How Cynthia's Theme Terrorized a Generation

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  • čas přidán 22. 06. 2024
  • In this video I take a look at Cynthia’s battle theme as well as her “approach” theme, and try to spell out how the music sets the stage for the battle and delivers an appropriately threatening experience
    0:00 - Intro
    1:15 - Approaching Cynthia
    8:34 - Battle Against Cynthia
    13:42 - Connection to Pokemon's Musical Legacy
    14:41 - Outro
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Komentáře • 1,1K

  • @ParanoidDrone
    @ParanoidDrone Před měsícem +9133

    There's also the psychological impact of walking into a random house on the beach in Pokemon B/W and getting smacked in the face with the approach theme the instant you're inside. No warning whatsoever. At least for the champion fight you knew to expect something epic.

    • @daxwolf455
      @daxwolf455 Před měsícem +544

      My first pokemon theme was black and bro when I wandered into that house and that music started I instantly feared for my life xd

    • @Suirioujin
      @Suirioujin Před měsícem +338

      I started Pokemon with Platinum, when I entered the house in Black and White, I was litteraly scared
      Cynthia traumatised me back then, I struggled enough against the Elite 4 for a long time, Cynthia was just too much lmao

    • @maromania7
      @maromania7 Před měsícem +125

      I nearly dropped my DS, my fight or flight kicked in XD

    • @mrhalfsaid1389
      @mrhalfsaid1389 Před měsícem +135

      Yea to be fair the jumpscare aspect of the bw fight is what makes it a pro gamer move on game freak's part

    • @ForgottenSonata
      @ForgottenSonata Před měsícem +45

      I never played Gen 4 so I had noooo idea who this random lady in the beach house was…

  • @jocax188723
    @jocax188723 Před měsícem +6738

    I played the first two bars of Approach in a crowded auditorium once.
    Instant silence. Palpable fear.
    It was glorious, and terrifying.

    • @TreeBranchStudios
      @TreeBranchStudios Před měsícem +257

      And hilarious 🤣🤣🤣

    • @williamsanborn9195
      @williamsanborn9195 Před měsícem +141

      Simply glorious 😂

    • @jellycore1316
      @jellycore1316 Před měsícem +71

      That is so COOLLL AHH XD

    • @enbydeadly
      @enbydeadly Před měsícem +184

      hearing approach already triggers my fight or flight response a little in game if i heard it on an actual piano irl without expecting it don't know what i'd do

    • @SolitaryDust
      @SolitaryDust Před měsícem +43

      Everyone for themselves RUN!

  • @lyokhamishukov3513
    @lyokhamishukov3513 Před měsícem +2615

    The literal embodiment of, "Why do I hear boss music?"

    • @kamikazechristoph9062
      @kamikazechristoph9062 Před měsícem +31

      You could Put a Dark Souls Boss music instead of her actual Seem it would still work

    • @linkboynine9814
      @linkboynine9814 Před měsícem +55

      You hear boss music because: you just walked into the boss' summer vacation home, she's bored, and she's *stronger* than before. Hope you saved recently~

    • @edwardwilson7459
      @edwardwilson7459 Před měsícem +9

      ​@kamikazechristoph9062 i now want to hear Cynthia theme darksouls music

    • @lenlimbo
      @lenlimbo Před 24 dny +2

      @@linkboynine9814 You hear boss music because you found the boss hisuian variation in the past, and this time it has eight pokemon, two of them being greater legendaries (well, twice the same in different forms, but STILL)

    • @jenji333
      @jenji333 Před 18 dny

      Moooooood, Im in such agreement with your words kekw

  • @hammdogporkington3058
    @hammdogporkington3058 Před měsícem +3879

    Piano is absent from battle themes throughout DPPt. We're conditioned to associate the piano with familiary and safety. Then Approaching Cynthia turns that on its head. Youre familiar with her, but you are not safe.

    • @Guillolife
      @Guillolife Před měsícem +95

      Spear Pillar.

    • @xRaalx
      @xRaalx Před měsícem +122

      Reminds me of a friend, guys super chill, but on the super rare occasions he's gotten genuinly angry the air around him just feels charged, wrong somehow. I assume its very much like this with cynthia finally ready to direct her combat abilties at you

    • @proclarushtaonasat
      @proclarushtaonasat Před měsícem +39

      @@xRaalx conquerors haki?

    • @halohawkxx
      @halohawkxx Před měsícem +17

      Yeah, pretty much. That shit still puts the fear of god into me lol

    • @sherryyu8191
      @sherryyu8191 Před měsícem +2

      i mean with mega shes even harder i had to help my friend every time

  • @ThatRedHusky
    @ThatRedHusky Před měsícem +1212

    "A skeleton that will feel very familiar to any Pokemon fan."
    -Shows a Cubone
    You monster.

    • @ggrarl
      @ggrarl Před měsícem +28

      Yohohohoho! Skull joke!

    • @Azira_Amane
      @Azira_Amane Před měsícem +14

      @@ggrarl I wasn't expecting to find One Piece quotes here, but I'm all for it.

    • @jajordan2106
      @jajordan2106 Před měsícem

      I thought it was supposed to represent the fact that we can only comfort ourselves when our loved ones are gone by holding their remains. I really need to watch one piece.

    • @srijanchakraborty203
      @srijanchakraborty203 Před dnem

      This joke is bone dry.

  • @hwile
    @hwile Před měsícem +3808

    Bro, hearing you talk about how menacing and daunting Cynthia is while you're showing chibi Cynthia I CAN'T😂

    • @davidbeer5015
      @davidbeer5015 Před měsícem +303

      The cuteness of the chibi just makes it more intimidating. Fear the cuteness.

    • @windhelmguard5295
      @windhelmguard5295 Před měsícem +196

      @@davidbeer5015
      smol cynthia has axe murder villager energy.

    • @FormlessDuck
      @FormlessDuck Před měsícem +90

      Yeah, if you havent played the remakes, I can assure you chibi Cynthia is just as threatening lmao. still felt genuine fear

    • @davidbeer5015
      @davidbeer5015 Před měsícem +56

      @FormlessDuck especially if you know ahead of time that her team is actually legitimately trained with proper natures, hold items, and..I believe IVs, if not EV'd to maximize her strength and challenge?

    • @Ray-Cultured
      @Ray-Cultured Před měsícem +35

      @@davidbeer5015perfect 31 IVs across the board, perfectly competitively viable ev spreads, natures, moves, item, and abilities. She is truly a beast of a champion.

  • @Narlaw1199
    @Narlaw1199 Před měsícem +2743

    I think the impact of these themes are greater because of how they contrast with how Cynthia is a friendly character throughout the game, yet her themes sound so villainous, making them even more intimidating.

    • @bradensmith8682
      @bradensmith8682 Před měsícem +202

      I imagine some of the intimidation comes from the amount of responsibility, the shoes you'd have to fill if you beat her and became champion. She's everywhere in Sinnoh, doing random tasks to keep the peace in the region. Had the player character simply been a trainer not concerned with Team Galactic, and just a regular challenger, the concepts of both facing and beating Cynthia become equally stressful.

    • @FirelMusic
      @FirelMusic Před měsícem +132

      Really the kind of character that makes you glad she's on your side. Can you imagine an actually evil Cynthia? Good luck, because I feel like they tried to do that with Legends:Arceus, and it just doesn't hit the same.

    • @ixfalia
      @ixfalia Před měsícem +88

      I like to think that it is because Cynthia is so nice, passionate about mythology and history, that it becomes all the more intimidating that she's so strong, she doesn't even need to be villainous to be that threatening. I think that's what the music is communicating, the contrast is the important part. Compare Cynthia's theme to Diantha or Iris and you can see how Cynthia's theme is trying to communicate something different from the other champions.

    • @s.shepherd5653
      @s.shepherd5653 Před měsícem +105

      @@ixfalia Cynthia has enough raw, unbridled power to be kind in a world full of people who want to rewrite the rules of physics on a whim. She travels alone in Sinnoh, calm in the knowledge that she is more terrifying than anything she'll meet, and can therefore afford to be the most endearing dork around her friends.

    • @a-rod48
      @a-rod48 Před měsícem +15

      Beware the nice ones, indeed.

  • @JoeSmith-db4rq
    @JoeSmith-db4rq Před měsícem +2161

    The one detail I would add regarding the “approaching” piece is that the fact that it’s a solo piece emphasizes her power. She stands alone in this room and she’s able to command that much power solely from her presence. It adds to her intensity and adds to your isolation as you have to face that force one on one.

    • @johannesbrahms1655
      @johannesbrahms1655 Před měsícem +44

      Nice connection. That description made me think of the Gwyn, Lord of Cinder’s theme from the first Dark Souls. I wonder if any other composers have had this dramatic solo piano boss concept too.

    • @DRCEQ
      @DRCEQ Před měsícem +45

      @@johannesbrahms1655 Between Cynthia and Giorno Giovanna from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, there is absolutely a trope of "If you hear solo piano music, you're about to get your #$&% kicked in" that persists through geek culture.

    • @auggie9912
      @auggie9912 Před měsícem +54

      Also something VERY important about the theme. In Sinnoh, while the region is know for its pianos, the type of piano Cynthia uses only ever play in the TOWNS. Places of safety. Nice, calm, low energy piano. Not much mixing, minimal stress, its just an everyday piano but compressed on a DS sound card. When you hear this piano, it often supports other instruments in the background and as you play through the game, you will associate this type of piano music with safety.
      Yet the moment you approach Cynthia, you are instantly hit with JUST this piano. Something familiar, but no longer in the nice, calm town themes. It's far more unnerving than it would be otherwise. Combined with the more grandiose use of it makes her approach theme truly stand out.

    • @millgiass
      @millgiass Před měsícem +7

      It's kinda the thing you'd expect when encountering a boss vampire in a castle.

    • @KitsuneRogue
      @KitsuneRogue Před měsícem +6

      I felt the same, with Cynthia's theme it really drives home that feeling that though you know this person standing in front of you, she in truth stands leagues above all others you have battled before.

  • @WhiteVampire888
    @WhiteVampire888 Před měsícem +755

    Ok but you forgot to talk about that beeping sound that permanently is played fighting cynthia that normally only occurs when your mon is low hp!😂

    • @RuinexRoach
      @RuinexRoach Před měsícem +90

      The beeping in Pokemon when your on low hp has given me anxiety, but during Cynthia's battles it had so much more impact to me, especially with the music

    • @ryomahoshi4529
      @ryomahoshi4529 Před měsícem +34

      ​@@RuinexRoachyeah like everyone is on the brink of death but still the battle rages on,truly epic

    • @theduelist92
      @theduelist92 Před měsícem +16

      I can hear Garchomp's scream in my nightmares...

    • @soulesskoma
      @soulesskoma Před měsícem +1

      LMFAO

    • @kiharihate2897
      @kiharihate2897 Před měsícem +3

      Mine straight up perished, so yeah, I have no idea what that sounds like.

  • @Platanov
    @Platanov Před měsícem +748

    More like "How teaching her entire team Earthquake terrorized a generation".

    • @Helangel216
      @Helangel216 Před měsícem +33

      Freaking overkill

    • @underware_pr
      @underware_pr Před měsícem +67

      No but seriously WHY DO THEY _ALL_ KNOW EARTHQUAKE

    • @lenarianmelon4634
      @lenarianmelon4634 Před měsícem +28

      @@underware_pr Bro like how does a deep sea oarfish know... actually it kinda makes sense if you think about it.

    • @Gnurklesquimp2
      @Gnurklesquimp2 Před měsícem +17

      Every time I played my team happened to counter her well, also just kinda op in general, I feel like I was robbed of an early childhood dark souls esque experience

    • @totoyuki1
      @totoyuki1 Před měsícem +5

      @@Gnurklesquimp2 Lucky. I still sometimes get nightmares of getting swept by Garchomp because I came in at level

  • @lev_n
    @lev_n Před měsícem +802

    Bro seeing Cynthia on the thumbnail poppin up on my notification was enough to jump me

  • @mads_in_zero
    @mads_in_zero Před měsícem +1062

    One thing that's notable about _Battle Against Cynthia_ being a slower intro that ramps up to a faster, disco vibe is that her theme was rearranged for Black and White (the famous House Jumpscare) and again for B2W2 (the Pokemon World Championships) and both times the rearrangement was up-tempo compared to the previous version.
    Cynthia's theme gets faster and scarier and everyone cries.

    • @slysylveon
      @slysylveon Před měsícem +62

      I'm convinced her theme speeds up for every million people she scares

    • @thecursed_1lordofcats738
      @thecursed_1lordofcats738 Před měsícem +20

      ​@@slysylveonIf that were the case, it'd be nearly impossible to listen to because it'd be over so quickly.

    • @slysylveon
      @slysylveon Před měsícem +19

      @thecursed_1lordofcats738 why do you think she hasn't been in a game in almost a decade(excluding bdsp which reverted her theme to be faithful). Her theme was too fast that they had to replace her with volo

    • @cinnamoone3553
      @cinnamoone3553 Před měsícem +1

      didn't her theme get pitched up two different times throughout her four or five appearances through gen 7? or am i misremembering?

  • @agba95
    @agba95 Před měsícem +379

    I never noticed the similarities between Fairy Fountain and this theme. I always used to like them both very much. That's cool to notice.

    • @frankcaggiano8282
      @frankcaggiano8282 Před měsícem +8

      Holy crap yeah, the underline is almost exactly just fairy fountain as is. That's WILD

  • @mr.stoneface7699
    @mr.stoneface7699 Před měsícem +89

    9:00 "Champion Cynthia theme but it never starts" gave me as much anxiety as the battle did. Thanks for that!

  • @giggityguy
    @giggityguy Před měsícem +556

    I always thought Cynthia's theme was a brilliant study in contrast. Sure, some of the melodic motion is unsettling, but the bouncing bass and drums just give you such a powerful feeling of excitement. Heroic major sections clash with dissonant minor sections, and the darkest chord at the end leaps right back into the eager intro. To me, her theme evoked a mood of something tense and serious, but also joyful. It feels like one of the hardest things you've ever done, but also one of the most exciting.

    • @Arkouchie
      @Arkouchie Před měsícem +44

      "This is going to be the best - and toughest - battle of your life. Fight like your life depends on it - because it does."

    • @straypaper
      @straypaper Před měsícem +1

      "Haha! Let's fight to the death! This is so fun."
      Yeah I think the word you're looking for is "unhinged".

  • @MarshmallowRadiation
    @MarshmallowRadiation Před měsícem +1080

    I feel Cynthia is the perfect champion for gen 4. To me gen 4 has some of the strongest storytelling in the franchise, rivalling B/W at its best. The previous generations were about kids coming in and cleaning up messes of problems made by adults, but Gen 4 is the first one that really makes you feel like you're _not ready_ to enter this scary adult world that's much bigger than you expected. Sure, Gen 3 had its adult villains losing control of forces they didn't understand too, but Max and Archie felt like petty squabblers who were too caught up in their own dreams to actually talk things out and think things through. Cyrus, on the other hand, is very understandable: he's an old man who never grew up. Fundamentally, he fully knows the world is scary and unpredictable, and he hates it. He wants to destroy and remake the world into something simpler easier to grasp, so that he doesn't have to face the difficulty of living in a world that's much bigger and more powerful than he can fathom. The irony is that he has to face uncontainable cosmic power in order to achieve this goal, and in Platinum this is especially apparent when the sublime eldritch horror that is Giratina simply ignores any attempt to control it.
    But after defeating Cyrus, what's next? The story's basically over, right? Well yes, the threat is done, but Cynthia is still a continuation of the player's journey. She is in many ways Cyrus' opposite. Where Cyrus wishes to control pokemon and the world, Cynthia has already mastered it by accepting the world. She is calm, elegant, and at peace with herself. Her party is full of pokemon who are fundamentally "untamable": Garchomp, Milotic, Spiritomb. She is a pokemon master not because she can control her pokemon, but because she understands them and accepts them. She's tough not just as a final challenge, but also because she's an illustration of the final message of the game: that even though you've come so far, even though you've faced cosmic horrors beyond your imagining and saved the world, you still have only had a glimpse into the true grown-up world, a world full of wonders and horrors and struggles and triumphs you can't even imagine yet. Cynthia is the kind of person Cyrus wished to be without understanding what makes that kind of person great, an open person who is able to deal with life's problems with flawless grace and deceptive ease. And her fight and the music that accompanies it are so threatening not because she herself is a threatening person, but because she represents the true final boss of pokemon: the world itself.
    Idk maybe I'm thinking too deeply about pokemon. But I love Cynthia and I love this music.

    • @Fruitman1997
      @Fruitman1997 Před měsícem +156

      This is a really good read, but want to know what makes Cyrus even scarier?
      He isn’t an old man. He’s in his late 20’s.
      He looks a lot older than he really is. It’s his shrivelled brow, and his stern look on his face. His distaste for human emotions and hatred for the current world aged him beyond compare.
      So the fact he’s actually not that old, makes him even more menacing, because he really is only just beginning.

    • @BJGvideos
      @BJGvideos Před měsícem +118

      ​@@Fruitman1997Plus his backstory explains a lot of why he would look so old despite being only 27. He was under intense pressure from an early age due to his intelligence, and his parents ignored his emotional needs, so he came to view emotions as only causing pain.

    • @bittersweetvictory8541
      @bittersweetvictory8541 Před měsícem +93

      no you're not thinking too deeply about pokémon. this is good. this is what we call media analysis and this is important. (seriously.) this is such a solid explanation of the duality between cynthia and cyrus, and thank you so much for sharing it.

    • @robloxgrover4832
      @robloxgrover4832 Před měsícem +13

      But hey! That’s just a theory!

    • @sparkypikachu7776
      @sparkypikachu7776 Před měsícem +10

      Yeah just wish her togekiss had serene grace instead of hustle

  • @ShockRox
    @ShockRox Před měsícem +118

    The whole PCSD thing is partly the music and partly the pure shock of going into a random House in Undella Town and finding Cynthia, instantly ready to battle

    • @nickwhyman4815
      @nickwhyman4815 Před měsícem +10

      That was my first Cynthia experience, since BW was my first Pokémon game. That moment lives rent free in my head.

    • @faffywhosmilesatdeath5953
      @faffywhosmilesatdeath5953 Před měsícem +2

      ​@@nickwhyman4815 did you fight her? Cause if you did I'd love to know how that went.

  • @particleflow
    @particleflow Před měsícem +50

    I went to Pokemon Symphony Orchestra in Japan last year, I saw so many people in the audience flinch immediately when they started playing Cynthia's theme lol

  • @Ba_Dashi
    @Ba_Dashi Před měsícem +504

    13:18 I Love that you mention how these lines are "alien", because that actually connects in game with the Palkia/Dialga/Giratina themes(not only musically) of eldritch-like entities. Cynthia is probably the first spot you'll see a Spiritomb, a pokemon with no weaknesses, and having this type of "alien" structure in music combined with the overall theme of the game just makes it even more memorable.

    • @brennanruiz1803
      @brennanruiz1803 Před měsícem +31

      My first thought hearing them (in the context of music theory) was "hey that kinda sounds like the little flute flourish thing at the beginning of the intro cutscene", which kinda ties it in more with the whole spacetime theming, yeah?

    • @RingLight1
      @RingLight1 Před měsícem +14

      @@brennanruiz1803 Not only that, but the part directly after with the voice that slides down in pitch reminds me of the reverse world, so she really has all the box legendary spaces covered

    • @jmcbango
      @jmcbango Před měsícem +4

      Dude i literally came down here to comment about giratina's theme when they got to that part

  • @Skystarry75
    @Skystarry75 Před měsícem +272

    It took me 15 years to finally defeat Cynthia... No, I am not exaggerating, I got the game as a child and didn't defeat her until last year.
    To say I have PCSD is an understatement. Unknowingly walking into her house in Undella was terrifying.
    It was a surprise when I did manage it though. My strongest Pokémon was a whole 5 levels below her weakest. When her Garchomp went down, and the tide of battle shifted, I felt it. I focused up, gave it everything I had left and finished her off. Once it was over, I stared at my game in shock. I had defeated Cynthia with a team below her level!

    • @edgargaebolg9307
      @edgargaebolg9307 Před měsícem +3

      What team were you using?

    • @Helangel216
      @Helangel216 Před měsícem +3

      It took me two years to beat blue back when i was a kid😅

    • @Skystarry75
      @Skystarry75 Před měsícem +11

      ​@@edgargaebolg9307 I'm not sure as it's been over a year, but I think it was Empoleon, Lopunny, Drifblim, Garchomp, Medicham and Luxray?

    • @ShineguardIke
      @ShineguardIke Před měsícem +2

      Damn. Good job on finally beating her. I beat her on my first go around and her memory all but faded for me personally. I even had to research what Gen she was from to refresh my memory cuz I couldn’t remember. I had no idea she was this tough for some people lol. I can only live vicariously.

    • @MrOiram46
      @MrOiram46 Před měsícem +9

      I remember way back in the Diamond and Pearl days going to a grind just to level up my Empoleon to level 85 and my Staraptor to 62, and those two alone carried my steamroll through the elite 4 and Cynthia herself 😂

  • @Azira_Amane
    @Azira_Amane Před měsícem +98

    I didn't understand a word of this.
    10/10 quality content.

  • @jakobr_
    @jakobr_ Před měsícem +172

    12:00 This section is played in Legends Arceus when Volo reveals his intentions. It’s incredibly menacing!

    • @10chazz
      @10chazz Před měsícem +3

      I honestly think the Volvo fight was scarier

    • @BaconNuke
      @BaconNuke Před měsícem +5

      @@10chazz I mean Volo was a villain, Cynthia was just a champion, different roles so the fear of Cynthia is just "tough story battle" vs Volo being "tough boss battle" kinda vibes...

  • @bettyunicorn6132
    @bettyunicorn6132 Před měsícem +78

    Hearing that Cynthia's theme is so similar to the Red Blue trainer theme makes me wish we get a video on that.

  • @eleanorcerar6273
    @eleanorcerar6273 Před měsícem +160

    As a percussionist, the rhythms behind Cynthia's music always struck me as very understated, yet just as masterfully crafted as the rest of the music. More specifically, the rhythms seem to have been specifically chosen to emulate the heartbeat of the player at this incredibly-tense moment in the game. The triplet melody figures in the approach give the effect of singular heartbeats, these 'stabs' of anxiety as even your heart picks up on the dread before you. In that short transition, though, the tense bu-BUMP of the heartbeat rhythm slides into that pounding disco figure, with the driving eighth notes of the bass and drums giving the effect of adrenaline taking over as the heartbeat stabilizes into the still-dangerous, yet focused pattern that you'll need in order to beat Cynthia. I love it when even very underspoken areas of a piece of music contribute so integrally to the overall experience like that.

  • @CoolGamer4161
    @CoolGamer4161 Před měsícem +146

    9:00 got me. I GOT CHILLS THE MOMENT THAT BATTLE THEME STARTED. I knew it was coming and it still hit me like a truck. I love this music so much!

    • @lllarry6047
      @lllarry6047 Před měsícem +10

      I’ve never played this one - I don’t know what it is but that intro just puts ice in your veins.

    • @ulawan5
      @ulawan5 Před měsícem +8

      and then it never fully kicked in! holy cow that had me so on edge 😬

  • @Professor_Wisteria_
    @Professor_Wisteria_ Před měsícem +59

    Approach is one of those few pieces of music that you recognize in your CORE as "oh fuck, that's boss music"
    there are TONS of incredible boss fights with amazing scores that i could gush over for months on end, but there are only a couple (IN MY EXPERIENCE) that stand out to me as genuinely terrifying to hear

  • @deletedTestimony
    @deletedTestimony Před měsícem +52

    Instead of making jokes I will say this:
    The multiple build and release sections (that often just build to more tension) are absolutely perfect for watching health bars drain.
    Youll notice from the footage, it's quite slow in generation 4. It can give the feeling that attacks arent having much effect, especially if the bar stops moving quickly. But even if you do a lot of damage, you're given a gambler's apprehension as the dice settle: will it be enough?
    And if you're the one being attacked... Can your partner endure it?
    Absolutely incredible gameplay for the despair-laden trailing gasp at the loop.

  • @dudeguy1894
    @dudeguy1894 Před měsícem +101

    This is the third video about Cynthia's theme I've seen in the past few days. Not that I'm complaining though, Pokemon music is always a banger.

    • @1685Violin
      @1685Violin Před měsícem +4

      What were the other two? I'm probably not subscribed to them.

    • @BJGvideos
      @BJGvideos Před měsícem +4

      ​@@1685ViolinJesse's Auditorium was one of them

    • @dudeguy1894
      @dudeguy1894 Před měsícem +5

      @@1685Violin The8BitDrummer and Davi Vasc

    • @OGNoNameNobody
      @OGNoNameNobody Před měsícem +4

      Golden Owl had a *thurough* brakdown on Cynthia's reign of terror about 3 months ago.
      Highly Recommemded.

  • @roadtrain_
    @roadtrain_ Před měsícem +20

    The cynthia jumpscare is Game Freak telling you to NOT go looking around random people's houses looking for shit. You'll enter the wrong one... and then get your ass royally whooped.

  • @gabrieldelatorre6918
    @gabrieldelatorre6918 Před měsícem +35

    The thing about the battle theme that always gets me is that snare drum, just feels like its a random pattern between triplets and quintumplets. helps with the feeling of being insecure during the battle.

  • @Darko807
    @Darko807 Před měsícem +103

    Diamond and Pearl was my last played generation and I will always remember this fight.
    1. I did not anticipate Cynthia as the current champ
    2. This masterpiece of music I'll sometimes play just to hear it again
    3. Cynthia was the first champ in my whole pokemon career who made me sweat for the first time to win

    • @Arg13m1th1u5
      @Arg13m1th1u5 Před měsícem +1

      How bout a rematch in BDSP?...she's even stronger...

    • @dawnseeker176
      @dawnseeker176 Před měsícem +4

      @@Arg13m1th1u5 undercut by the friendship effects that can allow your pokemon to survive attacks that should have defeated your pokemon and curing its own status effects it gives an unfair advantage to the player

    • @davidpersson7835
      @davidpersson7835 Před 18 dny

      @@dawnseeker176And even after all that, still challenging.

  • @mattr2291
    @mattr2291 Před měsícem +45

    While we're on Pokemon, can we talk about how the layering of different instruments and dissonant melodies bring an unsettling/ethereal quality to Area Zero in Scarlet/Violet? Entering there for the first time was a transcendent experience, it was so different from everywhere else in the game up to that point.

    • @fabrizioorpianesi6670
      @fabrizioorpianesi6670 Před měsícem +5

      Area Zero was an experience to hear. Probably my single favourite track from Scarlet and Violet's soundtrack

    • @SobreDunas
      @SobreDunas Před 21 dnem

      thank you toby fox

  • @cyn5623
    @cyn5623 Před měsícem +28

    Damn, I love how you point out that Cynthia's theme, while menacing, also has bright, hopeful tones in it. It really highlights her outlook on life in the games: that all life is meaningful no matter how "useful" one is--a stark contrast to Cyrus' nihilistic view. Not only that, but as someone who's mentored the player character and personally witnessed their growth, she also has immense respect and high hopes for them. In such a foreboding melody, those bright major chords show that she's having fun battling with you. But like you said, the tone shifts back to its dark, oppressive tones. Regardless of how she feels about the player character, she doesn't intend to lose the champion battle. And against many challengers, she doesn't.
    Thanks for the video!

  • @ARDIZsq
    @ARDIZsq Před měsícem +289

    You wanna experience REAL damage from Cynthia, set the piano that plays before her battle to your morning alarm.
    Never have I woken up faster in my life.

    • @councilcarrot
      @councilcarrot Před měsícem +44

      Bro, I'd hear that in the morning and just go straight to cardiac arrest-

    • @Jallu555
      @Jallu555 Před měsícem +3

      My both Sinnoh team and all gen combination team are near perfect counters to Cynthia so I never had any problems with her.

    • @blueberryoatmeal4009
      @blueberryoatmeal4009 Před měsícem +21

      ​@@councilcarrotCause of death: "That idiot was using the approaching Cynthia theme as an alarm clock."

    • @ObsidiaBlack1
      @ObsidiaBlack1 Před měsícem

      @@blueberryoatmeal4009 So... Death by PCSD?

    • @aarw4907
      @aarw4907 Před 14 dny +1

      Why would you torture yourself like that?

  • @hat-desu
    @hat-desu Před měsícem +15

    Really excellent to call back to Junichi Masuda's overall style with past battle themes! The way the tone jumps around the song really does resemble the other most memorable tracks of the series, classic pokemon especially, even though it gives off a completely different kind of oppressiveness.

  • @MattGOG666
    @MattGOG666 Před měsícem +314

    Never clicked faster

    • @RiverFowler
      @RiverFowler Před měsícem +2

      fr

    • @ValianceGames
      @ValianceGames Před měsícem +2

      Same. Jumped right in as soon as I saw it on my refresh

    • @1685Violin
      @1685Violin Před měsícem +1

      Because of Cynthia?

    • @dalcomaroni9837
      @dalcomaroni9837 Před měsícem +1

      @@1685Violin ofc

    • @anthonyramirez7272
      @anthonyramirez7272 Před měsícem +1

      I’m so glad this video was made: some of my favorite pokémon music from Gen 4 (next to Floaroma Town at night)

  • @-AirKat-
    @-AirKat- Před měsícem +47

    The combination of Cynthia’s Theme & your elaborations make me feel like I should be having a cup of tea while watching this

  • @ulawan5
    @ulawan5 Před měsícem +14

    Can't believe you took a full two minutes and even cut music ENTIRELY before letting her actual battle theme kick in beyond the intro, that was horrifically unsettling and I don't even have PCSD!
    I used to have my empoleon solo the entire e4 and her just to make cash ingame, I'm not scared of her, and she's a super fun character! but I guess that's just a testament to how powerful her themes are

  • @RaFaPilgrim
    @RaFaPilgrim Před měsícem +41

    A little disappointed that there wasnt an addendum talking about volo's theme. That said, what an amazing video that perfectly explains my deepest, darkest fears!

  • @EmpereurdesBalignon
    @EmpereurdesBalignon Před měsícem +65

    CYNTHIA ON MY DASH YEAH
    Big up to the Volo fans out there btw

    • @user-yw9mw9hv8o
      @user-yw9mw9hv8o Před měsícem +11

      even the track "volo's betrayal" is a sick reference too, they really gave us gen4 fans everything to finish off legends arceus

  • @ArguablyTJJ
    @ArguablyTJJ Před měsícem +11

    I think it's interesting that these two themes have become so infamous together, since they're an example of something very rare in Pokémon - a character theme & that character's battle theme being composed and arranged by different people without shared motifs. Now, I'm certain there was still some level of communication between Ichinose (Approach) and Masuda (Battle), but to me the fact that the two tracks are still quite jarringly different in a lot of ways while still working together to create a reputation that's basically become a meme at this point because of the way they've given so many people a shared experience.

  • @dydenmusic
    @dydenmusic Před měsícem +18

    lol I was just on the piano practicing exactly this piece when I got the upload notification wtf 😂😂

  • @FierceGalactaKnight
    @FierceGalactaKnight Před měsícem +7

    I love how the base of the battle theme echoes a heartbeat, starting off slow as your heart sinks before the plunge
    Then racing as you strive to save yourself in the fight of your life

  • @ericaguilar9382
    @ericaguilar9382 Před měsícem +18

    Is there some sort of Cynthia resurgence? “The 8-bit drummer”and “jesses auditorium” posted Cynthia content yesterday too. Great video!

    • @1685Violin
      @1685Violin Před měsícem +2

      I don't know. The last time there was a similar resurgence was when she last appeared in _Journeys_ , along with Korrina and Dawn I think. That was years ago and Charusu (can't remember how to spell it) made a video about her.

    • @madnessarcade7447
      @madnessarcade7447 Před měsícem

      @@1685Violinit’s literally only been a year lmao “years ago” 😂

    • @1685Violin
      @1685Violin Před měsícem

      @@madnessarcade7447 Charles' video was from 2021 though. I think you were talking about the English dub.

  • @drac116
    @drac116 Před měsícem +8

    Those drawn out loops of each section played in the background legit gave me anxiety

  • @Kirk_Jimenez
    @Kirk_Jimenez Před měsícem +5

    This epic theme definitely took heavy inspiration from the fourth movement of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata Op. 2 No. 1. I was learning this sonata around the time DPPT came out and was definitely inspired to practice the final movement more because of its similarity! I remember liking this theme so much that I would wait on the last text box before initiating the battle just to let it loop as long as possible haha. Great video, thanks for the nostalgia!

  • @SlyHikari03
    @SlyHikari03 Před měsícem +8

    Approaching Cynthia is such a good song.
    Its so well composed.

  • @YaraUwU
    @YaraUwU Před měsícem +7

    Cynthia is the most well designed champion from her theme to her personality to her team which paints her as having an extreemly overbearing presence without even trying and a drive to never stop improving even though she is the champion and despite being that powerful doesn't see herself as someone above losing and learning from it.
    All of that combined makes her an extreemly likable and intriguing character.

  • @kingawsume
    @kingawsume Před měsícem +6

    My interpretation was always one of someone high on adrenaline, fighting for their life. The bouncy bass and percussion like a rapid heartbeat, the off-key chaos around you, the major melody a sign of hope. Garchomp is hungry, but you have opposable thumbs and the ability to make tools.

  • @Credibilidad
    @Credibilidad Před měsícem +8

    Man, that wrap up connecting to the first generation's battle theme was just amazing. I would never realize that. Thank you!
    PS: I miss the time when champion themes were supposed to scare the hell out of you

  • @Kieiros
    @Kieiros Před měsícem +49

    You know, seeing Cynthia's battle them written out made me realise something very fun with it versus Volo's music, in that the contexts are also flipped:
    Volo's battle music is based of off Cynthia's approaching theme, while his theme from Masters (which might be considered sort of an approach theme) is based off of her battle theme.

  • @tybellsprout
    @tybellsprout Před měsícem +8

    How fortuitous, I was just Google searching Cynthia's theme (thanks for failing me once again yt home page).

  • @EmpereurdesBalignon
    @EmpereurdesBalignon Před měsícem +9

    DPPt bicycle mysic for outro ?! I literally cried

  • @FrankCosbyNo-Relation
    @FrankCosbyNo-Relation Před měsícem +5

    😃 Boy: **turns doorknob**
    😨 Me: "No! Don't go in there!"
    🗿 Cynthia: _"Though you have wandered in here unknowingly, you shall not escape from here with your heart still beating. Now then, approach me."_

  • @GyourgeTube
    @GyourgeTube Před měsícem

    Such an incredible piece of music, your analysis really made me appreciate it for the first time!

  • @TheXtremeBoltGuy
    @TheXtremeBoltGuy Před měsícem +24

    A person’s reaction to this music is the perfect descriptor of just how much they've been scarred. It is a genuine survival mechanism.

  • @trontium5
    @trontium5 Před měsícem +43

    I wish I understood music theory... 😢 However these videos give me hope that at least I'm enjoying music for the right reasons. 😅

    • @arnaldosantoro6812
      @arnaldosantoro6812 Před měsícem +12

      As long as you like it, that's the right reason: music theory explains the how, not the why.

    • @thadjarvis9514
      @thadjarvis9514 Před měsícem +2

      Music theory is cool as heck! You should look up some stuff here on CZcams. It's amazing the lessons that are out there now and so easy to understand

    • @ornettebreaker
      @ornettebreaker Před měsícem

      Rick beato

    • @jaredpatterson1701
      @jaredpatterson1701 Před měsícem

      ​@@thadjarvis9514Got any recommendations?

  • @MarshallCubed
    @MarshallCubed Před měsícem +6

    "Cynthia terrorised a generation because of her music". Uhh, no sir, i cried because she kept beating me. The sound theme just made me remember my suffering until now.

  • @nova338
    @nova338 Před měsícem

    This video is awesome!! So fun to see such a deep dive into a single song!! (okay two songs)

  • @nathansnow724
    @nathansnow724 Před měsícem

    Such knowledge ❤ I loved your video! Well done 👏

  • @thecompareablezombie
    @thecompareablezombie Před měsícem +24

    The theme was a motivator than a Fear, it brought me joy as well.
    It was an epic battle theme for the Champion of Gen 4.

    • @gamerezgazzer2751
      @gamerezgazzer2751 Před měsícem +2

      it becomes a fear in black and white, when you wander into a very random building lol

    • @TheWeirdaholic
      @TheWeirdaholic Před měsícem

      @@gamerezgazzer2751 Yeah, I was prepared to get an actual challenge, when I came to this point back then. I reeeEEAAALy wasn't in gen 5. And I had to decide between losing 2h of playtime or taking the L. 😭

  • @prepcoin_nl4362
    @prepcoin_nl4362 Před měsícem +4

    At 5:30 when you mention that figure not having a name, it really is just a slow turn figure, which is an extremely common ornament in classical music. Granted turns tend to be quick and not carry the same metrical weight but it's still unmistakably what it is.

  • @gabevandenhoeven4546
    @gabevandenhoeven4546 Před měsícem

    This was such a cool breakdown video!

  • @Ri-ver
    @Ri-ver Před měsícem

    The channel gets better by the video! Keep it up!

  • @ginger_queen8108
    @ginger_queen8108 Před měsícem +3

    12:17 the cynthia scale - what childhood trauma sounds like

  • @GWYT2003
    @GWYT2003 Před měsícem +6

    One of my favorite themes actually.

  • @supergummytaco9588
    @supergummytaco9588 Před měsícem

    I've always always been a huge fan of the music but getting a deep dive explanation just makes me love it that much more. Great vid 👍

  • @zacharywong483
    @zacharywong483 Před měsícem

    Absolutely fantastic analysis and discourse here, as always!

  • @sebastianjessup8510
    @sebastianjessup8510 Před měsícem +5

    this was a good video, even if I only understood about half of the music concepts

    • @OGNoNameNobody
      @OGNoNameNobody Před měsícem

      The Nuts and Bolts parts of his explanations are only important if you are in the field of Composition.
      More important that he explains it in a clear, logical candor(Think 'A because B' instead of 'A because B plus C')

  • @lagerinopino6012
    @lagerinopino6012 Před měsícem +3

    Excelente video
    Es emocionante escuchar como explca detalladamente todo.

  • @Sean081799
    @Sean081799 Před měsícem

    Thanks for the video - Cynthia really packs the punch! Also it was fun jamming at VGMCON briefly on Sunday night with Route 10 - hope you're able to return next year!

  • @povilasl5383
    @povilasl5383 Před měsícem +1

    I've always loved this song and approaching cynthia especially... I never thought that the champion was going to be a music theory masterpiece, thank you for the amazing video!!!

  • @TheMrMelodramatic
    @TheMrMelodramatic Před měsícem +3

    definitely felt the imminent threat while battling Cynthia because of the track

  • @matthewkearnan3988
    @matthewkearnan3988 Před měsícem +3

    Great video! Please do N's theme next!

  • @kiomori
    @kiomori Před měsícem +1

    The moment the approach theme transitioned into the battle theme, I got chills. Love the analysis!

  • @broadwayboundguy
    @broadwayboundguy Před měsícem +2

    Love that you ended a video of the greatest champion theme of all time with the best bike theme of all time

  • @phoenixag196
    @phoenixag196 Před měsícem +3

    Does the arpeggio section kinda sound like the Spiderman chord progression or am I losing it?

  • @kittyshippercavegirl
    @kittyshippercavegirl Před měsícem +4

    a terrifying, terrifying BOP

  • @holypineapple5721
    @holypineapple5721 Před měsícem +1

    Hell yeah been waiting for this one

  • @doctordd-ey
    @doctordd-ey Před měsícem +1

    Thanks for this cool breakdown!

  • @nunyabusiness69
    @nunyabusiness69 Před měsícem +5

    Go Ichinose is a genius (for Cynthia's theme). Masuda's battle themes all sound similar to me lol

    • @Arkouchie
      @Arkouchie Před měsícem

      I honestly felt this way until 8BMT's analysis - I didn't realize how complementary to Approach it was until now.

    • @thadjarvis9514
      @thadjarvis9514 Před měsícem +1

      I like Masuda's signatures they're cool. But I get it. It just really sounds like Pokemon to me

    • @madnessarcade7447
      @madnessarcade7447 Před měsícem +1

      Masuda has a diverse range of

    • @thadjarvis9514
      @thadjarvis9514 Před měsícem

      @@madnessarcade7447 he's the master

  • @Theantininja
    @Theantininja Před 22 dny +3

    There's two things that Jojo's fans and Pokemon fans are intimately familiar with: watching proxy fights instead of just having the characters physically fight on their own. And the absolute menacing feeling of approaching a blonde haired final boss.

  • @Elyukon__
    @Elyukon__ Před 13 dny

    Im crying after watching this, you made me feel every inch of the song that marked me since platinum was my first pokemon game, thank you

  • @jblen
    @jblen Před měsícem +2

    Hell yeah 8 bit music theory on cynthias theme. When I was younger I was obsessed with her battle theme, but then more recently I fell more in love with her approach theme. It's so damn good and I'd attempt to learn it on piano if every cover of it didn't say something like "this was incredibly challenging to learn" and those are the pros.

  • @MarimbaPlayr
    @MarimbaPlayr Před měsícem +4

    Les go. 8BMT uploaded!

  • @Zzzlol94
    @Zzzlol94 Před měsícem +3

    Cynthia is also everyone's first waifu

    • @holyknightthatpwns
      @holyknightthatpwns Před měsícem

      First? Brother, this is the fourth Pokemon generation, how you gonna ignore the OG Misty?

  • @thelastnamesake9
    @thelastnamesake9 Před měsícem +1

    Brilliant (diamond) video! Those first two chords of the approach always make me a deer in headlights.
    I would love a video on home/hometown themes from games, and what makes them feel comfy, nostalgic, and just "homey." Songs like littleroot down from pokemon RSE, Fonsett village from Xenoblade 2, or Home from undertale. I've been trying to write a song with that feel and I think your breakdown of the elements that help that feeling would help. Thanks man.

  • @kotdish
    @kotdish Před 5 dny

    you explain musical theory so well! i wish i was exposed to it back when i used to do music, but i was never given any and could never develop an appreciation or even interest in music until very recently. something that the video demonstrates on reflecting back is that getting into any field of art or being taught it in general requires, i think, a deep and cerebral appreciation of the art itself from the instructor in order to convey that to and inspire a new audience, especially young children. that's something that i wish was conveyed to me more as a kid. when i was younger i couldn't give a shit about most things. luckily now i've found other things i'm sorely interested in, like foreign language(s) and something i have more of a natural proclivity to, visual arts, but i still regret never being even able to enjoy listening to music as a kid

  • @FizzyK-45
    @FizzyK-45 Před měsícem +12

    Finally, a video about the best PokeWaifu's theme song. ❤

  • @HECKproductions
    @HECKproductions Před měsícem +4

    10 seconds into the video and pikachu already tries to engage in cynthias bubs

  • @dabiga2315
    @dabiga2315 Před měsícem +1

    Showing Monsoon's introduction for your section about context got a laugh out of me

  • @takofficially
    @takofficially Před měsícem

    man, these were some words, didn't understand almost any of it, but enjoyed that someone did. good video :)

  • @Peryn_x
    @Peryn_x Před měsícem +10

    0:08 very subtle

  • @yourfriendlyneighborhoodqu3859

    I’ve heard the thing at 5:39 called a reverse turn in some jazz contexts

  • @WidyPoo
    @WidyPoo Před měsícem +1

    The terror of Cynthia is insane, one of my first challenges as a kid in a video game. Not in a "most games we're easy way" but as in actually took too many attempts. When I first walked into that Undella Town door, I was not ready. The sheer PCSD from Dia, Pearl, Plat hit in an instant. It's like if u put your demons to rest for years, just for one day at random when u think ur the safest u could be, the most prepared for anything. Boom, standing there. You can't run, and all the sudden the scarring memories resurface. Truly cinema, if cinema was both of Cynthias themes. Oh great video by the way! Keep em coming!

  • @okaminokuro
    @okaminokuro Před měsícem

    I had never heard of this channel until this showed up in my feed. Have a subscription sir.

  • @_koza
    @_koza Před měsícem +7

    Now do Giratina's theme from Platinum! lol

  • @martinarguelles165
    @martinarguelles165 Před měsícem +5

    I mean it wasn't just her music that 'terrorized' us. ;)

  • @gianmarcolynx
    @gianmarcolynx Před měsícem

    LOVE THE ANALYSIS!
    Greetings from Chile

  • @Lvna
    @Lvna Před měsícem +1

    This video essay came at the perfect time. I was just telling a coworker about how I want to learn “Cynthia’s theme” and just needle drop it on any random piano I come across.