Board 8 > SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Playoff Edition [SELF]

(+) Yeah! (+)

The Expanse Season 5 complete!

Yesssss, I was hoping they'd keep the ending of book 5 in there, and I was wondering how they'd portray it in the show. Great season. Naomi was the star of this season, and it's no coincidence that this was the first time since season 1 they kept her story arc in the show the same as in the book!

also holy crap they really killed off Alex so they wouldn't have to worry about re-casting him for season 6, ballsy move

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The Expanse Season 5 also complete.

Huh, not the solution I expected for Naomi's situation but whatever works. I do think it peaked with "Tell James Holden... I am in... control..." though. That ending with it continuing through the credits was 10/10. Heard the news about Alex's actor so I wasn't too surprised by what happened though I was expecting him to just vanish for Season 6 with a throwaway "Alex left for his home planet. (Alex died on the way to his home planet)" type thing instead of it happening here. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the relative power balance of the powers here but I'm not sure why Earth and Mars wouldn't be able to retake the Ring in a straight fight. I know fighting inside the Ring is uh... ill-advised, but still. Still buys time for that admiral on his new planet I suppose. Also, Drummer was right tbqh.

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xp1337 posted...

The Expanse Season 5 also complete.

Huh, not the solution I expected for Naomi's situation but whatever works. I do think it peaked with "Tell James Holden... I am in... control..." though. That ending with it continuing through the credits was 10/10. Heard the news about Alex's actor so I wasn't too surprised by what happened though I was expecting him to just vanish for Season 6 with a throwaway "Alex left for his home planet. (Alex died on the way to his home planet)" type thing instead of it happening here. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the relative power balance of the powers here but I'm not sure why Earth and Mars wouldn't be able to retake the Ring in a straight fight. I know fighting inside the Ring is uh... ill-advised, but still. Still buys time for that admiral on his new planet I suppose. Also, Drummer was right tbqh.

I think the idea is that Earth and Mars are in such disarray that they can't mount an organized counteroffensive. Plus, controlling the Ring Station gives you a strategic advantage because they all have to funnel through the same Ring to get to you.

also that final scene is a good hint about why a massive fleet going through the Gate won't work (although they won't explain that until next season)

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Once again, I'm going to do regular and special themes because this is such a loaded category. Last boss music is a different day, so I won't include that here, obviously.

Day 10: Best Boss Battle Theme
Regular Boss Theme: Final Fantasy VIII - Force Your Way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZMWszd5SRk

Special Boss Theme: Final Fantasy V - Clash on the Big Bridge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dghlAQDQneU

I almost decided to give boss theme to FFXIII for a clean sweep, but pretty much every boss theme from IV to XIII is in contention here (except for IX and X, which are fine but not top tier).

There are a lot of good choices for special boss theme because those tend to be some of the best songs on any FF soundtrack, but I had to give it to FFV here. Special recognition for Decisive Battle from FFVI, J-E-N-O-V-A from FFVII, Premonition, Legendary Beast, and Maybe I'm a Lion from FFVIII, The Dark Messenger from FFIX (probably my runner-up all things considered), Challenge from FFX, and Apocalypsis Aquarius from FFXV.


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This one is impossible to pick one. Most recent favorite is Return to Oblivion from FF14 so Ill go with that.

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For boss theme give me Final Fantasy XIII-2 - Caius's Theme. If I break "generic" boss themes out then I suppose Decisive Battle (FFVI) or would you count Premonition under that as well? It reads as "special" to me with Force Your Way being the more generic/normal one.

Either way, HM list here is huge and would include: Battle 2 (FFIV), Dreadful Fight (FFIV), Jenova Absolute (FFVII), Premonition (FFVIII), Challenge (FFX), Saber's Edge (FFXIII), Test of the l'Cie (FFXIII), and Servant of the Crystal (FF Type-0)

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I would count Premonition as a special battle theme since it only plays during sorceress battles.

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Oh, and I have to give recognition to the Airbuster boss theme from FFVIIR because it's so good. Tactics has a bunch of good battle themes, too.

I keep forgetting about Remake and Tactics in these things!

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Probably my first choice, but I love Saber's Edge a lot though

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I want to include Tactics nods here and there but I often forget what songs would count as what. Like is Antipyretic a boss theme? I feel like it is and that would be worth a HM but I'm not sure.

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Regular boss: FFVI maybe? IV (Boss Battle 2) and VII are also great, as is XIII. And I like Limit Break! from FFXIII-2 a lot, though I know it gets a lot of hate <_<.

Special: Looks like final bosses aren't being counted here? Fierce Battle from FFVI is one of my favorites, or Clash on the Big Bridge. Does Dark Messenger count since it's the second last boss? Seymour Battle from FFX also great. J-E-N-O-V-A still a fav. FF rules for boss battle music.
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Yeah, final bosses has its own day. Tomorrow, I think, without checking the chart.

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Tomorrow is victory theme and then final boss is the day after that.

I would count Dark Messenger since it's not strictly the final boss just like I'd count Maybe I'm a Lion. I forgot about Fight with Seymour, too. That's another top tier one.

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Final Boss is a weird one because its a little nebulous. Like, Birth of a God and OWA would both count in my mind for FF7 because theyre both unique to the final boss gauntlet. But like, Decisive Battle in FF5 wouldnt because its used in other fights with Exdeath, so only NeoExdeath would count there.

And then theres the mess of figuring out FF14.

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How is FF14 a mess? There are 4 clear final bosses.
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Boss theme is too hard, but I'd also like to add into consideration FFMQ's. Plus every single official remix of Clash on the Big Bridge, because why not.
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Mac Arrowny posted...

How is FF14 a mess? There are 4 clear final bosses.

Some of the patches muddy it I think. Like do you count Nidhogg or Elidibus? Because theyre kind of the final bosses of those arcs.

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For generic boss I alternate between Force Your Way and whatever FF7's is called nowadays (Still More Fighting? Those Who Fight Further? Fight On? augh translations)

For special boss it's probably Seymour Battle, although there are a lot of great choices.

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My favorite is probably Clash on the Big Bridge if push comes to shove but this one is right up there with it at least:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqe0NjB1Xig

Honorable mention to J-E-N-O-V-A
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The Mana Sword posted...

Some of the patches muddy it I think. Like do you count Nidhogg or Elidibus? Because theyre kind of the final bosses of those arcs.

Eh, every game has stuff like that, not just FFXIV.
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Let's play Cold Steel IV Act 3!

Okay, it's sidequest time. Well, really, it's more like "revisit old locations and do the sidequests when you get to the appropriate area" time! First up is Leeves. Edel, Mary, and Makarov say they're working on Operation Shining Steel, whatever that means. We also run into Agate and Schera on our way to Radio Trista to take care of Munk's request. He wants to record a radio drama with Rean, Edel, Vivi, Dorothee, and Beryl. The first three are easy enough since they're on the Courageous or in Leeves, but we have to head to Eryn to find Beryl, so let's do that next. Recruiting Beryl last automatically starts the radio drama, so that's convenient! Also, I love how Beryl finding her way into Eryn confuses the heck out of everyone in the village.

I keep traveling around looking for new stuff. I head to Milsante to take on Gallie, and I find Anton there, still looking for Sharon. Gallie doesn't prove to be too difficult. Also, I'm impressed that the game felt the need to mark something new at the Luna Shrine altar, and all it was is an accessory to make Rean's hair look like Osborne's! I applaud your thoroughness! I decided to go ahead and get the "noise" readings sidequest out of the way, and it wasn't too bad either.

More later.

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would have both ffvi and ffvii boss themes over 8's
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DB manga beated!

Yeah, there were some interesting parts but the Buu Saga is probably the weakest of the four from DBZ

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Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception beated.

Good VN/SRPG hybrid. Was thinking that the party was being criminally negligent in not taking Vurai's mask away after they beat him. Not even to use it themselves, just so he wouldn't have it. Whoops. Nekone started feeling herself too much, she got the finishing blow on Transformed Vurai in gameplay so she thought that would carryover into the story and found out it very much doesn't. Seriously though, I'm going to assume she spends like 70% of the next game with that dead thousand-yard stare after that mistake. Almost teared up for Oshtor's final moments. Haku with the ultimate galaxy brain play here. ...And I'm almost not even sure why. Revenge for Ohstor? The Mikado? Almost teared up again for Kuon's departure. Also he needs to work on his voice if he wants to keep this impersonation up tbqh.

jfc at Punished Kuon. Those ninjas (the game labelled them "Shadows" which was that western country's guys... but I'm not sure if we're supposed to believe it's really them or Woshis's pursuit group. I assumed the latter at the time... but there are some loose threads around the former so maybe? Anyway, they fucked around and found out what happens when you mess with some who is half-Uitsalnemetia. I was legit expecting and bracing for her to go 200% Uitsalnemetia and go, "That is your wish?" and give out the ironic hells. She actually kinda did when some of them started begging to put out the fire and she answered with freezing them all instead. Aruruu as nonchalant about ordering Mukkuru to eat people alive as usual. Not sure how she, Oboro, and the twins were all in the area but I'm not complaining. Oboro comforting Kuon was very sweet.

Guess the mystery behind the Mikado's death will remain so a bit longer. Though I gotta say Woshis's post-game Glossary update makes him seem even more suspicious somehow!

Will poke around the postgame next, maybe go for the platinum, and then it will be time for Mask of Truth!

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Cold Steel IV: I definitely got worn out by the amount of side content around this point of the game. There's just so much stuff you have access to at any given point. I think I still did all the sidequests, but I know around this time is when I started slacking hard on the NPC dialogue though. I did find Beryl in Eryn to be quite amusing though lmao.

Utawarerumono: I've heard the postgame for the 2 Mask games is pretty good though I never actually did anything with it myself. Postgame or similar content is just often not my thing. Glad you liked this one especially considering there are some stretches in the beginning and middle that drag on a lot, especially if you aren't really into the game's style of comedy. It does do a good job with characterization though and at least I think it really pays dividends towards the end of Mask of Deception and throughout Mask of Truth. Really love the end of this game and then Mask of Truth is pretty great for nearly the entirety imo.

Kuon the best.
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The first half of MoD absolutely did drag on a lot and was sort of trying my patience at times. Definitely could have had much better pacing there. The last third was great though.

Also, gonna take issue here. The real best? Cocopo. Everyone else is basically dead on their feet after fighting Vurai. Atuy falls asleep for several days. The twins too. Cocopo? Not even bothered by the fact that the entire room burned down around everyone. Hell, she goes right on to pulling the carriage, literally putting the team on her back, never deviating from her cheerful cry. Forget the Pillar Generals and the Akurutuka she's the real strongest in Yamato.

Seriously though, yeah, Kuon is great. I have a soft spot for Rulutieh as well.

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Back to Cold Steel IV Act 3!

I guess it's time to figure out who will be the recipient of my final bonding point! Let's start with Musse. They decide to go to the beach together for some reason. She talks about her parents and how her father teaching her various games was when she learned she had a latent ability to "read" situations. This is definitely the weakest bond scene so far in this batch, but it also gives Musse a new entry. That means I'll have to keep this one unless I totally botched handling this and I'm going to miss multiple entries! Well, only Towa can get a new entry between her and Celine, so maybe I'll luck out!

So let's go ahead and watch Celine's since I know I won't be keeping it. She's talking to a birdlike familiar, but it's definitely not Grianos. They disappear together, and he follows her to the forest outside of Eryn Village. Apparently, Vita has been training Celine using an illusion of Grianos. Looks like Celine feels inferior to Grianos and feels the added pressure to get stronger after Roselia designated her as her heir. She also admits that getting to know Rean and Class VII has made her go beyond merely her duties as Emma's familiar. Eh, this one was okay, too. Nothing special.

Now let's see what Towa has in store. The SSS has found some information into the accident where her parents died. Rean convinced her to go with him to the Nord Highlands along with Gaius under the pretense of doing recon for the war effort. Rean and Towa look over the area where the airship went down, and she says all the evidence was cleaned up and covered up. They offer some flowers. That was a good scene, and it adds a profile entry, so I screwed this segment up, augh. Looks like I should've skipped Alfin's in exchang for Musse's since five of the eight scenes added profile entries, and I wasn't skipping Laura's. Oh well!

I found a cryptid on the beach, and it went down without much of a fight, which surprised me! I also found a Trial Chest for Rean/Alisa/Fie/Jusis. And messing around with accessories and quartz, Tita has 55,000+ HP now lawl. At Edel's rest lodge, we trigger a sidequest involving Grace, Thomas, and Nielsen. Thomas says he couldn't help us during the incident on the Pantagruel because he'd been searching for the final volume of the Black Records, which deals with what happens after the Great Twilight. Apparently, Nielsen found it and is willing to part with it for the low, low price of an interview with Rean. This essentially becomes a history lesson on Erebonia and its surrounding neighbors, which is fine because it's neat information.

And that's enough for tonight.

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Day 11: Best Victory Theme
Final Fantasy VII Remake
https://youtu.be/qjpIdEjil78?t=60

Great Easter Egg in Remake. Loved it every time it popped up. If I had to give a serious answer, I'd probably pick VII because it's the version I always think of since it was my first FF game. FFX's is pretty good, too.

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FFVI's rocks. Helps that it was the first FF I got into. Has a real good victorious feel to it. Some of the later FFs go more 'chill' than 'fist-pumping' I think, which I'm less into for a victory theme.
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Id go FF7 too, its definitely the first one that pops in my mind.

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WandaVision Episode 5 complete!

Great episode. Enjoyed the Growing Pains homage with the opening song.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh5LY4Mz15o

This video popped up in my YouTube recommendations again after having watched it a few years ago, and I decided to watch it again to see if it was as good as I remembered

and it is

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Day 12: Best End Boss Theme
Final Fantasy VIII - The Extreme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVkcmx2l3WA

There are many good final boss themes, but this is the only one I'd consider to be in contention for my favorite track in the series. Just that slow opening gradually escalating into the full blown song is so good. It keeps you on your toes for the entire track.

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I'll take the fairly boring pick of Final Fantasy VI - Dancing Mad.

That said, how strict we are with what qualfiies plays a bit of a role. Do Born Anew (FFXIII) and Otherworld (FFX) count even though it's not the last, last fight? If they do then both could challenge Dancing Mad there. the final phase of Dancing Mad holds onto the top spot I think, but if it's the whole song they might pass it (Born Anew taking the top spot then.)

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I feel like if it's in the final boss rush, even if there's a short cutscene break in between, you can count it. You could count something like Dark Messenger, Maybe I'm a Lion, Jenova Absolute, and I think it's close enough!

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Oh, I didn't even think of Jenova Absolute. That deserves an honorable mention for sure.

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Hmm, all of FF14's are really good, but I think I'd go NeoExdeath overall.

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Neo X-Death is good, although I prefer the other X-Death battle theme that incorporates his regular theme music into it.

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I also kinda like Necron's theme.

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Dancing Mad, Last Battle (FFIX), The Extreme, and Ultima (FFXIV) are all really great. OWA is excellent too, though it suffers from its sound quality. The orchestral version is a big improvement there. Would probably rank The Extreme #1 overall, though Ultima's my current favorite since it's more fresh.

The Mana Sword posted...

Hmm, all of FF14's are really good, but I think I'd go NeoExdeath overall.

Really? Even Stormblood's? Think I'd rank just about every FF final boss theme above that one...
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I like the song that plays during phase 2 a lot, yeah.

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Final Boss themes in FF are pretty good a lot of the time, but Dancing Mad pretty easily wins here. One of my all-time favorite VGM pieces without a doubt.
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Shutouts to the decisive battle from ffx and nascent requiem from xiii. I like hamauzu a lot, but uematsu is too extreme.

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Dragon Ball Z Episode 56 complete!

Looks like we're in for a triple threat match next episode!

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Finished re-watching Attack on Titan Season 2. I can admit it's better with the benefit of hindsight, but it's still too much Ymir and not enough Levi.

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Levi most overrated AoT character

(you re-watching the Levi OVAs next?)
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I like Levi but I feel like he's the reason Mikasa gets less screentime since he takes up the ace fighter role.
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Mac Arrowny posted...

Levi most overrated AoT character

(you re-watching the Levi OVAs next?)

no and no

Team Rocket Elite posted...

I like Levi but I feel like he's the reason Mikasa gets less screentime since he takes up the ace fighter role.

eh I don't feel like he steals her screentime because he wasn't getting any in season 2 either!

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I feel like Levi's the biggest fight star in both S3 parts. Shame Mikasa doesn't get to be instead.

Also any reason you're skipping the Levi OVAs? Thought you were a fan of his...
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Mac Arrowny posted...

I feel like Levi's the biggest fight star in both S3 parts. Shame Mikasa doesn't get to be instead.

Also any reason you're skipping the Levi OVAs? Thought you were a fan of his...

They aren't available on Funimation, and they aren't that interesting anyway.

Levi should be the star of this part. It involves him personally more than it does for Mikasa. But Mikasa still gets to corner him at one point. You'd think that'd be enough for you Levi haters.

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