All us OG FF players casually sobbing at being forced to remember this story 😭

Some context for you: The piano version of To Zanarkand plays at the beginning of the game, in a "let me tell you my story" kinda scene, and again when the gameplay actually reaches that point. An orchestral version plays in the ending of the game, but that arrangement is different from the live one you listened to. The scene in the piano video is a somber one: The city of Zanarkand was the protagonist's home, now in ruins, destroyed by a world-destroying monster called Sin. The characters have set out on a journey to defeat Sin, and when this scene occurs they've reached the conclusion that they're likely the only ones with a chance, but the method they planned to use to defeat Sin is flawed, and regardless of the outcome they're going to die. They ponder this, camped just outside the ruins of Zanarkand before setting out for the last time.

My wife was actually cool enough to let me have this song played as she walked down the aisle for our wedding! I always get goosebumps when I hear this song!

love how he gets emotional without even knowing the context, just emphasize how good is the composition, amazing

Nobuo Uematsu is a legend. The Final Fantasy games have incredible music and it's almost entirely thanks to Uematsu. This man composed the soundtrack to my childhood/adolescence. You could easily do a dozen more reactions to his work.

To Zanarkand is one of, if not the most beautiful pieces in all Final Fantasy. At least for me. Evey time I hear that haunting piano my eyes tear up and goosebumps form. Just beautiful.

Final Fantasy X is probably like Top 10 saddest video games of all time and this song fits so perfectly, I get emotional just listening to it even having not played FFX in some years. Uematsu-san is a genius man.

This piece sets the mood for a bittersweet, 50-hour, adventure. The ending still makes me cry to this day, 20 years later.

Nobou Uematsu is on level with John Williams and Star Wars. To Zanarkand and One Winged Angel. Sure, there are other composers, like Yuki Kajiura, but the amount of success he's had is unparalleled.

The bittersweet story really does come across so well in this piece of music. I was 9 years old when FFX came out and I cried when playing it. All these years later I still cry, even when just listening to the music. Absolute masterpiece with such a simple melody. Thank you so much for listening to it with us!

Final Fantasy X is one of the saddest of the series and this song always hits me right in the gut

Ah, to Zanarkand. The track us "gamer bros" put on when we're a bit stressed out and need a good cry about nothing in particular. Loved to see you enjoy it.

"Yuna... I have to go." This game was amazing. Played it when I was a kid and hearing this made me get emotional a bit. I had a rough childhood and that ps2 helped me have an out. FFX particularly had a big impact

You should check out some of Uematsu's older work in the FF series, like Dancing Mad. It's really amazing what those older video game composers accomplished with the technology of the time.

I can't listen to "To Zanarkand" without crying. It's so emotional; both story and music.

Man... it does not matter how much time has passed since I played this game... I cannot stop myself from crying when I listen to this tune... this game scarred me for life.

There is actually a complete live concert called "distant worlds - music from final fantasy" Nobuo Uematsu is an outstanding talent. He delivered over so many years and imo is a huge part of the success of the final fantasy series.

JRPG stands for Japanese Role Playing Game. Popular series you may have heard of would include Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. They are usually primarily story driven and the gameplay would be a split between running around exploring or a turn based combat system.

Tidus, the blonde haired guy, story arc is kinda based around the "sins of our fathers" theme, interesting that the song triggered a memory of your father. Shadow of the Colossus has one of the best soundtracks from any video game, IMO. Swift Horse is my favorite composition from the game's score.

I think nobuo uematsu deserves a deep dive on this channel. One of the greatest for sure

Nobou really is one of the greatest composers ever. To create such an emotional piece with relatively simple sheet music is truly amazing.

The fact you haven't played the game yet the music can make you emotional enough to tear based on your own story of life says everything about this amazing piece of music. This review was awesome Geebz.

There really isn’t anyone that can compare to Nobuo Uematsu the level of creativity, inspiration, emotion is absolutely insane. One of the best composers in the world!

To Zanarkand is the only video game track that makes me instantly cry

For every gamer who was alive in 1997 One Winged Angel from final fantasy 7 is a must listen. A truly epic piece that serves as the climax of the story.

Saw this live at the Final Fantasy 'Distant Worlds' concert in London just a few months ago - performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra - one of the most surreal live experiences I've ever had, you would love it !~ Thanks for all the great content Geebz, and happy holidays! :)

This is one of my favorite OST's of all time, from my favorite game of all time. Beautiful piece.

Uematsu is a living legend. He has composed in all kinds of genres of music imaginable, but he excels in two in particular: 1) symphonic and melodic pop/classical music (of which To Zanarkand is a great example), and 2) progressive rock/metal (of which Final Fantasy battle themes and boss themes are good examples). Looking forward to your future reactions, there is a lot of amazing music there! ... And yeah, this piece always hits in the feels. Always a pleasure to see it performed live.

This sounded beautiful I think the flute gives it a sound of mourning or some kinda haunting sound

This was a beautiful performance, and I’m so grateful you listened to it! I do urge you to listen to the version from the Distant Worlds II: More Music from Final Fantasy soundtrack. That arrangement of Zanarkand leaves me in tears every time. I think it does an incredible job of capturing the nostalgia and emotions of the original video game version, while also deepening them in its second half. Nobuo Uematsu has given us many gifts through his music, but this one, personally, is the sweetest of them all. Thanks, again. 🤍

According to a Destructoid interview in 2008 (Destructoid interview: Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu), Nubuo Uematsu said that he originally wrote "To Zanarkand" for a flutist friend, but he thought it was too gloomy, put it aside, and did something else for her. When FF X started being developed, he pulled it out and reworked it for piano for the game. And for the live concert years later, the flute was brought back in. How lovely :) "Too gloomy" seems fitting given the story (spoilers are ok now; it was released in 2002). The story of FF X is (I think) a branch of "Isekai" drama in manga ("Isekai" ~= "other world", "manga" = Japanese comic books), in which a character is taken from a familiar location and placed into a very different world and has to figure it out. FF X is a branch of this drama in which it is the _same_ world, but far in future. The protagonist was taken from his home city of Zanarkand, and thought that he was somehow magically transported elsewhere in the same world, but soon finds out that he was instead transported in both space _and_ time. Soon after his arrival, he's talking with strangers, trying to figure out what's going on, and someone tells him that the city he keeps asking about was destroyed a very long time ago. Over the course of his travels, he makes friends and joins them in their own travel To Zanakand for their own reasons. When they finally reach Zanarkand, he sees for himself that his home city is in ruins, as shown in the cutscene you watched. That's when this music plays. "Gloomy" fits. The plot gives another reason to be gloomy at this point. They are nearing the end of their journey, the main reason that they traveled to Zanarkand in the first place: the planned sacrifice of someone they know, a sacrifice that seems to be the only way to save the world. In short, the phrase "To Zanarkand" packs a lot of plot implications into a short term, and this music tries to, and in my opinion, succeeds in, capturing the weight of the moment. Personally, I prefer the more original game version because that particular track is ingrained in my memory with that moment in the story. At that moment, I think that a single, lonely instrument felt very appropriate.

I love the fact that you know little to nothing about games and anime, because your reaction to these is so much better. Personally I don't really care if you pronounce any of the stuff wrong, I just like hearing someone who's deeply into music listen to music that you may not have ever come across otherwise. I have a ton of songs I'd love for you to listen to, but I'll keep from being overwhelming.

Something about Uematsu you might appreciate in particular is that he formed a band called The Black Mages that do progressive/hard rock covers of his video game tracks, including this one, which is great.

Well worth doing a deep dive into this composer's music, he is an absolutely genius melody writer. Relatively simple arrangements, and simple ideas, but he just has this knack for beautiful, timeless melodies. He's like the beatles of this sort of music. Everything he touches just works.

So happy you're checking out this music! As a reference OSTs are the primary source but most early FF music has a chiptune/mini sound track and a modern orchestrated version that shipped with rereleases. The definitive live versions of songs come from DISTANT WORLDS a touring orchestra that arranges and performs all of the hit songs around the world. What you just listened too was a different 3rd party arrangment, it was very good but slightly different. For some fun rock/metal arrangments listen to the composer Nobuo Uematsu's old band called The Black Mages. Amazing music. (His To Zanarkand arrangment is called "The Skies Above"). Finally while Uematsu is a classical legend, do I highly recommend checking out new Final Fantasy music the from Final Fantasy XIV composed by SOKEN. He has done some spectacular tracks that easily accounts for some of the best video game music coming out today.

Nobuo Uematsu. The GOAT video game composer. Blessed to have met the man live at a distant worlds concert.

I just wanna say thank you so much for your videos, they cheer up so much, and it's always so nice to see you listening and enjoying the music we ask for. you are truly one of the most pleasant and cheerful people I've recently discovered on youtube:)

This is one of those pieces of art that I can consume for a few seconds before I start to tear up. It's even more powerful after playing the game because of all the emotions from the story comes flashing back at you in an instant. It's frankly overwhelming.

I was 11 when this game came out. All these years later, To Zanarkand still makes my grown ass tear up lmao

Forever my favorite video game.

There's a slightly less known piece from this game called "suteki da ne" , which is even more emotional than this one. I hope you can get to it even if it's not one of the big ones that everyone always mentions. I think you'd really love it.

As a composer, you may be interested to know that "To Zanarkand" was originally written as a solo flute piece by Uematsu for a family friend, but they decided not to play it because it was too melancholic. I'm not sure if this changes your perspective on the orchestral version at all - I know you talked a bit about the wind instruments in that section!

Final Fantasy has so much amazing music. I will watch every ff one you make!

There are only a hand full of OST's that really get me genuinely emotional every time I hear them. This and Dearly Beloved in Kingdom Hearts are 2 that without exception get me crying every single time I hear them. The meaning behind this theme for all of the characters as they sit around the fire over the ruins of Zanarkand, knowing what it means once they go in and for Tidus, seeing and finally realizing that his home really is gone forever...it's so overwhelmingly emotional. Especially with it being the introduction for the game and them coming back many many hours into playing now understanding the scene. It is so overwhelmingly powerful.

To Zanarkand is the single piece of music that got me fully into game soundtracks back in 2001. I remember importing the OST from CDJapan back in high school. I've seen Nobuo Uematsu in concert so many times since and met him many times. I remember marathoning this game over Christmas break 01. The ending literally had me in uncontrollable tears to the point that my mom came to check on me in my room. Then rolled her eyes when she saw it was over a game lol.

You teared up by just listening to it. Imagin being immersed in the story for a week then hearing that

The last few notes from the flute sounded so hopeful. I wasn't ready for that bright ending to such a bittersweet song

I love seeing you get antsy when a song is giving you the feels.

Uematsu’s work is quite emotionally evocative.

Love this song. It's so emotional just hearing it brings tears knowing the story

FFX is my absolute favorite. Thanks for your reaction :)

I am not a very emotional person, and music doesn't usually do much for me, but this song gets me man. FFX was like a keystone game in my life, and this song immediately triggers an intense, almost overwhelming somber feeling, and a bit of a nastolgic happiness aswell. There's not a lot of things in this world that do that for me, but this is one of them.

Its actually really cool that it elicited a memory of your father, as big point in the game is the main character dealing with his own memories and emotions of his own father.

Happy Holidays. Can't wait for u too got into more Final Fantasy OSTs.

Here's hoping Final Fantasy 7 Remake isn't far behind. "One Winged Angel Rebirth" and "Midgar Expressway" are two really intense ones to start with. Or there's a shape shifting song in the opening cinematic called Midgar, Mako City that would be another good starting point. LOVE that soundtrack.

Ahhh mate, thus song takes me to a special place. Feeling of nostalgia and the melancholic tones you get from the song and knowing the way the story goes......I'm not crying, you are! Cheers for this one 👍

This song almost brings me to tears every time. It's the story in the game, it is so deep and emotional.

Nobou is widely praised by many as the greatest video game composer of all time, he's absolute royalty for gamers. You're gonna have a blast here and can't really miss, you could make a whole channel with his work. I would also highly recommend Mitsuda's work, particularly the Chrono Cross soundtrack, which is easily my favorite OST ever. They also have some pieces that they composed together.

The best way to describe the emotional impact of To Zanarkand without completely spoiling everything; Zanarkand was a place the main character Tidus (the blonde one) called home, and he can no longer return to it. If you enjoyed this song, I highly recommend you look up "Suteki Da Ne" (Isn't It Beautiful) from the same game. It's my personal favorite, and the violin always gets me. Another thing I thing you might find interesting, given your metal channel; A Japanese heavy metal band called Maximum The Hormone.

Thanks! It was awesome to hear your take on such a beautiful piece.

This is one of those songs that always makes me cry. I get so many emotions from the melody and how it is orchestrated. This is truly a masterpiece and one of those songs that will forever affect me on a deep level.

".. Or the dreams that have faded. Never forget them." Lovely reaction! I've never heard an orchestral rearrangement of this before. Loved the harmonies!

Ah, the memories, I've listened to this soundtrack so many times and it still feels so emotional and melancholic, and hearing the character in the intro speaking at that time made it even more overwhelming since FFX was the first one to have voice acting. I'm so glad you enjoyed the concert version, Nobuo Uematsu is one of the best Japanese composers along with Joe Hisaishi. Btw, The Black Mages is a band that made some official rock-tribute collections from Final Fantasy's soundtracks, in particular from their battle themes, which I think you might enjoy.

Oh man, hope we see Dancing Mad! A true masterpiece, from a true masterpiece of a game, Final Fantasy 6! :)

Ahhh Uematsu. What a treat! Yasunori Matsuda is another excellent composer who does music for games like this. I think you'll dig him. His work in Chrono Trigger or Chrono Cross always top my favorite video game tracks.

"I'm not crying you are" Correct, I am. I can't make it through To Zanarkand without crying. FFX was a formative game for me and Zanarkand will always destroy me. You can enjoy this song even if you've never played the game, but once you've played the game, you'll feel it at a whole new level. It is this build up of hope, like you're talking about and when it resolves into the quiet end...it's the main character's acceptance of the hope even at the cost it comes with

This melody will get stuck in my head forever

You should consider reacting to a lot of Uematsu's pieces from the Final Fantasy franchise. Not only is it really good, final fantasy people crave to witness reactions about the music and share their enthusiasm.

There goes my heart again. My first time hearing the live orchestra version too even though i have listened to the piano version for over a decade. I have no idea they have so much more to say and add to the music without the game. Thanks man. Love your channel.

That intro is engraved in my mind ever since I first saw it. Can't believe that's over 20 years ago. Best Final Fantasy theme. One of the only songs I've learned to play on piano.

Dude thank you for checking out Final Fantasy and Nobou Uematsu. He is a absolute legend. I have been lucky to see the live shows several times and it's fantastic. Thanks buddy!! Still here!

First video game I bought with my allowance.... had no idea what I was in for when I played this.

Uematsu is my favorite composer. I love his work so much, and it covers such a wide breadth of emotion. I’m happy to see the piece moved you and encourage you to keep diving in! Even without the game context, it’s powerful stuff.

Still here! It's always so nice to see your reactions and analysis, I loved your interview with Marty! Thanks for your videos, they're really fun, especially seeing you learn and be so open to new stuff. Happy holidays and hope you have a great day Geebz, much love from Mexico!

So glad you are doing Uematsus work. He has such a wide library you can dedicate an entire channel to his music alone. Let the Battles Begin from FF7/FF7 Remake is one of my favorites.

Ooooh this is my favourite piece of music ever. Gives me goosebumps every single time, and the nostalgia tied into it from me playing FFX as a kid. I really can't put into words just how much this song means to me. Nobou Uematsu is a god damn genius.

Uematsu actually has a band-or had, I don't know if they're still a thing-called The Black Mages. There's a version of the song...kind of? It's called The Skies Above uses the song but then suddenly and unexpectedly becomes some kind of metal song with lyrics from the main character's perspective. I love it.

I had always enjoyed this song but a moment in my life really cemented this as a song that will always make me cry. I was at work when I got the call that my mom who had been fighting cancer for years was in the hospital and going downhill quickly. As I got in my car I put on a playlist of game music, this came on immediately. I wasn't even able to leave my parking space and sat in my car crying until the song was over as if it was telling me something. Unfortunately my mother passed away the next day and I'll always think of that moment when I hear this song.

Looking forward to the day when you do more Final Fantasy music, there's some real gems in there.

awesome to see you finally doing FF music. Nobuo Uematsu has been my biggest music inspiration since I was 13

ffx made me cry as a kid. I always get teary eyed when i hear this song.

I love the final fantasy series and this was one of my favorite tracks from it. Thank you for doing this!

A beautiful piece of art. Loved it, when i played final fantasy x years ago. Still love it. It gives me goosebumps everytime. Tears about to fall

This track makes me cry pretty much every time

Another suggestion is Man With A Machine Gun from final fantasy 8! The composer has a metal band called The Black Mages and their rendition of the song is badass. Merry Christmas Geebz and thanks for this reaction!😎🤙 *wow that cello (i think that's what I'm hearing) tone at 9:01 sounds amazing

I'm not crying. You are. It's always good to see you check out songs that have given many of us the same emotions you got to experience. Thanks for the breakdown.

Amazing! Very excited to follow your final fantasy journey man, it’s so so good!

It shocked me when i saw you getting emotional, its extremely rare someone of your age enjoying that much with videogames soundtracks. Pd: I really really recommend you to do the same thing of this video (hearing the original soundtrack and then the orquestal version) of Aria di mezzo catere. Its my absolute favourite.

Wandering Flame is my favorite track from this game. It gets me everytime

Final Fantasy 6 has an Opera in game with a couple of acts and a whole acting bit and all. The game is old enough that the songs are made in chiptune but the Distant Worlds Orchestra which includes the original composer (which I'm pretty sure is the same in this video) has made proper orchestral versions of that Opera (and also added an ending to it because in the original game the Opera gets interrupted) That coupled with the final boss theme "Dancing Mad" may make FF6 Uematsu's musical magnum opus.

Another fabulous track from the Final Fantasy Series that has huge emotional pull for me.... Melodies of Life from Final Fantasy 9. Loved this reaction, hope to see more!

Now that this chest has opened. I'd love to see a reaction to Not Alone from FF9. Maybe another double with the distant worlds version.

Nobuo Uematsu is a legend in the gaming music business (also Yasunori Mitsuda is another), final fantasy has an unlimited number of great tracks. I would play music from FF4 an above but for a more modern OST Final Fantasy 7 Remake is the way to go.

You should do more comparisons like this! There are MANY MANY video game tracks that are loved enough that orchestrations have been made.

I remember the time when the girl I had a crush on when I was 17 knew that I really liked this music and learned it to play it for me on the piano. It was the good old days.

I am always emotional when I hear this song, thank you so much for sharing this. For me this approach is the best one for Final Fantasy songs. You should pair it with the Final Fantasy 'Distant Worlds' orchestra concert, they are the best!

The soundtrack for FF10 is very special to me. It evokes so much emotion and because this is the first tune you hear when you start up the game, it hits the hardest. Hearing your thoughts on this piece has been delightful. :) Thank you! There are many covers of Zanarkand, but my personal favorite orchestral version is from Tour de Japon. The title of the video on KZfaq is "Tour de Japon - To Zanarkand".

The idea of there being as much beauty in simplicity as there is in complexity is a lesson that I’ve been learning over the past few years and as you mentioned, is incredibly difficult to be able to pull off masterfully. This song is a testament to that right down to its orchestration. I struggle with it in my own arranging of music and when you do manage to pull it of is a great feeling. This song is very special to me because it was one of the first songs I learned how to play on the piano (at least the first part lol) and being able to play at least that part always made me feel like I was some grandiose pianist despite the fact that I’m very much far from that haha but I guess it’s the power of the way the melodies and the harmonies are constructed and the way the arrangement as a whole is executed that makes people feel like that when they’re playing. Anyways that’s enough of my rambling lol thank you so very much for this reaction!

Loved this format Geebz! I would love to see more like this in the future, provided it’s not a nightmare for pre/post production for you

All hail Nobou!! One Winged Angel Rebirth is an absolute must!