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.

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Over the years, it’s become hard work for FFVII fans to keep up with what’s supposed to be canon and what isn’t. Amidst all the games, movies, novellas, guide books, and alternate universe titles, what’s a FFVII fan to do?

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.

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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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The final round of voting has ended, and the most memorable moment of the Compilation of FFVII has been decided. Throughout the contest, there seemed to have been a decisive struggle between Zack and Aerith’s death vying for the number one spot in each bracket of voting. Now, a decisive winner has emerged from this…..lover’s postmortem rivalry. (A big thanks to our forum user Glaurung for this hilarious and adorable fanart XD)

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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!

Apparently Cloud Strife is continuing his foray into digital modeling and merchandising with the release of his new brand name cologne, “Cloud Strife.” The new cologne was showcased at Tokyo Gameshow 2009 in the Square Enix Merchandise booth. A bottle of the FFVII hero’s scent is going for 6,800 yen. No word for when it’ll be released over seas.

Because nothing says you’re SO CASH, than smelling like an JRPG hero from 1997! Although I am curious as to what this stuff would smell like…Thanks to Tennyo for bringing this.. rare gem of S-E news to our attention. Oh, and don’t worry female fans, the cologne is apparently unisex, so you can get in on Cloud’s sexy aura too. Glad to know Cloud’s still swinging both ways 12 years later.

Source: Destructoid Site

Ahh, the Love Triangle of Final Fantasy VII. It is arguably, the most passionately discussed topic of all of FFVII fandom. Going by the comments on this site, at least.

Today, we post the next article from his FAQ, written by Squall_of_SeeD. In this one, he’ll analyze the hot button topic of Cloud’s feelings and affections for the two heroines of FFVII: Aerith and Tifa. What do the creators and story have to say regarding Cloud’s feelings for the two? Anything? Squall_of_SeeD gives us the answer.

With great pleasure, we host this controversial, yet well written and insightful analysis. Enjoy!

EDIT: As expected, Squall_of_SeeD and I have received lot’s of feedback, both positive and negative, regarding this article. Squall_of_SeeD decided that it was necessary to address several of the additional points and critiques of his analysis that were mentioned, and with that, he has amended several portions of his FAQ regarding his analysis. You can read the newly edited article below.

EDIT2: Squall_of_SeeD is such a slave driver making me update this FAQ again, today, the eve of Halloween. But he’s just a stickler for completion. So again. Take a look at what else has been added XD

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The reunion tracks album has been released in Japan today!

For the next few days, we’ll be posting articles on various topics regarding FFVII, written by Squall_of_SeeD. You may recognize this name. He has authored several other in-depth, and well written FAQs on Final Fantasy and its elements. Whether it’s disproving the speculation of Ultimecia being Rinoa Heartily of the future, comparing the thematic similarities between FFVII and FFIX or explaining the origins of the remnants of Sephiroth, Squall_of_SeeD’s analyses dissect and offer incredible insight in some of the more intricate plot elements of Final Fantasy.

It’s with great pleasure we host the first segment of his FAQ here, that answers some of the frequently asked questions and plot points regarding FFVII and the Compilation. You’ll be able to read the entirety of his FAQ on Gamefaqs where he will host the entire FAQ, which will include this information and much more. So for now, enjoy the first post in this series!
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Another big thanks to Xcomp who has translated another entry from the On the Way to a Smile collection. Case of Yuffie. You can read the story below and find the rest of his translation work here and also his accompanying thoughts on Yuffie’s novella here. Enjoy!

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