FFVI – Part 26: A Night at the Opera: Act I

Summary: Everything is beautiful, and nothing hurts. Except possibly Celes’s head next time, given Ultros’s idea of “tons of fun.”




Opera House

-We get to see the actual opera?

-We start on the orchestra. The layered graphics as we pan up and see the balcony in the foreground is so cool.

Bless FFVI for sweating the details.

-The opera is about a war between East and West. A Western soldier, Draco, is in love with Maria.

-HE’S SINGING!! “Oh… Maria!” The audio comes out as “Ohhhh… oh-oh-oh,” but it’s actual music, with a melody and everything.

-This music is so good.

-Now I control Locke. I get to wander while the opera’s going on in the background.

-Cyan likes it, but Sabin is just confused.

-Most doors are locked, but Celes’s dressing room is open.

-LOLOL LOCKE

YES, DOOFUS

He sees Celes in her opera costume and goes beet red. This reminds me a LOT of FFV, Bartz and Faris. These monosyllabically-named male rogues, Bartz/Locke, spent most of their time with the duosyllabically-named Faris/Celes, tough females in a male-dominated professions of piracy/military. They dressed appropriately to their professions, but it’s only when Bartz/Locke see Faris/Celes in more traditionally dressy clothes (princess/opera singer) that they go beet red and notice how attractive she is.

Quick side note: I think they’re both horrifically wrong for not immediately thinking Pirate!Faris/General!Celes were hot. Pirate! General! Come on, dudes!

-Celes asks if Locke just sees her as a substitute for “her” (meaning Rachel). I’m not sure.

-Omg. Shifting perspective in this scene. Now I’m Celes.

-THEY INCLUDED A LIBRETTO, WITH LYRICS FOR MARIA. They are going all out in this opera when they could’ve skimped on the detail, and I love the designers deeply for this.

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On Stage

-This is so cool. I don’t care if I said that before, this is so cool. We see Celes singing as Maria, and have to pick the right line even.

-Oops. Forgot a line.

-WHAT – I HAVE TO REDO IT

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Rehearsal

-We’re outside the opera house. Take two: the next night. The Impresario scolded me for screwing up the lines. Gotta read the words to the song much more carefully.

-Actually, this time I write the first words of most lines down in case more choices come up.

-Let’s do this. (Again lol.)

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On Stage

-I make it past the first couple of lines (“I am the darkness…”). Next phase.

-Draco comes in. Or at least his spirit/projection. Celes has to dance with him, and I make it through.

-Draco turned into a bouquet roses after the dance.

-DAMMIT! I remember the score said I have to take the roses upstairs and throw them off, but I was too slow and lost again.

-Take three. Come on, Celes! We can do this!

-Loving the sound design here so much. I get back to that point, and throw the roses off the balcony successfully.

-The East’s chancellor arrives, tells Maria!Celes that they are part of the East now, and so she should submit to marrying the new guy who’s not Draco. Leave the past behind.

-Dance scene. AGAIN: they really thought this opera out so well. So fleshed out.

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Off Stage

-Aw. Locke loved it.

Book me passage on this ship. I’m totally in.

-I control Locke now.

-We see that letter… dammit, Ultros.

-Hee! I love that Ultros’s letter wasn’t some elaborate ruse or misdirection. His letter was just him saying he’s gonna mess up the opera. Despite that he wants to do some bad stuff, and that Kefka did some actual horrible stuff, I like that we get such quirky/fun (and creepy!) villains so early.

-The music turns dramatic. This is brilliantly mirrored. As we saw Locke and Celes starting to express attraction for one another, while one of the two mourns a lost love (Rachel), we see it play out on stage. Now that we tell the Impresario of Ultros’s letter, the opera turns to combat on stage.

-In the opera, Draco returns, charging in to duel Prince Ralse (the eastern prince who was going to force Maria to marry him).

-LOLOLOL

-LOHJDKSLFHKLNWUOINULSDNF

-Ultros is above the stage. About to drop a literal four ton anvil on Celes’s head. I have five minutes to stop him.

-…”TONS of fun” Ultros said. Oh God. I can’t breathe from groan-laughing.

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Next time: we try to stop Ultros’s tons of fun as our night at the opera continues.