Everything Is Final Fantasy

We begin with Hayao Miyazaki's directorial debut in Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro. We break down the "gentleman thief" trope, invite family to ask a few big questions, then have just enough time to watch the beautiful intro. 

From the Phantom Forest of Final Fantasy 6 to the Forested Temple of FF7 to the EVIL Forest of Final Fantasy 9, we listen to and discuss SPOOKY forest music. We had to include a classic Chrono Trigger piece here plus three mystery songs from outside the Final Fantasy/Square Enix family. What did we choose?

We begin in the Chocobo Forest, make our way through Gizamaluke's Grotto and witness what has befallen Burmecia. Then we get absolutely iconic introductions to General Beatrix and a mysterious man named Kuja.

We break down the Final Fantasy Tourney and give thoughts on everything from Mystic Quest and Chocobo Dungeon to FF7 vs. FF10 and how well FF16 did!

We listen to and dissect Battle on the Big Bridge, a masterpiece that first appeared in Final Fantasy V. How much awesomeness can be packed into just over two minutes of music? Why is it so compelling? Why has it stood the test of time? And what are some of our favorite alternate versions?

We listen to and discuss over TWENTY pieces of relaxing music from Final Fantasy games 1-12. What makes a piece of music relaxing to you? Which of these Final Fantasy chillout songs is your favorite?

We listen to Eyes on Me (FF8) Melodies of Life (FF9) and Suteki da Ne (FF10) as Final Fantasy makes a foray into pop music. Why choose to add lyrical songs to the series? What is the impact and legacy of these pieces? And why are they so beautiful and emotional to listen to?

Ryan issues a challenge! Ira and Drew, who have never played Octopath Traveler or hear the OST, listen to the 8 main character themes and try to guess which characters they belong to. Come play along with us, record your own score, and see just how bad we did.

Star Wars won the Sci Fi bracket joining a Final Four that also featured Spider-Man, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Final Fantasy.

We listen to some relaxing, study, sleepy-time chill vibes music from Final Fantasy (and Chrono Cross!) Alongside plenty of bonus pieces we focus in on Fisherman's Horizon of FFVIII, Daguerreo of FFIX, and Behind Closed Doors of FFXIV. What mystery songs did we choose? How many of these are on your relaxing playlist?

It was an absolutely brutal first round in the Sci Fi bracket as we say goodbye to Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park, Battlestar Galactica, Metroid, The Matrix, Resident Evil, Twilight Zone, and Mortal Kombat.

We explore Lindblum, Steiner and Dagger practice their lying, we ponder the meaning of a mysterious song, participate in the Festival of the Hunt, and head out to the Qu Marsh to find Quina!

We dive into maybe the most famous piece of Final Fantasy music ever, One-Winged Angel of FFVII. How far has its cultural impact grown? What genre is it truly in? How is it not a total mess given its structure and composition style? And how come its so... AWESOME?

We answer your questions about Final Fantasy music! We compare, contrast, and take some requests! Listening to music from FFV, FFVI, FFVII, FFVIII, and FFIX! Plus, some from Mario 64 & Marvel vs. Capcom.

Avatar: The Last Airbender faced off against Fullmetal Alchemist in a finale that truly surprised us. The conversation around the animation bracket was phenomenal and provided several excellent recommendations!

Ryan guides us through analysis of one of the greatest video game soundtracks of all time, Chrono Trigger by Yasunori Mitsuda. We listen deeply to the Main Theme, Corridors of Time, & To Far Away Times! Plus, this time each of us brings two (for a total of six!) mystery pieces of music to discuss.

We are getting down to it as Mario and Sonic are on a collision course, Pokemon is set to take on Fullmetal Alchemist, Avatar: The Last Airbender will face Cowboy Bebop and TMNT vs. Adventure Time. 

We listen in to a modern Final Fantasy masterpiece, Ascension from FFXVI composed by Masayoshi Soken. Let us hear the tale of his majesty, Prince of the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, and the King of Dragons himself, Dion Lesage, Dominant of Bahamut.

We dive into Mario, Pokémon, He-Man/She-Ra, Gundam, Evangelion, Power Rangers, and the enduring popularity of Fullmetal Alchemist and the Animaniacs.

The LGBTQ+ representation in the first 9 Final Fantasy games might be a bit subtler but it is nonetheless important. We take a look at some of the earliest characters to diversify the Final Fantasy cast and challenge some social norms, especially back in the 90s.

This Studio Ghibli classic carries a powerful message of non-violence but it is also a complicated question when our hero is moved to take a life. 

Ryan guides us through some history of marches, including classic John Philip Sousa. We then listen to Rufus Welcoming Ceremony from FF7, The Rebel Army from FF2, & The Red Wings from FF4. Plus, we dive into three mystery marches from across the Final Fantasy multiverse!

It came down to a couple of icons from Marvel and DC in a Final Four that featured Batman, Spider-Man, X-Men and Deadpool. Here's how it all went down.

Batman, the X-Men, and Spider-Man are early frontrunners while Darkwing Duck makes it CLOSE against Guardians of the Galaxy.  Also, I implore more people to watch/read Preacher, Umbrella Academy, and The Crow. 

In a surprise to no one, Final Fantasy took this bracket of the Nerdy Tourney but Lord of the Rings and Zelda stood strong while The Witcher managed to narrowly defeat A Song of Ice and Fire.