#ultimanias

[rosy-crow]

Some stuff from Cloud VI that I found! (An official FF7 spinoff ultimania).

This is where the quote from Morikawa originates. His interview is a lot and somewhat ambiguous. Honestly, it’s hard to follow sometimes because of the translation, but that quote really stands out because he uses it to describe how he plays Sephiroth in an emotionally unique way. A separate, solitary voice that doesn’t betray too much emotion. The feels are there internally, but Sephiroth was brought up in a world where he wasn’t given many chances to express those emotions to others. He is forever solitary.

This is where people tried to draw the conclusion that Sephiroth’s “dormant madness” meant he was always evil at heart. I am asserting now that this phrase is in a lot of these old ultimania books and it’s almost always a reference to the “awakening” that Sephiroth experiences in Nibelheim when he comes into contact with Jenova. It’s something in his blood and cells and likely connects to Reunion. His cells desire to reunite with their Mother, and when Sephiroth draws near to her, they stir to life. It was never about his secret evil. It was biological.

Favorite quotes:

“Produced by Shinra” - cold, cruel, true.

“When the One-Winged Angel was still human”

-IT JUST HURTS OKAY

“During his time as a SOLDIER, Sephiroth was a hero who wielded his blade for Shinra. On many occasions, he would laugh and chat with his friends and fellow SOLDIERs. His manner somewhat mild, he still retained a streak of humanity.”

-He was always clinging to his humanity even when he had been produced to be something other and that’s why I adore him.

“Owing perhaps to his superhuman abilities and preternatural beauty, he possesses an air of unapproachability, with none to call friends save his fellow SOLDIERs 1st Class, Angeal and Genesis.”

-HE WASN’T TOO ALIEN STRONK OR WEIRD-PRETTY FOR THEM. THEY CARED DAMMIT. FRENS.

“Despite this, he still shows glimpses of humanity even as he fights for Shinra, at one point cracking jokes, at another agonizing over orders to eliminate a friend who defied the company. And all the while, doubts begin to grow inside him about Shinra's merciless policy of eradicating any who prove a thorn in their side.”

-Humor-roth. Agonizing-roth. These are only glimpses of humanity from an outsider’s perspective, maybe. It’s all blatant humanity to me, but too many people missed that.

“Loathing not just Shinra but all those who call the planet home, Sephiroth resolves to walk a path of domination and become the planet's ruler.”

-This gets me because….yeah. He had no home on earth that he knew of. It’s like, from his viewpoint, he is cast out from a place that was never his. Always alien to him. The people couldn’t accept him, and he forever hates them all for it. He’ll destroy the place they call home.

“And so does the hero of humanity become a menace to all mankind. Yet thanks to an unexpected struggle from Cloud, Sephiroth is sent tumbling into the mako reactor's depths with Jenova's head in his arms. However, this proves not to be the end of Sephiroth—only his humanity.”

-Only his humanity.

BYE I’M DEAD.

[silvergreenseraphim]

“Ever since he was aware, Sephiroth was already in the Science Department, and he has no memory of his parents or hometown. His mother was called Jenova and died right after birthing him - such is the only story he heard about her in the Science Department, and Sephiroth thus has lived his life to make the best use of his combat skills, even though he feels uncomfortable/out of place in his surroundings. However, when he learns about the truth of his birth in Nibelheim, the blood of madness sleeping inside him wakes up.”

(FFVII — Crisis Core Ultimania — Japanese Script).

—

Thank you to @rosy-crow for sending me this! She was very excited to finally have Japanese scans of the CC Ultimania and so was I! I had only heard a rumor that this information was in the book. It’s wonderful to see it confirmed 🫢

[nyctoheart]

bro... never knew the internet archive had scans of all (if not most?) the kh ultimanias.....

[stygiansis]

Did Cloud Laugh With Aerith?

I recently came across this section in the 10th Anniversary Ultimania. I was curious because it mentions that the only time Cloud laughs in the game is with Aerith.

I don’t personally mind that. The conversation they were having was about Aerith not having the qualities of a SOLDIER. Arguably you could say that was a bit of foreshadowing to the fact that Cloud also never made the cut, he just believes he has. This also happens minutes after they escape the church. They’ve barely had a conversation, let alone time for any actual romance to be brewing.

That may still be the case. However, I looked deeper into this because of what surrounds this quote about Aerith in the Ultimania. There are two Ultimania quotes I’ve seen reference this.

The first is from TurquoiseHammer on Twitter. This section seems to imply that Cloud sees something special in Aerith and that is why he laughs freely with her. However, like with many quotes about Cloud and Aerith that seem suggestive or even romantic in nature, it’s left as a question or ponderance rather than a statement.

Ultimania Omega, Cloud’s Profile

That seems to imply something special about their connection and how he is only freely laughing around Aerith, right? Seems even romantic or at least intimate in some fashion.

However, the Ultimania that comes out a few years later mentions this scene as well and it brings a whole new light to it.

Final Fantasy 10th Anniversary Ultimania - Cloud’s Profile, Page 041, Top Half

The section in question is this one, talking about Aerith:

For simplicity, here is a fan who translated the French 10th Ultimania and the JP as well: French: 

(https://twitter.com/manuelaellela/status/1480947495530381312)

Japanese: 

(https://twitter.com/smolbiggs/status/1480950469941936136)

This ties Cloud’s laughing directly to Jenova’s control, and it is not left as a question but a statement.

Notice that caption at the bottom talking about Advent Children. That photo is the one you see above but I’ll repost here as well for a closer look:

That shot is RIGHT after the scene where Cloud and Tifa look into each other’s eyes and smile at one another. This is while the song Cloud Smiles is playing. If you aren’t sure what the song is about, Nobuo Uematsu said it was something special about Cloud smiling b/c it was uncommon, it was a special moment. Here is part of his statement from the video below, starts at 29:05:

(https://youtu.be/tC8D3PJfBu4?t=1745)

Notice who is playing behind his head the entire time, by the way?

It is worth watching his whole statement, but this part is striking. He explicitly mentions reading the script when he came across the line “Cloud smiles” and thus was the inspiration for his song.

Now, this is the English script. Only twice during this entire scene where Cloud Smiles is playing, is it referenced that Cloud smiles; BOTH are at Tifa. There is no other line about him smiling during the song playing.

So in the 10th anniversary Ultimania, they are juxtaposing Cloud’s seemingly free laughing with Aerith and having a jovial moment with Cloud smiling at Tifa. Read again what they say here:

They are saying the time Cloud genuinely smiles is at Tifa, thus saying the one he has with Aerith when he’s under Jenova’s control is forced and fake.

Why go through all of this? Two reasons:

1) Further evidence is they actually retconned this greatly. Cloud gives an audible tiny chuckle but he doesn’t full on laugh with Aerith, it’s been taken out. In fact, it was taken out and given to Jessie and Avalanche. In Chapter 4 when Wedge is injured, they begin laughing about his ass injury and Cloud gives a big laugh and smile, VERY out of character for him. I can’t say it’s due to Jenova but considering all of the Clerith and Clessie parallels, and many elements of Aerith being given to Jessie to help get rid of a lot of the LTD elements, seems like a hell of a coincidence.

2) It is further evidence to what I always say about Cloud and Aerith and why the potential relationship aspect was an illusion, a red herring.

Cloud was heavily under Jenova’s spell the entire time he knew her. There are a dozen quotes about it throughout the Ultimanias and dev interviews showing this to be the case. If someone is not himself the entire time he knew her and his true self was suppressed, any fleeting feelings he MAY (since romantic feelings are never confirmed one way or the other) have had for her are just that, and between that and his connection to Zack, they become irrelevant IMO.

He comes to care for his whole team and he cherishes those memories, but I agree with DutchDread. He may have had some passing attraction to Aerith; he’s a man, she’s pretty, she’s showing him all kinds of attention. It is very flattering.

However, Tifa was always the person he’s been his true self with, and always the one he’s loved.

CloTi is canon <3

[silver-wield]

Just a couple of AC reunion files and prologue book quotes for enquiring minds 😁

[stygiansis]

Tifa’s Femininity Comes Out Around Cloud

This comes up from time to time. Everything about Tifa is heavily scrutinized, moreso than any character. One of these things is why Tifa is so feminine looking even though it is seen as inconsistent with her being a strong fighter who can take on any man.

@TurquoiseHammer on Twitter has been doing extensive translations of the Omega Ultimania. It is a fan translation, no translation is perfect but has a ton of great info in it and so far seems pretty solid so shout out to him for helping the fandom out.

It mentions Tifa’s femininity several times in it. What’s interesting is they tie it directly to Cloud’s influence on her. Here are the excerpts I’ll discuss.

This is just discussing how her outward appearance is very feminine and she acts feminine, though an amazing fighter. Another related excerpt:

Tifa’s true self is the one that care for Cloud lovingly when he’s ill, the feminine caretaker who puts the man she loves and others above herself. I like these lines because it shows that people mistakenly judge her on her appearance either as supposing to be a badass “Lightning” type of person, or being overly sexualized and only good for bedding. Neither is true, she is a complicated character as are all of them, and she breaks stereotypes in many ways.

When Cloud disappears and she is talking about how important he is to her, her tone is noticeably much more feminine as shown her. They even mention her “true face” showing. This is crucial because just like how the Real Cloud comes out around Tifa in different moments during his identity crisis, she also becomes her true self when talking about or around Cloud.

Everyone is used to seeing Tifa be powerful, strong, in control. Barret who knows her better than anyone other than Cloud at this point, notices a change in her. He sees it as negative but what’s really happening is now that she knows the truth about Cloud and she’s not confused and stressed out about what’s going on with him, she can stop pretending everything is okay.

She loves Cloud. Not being with him greatly bothers her and she’s showing her real self in his absence. Another reference to her true self coming out because of Cloud.

Tifa has had to be strong a lot of her life, has not had a man she could lean on or wanted to lean on. She only ever wanted Cloud. Now that he’s there and then gone again, she really feels the difference. Poor girl :(

I love that Cloud and Tifa bring out the real parts of each other. It is another beautiful, powerful dynamic of their relationship. CloTi is one of the most detailed romances of all time, certainly more than any I’ve personally witnessed out of FF games (admittedly have not played them all or remember every relationship since I am only a shipper as of 2020).

CloTi is canon <3

[ristretto-espresso]

The ultimanias shelf is starting to sag. So I'm coping

[yoakkemae-archived]

ship or dip + me & you 🙂‍↕️

ship, obviously. we condone each others' bad decisions too much otherwise to say not to ship. ;)