Lunar Threads

LuciaOne wrote:TSS is so much more badarse, and it has a kicking bridge with 90's flair. To me, SSSC was just a giant bowl of audible sugar. Jenny Stigile did an amazing job singing, but the lyrics were just corny.

Definitely. The intro was so much better in TSS. I think it represented what Lunar 1 was all about, beating the odds up against formidable evil. The intro was very unique compared to other RPGs which is a plus. Like you said, SSSC was way too sugary and clean, when Lunar isn't about that, but in the remake I think they tried to make it that way. Luna doesn't stay with her parents, Alex's parents and town get sent to the Talon mines, the dragons end up getting killed, ect. The hardship was sort of taken out and replaced with something that, I guess, they thought would appeal to more gamers. Sort of like how Alex went from playing the "uncool" harp to the ocarina that Zelda made popular.

After watching the intros again, the lyrics are so much better in TSS.

SSSC's song is about the emotions of the first part of the game, when Alex and Luna happily set out on their big adventure. There are very few bits of animation in it that suggest strife of any sort.

The first two lines of TSS's song (with WD's lyrics) cover that part. The rest is about the second part of the game, when there's evil to defeat and battles to fight. Even without the lyrics the visuals suggest doing something other than just going off to see the world.

I know what Shiva Indis means about the song being kind of embarrassing, but at some point it stopped bothering me. Maybe even before I saw SSSC's for the first time. The quality of the TSS vocals suits me just fine, for whatever reason.

Tough call, but I voted SSSC. I'm biased though, as that was my first Lunar game. Still, I love how much the TSS opening pumps you up and gets you excited to play the game. SSSC just holds a lot of nostalgia for me and never fails to make me smile.

How can people be expected to choose? It depends on the mood. If you're feeling up to hearing an engaging and ambitious opening, TSS. If you're wanting to hear something tranquil and equally great, SSSC.

I really loved the SSSC opening but I like the original better, mostly because its more jammin' lol I also really liked the older style of the music.

I have to say TSS, only because of the style of the music and the more theatrical opening. I like SSSC's opening but it just reminds me of any opening to an anime series, and didn't feel as unique to me.

Just cast my vote for TSS. Same reasons as above.

I like TSS better, and chose it, but I think SSSC fits the game better.

In any case, they're both leagues better than the one in SSH, I really hate those new lyrics.

tbb033 wrote:In any case, they're both leagues better than the one in SSH, I really hate those new lyrics.

OH you'll do well here. I think you and I have the minority opinion on this matter. But what can I say? You're on a forum devoted to Lunar, you're gonna get people who irrationally praise Lunar's weak points.

It's not irrational praise to note that the SSH lyrics are much more faithful to the Japanese -- something that fans even more obnoxious than you had been complaining about for decades. The liberties that WD took with the lyrics, that is. I think both approaches -- following the original sense closely and discarding most of the literal sense in favor of a more lyrical result -- are valid, but both will annoy different segments of fans. Which is why the most rational response is to appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of all approaches, even the Lunar Legend approach of not putting vocals in at all. Latching onto a particular feature (rhyme, literalism, localizing company) as being the only one that matters and declaring any version which does not have that feature to be less than worthless does not make you a bigger or more impressive fan. It just makes you annoying.

(Of course, I personally think that the version of the SSS opening lyrics that I wrote should make both sets of fans fairly happy, since I tried to fit the literal sense into a lyrical mold. But I'm admittedly biased.)

Nothing would please me more than to hear you sing your dub over the original opening in SSS. : )

But if not, why not post your translation? I promise not to comment on it. I am just curious what you think is best.

I did post it, in the thread you started titled "Overly formal language is overly formal" or something along those lines; I'll edit in the link later. Later in that thread I posted three other translations (XSeed's lyrics, Kizyr's translation, and the one in the SSSC manual), all of which I worked from in composing my version. Besides my obvious prejudice for something I myself did, the slightly more objective reasons I like it is that it follows the original lyrics but puts in rhymes; it has some reference to the corresponding animation; it has nods to both WD's and XS's lyrics; and it works the key word from the title of the game ("harmony") in, while also obliquely referring to songs being key in the story.

I did consider recording myself singing it, but despite my musical background my singing voice leaves much to be desired.

Edit: My version is on page 6 of this thread: http://www.lunarthreads.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=4402

I honestly get kind of embarrassed when I listen to the intro of TSS in english.
I get the badarse rock and uniqueness, and I like that, but the negative feelings I have towards it, I do not feel in SSSC... it sounds so much more beautiful and carefully made, so I choose SSSC. It's difficult to be in the mood for the english TSS opening.

However I like the Japanese TSS intro the best. Even though I don't speak japanese the instruments and voice all sound perfect at least. To the same quality of SSSC, except unique. I would probably pick that one instead.

I like the TSS version all the way, its just such an awesome pop-rock song that gets you pumped for the game. The SSH/SSSC versions are melodic, but a tad boring especially when compared with the original.

jay_are wrote:I honestly get kind of embarrassed when I listen to the intro of TSS in english.
I get the badarse rock and uniqueness, and I like that, but the negative feelings I have towards it, I do not feel in SSSC... it sounds so much more beautiful and carefully made, so I choose SSSC. It's difficult to be in the mood for the english TSS opening.

However I like the Japanese TSS intro the best. Even though I don't speak japanese the instruments and voice all sound perfect at least. To the same quality of SSSC, except unique. I would probably pick that one instead.

Re: your first point, I think that's largely because the TSS opening was very much a product of its time, so these days it sounds a little... dated. (At least to me, it sounds dated. The nostalgia factor keeps it good for me though.) Also, the Japanese intro sounds better by virtue of quality, though if you ask me the English lyrics are actually better.

I figure that SSS's opening ages much better, so (as cheesy as it may be?) it's probably easier for the average person to still listen to after all these years. Either that or it's just newer, so we'll have to give it another 5-10 years to also sound dated.

Wind's Nocturne, though, will always be good and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. KF

Kizyr wrote:though if you ask me the English lyrics are actually better.

If only we could have a remix that sounds as nice as the japanese version, but also has the goodness of the english lyrics!

Kizyr wrote:I figure that SSS's opening ages much better, so (as cheesy as it may be?) it's probably easier for the average person to still listen to after all these years. Either that or it's just newer, so we'll have to give it another 5-10 years to also sound dated.

This is a bit intriguing.
First time I listened to both of these intros were in 2002 and 2003.
SSS sounded fresh to me in 2002. (1996 to 2002 is 6 years)
TSS sounded dated as you say, in 2003. (1992 to 2003 is 11 years)

Today, about 12 years later, it's still the same. Well, I have nostalgia for both now, but without that effect (or goggles) they still both sound just the same they did before, SSS: fresh. TSS: dated
It's been almost 19 years since SSS came out, unless my math is going crazy here! And it will sound fresh for a while still.

jay_are wrote:This is a bit intriguing.
First time I listened to both of these intros were in 2002 and 2003.
SSS sounded fresh to me in 2002. (1996 to 2002 is 6 years)
TSS sounded dated as you say, in 2003. (1992 to 2003 is 11 years)

Today, about 12 years later, it's still the same. Well, I have nostalgia for both now, but without that effect (or goggles) they still both sound just the same they did before, SSS: fresh. TSS: dated
It's been almost 19 years since SSS came out, unless my math is going crazy here! And it will sound fresh for a while still.

Y'know I didn't really give it much thought until my last response on this thread. Maybe ballads just age better? I mean, TSS's opening sounded very late-80s-rock, right down to the synth-electric-guitar bridge in the middle, so it was a pretty short jump to sounding outdated (and this is coming from someone who really likes '80s music). By contrast, a lot of the other JRPG songs that I still really enjoy are closer instead to ballads: both of SSS's songs, EB's opening, the opening to Tales of Destiny... KF

Kizyr wrote:Y'know I didn't really give it much thought until my last response on this thread. Maybe ballads just age better? I mean, TSS's opening sounded very late-80s-rock, right down to the synth-electric-guitar bridge in the middle, so it was a pretty short jump to sounding outdated (and this is coming from someone who really likes '80s music). By contrast, a lot of the other JRPG songs that I still really enjoy are closer instead to ballads: both of SSS's songs, EB's opening, the opening to Tales of Destiny... KF

That's not to say that late 80s rock is bad or outdated though! I love a lot of that music too, and it sounded incredible and creative for many years after. (Today it sounds godly, but with the type of popular music we have today, anything sounds godly in comparison.)
None of the other songs in Lunar TSS sound dated today. You just wish RPGs sounded like that today. It's more to do with the english voice from the intro. If it had not been sung like that, but sounded more calm like the Japanese voice, it would have aged better : )

The English lyrics don't really work with "calm" though. The Japanese lyrics are closer in tone to the SSS ones, about being in love and stuff... which may fit with how they're sung, but not very well with the music itself.

jay_are wrote:That's not to say that late 80s rock is bad or outdated though! I love a lot of that music too, and it sounded incredible and creative for many years after. (Today it sounds godly, but with the type of popular music we have today, anything sounds godly in comparison.)

Admittedly, yeah... Styx is one of my favorite US bands ever, so I have a fondness for 80s music too...

Alunissage wrote:The English lyrics don't really work with "calm" though. The Japanese lyrics are closer in tone to the SSS ones, about being in love and stuff... which may fit with how they're sung, but not very well with the music itself.

This may be it. The Japanese lyrics were always just... odd. Then again, I think most Japanese pop songs have odd and nonsensical lyrics... KF