I'd prefer putting Ayaka on S-tier, cuz she is the reason I played Genshin. I don't understand why you put Ayaka on B tier. (Sorry, B is kinda bottom, so it's a pretty bad spot)
@@davinlee3412 Just opinions! Not everyone's is gonna match up ofc, also VERY HIGH TOP of B tier for me, and I still love the B tier ones, just tried to rank based on overall demo itself
I have an feeling, that the Sheznayan ones will be realy sinister and dark. Just imagine Columbina in her trailer walking slowly, humming her song from signoras funeral. Meanwhile a lot of enemys around her just freezing to death, sparing no one without mercy.
I like how Zhongli's character demo, despite being one of the older ones, still holds up with the more recent ones. Imagine if he had been released recently, and gave him an even better trailer.
@@BranOnline You say that but I'm wondering how many people could've imagined how good nahida's would turn out to be before its release. Hoyo really does have a way of working magic with their animations to blow all our expectations out of the water.
@@archangel1639 oh for sure, but re-working an existing one is a tad different to me, I love Zhongli's for what it is but they probably could make one better too, idk xD
For its time, Zhongli's demo was an S+ tier easily. I think it set the bar for demos in the future, and it's blatantly clear that they put _waaaaay_ more money and effort into his demo than demos before him , and it was not _really_ being topped apart from pure preferences until Raiden Shogun. By todays standards I'd only give him an A or maybe even a high B, imo Faruzans demo is just about on par with Zhonglis judged by the same standards.
@@jax1670 No. They are not mirrors of each other. And they could use very different music which would kinda cause what happens in some honkai trailers. It literally just turns into another song. And if a character like Qiqi can get her own, both of them deserve one of their own too.
I totally agree with Nahida's one. Every time I see the demo, there is really something that makes me emotional (life happiness and sadness). For me, Nahida's demo is the best one yet.
Nahida truly deserves her own tier. The music is a banger, it tells you everything you need to know about her in just a few minutes and then punches you in the gut at the end reminding you that you have to save her from the sages.
One thing I noticed from the Sumeru cast so far, everyone seems to have their own cultural influence either in the tone or the instruments used in the music. But then there's Haitham whose theme is almost strictly electronic. Dude's a machine operated by sets of logics unaffected by cultures, man...
I understand your opinion regarding the earlier character demos (Kaeya, XIangling, Mona, Qiqi, Keqing) because they were intended to: showcase the landscape and gameplay to hook new players in. They were only one minute long and they were intended to be ads that you see on mobile games or TH-cam videos where it piques potential players interest to not skip and watch the whole ad and maybe try out the game. I think the best part about those particular character demos is that they show actual gameplay unlike other mobile ads.
@@BranOnline Keqing's theme is sick! My personal favorite from the permanent characters. It just slaps SO HARD. If only it was longer than 40 seconds, like all the newer character demos, than it would be one of the best without a doubt. But even for being short, it's still a banger. Low A imo. And very possible S if it was longer.
My favorite is Alhaitham. I know it's the newest but the way it is scripted just feels so fresh in comparison to all the other demos. I really like what they did with it. Nahida's is great, too and Zhongli's will also always have a special place in my heart. But seeing my 4 Sumeru boys hanging out together is something I never expected 🙏
Yeah Zhongli's is just unforgettable, I'll always remember waking up one morning and just watching it for like 3 hours on repeat the day it released. But It's just so awesome to see them improve so much over time as well
Alhaitham’s demo is literally being carried by interactions with other characters; he is “just some guy”. It’s recency bias, nor is it memorable (song, visual-wise) outside of having ‘guests’ in it. This popularity amuses me, typical case of fetishising. A shame.
@@vortex1134 Fetishising? Hmm..maybe you should double-check the meaning of this word. It's one of these terms people love to throw around without understanding what is really means. Besides I love his demo for the fact that it includes more characters than just him. We had sooo many demos in the past that showed us cool moves of the characters that it gets really boring. I rather have a demo that shows us some of the characters having a great time together than to get another demo that only consists of flashy movements like Scaramouches...
@@lemonbunny71 Mhmh. Dw, I am aware of the word. Check twitter, and you will see it at its finest. It’s all about about their story most of the time su-re-ly. Fujoshis, coincidently, were a recent topic of discussion too. Anyway, that’s your opinion, I don’t see myself enjoying something with such a bare minimum. Also, why is Scaramouche even the point here? I’d chose Nahida, Raiden, Yelan, Albedo demos and others any time over Alhaitham’s one.
Finally someone who pointed out how empty Ayaka's trailer was compared to others. At least they made up for it with the Tsubaki in the Thawing Snow Trailer, that should have been her demo honestly, made me connect with the character so much more. I feel like both Ganyu and Ayaka deserved trailers where their personality or lore could shine through. Both trailers were pretty much relying on the music and them being pretty. Albedo and Yoimiya, who were released at pretty much the same time as them, had much more substance and personality in my opinion. It's sad to see the missed potential there with these two amazing Cryo characters...
Venti's Character Demo only has the Japanese version on release day. Perhaps they did not have time to dub the EN version or they did not think the English version would be that popular. If I recall correctly, they released the English version of the trailer during his first rerun in Version 1.4.
I feel like every once in a while a demo "revolutionizes" the "genre" so to speak. Venti's was the first character demo revolution (adding significant editing), Zhongli's was the second being the hype-st demo at the time by a frickin mile, and honestly I think Alhaitham's was the third with the significant role other characters play, dialogue, visuals, and length. Some might be like oh what about Raiden's demo. I wouldn't call it a revolution personally, I'd say it's more of an evolution, taking techniques used in demos like Zhongli's and Xiao's and cranking the dial up to 200%
You're right about Kaeya (and Xiangling) basically being game ads instead of character ads. I still wonder why they chose Kaeya to be first though. Like, for a game that supposedly caters to the waifu crowd their first "character" ad features a hot husbando? Also because it's basically using him to introduce the game. They could've used any of the other Mondstadt characters (we meet Amber first, for instance. Or for hot waifu there's Lisa. Or they could've gone five star with Diluc or Jean) but...they chose Kaeya and I still wonder why. The "cope" part of my brain hopes it implies his future importance to the story and Mondstadt, lol.
Nahida's demo truly encapsulates everything about her in such a soulful emotionally endearing way -- the chorus? The dreamscape? Just... Everything about her added with her as a character is EVERYTHING. It was stellar even without going all out showing a fantastical, idealistic charming approach can compete and stand on its own as a noteworthy demo 😊
Ehh I never got into it as much, it feels a little light on the actual "demo" part of the demo, and while it is definitely artsy it doesn't do as much to push the god of wisdom idea as I would have liked.
@@danielgibson3422 interesting perspective! Imo considering Nahida is being put in a position where she has yet to flourish into her role as a 'proper' ruling god of wisdom during the events (until she's freed) it makes sense that her role as a goddess that reigns with particular powers over dreams mixed with her child like wonder and pure, fantastical imagery to be prominent for her demo. I find the contrast of her personality and current role vs the idealized image of said 'god of wisdom' to be refreshing and charming, but I understand if others want a more balanced display
Despite Alhaitham’s demo being one of the best in terms of music and presentation, I like the most for his interactions with the others and the fact that they are playing TCG together
the end of nahida's demo litteraly gives me goosebumps its so cinematic, it absolutely deserves its own tier! And i gotta say that my favorite demo song out of all of them has to be dori's!! Its just so good!!!
1:14:35 about your 'flute' comment (more accurately, the instrument you are listening to in the clip is called 'shakuhachi' and is a traditional bamboo flute in Japan), I suggest you to check the musical group 'Wagakki Band' and their shakuhachi player Daisuke Kaminaga, the guy is INSANE in live concerts, doing jumps and runs all over the stage while playing the instrument.
Imagine in another year or two, all of the archons get their traditional archon skin through an archon quest that empowers them (completely head canon, but it doesn't need to be a skin) with certain moves such as Zhongi's burst now rains an army of giant stone spears, Ei's burst turns her into the form you fight as a weekly etc. Given all the insane effects they already have in Honkai, I'd like them to top it here and there in Genshin.
I hope when we get the the Khaenri’ah arch Kaeya gets a new character demo with a miscellany voiced by Dain who probably has a lot to say about his regent prince 👀
Genuinely, Bran is the only Genshin gamer that I keep watching all this while. He's genuinely enjoying the game, has the right attitude, respectful, and funny but not in a "laughing at people" or "being rude" kinda way. Ever since his first video on reacting to all the Demos, his reaction is just so good. He pays attention to the story, the detail, and has just the right attitude I feel. I always feel like wanting to see his reaction after playing thru the story myself. Thank you for all the great content Bran!
We have strikingly similar taste, I see. I agree with roughly all of your placements. Also, even though I like Ayaya's Demo, I see your point and agree with it: nothing of note really happens. The one thing I don't agree on would be Candace's demo, as the music absolutely caresses my brain with loving affection.
It was really awesome to see you go back through all those old demos now knowing the characters and seeing the new little details. Its also hard to give much feedback because, like you said, its ultimately an opinion listing and we all have our individual tastes. Like for me I just didn't connect with Wanderer's demo as much so he would probably only be a low S/high A tier for me and likewise I think a few S-tiers would probably be more A-tier because they were hard carried by their OST. But that's what also makes these kind of lists fun because they can make you go back and think of what makes a good demo as a whole. I'm also grabbing your line about Yoimiya's demo for future reference because it is true that they captured her character in that demo so perfectly.
omg the underwater part with the books in Nahida's is a reference to the quest with the little baby hydro oceanid(?) named ann in fontaine! and the rays she rides on in the sky are literally in fontaine, as well as those turtles! yo hoyoverse is crazy for foreshadowing with an archon
Zhongli's trailer should be in SS+ tier especially for his theme song which kinda fits perfectly with other character demos especially the other archons🤣🤣
The last 3 Archons are without a doubt the best 3. Then all the Sumeru ones have been popping off big time (all S Tier no doubt) and the Inazuma ones were very good too (a few were A, all the 5*s are S though).
honestly the zhongli demo itself could get outstripped by others in my mind... but the cn zhongli trailer? in my mind director peng's voice takes the whole thing to an inhuman level.
also i have to say. i remember that i wasn't going to pull for itto. but then in addition to his trailer i learned that his cn va is such a dumbass himbo and i fell in love immediately. and now he's c2.
kazuha’s is easy S tier for me, i was following leaks about him for a while before his released and was so hype when his demo came out. i love the music, the references/stylistic similarities to old samurai movies, and him in general. it’s kinda nostalgic for me, i pulled him bc i liked his character and when, at the time, ppl thought he wasn’t that good. seeing people realize how cracked he is was amazing and he’s my only triple crowned character to this day
Hoyoverse went off on Nahida’s demo. They were like “More Cutness! More Sparkles! More Outstanding Graphics and Sentient Mushrooms! All For The Sweet Little Archon Flower That She Is!” - then they Go an give her a Mac-truck load of angst!
Nahida’s demo is reminiscent of her archon quest and her personality. I’ve cried over Sumeru in a way that I’ve cried over Sirius Black, Dobby, and Dumbledore’s death!
I didn't realize that Fischl's demo ost was actually extended when we returned to the Golden Apple Archipelago back in 2.6. Die Mittsommernacht-Fantasie is still a banger! As for all the demos tailers, my SSS tier still has Raiden Shogun, Tighnari, Nahida, Hu Tao, Faruzan, Ayato, and Kazuha. Reasons: Raiden Shogun - iconic wishing ritual hype. Tighnari - It literally sounds refreshing like the rainforest, best introduction to Sumeru and dendro characters ever. And the instruments they used for the ost is beautiful, that's when you know they care a lot about the details in this game and the inspirations. Nahida - Her demo will never not make cry from pure joy and happiness and sadness all at once. It's extremely accurate to her lore. Hu Tao - Bruh the beat didn't have to go so hard but it did. Faruzan - best 4* demo by far. She makes me a proud anemo main. Ayato - I'm a simp for elegant men and boba. Kazuha - THAT'S MY BOY!
I will put Ayaka straight in S tier . It’s First demo with Face close up + those Theatre movie frames & those Japanese words coming + Blade shing shing sound which goes well with the Beat is absolute op . It’s a Lofi song top of it .
Bran likes Story style of demo like Wanda is talking with Fatui etc + music . Ayaka demo is like Lofi . She is in Fighting stance & the Lofi beats is saying she is currently in a flow of fighting
Ayaka's demo pretty mid imo. the editting wasnt anything to write home about. The music mostly the only thing carrying Ayaka's demo. You defo got Ayaka bias cuz she's an OP DPS or something. But to each their own. Koko should be S tier tho the visuals was very unique and overall good editting.
this was SUCH a fun stream i am so glad i managed to catch most of it !! divergences of opinions aside it was so neat to rewatch all of these alongside you and see your renewed reactions 😁 any chance you might revisit teasers and/or update trailers in a similar way ? 👀 i would definitely try to tune in to those streams 🤞
When I first saw Ittos demo, I fell for him harder than the stones zhongli summons. Hes my number 1 on S+(after that Zhongli then Xiao)im staying loyal to my main
I feel like Nahida's trailer is the only one that makes me... emotional. Like I haven't even FINISHED the Sumeru archon quests yet (no spoilers pls) but going up to where I got, when she sacrificed herself for the Traveler and ended up trapped away... she's just so selfless, despite everything she has gone through. Living in solitude, her own people despising her despite how kind she is. Her childlike care contrasted with her wisdom and knowledge of all things. Her love for her people.... even when they don't love her back. It's the music that really gets me, especially when the music drops and you can hear, like, a choir of children singing while the sanctuary forms, like a shelter. And Nahida's cape grows much longer, like a drape to cover her citizens. LIKE I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE IT. It's just so beautiful, displaying her character and heart in such a perfect way... while also alluding many times to her conflict, being a bird trapped in a cage, longing for the light.
I feel like one defining trait of a good character demo, to me, is convincing me to pull for a character despite the fact that I REALLY wasn't going to pull for them. Nahida's did that. Wanderer and Tighnari, too. Ngl, even Sara and Kuki Shinobu's trailer made me want them, BAD. I especially like trailer's that show who the characters are opposed to just looking and/or sounding good.
you should do a short tier list video of all the 5 star characters burst animations, that could be cool. (also Barbara I guess as she has one too) Your reaction to some of the bursts shown in their respective trailers was quite funny (beat drop on Zhongli for example) (also one on character/name reveal, like when Al-haitham turns around or when Kokomi emerges from the ocean) anyone else in the comments want to list their favourites, please do so! I'm always curious seeing as how the bursts can be so different from the demo itself or can feel out of place in some of them
people might think im weird for this- but listen to the beginning of collei's demo, I cannot unhear "you ain't never had a friend like me" and I hear it later in the song too
Nahida's demo is literally the best, they show her personality and lore with great music. But in compare with other Archonts, Venti deserves a new demo T_T cooler, with more lore and tragic. I hope hoyo will do it in future then we learn more about his past actions and Astaroth
Damn this brings back to when I first saw you reacting to demos I loved your reaction..now you’ve come so far. It’s like watching a character develop LOL
Me slowly putting my pitchfork down as Bran respectfully places Childe's demo at A+: nice taste (for all intents and purposes this is a joke) I know its not the same but I do consider Diluc's demo at least to be his skin one as while it is short, it shows off three things important to earlier demos: Animations, skill, and theme. Summer Jean's demo doesn't show off her skills I think? I don't remember her demo oof.
PLEASE REMEMBER TIER LISTS ARE BASED ON OPINION, I'D LOVE TO KNOW YOUR OWN THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS, KEEP IT RESPECTFUL!
Opinions? REEEE
I'd prefer putting Ayaka on S-tier, cuz she is the reason I played Genshin. I don't understand why you put Ayaka on B tier. (Sorry, B is kinda bottom, so it's a pretty bad spot)
@@davinlee3412 Just opinions! Not everyone's is gonna match up ofc, also VERY HIGH TOP of B tier for me, and I still love the B tier ones, just tried to rank based on overall demo itself
@@davinlee3412 Her Demo beats Xiao for me . Straight up S
@@davinlee3412 what kinda of questions is that, because its opinion?and every single person would have different placement for different chara(?).
Seeing all the demos together really shows how much they improved, now i can't even imagine how good the shneznaya character demos will be
Oh God I can't begin to imagine either
Okay, but imagine Dainsleif’s Demo.
If nahida demo is that good (which I agree with bran) I don't want to imagine snezhaya(idk if that's how you spell it lol) archon demo
I feel like they might go a little overboard as time goes on which can be good or bad
I have an feeling, that the Sheznayan ones will be realy sinister and dark.
Just imagine Columbina in her trailer walking slowly, humming her song from signoras funeral. Meanwhile a lot of enemys around her just freezing to death, sparing no one without mercy.
I like how Zhongli's character demo, despite being one of the older ones, still holds up with the more recent ones. Imagine if he had been released recently, and gave him an even better trailer.
I'll be honest, I don't even know how they could make his better, I feel like if they tried it'd lose the magic it has
@@BranOnline You say that but I'm wondering how many people could've imagined how good nahida's would turn out to be before its release. Hoyo really does have a way of working magic with their animations to blow all our expectations out of the water.
@@archangel1639 oh for sure, but re-working an existing one is a tad different to me, I love Zhongli's for what it is but they probably could make one better too, idk xD
Some still remember when zhongli's demo were the 2nd most watche demo, before qiqi
For its time, Zhongli's demo was an S+ tier easily. I think it set the bar for demos in the future, and it's blatantly clear that they put _waaaaay_ more money and effort into his demo than demos before him , and it was not _really_ being topped apart from pure preferences until Raiden Shogun. By todays standards I'd only give him an A or maybe even a high B, imo Faruzans demo is just about on par with Zhonglis judged by the same standards.
The fact Diluc doesn't have a Character demo is an Absolute Travesty
BIG MOOD HOYO GIVE HIM ONE
Jean as well
@@boim4155 I'd like them both on the same demo, They're basically mirrors of each other after all
@@boim4155 sucrose as well
@@jax1670 No. They are not mirrors of each other. And they could use very different music which would kinda cause what happens in some honkai trailers. It literally just turns into another song.
And if a character like Qiqi can get her own, both of them deserve one of their own too.
I totally agree with Nahida's one. Every time I see the demo, there is really something that makes me emotional (life happiness and sadness). For me, Nahida's demo is the best one yet.
Absolutely true
Totally agree
ZHONGLI CRYING IN CORNER
It's just like ' Aw cute little archon playing around with cute little friends ' then BAM!! Bat of feels straight to the kneecaps!
Ehh felt a bit to lite on the actual "Demo" part of the demo for me...
Nahida truly deserves her own tier. The music is a banger, it tells you everything you need to know about her in just a few minutes and then punches you in the gut at the end reminding you that you have to save her from the sages.
it was mid just like her😂 shogun’s demo is the best
@@floraslia nah nahida deserve her own tier everything about that trailer is perfect shogun is an s tier tho
@@Ishakai_ nah there wasnt anything good about it and the song made me cringe, as if i was watching a children’s nursery song instead of a demo 🥱
@@floraslia it's almost as if that's the entire point of the demo
@@floraslia but thats the point...shes a kid....
One thing I noticed from the Sumeru cast so far, everyone seems to have their own cultural influence either in the tone or the instruments used in the music.
But then there's Haitham whose theme is almost strictly electronic. Dude's a machine operated by sets of logics unaffected by cultures, man...
It’s fitting because his name is inspired by Ibn al haitham
I understand your opinion regarding the earlier character demos (Kaeya, XIangling, Mona, Qiqi, Keqing) because they were intended to: showcase the landscape and gameplay to hook new players in. They were only one minute long and they were intended to be ads that you see on mobile games or TH-cam videos where it piques potential players interest to not skip and watch the whole ad and maybe try out the game.
I think the best part about those particular character demos is that they show actual gameplay unlike other mobile ads.
Very true!
@@BranOnline Keqing's theme is sick! My personal favorite from the permanent characters. It just slaps SO HARD. If only it was longer than 40 seconds, like all the newer character demos, than it would be one of the best without a doubt. But even for being short, it's still a banger. Low A imo. And very possible S if it was longer.
@@Sam-pt3qt8
I think Zhongli is iconic because it’s very poetic. The silhouettes with single attacks just had a great impression with the Chinese watercolors.
My favorite is Alhaitham. I know it's the newest but the way it is scripted just feels so fresh in comparison to all the other demos. I really like what they did with it. Nahida's is great, too and Zhongli's will also always have a special place in my heart. But seeing my 4 Sumeru boys hanging out together is something I never expected 🙏
Yeah, Alhaitham's demo deserved to be much higher rated.
Yeah Zhongli's is just unforgettable, I'll always remember waking up one morning and just watching it for like 3 hours on repeat the day it released. But It's just so awesome to see them improve so much over time as well
Alhaitham’s demo is literally being carried by interactions with other characters; he is “just some guy”. It’s recency bias, nor is it memorable (song, visual-wise) outside of having ‘guests’ in it.
This popularity amuses me, typical case of fetishising. A shame.
@@vortex1134 Fetishising? Hmm..maybe you should double-check the meaning of this word. It's one of these terms people love to throw around without understanding what is really means. Besides I love his demo for the fact that it includes more characters than just him. We had sooo many demos in the past that showed us cool moves of the characters that it gets really boring. I rather have a demo that shows us some of the characters having a great time together than to get another demo that only consists of flashy movements like Scaramouches...
@@lemonbunny71
Mhmh. Dw, I am aware of the word. Check twitter, and you will see it at its finest. It’s all about about their story most of the time su-re-ly. Fujoshis, coincidently, were a recent topic of discussion too.
Anyway, that’s your opinion, I don’t see myself enjoying something with such a bare minimum.
Also, why is Scaramouche even the point here?
I’d chose Nahida, Raiden, Yelan, Albedo demos and others any time over Alhaitham’s one.
Archon War before = Battle to the death
Archon War now = Battle of the best Demos
overrated comment lol
@@mei_plays3559 it's the first time I'm seeing it
Finally someone who pointed out how empty Ayaka's trailer was compared to others. At least they made up for it with the Tsubaki in the Thawing Snow Trailer, that should have been her demo honestly, made me connect with the character so much more. I feel like both Ganyu and Ayaka deserved trailers where their personality or lore could shine through. Both trailers were pretty much relying on the music and them being pretty. Albedo and Yoimiya, who were released at pretty much the same time as them, had much more substance and personality in my opinion. It's sad to see the missed potential there with these two amazing Cryo characters...
Empty? Lmao . 😂😂
Well, Ayaka got a short that is much better than any of this demos.
@@blackcid yeah that's what i mentioned, i really liked that one. Tsubaki in the Thawing Snow
@@sentience3033 compare it to her brother, it is empty.
Well it's fine with me, they have given her so many others short trailers and stories that it makes up for it for me.
The nostalgic feeling about bran reacting genshin character demo a year ago, hit me hard in this video, i dont know why 😂
It hit me too don't worry
Me too. And then I realize Genshin wasn't even released until late 2020 and *INTERNAL SCREAMING*
Venti's Character Demo only has the Japanese version on release day. Perhaps they did not have time to dub the EN version or they did not think the English version would be that popular. If I recall correctly, they released the English version of the trailer during his first rerun in Version 1.4.
yeah you're right!
Alhaitham's, Nahida's and The Wanderer's Trailers are my 3 favourite Demos.
Sumeru really be hitting different
me too! :D
same
Heizou is seriously just like, “Your honour they held this man hostage so to save him, I literally kicked their ass.”
I feel like every once in a while a demo "revolutionizes" the "genre" so to speak. Venti's was the first character demo revolution (adding significant editing), Zhongli's was the second being the hype-st demo at the time by a frickin mile, and honestly I think Alhaitham's was the third with the significant role other characters play, dialogue, visuals, and length.
Some might be like oh what about Raiden's demo. I wouldn't call it a revolution personally, I'd say it's more of an evolution, taking techniques used in demos like Zhongli's and Xiao's and cranking the dial up to 200%
Seeing some of these older demos that I partly forgot about is awesome, and being reminded of how good some of them are
100% agreed!
You're right about Kaeya (and Xiangling) basically being game ads instead of character ads. I still wonder why they chose Kaeya to be first though. Like, for a game that supposedly caters to the waifu crowd their first "character" ad features a hot husbando? Also because it's basically using him to introduce the game. They could've used any of the other Mondstadt characters (we meet Amber first, for instance. Or for hot waifu there's Lisa. Or they could've gone five star with Diluc or Jean) but...they chose Kaeya and I still wonder why. The "cope" part of my brain hopes it implies his future importance to the story and Mondstadt, lol.
Considering how hard many people simp for Kaeya to this day, it seems like they made the correct choice...
Kaeya’s trailer randomly popped up is the reason I even play this game lmaoo, I was like "damn he’s hot" and downloaded the game immediately.
raiden’s demo still gives me massive chills no matter how many times i watch it. it’s SOOO powerful.
i loved your initial demo reactions video, i'm so happy you've grown so much in the community since then❤️
Thank you so much!!
Nahida's demo truly encapsulates everything about her in such a soulful emotionally endearing way -- the chorus? The dreamscape? Just... Everything about her added with her as a character is EVERYTHING. It was stellar even without going all out showing a fantastical, idealistic charming approach can compete and stand on its own as a noteworthy demo 😊
Ehh I never got into it as much, it feels a little light on the actual "demo" part of the demo, and while it is definitely artsy it doesn't do as much to push the god of wisdom idea as I would have liked.
@@danielgibson3422 interesting perspective! Imo considering Nahida is being put in a position where she has yet to flourish into her role as a 'proper' ruling god of wisdom during the events (until she's freed) it makes sense that her role as a goddess that reigns with particular powers over dreams mixed with her child like wonder and pure, fantastical imagery to be prominent for her demo. I find the contrast of her personality and current role vs the idealized image of said 'god of wisdom' to be refreshing and charming, but I understand if others want a more balanced display
@@heathersky333 Very true, and I not saying I dislike it, it just didn't resonate as much with me. I will say I like playing as her a lot though!
Despite Alhaitham’s demo being one of the best in terms of music and presentation, I like the most for his interactions with the others and the fact that they are playing TCG together
the end of nahida's demo litteraly gives me goosebumps its so cinematic, it absolutely deserves its own tier! And i gotta say that my favorite demo song out of all of them has to be dori's!! Its just so good!!!
my man kaeya really needs and deserves a new and improved demo😭
Cant wait for the game to be finished and then Bran rating Every character demo at that time
5 hour long video incoming
Ah yes future me watching grandpa Bran rating the never updated cavalry captain's demo on balls tier would be a historical moment
4-star demo: The characters introduce themselves
5-star demo: The characters in their daily lives
1:14:35 about your 'flute' comment (more accurately, the instrument you are listening to in the clip is called 'shakuhachi' and is a traditional bamboo flute in Japan), I suggest you to check the musical group 'Wagakki Band' and their shakuhachi player Daisuke Kaminaga, the guy is INSANE in live concerts, doing jumps and runs all over the stage while playing the instrument.
Finally some Albedo appreciation
Albedo demo WAY better than I remembered
@@BranOnline Definitely one of my favs (not biased at all of course)
@@BranOnline based!!!
Zhong Li's OST is definitely giving me goosebumps no matter how many times I hear it and I don't even use him (well since I don't have him)
Imagine in another year or two, all of the archons get their traditional archon skin through an archon quest that empowers them (completely head canon, but it doesn't need to be a skin) with certain moves such as Zhongi's burst now rains an army of giant stone spears, Ei's burst turns her into the form you fight as a weekly etc. Given all the insane effects they already have in Honkai, I'd like them to top it here and there in Genshin.
Personally, rather than having traditional skins I'd like something that makes them look like actual gods rather than some random dude
I doubt Ei would merge consciousness with the Shogun puppet
Collei’s is so underrated, it really built the hype for Sumeru’s release!!
I hope when we get the the Khaenri’ah arch Kaeya gets a new character demo with a miscellany voiced by Dain who probably has a lot to say about his regent prince 👀
Oooooh that would be so cool! Now I actually really hope something like that happens, Kaeya deserves a better character demo lmao
Genuinely, Bran is the only Genshin gamer that I keep watching all this while. He's genuinely enjoying the game, has the right attitude, respectful, and funny but not in a "laughing at people" or "being rude" kinda way. Ever since his first video on reacting to all the Demos, his reaction is just so good. He pays attention to the story, the detail, and has just the right attitude I feel. I always feel like wanting to see his reaction after playing thru the story myself. Thank you for all the great content Bran!
Thank you for the lovely words!
I still can't believe you came from reacting to genshin stuff to playing genshin almost full time. Keep up the good work!
We have strikingly similar taste, I see. I agree with roughly all of your placements. Also, even though I like Ayaya's Demo, I see your point and agree with it: nothing of note really happens. The one thing I don't agree on would be Candace's demo, as the music absolutely caresses my brain with loving affection.
It was really awesome to see you go back through all those old demos now knowing the characters and seeing the new little details. Its also hard to give much feedback because, like you said, its ultimately an opinion listing and we all have our individual tastes. Like for me I just didn't connect with Wanderer's demo as much so he would probably only be a low S/high A tier for me and likewise I think a few S-tiers would probably be more A-tier because they were hard carried by their OST. But that's what also makes these kind of lists fun because they can make you go back and think of what makes a good demo as a whole. I'm also grabbing your line about Yoimiya's demo for future reference because it is true that they captured her character in that demo so perfectly.
omg the underwater part with the books in Nahida's is a reference to the quest with the little baby hydro oceanid(?) named ann in fontaine! and the rays she rides on in the sky are literally in fontaine, as well as those turtles! yo hoyoverse is crazy for foreshadowing with an archon
and i noticed hydro crystalflies later on in the demo omg
Zhongli's trailer should be in SS+ tier especially for his theme song which kinda fits perfectly with other character demos especially the other archons🤣🤣
My top two are Zhongli and Alhaitham. Those two really stand out above the others to me. There are so many in that next tier down though IMO.
The last 3 Archons are without a doubt the best 3.
Then all the Sumeru ones have been popping off big time (all S Tier no doubt) and the Inazuma ones were very good too (a few were A, all the 5*s are S though).
Honestly, I personally like Venti's a lot and wouldn't rank it as an A tier probably my top 3, but yeah, the other archons demos are much better.
Very fair!
honestly the zhongli demo itself could get outstripped by others in my mind... but the cn zhongli trailer? in my mind director peng's voice takes the whole thing to an inhuman level.
also i have to say. i remember that i wasn't going to pull for itto. but then in addition to his trailer i learned that his cn va is such a dumbass himbo and i fell in love immediately. and now he's c2.
Kinda wish kaeya's demo was as high quality as the ones we have now he had so much potential for such a cool demo
kazuha’s is easy S tier for me, i was following leaks about him for a while before his released and was so hype when his demo came out. i love the music, the references/stylistic similarities to old samurai movies, and him in general. it’s kinda nostalgic for me, i pulled him bc i liked his character and when, at the time, ppl thought he wasn’t that good. seeing people realize how cracked he is was amazing and he’s my only triple crowned character to this day
Literally same, he is my Main DPS triple crowned with alhaithams sword gor cd
Same and the transition to the 2D art bit always gives me goosebumps esp with the music, one of the best in the game imo
Love that u say hello to every character that introduces themselfes. Also i just finished omori and the music in the background makes me cry ToT
i’ll never be over the way cyno throws that eremite so casually hjdkdj he’s so badass
omori music for editing IS SO COOL cant wait for bran to play it!!!!
now imagine if fontaine characters would be in this LMAO the S+ wouldn't have enough space
…Kinich’s demo would need a rank above s+
Hoyoverse went off on Nahida’s demo. They were like “More Cutness! More Sparkles! More Outstanding Graphics and Sentient Mushrooms! All For The Sweet Little Archon Flower That She Is!” - then they Go an give her a Mac-truck load of angst!
Nahida’s demo is reminiscent of her archon quest and her personality. I’ve cried over Sumeru in a way that I’ve cried over Sirius Black, Dobby, and Dumbledore’s death!
Love your reaction to Eula. 🤣 I remember deciding to skip her but then Hoyo slapped me with her demo in the face. I was literally hypnotized LMAO.
I like how nobody picks up on just how hard Albedo roasted Timeaus
I didn't realize that Fischl's demo ost was actually extended when we returned to the Golden Apple Archipelago back in 2.6. Die Mittsommernacht-Fantasie is still a banger! As for all the demos tailers, my SSS tier still has Raiden Shogun, Tighnari, Nahida, Hu Tao, Faruzan, Ayato, and Kazuha.
Reasons:
Raiden Shogun - iconic wishing ritual hype.
Tighnari - It literally sounds refreshing like the rainforest, best introduction to Sumeru and dendro characters ever. And the instruments they used for the ost is beautiful, that's when you know they care a lot about the details in this game and the inspirations.
Nahida - Her demo will never not make cry from pure joy and happiness and sadness all at once. It's extremely accurate to her lore.
Hu Tao - Bruh the beat didn't have to go so hard but it did.
Faruzan - best 4* demo by far. She makes me a proud anemo main.
Ayato - I'm a simp for elegant men and boba.
Kazuha - THAT'S MY BOY!
the 10 hydro damage from Barbara in Kaeya’s demo 😭😭😭😭
Of course Alhaitham got an Archon Treatment.
He's the mortal who saved the Archon after all. lol
I will put Ayaka straight in S tier . It’s First demo with Face close up + those Theatre movie frames & those Japanese words coming + Blade shing shing sound which goes well with the Beat is absolute op .
It’s a Lofi song top of it .
VERY VALID
ikr i dont know why this guy thinks wanderer’s demo was better than ayaka, wanderer was kinda mid
Bran likes Story style of demo like Wanda is talking with Fatui etc + music . Ayaka demo is like Lofi . She is in Fighting stance & the Lofi beats is saying she is currently in a flow of fighting
@@floraslia *opinions*
Ayaka's demo pretty mid imo. the editting wasnt anything to write home about. The music mostly the only thing carrying Ayaka's demo. You defo got Ayaka bias cuz she's an OP DPS or something. But to each their own.
Koko should be S tier tho the visuals was very unique and overall good editting.
I just realised Diluc's name is written in Klee's demo. Is this the closest we're getting to see Diluc in a trailer?😔
Hoping Diluc to have Story Quest chapter 2, a character demo, and maybe a bit revamp for his kit copium
this was SUCH a fun stream i am so glad i managed to catch most of it !! divergences of opinions aside it was so neat to rewatch all of these alongside you and see your renewed reactions 😁 any chance you might revisit teasers and/or update trailers in a similar way ? 👀 i would definitely try to tune in to those streams 🤞
When I first saw Ittos demo, I fell for him harder than the stones zhongli summons. Hes my number 1 on S+(after that Zhongli then Xiao)im staying loyal to my main
Bennett 🤝 Xingqiu not getting any demo when they are two of the best characters
And also Cristina Vee
I feel like Nahida's trailer is the only one that makes me... emotional.
Like I haven't even FINISHED the Sumeru archon quests yet (no spoilers pls) but going up to where I got, when she sacrificed herself for the Traveler and ended up trapped away... she's just so selfless, despite everything she has gone through. Living in solitude, her own people despising her despite how kind she is. Her childlike care contrasted with her wisdom and knowledge of all things. Her love for her people.... even when they don't love her back.
It's the music that really gets me, especially when the music drops and you can hear, like, a choir of children singing while the sanctuary forms, like a shelter. And Nahida's cape grows much longer, like a drape to cover her citizens. LIKE I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE IT. It's just so beautiful, displaying her character and heart in such a perfect way... while also alluding many times to her conflict, being a bird trapped in a cage, longing for the light.
Kinda funny tho that you can visually see the budget increasing lmao
as a kaeya main I am INFURIATED that hyv isn't reuploading his demo
It's too bad this didn't wait just a LITTLE bit longer so we could have the Internet sensation that was Kaveh's demo.
Honestly Hutao’s was my favourite no one can change my mind.
I feel like one defining trait of a good character demo, to me, is convincing me to pull for a character despite the fact that I REALLY wasn't going to pull for them.
Nahida's did that. Wanderer and Tighnari, too.
Ngl, even Sara and Kuki Shinobu's trailer made me want them, BAD.
I especially like trailer's that show who the characters are opposed to just looking and/or sounding good.
The chat during Yelans and Alhaithams demos 💀
Ikr down so bad 😂
If I'm remembering correctly, they actually got a children's choir in for the Nahida trailer, which makes it even more amazing.
No matter how many time I watch nahida's demo, it always make me emotional
so many early character demos are a remix of their regions theme
The nostalgia hits me, brotha! It's been a surprisingly long time since you started.
Klee is still my favorite demo, it’s just so unique and vibrant and hilariously charming and wholesome. Simply perfection!
I think its time to update the character demo tier list given the bangers that have come out in the last year
you should do a short tier list video of all the 5 star characters burst animations, that could be cool.
(also Barbara I guess as she has one too) Your reaction to some of the bursts shown in their respective trailers was quite funny (beat drop on Zhongli for example) (also one on character/name reveal, like when Al-haitham turns around or when Kokomi emerges from the ocean)
anyone else in the comments want to list their favourites, please do so! I'm always curious seeing as how the bursts can be so different from the demo itself or can feel out of place in some of them
Nahida's demo is just way too good, man. Each archon keeps topping the one before, this just proves amazing things happen when you throw money at it!
Kaeya's demo is so fucking funny to me, they did him so dirty. Great to know Kaeya can run!
It is sad that some 4* character trailers are shorter than some 5*'s. I find all trailers should be around the same time. Great ranking Bran 😀
Gonna love it. It does reminds me of how i saw you on TH-cam for the first time
Look what you've become now, time surely flies
Besides from the newer character demo, Zhongli's will always be #1 👍🏻
balls is so popular they made a game out of him
people might think im weird for this- but listen to the beginning of collei's demo, I cannot unhear "you ain't never had a friend like me" and I hear it later in the song too
In my opinion, music, voiceover during the demo, and animation ultimately should not be separated in such ratings. My opinion ofc.
Candace is S tier.
Nahida's demo is literally the best, they show her personality and lore with great music. But in compare with other Archonts, Venti deserves a new demo T_T cooler, with more lore and tragic. I hope hoyo will do it in future then we learn more about his past actions and Astaroth
So for someone who saw Nahida's trailer for the first time right now, wow, I'm in tears.
How can a trailer be so emotional
Finally got the staff of Homa today! . . . and immediately put it on Zhongli because my man been carrying some meh spears.
I only recently realised that Fischl was the first character to ever have a cinematic trailer
How'd you like it?
@@BranOnline It's pretty great, certainly a standout from the first few trailers. Kinda like her character in-game actually.
The music in all of these trailers are bangers ✨👌
really loved this, do a character teaser ranking next plz!!!!
2023, the dude next to Zongli still sitting without a chair.
Venti: Calm, graceful, but fierce
Zhongli: Composed with pure impact
Raiden: I'm sorry for anyone who thought this video was gonna have a bit rate
Damn this brings back to when I first saw you reacting to demos I loved your reaction..now you’ve come so far. It’s like watching a character develop LOL
Tighnari's demo music gives me life
Me slowly putting my pitchfork down as Bran respectfully places Childe's demo at A+: nice taste (for all intents and purposes this is a joke)
I know its not the same but I do consider Diluc's demo at least to be his skin one as while it is short, it shows off three things important to earlier demos: Animations, skill, and theme. Summer Jean's demo doesn't show off her skills I think? I don't remember her demo oof.
okay who in chat called her WHOJO SARA 💀
obviously zhongli's is fantastic but I've heard that fan snapping so many times I have trouble taking it seriously lol
I love how Zhongli’s demo is still the most popular 🤣
I expect Nahida demo was good
But I didn’t expect how banger her demo theme is
RIGHT? I genuinely feel like everything about that demo hit the nail on the head for what her character is all about
@BranOnline i still legit got goosebumps after watching the demo multiple times
That Stardew Valley Soundtrack in the background gave me some serious flashbacks.