My man Shadowlord literally sits on his knees, neck out, and nods the 'DO IT' gesture. And Nier *sees* it. And for a brief second, he clearly thinks "Am I killing a person? *Again*?" And then decides that everything he did would not be undone by one brief moment of hesitation, VISIBLY shakes off the doubt, and ends humanity. There is ZERO doubt in my mind that the Shadowlord *could* have won. He just...didn't want to anymore. He had no reason to. And if any of us have read the back story on brother Nier... we know what person he killed.
Since it can *technically* be argued that NieR genuinely would have beaten the Shadowlord even without the surrender, I didn't want to state that as an absolute, but yes that's very much my belief as well.
@@EKPB There are some background stories and extra content that you can read in Grimoire Rubrum and Grimoire Noir that explain this , but if you want to know, I'll shove a S P O I L E R S A H E A D thing here. he killed a man in seafront. That's the TLDR version, but there's a lot more to it and how it really fucked with this poor kid, but also why he'd do literally anything for Yonah.
@@EKPB It's not in the game but in one of the Stortstories form the Nier Novella. the story is called "The Red and the Black" or something similar. They are in a book called "Grimoire Nier" but im not sure if they officially translated them into english as it was just japanese for a long time. I also dont know if they are in the new version of the Nier 1.22 Novellas but you should be able to find a fantranslation of the original story somewhere online. Just be aware that this story will deal with a topic not everyone feels comftable reading. I wont say more tho as it would spoil the content
The story of the shadowlord is the most heartbreaking in all of video games. He was manipulated by scientists and used while being promised a better future. This went on for centuries and centuries and he saw nothing. Then he got tired of the stagnation, he took his sister for himself. This leads to the most heartbreaking sentence I can think of: "he could either kill himself, or let himself kill him". The shadowlord didn't have a choice, he either had to kill his human body, dooming him to stay as a gestalt for the rest of time, or he could be killed by his replicant, dooming humanity to extinction.
That's not really fully correct, even if replicant Nier was killed, he could have been cloned infinitely as long as Shadowlord remained, this is the same for all Gestalts and their replicants, as long as the Gestalt survives and doesn't relapse, his replicant could be recreated indefinitely. Not that Shadowlord had any choice from the beginning, he had to agree to the project, he clung to what hope resided within it, if it meant saving his sister, he had no problem waiting eons as a Gestalt, but his sister was never going to be saved, the moment her relapse begun centuries prior, her death was merely delayed, and when she had finally started succumbing to the black scrawl and relapsing, he went on to try a desperate final attempt to try to fuse Yonah's gestalt with her replicant, one that he knew was futile, but he still clung to the one thing that kept him going for centuries, hope.
From what I understand, Shadowlord takes action into his own hand after Yonah gets the black scrawl. That shouldn't have been possible, she was put on ice for millennia... To me it was implying that her Gestalt was now living on borrowed time, that they couldn't wait forever as Yonah was unstable and ready to relapse. This put everything at stake for the Shadowlord. This was the entire reason he'd endured 1400 years of solitude for the distant dream of saving his sister. And so he took her Replicant, damned the consequences into motion because she's all that mattered to him at that time. He had no parents any longer (so it seems as if he had no Replicants), his other family were probably killed from WCS, maybe his friends too. Of course that puts Replicant Nier on his warpath... Where if he waited he may have lost Yonah, but he wouldn't have had his body kill him, and he would have been able to snap everyone back into their bodies. But that wasn't his priority. Devola and Popola had a contingency plan if he refused to follow along with the procedure, yet they thought him locking himself away with Yona ultimately didn't conflict with their goals. In hindsight I bet they would have stopped the Shadowlord from taking her Yona, given that Replicant Nier would go on to destroy him because of his last ditch effort. I don't think there's any possible timeline where it would have worked out for the Original, he had the whole world stacked against him.
@@voice-less That'd require someone to actually be able to create a replicant body, no? And even if there was someone, without Yonah he wouldn't have anything left to exist for anyways, it'd feel empty
@@PixelHeroViish That someone is the administrator system, within the present world of Nier, Popula and Devola units were responsible for cloning replicants, filling the villages, and keeping them sustainable, and seeing how the administrator system is practically the only thing that survived the passage of time in Nier, you really wouldn't have to worry about cloning your replicants. But other than that, Shadowlord doesn't really care about his body, he just wanted Yonah, hadn't it been for her, he wouldn't have went with the Gestalt project in the first place, maybe he would have learned to find meaning in life without her, but unlike Replicant Nier, Shadowlord had nothing but Yonah, he couldn't even make friends since everyone else is just an inferior Gestalt that needs him to live
@@voice-less Well, Popola and Devola never actually mention that, probably because they wouldn't know, unless it's in media outside of the game I'm not aware of, because they were worried about Shades popping up more and more, so if they really were able to just make more, why were they ever worried, right?
Whoa I got massive goosebumps with that perfect end narration... "...you quickly realise, this is just some guy. We can't see his hope and despair beneath his frozen face, but every person has them without exception. And if you listen carefully, you can hear them. So listen... 🎶🎵🎶"
What I find most intriguing about the dynamic between nier and the shadow lord is the character flaw they both share. Both are so focused on their own goal that they refuse to see the other’s side of things. Nier only views the shadow lord as the monster who kidnapped his sister and was the leader of the creatures who killed innocent people. Even when given evidence to the contrary, Nier refuses to think of the shadow lord’s circumstances or even view him in a pitiable light because it will weaken his resolve. The shadow lord himself also refuses to see the humanity and sentience of the replicants because it complicates his goal of yonah and himself regaining their human forms and being together again. This lack of willingness to understand one another and maybe even find a solution, leads to a dilemma where only one can survive and get what they want, and unfortunately neither end goal is good for humanity.
The worst part was just as Nier was about to kill the shadow lord, he hesitated. Just for a moment. For once he thought about if what he was doing was right. Only to shake his doubt away, and contuine. The fact that Nier had the chance to change but didn’t, is such a tragedy.
I also love how the dynamic Nier-Shadowlord absolutely reflects Yoko Taro's philosophy and the game's discussion in general '' You don't have to be evil to kill someone, you just have to think you're right '' And that's it, none of them are evil in fact (especially Shadowlord lol)
I mean the whole Game revolves arround different perspectives, Shadowlord and brother Nier are not the only ones that suffers that, almost every piece of the puzzle was basically a story of people too focused on their goals that cloided their emlathu and reasonong, kaine is the same and she openly says that she don't give a crap about people anymore, just Nier and emil are the people that she cares, and will go.to.the depth of hell to protect them, emil the same
There can be no other way. Even if they did emphasize with each other, their only options are to continue as they would have or abandon everything they've been fighting for their whole lives so the other can have what they want. Only the shadowlords Yonah was pure enough and selfless enough to choose that option
I've always loved the lines that are said after you reach the climax of the fight "Yonah, I can't live in a world without you." "I have something to defend, I have a reason to live" Also, the emotions that the Shadowlord expresses through body language and no facial expressions is just perfect here.
"she doesn't want the bodies and lives he's been fighting for, she hears replicant Yonah inside her cryin' to be let out and to see her brother and the original Yonah can't bear to take this girl's life away from her even if her only alternative is her own death" I do not remember words ever hurting me so much before
I still remember the part of the music box. At this point you basically lost everything, Emil, Kaine, Weiss, just like the shadowlord, no one has anything left, part of me didnt want to continue thinking "what was the point anymore"? but I was so deep into this mess that, just like the shadowlord, had to end it all.
I clicked on this video, not realizing it would be a full-blown musical theory analysis, and as a classically trained musician who also loves video games, I’m pleasantly surprised! This is excellently done! I’ll be looking at more of your content in the future 🎵
@@JonathanBarouch I don't really know theory super good but I know enough to understand what you are saying and i play piano. I love video game music and thats my main go to. And nier is one of my fav ost's to listen to. its amazing to hear songs that i really never paid much attention to (fleeting song, shadowlord) and just igniting the fire!
This is why NieR Replicant will always be my favorite game. The amount of thought and emotion placed behind not only the story-telling, but the music as well just makes it something special. It'll always serve to be one of my biggest inspirations, and a game that I'll never forget.
24:51 I loved that editing with the music, was a fun watch, good job Edit cause I couldn't watch the video to the end earlier: I have never considered the fact that in the end, you didn't really beat the Shadowlord, he simply gave up, stopped fighting. I realized that he didn't care much about the fight anymore in phase 2 as he wasn't even listening to Nier and simply talking to himself, asking why Yonah had to betray everything he did for her, but I never considered that you didn't even really beat him but rather finished off a broken Shadowlord, who had nothing left to fight for and thus gave up. This game is truly a masterpiece
I won't lie, this made me cry. I have every Nier Replicant and Nier Automata song on my spotify playlist. Each time I listen to any one of them, I damn near tear up. The one that almost always makes me cry is End of Yorha weight of the world. The choir at the end always fucks me up.
Hot damn that cut to Nier reaching out for Grimoire Noir at 24:50 hits so hard. This whole breakdown just makes me appreciate the impact of the piece even more, and your attitude is great. Still cried a little listening to this song even in a musical deconstruction vid :/ lol
The original 2010 version of shadowlord is what introduced me to the nier series as a whole, and now it's my absolute favorite work of fiction period. Thank you so much for making this awesome analysis!!
I'm glad someone decided to analyze this track. This is, in my opinion, one of the best songs I've ever listened to. The choir is just sublime. And the amount of emotions conveyed on this track is unparalleled. I know nothing about music theory, so I'm glad you could give a more technical explanation as to why this song is so well composed.
My pleasure! I had a lot of fun making this video, and it means a lot to me that I've been able to help folks get closer to this incredible piece. Thank you!
Usually I would never watch a thirty minute video about the analysis of music. But this theme is since the release of Nier Replicant Ver. 1.22... always in my head. No matter what happens in my life, I will listen to this theme or at least specific parts of it. Just like the part with the music box. Thanks to you I can now understand better, why this piece of music has this immense impact to me. Thank you for this masterpiece of a video and of an analysis.
I didn’t know how to put into words why Shadowlord resonated so much even though I have no music theory knowledge. Thank you for making this amazing video!
This theme stuck with me more than other theme, it's what made me buy a keyboard. Keichii Okabe is a genius, Evans work and voice is phenomenal. I love NieR and it's music, there's nothing like it
This has always been one of my favorite final boss themes. Seeing the musical breakdown is really cool! I can't wait to see what you're working on next!
Every Nier analysis gets better and better. By the end you are going to make a Thesis-level video worth a PhD. I can’t even imagine how much time is involved for your video scripts. Truly impressive. Regarding the video. I always wanted to understand the ingenuity of the final battle. Ever since playing it and facing the shadowlord over and over again while going through the multiple endings I have always felt like I can’t explain why it is so impactful. There are so many things going on. From the story’s climax, the mystery, the plot twists, the scenery, the pacing, and of course the music. Everything is so well integrated and even when knowing it is good, there are so many things to analyze that require knowledge in different fields. From writing, gaming, music, visual effects, color grading… That’s why I love these videos. I don’t know a lot about music but they really dig and explain the music very well. Thank you.
This script came with a lot of challenges! I clocked over 40 hours for the writing process. I'm hoping to get faster as I gain experience. You're very kind for saying all of this, thank you. I'm so happy I could help you deepen your connection with this awesome game!
Jon you did NOT just interrupt the most heartfelt and explosive moment of the track with insightful theory analysis and title the music "musical edging" I cannot believe your ass. 10/10 video.
I love Nier (replicant) because it feels like even if it's not explicitly stated, he seems to know more than what he lets on, and is trying really hard to not think about it with how much of a mess everything is by the end. The way the fight ends on the shadowlord just giving up says a lot, especially with how the piece ends. I always felt like since the story is really flexing the whole "same person, different hellish tragedy" angle, it just makes it all hurt so much more. He was living proof of how far Nier would go to do what he believes to be right and protect the ones he loves, because without them, boy can he spiral! It's 4am and I forget the other half of what I was saying, but it's so great to find videos like this that make you remember how dense and fun to pull apart these stories are.
I cried so hard when the music started to fade into the music box. It’s just so incredibly sad. I know a lot of people hate the remastered themes, but I love them a lot. Even though the original music has accompanied me longer in playlists I listened to after playing papa Nier. Something about the remastered versions really struck a chord. Except „The Dark Colossus Destroys All“, I miss the percussions in the remastered version.
I am so excited to watch this! It literally arrived at the perfect time for me. I'll edit this comment after I finish watching. :) God bless you, Jonathan! EDIT: This video legitimately makes me feel like music theory is underappreciated because it's a difficult subject that is often taught in a mechanical fashion. Describing the music for this song in the manner that you did is how music theory should be taught. As you said in the video, composing music is like writing a story...and that line of thinking in terms of music theory never really crossed my mind until now. And the way you painted the Shadowlord's story through this lens made me feel like you put us in the minds of the composers. This is the story they wanted to tell through the music. It is both a triumph and a piece laced in so much despair that examining it in this way is almost painful. When playing through the game it is so easy to get distracted by everything else that's happening, and it's only by truly listening that we can hear the deeper meaning behind the music. What was supposed to be the greatest moment for Nier, turned into a bitter tragedy. Nier's actions ultimately doomed the world around him even though he was successful in saving Yonah. And the Shadowlord lost everything he spent thousands of years fighting for within minutes. The warmth we hear in the music sells both sides of this conflict because the Shadowlord and Nier are the same at their core. What they wanted most in the world was to save Yonah...but one of them had to fail and lose everything for the other to have victory. The intensity and ferocity of the later sections of the music really sells the desperation and grief these two characters embody. It's chilling how closely this struggle between the Shadowlord and Nier mirrors internal battles we all have when under extreme pressure and stress in situations where the decisions we make could either lead to happiness or deeper sorrow. This piece has so many emotional layers I'm honestly impressed that you managed to condense those layers into just a little over a half-hour. And I definitely want to crack open my dusty music theory textbook from college and re-learn it now. This is how you get people interested in examining music on a structural level. Well done, Jonathan. This was excellent. I can't wait to see what you do next. Best wishes and God bless you!
Beautifully said, Lilly, thank you so much! It really is almost painful. Thank goodness we're on this side of the 4th wall so we can get some catharsis out of it! I'm so happy to hear you're rediscovering your love of music theory :)
@@JonathanBarouch Thank you. :) I'd say your channel is pretty inspirational in that way. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way, so keep doing what you're doing. :) You're doing a wonderful job.
This game is an absolute masterpiece. Timing the chords of the music to the point when Yona is about to give herself up for her replicant is just UNBELIEVABLY moving. Its things like this that set Nier appart from ANY jrpg. Second to none. Also the music box at the end just POUNDS emotion into your brain.
I've revisited this video countless times. I adore how you wove your words together to make already tender sequences so much more impactful and poetic. You've reshaped the entire way I approach this final act and I can't love it enough. ❤
And all this because Devola and Popula didn’t want to hurt someone’s feelings… Yes, there might have still been a major conflict. But at least everyone would’ve been aware of what they were choosing.
When you swapped out the battle with the scene from the intro I couldn't help but choke up, this video was so well done. I don't know very much about music theory, but it's fascinating to see how much goes into composing something like this, and I really appreciate your efforts in deciphering it all.
YEEEES IM SO GLAD YOU DID THIS I WAS HOPING YOH WOULD DO THIS SONG AFTER THE SNOW IN SUMMER ONE Would love to see one on fleeting words outsider if you're still wanting to do replicant music 👀
I will say, I did Ending D and E before I did Ending C, so when Kainé finally got her release then, after going through Ending E, I broke down there, this fight culminates so much pain and emotion in its expression of timing
Absolutely breathtaking. What a magical way of explaining music theory. NieR has some of my favourite songs ever created and this beautifully articulates why.
spoiler alert : And it surprised me that Kaine Death or Nier Sacrifice at C and D ending don't really affect me much, But B ending where Shadowlord back to his teenager form crying because he can't protect Yonah and his friends ,then Yonah come with the " hey" "Tks for always being there for me" make lose my shiet and tears keep going while Ashe of dream playing 😭
Amazing breakdown. I really like that you're willing to stop explaning for long stretches of time to let the things you pointed out sink in in context. It's great. And to say nothing of what aaall this would _come to mean_ in Automata, yeah? One of a handful of pivotal moments that define the world, story, and history of the Nier games. It changed so much, became so _mythical,_ and yet it's just... people being people. Doing what anyone, anything that could be called human, would have done in their shoes.
Thank you for your kind words! That's my secret, cap, the parts where I'm not talking are the meat of the video. The explanations are just there to make them hit harder. And yes, both Nier games are tragically, deeply human. And of course, neither of them ever shows a real, actual human.
Absolutely wonderful analysis! I've loved this piece for 10 years and yet I had so much to learn about it's composition and the tools which actually made it so impactful. Looking forward to whatever you decide to cover next!
Every time i hear Shadowlord i get upset that i didnt write it and i will probably never write anything this ascendant. Truly a once in a lifetime masterpiece.
This is easily the best informative theory video I've ever watched. You comprehensibly break down everything the piece does well, while also inserting a very charming sense of humour, and through your editing and script show an appreciation for Shadowlord, both the character and the song, equally as deep as your understanding of what makes it work. Thank you!
I just wanted to say thank you for this incredible video. I am a composer, this video has been my inspiration for many many months on my long journey to studying music professionally (which I will be starting in September!) I've been a pianist for almost my entire life, I have known the basics of music theory for a long while but without this video (and the Snow in Summer one) I wouldn't have decided to pursue it as seriously as I have. I am approaching the end of a piece designed to rescore this fight after learning what makes this piece so special on an intimate level. I just can't thank you enough for your incredible insight and beautiful way of putting your findings. I now understand everything said in this video and feel like I'm finally approaching the starting point of my journey. You are the best creator on this platform in my opinion. Thank you. I'll finish my rescore of Shadowlord in the coming days thanks to you, and I hope I have managed to understand what makes it as memorable as it is. Thank you for everything. Really, thank you.
@@JonathanBarouch the fact you replied at all is more than enough for me! don't worry! and thank you! I just managed to finish my Shadowlord Rescore last night, it was my first big project and I couldn't have done it without you! Though I still think I could have better utilised relative key to get that almost tonally ambiguous sound to match the Shadowlord's frozen face...
I can't wait for this channel to blow up! Your content is some of the best that I have watched in a while, especially analysing some of the best music in video games. Keep it up man!
Jonathan i cannot overstate how incredible this video is. i only know the barest hint of music theory and the way you explain things makes it easy for even me to appreciate it. Thanks to you explanation, the resolution at the top of section C (following A and D) instantly brought me to tears. like i involuntarily inhaled sharply and the tears spill out of me. I loved Nier Replicant to pieces before this video but its flaws always made me wary to praise it too highly. after understanding the profundity of how the story, character arcs, world building, and music are weaved together, i can unabashedly say i think this game is a masterpiece. thank you for giving me the confidence to somehow love this game even more
I can't put into words how happy I am you posted this. Thank you. I spent so long on that specific moment, hoping to give people exactly that experience. I'm honored to have helped, even a little
I've played through the various games a few times, dived into non-game lore, watched various lore videos and whatnot. but I still cried watching this. gaddam. love shadowlord so much. good vid
nier has the most haunting story ive ever played through and the music just makes it all the more sadder. i remember hearing shadowlord and song of the ancients and just sitting like this 😨
I love the qualtiy and effort you put into making this video. I dont under as much but your passion in the analysis is what compels me too keep watching it. And also, I love this piece. This moment in the game will never leave me.
NieR may be my favorite soundtrack of all time. Just the level of beauty and depth in each piece stands on a league of its own. But even among a sea of gems, two stand out to me as nothing less than pure masterpieces and they are Snow in Summer and Shadowlord. Shadowlord maybe actually be my favorite song in any video game PERIOD. It's such an awe-inspiring piece of music that I literally never get tired of hearing. NieR truly is the gold standard for video gaming music in my opinion, even if it's not super iconic or well-known.
It's amazing how you made me tear up again for Nier especially this scene while also making me learn music :,) Thank you so much for the content, now with this context I will never be the same hearing the Shadowlord's theme. I also have to agree, the last section when you're about to do the killing blow and the theme turns into a music box version was one of the most powerful fight scenes I have to do in a video game that I had to pause the game for a bit to prepare myself. Also ending B's version makes it even harder to do
I love these kind of vids! I love video game soundtracks and you are breaking it down on why I love them so much. Also love learning about the why as well. Thank you for posting and can’t wait for more!! 😊
Thank you for this video. Shadowlord is my favorite song, probably ever? NieR RepliCant/Gestalt is also my favorite game of all time. This song has stuck with me for so many years, and it feels really powerful when you sing it (which I only really do when I'm alone, but still). There's so much I could talk about when it comes to NieR, but I don't want to flood the comments so I'll leave it at "God, what a fucking game"
I just found you today, and I gotta say I've fallen in love with the videos already lol. You perfectly described why I've held Shadowlord as one of the greatest pieces (in my opinion) to ever be created. Nier is a special series in my heart because the OST along with the storyline is some of the most thought provoking I've ever experienced. Thank you for such a great video.
Since I first heard 'Shadowlord' it's one of my favorite pieces. Thank you for explaining what exactly makes it so special :) I also really liked your editing, it's easy to follow your points and appreciate the music
IMO the remaster did such an amazing job with this perticular music, it only had one version in the original, creating 2 different versions of the theme for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the fight was just brilliant, and made this track one of the best exemple of story telling through just music alone, even without the context you can sort of guess what is happening at each phases of the music, this track was already great in the original the Remaster turned it into my absolute favorite Final Boss Theme ever. Big thank you for breaking at showcase just how well the track was composed.
When I read the title I thought it'd be an analysis of the character "Shadowlord", I can't say how much happier I was when you said it was about his theme! It was an amazing video, thank you very much! I always enjoy learning more about what goes on composing these masterful tracks that we love. Earned my subscribe and I can't wait to watch more of your content!
One thing I love about Yoko Taro's approach to conflict is he doesn't make a clear good vs evil narrative, it's just people fighting people due to circumstance. That might not be obvious at first, but as you progress route to route, ending to ending, pieces of everyone's stories are revealed and pieced together into a single tragedy.
You would expect "Shadowlord" to be an edgy warrior of the darkness, not a brother/father trying to protect Yonah for over a thousand years, and failing, and just giving up at the end with a music box melody.
Really, I am angered at the views score… For real?! This video is a masterpiece! It deserves much more attention! Thank you for your work, it is amazing!
I can't believe Reggie Fils-aime likes my channel! No but seriously, thank you. I can be patient! Slowly getting new viewers like you with every upload :)
Finding your channel was one of the best things ever, I love the NieR series, the story, the music, everything. Your breakdowns make me appreciate them even more!
Yesterday I finished my one year d&d campaign and the final boss was a Hexblade Warlock, so I used Shadowlord Theme, 'cause it's my favorite music since the 1.22 version
Yesss! First of all great work on the video and thank you for putting so much effort into it! Ok so it was in the C section that I had been thinking about. Ah that part is just SO powerful. I’ll admit sometimes I can analyze something and see what musical function it is but somehow not understand that right there is the reason it has emotional depth. I’m like “oh cool, key change” and then you explained it so eloquently on why it exists that I had an ohhhhh moment haha
I feel similarly! A lot of these observations don't enter my brain until I'm in the writing process for these videos. It's like abstract connect-the-dots lol. I LOVE Section C. Thanks so much for your kind words and continued support!
I don't usually comment but I must applaud you for your incredible work. I have basically no musical education and english isn't even my first language, so I regurlary have a hard time understanding what you're saying but your editing, visual highligts and even your tone make a wonderful job of making me feel the music and pointing to me what's the cause. I've seen other musical analysis or musics from Nier (and Automata) and even if they thaught me things, no one else before achieved to make me learn music theory AND made me feel more of the music. So thank you so much for your fabulous work, you changed the way I listen to this song probably forever, for now I have whole channel of new videos to watch.
Thank you so much!! It means the world to me that you had that experience even with the language barrier and small music background. My goal isn't really to teach music. If I do, great! But I'm mostly here to make people feel something they didn't before. So if that happened for you, you understood every second that mattered. Thank you.
Holy shit, dude. You did it again! I remember playing Nier Replicant remaster the first time and that transition to the music box rendition of Shadowlord made me so emotional that I had to pause the game and collect myself. I'm so SO glad that you ended the video discussing that transition and its narrative implications. Yoko Taro is a master of using small cues to clue the player in that something bigger we don't yet fully understand is underfoot. And taking what should feel like a triumphant GamerTM moment and underpinning it with surprisingly somber music is SUCH an effective tool in his kit. Every good fight has an emotional arc to match and it is so imperative that the music supports both. Shadowlord is a track that is really, really good at that. Thanks so much for sharing and putting so much effort into this video, you're quickly becoming one of my favorite gaming-focused channels and really elevating the appreciation for what game music composers, arrangers, and performers do!
I never thought a musical analysis video would be able to make me hurt so much but I just hit the end of it and now I am ugly crying. That was excellently done.
Thank you for making this video. It's greatly emphasised not only to the song but it's meaning and how it works and etc as well. I also liked the last part of the narration, "...you quickly realise, this is just some guy. We can't see his hope and despair beneath his frozen face, but every person has them without exception. And if you listen carefully, you can hear them. So listen...", it feels like something that Yoko Taro wanted us to know when we play this game. Please keep up the hard work there!
![The Song She Couldn't Sing [Fleeting Words - NieR Replicant v1.22]](/img/1.gif)
What i think when i hear music theorie
I like your funny words magic man
there's this old saying: "if you think your life is miserable, remember the Shadowlord"
that's what my grandpa used to say
My man Shadowlord literally sits on his knees, neck out, and nods the 'DO IT' gesture. And Nier *sees* it. And for a brief second, he clearly thinks "Am I killing a person? *Again*?" And then decides that everything he did would not be undone by one brief moment of hesitation, VISIBLY shakes off the doubt, and ends humanity. There is ZERO doubt in my mind that the Shadowlord *could* have won. He just...didn't want to anymore. He had no reason to.
And if any of us have read the back story on brother Nier... we know what person he killed.
Since it can *technically* be argued that NieR genuinely would have beaten the Shadowlord even without the surrender, I didn't want to state that as an absolute, but yes that's very much my belief as well.
What person he killed?
@@EKPB There are some background stories and extra content that you can read in Grimoire Rubrum and Grimoire Noir that explain this , but if you want to know, I'll shove a S P O I L E R S A H E A D thing here.
he killed a man in seafront. That's the TLDR version, but there's a lot more to it and how it really fucked with this poor kid, but also why he'd do literally anything for Yonah.
@@TheSylvirr can you give me more details? I haven't seen anything related to that in the game
@@EKPB It's not in the game but in one of the Stortstories form the Nier Novella. the story is called "The Red and the Black" or something similar.
They are in a book called "Grimoire Nier" but im not sure if they officially translated them into english as it was just japanese for a long time. I also dont know if they are in the new version of the Nier 1.22 Novellas but you should be able to find a fantranslation of the original story somewhere online.
Just be aware that this story will deal with a topic not everyone feels comftable reading. I wont say more tho as it would spoil the content
The story of the shadowlord is the most heartbreaking in all of video games. He was manipulated by scientists and used while being promised a better future. This went on for centuries and centuries and he saw nothing. Then he got tired of the stagnation, he took his sister for himself. This leads to the most heartbreaking sentence I can think of: "he could either kill himself, or let himself kill him". The shadowlord didn't have a choice, he either had to kill his human body, dooming him to stay as a gestalt for the rest of time, or he could be killed by his replicant, dooming humanity to extinction.
That's not really fully correct, even if replicant Nier was killed, he could have been cloned infinitely as long as Shadowlord remained, this is the same for all Gestalts and their replicants, as long as the Gestalt survives and doesn't relapse, his replicant could be recreated indefinitely.
Not that Shadowlord had any choice from the beginning, he had to agree to the project, he clung to what hope resided within it, if it meant saving his sister, he had no problem waiting eons as a Gestalt, but his sister was never going to be saved, the moment her relapse begun centuries prior, her death was merely delayed, and when she had finally started succumbing to the black scrawl and relapsing, he went on to try a desperate final attempt to try to fuse Yonah's gestalt with her replicant, one that he knew was futile, but he still clung to the one thing that kept him going for centuries, hope.
From what I understand, Shadowlord takes action into his own hand after Yonah gets the black scrawl. That shouldn't have been possible, she was put on ice for millennia... To me it was implying that her Gestalt was now living on borrowed time, that they couldn't wait forever as Yonah was unstable and ready to relapse. This put everything at stake for the Shadowlord. This was the entire reason he'd endured 1400 years of solitude for the distant dream of saving his sister.
And so he took her Replicant, damned the consequences into motion because she's all that mattered to him at that time. He had no parents any longer (so it seems as if he had no Replicants), his other family were probably killed from WCS, maybe his friends too. Of course that puts Replicant Nier on his warpath... Where if he waited he may have lost Yonah, but he wouldn't have had his body kill him, and he would have been able to snap everyone back into their bodies. But that wasn't his priority.
Devola and Popola had a contingency plan if he refused to follow along with the procedure, yet they thought him locking himself away with Yona ultimately didn't conflict with their goals. In hindsight I bet they would have stopped the Shadowlord from taking her Yona, given that Replicant Nier would go on to destroy him because of his last ditch effort.
I don't think there's any possible timeline where it would have worked out for the Original, he had the whole world stacked against him.
@@voice-less That'd require someone to actually be able to create a replicant body, no?
And even if there was someone, without Yonah he wouldn't have anything left to exist for anyways, it'd feel empty
@@PixelHeroViish That someone is the administrator system, within the present world of Nier, Popula and Devola units were responsible for cloning replicants, filling the villages, and keeping them sustainable, and seeing how the administrator system is practically the only thing that survived the passage of time in Nier, you really wouldn't have to worry about cloning your replicants.
But other than that, Shadowlord doesn't really care about his body, he just wanted Yonah, hadn't it been for her, he wouldn't have went with the Gestalt project in the first place, maybe he would have learned to find meaning in life without her, but unlike Replicant Nier, Shadowlord had nothing but Yonah, he couldn't even make friends since everyone else is just an inferior Gestalt that needs him to live
@@voice-less Well, Popola and Devola never actually mention that, probably because they wouldn't know, unless it's in media outside of the game I'm not aware of, because they were worried about Shades popping up more and more, so if they really were able to just make more, why were they ever worried, right?
Whoa I got massive goosebumps with that perfect end narration...
"...you quickly realise, this is just some guy. We can't see his hope and despair beneath his frozen face, but every person has them without exception. And if you listen carefully, you can hear them. So listen... 🎶🎵🎶"
What I find most intriguing about the dynamic between nier and the shadow lord is the character flaw they both share. Both are so focused on their own goal that they refuse to see the other’s side of things. Nier only views the shadow lord as the monster who kidnapped his sister and was the leader of the creatures who killed innocent people. Even when given evidence to the contrary, Nier refuses to think of the shadow lord’s circumstances or even view him in a pitiable light because it will weaken his resolve. The shadow lord himself also refuses to see the humanity and sentience of the replicants because it complicates his goal of yonah and himself regaining their human forms and being together again. This lack of willingness to understand one another and maybe even find a solution, leads to a dilemma where only one can survive and get what they want, and unfortunately neither end goal is good for humanity.
The worst part was just as Nier was about to kill the shadow lord, he hesitated. Just for a moment. For once he thought about if what he was doing was right. Only to shake his doubt away, and contuine. The fact that Nier had the chance to change but didn’t, is such a tragedy.
I also love how the dynamic Nier-Shadowlord absolutely reflects Yoko Taro's philosophy and the game's discussion in general
'' You don't have to be evil to kill someone, you just have to think you're right ''
And that's it, none of them are evil in fact (especially Shadowlord lol)
I mean the whole Game revolves arround different perspectives, Shadowlord and brother Nier are not the only ones that suffers that, almost every piece of the puzzle was basically a story of people too focused on their goals that cloided their emlathu and reasonong, kaine is the same and she openly says that she don't give a crap about people anymore, just Nier and emil are the people that she cares, and will go.to.the depth of hell to protect them, emil the same
There can be no other way. Even if they did emphasize with each other, their only options are to continue as they would have or abandon everything they've been fighting for their whole lives so the other can have what they want. Only the shadowlords Yonah was pure enough and selfless enough to choose that option
I've always loved the lines that are said after you reach the climax of the fight
"Yonah, I can't live in a world without you."
"I have something to defend, I have a reason to live"
Also, the emotions that the Shadowlord expresses through body language and no facial expressions is just perfect here.
Yep, basically the fight ended the moment yonah left the Shadowlord, he Lost the Will to.fight
"she doesn't want the bodies and lives he's been fighting for, she hears replicant Yonah inside her cryin' to be let out and to see her brother and the original Yonah can't bear to take this girl's life away from her even if her only alternative is her own death"
I do not remember words ever hurting me so much before
🫂
I still remember the part of the music box. At this point you basically lost everything, Emil, Kaine, Weiss, just like the shadowlord, no one has anything left, part of me didnt want to continue thinking "what was the point anymore"? but I was so deep into this mess that, just like the shadowlord, had to end it all.
I very, very much hope you're talking about the game!
@@JonathanBarouchoh god I just realized 💀 yeah I would guess they’re just talking about the fight
I clicked on this video, not realizing it would be a full-blown musical theory analysis, and as a classically trained musician who also loves video games, I’m pleasantly surprised! This is excellently done! I’ll be looking at more of your content in the future 🎵
What a wonderful combination of passions! Thank you so much :)
@@JonathanBarouch I don't really know theory super good but I know enough to understand what you are saying and i play piano. I love video game music and thats my main go to. And nier is one of my fav ost's to listen to.
its amazing to hear songs that i really never paid much attention to (fleeting song, shadowlord) and just igniting the fire!
@@JonathanBarouch please do pokemon rgb music breakdown! haha
This is why NieR Replicant will always be my favorite game. The amount of thought and emotion placed behind not only the story-telling, but the music as well just makes it something special. It'll always serve to be one of my biggest inspirations, and a game that I'll never forget.
24:51 I loved that editing with the music, was a fun watch, good job
Edit cause I couldn't watch the video to the end earlier: I have never considered the fact that in the end, you didn't really beat the Shadowlord, he simply gave up, stopped fighting. I realized that he didn't care much about the fight anymore in phase 2 as he wasn't even listening to Nier and simply talking to himself, asking why Yonah had to betray everything he did for her, but I never considered that you didn't even really beat him but rather finished off a broken Shadowlord, who had nothing left to fight for and thus gave up.
This game is truly a masterpiece
That's my favorite part. I spent ages on the timing so it's really gratifying to hear that, thank you!
I won't lie, this made me cry. I have every Nier Replicant and Nier Automata song on my spotify playlist. Each time I listen to any one of them, I damn near tear up. The one that almost always makes me cry is End of Yorha weight of the world. The choir at the end always fucks me up.
that would be my favourite too, we definetly need a review of it alongside Kaine's salvation
If you don't know... That choir is made up of the devs.
Hot damn that cut to Nier reaching out for Grimoire Noir at 24:50 hits so hard. This whole breakdown just makes me appreciate the impact of the piece even more, and your attitude is great. Still cried a little listening to this song even in a musical deconstruction vid :/ lol
Excellent! The main goal of these videos is to make music more moving, so that's awesome. Thanks so much
This video is a masterpiece. Massive kudos to you, Jonathan. I have no doubt this channel will eventually blow up.
Ah yes, Nier. The story of one boy and his stalwart determination to ruin everything.
Inspirational
The original 2010 version of shadowlord is what introduced me to the nier series as a whole, and now it's my absolute favorite work of fiction period. Thank you so much for making this awesome analysis!!
What a cool way to find the game!
Hey same! But I played Automata first.
I'm glad someone decided to analyze this track. This is, in my opinion, one of the best songs I've ever listened to. The choir is just sublime.
And the amount of emotions conveyed on this track is unparalleled. I know nothing about music theory, so I'm glad you could give a more technical explanation as to why this song is so well composed.
My pleasure! I had a lot of fun making this video, and it means a lot to me that I've been able to help folks get closer to this incredible piece. Thank you!
Usually I would never watch a thirty minute video about the analysis of music. But this theme is since the release of Nier Replicant Ver. 1.22... always in my head. No matter what happens in my life, I will listen to this theme or at least specific parts of it. Just like the part with the music box. Thanks to you I can now understand better, why this piece of music has this immense impact to me. Thank you for this masterpiece of a video and of an analysis.
That's wonderful to hear! I'm glad it was worth your time. I've never made a video this long before but there is just SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT HERE
I didn’t know how to put into words why Shadowlord resonated so much even though I have no music theory knowledge. Thank you for making this amazing video!
This theme stuck with me more than other theme, it's what made me buy a keyboard.
Keichii Okabe is a genius, Evans work and voice is phenomenal.
I love NieR and it's music, there's nothing like it
This has always been one of my favorite final boss themes. Seeing the musical breakdown is really cool! I can't wait to see what you're working on next!
Next video will be "Scattered and Lost" from Celeste!
Every Nier analysis gets better and better. By the end you are going to make a Thesis-level video worth a PhD. I can’t even imagine how much time is involved for your video scripts. Truly impressive.
Regarding the video. I always wanted to understand the ingenuity of the final battle. Ever since playing it and facing the shadowlord over and over again while going through the multiple endings I have always felt like I can’t explain why it is so impactful. There are so many things going on. From the story’s climax, the mystery, the plot twists, the scenery, the pacing, and of course the music. Everything is so well integrated and even when knowing it is good, there are so many things to analyze that require knowledge in different fields. From writing, gaming, music, visual effects, color grading… That’s why I love these videos. I don’t know a lot about music but they really dig and explain the music very well. Thank you.
This script came with a lot of challenges! I clocked over 40 hours for the writing process. I'm hoping to get faster as I gain experience. You're very kind for saying all of this, thank you. I'm so happy I could help you deepen your connection with this awesome game!
Jon you did NOT just interrupt the most heartfelt and explosive moment of the track with insightful theory analysis and title the music "musical edging" I cannot believe your ass. 10/10 video.
This is better than One-Winged Angel honestly
Dangerous words to say on the internet! But I agree.
MOTHER would not agree.
I love Nier (replicant) because it feels like even if it's not explicitly stated, he seems to know more than what he lets on, and is trying really hard to not think about it with how much of a mess everything is by the end. The way the fight ends on the shadowlord just giving up says a lot, especially with how the piece ends. I always felt like since the story is really flexing the whole "same person, different hellish tragedy" angle, it just makes it all hurt so much more. He was living proof of how far Nier would go to do what he believes to be right and protect the ones he loves, because without them, boy can he spiral! It's 4am and I forget the other half of what I was saying, but it's so great to find videos like this that make you remember how dense and fun to pull apart these stories are.
I cried so hard when the music started to fade into the music box. It’s just so incredibly sad. I know a lot of people hate the remastered themes, but I love them a lot. Even though the original music has accompanied me longer in playlists I listened to after playing papa Nier.
Something about the remastered versions really struck a chord.
Except „The Dark Colossus Destroys All“, I miss the percussions in the remastered version.
I am so excited to watch this! It literally arrived at the perfect time for me. I'll edit this comment after I finish watching. :) God bless you, Jonathan!
EDIT: This video legitimately makes me feel like music theory is underappreciated because it's a difficult subject that is often taught in a mechanical fashion. Describing the music for this song in the manner that you did is how music theory should be taught. As you said in the video, composing music is like writing a story...and that line of thinking in terms of music theory never really crossed my mind until now. And the way you painted the Shadowlord's story through this lens made me feel like you put us in the minds of the composers. This is the story they wanted to tell through the music. It is both a triumph and a piece laced in so much despair that examining it in this way is almost painful. When playing through the game it is so easy to get distracted by everything else that's happening, and it's only by truly listening that we can hear the deeper meaning behind the music. What was supposed to be the greatest moment for Nier, turned into a bitter tragedy. Nier's actions ultimately doomed the world around him even though he was successful in saving Yonah. And the Shadowlord lost everything he spent thousands of years fighting for within minutes. The warmth we hear in the music sells both sides of this conflict because the Shadowlord and Nier are the same at their core. What they wanted most in the world was to save Yonah...but one of them had to fail and lose everything for the other to have victory. The intensity and ferocity of the later sections of the music really sells the desperation and grief these two characters embody. It's chilling how closely this struggle between the Shadowlord and Nier mirrors internal battles we all have when under extreme pressure and stress in situations where the decisions we make could either lead to happiness or deeper sorrow. This piece has so many emotional layers I'm honestly impressed that you managed to condense those layers into just a little over a half-hour. And I definitely want to crack open my dusty music theory textbook from college and re-learn it now. This is how you get people interested in examining music on a structural level. Well done, Jonathan. This was excellent. I can't wait to see what you do next. Best wishes and God bless you!
Beautifully said, Lilly, thank you so much! It really is almost painful. Thank goodness we're on this side of the 4th wall so we can get some catharsis out of it! I'm so happy to hear you're rediscovering your love of music theory :)
@@JonathanBarouch Thank you. :) I'd say your channel is pretty inspirational in that way. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way, so keep doing what you're doing. :) You're doing a wonderful job.
I watched this with zero knowledge about music and cords, yet I sat listening the the analysis as if it meant something to me, great video !
That's the goal!
"Or does he just... Stop..." oh god, who is cutting onions again?
This game is an absolute masterpiece. Timing the chords of the music to the point when Yona is about to give herself up for her replicant is just UNBELIEVABLY moving. Its things like this that set Nier appart from ANY jrpg. Second to none. Also the music box at the end just POUNDS emotion into your brain.
3:02 couldn't tell why my brain flickered until i rewatched it like 4 times lmao. nice
I've revisited this video countless times. I adore how you wove your words together to make already tender sequences so much more impactful and poetic. You've reshaped the entire way I approach this final act and I can't love it enough. ❤
That's a big deal!!! I'm honored to be part of your NieR experience
And all this because Devola and Popula didn’t want to hurt someone’s feelings…
Yes, there might have still been a major conflict. But at least everyone would’ve been aware of what they were choosing.
This is how you compose a track for an emotional Final Battle.
When you swapped out the battle with the scene from the intro I couldn't help but choke up, this video was so well done. I don't know very much about music theory, but it's fascinating to see how much goes into composing something like this, and I really appreciate your efforts in deciphering it all.
YEEEES IM SO GLAD YOU DID THIS I WAS HOPING YOH WOULD DO THIS SONG AFTER THE SNOW IN SUMMER ONE
Would love to see one on fleeting words outsider if you're still wanting to do replicant music 👀
I've added it to my list of possible future topics! So glad you liked the video. Thank you!
I will say, I did Ending D and E before I did Ending C, so when Kainé finally got her release then, after going through Ending E, I broke down there, this fight culminates so much pain and emotion in its expression of timing
Absolutely breathtaking. What a magical way of explaining music theory. NieR has some of my favourite songs ever created and this beautifully articulates why.
This is one of my faves, quite possibly top favourite piece of music from the whole nier franchise. Thank you for such an insightful video.
Thank you for watching! Good to see you again
I always like this OST, but after listening to you explain each portion of the music, wow. I now understand why I love it so much.
spoiler alert :
And it surprised me that Kaine Death or Nier Sacrifice at C and D ending don't really affect me much, But B ending where Shadowlord back to his teenager form crying because he can't protect Yonah and his friends ,then Yonah come with the " hey" "Tks for always being there for me" make lose my shiet and tears keep going while Ashe of dream playing 😭
Saaaaaame
Amazing breakdown. I really like that you're willing to stop explaning for long stretches of time to let the things you pointed out sink in in context. It's great.
And to say nothing of what aaall this would _come to mean_ in Automata, yeah? One of a handful of pivotal moments that define the world, story, and history of the Nier games. It changed so much, became so _mythical,_ and yet it's just... people being people. Doing what anyone, anything that could be called human, would have done in their shoes.
Thank you for your kind words! That's my secret, cap, the parts where I'm not talking are the meat of the video. The explanations are just there to make them hit harder. And yes, both Nier games are tragically, deeply human. And of course, neither of them ever shows a real, actual human.
Absolutely wonderful analysis! I've loved this piece for 10 years and yet I had so much to learn about it's composition and the tools which actually made it so impactful. Looking forward to whatever you decide to cover next!
I'm so happy you liked it! Next up is Scattered and Lost from Celeste. After that... who knows!
Every time i hear Shadowlord i get upset that i didnt write it and i will probably never write anything this ascendant. Truly a once in a lifetime masterpiece.
I played this game; finished the story and did all endings and STILL want to play it again, this is by far the game I ever played in my life !
This is easily the best informative theory video I've ever watched. You comprehensibly break down everything the piece does well, while also inserting a very charming sense of humour, and through your editing and script show an appreciation for Shadowlord, both the character and the song, equally as deep as your understanding of what makes it work. Thank you!
I just wanted to say thank you for this incredible video. I am a composer, this video has been my inspiration for many many months on my long journey to studying music professionally (which I will be starting in September!) I've been a pianist for almost my entire life, I have known the basics of music theory for a long while but without this video (and the Snow in Summer one) I wouldn't have decided to pursue it as seriously as I have. I am approaching the end of a piece designed to rescore this fight after learning what makes this piece so special on an intimate level. I just can't thank you enough for your incredible insight and beautiful way of putting your findings. I now understand everything said in this video and feel like I'm finally approaching the starting point of my journey. You are the best creator on this platform in my opinion. Thank you. I'll finish my rescore of Shadowlord in the coming days thanks to you, and I hope I have managed to understand what makes it as memorable as it is. Thank you for everything. Really, thank you.
Wow - I don't know what to say. I'm very lucky to be part of your story in this way. Thank you.
@@JonathanBarouch the fact you replied at all is more than enough for me! don't worry! and thank you! I just managed to finish my Shadowlord Rescore last night, it was my first big project and I couldn't have done it without you! Though I still think I could have better utilised relative key to get that almost tonally ambiguous sound to match the Shadowlord's frozen face...
I can't wait for this channel to blow up! Your content is some of the best that I have watched in a while, especially analysing some of the best music in video games. Keep it up man!
Jonathan i cannot overstate how incredible this video is. i only know the barest hint of music theory and the way you explain things makes it easy for even me to appreciate it.
Thanks to you explanation, the resolution at the top of section C (following A and D) instantly brought me to tears. like i involuntarily inhaled sharply and the tears spill out of me.
I loved Nier Replicant to pieces before this video but its flaws always made me wary to praise it too highly. after understanding the profundity of how the story, character arcs, world building, and music are weaved together, i can unabashedly say i think this game is a masterpiece.
thank you for giving me the confidence to somehow love this game even more
I can't put into words how happy I am you posted this. Thank you. I spent so long on that specific moment, hoping to give people exactly that experience. I'm honored to have helped, even a little
One of my fav pieces from this game, thank you for this video!
This gave me such a deeper appreciation for these games and their music. So glad I found your channel!
I've played through the various games a few times, dived into non-game lore, watched various lore videos and whatnot.
but I still cried watching this. gaddam.
love shadowlord so much. good vid
I absolutely love the storytelling with the music analysis bro. you earned a well deserved sub
I left a like just because you warned about the incoming spoilers
I'll come back when I've done the game.
nier has the most haunting story ive ever played through and the music just makes it all the more sadder. i remember hearing shadowlord and song of the ancients and just sitting like this 😨
I think this is the best video i've seen in a really long time. I'm seriously, this was an experience!
That's so kind! Thank you!
I love the qualtiy and effort you put into making this video. I dont under as much but your passion in the analysis is what compels me too keep watching it. And also, I love this piece. This moment in the game will never leave me.
NieR may be my favorite soundtrack of all time. Just the level of beauty and depth in each piece stands on a league of its own. But even among a sea of gems, two stand out to me as nothing less than pure masterpieces and they are Snow in Summer and Shadowlord. Shadowlord maybe actually be my favorite song in any video game PERIOD. It's such an awe-inspiring piece of music that I literally never get tired of hearing. NieR truly is the gold standard for video gaming music in my opinion, even if it's not super iconic or well-known.
I think Im too stupid to understand this video, although I love the emotions that Keiichi Okabe evokes in Yoko Taro's productions thanks to his music
It's amazing how you made me tear up again for Nier especially this scene while also making me learn music :,) Thank you so much for the content, now with this context I will never be the same hearing the Shadowlord's theme. I also have to agree, the last section when you're about to do the killing blow and the theme turns into a music box version was one of the most powerful fight scenes I have to do in a video game that I had to pause the game for a bit to prepare myself. Also ending B's version makes it even harder to do
This was wonderful to read, thank you! Love that you had to pause, what a strong experience.
Damn the "so listen" part got me 😭
I love these kind of vids! I love video game soundtracks and you are breaking it down on why I love them so much. Also love learning about the why as well. Thank you for posting and can’t wait for more!! 😊
Thank you for this video. Shadowlord is my favorite song, probably ever? NieR RepliCant/Gestalt is also my favorite game of all time. This song has stuck with me for so many years, and it feels really powerful when you sing it (which I only really do when I'm alone, but still). There's so much I could talk about when it comes to NieR, but I don't want to flood the comments so I'll leave it at "God, what a fucking game"
I just found you today, and I gotta say I've fallen in love with the videos already lol. You perfectly described why I've held Shadowlord as one of the greatest pieces (in my opinion) to ever be created. Nier is a special series in my heart because the OST along with the storyline is some of the most thought provoking I've ever experienced. Thank you for such a great video.
When i was playing the last run it just so happened to sync with the choir harmonizing with Weiss' scream and it was genuinely haunting.
When I finished the game and played it again and realized that the book in the intro scene wasn't Weiss it made it 100x more sad 😭
Since I first heard 'Shadowlord' it's one of my favorite pieces. Thank you for explaining what exactly makes it so special :) I also really liked your editing, it's easy to follow your points and appreciate the music
These videos are all excellent, thank you for making them
This video was up there with the song in terms of how beautiful it is. Well done mate, incredible take! 🙌🙏❤️
IMO the remaster did such an amazing job with this perticular music, it only had one version in the original, creating 2 different versions of the theme for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the fight was just brilliant, and made this track one of the best exemple of story telling through just music alone, even without the context you can sort of guess what is happening at each phases of the music, this track was already great in the original the Remaster turned it into my absolute favorite Final Boss Theme ever.
Big thank you for breaking at showcase just how well the track was composed.
Great video! The piece has stayed with me for a long time. One of my all time favorites
Thanks so much for making this video! It's a masterful analysis, and recontextualizes why I liked this piece so much when I finished the game.
When I read the title I thought it'd be an analysis of the character "Shadowlord", I can't say how much happier I was when you said it was about his theme! It was an amazing video, thank you very much! I always enjoy learning more about what goes on composing these masterful tracks that we love. Earned my subscribe and I can't wait to watch more of your content!
I took a music theory course years ago and I wish I had taken it more seriously. It’s so interesting to learn how deliberate the composition is.
Ohhh yes, new video!! Glad to be early for this one, bet it will be amazing as always!
I cannot BELIEVE how fast you got here! Welcome welcome
This is just stellar work. Thank you for doing so much justice for my favorite NieR series piece with your analyses!!
One thing I love about Yoko Taro's approach to conflict is he doesn't make a clear good vs evil narrative, it's just people fighting people due to circumstance. That might not be obvious at first, but as you progress route to route, ending to ending, pieces of everyone's stories are revealed and pieced together into a single tragedy.
You would expect "Shadowlord" to be an edgy warrior of the darkness, not a brother/father trying to protect Yonah for over a thousand years, and failing, and just giving up at the end with a music box melody.
Why can I play this 200 times over but you playing sweet tunes makes me cry you evil man you!
Really, I am angered at the views score… For real?! This video is a masterpiece! It deserves much more attention!
Thank you for your work, it is amazing!
I can't believe Reggie Fils-aime likes my channel! No but seriously, thank you. I can be patient! Slowly getting new viewers like you with every upload :)
straight up goosebumps at the end
Finding your channel was one of the best things ever, I love the NieR series, the story, the music, everything. Your breakdowns make me appreciate them even more!
Yesterday I finished my one year d&d campaign and the final boss was a Hexblade Warlock, so I used Shadowlord Theme, 'cause it's my favorite music since the 1.22 version
Ahhh I LOVE using video game music for D&D! Great choice.
Ah, I see you are a fellow man of good taste.
Thank you, thank you very much for doing such an in-depth analysis of this song and the snow in summer.
You are awesome!
Yesss! First of all great work on the video and thank you for putting so much effort into it! Ok so it was in the C section that I had been thinking about. Ah that part is just SO powerful. I’ll admit sometimes I can analyze something and see what musical function it is but somehow not understand that right there is the reason it has emotional depth. I’m like “oh cool, key change” and then you explained it so eloquently on why it exists that I had an ohhhhh moment haha
I feel similarly! A lot of these observations don't enter my brain until I'm in the writing process for these videos. It's like abstract connect-the-dots lol. I LOVE Section C. Thanks so much for your kind words and continued support!
24:48 that immaculate timing and transition is insane
I don't usually comment but I must applaud you for your incredible work. I have basically no musical education and english isn't even my first language, so I regurlary have a hard time understanding what you're saying but your editing, visual highligts and even your tone make a wonderful job of making me feel the music and pointing to me what's the cause.
I've seen other musical analysis or musics from Nier (and Automata) and even if they thaught me things, no one else before achieved to make me learn music theory AND made me feel more of the music.
So thank you so much for your fabulous work, you changed the way I listen to this song probably forever, for now I have whole channel of new videos to watch.
Thank you so much!! It means the world to me that you had that experience even with the language barrier and small music background. My goal isn't really to teach music. If I do, great! But I'm mostly here to make people feel something they didn't before. So if that happened for you, you understood every second that mattered. Thank you.
So perfectly tuned with the silence of an essays end,
after hearing such emotion, what else is most proper if not silence?
One of my favorite songs in gaming ever since I heard it back on the ps3
Holy shit, dude. You did it again! I remember playing Nier Replicant remaster the first time and that transition to the music box rendition of Shadowlord made me so emotional that I had to pause the game and collect myself. I'm so SO glad that you ended the video discussing that transition and its narrative implications. Yoko Taro is a master of using small cues to clue the player in that something bigger we don't yet fully understand is underfoot. And taking what should feel like a triumphant GamerTM moment and underpinning it with surprisingly somber music is SUCH an effective tool in his kit. Every good fight has an emotional arc to match and it is so imperative that the music supports both. Shadowlord is a track that is really, really good at that. Thanks so much for sharing and putting so much effort into this video, you're quickly becoming one of my favorite gaming-focused channels and really elevating the appreciation for what game music composers, arrangers, and performers do!
Thank you for taking the time to write this out, and for your support! It means a lot.
You deserve so much recognition for this video
wow, amazing work bro this was really good!
I never thought a musical analysis video would be able to make me hurt so much but I just hit the end of it and now I am ugly crying. That was excellently done.
This is fantastic. I absolutely love the music in Replicant, and it's great to see you talk about it in so much detail :)
Thank you for making this video. It's greatly emphasised not only to the song but it's meaning and how it works and etc as well. I also liked the last part of the narration, "...you quickly realise, this is just some guy. We can't see his hope and despair beneath his frozen face, but every person has them without exception. And if you listen carefully, you can hear them. So listen...", it feels like something that Yoko Taro wanted us to know when we play this game. Please keep up the hard work there!
Amazing video, thank you
Why I am so hype for each of your videos ?
Yoko Taro: 'This is only 5% of my despair'