Final Fantasy XIII Theme Song Petition

[genesizz257]

Hi we have started a petition for the song chosen for the NA/EU Final Fantasy 13 and was wondering if you would be kind enough to Sign

Main petition details
As we all found out a few days ago when the new Final Fantasy XIII Trailer was Released Leona Lewis will be Singing the theme song, and in many of our eye's, Your fans eye's. she's not right for the job and neither is the song, Sayuri Sugawara's Kimi Ga Iru Kara is so much more fitting and is what we love in the Final Fantasy games. we all love the japanese behind Final Fantasy so why go changing something that is good??

URL
Sayuri Sugawara for NA/EU Final Fantasy XIII Petition

Please take a look and Sign

[Andromeda]

Wish that they would just give us the option. Personally, I want the Japanese song because it would seem a little strange a JRPG having an American song. But some people may like. Heck, I don't even know who Leona Lewis is and if she's even popular. >.> Honestly, never heard of her. But I can understand trying to use an American singer to appeal to a Western audience to pick up the game. Though I'd wonder how many on the fence people that is really going to sway. I doubt having an American singer is going to bring over people that had no interest in the game.

[genesizz257]

i understand where your comming from if you look at the petition you can view both song's side by side i agree with having Sayuri Sugawara's its a typical Final Fantasy song

[yuki]

i think the jap is more 2 fit with ff as they always did loool
just imagin ff x with out suteki da ne haha well it dosent fit in my eyes

[Azuteor]

I like the original theme song better. "My Hands" is alright, but it just doesn't fit. Ha. When I finally get my hands on this game, the first thing I'll think about is a singer that sounds a little bit like Mariah Carey.

I'm still gonna get this game!

[genesizz257]

COMON !! people we need more sig's

[WilsonDean1990]

i'll put my name down but i doubt anything will change lol, they would have made Leona sign a contract and you can't break those babies

[Cain Highwind]

A better petition would have Uematsu actually working on the music. I think it's silly to complain about English songs when we've had things like Eyes on me and Melodies of Life.

Besides the English song really fits in with the Tennybopper image the series has become now.

Usually i hate One shot spammers like you, ut you bring up a good debate with a link to both songs, so I'll keep it up as is. But I'm not signing no silly internet petition. That's just ludicrous.

[Andromeda]

But Eyes on Me and Melody of Life were both performed by Japanese singers weren't they? It's not so much a matter of being in Japanese or English. I think its a matter of keeping with the original work. They no doubt picked the Japanese song because they felt it connected and worked with the game. And now they're saying the same thing about another song. The original game was intended to have the Japanese song there so I would think that they would want to stay true to that.

Sorry Cain, this is probably hitting below the belt for you, but its like when 4Kids put a their song in for One Piece rather than keeping the original Japanese song. The opening is meant to be with the original Japanese, they did it that way for a reason. And now they're trying to change things to make it more hip or whatever for us. I'd like the original presentation for the game.

Though I guess coming from me who likes English dub, original presentation has a bit of a hypocrisy to it, doesn't it? Well even I like my openings in Japanese >.> I think the song for the game should stick to being the original Japanese as well.

I fear its a dangerous slope to be on. Square wants to appeal to Western audiences, but for me Japanese RPG appeal to me because they aren't Western RPGs. I think that is the case with many people. Most probably have other reasons I'll agree.

[Cain Highwind]

I get ya. I honestly don't see much difference in style of the songs, they're both kinda "meh" compared to the likes of of past FF songs, but yeah as a One Piece fan I should understand the importance of changing a musical theme.

[Che]

Whatever, it's fine. I'm just going to mute my sound and play this song when that part comes up in-game.

YouTube - Lil Jon- I Don't GIve A Fuck

[Materiathief00]

They're not using the Japanese song? I didn't think they'd totally replace it. I don't like the other one at all, it doesn't sound right in the least. I wish they'd just dubbed the Japanese song. Wasn't the Japanese song used in the English dubbed trailer? I love that song, why take it out completely?
Oh, and btw, one of the youtube samples on the petition page doesn't work.
I'd love to sign but I don't like giving my information away on the internet. A few people signed as anonymous, am I allowed to do that?
Anyway, good luck with changing it, I hope SquareEnix listens.

[Totakeke777]

Just signed. I really hope that Square Enix is going to make the change, but I highly doubt it.

When I saw the FFXIII TGS trailer in English, I completely expected Kimi Ga Iru Kara to be in the US release. Until I saw the announcement telling me otherwise...

Maybe if we bring over 1 million people to sign, the petition will look more significant. There's a bunch of people on the internet, and I bet 1/3 of then wouldn't mind to take a minute to help out the petition.

--Yeah, I'm back.

Edit: I just realized how big my old signature is. Jeez, I took up a lot of space...

[Tokimadoushi]

This sounds painful, I cannot stand Leona Lewis's voice and I hate to know what she's going to do to the English version of the song "shudders"
As if 1000 words in English wasn't bad enough (I actually really liked the Japanese version), now we have to put up with an R&B theme song for Final Fantasy? Nah uh...
Miss you Nobuo. *sobs*.

[The Stig]

Wish that they would just give us the option. Personally, I want the Japanese song because it would seem a little strange a JRPG having an American song. But some people may like. Heck, I don't even know who Leona Lewis is and if she's even popular. >.> Honestly, never heard of her. But I can understand trying to use an American singer to appeal to a Western audience to pick up the game. Though I'd wonder how many on the fence people that is really going to sway. I doubt having an American singer is going to bring over people that had no interest in the game.

i will admit it would be better to stay original and keep the japanese song but andromeda i hate to burst your bubble but leona lewis is english not american thats naivity thinking that all the famous singers are american when its wrong i know ts off topic but the best singers of all time come from england the beatles oasis and americas newest number one SuBo or suan boyle

And she is very popular here in england and has had a few number ones

[Pete]

I'm going with Cain on this one. Bring back Amano and Uematsu, and hell, don't even bother with a song with lyrics. I haven't been a fan of any of them, and they just kind of come off cheesy to me.

You can do so much more with a powerful melody, like Aeris' theme, as opposed to Eyes on Me or Melodies of Life.

[Tokimadoushi]

The Japanese version of Melodies of Life is really, really beautiful, though. And the orchestral version of Suteki Da Ne is very powerful and worked very well for the ending theme of FFX. So I would not count out lyrical songs entirely. When are they going to do another operatic theme song like Aria di Mezzo? That would be great, and a welcome change from the J-pop direction they've taken lately.

[CeeJay]

Tbh, I'm gonna be playing 13 for 3 reasons.. Gameplay. Graphics. Sountrack.

I don't genuinely think one little song is going to impact the game or it's playability to fans of the game.. Like a bond theme.. Sure it may suck when somebody crap does the song.. But it doesn't ULTIMATELY affect a thing..

Leona Lewis does suck though.

Anti-kudos to SE for picking suck a pile of pap!

[Rydia Lover]

Wish that they would just give us the option. Personally, I want the Japanese song because it would seem a little strange a JRPG having an American song. But some people may like. Heck, I don't even know who Leona Lewis is and if she's even popular. >.> Honestly, never heard of her. But I can understand trying to use an American singer to appeal to a Western audience to pick up the game. Though I'd wonder how many on the fence people that is really going to sway. I doubt having an American singer is going to bring over people that had no interest in the game.

um... leona lewis is british lol

[KhDragon]

Well I gladly signed the petition and I hope they will at least give us an option of which song we can use.

[Rydia Lover]

But Eyes on Me and Melody of Life were both performed by Japanese singers weren't they? It's not so much a matter of being in Japanese or English. I think its a matter of keeping with the original work. They no doubt picked the Japanese song because they felt it connected and worked with the game. And now they're saying the same thing about another song. The original game was intended to have the Japanese song there so I would think that they would want to stay true to that.

If that is your logic then shouldnt the english voice actors be japanese, to "keep with the original work"? and if "they" want to stay true to that, then why did "they" pick another song.

i actually feel like i can connect to it better with this song as it fits my culture better, not that i think the original song sucks though.

i really dont understand this petition though, the game comes out in just a little over a month and there isnt even 100 signitures yet, even if there was, the game is pretty much finished and i doubt they would change it anyway, and i doubt that this ONE song is gonna stop any of you from buying it either.

[Andromeda]

um... leona lewis is british lol

Someone already mentioned that a month ago. But as I said I've never heard of the singer and figuring that the US release was a larger market to SE I figured it was an American singer that they got. She does sing in English so I have a 50/50 shot. *shrugs* Oh well I made a mistake. So I guess if they're going with British they're looking at trying to get large European sales? Is she very popular in Europe that she'd swing people's decision?

As an aside to those considering the petition. If the petition hasn't be sent already it's too late. Games are usually completed and locked down about two months prior to their release date if not earlier. Games have to go through a submission process with the consoles they are releasing on and in this case Sony and Microsoft. And most companies I'd imagine, if they are like the one I worked for, leave some room in the event they fail the first submission and are required for a second submission. Considering it is FFXIII they'll probably pass on the first even if it was a buggy game on name alone, yeah submission process is wonderfully corrupt like that. Anyway, submission still takes about two weeks and then manufacturing a week or two. And we only have like 6 or 7 weeks left before the ship date of the game. So more than like the game is already locked down for US and EU releases and no further changes will be occurring in the game.

Best we can hope for is a DLC or a patch to give it to us, but it is highly unlikely that'll happen. It is all a marketing ploy to get more sales. I'd be curious to know how much extra sales they are forecasting with the change from a Japanese song to an English song.

EDIT: Rydia Lover read my third paragraph from the post you are quoting for your answer.