Site translator hitoshura has been kind enough to provide us with a chapter-by-chapter summary of the newest official FFVII novel. Released on December 15th, the book was written by Kazushige Nojima, writer of the original FFVII, as well as Crisis Core, Advent Children and the On the Way to a Smile novellas. As such, The Kids Are Alright is an authentic entry in the world of Final Fantasy VII.

Sadly, however, it had no official release outside of Japan. So, while you could still import it if you lived elsewhere, you novel, FINAL FANTASY VII Lateral Biography TURKS -The Kids Are Alright-. Released on December 15th, the book was written by wouldn’t be able to read it without some knowledge of the Japanese language.

Were the contents of this newest tale in Cloud Strife’s world, then, to be kept from us indefinitely? Blessedly, no. TheLifestream.net’s hitoshura has already stepped forward to provide his fellow fans with a rundown of the book’s main events.

This is to tide us over until he is able to provide a complete translation of the 354-page novel — an endeavour that is already under way, so be sure to check back in the future for updates about that.

What you’ll also find in this article: scans I’ve made of all the book’s artwork (illustrations by Shou Tajima), and my translation of a page from the beginning of the book that introduces several of the characters featured in the story. Additional thanks go to hito, by the way, for correcting me on a word I had mistranslated on that page.

So, if you’re ready to get caught up on the latest events in this world we all love, click upon “Read the rest of this entry” below.

And yes, by the way, that mouthful up there really is the book’s complete official title. “Lateral Biography” (外伝 in Japanese) really should have (in my opinion, anyway) just been rendered in English the way it’s pronounced in its native language: “gaiden.” As is usually the case with these things.

But that’s neither here nor there.

What is here: hito’s generous summary of The Kids Are Alright, scans of its artwork, and your first introduction to Evan and Kyrie — two new characters who serve as this story’s protagonists.

Without further ado, let’s start with the artwork:

Excluding the composite image used for the front page of the article, the first two images after that are the dust jacket’s front and back covers, respectively. The third image is the front, bare cover. The fourth is the back, bare cover. Fifth is the title page for the first half of the book, “See Me, Feel Me.” Sixth is the title page for the second half of the story, “Who Are You?”. And, finally, the last image is the character introductions page.

If, by the way, you think you’re noticing a lot of references to English rock band The Who, you’d be right. “The Kids Are Alright,” “See Me, Feel Me,” and “Who Are You?” all refer to the music group. The references don’t end there either.

The Kids Are Alright’s narrator and main character, Evan Townshend (エヴァン・タウンゼント in Japanese), also shares his last name with band member Pete Townshend (ピート・タウンゼント).

Why all the references? Your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps Nojima’s a fan. Or maybe it has something to do with the main characters of this story running a detective agency — all three CSI television shows use songs by The Who in their opening credits.

Next up, a translation of the character intros page posted above:

Evan
A 19-year-old young man who was living in depression on Midgar’s plate until 2 years ago. Along with Kyrie and other friends from the slums he came to know, he opened the Mireille Detective Agency. It’s been getting considerable business. A crooked young man who can’t plainly express himself.

Kyrie
A 19-year-old girl from the slums. Her family is now gone, leaving her all alone in the world. Thanks to her parents being skilled pickpockets, and the lessons of her swindler grandmother, she also lived a life of crime until meeting Evan and taking up detective work. She’s easy to get attached to, but is easily misunderstood as well. This is often the case even with her friends.

Reno
The self-styled ace of the Shin-Ra company’s Investigation Division of the General Affairs Department (nicknamed the Turks), his eye is on the company’s revitilization. He values his comrades more than anything, particularly his partner Rude, with whom he shares a deep trust. He becomes embroiled in circumstances involving Evan and co., and watches over them from the shadows.

Rude
One of the Turk’s elite, he serves alongside Reno. Following the Meteor calamity, he operates as escort to the Shin-Ra company’s ill president, Rufus. A warm-hearted but silent man, he is watching over Evan and co., like Reno.

Cloud
The man who runs the Strife Delivery Service, which carries out a delivery for Evan. Unknown to Evan and co., he is one of the heroes who once saved the world.

Tifa
Owner of the Seventh Heaven diner, where Evan and co. often hold business meetings. For Evan and the members of the Mireille Detective Agency, it is also a place of leisure.

And, finally, the real jewel in this thread — hito’s summary of each chapter of The Kids Are Alright:

This is the summaries for the first half of the book (“See Me, Feel Me”):

Also, a little explanation of the character notes if it’s even needed:
- Characters Introduced/CI: First time a character appears in the story themselves (not just mentioned/referenced)
- Mentions: First time a character is mentioned by name in the story
- References: First time a character is indirectly (not by name) referenced in the story

1. Evan talks about his past and family, leading up to the Meteor disaster. Evan lived with his mother on the Sector 6 plate. His father had died in the Wutai war, and his mother hated him. One day she brings home a man, Nix Foley, who says that the three of them are leaving Midgar. Evan storms out of the house, hoping to come back after their intended depature date and ruin their plans. On that day, the Sector 7 plate falls, leaving Evan (in Sector 8 ) to walk through all the other sectors to get home. When he arrives, he finds that his mother has gone. She left him a large sum of money, and a letter saying she will contact him when she’s reached her destination. With no word from his mother and not wanting to spend the money she’d left, Evan started working to make a living until the day Meteor and the Lifestream destroy Midgar.
Characters introduced: Evan, Evan’s mother, Kuro the cat, Nix/Nick Foley
Mentions: Evan’s father

2. Skips to 2 years later, at Healin with Rufus and the Turks. A man called Fabio steals some Geostigma medication from the lodge.
CI: Rufus, Tseng, Elena, Throp, Fabio Brown
Mentions: Sephiroth, Jenova, President Shinra

3. Reno and Rude pay Evan (Townshend) a visit, mistaking him for Fabio. Once they’ve gone, Evan goes to see Fabio but finds his little brother Vits, who has Geostigma, home alone.
CI: Reno, Rude, ‘Rat-Face’, Vits Brown
Mentions: Doyle

4. Evan heads to Seventh Heaven to meet his friends. Evan and Kyrie head to meet a client.
CI: Tifa, Leslie Kyle, Kyrie Canaan
Mentions: Marlene, Keogh (Rat-Face), Marle
References: Kilmister, Reeve

5. Elena is displeased with how Reno and Rude handled the ‘Fabio’ situation.

6. On their way through the slums to see the client, Arde, Evan reflects on how their detective agency got started. The job is to look for Arde’s missing son Gould, a SOLDIER 2nd Class who went missing prior to the Meteor disaster.
CI: Tyran Arde
Mentions: Mireille, Gould Arde, ‘man in the biker clothes’, Ceddie, Aunt Liz

7. Elena visits the real Fabio to punish him for stealing the medicine.

8. As Evan is clearing up the mess Reno and Rude left his room in, Vits comes by in the middle of the night in pain. When they go back to Vits’s home, Evan sees Fabio on the floor, beaten to a bloody pulp.

9. Evan, Kyrie and Leslie go to Johnny’s Heaven, where Evan talks about what happened to Fabio.
CI: Johnny
Mentions: Mr. and Mrs. Chico, Dr. Drake

10. After two days without sleep, Evan collapses outside the Mireille Detective Agency’s office. Kyrie ends up going to Reno and Rude for help, but regrets it when the Turks say they’re going to take her and Evan somewhere. They make plans to escape from the Turks into the slums.

11. Their escape attempt ends in failure, with Rude leading them to the truck that will take them wherever it is they’re going on their ‘drive’. Kyrie asks if this is how the Turks got Aerith.
Mentions: Aerith

12. Reno reveals that they are taking Evan to Healin, and it has something to do with his mother, Annette Townshend. Kyrie talks about how she knew Aerith. Reno and Rude reveal that the photo Evan and Kyrie got from Tyran Arde of Gould was taken in Nibelheim.
References: AVALANCHE (FFVII)

13. Rufus and Tseng discuss Annette Townshend, a former secreterial worker for Shinra who was offered ten-times the standard retirement bonus when she quit.

14. Evan meets Rufus and Tseng, who tells him that he is the illegitamate son of the late President Shinra. They are interrupted when they hear an explosion from the woods.

15. Fabio, Doyle and Keogh attack the lodge to rescue Throp, a friend of Keogh’s who had helped Fabio to steal the medicine. When they run into trouble, Evan bargains with the Turks by threatening Rufus, who lets them go.
CI: Doyle

16. On the way back home, Evan ends up banging his head and losing consciousness. He’s taken to Dr. Drake’s to be checked out. By this time, Evan and Kyrie have fallen out.
CI: Dr. Drake

17. Evan returns home and checks on Doyle and the others. He doesn’t tell them the truth about what he talked about with Rufus (instead telling them they wanted to use him as Rufus’s double), and decided to leave and get away from everyone.

18. In order to get fuel for his truck, Evan decides to contact the number from a business flyer he found, the Strife Delivery Service. Using the phone at Dr. Drake’s office, he tells the boy who answers, Denzel, that he wants a letter delivered.
CI: Denzel, young girl (Marlene)

19: Reno complains about how Evan and Rufus had their ‘family reunion,’ and how Tseng and Elena are off doing something and he can’t get in touch with them.

20. While waiting for Cloud, Dr. Drake talks about the book/file he is reading: on Jenova, the subject of many Shinra experiments. Cloud arrives and Evan tells him that he actually wants fuel, to which Cloud replies that his choices are Shinra, the WRO, or Don Corneo in Wall Market. Evan mentions planning on heading to Nibelheim to find a lost SOLDIER. Cloud tells him to go ask about Nibelheim at Seventh Heaven.
CI: Cloud
Mentions: Don Corneo

21. Evan goes to Seventh Heaven to ask Tifa about Nibelheim. She seems reluctant for him to go there, but shows him the route. He tells her he’s going to find his mother. She had been in the picture with Gould Arde. The man who had brought that photo to Tyran Arde was Foley.

22. Kyrie goes to see Reno and Rude to ask what they’ve done with Evan, thinking they’ve taken him or hurt him, and waits by Evan’s car until he gets back.

23. Evan goes to Leslie’s house in the slums to ask how to get to Don Corneo’s. He meets Marle, Leslie’s pregant girlfriend, who looks troubled when Evan mentions Corneo.
CI: Marle

24. Reno and Rude notice that Kyrie is still scared of them, which reminds them of Aerith.

25. Evan goes to see Corneo, now an old-looking man in a wheelchair, about getting fuel. He agrees and says it will be delivered to Edge. Corneo recognises Evan from a picture one of his men took off a bullitin board, which had been put there by Foley while he was looking for Evan. Evan takes two pictures from Corneo’s walls: one of Cloud, Tifa and Aerith, and one of Marle. On his way out Corneo says Evan can take as many pictures as he likes, because he has copies of them all. Evan rips up the pictures.
CI: Don Corneo, Corneo’s doorman

26. Evan goes back to Leslie’s house to apologise for taking the picture of Marle from Corneo’s in case something happens to him and Marle because of it. Leslie tells him not to worry, and how it was meeting him that made Leslie (a former man of Corneo’s), Fabio (robber) and Kyrie (general life of crime) mend their ways.

27. Doyle arrives at the site of the monument being built by Shinra to tell Reno that he, Throp and Keogh will be helping out with the construction (as a way to make up for the damage they caused when rescuing Throp). Doyle notices Evan’s truck he left with Reno to look at while he’s gone. Rude tells Reno he’s going to Midgar, where Tseng and Elena are going to get a helicopter.

28. Evan goes back to Seventh Heaven and gives the same apology he gave to Leslie about the picture he stole from Corneo. Tifa tells him that Kyrie was there earlier, and that she told her about Evan’s Nibelheim plan. Evan returns to his car to find Kyrie there, who is set to go with Evan on his trip.

29. While Rude is fixing one of the helicopters, Tseng tells him and Reno of their new project: to find Jenova. However, Reno notices someone was listening in on their discussion, and Tseng sends Elena to capture whoever it was.

30. Evan and Kyrie spend the night in the car, waiting for the fuel to be delivered in the morning. They are surprised when it’s Leslie who drops off the fuel, as well as weapons for Evan’s trip. He went back to Corneo pretending to want his old job back, but instead burns down Corneo’s house (Corneo himself survives). Evan and Kyrie get ready to set off together to Nibelheim.

Rest of the summaries cover the second half, “Who are you?”

31. On their way to Under Junon, Evan reflects on how he met Kyrie, Fabio and Leslie.
CI: Mireille Dudley (Kyrie’s grandmother)

32. Evan and Kyrie encounter a girl on a chocobo, asking about the medicine for Geostigma.
CI: girl on the chocobo

33. Rude falls victim to a failed attack by two men (Keogh and Fabio) while fixing the helicopter. Reno talks with Doyle about Shinra until he gets a call from Rude: Fabio and Keogh are dead.

34. While taking a break at a pond on the wastelands, Evan and Kyrie come face-to-face with a ‘red monster’. Evan’s attempts to get rid of it backfire when he shoots and blows up their own truck. Then Kyrie starts to sink into the water, now seemingly turning black.
CI: red, dog-like monster (Red XIII)

35. While following Evan in the helicopter, Rude and Reno reveal that it had been Doyle who was listening in on them, thinking Shinra were up to no good. When Fabio heard about the helicopter, he decided to take it to help Evan. Meanwhile Tseng and Elena are at a beach house in the newly rejuvenated Under Junon when they hear commotion outside. A young girl has been brought to the town by a talking red beast, which Tseng recognises as Red XIII. Tseng goes to the office of the town doctor, Dr. Eugene, and recognises the girl as Kyrie.

When Tseng goes back to Dr. Eugene’s, Kyrie has left. He finds her talking to a young man behind the doctor’s office. The boy has the same silver hair and the same eyes as Sephiroth–he introduces himself as Kadaj. He goes to shake Tseng’s hand, and as Kadaj leaves, both Kyrie and Tseng collapse. When they come to, Tseng warns Kyrie not to trust Kadaj, who Kyrie saw as an old acquaintance she thought had died in a fire, if he should appear again.

Reno and Rude, having found Evan, are bringing him to Junon. Tseng will use Evan and Kyrie in their search for Jenova.
CI: Dr. Eugene, Kadaj
Mentions: the former Turks, Hojo

36. On the helicopter ride to Junon, Evan sees Nanaki outside and thinks back on how he saved Kyrie and him. When they reach Junon, Kyrie, who thinks the Turks had something to do with Fabio’s death, suggests they try to escape. Their plan is cut short as soon as it began when Elena shoots Evan in the shoulder. While in Dr Eugene’s, Evan has a ‘dream’ where he sees Fabio, who touches the site of his injury. When he regains consciousness, Kyrie explains that he had been in surgery for five hours and in bed for two days, and the doctor said he might never get the full use of his arm back. However, Evan feels no pain or discomfort in his arm at all.

37. Although Evan is ready to give up on looking for his mother, Reno suggests to Tseng that they just whip him over to Nibelheim in the helicopter. Tseng agrees to this, but it is himself and Elena who will be going. Reno and Rude are to take over Tseng and Elena’s duties and wait for their former coworkers to report in.

38. Dr. Eugene is surprised to see Evan out of bed. His shoulder had been shattered, he should be in tremendous pain moving around, and he was supposed to be in restraints that he couldn’t have gotten out of himself. Elena tells them that the Turks will take them to Nibelheim. Evan no longer cares, but Kyrie wants to go to look for Gould Arde.

39. When they reach Nibelheim they are confronted by suspicious villagers and a bearded man with a guy–who Kyrie soon recognises as Gould Arde. He explains that Tyran Arde is his step-father, his real father having died in the war. They had never really been that close, and Gould has no plans on reuniting with Tyran.

As Evan is ready to leave, Kyrie asks Gould about Annette Townshend. He reveals that Foley had been distressed because, while he had feelings for Annette, she would not accept him because her son didn’t like him. Annette had stayed in Nibelheim not even a week before leaving due to work, before the day the Lifestream destroyed Meteor. Annette had been in charge of tending to the test subjects living in the village. Gould gives them a letter sent to Foley by Annette. The letter had been sent from Icicle Inn. Evan and Kyrie return to the helicopter and head north.
CI: Gould Arde

40. Back in Junon, Reno and Rude are still waiting for the old Turks when Doyle and Leslie arrive. They’ve come looking for Evan. The day before he died, Fabio had taken Vits to the doctor where he was told that Evan needed to be looked at urgently. Fabio considered Shinra the reason for his parents’ death, so would not just ask them for the helicopter and instead tried to steal it. Rude says they are going to go look for Evan.

41. While Tseng and Elena wait in the helicopter, Evan and Kyrie visit Icicle Inn. They go to the guesthouse to enquire about Annette Townshend, but the lady at the desk doesn’t know anything. However, she says the proprietress might, but that she isn’t in today. Evan and Kyrie stay at the guesthouse, and while Kyrie goes to get some things from the shop, Evan reads the letter from Annette. It reveals that the money she left at home was for Evan to have an operation. Annette had taken the job of being a ‘villager’ in Nibelheim for one year, with the possible penalty of death if she disclosed any secrets she learnt, in order to get money to pay for Evan’s operation. She sent her contract back to Foley when it seemed she was going to be staying away from Nibelheim for longer.

When Kyrie comes back, there is a knock at the door. The proprietress, Windey, has come to talk with Evan. Back in the helicopter, Tseng and Elena are listening in through a bug planted in Evan’s bag. Windey tells them about the strange people in black who appeared in the village two years earlier. Annette had come to take them back, but by the time she got there they had all headed further north. But two months later, Annette returned, saying she needed to carry out her work, and headed into the snow fields. She never came back. Windey tells Evan he shouldn’t go looking in the snow fields, as the eruption of Lifestream has left crevasses all over, many hidden by the snow.

Meanwhile Reno and Rude ask about Evan and the others at Nibelheim, but are met with an unwelcoming reception. As they are taking off, Reno notices another set of landing marks on the ground. He tries to contact Tseng, but to no avail.

Back at Icicle Inn, Tseng and Elena are now in the room adjacent to Evan and Kyrie’s, listening in on their conversation. Kyrie suggests Evan goes to Junon to find the doctor his mother mentioned, Dimitri. Tseng recognises the name–Dr. Eugene Dimitri.
CI: Windey, receptionist

42. When Evan and Kyrie seem to have come to the end of their conversation, Elena suggests Tseng gets some rest. He refuses and suggests Elena do so instead, but she seems to have little intention to do so. Tseng goes to the window and looks out… And there is that silver-haired young man looking directly at him. He makes up an excuse and goes outside.

While Kyrie is in the shower, Evan hears a knock at the window. Thinking it must be Tseng or Elena he goes over and wipes the condensation away to find ‘Fabio’ standing there. He tells Evan to come outside and talk to him, or else he’ll kill Kyrie. Evan goes, unarmed, out of the guesthouse. Elena soon follows him. Tseng makes it to the spot he saw Kadaj, but there are not even footprints where he was.

‘Fabio’ leads Evan to a small guards’ hut, where he says he wants to show Evan something. It’s the picture of Jenova he had seen in Dr. Drake’s office. There’s dark stains all over the picture–blood. Suddenly it’s Dr. Drake standing before him. He tells Evan how he had learnt Jenova was in the Shinra Building from the real Drake, only to find nothing there. He returned to Drake, feeling betrayed. For a second he saw in front of him a silver-haired man. He says it was him who took away Evan’s pain, thinking he would know something about Jenova. Taking the form of Evan’s mother, Kadaj undoes what he did before, leaving Evan in agonising pain.

Tseng finds Evan on the floor of the guards’ hut, but is attacked by Kadaj. Kadaj disappears when he realises that Tseng doesn’t know where Jenova is either. Elena follows the footsteps in the snow to Tseng and Evan.

43. With Tseng and Elena going to search for Kadaj, Evan rushes back to the guesthouse to check on Kyrie. Outside the room he hears voices coming from inside. Kyrie is talking with her old friend, Kadaj. But then there’s a gunshot, and Evan opens the door to find the silver-haired boy he’d seen before on the floor. Kyrie fires again and the man on reception comes rushing to see what is happening. Out of nowhere, Kadaj now has a sword in his hand, threatening to kill them. They manage to get out of the building, but Kadaj is right there, outside and in front of them. They start running but Kyrie stops. The guesthouse is on fire. Evan pulls Kyrie back up and heads for the entrance to the village.

Tseng and Elena had returned to the helicopter. Tseng is checking a rocket launcher as he asks Elena to contact Reno and Rude; turns out she already had let on where they were, and that the other helicopter is on its way now. Elena takes off towards the village, where Evan and Kyrie have just reached the guards’ hut as the helicopter reaches the village, when suddenly Kadaj leaps from the ground and onto the helicopter. As the helicopter begins to move north, Evan suggests that they can beat Kadaj.

44. Over the snow fields, Tseng and Elena are still fighting Kadaj, while Evan and Kyrie try to keep up. Evan has a plan to get Kadaj using the crevasses as a trap. But when looking up to find him, they hear a voice in front of them. Kadaj is standing there, and provokes Kyrie to lunge at him. Kadaj leaps out of the way, and Evan grabs Kyrie’s hand before she slipped. But suddenly, the snow beneath her feet crumbles away, leaving her hanging on to Evan’s hand. Just then Kadaj offers to help. Evan, unable to pull Kyrie up on his own, agrees. But Kadaj simply stabs Evan in the shoulder, as Kyrie falls to the bottom of the crevasse.

In the helicopter, Tseng is looking down on Kadaj, standing over Evan. He tells Elena to fire a missile. Elena hesitates and asks Tseng if he is serious, but Tseng gives the same reply.

Reno and Rude, along with Doyle and Leslie, arrive at their destination. Elena tells them to get ready to attack. Reno sets up a machine gun, but when he finally sees that Evan is down there, he is not willing to follow Tseng’s orders to fire. After Rude says a ‘malfunction’ cut off the radio, Tseng tells Elena that they will attack alone. He tells Elena to preform the attack, but she instead insists on piloting the helicopter.

Down on the ground, Evan hears Kyrie’s voice calling him. After Kadaj removes the blade from his shoulder, Evan slides himself towards the crevasse.

Rude spots Kyrie in the crevasse about 3 metres down, still alive. Leslie and Doyle try to shoot down Kadaj with the machine gun, hoping that with him gone they can save Evan and Kyrie. The bullets hit Kadaj, but have no effect, then he disappears. Reno and Rude turn to find him standing on the nose of the helicopter. He stabs the windscreen, shattering the glass. Rude veers the helicopter to the side and throws Leslie and Doyle out. He then takes the helicopter up higher, but Kadaj has gone. He’s now sitting in the back of the helicopter. Reno and Rude both jump from the helicopter. Once they’ve escaped, Tseng fires a missile at the other helicopter and explodes it.

45. Evan reaches Kyrie, but the force of the explosion cracks the ice apart and they both fall into the depth of the crevasse. However, they find themselves in a strange, bright white place surrounded by voices–the Lifestream. Eventually Evan wakes up to find himself and Kyrie in a pipe-like tunnel of ice, made two years ago when the Lifestream erupted. They make their way through this maze, looking for a way out.

Tseng tells Reno that he and Elena are going back to Under Junon, while Rude is going to Healin to get the third helicopter, in order to collect Reno, Doyle and Leslie who are looking for Evan and Kyrie.

Evan and Kyrie hit a dead-end, but Kyrie notices several shapes just ahead. They are bodies, all dressed in black, frozen and preserved. Also there is the body of Annette Townshend. When Kyrie checks her, she finds some letters she was carrying: a report to Foley about the escapee test subjects, a personal letter to Foley, and a note to Evan. Just as they are leaving, they notice one more item, a small warm mass wrapped in Annette’s handkerchief.

But as soon as they’ve turned around, they hear Kadaj’s voice behind them. As they try to outrun him they pass a hole leading into the Lifestream. Evan suggests that they jump in, but then the handkerchief falls to the ground and unravels. Inside is a piece of Jenova’s flesh. As Kadaj tries to grab it, Evan kicks it into the Lifestream. Kadaj jumps in to get it, but eventually is consumed by the Lifestream and vanishes into particles of light. Not long after, Leslie, Doyle and Reno find them.

Mentions: Vincent Valentine, Cid Highwind, Barrett Wallace
Test subjects: Kaitlin Starks, Edmond Starks, Trevor Shaun, Ezra Monty, Ian Modeus, Rick Fergus, Lisa Tutti, Senna York

46. The epilogue started off straight where the last chapter left off, but soon moves ahead to the end of/just after AC. Evan, Kyrie and Vits are now living together, and when the Lifestream spring appears in the church, they take Vits there to get cured.

No real cliffhangers, story over.

Also, a brief addendum: Cloud, Tifa, Marlene and Denzel briefly appear in the epilogue, where they converse with Evan, Kyrie and Vits outside the church. It’s mentioned that Cloud and co. will be holding a get-together at Seventh Heaven (AVALANCHE’s reunion party, when the new photo from AC/C’s ending was taken).

And with that, the summary is concluded.

We hope you enjoyed it, and have gained something of a handle on the new story. We also hope your appetite has been whet for hitoshura’s upcoming complete translation.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned. =)

Enjoy as we explore a Mayan pyramid, enter a sleeping forest via a village of bones, then solemnly end disc 1 with a tragic visit to a city made out of dried up coral reefs and giant sea shells.

Apologetic comment by Shademp: My odd pronounciation of the word “Reactor”, although similar to the Swedish way of saying it, was actually influenced by instances of hearing Serbian accents in documentaries. I am fully capable of pronouncing it correctly in English, but for some reason my mind played tricks on me here.

Complementary info to Part 45: Click here to see the Black Materia field model up close, as it is presented in Makou Reactor. As you all can see, it is FAR from spherical.

Correction to Part 46: Contrary to what Tennyo says, Cait Sith actually does not ditch you right before the “Demons Gate” battle. He stays with you through the battle.

If you want to participate in this commentary, don’t hesitate to join the forums and ask.

More, as always, after the break.

For the record, I was incorrect about ‘W’ in this video, as it was W in the original, though other games in the series did follow the X= double format.

And remember, if you want to join us, don’t hesitate to join the forums and ask.

The product info of the book, also from Square Enix’s e-shop, translated by Hitoshura, reveals the following:

Reno and Rude. The universally loved Shinra Company is back!

2 years since that fateful day.
Evan and Kyrie are two young people among a group running a detective agency in Edge, a city that has sprung up in the wastelands.
Following these two, Reno and Rude from the Turks as well as the heroes from FFVII such as Cloud and Tifa return in a new story!

(*dialogue by unspecified speaker*)
Well that doesn’t look too safe.
Guys like him die for some real stupid reasons.
Remember when we used to be like that?
Hey, partner?

The young staff of the Mireille Detective Agency advertise their business with a particular gimmick: “We Read the Lifestream”
During a certain case, they come into contact with the Shinra Company’s Investigation Sector of the General Affairs Department, commonly known as the Turks.
A brand-new full-length novel focusing on the Turks, as they aim to restore their company in order to repay a debt to the world, and a group of young people living in a world in ruins.

So this book definitely takes place after the original game. What will this book reveal?! Is the guy on the cover Evan? Stay tuned.

Source:
Square Enix’s Gamebooks Info Site

The product details give us these stats on the book:

Release Date: December 15th, 2011
Cost: 1,470 yen
Page Count: 338
Genre: Novel

It is written by veteran Final Fantasy scenario writer, Kazushige Nojima. Illustrations are done by Shou Tajima, whose previous work related to FFVII seems limited to a drawing of Cloud for Square Enix’s manga magazine, Shonen Gangan.
Source: FF7citadel

What role will this play in the expanded universe of Final Fantasy VII? When will it take place? Expect TLS to analyse the contents of this book once it has been released.

Thanks to forum member Suzaku for bringing this book to our attention!

Read this article, that’s what!

I’m going to take all the work out of it on your end and lay everything out for you, the fans, to digest in a simple, easy-to-follow manner. So, the next time you’re in a debate about FFVII with HeartlessAngel527 or FlowerGoddess777 and they begin to reference Cloud’s wing, Aerith waiting around for a certain spikey-haired emo kid, or other stuff you know doesn’t belong, you can go all Phoenix Wright on them.

So, click “Read the rest of this entry” and let’s get started.

The Canon
First, let’s list in order of publication all the FFVII games that have come out since 1997 and the release of the original FFVII:
-Before Crisis (2004)
-Final Fantasy VII Snowboarding (2005)
-Dirge of Cerberus (2006)
-Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode (2006)
-Crisis Core (2007)

Next, we’ll list all FFVII movies, also in their order of publication:
-Advent Children (2005)
-Last Order (2005)
-Advent Children Complete (2009)
-On the Way to a Smile: Case of Denzel (2009)

Next up, a list of FFVII novels and novellas:
-The diary-like entries by several characters in the FFVII Kaitai Shinsho The Complete guide book (1997)
-Maiden Who Travels the Planet (2005)
-On the Way to a Smile:
Case of Denzel (2005)
Case of Tifa (2005)
Case of Barret (2007)
Case of Tifa (revised edition; 2009)
Case of Yuffie (2009)
Case of Nanaki (2009)
Case of Shin-Ra (2009)
Case of the Lifestream Black (2009)
Case of the Lifestream White (2009)
-Lateral Biography TURKS -The Kids Are Alright- (2011)

Finally, a list of other games that include FFVII characters or plot elements also found in FFVII:
-Final Fantasy Tactics (1997)
-Ehrgeiz (1998)
-Chocobo Racing (1999)
-Final Fantasy X (2001)
-Kingdom Hearts series (began in 2002)
-Final Fantasy X-2 (2003)
-Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Special (2004)
-Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable (2006)
-Dissidia Final Fantasy series (began in 2008)

Before going into the whys and wherefores concerning some titles being canon and others not, I will now give you the list of titles that are canon to the FFVII story:
-Before Crisis
-Dirge of Cerberus
-Crisis Core
-Advent Children Complete
-On the Way to a Smile (all of them)
-Lateral Biography TURKS -The Kids Are Alright-
-Final Fantasy Tactics
-Final Fantasy X
-Final Fantasy X-2
-Dissidia Final Fantasy series

Now, let’s move on to those whys and wherefores. First, let’s refresh on what the term “canon” means.

What does “canon” mean?
The word is derived from the Greek word “kanon,” meaning “rule,” “standard” or “measure.” Itself derived from the Hebrew word “kaneh,” it first came into use in its modern meaning from the councils who decided the ecclesiastical laws and official texts of the Catholic Church, those becoming the canon laws and texts.

Eventually adapted from that concept, canon for a fictional universe — or the franchise that depicts it — is what is considered to be the official continuity. For an illustration of this concept, let’s turn to the franchise that pioneered criteria for determining such matters where fictional universes are concerned.

Meet George Lucas, or Your Lord And Savior as he likes to be called

“Star Wars” is George Lucas’s creation, and — being officially licensed creations as they are — while he might take elements added to the so-called Expanded Universe of “Star Wars” by other authors, only those titles with direct involvement or approval from Lucas himself are considered the “absolute canon, the real story of ‘Star Wars’” as Stephen J. Sansweet, Director of Content Management and Head of Fan Relations for Lucasfilm, has referred to it. Though distinctions may become difficult at times due to the Expanded Universe featuring a great many products that are all officially licensed by Lucasfilm even while Lucas himself has no direct involvement in their creation (consequently, the overall franchise has a tiered hierarchy with levels of canonicity rather than a strictly in-or-out policy), comments from Lucas in the May 2008 issue of “Total Film” magazine make the matter quite simple: “… the movies and TV shows are all under my control and they are consistent within themselves.”

With that comment as the basis for determining absolute “Star Wars” canon, the overall definitive canon of the franchise is the seven films (“The Phantom Menace,” “Attack of the Clones,” “The Clone Wars,” “Revenge of the Sith,” “A New Hope,” “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi”), as well as the animated series “Star Wars: Droids,” “Star Wars: Ewoks,” and both the “Clone Wars” and “The Clone Wars.”

Information from interviews with Lucas or his production notes also fall under this umbrella, as do any deleted scenes from the films that are not in conflict with the final products. In the event of new Lucas-involved media — including rereleases of past films — that introduce new material or contradict previous facts, the newer material is considered to replace the old, and the most current vision of events becomes the new canon.

Though there is disagreement among fans about the exact mechanics of it all where Expanded Universe titles are concerned, a simple standard often followed is that EU titles can be considered in-continuity so long as they do not contradict established facts from the Lucas-involved works. However, due to his lack of involvement, they are at risk for being written out of continuity altogether — “decanonized” is the term often used — in the event that Lucas puts out a new work with elements that don’t correlate to those in the EU material. Without the overall protection of being a work from Lucas himself, those elements of contradiction call into question the rest of the work, and — unless otherwise afforded a place in the official continuity by a comment to that effect from Lucas — the entire work itself is considered struck from canon, or decanonized.

Lucas himself keeps the concept even more simple than that. As far as he’s concerned, there’s two “Star Wars” continuities — the universe he works on, and the parallel Expanded Universe, which includes all the details of his own continuity, as well as those added by other authors. As he put it in an August 2005 interview with “Starlog” magazine, “When I said [other people] could make their own ‘Star Wars’ stories, we decided that, like ‘Star Trek’, we would have two universes: My universe and then this other one.”

I know a fast way to increase the Midichlorian count in your bloodstream

Due to examining the “Star Wars” franchise, we’re unavoidably getting a bit far afield of the idea in its most general terms, so the concept of canon as it applies to fiction is best summarized as follows: it is the official continuity of a fictional universe as recognized by the franchise’s owners and/or creators, in which the most recent depiction of events is considered to be the current version.

Obviously, it can become a bit tricky for situations where the original creator no longer holds ownership rights to the creation and it’s then taken in different directions than the creator intended, but these standards generally work pretty well. Also, while one might think it becomes more difficult to make determinations about canon when dealing with products such as Final Fantasy VII, where the finished product was the work of several core creators and is also owned by a company that they merely work for, it can actually be much easier, for reasons we’re about to see.

Now that we have a standard for determining canonicity, we’ll begin applying it to the various FFVII-related media in order to establish why the list given earlier is the definitive canon of the franchise.

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!

The Planet, Jenova, & Genesis after [ ν ] – εуλ 0010

Each living being’s sprit/will is composed of Spiritual Energy that returns to the current known as the Lifestream upon death. It also appears that the Lifestream forms over time from cellular degradation and decomposition, as each individual cell is technically also living. That explains why there are still bodies left behind when some people die, but others are seen breaking down directly into Lifestream (likely due to accelerated cellular degradation). This Spiritual Energy of the Lifestream is not entirely ethereal, and it maintains some physical presence within the biology. It’s this current that likely also allows them to utilize Materia, as well as protects the Planet and its life forms. The model of a spiritual energy current that exists within each life form and protects them from harm, before returning to the Planet until it brings life to a new being, is a microcosm of the Planet’s role in the Cosmos. Essentially all life is a part of this cycle of spiritual energy.

Gaia refers to the world of Final Fantasy VII. It is the location at which the entity known as “the Planet” currently resides. A “Planet” is a massive entity composed entirely of this Spiritual Energy. These entities travel from world to world throughout the cosmos, bringing life to anywhere they inhabit. These Planets have a built in mechanism that, if certain conditions are met, it gathers all its energies from the life forms on the world, and departs, leaving it as a lifeless husk, and roams the stars for a new planetary shell, much like the spiritual current in the Lifestream finds new life. This means that all Planets (with life forms), are also living beings. The Cetra were able to speak with the Planet, whereas this talent is slowly lost over time to Humans. The life of the Planet is one of the core themes of Final Fantasy VII, with the ShinRa Company not believing in the Lifestream as a part of a living entity, but just harvesting it as a natural resource to generate Mako. It is literally and figuratively the fuel behind the conflict with ShinRa and AVALANCHE. In Advent Children, Rufus (and thereby the remains of ShinRa) slowly changes from referring to “the world” as “the Planet” as he comes to accept the Planet as a living entity, and eventually funding the W.R.O. to restore life on Gaia, and heal the Planet.

As an entity, the Planet never directly receives a name, and is only referred to as “the Planet.” It does manifest an avatar as the embodiment of its will (or the will of the Lifestream), in the form of Minerva, also referred to as the goddess. She is only seen in Crisis Core, and it is the only point at which the Planet is shown to display an avatar of its own will. Sephiroth attempts to use the large surge of Lifestream at the Northern Crater to forcibly take control of the Planet in the final battle of Final Fantasy VII, when he becomes Safer Sephiroth.

It seems that when any entity takes up the mantle of the will of the Lifestream, they physically change to represent this by obtaining 6 white wings. Sephiroth is shown to possess 6 symmetrical wings on his lower body, in addition to his large black Jenova wing. This is almost identical to the wings on the Goddess Status where Minerva appears. Minerva also possesses the 6 wings, though they appear on the wheel-like structure on her back. (Omega WEAPON possesses 4 main wings and 2 smaller ones on its head, though this may be due to the fact that it is artificially being triggered prematurely, in addition to the fact that it’s not joined with Chaos, who possesses the other two wings).

The encounter with Minerva marks the only time that the Planet directly makes contact with any being on Gaia that is not a Cetra. While Bugenhagen, the people at Cosmo Canyon, and Nanaki’s race all listen to the cries of the Planet, it is never indicated that any of them are directly addressed. The fact that Genesis is the only being to receive this contact, and he possesses the powers of Jenova is something that is incredibly significant.

The below is a paraphrase of the information in the Crisis Core Complete Guide, where the development team talk about Minerva. It is also the only the only point that Genesis’ motivations after the events of Dirge of Cerberus are hinted at.

The WEAPONs

Final Fantasy VII: Ilfana speaking about the WEAPONs to Prof. Gast
“The Planet produced WEAPON… But it was no longer necessary to use it.”
“WEAPON cannot vanish. …It remains asleep somewhere on the Planet.”
“Even though Jenova is confined, it could come back to life at some time…”
“The Planet has not fully healed itself yet. It is still watching Jenova.”

The Planet’s main form of self-defense are the WEAPONs. They exist for the sole purpose of eliminating anything the Planet deems as evil. They are created when Jenova first arrives, but once she is sealed into stasis by the Cetra, the WEAPONs are no longer needed, and enter a state of suspended animation. They continue to exist, because Jenova still exists. In before Crisis, Zirconaide’s summoning triggers the awakening of Jade WEAPON. Final Fantasy VII, the rest of them are awakened by Meteor, as it is a trigger to the same events that brought Jenova. They begin attacking the humans, due to the damage that they were causing the Planet through the Mako reactors.

Final Fantasy VII: Hojo quoting Professor Gast on the WEAPONs
” ‘…WEAPON. Monsters created by the Planet. It appears when the Planet is in danger, reducing everything to nothingness.’ That’s what was stated in Professor Gast’s report.”

All of these primary defense WEAPONs are defeated during [ ν ] – εуλ 0007 – 0008. Jade WEAPON is defeated by the Rogue Turks. Sapphire WEAPON is destroyed at Junon, when it’s shot in the face by the canon. Diamond Weapon is killed outside of Midgar, when the Sister Ray is fired directly through it. Ruby and Emerald WEAPONs are assumed to have been defeated by Cloud & Co, as is Ultima WEAPON. The Planet no longer seems to be capable of creating new WEAPONs to replace those that are destroyed. This is likely a combination of the wound at North Crater, in combination with the Mako Reactors weakening it. With Holy not completely stopping Meteor, this means that the Planet’s only defense against is by using the Lifestream itself as a weapon to destroy it.

Doing this leaves the Planet in a weakened state. With the injury from the original impact at North Crater never healing, in addition to the Mako Reactors, and being forced to directly use raw Lifestream as a weapon, the Planet is in a highly weakened state, even with the almost total abandonment of Mako energy by the events of Advent Children. This is likely what allows Sephiroth to spread Geostigma and the Negative Lifestream to attempt to defeat the Planet. After all of this, the plot during Dirge of Cerberus forcing the premature deployment of Omega WEAPON, causes it to conflict with Chaos, resulting in its destruction. As a result, all of the Planet’s natural methods of self-defense are exhausted, though luckily Jenova’s capabilities are also significantly reduced. It is this point when Genesis is awakened. To understand the possible reasons behind this, first we need to understand more about Jenova.

]]> http://thelifestream.net/final-fantasy-vii/6418/planet_jenova_genesis_fananalysis/feed/ 36 http://thelifestream.net/square-enix/6323/new-ffvii-merchandise-sephiroths-eau-de-toilette/ http://thelifestream.net/square-enix/6323/new-ffvii-merchandise-sephiroths-eau-de-toilette/#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 13:49:16 +0000 Dark and Divine http://thelifestream.net/?p=6323  

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

]]> http://thelifestream.net/square-enix/6323/new-ffvii-merchandise-sephiroths-eau-de-toilette/feed/ 29 http://thelifestream.net/final-fantasy-vii/6308/nobuo-uematsu-gets-dedicated-piano-album-on-major-classical-label/ http://thelifestream.net/final-fantasy-vii/6308/nobuo-uematsu-gets-dedicated-piano-album-on-major-classical-label/#comments Mon, 17 May 2010 20:31:05 +0000 Makoeyes987 http://thelifestream.net/?p=6308 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.

]]> http://thelifestream.net/final-fantasy-vii/6308/nobuo-uematsu-gets-dedicated-piano-album-on-major-classical-label/feed/ 1 http://thelifestream.net/on-the-way-to-a-smile/6291/tls-presents-on-the-way-to-a-smile-audiobooks-official-trailer/ http://thelifestream.net/on-the-way-to-a-smile/6291/tls-presents-on-the-way-to-a-smile-audiobooks-official-trailer/#comments Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:11:39 +0000 Cthulhu http://thelifestream.net/?p=6291 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).

]]> http://thelifestream.net/on-the-way-to-a-smile/6291/tls-presents-on-the-way-to-a-smile-audiobooks-official-trailer/feed/ 24 http://thelifestream.net/final-fantasy-vii/6218/now-for-something-new-user-submitted-editorials/ http://thelifestream.net/final-fantasy-vii/6218/now-for-something-new-user-submitted-editorials/#comments Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:09:55 +0000 Ryushikaze http://thelifestream.net/?p=6218

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.

Experience

I will first start off by saying that I have not been a fan of Final Fantasy VII as long as many people here.  I only saw it a few years ago when a friend showed it to me in Japan.  When she played the game she played so that Cloud loved Aerith.  Many choices came up to have Cloud love Tifa, but she always was nice to Aerith.  To me this game was showing a man who fell in love with a girl he met, then lost her at the hands of evil.  But he still wished to see her and look for her in the end of the game.  It was very sweet.   I remember my friend telling me that some parts will change if you have Cloud love someone else, like Tifa.

One day I looked up what parts of the game would be changed if Cloud loved Tifa.  I was surprised to find out that not that much changed.  The two important scenes that would change would be the dating scene, and scene with Cloud and Tifa under the Highwind.  This is normally called the Highwind scene. If Cloud loves Tifa, the Highwind scene will have small amount of possible romance in it but it is unclear how the scene end.  The ending to the game is always the same.  Cloud will say that he wants to seek or find Aerith again.  To me this showed that, even if you played the game to make Cloud love Tifa, that would not matter because in the end, the game chose Aerith for you.

When I saw the movie, Advent Children, it made sense that Cloud and Tifa did not seem to have any romance going on.  Cloud seemed to focus on Aerith, even living in the church he met her in.  He wanted to find her, to see her again, and when he did, he was able to fight again.   While I do not think that if Cloud and Tifa were lovers, that Tifa could just make Cloud feel better after his hard life, I did think that Cloud living in the church and wanting to see Aerith just one more time was very extreme for just a friend that he lost.  Zack died too, but Aerith was still the one he was trying to find.  The end of the movie has Cloud smile at Aerith as she smiles back.

It is because of this, I always thought that Aerith was Cloud’s true love and did not see that in Tifa and Cloud.  When I moved to where I am now, I was able to find a copy of Final Fantasy VII for kind of cheap, so I bought it.  I played it like my friend did and was fine with that.  I have never played the game so that Cloud loves Tifa, but I’ve from what I read it does not matter that much.

The second thing I want to start off with is that living in another culture has taught me how important experience is.  Many times, someone’s experience will reflect on what conclusion they come to.  The right conclusion for some, might not be right for others.  What seems clear to some, may not to others.  This does not mean there is not ever a right or wrong, and in many cases there is a right and wrong, but even right and wrong can be up to a person’s experience.

The final thing I will say to start off with is that sometimes stories do not end up how we wanted to.  This does not mean we can not enjoy them, or that they are bad.  It just means things do not always happen how we want them to. Sometimes we lose things, even ideas, but then we have to remember what we do have and enjoy that.

Hate

When I first came to the Northern Crater from a youtube link I found, I did not know that this war had been going on for so long.  There seems to be a lot of hate for both sides.  I don’t think there should be this hate.  My dad likes Cloud and Tifa together, and I like Cloud and Aerith but we don’t hate.  Because of this hate I almost did not want to respond to this, but both sides seem to want the truth, so I will give them what I know.

Conclusions

So, the Clotis want to say they win with this new scan.  I am not sure how one can really win or lose with this, but to make everything easy I will say this to start off .  If this page saying that Cloud and Tifa shared romance under the Highwind is what would make Clotis win, I would have no choice but to say they win.  I did not think Cloud and Tifa were together when I watched the movie, or when I read Case of Lifestream White.  But I did kind of think it was possible after reading some texts in the Reunion Files.  A line in Reunion Files says Tifa is a sweetheart (Japanese word, koibito) to someone.  Now it does not say a name, so you would have to look somewhere else to find the answer.  On this new scan, it says Tifa and Cloud verify feelings, and the feelings would be of romantic love.  It also does not mention a low or high version of the scene Under the highwind, just that they verify feelings.  This would make them sweethearts or koibito to each other.

I have been asked if the feelings match.  I do not disagree with the other translation I have seen, but I do think that in this case 合う is not on its own.  It is part of the verb 確かめ.  In this case 合う means they confirmed what they feel together.  They feel it together and that is what they are confirming.   This is how I read the statement but I would not say it is impossible for me to be wrong.  I have also been asked if these feelings are not romantic.  The page is about romantic love, so yes they are romantic feelings.  There is a box at the bottom that talks about family and brotherly kind of love, and FFVII is not talked about.  So Cloud and Tifa are sharing romantic love for sure.

I have seen relationship charts, but to me they seem to be doubtful.  The one had the phrase “more than friends, less than lovers” with a question mark for Cloud and Tifa.  It also showed Aerith’s picture and had a question mark after her name.  Other charts do not tell us for sure if two people share romance even when it is obvious that they do.   Other charts do not show love at all with any characters.   I have also seen Nomura say that he is not sure if Cloud and Tifa got together after FFVII or not, but many later interviews have more different answers.

My best conclusion on this entire love triangle is that it was meant to be guessed at early on, but they slowly began to give us clues to the answer.  This page is a big clue.  We know Cloud and Tifa share romance for each other, and we can guess that they got together after FFVII.  There is an interview where Nojima states that things did not go well at the start, but this is where Advent Children happens.  Then, Marlene and Denzen might help them work it out.  It is unclear what happens after Advent Children with Cloud and Tifa, so this is when we make our own conclusions from our experience.

Winning and Losing

So, does this mean I lost?  No, it does not mean I lost.  It seems very silly for this to be about winning and losing.  I did not talk to friends about this to win or lose.  I wanted to talk about ideas and theories, so that is what I did.  I do not feel that I lost anything.  I think the real people who lose, are the people who think this is about winning and losing.  I feel more like I won.  I have made new friends, and this event has helped me improve my writing and reading, which is something I needed.   So if you want to say you win because of a scan, go ahead.

What do you win?  Do you get a new car?  Do you have better health?  Do you get a lot of money?  No, you do not get anything.  Don’t be so silly and enjoy what you have instead of trying to win everything.

The End of Cloud and Aerith?

No this is not the end.  Do not even think something like that.  First of all, in the scan, there is also a picture of Cloud and Aerith on a date.  The text below it tells us that one of Cloud’s company will invite him on a date and it could be anyone dependent on Cloud’s behavior.  To me this seems to be almost dismissing the date scene as nothing, but I would not say that they are dismissing Cloud and Aerith or saying they do not matter.  The text at the top of the page talks about the heroes of the game.  Both Aerith and Tifa are heroes in FFVII and even though there text says anyone can come, the picture is of Cloud and Aerith.  If this date scene was not important, it would be be pictured at all.  If Aerith was not important, she would not be there.

The story did not end up how I would have thought or how I wanted.  But people who think that if Cloud and Tifa got together, Cloud did not love Aerith seem to be missing something.  Cloud and Aerith have a special bond.  It was not something anyone else in Avalanche had with her.  There are statements that say that Cloud and Aerith’s bond was different than the one Cloud and Tifa have.  We are always being reminded of this.  Case of Lifestream White is a good example.  Aerith is still willing to call Cloud her sweetheart or koibito, even though it is after FFVII.  The one thing she is worried about is making sure Cloud is safe.  Cloud is similar in that the thing that mattered to him the most was his forgiveness from Aerith.  It was not until he got forgiveness that he was able to fight again.  When asked what was most important to him, Cloud thought of Aerith first.  What Cloud and Aerith have may not be completely based around romance, but it is based around a strong bond and a strong love, that no one else has with her.  He feels this and he knows this and this is why he wishes to see her again at the end of the game.

Am I saying that Aerith is more important to Cloud than Tifa?  Well, this is where we need to find our own conclusions, but I want to say this.  Cloud and Tifa being romantically involved does not make the bond that Cloud and Aerith share any less special.  If Cloud was with one hundred girls it would not make their bond any less special.   Their bond was one of the main ideas of the game, and one of the main ideas of the movie and will continue to be a main ideas.  It is not something that should be ignored or just thrown away.

Will Cloud stay with Tifa?   Again, we need to make our own conclusions, but I want to say it again that whether he does or not, does not make what he shares with Aerith any less special.  Aerith will always be there to watch over Cloud, and to realize that and to understand that really does make me feel like I won.  People who miss this idea or just think Cloud and Aerith have nothing are the ones who really lost.

These are my thoughts and conclusions on this whole love triangle based on what information I know.  Will I change my mind?  It is possible, it has changed once.  I thank you for reading and hope that I helped people who might have been having trouble or were confused.  I am sorry if I made anyone angry or sad, but remember what I said, it is not about winning or losing.  It is about love and a strong bond that two people share.  And that is something I can enjoy and something I think anyone can enjoy.    So have fun with your game and the love the characters have, and remember, it is not about winning or losing.  It’s about the experience you share with each other and the conclusion you come to in the end.  And I wish you all good luck with both and once again, thank you for listening.

]]> http://thelifestream.net/final-fantasy-vii/6218/now-for-something-new-user-submitted-editorials/feed/ 20 http://thelifestream.net/final-fantasy-vii/6162/translations-from-the-ff-20th-anniversary-ultimania-for-the-one-i-love/ http://thelifestream.net/final-fantasy-vii/6162/translations-from-the-ff-20th-anniversary-ultimania-for-the-one-i-love/#comments Sun, 24 Jan 2010 15:43:52 +0000 Squall_of_SeeD http://thelifestream.net/?p=6162
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.

FOR THE ONE I LOVE
Through the long journeys, the love of the protagonists develop. Occasionally they become separated, but the two’s value to one another gives them the great strength to overcome whatever crisis may come.

III – The diligent soldier and the meek princess
The love between the soldier and princess of Sasune Castle was divided by social status; Ingus tried to supress his feelings, but Sara would not hide hers.

IV – World just for the two of us
When rescuing Rosa, Cecil frankly declares his true feelings. The two reunited, they tightly embrace for all eyes to see.

VI – Result of the chance encounter
The imperial general and the anti-empire organization member — Celes and Locke’s relation to one another is like ships passing in the night; it’s a long period before they get to communicate their feelings completely.

VII – Secret date
At the Gold Saucer, Cloud receives an invitation from one of his companions. Who comes around with the invitation is dependent on Cloud’s behavior.

VII – The night before the final battle
Thanks to Tifa, Cloud regains himself, and before the final battle with Sephiroth, without using words, he confirms with her that their feelings match.

VIII – Witch Rinoa’s knight
Just before she can be sealed due to being a witch, Squall retakes Rinoa. “I don’t care that you’re a witch” are his words to her, putting her mind at ease.

IX – For the one I must protect
Beatrix becomes the woman to whom Steiner will let no harm befall. For his homeland’s protection and for hers, Steiner brandishes his sword.

IX – Guidance on an investigation of life
Zidane left the company of his companions in front of the Iifa Tree. He survived for the sake of going back to “the place I’ll return to someday,” where the one he loves was waiting for him.

X – Macalania Spring
Yuna is betrayed by the temples she had completely believed in and had made the foundation of her life. Tidus decides to comfort her in this way.

Extra Thread
Scenes involving “love” other than romantic love
In the “FF” series, there’s not just the romantic love between men and women; there are various forms of love depicted. In “FFV,” there’s familial love between Galuf and Krile, as well as the brotherly love between Edgar and Sabin depicted in “FFVI”; and in “FFIX,” there’s an instance of love between Eiko and Mog that goes beyond race. Also, in “FFVI,” there’s the scene where Terra recovers her ability to fight and comes to understand the emotion called “love”; when talking about “love,” this is a scene that shouldn’t be left out.

During the event where Terra recovers her ability to fight, she regains her power and says “I’ll fight to protect the people I love”; she then throws herself back into battle.

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