I’ve put together this article for the launch of our newly re-organized Compilation of Final Fantasy VII forum structure which now includes a Fan Content Section. This is speculation and theorization based on as much data as I can put together from all of the pieces of the Compilation, for the potential of the final events leading to the ending of the the FFVII Compilation, allowing Gaia to finally become the paradise that is seen 497 years after Dirge of Cerberus. This is a fairly in-depth article, spanning 3 pages, so don’t forget to click “Read the rest of this entry.”

Enjoy, and be sure to check out our new sections in the forums!
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Yes, you’ve read it quite well! Square-Enix will launch this perfume in Mid-August, at a price of 7,140 yen.

Apparently, it will be an unisex perfume, with a light and refreshing fragance.

Now the only thing missing is Sephiroth’s shampoo with 12 different scents…

Source: FF-Reunion and Ami Ami

Credits go to Cloud_S for bringing this to our attention

Classical pianist Benyamin Nuss will release his debut album for the record label Universal Music (Deutsche Grammophon/DECCA) this summer.

Entitled Benyamin Nuss Plays Uematsu, the album will commemorate Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu’s music with a wide range of creative and evocative piano arrangements. The album promises to demonstrate Nuss’ virtuoso technique and will transfer his emotional connection with the music to the audience. To be released this summer, it will be the first time game music has ever been commemorated by a major classical label and promises to be the greatest game music piano album ever released.

While still at the start of a promising career, Nuss already has several eminent recordings behind him. Last year, he recorded Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G with the WDR Radio Orchestra and performed Shimomura’s Kingdom Hearts fantasia at the game music concert Symphonic Fantasies – Music from Square Enix. Now 21, he is signed to the world’s biggest record label, Universal Music, and aims to appeal to game music fans and classical listeners alike with his most momentous production to date.

Classics from Nobuo Uematsu’s Final Fantasy VI to Final Fantasy IX will headline the album. The composer’s latest RPG scores will also feature, alongside a surprising tribute to one of his first composition works. While the majority of the arrangements are dedicated to specific pieces, listeners should also expect three expansive suites, dedicated to Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, and, of course, Final Fantasy VII. Readers should check back in coming days for full details on the track listings for the album. Featuring wonderful melodies, pioneering arrangers, and a passionate pianist, Benyamin Nuss Plays Uematsu is the most ambitious game music piano production of all time and looks set to at last bridge the worlds of classical and game music. The album will be released by Universal Music on September 17, 2010.

A big thanks to Square Enix Music for bringing us this interesting bit of info. This album sounds like pure awesomesauce to me. Check out the link to their site for more info on Benyamin Nuss and his career.

Long-time community member and visual designer Pixel released a trailer for his On the Way to a Smile Audiobook project, a fan project based on the On the Way to a Smile book translations by XComp. The books have largely been translated, but now, with this project underway and currently being edited, they have also been spoken out loud.
Of course, we’ll keep you updated on the progress of this project. You can also follow it yourself by keeping up with the project on the forums.

Credits where credits are due:

On the Way to a Smile Audiobooks

Written by Kazushige Nojima
Original Translations, LH Yeung “Xcomp”
Narrated by Ryushikaze

Aerith - rinrin0rikuriku
Cloud - strykinglight
Tifa – Christina McBride / AnimazingGamerGirl
Barret - psylentknight
Sephiroth - RemovableAspirations
Cid – Twistedpuppet
Yuffie - Mizura
Vincent - danyetman
Red XIII/Nanaki – Joseph Vitaliano
Reeve – ConVito

(Temporary Note: This is NOT an April Fool’s Day joke).

Here at the Lifestream.net, we’re usually looking for new and interesting angles to examine Final Fantasy Seven from, and it is with this in mind we are announcing our new front page feature- essays and articles written and submitted by you- the fans. Towards this end, we are proud to present the first of what hopefully will be many user editorials, an essay by a girl named June- also known as Messenger of the Ancients- reposted in its entirety with her permission. For some context, this essay is in part a response to my and Squall of Seed‘s recent articles, as well as the Love Triangle Debate that has plagued much of Final Fantasy Seven Fandom, so you may wish to familiarize yourself with these before reading. In any case, please, sit back, relax, and enjoy the essay.

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Again, working from specifically the Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Ultimania File 2: Scenario guide. This post is a follow-up to the “Sources of Power in FF” article I just posted, which also included translations from the FF 20th Anniversary Ultimania File 2: Scenario book.

Actually, this post might better be characterized as a follow-up to the “Love Triangle Debate- over” article that Ryushikaze posted a couple of days ago. That article included selected translations from the section which I am now posting a translation of in its entirety.

I think you’ll find that the ramifications for the Love Triangle Debate are even more obvious when you can read the entire page. Do enjoy.
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To be specific, these translations are from the Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Ultimania File 2: Scenario guide. Yes, that is its full and proper title, and, yes, it is quite long.

Anyway, what I’m presenting here for your merry consumption is a translation of the “Source of Power” section of the Ultimania (pg. 8). It offers some rather illuminating insight into interrelated sources of magic
in the FF series.

For me, this page is largely vindication of theories I’ve long held to be true. Please check out the “Spirit Energy and Memories” article in my Final Fantasy VII Plot Analysis FAQ for more on that.

I do hope you enjoy this translation. Stay tuned, as another set of translations is ready to go up, and will be joining this one shortly.
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Final Fantasy Seven’s love triangle debate has been raging for the better part of twelve years now, and caused no end of interfandom tensions. For those of you unfamiliar with the whole debacle, I first congratulate you on your luck in remaining free, and I next explain that it is the debate over which of Tifa or Aerith Cloud Strife loves. Many a year, and countless hypotheses have been spent trying to argue that Cloud and Tifa are not a couple despite all the best evidence, and that Cloud and Aerith have a relationship despite the latter’s unfortunate condition. For some time, the love triangle debate has been in what could aptly be described as its death throes. Today, hopefully, we can perform a mercy killing.

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So, given how long Voices of the Lifestream has been in existence, we’re not sure how many of you haven’t heard of it before, but since we here at Thelifestream.net are into all things Final Fantasy Seven and want to encourage fan projects of all sorts, we figured we’d tell everyone who wasn’t already aware know about this awesome fan orchestrated remix album to the great songs of Final Fantasy Seven, and let you listen to these awesome arrangements at the same time.

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So the final vote for the most memorable moment of the Compilation of FFVII begins now. Which moment has had the most impact amongst the fans of the Compilation? Well…it’s now a final match between these four events. Below you’ll find the ranking results of the previous vote. Now we’ll see which moment is most memorable of all.

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After much voting, and a few delays, the results of our first poll have been tallied and gathered. And some of what users nominated and voted for the most memorable moments of the Compilation are quite surprising.

The moments that made it into the top ten will proceed to the next tier of voting to see which moment is the most memorable of all. Below you’ll find the results of which moments made the cuts, the moments that didn’t, and the personal commentary of members who picked out these events for their memorability. So enjoy, and see what ends up making the cut next time, when only the top four are selected.

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Zack’s final moments on the outskirts of Midgar.

Aerith’s rescue from the Shinra Building.

The final confrontation between Cloud and Sephiroth high above Midgar.

Vincent and Lucrecia’s moment after the climactic ending of Dirge of Cerberus.

Out of all the moments of the Compilation of FFVII… Which moment stood out to you the most?

That’s what TheLifestream.net wants to know, and with that, we’re holding our first contest on which moments of the Compilation of FFVII are the most memorable.

The forum community has nominated twenty-one of the most memorable moments of the series, and we want to know which is the most popular and memorable of all. The first round of voting will be for the top 10. After that, the next voting bracket will be for the top 4. And from there, we will look for which single moment from the Compilation of FFVII has stood out most in the hearts of fans.

So if there’s a moment you want to win, be sure to vote for it here! If you haven’t registered for the forums, be sure to do so, so that you can have your vote counted. We will publish the results of each vote bracket on the front page, so be sure to check back, and above all else, vote and have fun!