#ffvii meta

[errantnight]

I've read a lot of time travel fix its over the years in multiple fandoms. It's one of my fav flavors of fanfic if you will, but I came to a realization recently that FFVII has a tendency to deal with a certain element in a way I don't think I've ever seen in a different fandom...

I've only seen FFVII really grapple with the realization that going back in time means you basically erased everyone you knew. They're all effectively dead, you'll never meet some of them and that might be a good thing if you're preventing them from suffering whatever it was that happened when you met.

You have to deal with constantly being surrounded by the ghosts of people you loved who you'll never have that same relationship with. They look at you with incomprehension or disinterest, and you have to try and be happy for them for that if you want to save the world from the misery that preceded your friendship

[depression-napping]

I finished translating Vincent’s original biography from the Ultimania Omega awhile back but forgot to post it! (Pgs 9, 44 and 45)

Read it here

More coming soon :)

(Edit: I added the pages for reference. They are poor quality on purpose XD since it’s probably not 100% ok to post them but… oh well :)

[hedonistbyheart]

People seem to think that one of the changes they'll add to the FFVII Remake triptych is that Vincent will be Sephiroth's father instead of Hojo and I refuse to accept it. I'm going to utterly deny any hint at the possibility until they force me to accept it. I hate it.

I LIKE that Sephiroth's conception is not a product of love, I like that his parents are both hyper intelligent and utterly horrific people. I like the idea that he is a child with so much potential, but the fact that his parents did monstrous things, without literally being monsters, corrupted him.

If Vincent is his father you get more of a tragic lovers scenario, but it muddles how Sephiroth ended up being the genesis (excuse the pun) of everything. Lucrecia's motivations are already fucked, but if Sephiroth is a lovechild, Hojo would have to have stolen him I suppose. It's a possibility, but I still prefer the og explanation. I prefer it because it's fucked up, to be clear.

I also like the idea of Vincent feeling responsible for Sephiroth because he was in love with Lucrecia, rather than because Sephiroth is his actual child. There's something very gothic about feeling guilty about the child of the woman you pined after, but never actually had, and the irony of the man who contains monsters being more human than the one who did father the godlike child.

[skywheeldate]

Analyzing the Skywheel Dates

Unable to wait patiently for the Ultimania releasing next month, I wanted to provide my own analysis of the Skywheel dates between Cloud/Tifa and Cloud/Aerith.

By analyzing Cloud's behavior on these two dates, which are explicitly more romantic than the other four, I aim to understand why the dates played out the way they did and what was going through the character's heads during them.

Tifa Date:

What sticks out in most player's minds during the date is the kiss Cloud gives Tifa while riding the Skywheel, and it's easy to see why! It's the first time Cloud has kissed a woman on screen, after all. But I have seen fans state that this proves Cloud likes Tifa more, and while I hate to get myself involved in any shipping war, I feel there is a more interesting conclusion we can draw based on the timeline of events throughout both remake games.

First, I want to direct you to this caption from the Remake Ultimania:

When Cloud gives Tifa the flower, he wants to "Show off a youthful image of what he himself wants to be like"...

I think this caption is very important to helping us understand why Cloud was able to be so bold as to kiss the girl he was always too shy to befriend as a child. And I think it's linked to his new "ex-soldier persona."

See, the ex-soldier persona Cloud crafted is modeled after a person he admired and wanted to be like: Zack. Although making this new personality for himself was an unhealthy response to his trauma, I think there are good things to it, as well. For one, it allowed him to take action again and thereby begin his first steps towards recovery. In addition, it gives him courage to do things he never could before, such as strutting his stuff on the dance floor:

I don't think it's too far of a stretch to say that this extends to him giving the flower to Tifa.

So this, in my mind, explains how Cloud had the courage to kiss Tifa and why some fans might think it felt a little sudden or out of character--it's because it almost is, in a way. But let me reiterate, I don't think that's a bad thing. I think Zack's influence on Cloud is somewhat natural and, frankly, having the courage to do the things you want and have fun is never a bad thing. I truly believe Cloud is exemplifying being Zack's "living legacy" by becoming more confident and outgoing. It's a good thing!!

And let's not ignore Tifa in this scene. Before the kiss, Tifa brings up that she feels she and Cloud have become closer, but frets that she's rushing to conclusions again. She's giving Cloud a clear opening to prove his feelings for her--and frankly, after all this build up? Giving the flower, all the tiny touches they've shared? Cloud is more than ready to prove it to her, and he does. It's so easy, and he does it the best way he knows how: with a kiss. In that moment, the boy became the man he's always aspired to be.

Aerith Date:

Conversely, the Aerith date isn't quite as simple--at least to me. It's hard to understand what's going on in their heads, and I think they comparatively have more obstacles in the way of their romance.

The biggest obstacle is that Aerith has seen through Cloud's persona, and almost calls him out on it during the date. She tells him she's looking for the real him, and that she wants to meet him someday.

I believe this stops Cloud, subconsciously. While the persona he built around Zack gives him more confidence, it's still a persona. It's not who he really is. By giving into that persona at all, he is not giving Aerith what she wants. Being confident and bold with Tifa was important, because she needed proof he liked her, but here? What's important is being the "real" Cloud, whoever that is. It must have stumped him.

Aerith gives him an easy out though: she asks Cloud to let her snuggle up against him until the ride ends. And that much, at least, Cloud can manage. And he goes even further than that when he interlaces their fingers together. I think this is his way of showing that he'll be there for Aerith--not just till the ride ends, but after. He's showing her that he does, in fact, care about her, and that her selfish request isn't as selfish as she thinks it is.

I also want to bring up the lyrics from No Promises to Keep here since I think they're extremely relevant to the Clerith relationship and the hand-holding symbolism seen throughout the game:

Till the day that we meet again At our place, just let me believe In the chance that you'll come Take my hand and never let me go Take my hand And believe We can be Together evermore

The hand holding symbolizes their shared desire to be "together evermore" and the belief that they will be. The interlocked fingers display a powerful, mutual bond that cannot be so easily severed. I think this imagery is both simple and extremely beautiful.

In summary, although they are not at a point in their relationship where they're ready to kiss yet, I believe this scene is meant to show that there is still possibility for their relationship to grow and get to that point.

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。• *₊°。 .❀

Thank you for reading till the end! I hope you enjoyed my thoughts. Feel free to use or reference this post if you found it resonated with your own interpretations of these scenes. And if you have your own interpretations to share, I would love to hear them!

[merriweather-boat]

just posting my stream-of-conscious from earlier for the masses to read. come one come all! It's about Shinra as a corporate state, its rise to power, and the wild implications of its existence? kind of? I feel like I didn't get to address NEARLY as much as I would have liked, but I'd still like to share it.

these thoughts are all half cooked but I CANNOT contain my enthusiasm right now, so you all get to suffer with me

[10:41 PM]the sheer existence of shinra as a corporate state has me rapturing at my desk right now (not in a good way or a bad way? but like...)

[10:43 PM]it's mentioned that cities and villages like Midgar and Nibelheim alike have mayors, I think Banora had a governor(?), but despite all of these regions clearly being so connected, there is no common government. At the same time, no regulatory bodies to act as mediators aside from Shinra Electric seem to exist.

[10:43 PM]So it's like government only exists at a level local to a given settlement.

[10:44 PM]But at the same time, Shinra has such a huge hold on each settlement's resources, industries, and needs (electricity for heating in places like Nibelheim) that they hold the most power

[10:45 PM]and they've fully militarized, both recruiting soldiers from around the world and SENDING soldiers around the world to enforce this idea that they have authority globally.

[10:45 PM]So it's obvious, but Shinra is the connective tissue of the world, and it's a monopoly in a way that modern corporations could only dream of, but it's also... kind of the global government, just because of the sheer size and strength and omnipresence of its military.

[10:47 PM]That being said, Shinra Electric hasn't been around for all that long. So aside from Wutai, what nations existed before Shinra came along? What did they destroy that everyone forgot about? I know that it's not exactly unheard of for regions to have VERY small nations, and thus many of them, but it doesn't seem like any of the towns or villages even see themselves as former nations. Any memory of independence has already been lost within President Shinra's lifetime.

So I have a lot of questions about what the geopolitical situation was before Shinra became a thing, first of all. That's never really addressed in canon, which in and of itself implies the craziest possible propaganda campaign, honestly. Or a lot of assassinations. Something like that.

[10:49 PM]But the idea of it is terrifying, because how do you go from fully independent to fully dependent on a corporation in less than a single man's lifetime?

Actually, I take that back. President Shinra is 67, so it only took like 40-50 years at absolute most

the more i think about this the nuttier i get

[correction: Junon Republic existed before Shinra takeover. Read more on this wiki page.]

I'm also shocked that if Shinra overthrew a nearly continental connective government, it's not brought up often, although it makes sense given the eco-terrorist bend a lot of ffvii has on shinra's problems instead of (specifically) on things that were a problem more of a few decades back

a fandom thing I've noticed in general that's also really interesting is how a lot of fics (and I say this with the utmost love because they're adorable and really lovely reads) really stick to the status quo, even when the author is writing about characters who would usually challenge it. A lot of fics discuss it a little bit as an issue, but ultimately the characters let go of any issues they have with Shinra in some capacity a lot of the time. The fandom also doesn't talk about its issues as an establishment often. I want to reiterate that none of that is criticism in any way but i do find it super interesting

[10:59 PM]always thinking about ffvii but sometimes I really THINK about it lol

[10:59 PM]thanks for coming to my ted talk

[finallyfantasy7]

Strange they thought they had to change the design of the Buster Sword in Crisis Core Reunion to match Final Fantasy VII Remake when no explanation was neccessary, the story was almost telling itself.

Angeal's father had the sword made because he was proud of his son. He owed a lot of money for that sword, so it was obviously very expensive. It makes sense the sword would be ornate.

Angeal Hewley (almost) never used it wanting it to stay in perfect condition.

Zack Fair used it, but he was very careful with it. He says in Crisis Core that he always hits with the blunt side so he doesn't damage the blade.

Cloud Strife doesn't care. That's his personality at the beginning of FFVII Remake. We see Cloud on the train some 2-3 months after he got the Buster Sword, and he has already ruined Zack's uniform. Just before Cloud woke from his catatonic state, Zack's old uniform, which he dragged Cloud around in for a year, looked like this

2 to 3 months later, with Cloud's treatment it looks like this

The right strap has been replaced, the original pauldrons are gone, and the one he has now is rusting and covered in chipped paint.

So wouldn't it also make sense that he ruined the ornate golden hand guard as well, and replaced it with something much more simple, sturdy, and utilitarian?

[allottavabassa]

Tifa Lockhart/Aerith Gainsborough is kind of an odd ship dynamic, actually! There's a lot going on with those two

I feel like they could pass for a healthy, well-adjusted couple right up until the point where Tifa tries to start one (1) sincere conversation about Aerith's emotions.

Aerith seems like she can hardly cross the street without three layers of irony and performative cheeriness. She's in a party full of late-90s antiheroes, and somehow she's still the least good at being open with people.

[themateriodictable]

Thinking about the intent to avoid making Aeris' death feel like a typical Hollywood cliche, and despite there being this big cinematic cutscene and lots of introspective dialogue about it towards the end of the game; a lot of the grief felt by players is demonstrated by how they would interact with the game from that point forward. The devs used the medium itself to help convey grief in a way that couldn't be replicated in Hollywood films.

I don't just mean the game gets harder without a healer or a feeling of "wasted" time levelling Aeris or whatever, I mean there's a fundamental rule that's broken when she dies and it leaves you with a tantalising feeling that there should be some way to solve this. Some way to do things differently.

Phoenix downs and revive spells exist in the gameplay but they can't reasonably exist within the story logic of the world, otherwise the next question would be why anyone is allowed to die at all. But even when NPCs die early on in the story and the game mechanics have introduced phoenix downs, the player's mind doesn't connect the dots that way. There's no question of why you don't use phoenix downs on an NPC that's died. It's an unspoken rule that's accepted even if you're not familiar with the conventions of JRPGs.

Aeris dying permanently is meant to put you off-kilter. Going by the logic of the game you’ll ask yourself: how could we revive her earlier in the game and now we can’t anymore? The player may be expecting her to return within the story, maybe if they keep progressing the plot something will happen and she'll come back? And she doesn't. She doesn't get revived and although the player is given more explanations for why she died, there's still plenty of ambiguity left over.

The fascinating thing that happened with a lot of players was all the ways they began to approach the gameplay as some means to resolve this leftover ambiguity. They looked for solutions to revive Aeris or even prevent her death entirely. There was a real feeling that the game would offer an answer, just like the phoenix downs did in the right context.

And so people would replay the game and do things differently! They would give the flower to Marlene or Tifa, they would try to find all the niche soldier figurines, they would wait in a playground park for EIGHT HOURS hoping it would change the outcome. There are multiple dialogue options, affection mechanics, hidden sidequests, key items, secrets found when exploring the world. All these options and variation in the game and one of the most popular ways to replay it was in attempting to change this ONE story beat where the rule was broken.

Despite all the urban legends surrounding it, the outcome never changes. But when Kitase said:

"When you lose someone you loved very much you feel this big empty space and think, 'If I had known this was coming I would have done things differently.' "

It's obvious how well that feeling was communicated, because so many players initially reacted the same way. "What if I had done things differently?"

If it had felt inevitable or fated to happen then who would have bothered going to such lengths to change it? The game communicates a sense of grief and loss that involves more interaction from the player than just passively watching a sad cutscene of a character dying. Even if you didn't search for ways to revive Aeris, it still required you to continue the journey and eventually having to accept she would no longer be a part of it. You had to keep going, and feel that big empty space and the endless questions of "what if?"