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Omg Harvey Randell hahahaha he is 10/10 the realist. And I can tell u as a non streamer. I reacted exactly like that. I was like wtf is this shit. Me and my friend were on discord. And fucking laughed our heads off and was like wtf is this shit.
Condolences for your mom,Zep.
inappropriate is what i would say about that song… I wouldve probably selected a different song where it was used, or i wouldnt have used it some of the times when it was used.
edit: still so funny to see zeplas face whenever machinations started playing.
Listing to aswers when you start playing "oh this is good song" after heavensward "i think i'm starting to understand" after shadowbringers "oh wow,,," after endwalker "crying uncontrolably."
Poor ishikawa getting thown under the soken bus lol.
Honestly, Smile did not feel like Soken. Combined with the timing of the appearance of the song, it just all feels off.
I didn't mind this one, but I really didn't enjoy the attempt at lahee 2.0 with the little boy Tarzan-ing out.
That one comment about streamer culture is such cope. Sorry for that person they found out they have shit taste. Welcome to the Internet where you find out what a lot of people actually think. Song was trash
I legit asked my husband to turn down whatever damn gospel choir song he put in the background and was confused when he said this was sound from my laptop
the double audio tho xD
Really, Smile is basically the only song in DT that was a complete miss and that makes it stand out way more. Speaking for myself, I enjoyed just about every song in every zone, dungeon, and fight in DT.
That is a really really similar shirt
Smile put us all in a southern Gospel church populated by a culture that most of us don't share. It was forced and you're not a bad person for pointing that out.
Harvey is the last good video game journalist. I pray for his safety.
So we can blame Gigakawa? I love you Gigakawa but…stay in your lane girl! Soken is love, Soken is life! Let that man do what he do!
I'll be honest, I kinda was ok with Smile…the first appearance even though it was cheesy…then they played it again, at the train suicide attack part…then AGAIN at the credits and hearing the complete version of it made me hate the song, even though I like the beginning which I find pretty uplifting (just the music, not the singing).
The one that I didn't manage to like at all was the main theme of Dawntrail and how it was "mixed" with that other song in the "Krile is a Picto"-trailer.
I dunno how much the community liked or disliked it but that's just my personal take on it.
Smile is not a bad song, it was just placed in poorly moments. Which made it feel awkward and grow an actual distaste to it. If left just at Credits? People probably wouldn't be bothered as much. But the coronation and the train-bomb making scenes? Was off.
Iconic for the wrong reasons sure
I think I am a bit disappointed he didn’t use music that fit from those regions the expansion was based on idk smile doesn’t feel like a ff14 song it’s odd and I LOVE Soken’s music
I felt like it was okay at the end of the game during credit, but much like the end of Stormblood with their song, it just is a miss for me. Definitely should've went with the Talos montage music instead of this.
COMPARE Smile to any other ending theme in FFXIV…. You will come out extremely disappointed
Hey Zep, hope you're hanging in there. You're in my thoughts. ♥
sorry to about you mum zep hope you and you family are doing ok
As unpopular as the song is – I gotta give the team credit for trying something new. There was still plenty of emotional damaging and epic pieces in DT – that I'm ok that Smile doesn't quite land the way it should. I also have a feeling that perhaps 5-10 years from now – we may feel differently about that song.
Also much love Zep <3
The thing is that I actually don't think that Smile itself is that bad on paper…
But I feel the song was way too far above the abilities of the singer. The mixing, the tone, the pitch, it constantly feels like she's struggling, like she's trying to make a stand but the song refuses to be tamed. Even from the first verse you can tell it doesn't sound quite right.
But I guess the scene misplacement and vapidly positive cheesiness of the lyrics don't really help either…
It’s not streamer culture. I had the exact same reaction playing it blind. I also don’t hate the song. I was fine with it during the dawnservant ceremony.
This song would be the equivalent of replacing Dragonsong in the climax of 3.3 with Hildibrand's theme.
Ok I totally got Musical theater vibes from the song, and Ishikawa explicitly asked for that style. Makes sense.
I think the issue is that Soken or the scenario writers don't understand the primary conceit of musical thater music. The characters have to feel an emotion so strong that they not only dance, but break out in sing in order to extend and express thst moment of emotion. Musical theater songs are borrowed from Opera's Arias. Arias are explicitly exactly what i said: emotional songs. So the issue is that in both the train and inauguration, there was nit enough framing leading up to the song to warrant it.
Smile reminds meof "One Shoet Day In The Emerald City" from Wicked or the opening number from Once in the Island.
Smile is like the musical equivalent of an alien. Like it sticks out for how out of place it feels, it doesn't feel like a song from Soken, especially quality wise because tone aside, it's pitchy and the delivery is so wrong but somehow it got through. It's like the audio equivalent of the uncanny valley, it just does not hit the ears right. Like an aggressively happy jump scare, same effect but inducing cringe instead of fear lol.
Soken can say he wasn't forced but honestly… That's what anyone would say with a gun blade stuck in their back lol.
Even a Disney musical knows that sometimes you need a song that isn't just all smiles and happiness. You still have songs that better suit the tone sometimes. Sure Circle of Life is a great song, but it'd be really inappropriate if they put that song in scenes were it didn't make sense. It's like if Scar was scheming with the hyenas or Mufasa was being thrown off the cliff, and suddenly ITS THE CIRCLE OF LIFFFFFFEEEEE. Good song, horrible use.
I did not enjoy the music of Dawntrail nearly as much as I did previous expansions, it's easily the worst overall in my opinion (from what I heard in 7.0). I also caught more than a few Endwalker tracks being reused. I do wonder if the music was also affected by the team splitting their efforts between 14 and 16. Raid music seems promising, and here's hoping 7.x brings more memorable tracks.
So Ishikawa misunderstood what she was asking Soken to do, Soken misunderstood what a musical is and instead composed a gospel song… Now it makes sense why the song is so out of place and bizarre
So the person who is known for writing amazing grim and serious storylines ordered a soundtrack that is all happy and joy? How? xD
I get the feel that smile was going for, being used in that context. A bunch of people are coming together to work on something for the greater good. It just so happened to be a bomb battering ram.
Edit: do remember that isn't the whole song though and I think everyone I've seen at the ending where it is used agrees that it fits the ending.