Final Fantasy X Analysis (Ep.4): The First Sending | State of the Arc Podcast
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- Опубліковано 20 чер 2024
- In today's episode, Titus travels with Yuna to Kilika temple. On the way, we see how destructive a force Sin can be in Spira, and how much Yuna knows about Jecht. We get a good look at Yuna and how her character design may foreshadow certain things about her story. That sending scene is beautiful.
Time Codes:
1. Intro (0:00)
2. Wakka and Lulu talking (0:10)
3. Going to the Boat (12:26)
4. Aboard the Boat (27:32)
5. The Aftermath of Sin (57:04)
6. The Road to Kilika Temple (1:14:12)
7. SPOILERS Discussion (1:30:01)
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*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
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!
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.
Another reason why Lulu may have change her mind so quickly could be because of Auron. She changes her attitude around the time Auron joins the party. Auron confirms Tidus's identity and proves he wasn't lying the whole time.
@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.
You’re telling me
For the twenty years I’ve played this game
Over numerous playthroughs
That this whole time
Lulu isn’t always supposed to be on the back of the snowmobile?!
Nope, it does vary depending on the background relationship point system. However, if I recall correctly, given the events and everything that can generate points, it can easily tip in favor of Lulu.
There are a lot of things that affect the points, including talking to them when stopped in various locations.
😂
If you just play the game normally, without a guide, you are almost garunteed to see Lulu's Snowmobile Scene. You really have to go out of your way to see the scenes with the other characters. So 99% of players will get Lulu pretty much every time.
Apparently for speedruns, you actually want to get Auron on the snowmobile because his dialog is shorter
I think I got rikku 🤔
I love the design of Brotherhood sword. It's both so pretty and iconic
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.
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.
With chappu specifically the whole thing about the brotherhood that I'm pretty sure wakka mentioned to tidus was that wakka gave chappu the sword he left it behind because he wanted to use a gun instead, machina. This helps reinforce the other half of wakkas character that we see much later concerning religion and machina.
That happens later at the Mi'Hen Highroad, I believe Lulu explains it to Tidus after Wakka has an outburst over Operation Mi'Hen
@@cameronmills3599 thank you for the clarification :)
Yeah they hint at all that here and it's confirmed mid-game. It pretty much explains why Wakka is so devout and in some ways bigoted about Yevon. Bro is just trying to process his loss and because he's so chill his crew kinda doesn't give him the space or care he needs. Something that Tidus inadvertently does.
@@richardnash6111 I really really REALLY like this reasoning a lot.
I am at work on a lunch break and im sad I'll only be able to watch a little bit of this until I get home 😭 but I wanted to let y'all know I love your videos and wish I had friends like this to talk about this stuff with haha keep up your amazing work 🧡
Thank you for watching, Andrea! We really appreciate you! You can talk with us about FF and JRPG stuff anytime.
@@michaelcoraybrown 😍💗
It's a shame that so many people miss these beautiful stories.
I think it's always good to share your interests who knows, you might inspire someone in their work or dreams.
One very important aspect to consider about Tidus' narration of his story is how it changes focus from his own problems and suffering to Yuna's own and how the party is dealing with the pilgrimage when he experiences for himself the nature of life in Spira with the constant threat of Sin, ultimately leading up to making his mind about his final selfless decision.
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
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.
The affection system has 1 more Easter egg related to one of Tidus overdrives later in the game.
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.
Favorite time of the week is here. Cheers!
Only up to Kilika so far? This series is going to be awesome, love the in depth discussion.
I love how after the first episode they were like, "and we thought this would be one or two episodes."
Where's my big Asian baby laughing gif?
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.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention that Chappu’s sword is called Brotherhood. Seems like another reminder of Chappu to Wakka.
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.
Best part of the week is here again
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.
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 definitely think final fantasy X's story ages the best out of the entire series with age. The older you get the more nuance you see in the world views and motivations of everyone in spira. I always enjoyed X, but only on a surface level when i was ~ 14-15 years old. I'm loving the breakdown ya'll do cause it's crazy just how much went right over my head.
57:55 In a hindsight, they should have made their buildings and even bunkers with the same material of Blitzballs.
Genuinely amazing podcast. I'm starting to appreciate this game on a level I never had before thanks to you guys. Thank you.
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
New Episode ready just when I made my coffee. Perfect timing let's go.
BTW Great work guys. Keep going. :)
So glad I found this channel. Great way to vicariously relive FFX without having to spend dozens of hours playing through it again.
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
1:14:47
Gotta love the intense music kicking in for a discussion about mourning the dead
Regarding spoilers in general (I've already played this game twice so not for the content here), I'm the type of person who doesn't want to hear ANYTHING about something in the media I'm consuming out of context because with how my brain works, I'll start making theories and connections in my head based on the information I already know up to that point. And while those theories might eventually be completely wrong given they're out of context, I do also want to experience my own genuine reactions when confronted with new information presented when it's supposed to be presented.
That being said, I know not everyone works that way, but I'm thinking maybe that's why some people are very sensitive about spoilers.
Also absolutely appreciate Casen for calling out the symbolism and references. It is EXTREMELY fascinating!
Casen had it correct. It is the style he was referring to. The stamen is a different part of the flower
So I'm playing the European ps4 version and i heard Jecht say "Hey..hey". And later in the game I did notice at least 2 (very minor) lines of dialogue were changed or removed. Anyways, nice podcast guys I'm really enjoying this.
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
the music while discussing the destruction of the tsunami was interesting lol. I think Tidus on the boat was trying to beak the crew of the stiffness he felt and trying to be fun. The guy gets his binoculars back because he runs from you later so you don't get them
Ah man, didn't notice. We just lay OST in the background as we talk
@@CasenSperry I thought that they were intentional. Zanarkand was talked about the song at the beginning played ad that was brought up. Either way it was fun
You DEFINITELY have to continue bringing up all the symbolism.
At least in my case, it provides so much insight and gives me new perspectives to appreciate the work.
Keep them coming!
Thank you two for going in depth with everything, it is always a joy to get the notification that a new episode has released and as FFX is my favourite game this has helped me appreciate it even more. The symbolism is amazing and for the spoiler section at the end, I really like it as I feel most of us have most likely finished the story so it's nice to talk freely without being confined by not spoiling anything. There's a few things I was thinking about as you said Mike I believe in episode 2 that while you like Tidus's voice you didn't feel James Arnold Taylor's regular voice quite fit for an athlete and while I do understand that I thought of Mike Tyson who despite appearances doesn't sound like as you might expect being quite higher and almost soft spoken. I don't know if I'm looking into it too much but also as Tidus was raised for the majority of his formative years by his mother alone, with a father figure absent I believed that's shaped Tidus to be the way he is and wear his heart on his sleeve. I also like how when he ran in to save the summoner in Besaid he went in thinking they were "Just some old geezers" rather than knowing it was a cute girl which shows his character of trying to do the right thing in his heart. There's plenty more to talk about but I feel my comment has gone on long enough so thanks for reading and for putting in the effort for all of this Mike and Casen 👍
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.
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 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.
Really considering becoming a Patron, this podcast is top tier stuff. You guys are awesome.
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 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!
These elevate my (re)play experience just like the piggyback guides did back in the day.
Thank you guys and keep it up! :)
I actually liked the spoiler part, I feel like it has its place once every couple of episodes.
(1:10:51)I really appreciate all the pseudo religious references that Casen is pointing out. As just a little side reference to all of the content. Its just brilliant. Really excellent work, and I hope that means way more then it seems like coming from a "turtle can talk gaming."
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.
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!
First of all, awesome analysis you two, I've started following this channel and watching everything over the past few months and I greatly appreciate your depth and fairness in approaching these works of art. You do wonderful work uplifting these experiences!
I wanted to bring up a couple important points regarding Lulu and Bahamut Lagoon. Hope you guys read this (especially about Lulu)
I feel like you guys are taking a different view of Lulu than I did. I felt that you guys weren't wrong about Lulu's suspicion and general dismissiveness and grumpiness, but she's also the one who cares most for his safety, and demonstrates a very pragmatic attitude about making sure he's taken care of. You see this as early as on the ship to Luca when she chastises Wakka about if he's thought at all about Tidus' future after Luca. While she's exasperated at first, she's also the only one who does repeatedly explain the culture of Spira to Tidus, implying she not only deep down believes him at face value, but that she recognizes the need to arm him with the tools and information to survive here. Much of her annoyance is the fact that nobody else seems to be teaching him these basics he obviously lacks and needs explained. This happens so often that she starts to preemptively teach him lessons about Spira later, which he notices and they have a conversation about. At this point in the story, Lulu may not *like* Tidus, but she's also the one taking him the most seriously. She also quickly starts to respect that Yuna *does* like Tidus and the implications therein. She may be the first person to recognize that Yuna needs someone like Tidus (her own age, someone she likes as a peer) on her journey lest it become too desperate and tragic; something she doesn't want Yuna to have to suffer based on Lulu's own history of knowing how rough it can be. Lulu is incredibly observant and recognizes Tidus' "role" in the story well before Auron more or less directly forces it. I hope you give this angle some weight, I think her backstory revealed toward the end helps highlight her way of showing care. She's one of those people who, if she didn't care, would simply ignore you entirely; criticism shows she has a vested interest in the target of the criticism. This is her way of trying to protect and shelter these people.
Now, regarding Bahamut Lagoon, FFX is absolutely full of little homages to it, since so much of the staff were reunited for FFX and it was a beloved project for them back in the SNES era. I actually suggest you guys look into the comparisons if you'd like, you might find it fascinating and I won't be able to do it as much justice, but I will say the general story structure is very similar, revolving around a "summoner." I bring this up now because you mentioned Valefor in X being Final Fantasy's first appearance; it actually first appeared in Bahamut Lagoon and Valefor's appearance in FFX was an intentional reference to it.
A point about Lulu's 'flat' delivery about Chappu's sword; Tidus is a stranger, the previous night we caught a glimpse of a private argument, the tone is going to be different. Even so, it carried enough charge for Wakka to be defensive in his reasoning.
First off I have to say I'm absolutely loving every episode of this podcast. That said I have to correct something. There is only affection for the 3 female characters. There is no possible snow mobile sceen with any of the male characters. Also, the affection levels also changes which girl throws the blitzball to Tidas with his final overdrive. One more thing, you don't have to kill your team members to have them leave your party to be alone for your loner overdrive option. You press one of the shoulder buttons while in-battle and it moves to another menu with other options like the ability to change what weapons or armor you are equipped with and then under that there is an option called "escape" to just have that character leave the battle. It is actually a very useful option because if your remaining character or characters die after having one of them escape then you don't lose the game, so it's actually pretty clutch in certain situations like when you are inside of Sin at the end of the game, or in the omega ruins, or against the monsters with the stone breath attack, or against malboros bad breath.
(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
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! 🤣
Great, really enjoying these in depth discussions!
Besaid island might be my favorite track in the game.
Just starting my day and this is exactly what I needed
Thank the lord. A good way to end my work shift
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!
I always got the impression that while Lulu is harsch on Titus, she has a soft spot for him. She doasn't want Wakka to compare Titus to Chapu but intuitively sees him in Titus too. So I get the feeling that she is so hard on him because that is her way of telling herself (and Wakka) that she is following her own adivece. Maby after a period of getting to know Titus better, and after she sees what he means to Yuna, she let's go of that childish way of denieing her emotions and tryes to see him for what he is. More importantly, maby she realizes hat he is to Yuna what Chapu was to her, and seems to put her petti(isch) conflictions aside for Yuna's happiness as she can relate strongly to that feeling.
It would make total sense for her Charakter in a lot of ways.
She's generally more harsh on Wakka anyway. She sees Tidus as mostly just an ignorant outsider. Wakka on the other hand is not ignorant he knows what he's doing. Once Yuna gives her approval to Tidus she accepts him at least begrudgingly. Lulu is kinda like Yuna's big sister and is trying to make the pilgrimage as painless as possible given how it is fated to end.
Whenever Jecht's boss theme plays in these vids I get HYPED
great job again guys. i get so much more out of these games from your analysis than i did playing them as a teen
Holy cow, I never noticed that the first boss of the game, sinspawn ammes, had the 666 down its body.... How did I not see that!
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.
I now look forward to this final fantasy x analysis series every week !
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.
Loving the podcast. Been watching you guys every now and then however, I Just became a Patreon because of how in-depth you guys are going into this amazing game. Love the symbolic talk and analysis of things that I wouldn't have paid attention to otherwise. The spoiler talk at the end is perfect for interaction between the comments and you guys. Keep at it with the great content and looking forward to all future videos!
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.
I find it very rewarding to pair this podcast, with its analyses of narrative and symbolism, with a Let's Play that dives deep into the game's mechanics. Thank you two for this
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.
I thoroughly enjoyed the last bit at the end and would like you two todo it more often
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!
Awesome video. Casen is spot on!!! Can’t wait for the next episode!
Thank yall for doing these. FFX is my all time favorite.
I had no idea Lulu was Chapu's fiance. This brings so much more context. Thank you.
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.
I love your show guys! the best on youtube! the absolute best analysis. thanks for all that you do!
Small Easter Egg regarding Yuna’s eyes. I don’t know if this intentional or not but a curiosity regardless.
When you stand your PlayStation 2 vertically, the lights of the Power/Eject buttons are green and blue, laid out the same as if you’re looking at Yuna’s eyes.
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.
And now I am happy
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.
You guys are spoiling us with all this amazing content.
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.
you mention the laughing scene later, i was very young when i played this game, but EASILY knew that was a fake / forced / sarcastic laugh, i NEVER understood how people confused it for a genuine laugh and blamed it on bad voice acting.
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
Besides the snowmobile scene you can also talk to either lulu or rikku in Guadosalam I believe
Now I want to re-play the game.
Hey I really enjoy all the symbolism analysis keep up the great work!
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 🖖
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.
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.
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.
Wicked happy for this podcast just so happening to start while I'm in the middle of the end / post game content so my emotions can get ravaged yet again 😂🤤
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.
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.
wow... I've only ever gotten Lulu on the snowmobile.
Rly loving your guys' symbolism analyses! Huge huge fan of Taoism and yin yang stuff. I love the save points in FFX, the circulating orb of water with that vague glowing light radiating from the middle, as if there's something just beyond it...I pretend it's the Tao ;)