loneliness. Love this series and your reactions to it, so I’ve got a few more Fire Emblem Songs/Pieces for you to listen to (though with your insane upload speed I believe you’ve already done a few of these haha): Fire Emblem Awakening: Conquest + Conquest (Ablaze) ID: Purpose vs ID: Sorrow ID: Hope Don’t Speak her Name + What if I can’t? What if I’m not Worthy? Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia: (This entry is a remaster, so take care to listen to the updated versions lmao): Lord of a Dead Empire The Scions’ Dance in Purgatory Twilight of the Gods In a Silver Garden with You Heritors of Arcadia Fire Emblem: Fates: God, this game is narratively rubbish but the music is incredible. As per Three Houses and some of Awakening, there are pieces with two forms. In this game, however, some pieces are connected to another version, one for each country in Fates. I would argue it critical to listen to BOTH versions lol: The protagonist and main heroine’s theme is Lost in Thoughts All Alone. You will hear elements from this song throughout the full OST but I’m too lazy to put all of them lmao. Dusk Falls, Dusk Falls (Fire) Alight, Alight (Storm) Justice RIP, Justice RIP (Storm) vs No Justice, No Justice (Fire) Thorn in you, thorn in you (Roar) Now for the fun part: End of All (Land, Sky, Above) I apologize for the huge comment, but I love this series. Thanks for reading, and don't worry, I'll attach my recs in a seperate comment so you don't have to read this essay every time lol.
I have been trying to play this song for ages. 2:05 is difficult but not impossible, I've done it a couple of times, 1:20 is nuts, I haven't gotten the tempo yet but again it's not impossible, something like Rachmanioff's moments musicaux or Chopins winter wind is much worse. I even think chopins Oceans Etude is worse (all three of those I can't even scratch).
Finally someone reacts to this hidden gem ! I like that you were surprised about the strength of the song, despise the Funeral thing in the title. It is because this is in fact a battle song but against an opponent that you don't want to kill (sums up the game i guess ?) but you haven't heard it if you only played the blue lions route ! If you are curious, check out the thunder version, it is VERY different from any other thunder version and you will immediatly understand why
Your assumption about what happens in this song is pretty spot-on, and I, for one, didn't feel like I wanted to mourn. The music was still quite impactful for me, and I love this song. I wasn't a big fan of the Silver Snow route overall, though.
Yo, I love your channel and I've binged and subscribed over the last few days! You've been spot on with your analysis of plot points and the motifs (and in the Apex of the World video who they belong to, I was literally jumping at the sheer moment you spoke about it) and it's such a thrill to see someone enjoy music! (Made only better by the fact I love the series and the presentation you bring to it!) In case it's not been mentioned elsewhere, recently we've had the 10th anniversary of the game Fire Emblem Awakening, which was made to be the final game in the series before it revitalised the fanbase. Just wanted to recommend the piece "Don't Speak Her Name" from that game. It, to me, is the spiritual successor of this piece and my absolute favourite in the series even still and at the risk of being lost in the comments would just love for you to hear it! There is a host of "Spiritual successors" in my opinion like Lord of a Dead Empire for God Shattering Star for example and the DS games have some really nice general pieces. (Id, Purpose, Judgement etc) Subbed and I can't wait for more vids! (Also I do watch the other vids, just a big FE fan)
Hi Marco! RUclips led me here and I’d love to stay forever. Love your analysis. Usually I don’t really comment but you need to know how much I appreciate your contents. Keep up the good work 🙏💖✨
Yes! Amazing music, and pretty spot on analysis. A bit of trivia. Normally, the orquestation remains the same between Rain and Thunder, but the Thunder version is much more rhythmically focused (either more percussion, more staccatto, or more instruments). However, Funeral of Flowers is unique in that it changes its orquestation from orquestra (Rain) to solo piano (Thunder). This results in the Rain version feeling epically sorrowful (that's how I describe it), while Thunder feels much more mournful.
2:10 - this leitmotif in the song has lyrics to go with it, until the rest of the song continues. it goes like this, in time’s flow, see the glow, of flames ever burning bright. on the swift river’s drift, broken memories alight.
idk if it’s just me, but the b-melody of edge of dawn (yet still i hide/behind this mask that i have become) sounds a lot like the song of nabateans. like almost note for note. there’s no way that wasn’t intentional
I think a rushed funeral is a great way to describe this song, when I first heard it in-game I was overcome with intense sorrow and grief but I felt like I did not have time to cry I had to act and try to think clearly(mostly because I did this final battle blind and on Maddening Mode) I had to fight and I had to it without too many mistakes. While I wanted to cry on the inside instead I was screaming no...I was roaring like the boss that stood before me and her being another one I never wanted to fight in the first place
You should check out some of the tracks from Fire emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. My favourites are Pride and arrogance, Praise this Despair, and The Scions’ Dance in Purgatory. Also you’d probably enjoy Lord of a dead empire.
I'm wondering, do you enjoy to analyze lyrics in songs, too? I love it when the singer really sells the emotional impact of lines really well, especially when the instrumental paints the story in the background. I also love when the lyrics are more cryptic at first glance. There are more layers to peel through to get the message of the song. :) Are there any musical genres you dislike? Can't wait for the next video!
Funny enough I have a few videos coming where I talk more about lyrics. That’s a great video idea, sometimes in blind reacts I’m a little less creative because things just come to me as they do so thank you. Yes, I dislike country music 🤣🤣🤣
The fact that this song is indeed the last song from the saddest route of all, just clips perfectly with the emotions on this part of the game.... there are so many HUGE losses, so many scars, so many tragedies, but even with this we are starting the path to a new tomorrow on Fodland it is sad yeah, but there is still some hope. Best song in the game imo.
Oh my god this is my FAVORITE battle theme from the entire game!! It probably doesn't help that it took me approximately 10 hours of failure before I finally beat the map, so I've bonded to it like a duck or something. (In my defense, it was maddening mode, ok)
It’s the theme attributed to when you face Rhea as she’s sustained massive wounds and can’t control her power and she has succumbed to madness. The piece combines the tragedy of killing Rhea when the war has just ended, the evil is defeated and there is hope for a new tomorrow with the urgency that comes with the fact Rhea can never see that future because her rampage will destroy the world. There’s a common theory that Byleth is the sun based on the routes: Dimitri reflects their light in Azure Moon, becoming lost in the darkness in other routes Edelgard grows and flourishes, becoming the best version of herself in Crimson Flower under the professor’s influence Claude remains largely undeterred regardless of route because the wind pushes on regardless of the sun And in this route, Silver Snow - Byleth is able to help Rhea reconcile with what she’s done, get rid of the ice around her heart. But the melting snow under the sun also represents the removal of the old guard I.e. Rhea, killing her is the only way forward to bring in spring and all of the new possibilities that presents
Someone may have already mentioned this. But the main theme of the song is a dramatisized version of “The song of the Nabateans” which is the song Rhea sings after the Yule Ball. Much of the game features the Edge of Dawn motif so I find it impactful that Funeral of Flowers ,which is the boss song of the church route, instead uses the song more closely related to it.
Since you've already done the three final map themes for Three Houses, maybe consider also knocking out "At What Cost?" It's the final map theme for the game's DLC story.
There’s something interesting to note about this song specifically when compared to all the other battle tracks, the rain versions are usually the standard and more relaxed version of the track while the thunder version is much more Impactful, tense, and powerful to reflect how you’re in the midst of the chaos, but when it comes to this song, while the rain version isn’t anything out of the ordinary, the thunder version is a piano solo, reflecting the circumstances of the situation it plays in.
Love your content! If possible, I would suggest trying to find some songs from the Pokémon mystery dungeon series. I always thought the music was incredible and it’s definitely a lot more simple than fire emblem music, but some of the beats and tunes are so well put together imo. Not sure if that’s what you’re interested in as a former opera singer, but still great nonetheless!
Hi Marco! Always love to see your reactions! If I may, I’d like to suggest to you the Dark Souls 3 OST’s! Since you’ve covered a lot of Elden Ring ones and already did the main menu ost from the game ;) why not do the bosses aswel! They are amazing!
Do the end credits song for fire emblem shadows of valentia, Heritors of Arcadia! It is incredibly beautiful and I would love to hear what you think of it. Love your content
Honestly, I had mixed emotions about the character who’s “Funeral” it was, but I cried through the battle because this track was so beautiful and tragic. It is my favorite Fire Emblem final battle theme, second only to Twilight if the Gods. I love seeing your reactions!
I love your reactions so much! May I request something? It would be amazing if you could also react to the final battle theme from the FE3H dlc / Cindered Shadows "At what cost"
I know you played Fire Emblem Three Houses but I’m curious to know which route you played, because that analysis almost perfectly describes the context of this song so I’m left questioning whether you’ve actually played through the route it’s from or if you just have that level of connection with the music. Regardless, great video, almost felt like I was hearing it for the first time again which is interesting because I wouldn’t get that from simply listening to the song myself. I guess just seeing someone experience it does that to you? Man, I really have to play this game again also to experience the music like I first did.
@@MarcoMeatball just watched your Apex Of The World video so this makes sense now! Blue Lions was my first route too - this song only plays during one of the two Black Eagles routes. Wonder if we’ll get any more great tracks from the new Fire Emblem Three Hopes game? I have a feeling the ending of that game might be a more ideal one than the pretty bittersweet ones from Three Houses (i.e. all house leaders live and possibly fight a common enemy) so maybe something more triumphant than sorrowful? Looking forward to you potentially reacting to that in the future!
The thing about Funeral of Flowers is that is amplifies an already tragic situation to an extreme (spoilers below) At this point in the game, you had spent the entire second half of the game trying to save Rhea. Whether it was because you wanted answers, believed she was the best ruler for the land, or whether you thought she deserved to be saved, you did it. She went with you to the Agarthan's home and her first major action she took was to sacrifice herself to save you and your students from certain death. Rhea wanted to see Sothis again, but she was willing to die if it meant protecting you from what was almost certain death. Then, in her weakened state, she reveals everything. I think the reason she went berserk was because this was the only route where she fully accepted that Sothis was gone. In Golden Deer she seems to accept it but doesn't dive into the parts about Byleth's history that reveal why Byleth has Sothis' heart within, and I think that's the key difference. This was Rhea getting slapped in the face with the realization that Sothis actively refused to reincarnate because she would've been horrified by what Rhea did to try and revive her. I can kinda understand that pain. To survive your entire family being brutally massacred, to barely survive and defeat the butcher who did it, to have to lie to protect his 10 friends because not doing so would endanger the land and your surviving family, and to see a chance to bring back someone you loved so closely, only to realize they would be appalled at you for what you did to bring them back. It was Rhea realizing that all she's done was for naught. That she truly lost everything. It all slipped away, and it's never coming back. So when that happened, Rhea became uncontrollably distraught. Her power flew out of control and that's probably when Seteth realized that her pain was too much to save her from, that the only choice to save the land is to put Rhea out of her misery. But even when you beat Rhea, Seteth still begs her to come to her senses. He cries and begs for her to stop. The last child of the progenitor god, driven to insanity by her own sins. Most final boss fights are culminations of emotions and drive towards battling a much desired enemy. For AM it was Hegemon Edelgard. For CF it was Rhea (albeit in a much different situation), and for VW it was Nemesis. But SS' final boss was not an epic battle against a world ending dragon goddess. It was a somber requiem for a broken woman, who shouldered so much pain and trauma, and letting her rest in peace with her mother.
Hey Marco, don’t know if you are planning on reacting to any anime music but the song “libra me from hell” from the anime Gurren Lagan is one of my favorite songs that has opera music in it. It is a combination of rap music and opera singing and I think it would make a cool song to analyze.
Super cool but no anime. Much less control over copyright claims/strikes. I’d hate to lose the channel. Thank you for the personal recc though. Join the discord and we can talk about it!
If no one has pointed it out and just to help provide a small bit of context the piece is from the Silver Snow route and it's for the final battle of that route. Don't want to spoil anything but figured it might help with context.
If you loved this one. "Don't speak her name!" is an obligation.
The leitmotif of the main theme "Edge of Dawn" is in almost every song in the game, with one notable exception being God Shattering Star, which lacks it entirely. The main title screen also has a beautiful church organ rendition of the Fire Emblem series theme which flows into an instrumental of Edge of Dawn.
It does make sense. God Shattering Star s Nemesis singing his own praises. All the other tracks are more in the now instead of a hymn to a necromantic has-been.
@@IchHassePasswoerter as a german, hearing that Leitmotif is an english word makes me very happy indeed XDXDXD
The Thunder version of this song is just a piano solo the whole way through. In gameplay it feels like when a battle happens, the chaos happening around you just vanishes and it's just you... and her... and you just want to help, but the only way you can is to end her suffering... it's honestly heartbreaking.
"that must be the most tragic loss possible, the most profound loss that effects every single person in the game.... Do I remember it? nooo"
Based off the music Matthew. THE MUSIC. 🤣
The trick this time around is that the Thunder version of this track (the in-combat music) is the very solemn and somber piano solo version of the song. A Funeral of Flowers is the final battle song used on the Silver Snow route, the route that happens if during a Crimson Flower/Edelgard run you decide to defend the Church instead of staying with Edelgard. At the very end, you must face the head of the Church anyway, who has succumbed into despair/madness, despite all your best efforts to save her,
The "Song of the Nabateans" (I recommend taking a quick listen to it) is the main leitmotiff heard at the big drop 2:10, and it hits specially hard since it's basically a lullaby used by Rhea, and she sings it to you at one point in the game. To me it's the painful reminder that despite facing something/someone who looks nothing like the Arcbishop, it is still her all the way through.
I feel this track is a bit underrated when it comes to the final map/battle themes of the game, since it's so easy to connect with the "other" big two (Apex of the World and God-Shattering Star). Plus, statistically I think Silver Snow is the route that people have played the less, since the % of people who defect Edelgard during "her" route is not a big one.
ironically enough, edelgard's route is supposed to be the "secret" route, i guess intsys assumed more people would naturally choose to side with the church. so even though silver snow is the easier route to get, it's still played significantly less
This is the best comment I've read to this song
@@drlybel0ved It's more that Crimson Flower was not part of their intended routes during the beginning development of 3H, and that Edelgard's route was added onto it during development since a lot of devs wanted to play with Edelgard.
A rushed funeral is a beautiful way to describe the moment it happens due to it seemingly happening out of left field when the situation happens where this music plays.
I love this song, God Shattering Star and Apex of the World (Apex of the World is my favorite of the 3), but this is definitely underrated especially the thunder version, it’s just pure piano and arguably more emotional. With God Shattering Star, it’s epic and you want to win the battle. With Apex of the World, it’s mostly tragic, but at least the war will be over after the battle, with Funeral of Flowers, you just don’t want to fight at all, and is the most tragic boss to fight especially with the dialogue of the students
silver snow is the route where basically nobody wins.
Also apex of the world is my favorite out of 3 too!
I always talk about how Funeral of Flowers is probably Fire Emblem's most well-composed tracks (And probably one of the best videogame tracks I've heard ever), having the right amount of sadness, grief, emotion, power and epicness that describes the games depiction of the tragedy that war is for everyone. I love God-Shattering Star, Twilight of the Gods, Id (Purpose) and all of that but I feel like none of them plays with your heart as much as Funeral of Flowers does, it combines so many themes that you hear throughout the game (Song of the Nabateans, Gazing at Sirius, Garreg Mach Monastery, Scales of the Goddess, Edge of Dawn, etc etc.) to put it into this tragic and deep down desperate song that is truly fit to put in an Oscar-winning movie's climax.
And like it's not just the symbolism, but the instruments here are amazing, the violins and pianos are on point as always and give this track the heavy feeling (especially the violins and other string instruments that might be there), the slight choir that can be heard from time to time gives the song the feeling that this is something that's affecting *everyone*, the xylophones make this song feel wistful, and the trumpets (I think?) makes this feel magical.
It's just a masterful track, and its thunder version is just as impactful, by being just a piano solo yet it's one of the best piano performances I've heard.
I didn't even play Silver Snow nor particularly care about Rhea that much (though I do like hearing Song of the Nabateans and Gazing at Sirius), but even then when I hear this song my heart feels heavy, it feels that impactful, and I've only gotten to love this track more and more as time passes on.
Church route is mandatory to me now that I finished it, the truth about Rhea, Byleth, Seteth everyone is important and Rhea's motivations are justified to me
Man… Spoiler for the ending of Silver Snow:
I felt like you yes but after this fight the scene with Rhea as she becomes herself again just a view moments to look at the player with a blood stained face and but warm and happy eyes and says: ,Mother your here…’ as she then drops in your arms and dies…
that moment really got me hard and I really felt bad for Rhea.
Meanwhile in Crimson Flower you ram your Sword as hard as you can into her head killing her… the difference… that’s why I don’t like that Route. Killing her myself feel just wrong having seen the other scene first. Which was my case, first Route was Black Eagles but I didn’t support Edelgard.
@@blackglurakx2409 she doesn't die in SS even if u don't marry her, because if she would have die then you'll get CF outcome too: Byleth gets his normal hair back, crests disappear, etc. Watch her S support because it's my fav scene of SS :)
@@nicogalax I thought she only lifes in the S support… hm…
@@blackglurakx2409 well, there's no confirmation that she lives if u don't marry, but knowing that crests are still there + the hair thing is a clear sign to me
Your analysis is really good ! The end of silver snow is actually quite surprising so yea, it's quite well said.
I would recommend "At what cost", from the DLC, a gorgeous song
Great recommendation
YES I love that one
while i appreciate the hybrid versions, with this song specifically i feel like the dual mix misses out on the impact of the song (spoilers for people who havent played the silver snow route of FE three houses). normally in fire emblem, there is a map theme ("rain") and a battle theme ("thunder"), where the battle theme is a more intense version of the map theme, which amplifies the feeling of being in combat. However, with Funeral of Flowers, the map theme is already pretty full, so the battle theme is the piano solo by itself, and the completely shocking transformation of the song is genuinely tear-jerking
It said rain version!? I hope it was!!!!
@@MarcoMeatball no you listened to the right version dont worry.
@@MarcoMeatball lol dw, I think it was. But underneath you can (just barely) hear the thunder version at points, and I think i got it confused with some of the versions that mix both songs. thats my bad lol
@@oxymoron5651 my joke would have been wrong 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Interesting that it's called rain and thunder. I know the "in battle" ones as Fire.
2:27
When i heard that part in game, i was immediatly shocked out of the gameplay mood and was just sitting there listening with my jaw at the floor. Such a beautiful track.
If i could reccomend another track to you i would really like to hear your thoughts on "Queen of the vilebloods" from bloodborne. It is in my opinion probably one of if not the most terrifying track that fromsoftware has ever made, its absolutly increadible.
I know, Song of the Nabateans hits like a freaking truck at that part, it also caught me off guard the first time.
Ah the most underrated track in the game. I like this one better than God Shattering star to be honest. Especially with the “Song of the Nabateans” woven into it it’s damn beautiful.
Also the reason you don’t recognise this track is because it’s exclusive to the Silver Snow route so you wouldn’t have heard it in Azure Moon.
the faint heartbeat over the Song of the Nabateans part still gets me. Rhea Fire Emblem makes me so emotional, i love her.
Okay every 3H boss theme has now been covered… except At What Cost from the Ashen Wolves DLC
You must complete the collection
* Palpatine voice * DEW IT
…plz
I wholly recommend Heritors of Arcadia from Fire Emblem Echos. It is my favorite track from that game with some amazing vocals
Same, that song is a great end credits theme, and it fits Mila so well
Thirded!
Tears me up every time
Your analysis of the context of the song of it being a bit rushed and having a sense of urgency despite the feeling of loss is pretty spot on with what actually happens in the game (this is the final map theme of Silver Snow, the route you get if you choose black eagles and do not side with Edelgard)
By the way, you should totally checkout the music from the Xenoblade Chroncles series, some pretty great tracks in there, I would reccomend the main theme from Xenoblade Chroncles 1
oh man, I had no idea. i've got a few patreon requests for Xenoblade so it'll happen soon :)
@@MarcoMeatball I really wanna see some big production remasters of the fire emblem 6 and 7 music so bad man.
@@MarcoMeatball I would also recommend either counterattack from Xenoblade 2 or Battle! Torna
My favorite Xenoblade track would have to be Engage the Enemy. The first few descending notes let you know that there's some HEAVY stuff that's about to go down.
Pikachad makes his debut. Such a beautiful song.
Congrats I can't unsee it now
@@kilaquill2537 suff...er? hhahaa
I found you today, love your videos. This is the music I love most and I am really glad that other professionals consider it "actual" music.
It's the music I care about the most!
A Funeral of Flowers is definitely one of the first ever final boss songs I’ve listened to that made me so emotional to tearing up, it’s such a good song, so many emotions packed into a song.
When I think of this track, I think of someone important in one's life, saying, "All good things must come to an end. Do not mourn me, nor what I used to be: fight, live on, seize your future even as we both know I will not be a part of it, as much as it will undoubtedly hurt. But just as there was great beauty in the good times past, there is also great beauty to be found in moving on."
...goddammit, I've got a stone in my throat now.
If you want more tragic fire emblem music to listen to, i cannot recommend "Don't You Dare Speak Her Name" enough. It's one of the best tracks from Awakening, and is my personal favorite from that game. I'm suprised I haven't seen anyone react to it on RUclips yet!
There's something about this song that just makes me want to cry every single time I listen to it. Silver Snow was the last route i played so the pent-up emotions of all the other routes and all the suffering I'd seen in the previous routes just came crashing down on me when i reached the final map of my last route. Listening to A Funeral of Flowers, knowing this was going to be the final battle after over three hundred hours of playing this game just felt so surreal to me. Three Houses holds a major soft spot in my heart, especially the incredible soundtrack of this game, I'm honestly really excited to listen to all the remixes of the tracks that we'll get with the upcoming musou spinoff of three houses.
The final map themes of the modern fire emblems are just incredible, though i gotta say that there also are a bunch of incredible pieces that aren't from any of the final maps. Some of my favourite non-final-map fire emblem soundtracks have got to be (in no particular order)
Fódlan Winds (i don't think i need to explain this one xD)
Goodbye King of Delusions/Indomitable Will (this one is the one from this list that felt the most like a final boss theme to me. It reminds me a lot of Lord of a Dead Empire and the Scions' Dance in Purgatory, two of the most devastating pieces from fe3h's predecessor Echoes)
Sea Winds and Travellers (my mom always says it reminds her of the time she spent in Ireland in her youth. I've never been to Ireland but i love this one nonetheless, it was my favourite track to listen to during the small exploration sections of echoes where you wouldn't be fighting any enemies. It just sounds so calming and nostalgic)
The Scions' Dance in Purgatory (this one is absolutely devastating with context and definitely the reason why i like to say that berkut walked so Dimitri could run. Berkut is an incredible character and I'm so thankful that IS decided to give us the masterpiece that is azure moon after testing the waters with berkut, who's sometimes nicknamed prototype Dimitri by fire emblem fans)
In a Silver Garden with You (there's something about this song that's just tear-jerking when you listen to it with context. It's such a bittersweet but beautiful piece)
Echoes (i guess it's the nostalgia for this one. When i finished my first playthrough of echoes and returned to the title screen, with this track playing, not going to lie i cried a little)
What Lies at the End (this one is like the Fódlan Winds of Echoes, it features the Heritors of Acardia Leitmotif which i honestly love)
Heritors of Acardia (this one is the Leitmotif for a lot of the songs from echoes. It's from the perspective of the goddess mila and i absolutely love listening to it with that knowledge. It's just incredible when fire emblem gives you a song with lyrics that is from the perspective of one character from the game)
Gazing at Sirius (this one has the song of the Nabateans as its leitmotif which i think is the Heritors of Acardia of fe3h. One may say that the Heritors of Acardia of fe3h is Seasons of warfare but lore wise it's definitely the Song of the Nabateans since seasons of warfare is about a character who opposes the gods meanwhile the song of the Nabateans is about the children of the goddess, just like how heritors of Acardia is from the perspective of a goddess)
and, unironically, Shambhala (Area 17 Redux)
That last one just feels so out of place in a game set in a medieval fantasy world but i actually loved that on my first playthrough of fe3h. Perfectly captures the vibes of the Agarthans, absolutely love it. 100% looking forward to the musou remix of this one, i have a feeling that this dark horse of a soundtrack is going to be bomb in its musou remix (that is if they do give us a musou remix of this song but given that few3h has a lot of Agarthan symbolism already I'd be surprised not to get a remix of their theme song)
As for the Final map themes, it's definitely
1. Twilight of the Gods & God-shattering Star
2. Apex of the World
3. A Funeral of Flowers
4. Id purpose
5. At what Cost?
6. End of all
For me.
Of all of the "Final Boss" songs from Three Houses, this is definitely the saddest, most tragic one. In a way, the other where epic, or had some sense of showing a light at the end of a terrible tunnel.
This one though? Makes you feel like things really don´t get much better at the end.
Yeah, the events that precede this song are unbelievably tragic. It’s the ultimate loss, and you can hear even in the song a reluctance to proceed, but the music also driving forward, rushing the momentum of the song along. You have no time to mourn, and although the situation seems hopeless, there’s the faintest tinge of hope, a light that can be seen at the end…..if you can make it there.
Watching your videos on the 3 Houses soundtrack has me thinking about it again and wanting to play it once more. Hmm, maybe that's tomorrow's gaming.
I’m finishing through the Golden Deer and need to do the Black Eagles against Edelgard route still. Good luck with your battles.
For some reason I read that last sentence in Seteth' voice.
Dude you should still be playing it anyway smh
Spoilers for Silver Snow ahead.
The part that plays at 2:11 is the same motif as the Song of the Nabateans, which Rhea sings earlier in the game as a reflection of the loss of her people. Now at the end of Silver Snow, you're forced to face her after she loses control and assumes her dragon form. The song of her people that has been used in the past to symbolise Rhea's pain is now being used for her, as one of the last Nabateans facing death at the hands of her reluctant friends. And the fact that it could be at the hands of the reincarnation of her mother, holding a sword made out of her bones, is quite tragic. I think it's a good example of how the same song/motif can be used in a way where it flips on the "owner," in the same way that The Edge of Dawn is Edelgard's song but in Apex of the World (at least in Azure Moon, because it remains as Edelgard's in Crimson Flower) the motif is used for Dimitri taking his own path (which you could argue Edelgard wants in that ending) and the tables have turned. Each time the person is the result of their own demise, and their friends are the ones to take up their song and mourn for them. It makes you wonder if the characters are stuck in this cycle of self-demise and forced conflict.
In terms of other Fire Emblem: Three Houses music, At What Cost? is a great track that's the final theme of the DLC, so I'm not sure how many people have been exposed to that.
I love this track from Three Houses because similar to what you say, it wroughts an extreme level of tragedy to what is happening, ESPECIALLY at 2:20, when Rhea's main theme blasts in. Truly a magnificent track.
that ending is just...so... good! I was a God-Shattering Star stan for a while, and then when i found out about Silver Snow i checked out this final map theme and it just completely blew me away. I now wholeheartedly believe this is the best of the 3 final map themes, and my personal favourite theme from the game. Anyone else?
For someone who hadn't played Silver Snow, your interpretation of the theme is quite accurate.
It is a theme for an absolute tragedy in the story, one that occurs after so much prior suffering just when things seemed to be getting better.
It is a sad but necessary moment, something that must be done for the good of all no matter how much it hurts, no matter how unfair it is. A moment in which you must perform an act that she would ask you not to mourn.
Legitimately, if you haven’t yet, you absolutely need to listen to this again and then follow it up with the Thunder version.
YESSSS I love A Funeral of Flowers, I know people would hate me for this but I think it's better than God Shattering Star, and to me it's because it invokes a feeling of sadness. This isn't a big bad, this isn't a hopeful battle... You're fighting who is essentially your grandmother, a kindly woman who guided all of Fodlan while her heart ached for her mother, now in a state of madness. This is Rhea's song. And it helps to push that emotional context behind the fight.
"Rest in peace, by Sothis's side!"
Also don't know if you've ever gotten suggestions for it, but has anyone suggested Solaris Phase 1/2, or Kingdom Valley from Sonic 2006? People like to meme on the game, but the music is really good, especially Kingdom Valley.
"This makes me wanna replay Fire Emblem Three Houses" Yeah same here I only finished Crimson Flower route
Fire emblem is one of my favourite games with really nice sound tracks, what your doing on this channel is great man, keep up with the cool work
Thank you!
One of my favorites reactions by far, keep it up 👍
~disclaimer: this comment could be looong~
This is my favorite piece of music inside the game. You're not really far off with what you said that happens during that song. A great tragedy happened, you have to get over one last fight and thsi very fight emotionally drags you down...it gets even heavier when the piano sets in while you fight other units.
I love that this track combines so many different emotions, so many things like great loss, tragedy, epicness and still the urge to move forward bc if you don't set an end to this now the world will be in great danger - makes me wanna replay the game some more times (thanks to you haha:D)
Since you reacted to the three normal final tracks, why not react to "At what cost" next? It's the final track of the dlc and sounds...more like you're fighting something scary, like you have to win one last battle, the result of something terrible (which basically happens, so yeah they transferred that really well in that song). The most "disturbing" part is when you listen carefully to the background noises during the track but I don't wanna take that away if you have that on your list anyway:D
Great video again, I'm kinda into watching others react to game music and when they go into detail like you it's even better^~^
I love these reactions! I love when people points out emotions in music. Another song from fire emblem I'd recommend is "Id (purpose)"
I just found your channel and man I really love your reactions and how you analyze the songs!
If I had to make a suggestion it would be "The One They Call the Witch" or "Daughter of the Dark God" from Octopath Traveler. They are both very similar, but the second one defiantly feels more intense. But in a good way!
was a paypal request - coming eventually. Glad you're here!
What I loved about Three Houses is how each route you can take in the game felt real. They all felt like valid paths the story could take, endings that stirred emotions and felt like proper conclusions. It was a lot of fun experiencing each path. It would be difficult to choose my favorite of the endings now, because they all have a serious touch of tragedy.
This is such a beautiful song. I enjoyed your analysis of it!
Always gets me how the thunder version is the softer of the two for this track. Hearing this on the map then stripping layers until it’s just a lonely piano to back some of the most emotional combat in the game is just incredible. “Don’t Speak Her Name” from Fire Emblem Awakening does something similar: it’s the same version in and out of combat which makes every encounter feel incredibly emotional. Definitely recommend giving that one a listen too!
LEITMOTIF!!! THATS THE FRIGGIN WORD I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR FOR YEARS!! YOU SIR HAVE SINGLE HANDEDLY ANSWERED THE QUESTION OF "Is there a word for something when music sounds like the lyrics or vice versa?"IM FLABBERGASTED
It's so nice to see you react to more Fire Emblem Three Houses Soundtracks 👌🏻❤ I saw someone in the comments recommended you to listen to "At what cost" and yeah you should if you have time ! There is also "Between heaven and earth" from Fire Emblem Three Houses 🤩
Congratz on 10k! Almost 11k already. And thank you for the joy you bring to us.
Thank you so much!
I love Fire Emblem 3 Houses. The game is fantastic, but what makes it is the music. Thank you for your videos. You have such a great gift
Yes! This song is way too underrated
The Song of Nabateans motif hits different here.
Was waiting for this
This is one of my favourite songs from three houses. Both the rain and thunder versions are amazing. I personally would recommend shackled wolves(from three houses, but not a final boss theme) and music from Astral Chain. I love almost every track in that game. Love your videos!
Saw this and watched it as an excuse to listen to this track again, such a masterpiece
Loved the vid. There is actually a piano version, but the previous trend of (solo piano: rain vs full orchestra: thunder) has reversed. I can’t say why the composer did so, but my guess would be to utilize solo piano to signify the sheer age and loneliness of this route’s opponent.
Doesn’t have to be on video since you just reacted to it lol but I highly recommend you check this piece out in its thunder variant. Purpleschala also does a solo piano cover (though she writes an ending so it’s not technically fully accurate).
There's also sheets for piano (three might be full ensemble but I haven't looked) but there's some chord voicings that are a bit off, and there's this tempo change that is legitimately impossible. Rachmaninoff himself likely couldn't have played it lmao.
That tempo change at 2:05 on piano is a pain in the ass to play by the way, but the way 1:20 is written is the impossible bit. Immediately after the 1:20 bit is a really fun bit with countermelodies that you miss out by not hearing the piano variant here. A
Second, as per digesting a piece of music written for a series without consuming the actual media, you miss out on key thematic elements, like leitmotifs and the like. This isn’t a dig at you as FE:3H is a gargantuan game but that’s how it is lmao. Other people compliment your deduction of the mood the piece sets - and I agree - but the main mentor-turned-antagonist this piece is set to utilizes her theme except reformats it to be tragic and desperate, as opposed to the light and airy theme it was before.
Look up “Song of the Nabateans” if you have the time, then listen to the variants of this piece if you’ve got the time- her theme is at 2:20 in this reaction. Good stuff.
You note that the piece seems urgent at the end, and rushed. You're right, but I would like to note that the ending of this route is not fully confined in this piece. This is only the battle. The aftermath, and the reflection, are instead in this piece that immediately follows.
ruclips.net/video/m-D8fsqrO3Q/видео.html
So you were right in expecting a slower and more somber end.
Additionally, you can hear the Nabatean leitmotif rearranged - again in solo piano, I assume again to demonstrate the loneliness.
Love this series and your reactions to it, so I’ve got a few more Fire Emblem Songs/Pieces for you to listen to (though with your insane upload speed I believe you’ve already done a few of these haha):
Fire Emblem Awakening:
Conquest + Conquest (Ablaze)
ID: Purpose vs ID: Sorrow
ID: Hope
Don’t Speak her Name + What if I can’t? What if I’m not Worthy?
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia:
(This entry is a remaster, so take care to listen to the updated versions lmao):
Lord of a Dead Empire
The Scions’ Dance in Purgatory
Twilight of the Gods
In a Silver Garden with You
Heritors of Arcadia
Fire Emblem: Fates:
God, this game is narratively rubbish but the music is incredible. As per Three Houses and some of Awakening, there are pieces with two forms. In this game, however, some pieces are connected to another version, one for each country in Fates. I would argue it critical to listen to BOTH versions lol:
The protagonist and main heroine’s theme is Lost in Thoughts All Alone. You will hear elements from this song throughout the full OST but I’m too lazy to put all of them lmao.
Dusk Falls, Dusk Falls (Fire)
Alight, Alight (Storm)
Justice RIP, Justice RIP (Storm) vs No Justice, No Justice (Fire)
Thorn in you, thorn in you (Roar)
Now for the fun part:
End of All (Land, Sky, Above)
I apologize for the huge comment, but I love this series. Thanks for reading, and don't worry, I'll attach my recs in a seperate comment so you don't have to read this essay every time lol.
I have been trying to play this song for ages.
2:05 is difficult but not impossible, I've done it a couple of times,
1:20 is nuts, I haven't gotten the tempo yet but again it's not impossible, something like Rachmanioff's moments musicaux or Chopins winter wind is much worse. I even think chopins Oceans Etude is worse (all three of those I can't even scratch).
The only piece of music in FE3H that I like the thunder version more than the rain version
Seeing all these fire emblem games makes me wanna play three houses again
“At what cost” from the ashen wolves dlc is a must! And “Don’t speak her name” from FE awakening
Finally someone reacts to this hidden gem ! I like that you were surprised about the strength of the song, despise the Funeral thing in the title. It is because this is in fact a battle song but against an opponent that you don't want to kill (sums up the game i guess ?) but you haven't heard it if you only played the blue lions route ! If you are curious, check out the thunder version, it is VERY different from any other thunder version and you will immediatly understand why
Your assumption about what happens in this song is pretty spot-on, and I, for one, didn't feel like I wanted to mourn. The music was still quite impactful for me, and I love this song. I wasn't a big fan of the Silver Snow route overall, though.
Yo, I love your channel and I've binged and subscribed over the last few days! You've been spot on with your analysis of plot points and the motifs (and in the Apex of the World video who they belong to, I was literally jumping at the sheer moment you spoke about it) and it's such a thrill to see someone enjoy music! (Made only better by the fact I love the series and the presentation you bring to it!)
In case it's not been mentioned elsewhere, recently we've had the 10th anniversary of the game Fire Emblem Awakening, which was made to be the final game in the series before it revitalised the fanbase. Just wanted to recommend the piece "Don't Speak Her Name" from that game. It, to me, is the spiritual successor of this piece and my absolute favourite in the series even still and at the risk of being lost in the comments would just love for you to hear it!
There is a host of "Spiritual successors" in my opinion like Lord of a Dead Empire for God Shattering Star for example and the DS games have some really nice general pieces. (Id, Purpose, Judgement etc)
Subbed and I can't wait for more vids! (Also I do watch the other vids, just a big FE fan)
I need to upload lord of a dead empire soon :)
@@MarcoMeatball Omg nice! Thank you so much for the reply!
Hi Marco! RUclips led me here and I’d love to stay forever. Love your analysis. Usually I don’t really comment but you need to know how much I appreciate your contents. Keep up the good work 🙏💖✨
Btw I’d like to suggest Gundam Hathaway’s Flash OST “XI” by Sawano Hiroyuki
So kind thank you :))))
Glad to see so many professionals acknowledge the greatness of video game music!! (also heck yeah Blue Lions gang!)
Well, let’s take guesses on what comes next from Three houses .
My prediction is “At What cost?”.
Yes! Amazing music, and pretty spot on analysis.
A bit of trivia.
Normally, the orquestation remains the same between Rain and Thunder, but the Thunder version is much more rhythmically focused (either more percussion, more staccatto, or more instruments).
However, Funeral of Flowers is unique in that it changes its orquestation from orquestra (Rain) to solo piano (Thunder). This results in the Rain version feeling epically sorrowful (that's how I describe it), while Thunder feels much more mournful.
2:10 - this leitmotif in the song has lyrics to go with it, until the rest of the song continues. it goes like this,
in time’s flow,
see the glow,
of flames ever burning bright.
on the swift
river’s drift,
broken memories alight.
I just went to the comments to find context, but no one was here yet.
they'll be here soon, I think.
They have arrived
@@gastar805 :D
This is by far my favorite of the three final map themes. I haven't even played silver snow
idk if it’s just me, but the b-melody of edge of dawn (yet still i hide/behind this mask that i have become) sounds a lot like the song of nabateans. like almost note for note. there’s no way that wasn’t intentional
I think a rushed funeral is a great way to describe this song, when I first heard it in-game I was overcome with intense sorrow and grief but I felt like I did not have time to cry I had to act and try to think clearly(mostly because I did this final battle blind and on Maddening Mode) I had to fight and I had to it without too many mistakes. While I wanted to cry on the inside instead I was screaming no...I was roaring like the boss that stood before me and her being another one I never wanted to fight in the first place
This song hit different when you hear it for the first time in game. The mood of what's happening fits this track perfectly.
Your take on this is spot on, when you are on the Final mission of Silver Snow, a rushed funeral
You should check out some of the tracks from Fire emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.
My favourites are
Pride and arrogance,
Praise this Despair, and
The Scions’ Dance in Purgatory.
Also you’d probably enjoy Lord of a dead empire.
Ah yes. The Berkut trio
@@lorddragonskin3603 what can I say I’m a simp XD
@@ninjakirby777 he does have good taste in music
I'm wondering, do you enjoy to analyze lyrics in songs, too? I love it when the singer really sells the emotional impact of lines really well, especially when the instrumental paints the story in the background. I also love when the lyrics are more cryptic at first glance. There are more layers to peel through to get the message of the song. :) Are there any musical genres you dislike?
Can't wait for the next video!
Funny enough I have a few videos coming where I talk more about lyrics. That’s a great video idea, sometimes in blind reacts I’m a little less creative because things just come to me as they do so thank you.
Yes, I dislike country music 🤣🤣🤣
@@MarcoMeatball Hell yeah, lyric videos!
Not a big fan of country music either :)
The fact that this song is indeed the last song from the saddest route of all, just clips perfectly with the emotions on this part of the game.... there are so many HUGE losses, so many scars, so many tragedies, but even with this we are starting the path to a new tomorrow on Fodland it is sad yeah, but there is still some hope. Best song in the game imo.
Love the main church/rhea motif, and I love the inverse with the thunder version compared to other tracks
Oh my god this is my FAVORITE battle theme from the entire game!! It probably doesn't help that it took me approximately 10 hours of failure before I finally beat the map, so I've bonded to it like a duck or something. (In my defense, it was maddening mode, ok)
Yay more fire emblem!!! (Keep The Scion’s Dance in Purgatory on the list please! Super underrated song)
Love the reactions ☺️
It’s the theme attributed to when you face Rhea as she’s sustained massive wounds and can’t control her power and she has succumbed to madness.
The piece combines the tragedy of killing Rhea when the war has just ended, the evil is defeated and there is hope for a new tomorrow with the urgency that comes with the fact Rhea can never see that future because her rampage will destroy the world.
There’s a common theory that Byleth is the sun based on the routes:
Dimitri reflects their light in Azure Moon, becoming lost in the darkness in other routes
Edelgard grows and flourishes, becoming the best version of herself in Crimson Flower under the professor’s influence
Claude remains largely undeterred regardless of route because the wind pushes on regardless of the sun
And in this route, Silver Snow - Byleth is able to help Rhea reconcile with what she’s done, get rid of the ice around her heart. But the melting snow under the sun also represents the removal of the old guard I.e. Rhea, killing her is the only way forward to bring in spring and all of the new possibilities that presents
Someone may have already mentioned this. But the main theme of the song is a dramatisized version of “The song of the Nabateans” which is the song Rhea sings after the Yule Ball.
Much of the game features the Edge of Dawn motif so I find it impactful that Funeral of Flowers ,which is the boss song of the church route, instead uses the song more closely related to it.
I can't stop laughing at the buff Pikachu figure on the bottom left
Since you've already done the three final map themes for Three Houses, maybe consider also knocking out "At What Cost?" It's the final map theme for the game's DLC story.
There’s something interesting to note about this song specifically when compared to all the other battle tracks,
the rain versions are usually the standard and more relaxed version of the track while the thunder version is much more Impactful, tense, and powerful to reflect how you’re in the midst of the chaos,
but when it comes to this song, while the rain version isn’t anything out of the ordinary, the thunder version is a piano solo, reflecting the circumstances of the situation it plays in.
Such a good final boss song. Underrated in this game compared to the other final boss songs.
Love your content! If possible, I would suggest trying to find some songs from the Pokémon mystery dungeon series. I always thought the music was incredible and it’s definitely a lot more simple than fire emblem music, but some of the beats and tunes are so well put together imo. Not sure if that’s what you’re interested in as a former opera singer, but still great nonetheless!
Hi Marco! Always love to see your reactions! If I may, I’d like to suggest to you the Dark Souls 3 OST’s! Since you’ve covered a lot of Elden Ring ones and already did the main menu ost from the game ;) why not do the bosses aswel! They are amazing!
Then you’ll be happy soon 🥲
@@MarcoMeatball ❤️
My favorite track from Three Houses.
Do the end credits song for fire emblem shadows of valentia, Heritors of Arcadia! It is incredibly beautiful and I would love to hear what you think of it. Love your content
"it feels like we need to keep moving and we dont have time to stop and mourn this loss..."
yeah, well, there is the bloodthirsty dragon problem
Nothing better than great music, a wonderful reaction, and muscular Pikachu in the background
Honestly, I had mixed emotions about the character who’s “Funeral” it was, but I cried through the battle because this track was so beautiful and tragic. It is my favorite Fire Emblem final battle theme, second only to Twilight if the Gods.
I love seeing your reactions!
Blue Lions rise up!! You picked the right house.
Omg i hope you react to "At what cost?" Or "End of all" someday
I highly reccomend listening to "At What Cost" for another Fire Emblem OST reaction.
Id Sorrow and Id Purpose from FE Awakening are both great as well, and they’re variations of the main theme of that game.
Me 🤝 You
getting goosebumps during that one part
you should listen to Sealed Vessel ost from Hollow Knight, wonderful
I love your reactions so much! May I request something? It would be amazing if you could also react to the final battle theme from the FE3H dlc / Cindered Shadows "At what cost"
You should check out the Fire Emblem Premier versions of songs, particularly "Uprising in Augustria "
I know you played Fire Emblem Three Houses but I’m curious to know which route you played, because that analysis almost perfectly describes the context of this song so I’m left questioning whether you’ve actually played through the route it’s from or if you just have that level of connection with the music. Regardless, great video, almost felt like I was hearing it for the first time again which is interesting because I wouldn’t get that from simply listening to the song myself. I guess just seeing someone experience it does that to you? Man, I really have to play this game again also to experience the music like I first did.
Blue lions ;) I don’t remember this at all.
@@MarcoMeatball just watched your Apex Of The World video so this makes sense now! Blue Lions was my first route too - this song only plays during one of the two Black Eagles routes.
Wonder if we’ll get any more great tracks from the new Fire Emblem Three Hopes game? I have a feeling the ending of that game might be a more ideal one than the pretty bittersweet ones from Three Houses (i.e. all house leaders live and possibly fight a common enemy) so maybe something more triumphant than sorrowful? Looking forward to you potentially reacting to that in the future!
The thing about Funeral of Flowers is that is amplifies an already tragic situation to an extreme (spoilers below)
At this point in the game, you had spent the entire second half of the game trying to save Rhea. Whether it was because you wanted answers, believed she was the best ruler for the land, or whether you thought she deserved to be saved, you did it. She went with you to the Agarthan's home and her first major action she took was to sacrifice herself to save you and your students from certain death. Rhea wanted to see Sothis again, but she was willing to die if it meant protecting you from what was almost certain death.
Then, in her weakened state, she reveals everything. I think the reason she went berserk was because this was the only route where she fully accepted that Sothis was gone. In Golden Deer she seems to accept it but doesn't dive into the parts about Byleth's history that reveal why Byleth has Sothis' heart within, and I think that's the key difference. This was Rhea getting slapped in the face with the realization that Sothis actively refused to reincarnate because she would've been horrified by what Rhea did to try and revive her. I can kinda understand that pain.
To survive your entire family being brutally massacred, to barely survive and defeat the butcher who did it, to have to lie to protect his 10 friends because not doing so would endanger the land and your surviving family, and to see a chance to bring back someone you loved so closely, only to realize they would be appalled at you for what you did to bring them back. It was Rhea realizing that all she's done was for naught. That she truly lost everything. It all slipped away, and it's never coming back. So when that happened, Rhea became uncontrollably distraught. Her power flew out of control and that's probably when Seteth realized that her pain was too much to save her from, that the only choice to save the land is to put Rhea out of her misery. But even when you beat Rhea, Seteth still begs her to come to her senses. He cries and begs for her to stop. The last child of the progenitor god, driven to insanity by her own sins.
Most final boss fights are culminations of emotions and drive towards battling a much desired enemy. For AM it was Hegemon Edelgard. For CF it was Rhea (albeit in a much different situation), and for VW it was Nemesis. But SS' final boss was not an epic battle against a world ending dragon goddess. It was a somber requiem for a broken woman, who shouldered so much pain and trauma, and letting her rest in peace with her mother.
Hey Marco, don’t know if you are planning on reacting to any anime music but the song “libra me from hell” from the anime Gurren Lagan is one of my favorite songs that has opera music in it. It is a combination of rap music and opera singing and I think it would make a cool song to analyze.
Super cool but no anime. Much less control over copyright claims/strikes. I’d hate to lose the channel. Thank you for the personal recc though. Join the discord and we can talk about it!
Most of 3 houses music is a banger
Hi marco!! if u enjoy fire emblem music, i recommend u Id (Purpose) from fire emblem awakening. It's got a beautiful choir!
If you haven't heard it, I highly recommend listening to the Halo theme
If no one has pointed it out and just to help provide a small bit of context the piece is from the Silver Snow route and it's for the final battle of that route. Don't want to spoil anything but figured it might help with context.