*Note For The SPOILER Segment* Regarding the, "Hey! Hey!" line from Jecht--I will have to explain how Casen and I got this wrong AGAIN in a future episode. It's like... glitch in the matrix level stuff. I have no idea how it happened, but we both watched a video, of the English version, where that was omitted and assumed it was on purpose. Every other video I have looked at since then has the, "Hey! Hey!" in English as well. I have NO idea what video we watched where it wasn't there. I can't explain it. I can't find it again. But both Casen and I watched it at the same time. Out of the mouth of two witnesses, haha.
I went and checked about this after commenting on a previous episode. It seems the lines are there even on the original NTSC release. So it seems the line was there in all versions after all. I wonder what clip you've seen :D
Yeah I was 17 back then, late puberty, and tbh i didn't get this game (confusing german subtitles didn't help). Therefore it was never one of my favorites and therefore i never replayed it until now. The Remaster is mindblowingly good btw, except for the animations it could be released today and still would hold up. And yeah, the story and what they talk about here in all detail...truly fascinating. Love it.
Great detailed analysis in this episode. It's interesting how Mike is really focused on dialogue, English voice acting, cinematography, etc. And Casen is really focused on the Symbolic elements with the environments and character designs/outfits. You make a great team! Really solid episode.
@01:22:48 Concerning Lulu’s harshness toward Wakka (which relates to earlier comments concerning Tidus), it’s important to note that she is also pretty harsh toward Yuna and her wish to include Tidus in the party at this moment. The full quote is, “No matter how much you want it, no one can take Chappu's place. No one can replace Sir Jecht, for that matter. And there's no replacement for Lord Braska, either. It's pointless to think about it, and sad.” So she actually is quite resistant, in a sense, to Yuna’s wish. I think it just reinforces her noble ‘Big Sister’ role - her inclination to stress the reality of their situation. Her comments are sometimes cold but I think it’s her way of showing affection, a way of trying to protect them. Just my two cents!
It’s essentially hurt people hurt people. She’s in grief and is overcorrecting by being cold and closed off, and she’s projecting that to other people thinking it’s wisdom to close yourself from vulnerability. And as the game progresses she opens up and begins to be impressed by Tidus and the positive force he brings to the group and especially Yuna Obviously I agree, just hijacking the well written analysis by chipping in my own cents 😉
I honestly think that Lulu catches onto Tidus right away. Because she’s focused on how he’s not like Chappu or Jeckt, she sees more of who he really is than Yuna or Wakka might initially. Going back to the “more than Sin’s toxins” line, one interpretation that the boys didn’t mention is Lulu finally realizing that Tidus may be telling the truth. About everything. He has nothing to hide. And I think this interpretation explains why she ultimately caves and explains the Sending. At this point, I think she’s more about making sure that everyone’s making the choices they are for the right reasons rather than any active vitriol towards Tidus. Yuna may be the first person to believe Tidus, but that’s because of her relationship with Jeckt. Lulu is the first to realize Tidus is telling the truth because of how monumentally clueless he is.
36:13 There's something really important here when you point out that Tidus is the only one who does not venerate his father like the other characters do. I'd argue that this difference in opinion, formed by his childhood experiences obviously, is what makes Tidus so outwardly question the customs and traditions of Spira and Yevon. His irreverence is not simply due to his being an outsider - it is an integral part of his personality which originates in his anger towards his father (who is essentially a god-like figure). Contrast this with Yuna who loves her father (who also has god-like status) and clearly wants to follow in his footsteps, which manifests in extreme devotion to the traditions of Yevon. Yet despite these different perspectives, both Yuna and Tidus ultimately strive for the same goal over the course of the story. It's amazing how thoughtfully these characters are sketched out in these first few segments of the game.
I love this comment. You and I are on the same wave length here. In Episode 5 I say almost the exact same thing you did when Titus and Yuna get to talk more about Jecht and Braska. You'll see it next week!
The thing is, Jecht is shown to be an awful person via Tidus' memories, and not just subjectivity, but as fact. It's not just him being verbally abusive, but also a drunk in a way the ruins people around him, in the memories there is a sequence with child Tidus who speaks how he almost ruined the game for his team because of him being drunk, which in response Jecht immediately snaps at him. It's not a matter of perspective either, because Jecht does the same with braska and auron with the shoepuff accident. Not only that, Tidus' mother also seems to kinda neglect him and being mostly interested in Jecht, after he "died" she lost the will to live and died soon after, which probably amplified the hatred Tidus had for Jecht. All of this makes Tidus' life really tragic in its own way, and jecht is in the center of it all In Spira he was different only gradually, and in my opinion it's because he was kinda humbled by the reason he was in a strange land, losing all the things he knew.
This game continually reminds me why I love Yuna as a character. I wanted to comment on her asking Tidus to become a guardian. It wasn't really touched on too much, but I think it speaks to her mindset, especially because the request is sudden and seems to come out of left field. A big part of it stems from their conversation on the boat. Tidus confirmed that Jecht was his father, and I think the idea of having Jecht's son as her guardian gives her a connection to her own father that she hasn't had in a long time. Tidus is also one of the few people who have zero expectations of Yuna, and with her all the responsibilities she carries as being a summoner, he's like a breath of fresh air. Someone to laugh with who isn't holding her on a pedestal. And, of course, at this point I think the crush is starting to form, so selfishly she wants him around. Great podcast! I look forward to Wednesday now just to watch it. Thanks for your time and effort.
Just about every fault in Squall and Rinoa's romance is remedied in this game. Tidus and Yuna come together in such an organic but fatalistic way it's almost too perfect. I kinda wish there was more talk about how well they Gel together in minor ways that tie together to create a whole. Hell if they wanted to do an episode contrasting the faults ans successes of the two games relating to romance I'd be down for it
@@richardnash6111 I was going to say -- personally, the times I've played through this game, the reasons for why Yuna wants Tidus to stick around have been pretty obvious/natural. Having their connection through Jecht means that he isn't just some rando who washed up on the beach one day. And even if he was, Yuna strikes me as the kind of person who would be curious enough to invite a complete stranger to come along anyway. Especially if she felt it was the right thing to do. As far as this game's romance, though, I don't think I would rate their romantic chemistry as particularly amazing. To me, if it weren't for the classic cutscene in Macalania woods, their relationship feels more like a tragic friendship than a romance. But, to be honest, I think that's actually pretty fitting considering the two characters. It's nice to see a game that doesn't default to overt physical/sexual overtones, and I suppose, just as in real life, a good romance starts as a good friendship.
Listening to this podcast series has been the only thing in years that has actually taught me anything I didn't know about FFX. I adore this. It's fantastic.
Considering they've already done FFT and VS and will likely cover FF12 in the future, I think TO is extremely likely just to continue exploring Matsuno's storytelling and worlds
Great episode. I can remember playing this game in 2001 when I was 19 years old. My relationship with my Dad was terrible, and still is. Everyone else around, including my Mom thinks my Dad is wonderful. All his business partners, etc. think he's so fantastic but he's always been a terrible father. Never there, can't make conversation with me when he is, missed birthdays, verbally just not helpful when I was a child at all. I always felt a close connection to FFX because some part of me could relate to what Tidus was going through. Thanks for touching on that!
No no, Wantz saves the binoculars, because you ask to borrow them later and he says "remember what happened last time?", Wantz then uses them to spy on Yuna.
That's not Wantz. Just a bloke with binoculars. Wantz is wearing a blue shirt and green headband. You see him for the first time sometime after Operation Mi'ihen, iirc. I know you definitely run into him at the Thunder Plains inn, he takes Yuna's photo, then if you follow him back to Guadosalam, he's talking to his sister on the Farplane and shows her Yuna's picture.
I always saw Lulu's shift in how she treats Tidus because of the end of The Sending scene. When she realizes Tidus isn't making up his story, and doesn't have the ability to say out loud what she means when he inquires. But I agree, a scene there would have made more sense and helped that transition a lot.
Yeah, at some point he stops being some outsider with a crazy story who's managed to con Wakka, and becomes a travelling companion who genuinely makes Yuna feel better and has a crazy history. Given the weight of expectation Yuna carries, both as a summoner responsible for Sending, and as an aspiring High Summoner, the fact Tidus can get her to genuinely laugh (particularly in _that_ scene probably coming up next time) is a huge thing for a big sister/surrogate parent like Lulu.
I think she came into terms with this by herself. At least more accepting than fully onboard. I think there is another scene in the future where she starts explaining some stuff and it becomes clear to Tidus she already accepted it. She just did it very passively and on her own.
Great episode guys ! Concerning Yuuna's clothes, I don't know if someone has already pointed that out but the colour code used by Nomura is also in line with the "day meeting night" and dusk theme. The way I interpret it is the bottom elements being the ocean coloured by the sunset making it deep blue/purplish, the top being of course the last minutes of white daylight and finally the obi in the middle (a fabric band at the waist for kimonos) being gold yellow like that part of the sky that is painted by the sun. And the hibiscus flower tied to that specific place, the obi, is where Yuuna stands in this world. I think this is important because that symbol could have been put in her hair or on her chest like a broach. But Nomura seems to have thought specifically on that ornament ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I cannot possible explain how much I look forward to these episodes. FFX is one of my top favorite games and this podcast is one that actually goes into such great detail and I can tell how much you guys love this game as much as I, and others, do. Thank you so much, you guys are doing a great job 💙
I'm a month behind, but I'm loving the spoiler segments because sometimes I get afraid that you'd miss something that we mentally put a pin on it, but after a dozen intense recordings, they're easy to forget to return to.
The aftermath of Sin. Very reminiscent of hurricanes here in the Caribbean. After surviving Hurricane Maria in 2017, I can confirm this to be true. So heartbreaking to see so much destruction. Honestly gives me goosebumps every time I watch that scene. This game is such a masterpiece
I love how you guys are having this somber discussion about the Sending ritual after the destruction of Kilika Port, and Chocobo Jam starts playing in the background with this upbeat swinging 16th notes rhythm lol
I know I'm some weeks late for this, but I fetching love FFX, and I am here for some deep dive analysis of anything and everything in it. Yuna's flower symbolism carries over into the sequel. Several of her outfits are evocative of flowers, including her special mode which has her at the middle of a giant flower. The colors are more white and blue than red, and I don't know enough about flower symbolism to know if there's any significance to that.
Hey, great episode as always. On the subject of the book club style questions at the end, I’d say keep doing them, but maybe also you could stitch all those parts together to form a q&a style episode at the end so anyone who did skip it to avoid spoilers would have an easy way to get all that content later. Looking forward to the next episode, keep it up!
Regarding the "spoiler" about Auron -- I don't view it as a spoiler at all. This is how I viewed it the first time I played the game. I feel pretty confident that you're supposed to read it that way. When I first played the game, I just viewed it as him being a sort of aloof, maybe even suicidal guy. I mean he is literally standing on the edge of a tall building, without handrails or anything when he does it. It also makes sense to view it in the "spoiler" context, given how Auron literally talks to sin at the end scene of Zanarkand.
I recently found out that tidus doesn’t actually time travel but his zanarkand exists simultaneously with the current time where Yuna lives. Sin just lets them travel through the barrier that hides the dream zanarkand
I love that you end up every episode just like it was a class lesson where you leave some homework for the class suggesting until when and where we should play the game;) keep up the good discussion. I'd personally listen to 100 of these podcasts.
The hymn in this sending is my favorite version. The drums, the piano, the voices... I had to pause the video and watch it again. I enjoy their analysis of it and what's leading up to it, and how much they appreciate it. I'll need to watch more of their videos.
You mentioned the shattering of the screen at the start of battle, and I have some additional context for this. In the original plans for the game, the goal would be to have encounters occur without any transition from the Walking Around phase to the Battle phase, but this was ultimately not realized until FF12 was released later. Instead, they took a more traditional approach, where the walking phase is effectively put on hold while the battle phase is loaded (in memory) and executed, and then at the end of battle unloaded and re-loaded to the state of the navigation mode. It was possible for the PS2 to execute the dream (again, see FF12), but there were problems around developing the engine to support it in time for release, so it ultimately didn't make it into the game. To your point, the shattering effect itself was a way to mask the engine loading all the battle parameters without it feeling like a loading screen, a technique used in previous FF games.
(21:42) One thing I always noted playing growing up…was my surprise that Tidus didn't know what a Ronso was….I guess 1000 years later is a long time but…did the Ronso as a species not exist when Zanarkand did? Maybe that lore is out there and I just dont know it. But I always took it to note about how technological Zanarkand was, but clearly was also very insulated and knew nothing of the outside world…cause Ronso had to have existed 1000 years ago. But perhaps just entirely separate from Zanarkand itself…. love the commentary. wish I had friends like you to chat like this with growing up playing these titles. These are fantastic to listen through. Love the content.
I think of it in terms of Tidus being more akin to a memory instead of a representative of the actual the Zanarkind of the past. The people of Dream Zanarkind don't remember Ronso simply because the afterlife they constructed for themselves didn't see a need to include them in it
@@eminentbishop1325 this.. For a long time I believed there'd been a 1000 year time skip as well, but I think it was some UA-cam video breakdown of the story that explained exactly what's going on. Essentially that there is no time skip at all.
@@eminentbishop1325 Totally see that point of view. I guess it never clicked that way for me because he has some pretty vivid memories of everything else that happened in his past…and of Zanarkand. But either theory is fun to assume! What a great game eh?
Been loving these podcasts for a while now. Watched all of FFVIII, FFT and Vagrant Story but this one is the first one I'll play along, felt like the perfect time to revisit. Looking forward to the rest!
For the delivery of "That's the sword you gave Chappu", I can see two possible explanations for the flat read: one is that the line is just clunky exposition so the player knows the score; the other is that Lulu's feeling a complex mix of emotions and not wanting to express any of them, so arrives at a flat affect. Yuna's luggage: it could be the opposite of her trying to bring her past with her - she could be clearing out all the things she won't need once she's High Summoner. Walking on water: it probably uses the same spell that keeps water in the Blitzball arena.
I pointed this out in a youtube comment 11 years ago on this FMV and got quite a few responses implying many didn't notice. The last shot (at 01:07:24 in this vid) shows Tidus literally standing on water while glowing with an aura.. Just seconds ago, Tidus was actually standing on the dock beside Lulu, so it's mysterious how he randomly ended up jesus-walking behind Yuna for 1 shot. For next SPOILER Discussion: I'd be curious on how Mike & Casen interpret this knowing the nature of Tidus. This almost certainly isn't a goof, and the glowing effect is too pronounced for simple backlighting. Does the Sending affect him to have an out-of-body experience? Does the dance have an AoE on other paranormal beings? Can he see things we can't, resulting in his uneasy narration afterward? Would love to know your thoughts and observations!
17:30 The one other thing the affection metor changes is who tosses the Blitzball when Tidus does final overdrive. Most likely it'll be Yuna. But it can also be Rikku or Lulu.
It’s funny, my wife and I had both started replaying the game these last few weeks. Her and I both really liked the transition with how Lulu treats Tidus once Yuna is all “Come with!” We always interpreted her shift from annoyance/antagonism to big sis/mom energy as being for the reasons you stated, but without it needing to be explained. Not saying that an extra scene wouldn’t have been cool, because I’m sure it would’ve been. But we picked up on it just fine. We kind of liked that it was seemingly just implied. Love your podcast so much, this is some of the best stuff on UA-cam.
I found something interesting on the original version. There is an unused cutscene of a conversation between Yuna and Lulu. The script for that scene is basically Yuna saying "hes not from here, hes from Zanarkand, like Jecht". And this helps change Lulu's opinion of Tidus, as Yuna believes he isn't from Spira, because Jecht wasn't from Spira The scene was included in the International version of the game, but removed for all of the remasters.
There are a few more instances of the affection mechanic for your reference (tried not to be Spoiler-y, but don't read if worried): ... ... ... Snowmobile scene: Auron, Kimahri, Rikku or Lulu (don't think Wakka) Key scene in Guadosalam: Rikku or Lulu A few very minor scenes before big battles in late game: All party members It also affects which party member tosses the blitzball in Tidus' final overdrive: Lulu, Rikku or Yuna I think you guys should look up all the snowmobile scenes and Guadosalam scenes as they all add something (sometimes too much!?) to the main lore. EDIT: Also forgotten to mention that a simpler affection mechanic exists between Luzzu and Gatta for unique outcomes. Very spoiler-y, but make sure you look into these!
In response to your spoiler section I always wondered how much control Jecht has over Sin. It seems like when he's around Tidus it's mostly Jecht in control but then he goes off and destroys Kilika. I don't have an answer to this but it might make an interesting discussion.
I think the person who becomes Sin has more control in the beginning and that's why there's always a period of "Calm" after each time Sin is defeated. They lose that control over time though and that's when the attacks start happening. I feel like Jecht is near the point of losing any control over Sin at the time the game starts.
I kind of agree with @nano glitch here. I always just assumed that it's probably episodic periods of control that become less frequent and shorter in duration the closer they get to completely losing control. But I guess it's hard to say with complete certainty.
I feel he's becoming beastial with tiny memories of his family and loved ones. He's pursuing his son and the daughter of his friend out of instinct and love but can't make contact without going wild and being destructive. Think of it similarly to Werewolf lore.
@@omensoffate i definitely don't think this is the case. SPOILERS during the final battle he discusses that he will soon lose control again, and the hymn of the faith seems to have a quiescent effect on sin as it reminds it of its former humanity, and a few other tidbits throughout the game too.
With the size of XIV, that'd be like.. What.. 400 episodes? I'd totally be here for it, that game is incredible. I'm still new to the channel though, so would they even cover an mmo? Or have they stated plans to cover XIV at all?
your guys podcast has helped me get thru the Long days of work . keep up tge awesome work . I love all the symbolic stuff you guys discover makes me rethink parts of the game I remember.
10:15 I don't know if it's true, but the way I interpreted Lulu, being flat tone about the sword, is that she shows her anger and that to Wakka in "private" but she's being cold because Tidus is there. She didn't realize that Tidus was during the conversation last night.
Maybe I missed you saying it at another point but there may have been a slight oversight here: you instructed newcomers to the game on what section to play until for the next podcast... But you put that instruction at the end of the spoiler section that they were supposed to leave the video for! 🤣
I mostly watch the podcast of games I've played myself. I love to dive deep into a new world and hopefully learn to understand it. 🧙♂️ Thanks for your work and good luck with the show.
In the English line for Lulu talking about Chappu's sword it sounds more like "You're doing this, huh?"/"You know what you're doing, right?", idk how to word it much better. I think Lulu being actively angry/emotionally expressive would feel a little off; she gave her mind the night before and probably knows that Wakka isn't going to change overnight. It felt more of a cold musing while giving Tidus information to make the exchange notably more awkward.
You should make a final compilation of all the end-of-episode spoilers for all the people who are spoiler-sensitive. Post it at the end of the series so they can catch all these things they may have missed.
As far as the spoiler section at the end, having played the game, I really like it. A lot of the stuff is relevant now if you know what's coming, and I enjoy hearing your takes on it now, rather than waiting until the end of the entire series, where a lot of the items will probably have been forgotten.
Lulu isn't annoyed at Tidus. She starts to accept that he isnt from Spira. Tidus even mentions that same thing. Later Lulu is the one that tells wakka to tell Tidus he should be a guardian
1:06:20 The sending is literally in the Game's logo as well. The FFX logo is Yuna on the left, performing a sending while facing a wave of water which is also SPOILER in the shape of Braska's Final Aeon.
The scene with Lulu and Waka when Tidus gets the brotherhood is interesting one with a lot of contrasting view points. I see Lulus flat delivery as a way of communicating she’s tired of pointing out the same thing and scolding Waka because they both had that argument. But to Waka credit and Marks also as pointed out because he’s giving away a keep sake. Additionally it works even better as after giving the sword to Tidus he accepts the sword something Chappu doesn’t. It all works together in interesting ways with a few different ways to read the situation.
Hell yeah, guys. Thanks for doing this. I remember my older brother bought this game even though we didn't have a PS2, so I just read the manual over and over again. lol I eventually played it a couple years later 😂
So regarding the name of Tidus's home team, it could be much simpler than the name of a guy. In my opinion, "Abe" is just shortened from "A-Block" like a slang term, one syllable instead of two.
About the moment, Wakka giving Tidus the sword: I think, Lulu is just so fed up, that she doesnt seem to emote. This is a some kind of common behaviour for reserved personalities.
For anyone who dips out for the spoiler segment, the next place to stop is after Luca, travel down the Mi'Hen High road until Auron makes the party stop to rest.
Amazing video guys love your work I've been pouring through your content it's been keeping me sane, healthy and happy, thank you. I wish I had friends like you guys that I could talk about my passions with. I can't wait to play this game 🖖
In the farplane thing in Guadosalam you can see Chappu (Wakka is "talking to him"), and he looks nothing like Tidus, so maybe they refer to Tidus personality XD
I was thinking the same thing. I found a thread on reddit where people were comparing their actual face models from the game though and I guess there is some similarity.
I would like to address the change in how Lulu treats Tidus. I. The original international version, there is a scene between Yuna and Lulu where Yuna states that "like his father, tidus isn't from Spira". And there is another scene (also only in the international version) between Yuna and Auron where Auran says that Tidus isn't from Spira. There is also a scene on the boat between Besaid and Kilika that was only in the international version, where Wakka says "I believe he is from Zanarkand, so he might not know things as we do". All of those scenes are only in the original international version, but not in the remasters. The scene between Wakka and Lulu on the ship is the extended scene in the Japanese version, but the player has to force the extension through the selection they are given.
I'm watching this as I've been on the couch sick playing through FF13, and they're totally right about the similarities between the two games. Also, so far, the writing in FF13 is much better than I remember. They do a fantastic job of foreshadowing twists and doing characterization. Like, there's this moment where Sazh has to explain to Vanille who Dysley is and what's been going on between Pulse and Cocoon, and he asks her jokingly "What, did you sleep through History?" And she's like "Pretty much." And then there's the purposeful irony of NORA standing for No Obligations, Rules, or Authority. Lightning rolls her eyes at the group's name and meaning, but in reality Snow is more willing to both lead and follow authority than Light, and is the one who takes on direct responsibility for others and trying to fulfill his promises, where Lightning repeatedly tries to abandon the group.
(1:05:55) Just speculating…but do we know where Lady Ginnem descended from? Lulu's first summoner?? Doesn't seem that long ago…perhaps she was Kilika's summoner for that time? I love the theories your dialogues evoke…this many years removed from the game!
Hey you two, I really enjoy your Podcast. I came for ff8 and never left. ********Spoilers for FF6 , FF7, FF8 , FF9 & FF10********* When you talk about the destruction of Kilika I realised that a destruction of a city is a recurring theme in the FF-series: The Esper Village & the World of balance (FF6), Sector 7. Nibelheim (FF7), Trabia Garden (FF8), Burmecia, Cleyra, Lindblum, Alexandria, Madain Sari, Terra (FF9) and Kilika, Home and Zanakand (FF10). I find it fascinating how these events always serve as an emotional turning point in the stories. They use them for a great variety of effects. However even in FF9 where every major city get's destroyed, they always going for a different emotion. It is never just another city. Even though you literally fight for the fate of the world in these Games these events seem to be to big for these characters to comprehend. One trick they pull is, that you know some of these towns befor their destructions. Howerver even afterwards the towns stay an integral part of the game. FF10 seem to me special in this regard. You kinda know Zanakand befor it's destruction. But the Zanakand ruins are one of the last places you get to see. This collides so well with the devastating truth of Yuna's pilgrimage. The attack on Kilika noteably is turning up the stake as well as it being the starting pount of Titus' matureing. All charakter development is triggert by destruction. With the added culture background it is a devastating gut punch. However it is also symbolise the resilience of the humans and foreshadows the mood for the game till the breaking point with Yunalesca. One more thing in regards of Yuna. As her theme is the night she seems to be only able to truely express herself in the night. At daytime she hat to keep up her facade as an symbol of hope. The seending, happening at dusk seems like one of the few times she expresses herself through her art or dutys as a summoner.
I also believe Abe for the Zanarkand Abes is being used for the short of Abraham because of the name's meaning "He who is Father" as a reference to Jecht. I also have a recollection that Abe is an obsolete way to call someone a "man of the sea" or "captain", but I've found no information to corroborate this. Just a weird memory I have from childhood, maybe from Captain Ahab and knowing a few sailors with the name Abraham like Abe Godwin, Lincoln (the president's grandfather), and Smith.
31:00 I'm a woman and never minded Lulu's appearance. She's such a complex, interesting character, so the appearance of her doesn't bother me at all. Love the discussion of symbolism and art design!
This is extremely petty if you will, but some very minor feedback for the production side of things - not sure how much time or effort cost this will require but I would really enjoy during specific moments or scenes that you're talking about (Yuna's dance etc) that the music in the background would accompany it. I enjoyed that when Sin was attacking Zanarkand in a previous episode, that the Rock anthem attuned to that scene was playing - however it is randomly inserted here too. I did hear Besaid Island at one point - so not sure if you just run out of tracks or something. Thanks again for this amazing podcast!
Regarding your comments about Lulu's character, I found this interesting quote from Nojima. Asked who was the character he had the most trouble writing for, he answered: “It’d have to be Lulu,” says Nojima. “If she were just cute, it would’ve been simpler, but I had no samples in mind of how a pretty or beautiful lady like her would think or live. I don’t think that Watanabe (Daisuke) who worked with me had any ideas either.”
That would-be scene where Lulu tells Yuna that Tidus joining them is a bad idea and Yuna arguing that Jecht’s son being here is no coincidence, is 100% my head canon as far as I’m concerned.
With regards to the name of the Abes - aren’t they the Blitzball team from Zanarkand’s A Block? I just assumed “Abe” would be a slang term for someone from A Block.
I think you can forgive the negative aspect of Wakka since it's primarily motivated by grief over his brother. A lot of his pilgrimage is about closure over his brother and making new bonds. I do like that they lowkey explain why he's that way before it comes up so an astute player will pick it up early on. Obviously it's not justified but people can be crazy with how they process grief.
*Note For The SPOILER Segment*
Regarding the, "Hey! Hey!" line from Jecht--I will have to explain how Casen and I got this wrong AGAIN in a future episode. It's like... glitch in the matrix level stuff. I have no idea how it happened, but we both watched a video, of the English version, where that was omitted and assumed it was on purpose. Every other video I have looked at since then has the, "Hey! Hey!" in English as well. I have NO idea what video we watched where it wasn't there. I can't explain it. I can't find it again. But both Casen and I watched it at the same time. Out of the mouth of two witnesses, haha.
Mike, when you do your additions where only you speak, could you do one in the same style as a Tidus monologue. It would be so funny 😂
With the remastered OST it’s harder to hear it when compared to the original OST.
Good old Jecht Berensein is at it again!
I'd wager a quirk with the remaster
I went and checked about this after commenting on a previous episode. It seems the lines are there even on the original NTSC release. So it seems the line was there in all versions after all.
I wonder what clip you've seen :D
Coming back to this game 20 years later through the eyes of an adult is wild and i'm here for it
Yeah it's something else, I didn't expect it to hit different, but it hit hard
I remember Lulu a lot nicer, but now that I see it again 😅
It still holds up too guys. Replayed last summer and it was great.
Yeah
I was 17 back then, late puberty, and tbh i didn't get this game (confusing german subtitles didn't help).
Therefore it was never one of my favorites and therefore i never replayed it until now.
The Remaster is mindblowingly good btw, except for the animations it could be released today and still would hold up.
And yeah, the story and what they talk about here in all detail...truly fascinating. Love it.
Great detailed analysis in this episode. It's interesting how Mike is really focused on dialogue, English voice acting, cinematography, etc. And Casen is really focused on the Symbolic elements with the environments and character designs/outfits. You make a great team! Really solid episode.
It's so good when they can say "Oh cool I didn't notice that," because it helps them know how the audience will be receiving it. Great structure.
Yeah that’s a really good point about the dynamic that they are coming from different sides!
@01:22:48 Concerning Lulu’s harshness toward Wakka (which relates to earlier comments concerning Tidus), it’s important to note that she is also pretty harsh toward Yuna and her wish to include Tidus in the party at this moment. The full quote is, “No matter how much you want it, no one can take Chappu's place. No one can replace Sir Jecht, for that matter. And there's no replacement for Lord Braska, either. It's pointless to think about it, and sad.” So she actually is quite resistant, in a sense, to Yuna’s wish. I think it just reinforces her noble ‘Big Sister’ role - her inclination to stress the reality of their situation. Her comments are sometimes cold but I think it’s her way of showing affection, a way of trying to protect them. Just my two cents!
Those are two profound centavos
It’s essentially hurt people hurt people. She’s in grief and is overcorrecting by being cold and closed off, and she’s projecting that to other people thinking it’s wisdom to close yourself from vulnerability. And as the game progresses she opens up and begins to be impressed by Tidus and the positive force he brings to the group and especially Yuna
Obviously I agree, just hijacking the well written analysis by chipping in my own cents 😉
I honestly think that Lulu catches onto Tidus right away. Because she’s focused on how he’s not like Chappu or Jeckt, she sees more of who he really is than Yuna or Wakka might initially. Going back to the “more than Sin’s toxins” line, one interpretation that the boys didn’t mention is Lulu finally realizing that Tidus may be telling the truth. About everything. He has nothing to hide. And I think this interpretation explains why she ultimately caves and explains the Sending.
At this point, I think she’s more about making sure that everyone’s making the choices they are for the right reasons rather than any active vitriol towards Tidus. Yuna may be the first person to believe Tidus, but that’s because of her relationship with Jeckt. Lulu is the first to realize Tidus is telling the truth because of how monumentally clueless he is.
This is just what the doctor ordered after a rough day at work 😌
I second that 👌
I third that
I'm watching it AT work
36:13 There's something really important here when you point out that Tidus is the only one who does not venerate his father like the other characters do. I'd argue that this difference in opinion, formed by his childhood experiences obviously, is what makes Tidus so outwardly question the customs and traditions of Spira and Yevon. His irreverence is not simply due to his being an outsider - it is an integral part of his personality which originates in his anger towards his father (who is essentially a god-like figure).
Contrast this with Yuna who loves her father (who also has god-like status) and clearly wants to follow in his footsteps, which manifests in extreme devotion to the traditions of Yevon. Yet despite these different perspectives, both Yuna and Tidus ultimately strive for the same goal over the course of the story. It's amazing how thoughtfully these characters are sketched out in these first few segments of the game.
I love this comment. You and I are on the same wave length here. In Episode 5 I say almost the exact same thing you did when Titus and Yuna get to talk more about Jecht and Braska. You'll see it next week!
The thing is, Jecht is shown to be an awful person via Tidus' memories, and not just subjectivity, but as fact. It's not just him being verbally abusive, but also a drunk in a way the ruins people around him, in the memories there is a sequence with child Tidus who speaks how he almost ruined the game for his team because of him being drunk, which in response Jecht immediately snaps at him. It's not a matter of perspective either, because Jecht does the same with braska and auron with the shoepuff accident. Not only that, Tidus' mother also seems to kinda neglect him and being mostly interested in Jecht, after he "died" she lost the will to live and died soon after, which probably amplified the hatred Tidus had for Jecht. All of this makes Tidus' life really tragic in its own way, and jecht is in the center of it all
In Spira he was different only gradually, and in my opinion it's because he was kinda humbled by the reason he was in a strange land, losing all the things he knew.
@@FrozenAXL I think you are wrong. Sure he was a bad father but wasn’t abusive. He deep down loved his family.
@@omensoffate
I mentioned verbally, because he wasn't abusive in the full manner, but he was, to some extent, constantly verbally abusive to Tidus.
The Besaid Island theme is a song I constantly come back to. So relaxing.
This game continually reminds me why I love Yuna as a character. I wanted to comment on her asking Tidus to become a guardian. It wasn't really touched on too much, but I think it speaks to her mindset, especially because the request is sudden and seems to come out of left field.
A big part of it stems from their conversation on the boat. Tidus confirmed that Jecht was his father, and I think the idea of having Jecht's son as her guardian gives her a connection to her own father that she hasn't had in a long time. Tidus is also one of the few people who have zero expectations of Yuna, and with her all the responsibilities she carries as being a summoner, he's like a breath of fresh air. Someone to laugh with who isn't holding her on a pedestal. And, of course, at this point I think the crush is starting to form, so selfishly she wants him around.
Great podcast! I look forward to Wednesday now just to watch it. Thanks for your time and effort.
Just about every fault in Squall and Rinoa's romance is remedied in this game. Tidus and Yuna come together in such an organic but fatalistic way it's almost too perfect. I kinda wish there was more talk about how well they Gel together in minor ways that tie together to create a whole.
Hell if they wanted to do an episode contrasting the faults ans successes of the two games relating to romance I'd be down for it
@@richardnash6111 I was going to say -- personally, the times I've played through this game, the reasons for why Yuna wants Tidus to stick around have been pretty obvious/natural. Having their connection through Jecht means that he isn't just some rando who washed up on the beach one day. And even if he was, Yuna strikes me as the kind of person who would be curious enough to invite a complete stranger to come along anyway. Especially if she felt it was the right thing to do.
As far as this game's romance, though, I don't think I would rate their romantic chemistry as particularly amazing. To me, if it weren't for the classic cutscene in Macalania woods, their relationship feels more like a tragic friendship than a romance. But, to be honest, I think that's actually pretty fitting considering the two characters. It's nice to see a game that doesn't default to overt physical/sexual overtones, and I suppose, just as in real life, a good romance starts as a good friendship.
@@richardnash6111 and I agree, Tidus and Yuna's chemistry is still leagues better than FF8's romance.
I love the design of Brotherhood sword. It's both so pretty and iconic
Casen's enthusiasm in this FFX series has been really great to see, after watching his more muted contribution in earlier series like FFVIII.
He needs to relax a bit. But it's great seeing him show more of his personality and insight
Listening to this podcast series has been the only thing in years that has actually taught me anything I didn't know about FFX. I adore this. It's fantastic.
I hope for the day that "Tactics Ogre : Let us Cling Together" receives this treatment from this channel :D
That would be awesome!
Considering they've already done FFT and VS and will likely cover FF12 in the future, I think TO is extremely likely just to continue exploring Matsuno's storytelling and worlds
Besaid has been my alarm tone for over a decade and i still love it. It's the most pleasant way to wake up i can think of.
Great episode. I can remember playing this game in 2001 when I was 19 years old. My relationship with my Dad was terrible, and still is. Everyone else around, including my Mom thinks my Dad is wonderful. All his business partners, etc. think he's so fantastic but he's always been a terrible father. Never there, can't make conversation with me when he is, missed birthdays, verbally just not helpful when I was a child at all. I always felt a close connection to FFX because some part of me could relate to what Tidus was going through. Thanks for touching on that!
I honestly related with this aspect of FFX as well.
No no, Wantz saves the binoculars, because you ask to borrow them later and he says "remember what happened last time?", Wantz then uses them to spy on Yuna.
Also, on the ship to Luca, if you go near him, he is constantly running away from you.
@@kevinmalone7167 lol, yip! The dirty little little voyeur.
He could also just have made or gotten a new one. Since it is a piece of equipment probably mandatory on sea.
I always thought he snagged/wrestled the binoculars out of his hands, not that Tidus dropped it/threw it
That's not Wantz. Just a bloke with binoculars. Wantz is wearing a blue shirt and green headband. You see him for the first time sometime after Operation Mi'ihen, iirc. I know you definitely run into him at the Thunder Plains inn, he takes Yuna's photo, then if you follow him back to Guadosalam, he's talking to his sister on the Farplane and shows her Yuna's picture.
The affection system has 1 more Easter egg related to one of Tidus overdrives later in the game.
I like that the symbols are brought up in advance. makes a good callback to previous episodes. nice pay off for paying attention and remembering.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention that Chappu’s sword is called Brotherhood. Seems like another reminder of Chappu to Wakka.
New Episode ready just when I made my coffee. Perfect timing let's go.
BTW Great work guys. Keep going. :)
Genuinely amazing podcast. I'm starting to appreciate this game on a level I never had before thanks to you guys. Thank you.
So glad I found this channel. Great way to vicariously relive FFX without having to spend dozens of hours playing through it again.
1:14:47
Gotta love the intense music kicking in for a discussion about mourning the dead
I always saw Lulu's shift in how she treats Tidus because of the end of The Sending scene. When she realizes Tidus isn't making up his story, and doesn't have the ability to say out loud what she means when he inquires. But I agree, a scene there would have made more sense and helped that transition a lot.
Yeah, at some point he stops being some outsider with a crazy story who's managed to con Wakka, and becomes a travelling companion who genuinely makes Yuna feel better and has a crazy history.
Given the weight of expectation Yuna carries, both as a summoner responsible for Sending, and as an aspiring High Summoner, the fact Tidus can get her to genuinely laugh (particularly in _that_ scene probably coming up next time) is a huge thing for a big sister/surrogate parent like Lulu.
I think she came into terms with this by herself. At least more accepting than fully onboard. I think there is another scene in the future where she starts explaining some stuff and it becomes clear to Tidus she already accepted it. She just did it very passively and on her own.
@@RadimuxCisco Yeah, in Guadosalam she really starts explaining stuff to him and kind of admits she believes him
Great episode guys !
Concerning Yuuna's clothes, I don't know if someone has already pointed that out but the colour code used by Nomura is also in line with the "day meeting night" and dusk theme.
The way I interpret it is the bottom elements being the ocean coloured by the sunset making it deep blue/purplish, the top being of course the last minutes of white daylight and finally the obi in the middle (a fabric band at the waist for kimonos) being gold yellow like that part of the sky that is painted by the sun.
And the hibiscus flower tied to that specific place, the obi, is where Yuuna stands in this world. I think this is important because that symbol could have been put in her hair or on her chest like a broach. But Nomura seems to have thought specifically on that ornament ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
57:55 In a hindsight, they should have made their buildings and even bunkers with the same material of Blitzballs.
I cannot possible explain how much I look forward to these episodes. FFX is one of my top favorite games and this podcast is one that actually goes into such great detail and I can tell how much you guys love this game as much as I, and others, do. Thank you so much, you guys are doing a great job 💙
I'm a month behind, but I'm loving the spoiler segments because sometimes I get afraid that you'd miss something that we mentally put a pin on it, but after a dozen intense recordings, they're easy to forget to return to.
The aftermath of Sin. Very reminiscent of hurricanes here in the Caribbean. After surviving Hurricane Maria in 2017, I can confirm this to be true. So heartbreaking to see so much destruction. Honestly gives me goosebumps every time I watch that scene. This game is such a masterpiece
I love how you guys are having this somber discussion about the Sending ritual after the destruction of Kilika Port, and Chocobo Jam starts playing in the background with this upbeat swinging 16th notes rhythm lol
I know I'm some weeks late for this, but I fetching love FFX, and I am here for some deep dive analysis of anything and everything in it.
Yuna's flower symbolism carries over into the sequel. Several of her outfits are evocative of flowers, including her special mode which has her at the middle of a giant flower. The colors are more white and blue than red, and I don't know enough about flower symbolism to know if there's any significance to that.
Hey, great episode as always. On the subject of the book club style questions at the end, I’d say keep doing them, but maybe also you could stitch all those parts together to form a q&a style episode at the end so anyone who did skip it to avoid spoilers would have an easy way to get all that content later. Looking forward to the next episode, keep it up!
Really considering becoming a Patron, this podcast is top tier stuff. You guys are awesome.
Regarding the "spoiler" about Auron -- I don't view it as a spoiler at all. This is how I viewed it the first time I played the game. I feel pretty confident that you're supposed to read it that way. When I first played the game, I just viewed it as him being a sort of aloof, maybe even suicidal guy. I mean he is literally standing on the edge of a tall building, without handrails or anything when he does it. It also makes sense to view it in the "spoiler" context, given how Auron literally talks to sin at the end scene of Zanarkand.
He is giving a toast to sin
@@omensoffate Yes.
I actually liked the spoiler part, I feel like it has its place once every couple of episodes.
I recently found out that tidus doesn’t actually time travel but his zanarkand exists simultaneously with the current time where Yuna lives. Sin just lets them travel through the barrier that hides the dream zanarkand
Yes mate exactly hope they bring this up
I love that you end up every episode just like it was a class lesson where you leave some homework for the class suggesting until when and where we should play the game;) keep up the good discussion. I'd personally listen to 100 of these podcasts.
The hymn in this sending is my favorite version. The drums, the piano, the voices... I had to pause the video and watch it again.
I enjoy their analysis of it and what's leading up to it, and how much they appreciate it. I'll need to watch more of their videos.
Whenever Jecht's boss theme plays in these vids I get HYPED
You mentioned the shattering of the screen at the start of battle, and I have some additional context for this. In the original plans for the game, the goal would be to have encounters occur without any transition from the Walking Around phase to the Battle phase, but this was ultimately not realized until FF12 was released later. Instead, they took a more traditional approach, where the walking phase is effectively put on hold while the battle phase is loaded (in memory) and executed, and then at the end of battle unloaded and re-loaded to the state of the navigation mode. It was possible for the PS2 to execute the dream (again, see FF12), but there were problems around developing the engine to support it in time for release, so it ultimately didn't make it into the game. To your point, the shattering effect itself was a way to mask the engine loading all the battle parameters without it feeling like a loading screen, a technique used in previous FF games.
(21:42) One thing I always noted playing growing up…was my surprise that Tidus didn't know what a Ronso was….I guess 1000 years later is a long time but…did the Ronso as a species not exist when Zanarkand did? Maybe that lore is out there and I just dont know it. But I always took it to note about how technological Zanarkand was, but clearly was also very insulated and knew nothing of the outside world…cause Ronso had to have existed 1000 years ago. But perhaps just entirely separate from Zanarkand itself…. love the commentary. wish I had friends like you to chat like this with growing up playing these titles. These are fantastic to listen through. Love the content.
I think of it in terms of Tidus being more akin to a memory instead of a representative of the actual the Zanarkind of the past. The people of Dream Zanarkind don't remember Ronso simply because the afterlife they constructed for themselves didn't see a need to include them in it
@@eminentbishop1325 this.. For a long time I believed there'd been a 1000 year time skip as well, but I think it was some UA-cam video breakdown of the story that explained exactly what's going on.
Essentially that there is no time skip at all.
@@eminentbishop1325 Totally see that point of view. I guess it never clicked that way for me because he has some pretty vivid memories of everything else that happened in his past…and of Zanarkand. But either theory is fun to assume! What a great game eh?
Everything is made clear when the big reveal happens
Been loving these podcasts for a while now. Watched all of FFVIII, FFT and Vagrant Story but this one is the first one I'll play along, felt like the perfect time to revisit. Looking forward to the rest!
For the delivery of "That's the sword you gave Chappu", I can see two possible explanations for the flat read: one is that the line is just clunky exposition so the player knows the score; the other is that Lulu's feeling a complex mix of emotions and not wanting to express any of them, so arrives at a flat affect.
Yuna's luggage: it could be the opposite of her trying to bring her past with her - she could be clearing out all the things she won't need once she's High Summoner.
Walking on water: it probably uses the same spell that keeps water in the Blitzball arena.
I pointed this out in a youtube comment 11 years ago on this FMV and got quite a few responses implying many didn't notice. The last shot (at 01:07:24 in this vid) shows Tidus literally standing on water while glowing with an aura.. Just seconds ago, Tidus was actually standing on the dock beside Lulu, so it's mysterious how he randomly ended up jesus-walking behind Yuna for 1 shot.
For next SPOILER Discussion: I'd be curious on how Mike & Casen interpret this knowing the nature of Tidus. This almost certainly isn't a goof, and the glowing effect is too pronounced for simple backlighting. Does the Sending affect him to have an out-of-body experience? Does the dance have an AoE on other paranormal beings? Can he see things we can't, resulting in his uneasy narration afterward? Would love to know your thoughts and observations!
Great, really enjoying these in depth discussions!
17:30 The one other thing the affection metor changes is who tosses the Blitzball when Tidus does final overdrive. Most likely it'll be Yuna. But it can also be Rikku or Lulu.
It’s funny, my wife and I had both started replaying the game these last few weeks. Her and I both really liked the transition with how Lulu treats Tidus once Yuna is all “Come with!” We always interpreted her shift from annoyance/antagonism to big sis/mom energy as being for the reasons you stated, but without it needing to be explained. Not saying that an extra scene wouldn’t have been cool, because I’m sure it would’ve been. But we picked up on it just fine. We kind of liked that it was seemingly just implied.
Love your podcast so much, this is some of the best stuff on UA-cam.
I found something interesting on the original version. There is an unused cutscene of a conversation between Yuna and Lulu. The script for that scene is basically Yuna saying "hes not from here, hes from Zanarkand, like Jecht". And this helps change Lulu's opinion of Tidus, as Yuna believes he isn't from Spira, because Jecht wasn't from Spira
The scene was included in the International version of the game, but removed for all of the remasters.
Thank the lord. A good way to end my work shift
Thank yall for doing these. FFX is my all time favorite.
Just starting my day and this is exactly what I needed
Besaid island might be my favorite track in the game.
There are a few more instances of the affection mechanic for your reference (tried not to be Spoiler-y, but don't read if worried):
...
...
...
Snowmobile scene: Auron, Kimahri, Rikku or Lulu (don't think Wakka)
Key scene in Guadosalam: Rikku or Lulu
A few very minor scenes before big battles in late game: All party members
It also affects which party member tosses the blitzball in Tidus' final overdrive: Lulu, Rikku or Yuna
I think you guys should look up all the snowmobile scenes and Guadosalam scenes as they all add something (sometimes too much!?) to the main lore.
EDIT: Also forgotten to mention that a simpler affection mechanic exists between Luzzu and Gatta for unique outcomes. Very spoiler-y, but make sure you look into these!
In response to your spoiler section I always wondered how much control Jecht has over Sin. It seems like when he's around Tidus it's mostly Jecht in control but then he goes off and destroys Kilika. I don't have an answer to this but it might make an interesting discussion.
I think the person who becomes Sin has more control in the beginning and that's why there's always a period of "Calm" after each time Sin is defeated. They lose that control over time though and that's when the attacks start happening. I feel like Jecht is near the point of losing any control over Sin at the time the game starts.
Nah jecht has full control. He has to do that stuff to get the party going to kill sin.
I kind of agree with @nano glitch here. I always just assumed that it's probably episodic periods of control that become less frequent and shorter in duration the closer they get to completely losing control.
But I guess it's hard to say with complete certainty.
I feel he's becoming beastial with tiny memories of his family and loved ones. He's pursuing his son and the daughter of his friend out of instinct and love but can't make contact without going wild and being destructive. Think of it similarly to Werewolf lore.
@@omensoffate i definitely don't think this is the case. SPOILERS
during the final battle he discusses that he will soon lose control again, and the hymn of the faith seems to have a quiescent effect on sin as it reminds it of its former humanity, and a few other tidbits throughout the game too.
Man, if FFX had a lot of symbolism that was actually meaningful, I can't wait for you guys to go through XII, and even XIV later !
XIV would be INSANE ~
They could dissect it's symbolism and spiritual influences for eternity
With the size of XIV, that'd be like.. What.. 400 episodes? I'd totally be here for it, that game is incredible. I'm still new to the channel though, so would they even cover an mmo? Or have they stated plans to cover XIV at all?
@FawkFF15SquareSucks No it doesn't, it was just too subtle for you to pick up on the subtext.
I don't think Final Fantasy XII is that deep... feels like the story was neutered in that one.
12 is a masterpiece, yes something about is a little bit flawed but it's still thematically deeper than 80% of games out there
your guys podcast has helped me get thru the Long days of work . keep up tge awesome work . I love all the symbolic stuff you guys discover makes me rethink parts of the game I remember.
10:15 I don't know if it's true, but the way I interpreted Lulu, being flat tone about the sword, is that she shows her anger and that to Wakka in "private" but she's being cold because Tidus is there. She didn't realize that Tidus was during the conversation last night.
Besides the snowmobile scene you can also talk to either lulu or rikku in Guadosalam I believe
Maybe I missed you saying it at another point but there may have been a slight oversight here: you instructed newcomers to the game on what section to play until for the next podcast... But you put that instruction at the end of the spoiler section that they were supposed to leave the video for! 🤣
I mostly watch the podcast of games I've played myself. I love to dive deep into a new world and hopefully learn to understand it. 🧙♂️
Thanks for your work and good luck with the show.
Obviously I can only speak for myself but, I appreciate the section where you can speak freely.
This is making we want to buy the remaster and play through it again.
I love your show guys! the best on youtube! the absolute best analysis. thanks for all that you do!
Y'all droppin the Dr. Steve Brule wisdom on 4/20.. I see you. No really. These pods are so good. This game is definitely a special one
In the English line for Lulu talking about Chappu's sword it sounds more like "You're doing this, huh?"/"You know what you're doing, right?", idk how to word it much better. I think Lulu being actively angry/emotionally expressive would feel a little off; she gave her mind the night before and probably knows that Wakka isn't going to change overnight. It felt more of a cold musing while giving Tidus information to make the exchange notably more awkward.
I thoroughly enjoyed the last bit at the end and would like you two todo it more often
You should make a final compilation of all the end-of-episode spoilers for all the people who are spoiler-sensitive. Post it at the end of the series so they can catch all these things they may have missed.
And now I am happy
39:29 That's cool for me, i actually have one blue eye and one green eye too. It's a real condition people get.
As far as the spoiler section at the end, having played the game, I really like it. A lot of the stuff is relevant now if you know what's coming, and I enjoy hearing your takes on it now, rather than waiting until the end of the entire series, where a lot of the items will probably have been forgotten.
wow... I've only ever gotten Lulu on the snowmobile.
Lulu isn't annoyed at Tidus. She starts to accept that he isnt from Spira. Tidus even mentions that same thing. Later Lulu is the one that tells wakka to tell Tidus he should be a guardian
The fact you added Steve Brule in this podcast is x1000 extra points. I got 4 broats
1:06:20 The sending is literally in the Game's logo as well. The FFX logo is Yuna on the left, performing a sending while facing a wave of water which is also
SPOILER
in the shape of Braska's Final Aeon.
The scene with Lulu and Waka when Tidus gets the brotherhood is interesting one with a lot of contrasting view points.
I see Lulus flat delivery as a way of communicating she’s tired of pointing out the same thing and scolding Waka because they both had that argument.
But to Waka credit and Marks also as pointed out because he’s giving away a keep sake.
Additionally it works even better as after giving the sword to Tidus he accepts the sword something Chappu doesn’t.
It all works together in interesting ways with a few different ways to read the situation.
Hey I really enjoy all the symbolism analysis keep up the great work!
Hell yeah, guys. Thanks for doing this. I remember my older brother bought this game even though we didn't have a PS2, so I just read the manual over and over again. lol I eventually played it a couple years later 😂
So regarding the name of Tidus's home team, it could be much simpler than the name of a guy. In my opinion, "Abe" is just shortened from "A-Block" like a slang term, one syllable instead of two.
Now I want to re-play the game.
About the moment, Wakka giving Tidus the sword: I think, Lulu is just so fed up, that she doesnt seem to emote. This is a some kind of common behaviour for reserved personalities.
For anyone who dips out for the spoiler segment, the next place to stop is after Luca, travel down the Mi'Hen High road until Auron makes the party stop to rest.
Amazing video guys love your work I've been pouring through your content it's been keeping me sane, healthy and happy, thank you. I wish I had friends like you guys that I could talk about my passions with. I can't wait to play this game 🖖
In the farplane thing in Guadosalam you can see Chappu (Wakka is "talking to him"), and he looks nothing like Tidus, so maybe they refer to Tidus personality XD
Its actually the Tidus model just with different hair. So he does look like him. I thought the same as you tho:D
I was thinking the same thing. I found a thread on reddit where people were comparing their actual face models from the game though and I guess there is some similarity.
Loving the Spoiler/Comments section at the end. I feel like it works really well, at least in this context.
I would like to address the change in how Lulu treats Tidus.
I. The original international version, there is a scene between Yuna and Lulu where Yuna states that "like his father, tidus isn't from Spira".
And there is another scene (also only in the international version) between Yuna and Auron where Auran says that Tidus isn't from Spira.
There is also a scene on the boat between Besaid and Kilika that was only in the international version, where Wakka says "I believe he is from Zanarkand, so he might not know things as we do".
All of those scenes are only in the original international version, but not in the remasters.
The scene between Wakka and Lulu on the ship is the extended scene in the Japanese version, but the player has to force the extension through the selection they are given.
Resonant Arc's greatest podcast would be one about Persona 5 Royal. You guys would break many records, and the game's story is amazing.
The affection meter is also for tidus's ultimate overdrive as to who throws the blitzball in the cutscene.
Awesome video. Casen is spot on!!! Can’t wait for the next episode!
nice been waiting the whole week lol
I'm watching this as I've been on the couch sick playing through FF13, and they're totally right about the similarities between the two games.
Also, so far, the writing in FF13 is much better than I remember. They do a fantastic job of foreshadowing twists and doing characterization.
Like, there's this moment where Sazh has to explain to Vanille who Dysley is and what's been going on between Pulse and Cocoon, and he asks her jokingly "What, did you sleep through History?" And she's like "Pretty much." And then there's the purposeful irony of NORA standing for No Obligations, Rules, or Authority. Lightning rolls her eyes at the group's name and meaning, but in reality Snow is more willing to both lead and follow authority than Light, and is the one who takes on direct responsibility for others and trying to fulfill his promises, where Lightning repeatedly tries to abandon the group.
(1:05:55) Just speculating…but do we know where Lady Ginnem descended from? Lulu's first summoner?? Doesn't seem that long ago…perhaps she was Kilika's summoner for that time? I love the theories your dialogues evoke…this many years removed from the game!
Hey you two,
I really enjoy your Podcast. I came for ff8 and never left.
********Spoilers for FF6 , FF7, FF8 , FF9 & FF10*********
When you talk about the destruction of Kilika I realised that a destruction of a city is a recurring theme in the FF-series:
The Esper Village & the World of balance (FF6), Sector 7. Nibelheim (FF7), Trabia Garden (FF8), Burmecia, Cleyra, Lindblum, Alexandria, Madain Sari, Terra (FF9) and Kilika, Home and Zanakand (FF10).
I find it fascinating how these events always serve as an emotional turning point in the stories. They use them for a great variety of effects. However even in FF9 where every major city get's destroyed, they always going for a different emotion. It is never just another city. Even though you literally fight for the fate of the world in these Games these events seem to be to big for these characters to comprehend. One trick they pull is, that you know some of these towns befor their destructions. Howerver even afterwards the towns stay an integral part of the game. FF10 seem to me special in this regard. You kinda know Zanakand befor it's destruction. But the Zanakand ruins are one of the last places you get to see. This collides so well with the devastating truth of Yuna's pilgrimage. The attack on Kilika noteably is turning up the stake as well as it being the starting pount of Titus' matureing. All charakter development is triggert by destruction. With the added culture background it is a devastating gut punch. However it is also symbolise the resilience of the humans and foreshadows the mood for the game till the breaking point with Yunalesca.
One more thing in regards of Yuna. As her theme is the night she seems to be only able to truely express herself in the night. At daytime she hat to keep up her facade as an symbol of hope. The seending, happening at dusk seems like one of the few times she expresses herself through her art or dutys as a summoner.
I also believe Abe for the Zanarkand Abes is being used for the short of Abraham because of the name's meaning "He who is Father" as a reference to Jecht.
I also have a recollection that Abe is an obsolete way to call someone a "man of the sea" or "captain", but I've found no information to corroborate this. Just a weird memory I have from childhood, maybe from Captain Ahab and knowing a few sailors with the name Abraham like Abe Godwin, Lincoln (the president's grandfather), and Smith.
31:00 I'm a woman and never minded Lulu's appearance. She's such a complex, interesting character, so the appearance of her doesn't bother me at all.
Love the discussion of symbolism and art design!
This is extremely petty if you will, but some very minor feedback for the production side of things - not sure how much time or effort cost this will require but I would really enjoy during specific moments or scenes that you're talking about (Yuna's dance etc) that the music in the background would accompany it. I enjoyed that when Sin was attacking Zanarkand in a previous episode, that the Rock anthem attuned to that scene was playing - however it is randomly inserted here too. I did hear Besaid Island at one point - so not sure if you just run out of tracks or something. Thanks again for this amazing podcast!
Casen I love Final Fantasy because of the symbolism.
Regarding your comments about Lulu's character, I found this interesting quote from Nojima. Asked who was the character he had the most trouble writing for, he answered:
“It’d have to be Lulu,” says Nojima. “If she were just cute, it would’ve been simpler, but I had no samples in mind of how a pretty or beautiful lady like her would think or live. I don’t think that Watanabe (Daisuke) who worked with me had any ideas either.”
That would-be scene where Lulu tells Yuna that Tidus joining them is a bad idea and Yuna arguing that Jecht’s son being here is no coincidence, is 100% my head canon as far as I’m concerned.
With regards to the name of the Abes - aren’t they the Blitzball team from Zanarkand’s A Block? I just assumed “Abe” would be a slang term for someone from A Block.
I think you can forgive the negative aspect of Wakka since it's primarily motivated by grief over his brother. A lot of his pilgrimage is about closure over his brother and making new bonds. I do like that they lowkey explain why he's that way before it comes up so an astute player will pick it up early on. Obviously it's not justified but people can be crazy with how they process grief.
I cant really grasp people complaining about spoilers in a podcast breaking down the entire story of a well known 20 year old game.
Yunas outfit reminds me more of a sotsugyo hakama. You often see them at University graduation ceremonies