Board 8 > [BOST 2022] Day 19 - Hawk Your Wares (Albertan Jewelry)

(+) Yeah! (+)

VOTES
Warbler
Distant Lightning
HARVESTELLA Main Theme

Pretty clear winner in all three matches. There's just something... off about the first two harvestella songs, they feel like some sort of satire of epic fantasy game music and I cant stop laughing whenever the weird nasal ass vocals kick in

VOTES
Those Who Continue to Resist Destiny
Distant Lightning
Destructive Disruption

The Most Generic Boss Theme Title is -- wait. I want to check the JP. . Yup that's The Most Generic Boss Theme Title for you. Maybe it's more "Those who would continue to resist even destiny" but eh. I digress. Thankfully the song isn't generic at all. Good ol' Go Shiina chanting over some really nice drums. And the french horn countermelody is never unappreciated. Warbler is -- okay low key a visual novel I've been reading lately has a running... not a running joke, because it's being much more weird/denpa than joking about it, but let's just say there are warblers everywhere. I'd say it's because "warbler" is a stupidly fun word to say (it's an English VN), but cardinals and bluejays and chickens also feature heavily in theme and/or WHY DOES KAIRI'S CHICKEN KEEP GROWING i digress. Again. It's a really solid Gust battle theme. I like Gust flutes. They're like ham flutes but better. I think I'm slightly in the mood for Shiina today but this is a super tough, both 9/10 or better match.

Higan! That's a word. It means literally "the distant shore," but you should think of it as "the other side" as in the afterlife. It could also mean "dearest wish" but look we all know it doesn't I don't have to justify this. It's written in katakana in this song, but there's another song on the track called "The True Shore" where it's translated as, well, shore, which is odd. ANYWAYS this song is kinda sweet. I like each of the individual parts, the chanting the rhythm and the flute, but I don't think they come together great. Distant lightning starts off cool, a neat piano rhythm into a thunderclap followed by Shikata Akiko-style chanting. Wait why do I say "go shiina" when I'm doing every other JP name in this post in Eastern order I'm weird. We then get a flute into a very normal Gust-style broad chorus, but I like broad choruses. I can think of a lot of stuff in a similar vein (The right spelling this time. Hah! Take that, English!) that I like more, especially from e.g. Ayesha, but even a lesser tune in a style I love is going to score well.

Mensch Theme doesn't really get there for me. It feels too... simple. Too orderly. Too normal. Like whatever drugs Go Shiina is normally on when he's composing, he got off of. That is kind of an uncomfortable metaphor and I apologize profusely for it. As for the other song... I super appreciate bringing in the Achiwa battle theme rep, because I think having selections show off an OST's diversity is a good thing. Unfortunately, those have generally been some of my less favorite pieces in Atelier. That said, the opening guitar riff here is really pretty. Ooh and then it falls away for some bagpipes? Okay that is spicy. His works often feel like they're "supposed" to have vocals, and this isn't an exception. I wonder if this one does. I would super listen to that. Folks should listen to vocal Nefertiti if they haven't. I think both of these are my least favorite of their sets, but I still enjoyed them. Happy day today.

i am low-key sad on a strange level that i'm not voting warbler. warble warble warble. I can't say that out loud because I am on lunch break in the office and people would think I am weird. Well they should think I'm weird ANYWAYS how is this an R2 match it's not fair.

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VOTES
Those Who Continue to Resist Destiny
Higan Canyon
HARVESTELLA Main Theme

VOTES
Those Who Continue to Resist Destiny
Higan Canyon
Destructive Disruption

wow harvestella is better at being gust music than the gust game

at least DD saves this set

VOTES
Warbler
Distant Lightning
Destructive Disruption

I don't feel very strongly in these votes, but this is what I landed on. Sorry, Shiina-san.

Yeah, I just love the use of vocals in Shiina's work. I love the clangs in this piece too. Wonderful use of rhythm all throughout.

Not an expert on Atelier battle themes, but this feels pretty standard. In the first half especially. Very much a track meant to be cute and fun!

The percussion in Higan Canyon is like the best thing ever omggggg <333

Funnily, this one kind of reminds me a little of Shiina's work. Not too strongly, but its got those mysterious vocals that I really like.

Off to a promising start here with these gorgeous strings! Definitely a bit more restrained? I guess, from the other two on this set, but still pretty great.

This kind of music is a bit of a tough sell to me. Not bad, necessarily, but it doesn't excite me as much as it probably should. Like, its got that shredding guitar ... I should feel MORE.

VOTES
Those Who Continue to Resist Destiny
Higan Canyon
HARVESTELLA Main Theme

Warbler
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HARVESTELLA Main Theme

VOTES
Warbler
Higan Canyon
HARVESTELLA Main Theme

Warbler
Distant Lightning
HARVESTELLA Main Theme

Those Who Continue to Resist Destiny
Higan Canyon
HARVESTELLA Main Theme

Sophie 2 is good, but it's pretty weak for Gust standards. Match 1 was close though.

Those Who Continue to Resist Destiny
Distant Lightning
Destructive Disruption

These soundtracks somehow sound extremely similar to me, haha. Match 2 is very close.

VOTES
Those Who Continue to Resist Destiny
Higan Canyon
HARVESTELLA Main Theme

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Warbler
Higan Canyon
HARVESTELLA Main Theme

Warbler
Higan Canyon
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