History VideoGame / EternalSonata

''Eternal Sonata'' [[labelnote:Japanese title]](トラスティベル 〜ショパンの夢〜 Torasuti Beru ~Shopan no Yume~?, Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream)[[/labelnote]] is a role-playing video game developed by Tri-Crescendo and published by Namco Bandai Games. The UsefulNotes/XBox360 version of the game was released on June 14, 2007 in Japan, September 17, 2007 in North America, and October 19, 2007 in Europe. The game was also released on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 with additional content [[labelnote:Japanese title]]Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream – Reprise (トラスティベル 〜ショパンの夢〜 ルプリーズ Torasuti Beru ~Shopan no Yume~ Rupurīzu)[[/labelnote]] on September 18, 2008 in Japan, and in North America on October 21, 2008, and in Europe on February 13, 2009.

The game was first released for the UsefulNotes/XBox360 in 2007, then for the UsefulNotes/{{PS3}} [[UpdatedRerelease (with added features and a somewhat altered plot)]] in 2008. The [=PS3=] adaptation includes two characters upgraded to playable status, new dungeons and character costumes and a number of significant additions and improvements to the game's story and script. On the downside, though, while the UsefulNotes/XBox360 version includes Achievements, the [=PS3=] one does not support Trophies, as it was a launch title for the [=PS3=] and was apparently created before the UsefulNotes/PlaystationNetwork and Trophies were conceived of.

* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: A weird example. While the [[http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-08/art/es-illust-box-art-jp.jpg Japanese]] and [[http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-08/art/es-illust-box-art-us.jpg US]] UsefulNotes/XBox360 covers are both pretty cutesy, the original US [=PS3=] boxart acting as the page image above is almost misleading.

** The MainCharacters speak directly to the player during [[spoiler:the first half of the ending credits in the UsefulNotes/XBox360 version. This is replaced by a soliloquy by Chopin in the first ending of the [=PS3=] version.]]

** Most of the [=EZI=] items are useless, or worse, do harm to your characters. If you're playing the UsefulNotes/XBox360 version, then it's still worth collecting them all in order to gain an Achievement, if you like gaining Achievements for [=XBox=] Live. If you have the [=PS3=] version, they are just something to collect for fun, as this version doesn't connect to the [=PlayStation=] Network.

* Letters2Numbers: The various "321" references in association with the god EZI. Even the achievement on the UsefulNotes/XBox360 version for collecting all EZI items is worth 321 gamerscore.

** [[spoiler:The characters appear and recite lines from the game. However, they don't directly address the player like in the UsefulNotes/XBox360 version and some of the lines they use are ones that are exclusive to the [=PS3=] version.]]

* MythologyGag: A most curious meta example. In the Scrapbook bonus included in the [=PlayStation=] 3 UpdatedRerelease, there's a picture called "No way!" in which Frederic appears to have a ghostly hand on his shoulder and Allegretto, who took the photo, is all "W-What's that on Frederic's shoulder?" In one of the scenes following a boss fight in the Double Reed Tower, Allegretto makes fun of Beat's camera by suggesting that it could take pictures of ghosts. The curious thing, though, was that this scene was only in the UsefulNotes/XBox360 version and replaced by something else entirely in the [=PlayStation 3=] one.

* NintendoHard: Many elements of the battle system have been altered in the [=PlayStation=] 3 UpdatedRerelease to remove things that were easy in UsefulNotes/XBox360. Both roaming enemies and bosses give less EXP, bosses often substantially less. Beat's photos are harder to get Rank A and while in the original even Rank C sold for a lot of gold, in the update the best Rank A generally sell for less than a Rank C of the same monster from the original. Characters learn certain Special Attacks at different levels (usually, though not always, ones less favorable to the player) and one of the most painful - Angel Trumpets (the main items used for reviving) carry a weight of three in the item set instead of two.
* NothingCanStopUsNow: Count Waltz in the first battle against him because he has the main party pinned with an army of dragons and acquires the means to create glowing apogos. [[spoiler: This is only in the original UsefulNotes/XBox360 version which happens to be the only battle against him.]]

* OnscreenChapterTitles: The game is divided into eight chapters which are displayed on-screen. Each is titled after the name of a Music/FryderykChopin piece featured in the chapter, such as "Chapter 3: Fantaisie-Impromptu" and "Chapter 6: Tristesse." "Final Chapter: Heaven's Mirror" actually features a piece which was created for the game as a piece that the fictional Chopin featured in the game composed. In the original UsefulNotes/XBox360 version, the chapter number and title were all featured on one line. For the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 version, the names of the compositions were displayed beneath the chapter numbers.

* RedOniBlueOni: Salsa {red; aggressive, loud etc) and March {blue; friendly, soft-spoken, etc). Even their hair are the respective colors! March's Blue Oni tendencies are even more pronounced in the [=PlayStation=] 3 UpdatedRerelease - there are several references to her being passionate about research that aren't present in the UsefulNotes/XBox360 version.

** Averted in the original UsefulNotes/XBox360 version where Count Waltz demands that the party surrender Polka and she surrenders herself right away.

-->'''Polka''': There's no way I'll go with you. Besides, I already know what it is I have to do. I know what to do to really help everyone.
-->'''Count Waltz''': You people don't quite understand the situation. Do you honestly think you have any say in the matter? How unfortunate. And just as I was going to respond to Prince Crescendo's little bid for peaceful negotiations. You will hand the girl over to me immediately. Because I'm afraid that if you don't, you're dead.

* TooAwesomeToUse: The Saint's Mirror item, which revives anyone that is [=KOed=] and restores them to full HP. They can only to be found normally as treasure in the main gameplay, with another available as a drop from a boss fought only in [[NewGamePlus Encore Mode]]. While there was a regular enemy that dropped them in the Mysterious Unison BonusDungeon, it was an extremely rare drop. Further complicating things in the original UsefulNotes/XBox360 version was that they carried an item weight of 10, meaning that an end-game item set filled with just those (and low-level healing items filling the gaps) would be counted on two hands. The [=PlayStation=] 3 version changed this to 2, making their inclusion in your item set at least more practical.

* BonusBoss:
** Deep Lurker, Unison Rondo, and Annihilator in the [[BonusDungeon Mysterious Unison]]. Unison Rondo's incredibly high stats and speed are perfect ThatOneBoss material.
** The Church of Ezi's boss in the [=PS3=] version.
** The two (three on Encore mode) optional rematches with Captain Dolce.

* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: A weird example. While the [[http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-08/art/es-illust-box-art-jp.jpg Japanese]] and [[http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-08/art/es-illust-box-art-us.jpg US]] UsefulNotes/XBox360 360 covers are both pretty cutesy, the original US [=PS3=] boxart is almost misleading.

* MythologyGag: A most curious meta example. In the Scrapbook bonus included in the [=PlayStation=] 3 UpdatedRerelease, there's a picture called "No way!" in which Frederic appears to have a ghostly hand on his shoulder and Allegretto, who took the photo, is all "W-What's that on Frederic's shoulder?" In one of the scenes following a boss fight in the Double Reed Tower, Allegretto makes fun of Beat's camera by suggesting that it could take pictures of ghosts. The curious thing, though, was that this scene was only in the UsefulNotes/XBox360 360 version and replaced by something else entirely in the [=PlayStation 3=] one.

* NintendoHard: Many elements of the battle system have been altered in the [=PlayStation=] 3 UpdatedRerelease to remove things that were easy in UsefulNotes/XBox360 360. Both roaming enemies and bosses give less EXP, bosses often substantially less. Beat's photos are harder to get Rank A and while in the original even Rank C sold for a lot of gold, in the update the best Rank A generally sell for less than a Rank C of the same monster from the original. Characters learn certain Special Attacks at different levels (usually, though not always, ones less favorable to the player) and one of the most painful - Angel Trumpets (the main items used for reviving) carry a weight of three in the item set instead of two.

* OnscreenChapterTitles: The game is divided into eight chapters which are displayed on-screen. Each is titled after the name of a Music/FryderykChopin piece featured in the chapter, such as "Chapter 3: Fantaisie-Impromptu" and "Chapter 6: Tristesse." "Final Chapter: Heaven's Mirror" actually features a piece which was created for the game as a piece that the fictional Chopin featured in the game composed. In the original UsefulNotes/XBox360 360 version, the chapter number and title were all featured on one line. For the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 version, the names of the compositions were displayed beneath the chapter numbers.

** Averted in the original UsefulNotes/XBox360 360 version where Count Waltz demands that the party surrender Polka and she surrenders herself right away.

''Eternal Sonata'' [[labelnote:Japanese title]](トラスティベル 〜ショパンの夢〜 Torasuti Beru ~Shopan no Yume~?, Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream)[[/labelnote]] is a role-playing video game developed by Tri-Crescendo and published by Namco Bandai Games. The UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}} version of the game was released on June 14, 2007 in Japan, September 17, 2007 in North America, and October 19, 2007 in Europe. The game was also released on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 with additional content [[labelnote:Japanese title]]Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream – Reprise (トラスティベル 〜ショパンの夢〜 ルプリーズ Torasuti Beru ~Shopan no Yume~ Rupurīzu)[[/labelnote]] on September 18, 2008 in Japan, and in North America on October 21, 2008, and in Europe on February 13, 2009.

The battle system reflects the latest influences in RPG design at the time it was created. Your character is given a set interval of time with which to move or attack, and the special moves available to your character depend on whether they're standing in light or shadow. Some environments have moving clouds and the like, making it a challenge to keep in a location where your heals can go off. It is possible to block, counter, and build up a chain called the Harmony Gauge in order to boost the power of your special attacks.

The game was first released for the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}} in 2007, then for the UsefulNotes/{{PS3}} [[UpdatedRerelease (with added features and a somewhat altered plot)]] in 2008. The [=PS3=] adaptation includes two characters upgraded to playable status, new dungeons and character costumes and a number of significant additions and improvements to the game's story and script. On the downside, though, while the [=Xbox 360=] version includes Achievements, the [=PS3=] one does not support Trophies, as it was a launch title for the [=PS3=] and was apparently created before the UsefulNotes/PlaystationNetwork and Trophies were conceived of.

* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: A weird example. While the [[http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-08/art/es-illust-box-art-jp.jpg Japanese]] and [[http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-08/art/es-illust-box-art-us.jpg US]] UsefulNotes/XBox360 covers are both pretty cutesy, the [[http://www.psu.com/media/eternal-sonata/133500e.jpg original US PS3 boxart]] is almost misleading.

* AndYourRewardIsClothes: The [=PS3=] version added alternate outfits for Polka, Beat and Allegretto, the three characters that you can navigate in the field at various points. While most of these were easy to find, at least one of them was in an obscure area of a dungeon that was added for the [=PS3=] version. [[InstantCostumeChange When selected from the menu, the new costume takes effect for the character in the field the moment you exit the menu.]]

** [[spoiler:Claves if you complete the bonus dungeon]].

* BareFistedMonk: Falsetto fights with her bare hands and feet. Though she can equip brass knuckles and similar weapons equipping different weapons doesn't change the character's appearance.

* BettyAndVeronica: Falsetto and Claves are both after Jazz, although which is the Betty and which the Veronica is less obvious than in many cases. [[spoiler: rough speaking martial artist Falsetto appears to be the Veronica but was Jazz's childhood friend while soft-spoken and polite LadyOfWar Claves appears to be the Betty but is a spy.]]

** The two (three on Encore) optional rematches with Captain Dolce.

** The MainCharacters speak directly to the player during [[spoiler:the first half of the ending credits in the X-Box 360 version. This is replaced by a soliloquy by Chopin in the first ending of the [=PS3=] version.]]

* ChargedAttack: Echoes and Harmony Chains boost the power of attacks and, later in the game, to chain character special movies.

** Beat tends to stay [[StealthPun upbeat]] throughout events that would probably traumatize many eight-year-olds.

* ComeToGawk: There's a Magic Researcher on the second fall of Baroque Castle. If the player visits him after completing the Lament Mirror sequence (available only in the [=PlayStation=] 3 UpdatedRerelease of the game), he will ask if the party has come to laugh at them and orders them to "GetOut" Polka and Frederic, however, note that he's studying magic and quickly explain that they're both magic users, delighting him as he rarely gets to meet live magic users, and he reveals a lot of interesting information.

** Salsa and March and short little girls who can tear up the battlefield with chakrams.

* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: [[spoiler: On Encore mode on the [=PS3=] version, you can face The Great EZI as an optional boss, who is implied to be a deity.]]

* DubNameChange: From Japanese to English, Jitterbug's name is changed to Jazz, but the other names are kept the change (although in Japanese they call him Chopin, while in English they call him Frederick). However, if you play the game using the French on-screen text, a number of other characters change names. For your side, Beat becomes Piccolo, Viola is Harpe, Falsetto is Mazurka. (A mazurka is a type of Polish folk dance and Chopin composed several of them, one of which can be listened to on a piano in the tavern in Forte.) Serenade's poodle puppy changes from Minuet to Menuet. Oh, and Frederic and Serenade both gain accent marks over the "e"s in their names. For the baddies, Fugue becomes Staccato, Guitar is Banjo, Rondo is Rumba, and Count Waltz, of course, becomes Comte Valse. Incidentally, Jazz is still Jazz.
** A number of the attack names change, e.g. Orange Cure and Earth Growth to Orange Glow and Earth Heal for Polka. For Princess Serenade they decided to change her "[[GratuitousEnglish Word:]]" skills to "[[GratuitousLatin Verbum:]]".

* ElegantGothicLolita: Informs much of the character design, but especially Falsetto.
* EliteFour: Count Waltz has four agents working directly under him: Legato, his right-hand man, [[BeleagueredAssistant Fugue]], the big lug [[GeneralRipper Tuba]], the cruel and calculating [[TheEvilGenius Fugue]] and the DualWielding assassin [[AnIcePerson Rondo]]. He actually has two other agents, [[spoiler:Claves and Serenade]], but both are spies and don't work directly under him.

* FacePalm: Done by Chopin in the [[UpdatedRerelease PS3 version]] when listening to [[spoiler:Salsa whine about being trapped in Lament]]

** This is also the main reason why Allegretto can't stop mocking Beat's obsession with photography, even though 12 haphazard shots of any random monster nets you more Gold than he's probably seen in a year, maybe even his entire life.

* GroundhogDayLoop: [[spoiler:The ending - clarified in the [=PS3=] version - explains that the events of the game have repeated over and over again. This is why the game [[HowWeGotHere starts with the last scene]] and how Polka got hold of Allegretto's charm before he gave it to her. Chopin's presence in the most recent cycle breaks the loop and happy endings occur]].

** For anyone without an ear for music, and even some that ''do'' have an ear for music, the third test in Xylophone tower is too difficult without a guide because the keys don't light up. [[DownplayedTrope If you fail it a thre times it relaxes the difficulty.]]
** There's a grandmother lady in the hotel in Baroque in Chapter 4 whom you must speak with to hear a poem in order to obtain a Score Piece later in the game. It's the only thing in the game that can be {{Permanently Missable|Content}} if you don't remember to talk to her. (Naturally this includes the reward you get for using the Score Piece later on.) You cannot return to most locations after visiting them the first time, so if you miss something, it's most likely gone until your second playthrough.

* HyperspaceArsenal: An odd case in that the game allows you carry up to 99 of any item at all that can be purchased or dropped by monsters, including weapons and armor. This is despite the fact that every character has their own unique type of weapon that only they can equip and most armor can only be equipped by a few different characters, or in some cases, only one.

** [[spoiler: Subverted at the very beginning. The player is lead to believe they will see the first scene in the game again later, as it appears to be set in the future. However, due to the game's GroundhogDayLoop this is actually before the game chronologically.]]
** Played straight with the Baroque sequence. You begin this portion of the game with Beat and Polka in an outside courtyard area of Baroque Castle and then go into a FlashBack sequence involving how they got rescued by a Baroque ship and then fought off a ship full of them (at which point the items you collect on the ship suddenly appear in your inventory).

** The Xylophone Tower qualifies too.

** Most of the [=EZI=] items are useless, or worse, do harm to your characters. If you're playing the [=XBox=] 360 version, then it's still worth collecting them all in order to gain an Achievement, if you like gaining Achievements for [=XBox=] Live. If you have the [=PS3=] version, they are just something to collect for fun, as this version doesn't connect to the [=PlayStation=] Network.

* Letters2Numbers: The various "321" references in association with the god EZI. Even the achievement on the Xbox 360 version for collecting all EZI items is worth 321 gamerscore.
* TheLifestream: [[spoiler:TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon features an afterlife for people who die of mineral powder.]]

* MightyGlacier: Jazz has the highest attack stats and hit points, but he's also one of the slowest characters.

** [[spoiler:The characters appear and recite lines from the game. However, they don't directly address the player like in the [=XBox=] 360 version and some of the lines they use are ones that are exclusive to the [=PS3=] version.]]
* MundaneMadeAwesome: Salsa finds the pirate hat puts it on her head and declares it to be the "ultimate treasure". The fanfare and background make it a SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}}.

* MythologyGag: A most curious meta example. In the Scrapbook bonus included in the [=PlayStation=] 3 UpdatedRerelease of ''Eternal Sonata'', there's a picture called "No way!" in which Frederic appears to have a ghostly hand on his shoulder and Allegretto, who took the photo, is all "W-What's that on Frederic's shoulder?" In one of the scenes following a boss fight in the Double Reed Tower, Allegretto makes fun of Beat's camera by suggesting that it could take pictures of ghosts. The curious thing, though, was that this scene was only in the UsefulNotes/XBox360 version and replaced by something else entirely in the [=PlayStation 3=] one.

* NintendoHard: Many elements of the battle system have been altered in the [=PlayStation=] 3 UpdatedRerelease to remove things that were easy in UsefulNotes/XBox360. Both roaming enemies and bosses give less EXP, bosses often substantially less. Beat's photos are harder to get Rank A and while in the original even Rank C sold for a lot of gold, in the update the best Rank A generally sell for less than a Rank C of the same monster from the original. Characters learn certain Special Attacks at different levels (usually, though not always, ones less favorable to the player) and one of the most painful - Angel Trumpets (the main items used for reviving) carry a weight of three in the item set instead of two.
* NothingCanStopUsNow: Count Waltz in the first battle against him because he has the main party pinned with an army of dragons and acquires the means to create glowing apogos. [[spoiler: This is only in the original [=XBox=] 360 version which happens to be the only battle against him.]]

* OnscreenChapterTitles: The game is divided into eight chapters which are displayed on-screen. Each is titled after the name of a Music/FryderykChopin piece featured in the chapter, such as "Chapter 3: Fantaisie-Impromptu" and "Chapter 6: Tristesse." "Final Chapter: Heaven's Mirror" actually features a piece which was created for the game as a piece that the fictional Chopin featured in the game composed. In the original UsefulNotes/XBox360 version, the chapter number and title were all featured on one line. For the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 version, the names of the compositions were displayed beneath the chapter numbers.

* RedOniBlueOni: Salsa {red; aggressive, loud etc) and March {blue; friendly, soft-spoken, etc). Even their hair are the respective colors! March's Blue Oni tendencies are even more pronounced in the [=PlayStation=] 3 UpdatedRerelease - there are several references to her being passionate about research that aren't present in the Xbox 360 version.

* SoLongAndThanksForAllTheGear: There are numerous instances where you switch between different groups of party members. Whenever you do, the party members that are left behind keep whatever equipment they have for the time being and you don't get it back until they rejoin. Not a problem with weapons, since each character has their own unique type, but definitely troublesome with accessories and armor and particularly egregious if you choose to Crescendo and Serenade for the final boss battle of Lament Mirror in the [=PS3=] version, since you don't get them back for two chapters. [[spoiler:Don't even think about equipping anything good to Claves, who ''dies'' at the end of Chapter 3. Though she can rejoin if you visit Mysterious Unison in Chapter 7, at which point you can finally get back anything that was equipped.]]

* StableTimeLoop: [[spoiler:The game gradually reveals that [[GroundhogDayLoop everyone has made this journey before]]. At the end, Polka casts herself off a cliff only to emerge as a little girl falling from the sky into her mother's arms, where she repeats the past seven or so years of her life all over again. Only Chopin's death breaks the cycle. This also explains the extraordinarily high volume of fortunes on the tree near the end of the game in a place that would be implausible for average people to venture; they're all Polka's fortunes.]]

* TeamPet: Arco, Viola's squirrel... thing...It rides on her shoulder.

** Averted in the original UsefulNotes/XBox360 version where he demands that the party surrender Polka and she surrenders herself right away.

* TooAwesomeToUse: The Saint's Mirror item, which revives anyone that is [=KOed=] and restores them to full HP. There was only to be found normally as treasure in the main gameplay. Another was available as a drop from a boss fought only in [[NewGamePlus Encore Mode]]. While there was a regular enemy that dropped them in the BonusDungeon, Mysterious Unison, it was an extremely rare drop. Further complicating things in the original Xbox 360 version was that they carried an item weight of 10. The [=PlayStation=] 3 version changed this to 2, making their inclusion in your inventory at least more practical.

* UpdatedRerelease: The [=PS3=] version adds several quests, new playable characters, tweaked game mechanics, an altered script, and other minute changes.

* VideogameHistoricalRevisionism: Averted. The makers tried to be as historically accurate as possible and worked with the Chopin Society in Warsaw in order to make sure they were. The only flaw is Chopin using a conductor's baton when he was a pianist in real life which is understandable; have you ever tried to fight someone with a piano?

* WorthlessTreasureTwist: A variation in that the party finds a real pirate's treasure of gold and jewels, but what Salsa values is a pirate's hat to replace her hat that got lost at sea.

* InsultToRocks - "Really though, comparing sea water stirred up by the beauty of the moon to the ugly waves created by the effects of human desire is rather an insult to the ocean."

The game was first released for the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}} in 2007, then for the UsefulNotes/{{PS3}} [[UpdatedRerelease (with added features and a somewhat altered plot)]] in 2008. The [=PS3=] adaptation includes two characters upgraded to playable status, new dungeons and character costumes and a number of significant additions and improvements to the game's story and script. On the downside, though, while the [=Xbox 360=] version includes Achievements, the [=PS3=] one does not support Trophies, as it was a launch title for the [=PS3=] and was apparently created before the UsefulNotes/PlayStationNetwork and Trophies were conceived of.

[[Music/FryderykChopin Frédéric François Chopin]], the famous Polish pianist and composer, is on his deathbed at the age of 39. Feverish from tuberculosis, he hallucinates a dying dream in which he is exploring a strange fantasy world that seems to parallel aspects of his own life and music.

Polka, a young girl with an uncanny resemblance to Frédéric's dead little sister, is one of the inhabitants of this otherworld. As someone who has developed magical powers (which is feared as a symptom of impending death), she is shunned by the world and lives a lonely life selling herbal medicine to a nearby village. When TheEmpire introduces a mysterious new wonder drug that threatens what little business she gets, Polka begins an epic journey across the land to meet with the EvilOverlord, [[BigBad Count Waltz]], in person and plead her case to him.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Just because the [[NiceGirl nice girles]] are wearing frilly dresses doesn't mean you should underestimate them.

* EenieMeenieMinyMoai: The Score Piece participant Desolate Goro/Saburo and the others like him in the Noise Dunes of Fantasy entrance area to the Double Reed Tower of Sand.

* KillEmAll: [[spoiler:Chopin attempts to do this at the game's end]]. If you believe that the dreamworld [[AllJustADream wasn't real]], (despite the [[UpTheRealRabbitHole many hints that this is not so]]) this is what happens when Chopin finally dies.

* NiceHat:
** Chopin wears a stylish top hat, complete with plucked feathers in the brim.
** Salsa wears a fancy pirate's hat which is her pride and joy. Prior to acquiring this, she wore a different hat that looked similar but didn't have the pirate's skull on it. She is forced to go hatless a couple of times during the game - first when she heads off to Forte and leaves her hat behind and later when her hat gets swept away in the Fusion River, which eventually leads to it being replaced by the pirate hat.

* WorthlessTreasureTwist: A variation in that the party finds a real pirate's treasure of gold and jewels, but what Salsa values is a [[NiceHat pirate's hat]] to replace her hat that got lost at sea.

* NamesToKnowInAnime: Creator/AyaHirano as Polka in the Japanese version.

Polka, a young girl with an uncanny resemblance to Frédéric's dead little sister, is one of the inhabitants of this otherworld. As someone who has developed magical powers (which is feared as a symptom of impending death), she is shunned by the world and lives a lonely life selling herbal medicine to a nearby village. When TheEmpire introduces a mysterious new wonder drug that threatens what little business she gets, Polka begins an epic journey across the land to meet with the EvilOverlord in person and plead her case to him.

Frédéric François Chopin, the famous Polish pianist and composer, is on his deathbed at the age of 39. Feverish from tuberculosis, he hallucinates a dying dream in which he is exploring a strange fantasy world that seems to parallel aspects of his own life and music.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Silver for Allegretto and Falsetto, pinkish for Claves and Salsa, lavender for March. The rest of the party and most [=NPCs=] have more "ordinary" hair colours. It ''is'' a dream world, after all.

* ComeToGawk: There's a Magic Researcher on the second fall of Baroque Castle. If the player visits him after completing the Lament Mirror sequence (available only in the [=PlayStation=] 3 UpdatedRerelease of the game), he will ask if the party has come to laugh at them and orders them to "GetOut!" Polka and Frederic, however, note that he's studying magic and quickly explain that they're both magic users, delighting him as he rarely gets to meet live magic users, and he reveals a lot of interesting information.

* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu?: [[spoiler: On Encore mode on the [=PS3=] version, you can face The Great EZI as an optional boss, who is implied to be a deity.]]

* ItIsPronouncedTropay: "Hanon" is ''French'' and is properly pronounced as "Huh-non" (as in non-dairy.) In most "Let's Play" videos however, you will hear pronounced "Han-in," as if it rhymed with "cannon."

* JokeItem: Most of the [=EZI=] items are useless, or worse, do harm to your characters. If you're playing the [=XBox=] 360 version, then it's still worth collecting them all in order to gain an Achievement, if you like gaining Achievements for [=XBox=] Live. If you have the [=PS3=] version, they are just something to collect for fun, as this version doesn't connect to the [=PlayStation=] Network.

* JokeItem: Most of the [=EZI=] items areuseless, or worse, do harm to your characters. If you're plyaing the [=XBox=] 360 version, then it's still worth collecting them all in order to gain an Achievement, if you like gaining Achievements for [=XBox=] Live. If you have the [=PS3=] version, they are just something to collect for fun, as this version doesn't connect to the [=PlayStation=] Network.

* AlanSmithee: Listed as a voice actor under "Additional Voices" in the english version. Apparently this game was polarizing even for the [=VAs=].

* AlanSmithee: Listed as a voice actor under "Additional Voices" in the english version. Apparently this game was polarizing even for the VA's.

* SureLetsGoWithThat: When party supposed take care of the "ghosts" underneath the Mandolin Church, Allegretto decides to jet and fetch Polka. Viola suggests that the reason he's leaving is because he's scared of ghosts, and he happily seizes on that excuse, stating that he never told anyone before, but he's super-scared of ghosts.

* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: Count Waltz made the zombie cure the only one the general public could afford and ruined the Agogo Forest while making them, sure, but he did make a miracle cure. [[spoiler: He even invoked this in the [=PS3=] version during his TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.]]

* TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon: Double Reed Tower is beautiful and ethereal and you will know that it is the final dungeon before you even step foot in it. Unfortunately it is also repetitive as one must climb up two separate, yet identical towers and then back down both.

* WhiteMagicianGirl: Princess Serenade is a pretty princess with a heart-shaped staff, she's a love interest to another character, an Actual ([[GameplayAndStorySegregation and Martial]] [[ActualPacifist pacifist]]) and she can heal. However she deals massive amounts of damage.

** The protagonists speak directly to the player during [[spoiler:the first half of the ending credits in the X-Box 360 version. This is replaced by a soliloquy by Chopin in the first ending of the [=PS3=] version.]]
** [[spoiler: The Encore mode ending simply has the protagonists repeating quotes without addressing the player]].

** A number of the attack names change, e.g. Orange Cure and Earth Growth to Orange Glow and Earth Heal for Polka. For Princess Serenade they decided to change her "[[GratuitousEnglish Word:]]" skills to "[[AltumVidetur Verbum:]]".