Poll: The Opera Scene Was Stupid.

[Austin Howe]

Hi, you may remember me saying that the Chrono Trigger battle music was horrendous.
Just thought I'd point that out for context.

As a VGM nerd, I'd always heard about FFVI's supposedly perfect soundtrack. I'd played about a quarter before, and so I downloaded the OST, and gave it a listen.
My first thoughts were, of course
A)Wow, that was a horrendous main battle theme
B)I need to play this game again to hear "Aria De Mezzo Carterre" in context. . .now.


And I got to the famous Opera scene.

Let me say: Beautiful piece, but the scene is so completely out of place.
As Celes said (probably my favorite character): "I'm a General, not some Opera floozy!"
Seriously, "We need a defect, let's use. . .oh I don't know, SOMEONE WITH NO VOCAL TRAINING OR STAGE EXPERIENCE AT ALL!!!". And then. . .she just belts it out perfectly?! The fuck?!

It also doesn't help that besides adding Setzer to the party and giving an excuse to bring back Ultros, the scene did nothing to advance the plot, or even the characters, not even Locke and Celes' budding romance.

 

[oplinger]

You know, IV has the perfect soundtrack to most people. I can understand the mix-up.

But yeah the opera scene was stupid. I fully agree, but not because she just belts it out perfectly. It probably isn't hard >.> and she may sing in her free time. She didn't like the outfit if I remember. but to your other half, its a meaningless part of the game, and I hate Setzer. So it made me do something meaningless for someone I don't even like.

However, it made the game feel more diverse, and it's not an impossible set of circumstances that make it happen. So, at least there's that.

 

[Tanis]

While it didn't 'do much' for the story, the scene was pretty cool I thought.

It's just not something you see in games, at all.

I also enjoy, from time to time, the Distant World's version of the song.

 

[Space Spoons]

Yeah, I always kind of got that impression myself. I understand that the point of the scenario was to get Setzer to join the party, thus allowing access to an airship, but it's a little difficult for me to swallow that this was the only way to do it. It just seems kind of contrived. Like, they had to push the military woman with no vocal training whatsoever into a major production's opening night because there just wasn't an easier way? Really?

That said, I've always enjoyed the scene. The music is hauntingly beautiful.

 

[NeutralDrow]

I didn't care how contrived the setup felt. The opera itself made everything worth it.

 

[Erana]

Don't insult Squeenix opera scenes.

Bad things happen when you insult Squeenix Op- Oh GOD I'M ON FIRE

 

[Wayneguard]

Idk man, fighting a giant talking octopus in the rafters of an opera house is like... totally epic bro... >_> Yeah the opera scene was not one of the finer moments of the game imo. Zozo is pretty cool though (gotta love the music) and that comes right after iirc.

 

[Paksenarrion]

Oh...I thought you meant *this* opera scene:

 

[loc978]

...the entire opera scene was camp. If you can't appreciate camp, you won't appreciate FFVI.

 

[Windcaler]

I dont really understand why the OP dislikes the opera scene, the logic doesnt seem to make much sense to me but then it probably doesnt matter. The truth of the matter is some people will like it and some people wont like it, its all opinion and subject to the individual

Personally I liked the opera scene. For the time nothing like that had been done in any kind of popular culture and the opera scene actually made me open minded enough to go to a real opera. I wasnt disappointed. Looking back on it, I still like the scene

 

[teh_v]

I thought the opera scene was good. It was a moment of reprieve in the adventure. Plus when Locke comes down to save the opera when both the main leads get knocked out that's just classic.

 

[CleverNickname]

Yeah, pointless stupid and unimportant. It only becomes Celes' leitmotif and is practically the first thing to get mirrored when the world fucking ends and Cid dies. What, did you believe the censorship and thought her jumping off the cliff was to "perk her right up"?!

And the opera's love story (want, but can't/shouldn't) sure isn't a metaphor in the slightest. Ever. Nope.

 

[AyreonMaiden]

I enjoyed the campy romanticism of the scene. Locke and Celes having a thing for one another backstage, then she goes out and sings and then BAM! Gotta fight a monster trying to ruin it and there's just an odd romanticism about it. It has the feeling of high adventure.

And this isn't even nostalgia talking. I played 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 13 before playing FF6.

 

[Veldt Falsetto]

but but but....Ultros was going to ruin it!

It was a hilarious random bit that had no reason to exist only to bring certain characters closer together and introduce the airship

 

[gigastrike]

Yeah, I haven't gotten that far yet.

 

[ten.to.ten]

It sounded like dogs barking Jingle Bells. And I can appreciate camp, thank you, nothing about FFVI was camp, it was just crap.

 

[LittleBlondeGoth]

I think it's great.

Contrived plot device? Maybe. But there's the play in Gold Saucer, "I Want To Be Your Canary" in IX... Though neither of those had the amazing soundtrack VI did for this portion. You need to recruit Setzer, and you get an amply dramatic and memorable way to do so.

It's a fantasy game, get over it.

(But yes, listen to the Distant Worlds version. It. Is. INCREDIBLE).