My copy of the NieR:Orchestra Concert 12018 came today! I haven’t had the chance to watch the whole thing again, but it seems like there are English subtitles for the whole thing! From what I’ve seen of it thus far, it seems like a pretty decent translation.

The bonus script book for purchasing the blu-ray from the SQEX e-STORE includes the script for the text on screen on stage during the concert, the script for the recitation bits by Emil/Kadowaki Mai and 2B/Ishikawa Yui, plus the PA announcements and an “after talk” segment between the characters that apparently was an extra bonus…? I’m not really sure what that was; maybe I entirely forgot about it. orz

Unfortunately, though, the script book has several typos and misspellings for the English lyrics of “Ashes of Dreams”. I honestly don’t know why it was so difficult to get the correct lyrics since they have been printed several times in official releases; the typos are very obvious that they weren’t complete spelling mistakes but a clear absence of proofreading.

They also included the Japanese lyrics to “Weight of the World” even though it wasn’t performed at the concert. J’Nique Nicole, of course, sang the English version, but the backdrop showed the Japanese lyrics, so that’s probably why the script book included them. It’s just very curious why they included the English lyrics to the other song without the Japanese translation if they were going to leave out the English lyrics for this song.

All-in-all, it’s still a great bonus item, and I know I’m nit-picking a lot over something that really doesn’t matter much in the long-run.

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★ Comments by the Creators

Okabe Keiichi – Sound Director, Composer

There is no doubt in my mind that if there is anyone to thank for this, it is not only the people who have been rooting for us since Gestalt/Replicant, but those who developed an interest in NieR through Automata as well. Thank you so, so much.

Looking back at the recording now makes me realize just how grand in scale this concert was. The atmosphere of a live performance can only be experienced in the moment, but the recording that came from it–with multiple camera angels and detailed shots of performers that would have been difficult to make out when gazing upon a full orchestra in a large concert hall–has an appeal all its own. I wish for nothing more than for everyone to enjoy it for themselves.

The first time we presented a live performance of NieR music was at the release party for Gestalt/Replicant. It was a bit of a mini-concert-just a few tracks with Emi Evans singing and Keigo Hoashi on the piano, and I was sure there would never again come a day where we perform NieR songs in front of an audience. I never would have guessed that just a few short years later, we would be performing an orchestral concert in the great hall at the Pacifico Yokohama! It’s amazing to think that such amazing things could come to pass assuming you live long enough to see them.

Yoko Taro – Director

Hello everyone, YOKO TARO here.

I provide game direction for the NieR series. I was also in charge of overseeing the footage for this orchestral concert and my grand visision this time around was “make everything exactly how Okabe-san wants it.” As such, I had no choice but to ask the staff to deliver on the challenging taks of painstakingly playing the game such that the footage matches up perfectly with the music. On the day of the concert, just as I was observing the sleep-deprived staff going about their work and feeling terribly sorry for them, the mighty lord Okabe-san leisurely sauntered up partway through the rehearsal and went about happily checking the costumes and such. As I watched him and thought about all the video staff and performers, I was filled with a most tremendous sorrow…and I knew what had to be done.

The above is my statement regarding the time I blew up MONACA, Okabe-san’s music studio.

Saito Yosuke – Producer

Good day. I trust you’re destroying everything for the sake of a single person, as always? Yosuke Saito, producer of the NieR series here.

NieR Replicant was released on April 22nd, 2010. It has already been eight years and ten months, though it feels like hardly any time has passed at all. It’s also already been about two years since NieR:Automata came out. …Yeesh, I’m getting old.

Maybe it’s my age, but I can’t recall things as clearly as I used to. Thinking back on when we were busting our butts to make NieR Replicant, I remember it was taking more time than anticipated to get the game working on multiple platforms, and we were having a tough time implementing everything from the Lost Shrine onward. I listened to Blu-Bird for what must have been an eternity, and by the end of it I remember not even being sure if NieR’s soundtrack was any good or not.

I also have a recollection of when we got this sudden request from overseas to add the Gestalt character design, and I went in to work to make my case that we had no choice but to extend the development schedule. But the truth was we had been already been running and I was just sneakily taking this request from overseas as an opportunity to make the delay in development itself a more ambiguous matter.

And one memory I have quietly locked away is from the time I read the script for the NieR drama CD “Replicant High School” and thought “nobody is going to listen to this anyway, and the story is all over the place, but…whatever, fine.”

In holding this concert, all those memories were enveloped with spectacular orchestral sounds, turning each one into a beautiful memory. Thank you, YOKO TARO. Thank you, Okabe Keiichi. Thank you, Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra. Thank you, NieR fans.

I love you all. Here’s to many more memories!

The blu-ray is a little bit annoying to navigate through the different options. For example, above you can see the main Setup Menu (there is no top menu screen) from which you can select 4 main versions with “Extra” off on its own at the bottom. Here are versions you can select:

• Concert – This version gives you the best view of the orchestra performing the pieces. You can still see the screen in the background, but it’s not the main focus.
• Concert (English Subtitles) – This version is the same as above, just with English subtitles. What’s extremely annoying is that… you can’t just simply turn the subtitles on or off. You have to go all the way back to the Setup Menu to select between these two versions. I don’t know why anyone would design a blu-ray this way.
• Screen – This version gives you a clear view of the backdrop on stage where they showed various clips from the games as well as the companion text throughout. The text is all brand new stuff made for the concert that gives deeper insight into the thoughts of the characters and more.
• Screen (English Subtitles) – Once again, this is the same as the version above but with English subtitles.
• Extra – This includes the following bonus tracks that were intentionally included so you can download them via your home network, copied with a Blu-ray drive, or by using a remote control:
  • Kaine (Emi Evans Vocals)
  • Weight of the World (J’Nique Nicole Vocals)

★ The Complete Set List

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