Final Fantasy: Distant Worlds

Members see less ads - sign up now for free and join the community!

  • This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn more.

Nikki-Cola

Balamb Garden Freshman
Oct 5, 2013
16
12
30
USA
twitter.com
#1
I think a lot of us here know about the concert series called Final Fantasy: Distant Worlds.

(If not, don't feel bad. You can go to the site here to find out about it! http://www.ffdistantworlds.com/ Watch some of the videos, you won't regret it.)

I was just curious to see if anyone here has actually been lucky enough to see this amazing show. I was supposed to go today actually! It was going to be a wonderful weekend. A beautiful drive up to Boston, a weekend of fun and an amazing show. Except my brother never got the tickets... x.x

I'm also curious to see what people think of it. The shows get mixed reviews for some strange reason...
 

Azuardo

Keyblade Master
Moderator
Sep 26, 2013
755
279
#2
I went to Distant Worlds in London last year. My first experience of a concert, but it was an incredible one. If you're an FF fan, then you won't have any mixed thoughts about it! To just have an arena packed full of people just like me, from all over the world, celebrating the music of this one gaming series that's played such a huge part in our lives was amazing in itself, but then there was the music! I lost count of how many times shivers went down my spine. The bass was earth-shaking; especially in the Battle Medley (Clash on the Big Bridge, Battle with Seymour & Those Who Fight Further) which was a stand out for me.

I am gutted for you that you couldn't go! You really should try to grab hold of some tickets again.
 

Nikki-Cola

Balamb Garden Freshman
Oct 5, 2013
16
12
30
USA
twitter.com
#3
I don't they'll be back in the US for a while. :(
I was so mad he didn't get them! It would have been great, this weekend I would have been in Boston for the show and next weekend I'm going to New York Comic Con!

I think there are people who've only played newer gens of FF so when they play music from the older games, they get all pissy. I think that's the only reason it can get mixed reviews.
 
Likes: Sapientia

Azuardo

Keyblade Master
Moderator
Sep 26, 2013
755
279
#4
Haha, what do they expect? They shouldn't be "reviewing" it, then.

There was actually a concert in Germany and London earlier this year, that had music from VI, VII and X - Final Symphony (http://www.ffsymphony.com/). I should have gone to that, but decided to save a bit of cash.

Hopefully DW will be around near you again eventually. Don't even hesitate and make sure to order ASAP when it does ;]
 
Likes: Nikki-Cola

buddhafied

Sphere Hunter
Sep 30, 2013
241
126
Vancouver, BC
#5
I've been to 3 of them, I believe... Twice in Vancouver, BC and last year I flew to Chicago for the 25th Anniversary Final Fantasy show in December.

I was lucky enough that Nobou was at 2 of them and I happened to sit right behind the guy at my first show. Obviously, people were giving him standing ovation upon him entering.

The show was everything I expected (I bought the first CD the year before going to the first show so I sort of know what to expected a little) and it felt amazing going to a place where everyone knows what you're listening to. It's hard to explain... I guess I grew up with gamers all my life, but none of them are really into the FF series like I do, so nobody I know will have the same reaction when I hear Battle at the Big Bridge or Zanarkand (though everyone knows the Opera scene in VI... like EVERYBODY!); but going to the concert, I don't feel "alone" anymore because, if anything, I felt like the newbie as I don't know the lyrics of Sephiroth!

The 25th Anniversary show was definitely one that I will never forget. Oh gosh, the merch line was so long that it wrapped around the theatre TWICE! It was on a typical cold day in Chicago. I was with my boyfriend, which he knows nothing about the series, and just seeing the look his face when he saw all the cosplays was priceless (he does improv and a part-time standup comedian, so he got a lot of materials that day!) Then, for the first time I went to the concert, they did the set list in the chronological of the series, a few of my favourites came on and a few surprises. It was one of the best Christmas gift I gave to myself. (FFXIV 1.0 just wrapped up back then and I was so hoping Susan Colloway will show up singing Answer with the closing CG of FFXIV... and guess what? SHE DID and it was AMAZEBALL~~~)

I tip for all of those who goes to the concert (or any gaming or cosplay event as a matter of fact), make sure you have your 3DS and your Theatrythem with you, you get so many Street Passes your 3DS will love you for life!

I know many are not as lucky as I am that I live in a city where the concert comes to almost every year or every second year, the CDs and the Distant Worlds Return Home DVD when the concert played in Japan was very good, I highly recommend. They do change up the CG at the screen every now and then, so some of the CG might not be the most current, but we've all watched them before while playing the games anyway.
 
Likes: Azuardo

Azuardo

Keyblade Master
Moderator
Sep 26, 2013
755
279
#6
@Sapientia Uematsu.

@buddhafied The one in London was the the 25th Anniversary Celebration one, too. So it was in the series' chronological order for me there. Granted, we missed out on certain songs like Liberi Fatali, but we also got more songs and only songs that weren't being played at other concerts, so all was fair, ha. Crystal Kay performed Eyes On Me and like you said, Susan Calloway did Answers. That Chocobo song was pretty funny, too, lol.

You're right about the queues for the merchandise. Man, it took forever to get to the front. For where they had the shop in the Royal Albert Hall, though, there weren't any organised lines. Everyone was just crowded all around it, so it was cramped as hell and you had to kinda fight to get to the front, lol. I bought some stuff right before it started, luckily. Expensive stuff, mind, but worth it.

I did take my 3DS but you know what I didn't realise? That you could only hold so many Street Passes at any one time - so you have to actually go into the app to empty the queue. I could have had so much more than I actually got because of this -__- Ah well, maybe another time. Would love to go again. Maybe with a partner next time, ha.
 

buddhafied

Sphere Hunter
Sep 30, 2013
241
126
Vancouver, BC
#7
@Azuardo Yes, they didn't do Liberi Fatali for us and definitely no Eyes on Me T_T, they did the battle theme instead, which I don't mind, but I don't recall seeing Liberi Fatali live actually (they probably did it the first year when they came to Vancouver and I missed it.) They did the 10-minute long Dancing Mad with an amazing Organ player. HOLY CRAP it was unbelievable!

YES! The Chocobo song... C-H-O-C-O-B-O! Ha ha they did it again when they were in Vancouver this year and it still caught me off guard. I was so happy the mix had XI's chocobo song as I had fond memories of raising mine.

I actually only got the booklet for the show at the end at merch because that was the only thing left! I almost didn't get it but boyfriend said he wouldn't mind waiting in line with me as he knows it's important for me (that's why he's a keeper!)

Even if they will play the exact same songs every year, I think I still might go if I can afford and the time allows it. I really enjoy being in a room full of Final Fantasy-ness.

A "funny" side story about my adventure at DW earlier this year. The show happened not long after the tragedy at Boston and while they were starting to play Sephiroth we started to smell a bit of burning. Everyone was looking around while the background was showing Sephiroth standing in the fire... CREEPY! Turned out the building right next to the theatre had a minor fire incident and we smell a bit of smoke from that. Can't say it didn't add a bit of "fear" into that segment though!
 
Likes: Azuardo

Azuardo

Keyblade Master
Moderator
Sep 26, 2013
755
279
#8
Did they do the FFVI Opera performance at any of your DWs, then? With the two or three different people singing their lines off a script? That was fantastic.
 
Likes: Sapientia

buddhafied

Sphere Hunter
Sep 30, 2013
241
126
Vancouver, BC
#9
Did they do the FFVI Opera performance at any of your DWs, then? With the two or three different people singing their lines off a script? That was fantastic.
All three of my concerts we had the Maria and Draco opera performance, which is arguably still my favourite moment of any Final Fantasies. I think this article on Destructoid said a lot of the same feelings I have with that scene: http://www.destructoid.com/the-memory-card-06-the-opera-house-32654.phtml

In the 25th Anniversary concert, they actually had a person READING the off script as well... like, someone read:

The West and East were waging war...
Draco, the West's great hero, thinks of his love, Maria.
Is she safe? Is she waiting?

just like in the game itself! It was... to quote Jony Ive... MAGICAL!