FFVII Remake Easter Eggs And Compilation Continuity - Part 4: DIRGE OF CERBERUS

The Unifying Theme of FFVII

So I recently got an ask that was very interesting and which I think I did a piss poor job answering. Republished here:

what is the biggest theme of FF7 that ties every character together to you? life? pro environmentalism? identity? connections?

My answer was, in a nutshell, "existentialism." It's broadly true, and was certainly an influence on the game (see: Martin Heidegger, Existentialist philosopher and known bastard) but it's a reductive and Western take overall.

So, here's the long version, and a disclaimer up-front that I'm a simple Western weeb doing internet research to the best of my ability; apologies to those who know more than me.

Square has always stated that the theme of the game is "life". This is wholly accurate, but comes off as a little twee to a Western ear. This is because "life" is a translation of the Japanese word "inochi" (命). It is a broader, more holistic concept than the English "life," with different nuances and connotations.

For a longer and much more informed read on inochi specifically, see The Concept of Life in Contemporary Japan by Masahiro Morioka. Otherwise, keep reading after the cut!

In addition to meaning life or lifespan, "inochi" also encompasses the idea of a "spirit" or vital force. It extends beyond referring to life in the general sense. Much like any one person's mind, spirit, and lived existence isn't interchangeable with anyone else's, one's "inochi" is unique and individualistic.

This concept extends beyond just human life. Animals, mountains, rivers, and trees all have "inochi" too. An illuminating quote From Aspects of Shinto in Japanese Communication by Kazuya Hara (and his primary source):

From the viewpoint of Shinto, nature itself is seen to have a spirit and life. For example, Japanese people have looked upon even a tree, a rock, or a river in nature as a figure of life. Kamata (2000) argues that the Japanese word inochi connotes the dynamic motion, flow, and circulation of all the universe.

That circulation also includes the idea that "inochi" does not refer to only a single individual life, but a chain of all the lives that have gone before. It encompasses the fleeting and finite life of the individual as well as the ecosystem in which they lived, and the influence and impact which will survive them and create the next link in the chain.

You'll recognize many of these concepts as being expressed through the Lifestream, and extant in the environmentalist elements of the game. Navigating the apparent paradox of a finite and infinite "inochi" also pulls our cast in, all of whom are characters struggling with their individual existence in the context of a greater, deeply interconnected crisis.

"Inochi" is also connected to FFVII's strong themes of navigating identity and uncovering the fundamental self. The word can also be used to refer to the core or fundamental part of something, its "most essential quality." This echoes Cloud's journey to rediscover himself, and it's noteworthy that he find again within the Lifestream, the manifestation of "inochi" itself.

"Inochi" is definitely a very accurate unifying theme. We've touched on how that connects to Shinto themes, but Buddhist philosophies of life and existence are just as culturally prevalent in Japan and influential on the themes of VII in turn. So, let's talk about Buddhism, with another disclaimer that I'm not expert by any means whatsoever.

A foundational concept in Buddhism is the Three Marks of Existence: Impermanence, the non-self, and suffering. We'll mainly focus on the first two.

The first, impermanence, is as it says on the tin. According to Buddhist thought, impermanence is inherent to the natural world, and failing to recognize this will bring suffering. The bad passes along with the good, the big as well as the small. The strain of Buddhist thought through the game is part of why FFVII's original ending is so appropriate, and Aeris' death so integral to the rest of its themes.

The second is the non-self. Related to the concept of impermanence, the idea here is that there is no permanent incarnation of the self, and there is no way to separate the self as an individual from its myriad pieces and its context. From What Are The Three Marks of Existence by Dana Nourie:

When you start to see how you aren’t a solid, unchanging self, but a impermanent, dynamic person, you also loosen your clinging to thoughts, ideas, emotions, and the idea of a “real you”.

The connection to Cloud's personal journey throughout the game is obvious - an abundance of attachment to an artificial self causes him to suffer until he is able to reconcile it and let it go. Sephiroth, meanwhile, faces a similar challenge to his own identity and slips sideways into Nihilism, unable to overcome (or even admit) his own suffering.

There's a connection between Buddhist and Existentialist/Existential Nihilist thought. While Buddhism incorporates the concept of suffering as an inherent and endless facet of life until nirvana can be reached, Existentialists struggle with a post-modern feeling of dread or anxiety fundamental to living in a meaningless and chaotic world. There's also been plenty of cultural exchange between eastern and western concepts here - Heidegger is one notable participant.

Another is Keiji Nishitani from the influential Kyoto University of Philosophy. Engaging with western Existentialist thinkers, he wrote Religion and Nothingness on the connection between the concept of the non-self and the western philosophy of Nihilism. He compared the similarities between the two, while ultimately refuting Nietzche's perspective. This quote (helpfully, from his Wikipedia page) seems particularly instructive, especially in returning back to some of the initial concepts expressed by "inochi":

"All things that are in the world are linked together, one way or the other. Not a single thing comes into being without some relationship to every other thing."

My original answer to this question was Existentialism because there simply isn't a word or a tidy concept in my vocabulary that can convey all of this disparate information. Existentialism seemed to me like the most familiar and broad concept to encompass these themes, always in the form of questions: How do we live? How do we separate subjectivity from objective truth? How do we preserve the sense that our lives are meaningful?

You must decide for yourself; you must remember your connections to other lives; you must let go.

Happy 25th anniversary Final Fantasy VII ❤️

Graphics enhancement, 23 years later!

Tifa’s journey and resolve

As we’ve previously discussed, when Tifa first discovered Cloud at the train station, she found herself faced with a dilemma: she could heedlessly tell Cloud what she knows and risk losing him physically or mentally; or she could build up her resolve and wait for the opportune moment to tell him, hoping that with proper timing, she’d be able to tell him without losing him. Tifa chooses the latter.

Tifa wrestles with her secret across Midgar, Kalm, Gongaga, and Cosmo Canyon, but her worries finally push her over the edge at Gold Saucer’s Ghost Hotel. While Red XIII worries that he may go mad, Tifa is the only one who realizes that this is likely what is happening to Cloud; that Cloud may very well be going mad already. In her fear, Tifa snaps:

Red XIII: Cloud… I’m number 13. Am I going to go mad too?

Tifa: I don’t know what Hojo did to you, but you’ve been all right so far, right?

Red XIII: But…

Tifa: Be strong.

Red XIII: But, I…

Tifa: Stop it, Red XIII! Be strong!

Cloud: Tifa?

Tifa: You’re not the only one who’s worried!

(Source)

This uncharacteristic outburst convinces her. She has to talk to Cloud–and if she can’t find the opportune moment, she’ll make one.

So… she asks Cloud out on a date.

And the opportune moment reveals itself on the gondola:

Tifa: Ok, I’m going to just go ahead and say it…

Cloud: …what?

Tifa: Aeris would be able to just come out and say it, probably. Cloud… Sometimes being old friends is hard. I mean, timing is everything.

Cloud: Yeah…

Tifa: Cloud…? I……

Tifa: ………………….

(Source)

The gondola script looks like an attempted romantic confession–but much like everything else pre-Lifestream, looks can be deceiving. Given Tifa’s earlier emotional outburst, it’s far likelier that her words are hinting at her worries. But regardless of the interpretation, as “Interrupted by Fireworks” swells in the background, Tifa can only think of one thing: “I need to tell him.” Be it her doubts or her affections, could it be that now is finally the right time?

Surrounded by the flash and glitter of the Gold Saucer, Tifa hesitates… and before she knows it, the ride is over. Tifa lacks the confidence and resolve to be open with Cloud, and she allows the opportune moment to slip through her fingers.

Like Tifa said, timing is everything, and she never gets an opportunity like this again. As soon as they get off the gondola, Cait Sith’s actions set off a rapid-fire chain of events that culminates at the Norther Crater.

And suddenly, all of Tifa’s worst fears are realized. She loses Cloud mentally. She loses Cloud physically. He is gone. All of her careful, calculated efforts were for naught. Tifa is left bereft and depressed.

Which brings us to Mideel:

Tifa: What’s the matter? Are you all alone?

(dog whimpers)

Tifa: You got lost didn’t you? Separated from someone you love? Silly thing…

(Source)

This moment is huge for Tifa. This is the first time she is able to articulate, even indirectly, any of the thoughts locked away in her heart. Between Northern Crater and this moment, Tifa has changed.

And just in time. Tifa learns that Cloud may be alive and near. Filled with hope, “Interrupted by Fireworks” swells in the background and harks back to that moment on the gondola, when Tifa could only think of one thing: “I need to tell him.” And this time, Tifa is not going to let the moment slip through her fingers.

Final thoughts:

This makes Cloud’s clone status all the more heartbreaking. Just when Tifa thinks that Cloud is safe and she can finally make up for missed opportunities, Cloud is not ready to hear her. Once again she’s lost her chance and she’s lost Cloud. We all know Remake is going to rip our hearts out with this scene.

Damn this doctor is extra af, way to twist the knife (and explain why Tifa stays with Cloud):

“Timing is everything.” Tifa is right–from Cait Sith’s treachery through to Cloud’s clone violence, Tifa never gets the chance to talk to Cloud in private. By the time Cloud wakes up at the Gongaga Inn, his ego is at the brink of collapsing into full Sephiroth Copy mode–and if he got even a hint that Tifa doubts him, his ego would simply collapse sooner, same as it does later at Northern Crater. Tifa senses this, and hopes that fake confidence in Cloud will tide him over. This is also why she asks to stay in the party when the group goes to take on Sephiroth–she wants to keep an eye on him and support him, not just “settle things with Sephiroth.”

“Timing is everything,” reemphasized. Through the Lifestream sequence, we realize that even if Tifa had opened up to Cloud earlier, nothing would have changed–Cloud wasn’t ready to face his own flaws and work resolutely towards the truth with no reservations. The right time really is after Northern Crater and in the Lifestream. 

In an upcoming (mostly written!) post I’ll talk more about how “Interrupted by Fireworks” is actually a clever device to subvert our expectations… for both girls. There’s a lot of interesting symmetry that makes the divergences even more striking.

Special shoutout to @janeiteoftheslums​ who pointed out a detail I missed in the first (extremely short-lived!!) version of this post. Thank you so much! Everyone, if you’re craving some cloti goodness, head on over and read some of her fics.

Marlene knows him well.

Marlene is a smart kid.

Trust Marlene.

FFVII Remake Easter eggs and compilation continuity - Part 1: BEFORE CRISIS

     AVALANCHE!

In Chapter 4, a group of Avalanche members helps Cloud, Wedge and Biggs to fight against some Shinra troops. The design of their uniforms is the same of the BC Avalanche group. 

     ATTEMPT ON THE PRESIDENT

During Chapter 1, while Heidegger and President Shinra observe the attack to Reactor 1, Heidegger mentions an assassination attempt on the President. He might be referring to the episode that took place on 30th February (yes, 30) 0001 in Junon. 

“These sewer rats appear to call themselves Avalanche, sir. We are currently investigating whether they belong to the same group that made the attempt on your life.”

     LEAVING MIDGAR

In Chapter 8 Aerith tells Cloud she once tried to leave Midgar. This happened in BC, on 9th August 0002, but Avalanche tried to kidnap her before she could leave the slums.

“You know, I thought about leaving once... But...in the end, I couldn't.”

     TIFA’S CAT

One of the side quests in Sector 7 includes the research of three cats. They’re white with a pink collar, like the cat Tifa had when she lived in Nibelheim.

     HIDEOUT IN WUTAI

After blaming Avalanche for the tragedy in Sector 7, Shinra divulged rumors about their allegiance with Wutai. It was showed in BC that Avalanche established there their HQ since it was the only remaining anti-Shinra country of the world.

“The sky is falling and Avalanche is to blame! But wait! Did you know Wutai is the one funding their activities!? For all their claims about fighting for the slums...they're nothing more than pawns of Wutai”

This alliance is confirmed in Intermission with Yuffie and Sonon cooperating with Avalanche to infiltrate Shinra.

Sonon: Gotta admit, I'm surprised you agreed to work with us.

Nayo: We're just doing what we think is necessary...to build a brighter future. That's all there is to it.

     RUFUS

It was established in Before Crisis that Rufus conspired against his father providing intel and financial support to Avalanche. In Itermission, when Zhijie was questioned by the Shinra guards, he made fun of them but actually said the truth when he confessed the informant was Rufus. 

Officer: Now spill it! Who gave you that information!?

Zhijie: Oh, his name was something like...Heidegger? (...) Alright, alright, I'll tell you. It was Rufus. (...)...Or was it Hojo?

Moreover Scarlet started suspecting of the presence of a mole in Shinra, since Wutai knew about their secret military projects.

Yuffie: That's enough, Sonon. I got this. Alright, lady, out with it. Tell us where you're hiding the new materia. Don't play dumb now. We know you've been cooking up something super-powerful.

Scarlet: Well, well... Wutai must have some highly skilled intelligence operatives. That...or we have a mole in our midst.

ALLIANCE

It is shown since Chapter 16 that there’s a particoular link between Rufus and the Turks. Indeed in BC Tseng, Reno and Rude were sentenced to death by President but Rufus saved them in exchange for their loyalty.

“The VP needs us.”

FINAL BOSS

The Whisper Harbinger appearing in Chapter 18 bears similarities with Zirconiade:

- They both have to be faced at the end of the highway after entering a flashing portal

- The shape of the body of the Harbinger (just like Whispers Rubrum, Viridis and Croceo) shares some similarities with Zirconiade

- Both battles take place in an alternate dimension with shattered environment

- After their defeat they emit energy blasts and explode with a shockwave

- After the explosion, sparkling particles fall slowly from the sky, like snow

-

For the other parts refer to the masterpost

˗ˏˋ 2月7日 HAPPY BIRTHDAY AERITH! ˎˊ˗

Aerith in the Sleeping Forest

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This is absolutely the BEST GS date analysis I've ever seen, thank you for this great post!

Interrupted by Fireworks: the illusion over darker realities

Players love the dates for many reasons: it’s the culmination of their hard work with the affection mechanic, a silly interlude after hours of tension, an opportunity to bond with their character of choice. A sweet moment in time isolated from the heavier themes of the game.

But what if I told you that Tifa and Aerith’s dates are not just cute little flashes of fan service? That both dates are part of a broader arc highlighting how the girls recognize, confront, and decide to react to the reality of Cloud’s mental issues? 

And what if I told you that “Interrupted by Fireworks” is not just the pretty Big Date song? That “Interrupted by Fireworks” serves as an important tool in threading this arc together and setting our romantic expectations stupidly high so they can be cruelly subverted later?

Well wonder no more, as that’s what we’ll be discussing today! Cut for an image-heavy, script-heavy post.

Continua a leggere

Reblogging because fundamentally I agree on everything but one point. Adding the "read more" line because I ended up writing more than I expected, it's late at night and probably it's filled with grammar mistakes and inconsistencies.

First of all I'm loving this article, it's really well written and I agree with its content.

The only point I disagree is the firm idea that Aerith will undoubtly die OR her presence will ruin other characters' arcs.

I'd say you're right if we could reasonably assume that from now on things will be going exactly like in the OG and that Aerith's survival is just the faint illusion of some fans. But after all the changes set in the first part of the Remake I don't see how things could be faithful to the OG anymore.

I think Aerith has a big chance to survive. The first part hinted her death way too often to just end up in the Forgotten City and let her die the way she did in the OG. Like "do you remember the tons of times Cloud foreshadowed her death and Aerith seemed to hope she could change her future? Well, it was useless she died anyway". Oh thank you Square Enix.

I don't want to degress too much on plot speculations and stay close to the shipping subject, but can we still assume this is just a Remake of the story as we know it? Maybe yes, probably no. If we defeated the "Whispers" I guess everything can happen from now on. As far as we know this could turn out to be a sequel, or even an illusion.

Aerith's survival is irreconcilable with the events of the original story just like Zack's survival but...actually he survived anyway.

The point is that whatever happens, wherever this Remake will bring us, her survival won't affect the romantic endgame. I am a CT. And not because I prefer Tifa over Aerith, but because I think that reading this story under the perspective of "Cloud will always love Aerith" is both inconsistent and turns Cloud into one of the worst jerks in the world. For a tons of reasons that CAs usually conveneintly ignore.

The big problem of this story is that SE never fully closed Aerith's character arc for what concerns the romantic aspect. In the OG she had strong feelings for Cloud, then there was the date (yes I think her date is the canon one), Cait Sith's prediction and...? She died and the romance died with her, and Cloud never talked about her until the end of the game. She saved everyone from the Lifestream, but what about her and her feelings? When we discovered the truth about Zack there was not a single word that closed their story. Zack said one line about Aerith and it is even not much of a great line. I get why Maiden was created, even if I'm convinced it's not a canon entry.

That's what caused the LTD not the fact that CT wasn't obvious. People who really like Aerith can't accept her being left alone in the Lifestream with Cloud and Tifa living happily ever after. They can't accept Cloud's feelings faded away when he regained his true personality, at the point that most of them refuse that Cloud had ever had a fake personality in the first place.

Crisis Core somehow tried to fix this flaw of the OG but the damage was already done and I lost count of how many times I argued with people who rabidly try to diminish the importance of Zerith. There's no other entry in the compilation where romance is more blatantly obvious than CC but this still happens too often: People trying to disminish the canonicity of CC in favour of Maiden. People saying Zack and Aerith weren't in a relationship. People saying Cloud didn't love Tifa at the time of Nibelheim incident. People saying Zack was in a relationship with Cissnei. People saying Cloud was always himself and trying to minimize his brain damage and the link with Zack. People claiming that Zack in AC was just a product of Cloud's imagination.

I could spend the whole day adding examples. All this to proof that even if Cloud lives with Tifa and raises children with her for at least 4 years (Case of Denzel is set after DoC) they live as totally strangers, because he'll pine for Aerith forever, throwing away all the themes of AC. It's so ridiculous that's incredible that someone could really believe it. But actually A LOT of people are convinced about this, sometimes it feels like most of the fandom thinks so.

SE knows it, they are aware of how many fans want a happy ending for her. Like you said, for many fans she IS the greatest, bestest and most importantest, and she can't be dismissed once again in the Forgotten City just to show up to save the day when Meteor is about to distroy the world. The devs have to give an answer to the expectations between Cloud and Aerith that they set 24 years ago. And they could do it by letting her survive.

The king of CA claims has always been: "IF Aerith survived she'd have been the love interest" followed by "she would heal Cloud in the Lifestream" and "She'd have the Highwind scene". They're debunkable under many perspectives but - at least when I tried to - it never worked. Withthe Remake the devs could let her survive and show that her life doesn't affect the bond between real-Cloud and Tifa. She can't steal moments that belong to other characters. She wouldn't even want to do it. The Lifestream scene will always be Tifa's scene, no matter how much some fans would like to see it played by the mage instead of the monk.

The devs already started to show this. Remake Aerith knows something about the future, and her flirtious attitude toward Cloud is different than in the OG. All their original flirting scenes were removed, most of the new flirting scenes heavily refer to Crisis Core (when they're not a copy&paste), reducing to a minimum the genuine bonding moments between them. Hell, of all the themes her resolution scene could revolve around, the core of it is the famous "You can't fall il love with me. It's not real." No matter how much some people try to distort this sentence to turn it in a love confession. It isn't. It doesn't matter how much people try to read Hollow as a CA love song, it starts when the camera focuses on Zack and Aerith. The devs are softly giving to fans the answer about the LTD in a way that her presence won't affect the outcome.

So I really hope she could survive. For one because I'm selfish, I like her and I don't want to cry her death in 4K. Then because if she dies again at the Forgotten City, the "IF" statements will be brought up again and again and again. Even if the devs would show Cloud and Tifa getting married, someone will always claim that deep in his heart he loves Aerith and Tifa is a rebound, and I don't really feel like keep debating again about who Cloud Strife loves over the next 25 years.

Dead or friendzoned, choose one: The Aerith uncertainty principle.

This article argues that while it might be possible for Aerith to be a love interest in FFVII:R, or that she might survive in FFVII:R, that these things can't both happen. disclaimer: I don't believe either will be happen. ______________________________________________________ Imagine this, the year is 2040, you're playing FFVIII:Remake. Rinoa is doomed out in space, just when she thinks she's about to die, she looks up and sees Squall coming towards her, in a move of unprecedented daring he had jumped out of the Ragnarok to go save her. Your eyes start tearing up as the last recollections of your childhood flood back into your mind and out your eyes. And then, suddenly, from the side of the screen.....Seifer comes floating into frame. Oh yeah, you had almost forgotten, Seifer didn't become evil during the remake timeline.

Afterwards, in the cockpit, Seifer hugs Squall and Rinoa as eyes on me starts playing. How big of an unwelcome intruder would Seifer be in that situation? How much of an insult would this be to one of Rinoa and Squalls most iconic moments? Clearly this would never happen, but why not? If Seifer hadn't turned evil, surely he'd have wanted to save Rinoa as well. Logically it makes sense for him to be there, and yet I think everyone would understand why Seifer isn't welcome there. So why on earth, when discussing final fantasy VII, do I honestly hear people say that if Aerith had lived, she'd have saved Cloud in the lifestream sequence and what's more, actually advocate for this to happen? People need to realize that even if you think Aerith is just the bestest, brightest, most importantest character in the universe, other characters still exist, and people love those other characters. And some of those people work at Square Enix, and they sure as hell won't elevate one character to the detriment of all others. Tifa and Cloud have moments together, important moments, iconic moments. There is Tifa choosing to stay behind and take care of Cloud in Mideel, there is the lifestream, there is the highwind. These are all beloved, iconic moments that fans are clamoring to see, and in each and every one of them Aerith is as unwelcome as Seifer is during "eyes on me", or Rikku during "Suteki da ne". Aerith is an ancient, the entire plot revolves around her, everyone loves her, she has magical powers and is the only person who can save the world! Imagine someone whose already that important, and then forcing her into moments belonging to other characters, there is no quicker way to aggravate a fanbase, or make a character distinctly unlikable. So Aerith, fundamentally, cannot be in those scenes, because those moments belong to other characters. But if Aerith is alive, and a supposed love interest, can she really be left out of those scenarios? Imagine Cloud is in a coma, imagine Tifa staying with him to take care of him while Aerith goes to save the planet. Imagine Tifa going into Clouds sub-conscious and pulling him out, then imagine Cloud and Tifa spending the night before the battle together, cementing their importance to each other, while Aerith goes to spend the night at Elmyra. Then, afterwards, the party defeats Sephiroth and Cloud rejects Tifa in favor of Aerith..... Cementing him as the biggest asshole ever, and Aerith as the most undeserving Mary Sue winner of a love triangle of all time.

Do you see any way of doing that that would not be a gigantic slap in the face to the character of Tifa? Who cared for Cloud while in a coma, who journeyed through his sub-conscious with him and spent her last night on this earth together with him? Fundamentally, the only way Aerith can survive, is if she takes a back in other story-arcs. People have tried to invent nonsensical ways in which Aerith could save Cloud from the lifestream, or suggest alternate routes where you still have the standard "Tifa route", but can also choose the "Aerith route". And all these ideas conveniently ignore the same basic thing. Aerith isn't the center of the universe. Every scene, every moment, every piece of importance you give to her, causes her to cast a larger shadow on the rest of the cast. People want her to be the love interest because they look at her importance to the plot, to her powers as an ancient. They look at how much of a main character she is and their first reaction is somehow "lets give her more". But her importance is exactly why this can never happen, because in order for her to take up the roles played by other characters, those characters need to take up the roles she leaves behind. And Tifa cannot do that. No matter how alive Aerith is, no matter how in love Aerith and Cloud are, Tifa will never be able to summon holy, she will never be able to save the planet by talking to the essence of life. Tifa can never fill Aeriths role, which is why Aerith can never fill hers. Because both matter, and if the thing that makes one special is taken from her, and given to the other, then you've insulted your characters, your fanbase, and your legacy by making one character the sad shadow of who they were, a pathetic ant compared to 'the Mary goddessue'. Aerith cannot do everything. Which means that if you love Aerith, you have 2 choices. You can either have Aerith be a genuine potential love interest, and have that plot point die with her. Or you can have her survive, and sit by as she takes a backseat to other characters, or you can have neither, but you can't have both. Or, you can do the worst of all worlds and argue that the entire story will change to fit this new harlequin romance novel you've invented and antagonize all your fans by removing all those iconic scenes altogether.....yeah, I don't see that happening.

We need to make the most of the time we have—to live our lives the way we wanna live. Every minute...every moment, matters.