You've ruined my mission statement, get out of my sight.
Surrender now or prepare to fight!
Fanfiction: We discuss Megpie71's humor piece, Nesa Conway's Notes For New Staff, move over to our very own Kinoae's backstory flow of conscious piece Psych Eval and end with yur_makin_me_sober's Mini Me
Fan Art: Pixel has done an amazing sketch of Aerith that we show off, as well as re-highlighting Team-Wingless's stunning "Bic Art". At Pixel's recommendation, I also share an Aerith's burial cosplay piece from Adella.
Fan Music: Going old-school here by showcasing some of my old favorite OC Remix's. First off the incredible medley Fire Cross by LulzA, moving into a more somber piece Rain in Chicago an interpretation of FF8's Blue Fields by Ziwtra, and then finish off with an incredible electronica remix of Forgotten Capitol from FF7 - Space Station of the Ancients by Mazedude.
Fan Video: We start off with The Lifestream's very own audiobook series of the OTWAS, most importantly the most recent one Case of Shinra - Part 3. Then, since we clearly have not seen enough fan reaction videos we showcase the Fine Bros and their Youtuber's React To The FF7 Remake. Finally a tuber by the name of LethalChris Drawing did a fan art how to video about drawing Cloud Strife.
Fan Novella- This section is where I will once per episode showcase a longer piece that will take you some time to complete. I am briefly going to plug The Jenova Project which I have done before, but I also talk about Penfeather's Feathers In The Maelstrom, one of the first FF7 fanfictions I ever read.
Parting Shot- Where I showcase one final piece before leaving in any category. This time, at Licoriceallsort's suggestion, it will be FFJason and his stop motion videos Advent Play Arts. Yeahh....
Blending some truly on point humor with an oddly clinical tone, Nesa Conway's Notes For New Staff showcases an interesting way of telling a story without the use of ordinary prose. Written as exactly what the title offers- a collection of handy notes for the new secretarial staff- Megpie71 gives an incredible amount of humorous insight into the characters. If you are familiar with the SCP creepypasta stories, you might be familiar with this manner of story-telling. And yes, in spite of these being notes there is a definite story. Megpie71 informs me that this is part of an over-arching series which I hope to be able to cover in future. In the meantime, give it a read and prepare to laugh at what outside observers think about Angeal, Genesis, Sephiroth, Zack, Dr. Hojo and even Reno!
Reno getting a psych evaluation may seem like an opportunity for some ripe comedy, but Desha plays it straight. There is a comedic hook (it's Reno after all), but it serves as little more than comic relief to what is ultimately a rather serious story. Reno is being evaluated and is asked questions about everything under the sun. While his answers are brief, his internal monologue tells his winding and sordid backstory including the fate of his parents, how he really feels about his comrades and what life is like for him as a Turk. It's true to character, complete with his personal dismissal of the offer of help, and is a very well-rounded story.
Mini Me
By: yur_makin_me_sober
Category: Humor
Words: 906
Now this is a short but sweet one. Admittedly it takes a somewhat esoteric sense of humor, but I'd give it a read. The premise is that Reno comes across a small plushie version of himself with a pull string that makes him say various Reno quotes. His first thought, apart from confusion and mild amusement, is to use this to play a prank on Tseng. Because, reasons. The humor all the way through is light and sedated, yur_makin_me_sober doesn't really go too over-the-top with the concept which actually I prefer. The punchline is worth it I think with a pretty cute little jab from Tseng to seal the deal. Give it a read!
Fan Art
See Full-Size Image Title of Work: Aerith Portrait
By: white-materia [Pixel]
Category: Pencil Sketch
Who says you need color to make an evocative picture? With just some graphite white-materia makes an incredibly detailed portrait of Aerith Gainsborough. The precision and attention to detail is marvelous, particularly in the shading and texturing. I can feel Aerith's jacket. Also note how you can see each strand of hair and can tell exactly where the light source is at first glance. It really is a remarkable piece.
See The Images
Title of Work: Final Fantasy Bic Art
by: Team-Wingless
Category: Pen Sketch
Many of you will have already had a chance to check these out, but for those who haven't, what are you waiting for? With a very steady hand, Team-Wingless etched these masterpieces with ballpoint pen on moleskin, starting with a piece with Zack and Cloud and moving through a variety of other pictures. My personal favorite is Kefka, utilizing black, blue and red ballpoint pen. These are sure to make look back on your own textbook doodles with disdain. Incredible work!
See Full-Size Image
Title of Work: Aeris Gainsborough's Burial Cosplay
by: Adella
Category: Cosplay/ Photography
This is a simply gorgeous piece, suggested by Pixel. This Cosplay scene depicting the moment of Cloud laying Aerith to rest features Adella as Aerith and Wes Johnson (the editor from Smosh Games) as Cloud. An incredibly touching scene done with dignity and worth a look.
Fan Music
Title: Fire Cross
by: LulzA
Time: 6:53
Category: Synth Rock / Speed Metal / Ska (it's all over the place)
What can I possibly say about this piece to do it justice? It starts off with an epic rendition of Clash on Big Bridge then transitions seamlessly into a speed metal hook of World Revolution from Chrono Trigger, before taking us on a tour of Final Fantasy, from a slow acoustic ska version of Conde Petie, back to Big Bridge for a spell before cutting into Fighting and finally going to balls to the wall with a hardcore metal version of Don't Be Afraid and finally ending with the victory fanfare. This is the best Final Fantasy medley you'll hear outside of Distant Worlds.
Title: Rain In Chicago
by: Ziwtra
Time: 4:11
Category: Trip Hop
After you've had that cigarette from Fire Cross, cool down with this jazzy trip hop piece from Ziwtra. A rendition of Blue Fields from Final Fantasy VIII, this incredibly smooth and astral piece never fails to put me in a mellow mood. Introducing a soothing piano and flute into the mix about halfway in, the piece calls to mind the same style of music you might hear in the later installments, particularly Final Fantasy XIII-2. One of my favorites, and highly recommended.
Title: Space Station of the Ancients
by: Mazedude
Time: 4:25
Category: Trance/ Industrial
This electronic rendition of Forgotten Capitol is able to evoke the same amount of shivers the original piece with its industrial percussion and wailing choir pads. While the title might evoke an old Muppets cartoon (ANCIENTS... IN... SPAAAAACE!) the track itself is incredibly dark and dripping with atmosphere (no pun intended). Definitely a strong piece to give you chills.
Fan Video
Title: Case of Shin-Ra - Part 3
by: TheLifestream.net
Time: 28:53
Category: Audiobook
If you have not been listening to the On The Way To A Smile Audiobooks produced by The Lifestream, you are missing out in a huge, huge way. The most recent part of Case of Shin-Ra was just released, continuing an already incredible story that is not just Case of Shin-Ra but the OTWASs as a whole. The production value is incredible, and it features a full cast of voice talent. The stories themselves are written by Kazushige Nojima and translated by XComp and Joseph Knight. Most of these stories are set post-game between FF7 and AC, although a couple, such as Case of Shin-Ra cover a wide variety of time periods. It's never too late to catch up! Start at the beginning of Case of Shin-Ra
Title: Youtuber's React to FF7 Remake
by: Fine Brother's Entertainment
Time: 8:58
Category: Let's Watch / Reaction Video
Yes, I know, you haven't seen enough remake reaction vids yet. Don't worry, I got you covered with The Fine Bros own take on this. Really I was not gonna bother, but this featured one of my favorite tubers of all time, MatPat (of Game Theory, Film Theory and DYKG fame). The reactions are fun, but the questions afterwards will tell you how geeky some of your favorite tubers really are.
Title: Let's Draw Cloud Strife- Final Fantasy VII - FAN ART FRIDAY
by: LethalChris Drawing
Time: 2:48
Category: Instructional / Art
Perhaps this should be in the Fan Art section, but as it's an instructional video of sorts, I put it here. It's more an appreciation of the work that goes into incredible sketches like this, but if you want you can try to follow along, perhaps pausing every three seconds. So all you young artists can watch him, attempt to mimic him, blotch the paper three times, get mad and throw your art kit in the basement next to all the other things that made you mad like the sculpting studio, Operation and grandma. Definitely a fun and quick watch though!
Fan Novella
Foreword:
Our very own Mr. Ite has an FF7 novelization which I will eternally plug - The Jenova Project. I highly recommend you give it a read (see the relevant thread here). If you want to hear Mr. Ite talk more about the work, I interviewed him. But today, I am going to talk about another very long piece of fanfiction that I recommend you all investing some time in.
First, Holy stopped Meteor. Then everything went to hell. The party is separated, Tifa and Vincent having been blown out of the Highwind and landing in the mountains and the rest of the party crash-landing outside Midgar. As they all struggle to find one another and deal with the aftermath of the chaotic battle between Holy and Meteor, a mystery is unearthed in the ruined slums of Midgar. This piece is long but worth the time to read it. This was one of the very first FF7 fanfictions I ever read (not to mention one of the first fanfics I ever read period) and has such a craft to it. Admittedly I have yet to finish it as there was a long period with no updates, so I don't know if the piece is complete or simply abandoned, but for what is there it's definitely worth the ride!
This week's parting shot was suggested by Licoriceallsorts. FFJason takes some Compilation action figures and uses stop motion to make a humorous (and very random) video series. The humor isn't exactly my cup of tea (though not bad), but the animation is very impressive, to say nothing of the dedication it took to piece this together. If you ever wondered what an FF7 skit would look like on Robot Chicken, this is it. It's a work of love, and there's no higher praise I can give than that.
I sometimes pop in and out of Final Fantasy fandoms.
I pegged you as more of a Final Fight fan.
That pun was lame.
You're mom was lame.
REMEMBER: If you have something that you would like to see showcased here, share it with me in the Fanworks Open House Thread.
Fanfiction:
S. Zix's Life and the Turk, a dramatic character piece about Barret and Elena coming to terms with their past.
UndeniableMystique's Advent Children: Yet Another Parody, a crack fic about the party watching an Advent Children trailer.
Woodster's Addiction, a humor piece about the Turks and video games.
Fan Art:
CryptCreeperX's portrait of Safer Sephiroth.
amy-art's Chibi FF7 Artwork
jadedges' Yuffie Sketch.
Fan Music:
Smooth McGroove's One Winged Angel A Cappella
Artificial Fear's Make Who React Her, a black metal remastering.
Danny Baranowksy's Black Magic Synthesis, a... you just have to hear it.
Fan Video:
TeamFourStar's trailer for their upcoming FF7 Machinabridged.
cloudstrife8's machinima abridged series.
TheGameTheorist's fan theory about the connections between FF7 and the modern oil rush.
Fan Novella- I take you on the start of a journey I have just begun myself with Licoriceallsort's and her incredible fan novel Death is Part of the Process.
Parting Shot- OneyNG's "Pointy Bits"... yeah, I don't know what to say guys...
This is one that I read a while ago and recently had the pleasure of re-reading. It was created under the prompt of telling the time during which Avalanche and the Turks moved from enemies to allies. What follows is a solid analysis of the motivations of Elena, Barret and Marlene as they all cope with the evolving situations. It's a short read, but an excellent character study.
Sometimes you need a good dose of insanity, and that's the pleasure that one can derive from a decent crack fic. This bizarre fourth-wall breaking fic involves the party watching an advert for the upcoming Advent Children. Yet the dialogue and content has been altered rather disturbingly and the group tries to make sense of it. There's not much substance here, but if you want a cheap laugh, then this is worth a read!
The shortest fic of all, but one that's in a special place in my heart. Some of you may know Woodster as one of the admins for the Genesis Awards. While she judged many a fic in her day, she's no slouch herself, and this concise yet uproarious fic makes that plain. The Turks get video games, specifically Pac-Man. That's the premise. And what glorious few hundred words evolve from that setup.
Fan Art (click on the images to view)
by: CryptCreeperX
Category: "Fusion" art
No the image above is not representative, but I couldn't track down a thumbnail. Most of you have probably already seen this thread, but I wanted to spotlight it here as well. CryptCreeperX has done an absolutely astounding Safer Sephiroth portait in a unique blending of mediums which they refer to as "fusion" art. Words cannot do this one justice, you'll have to take a look and see.
Title of Work: Sephiroth - Final Fantasy 7
by: amy-art
Category: Chibi Art
I'll not have any false pretense here, I stumbled upon this artist by literally going into Deviantart and searching "Final Fantasy 7". I'm glad I did. I'm a huge lover of Chibi art. It like immediately makes me feel good. This artist has done a TON of Chibi art for so many characters, not just Sephiroth so I highly encourage you to browse their catalog for your favorite character!
Title of Work: Yuffie -SKETCH-
by: jadeedge
Category: Sketch
Go into deviantart and look up any female character in video gaming. I'll wait. ... LOT A SMUT HUH? I guess that's why they call it "deviant" art eh? I wanted a good strong female portrait and I was not going to find one for Tifa without a lot of digging. But I did find one for Yuffie that I rather like. I like the sketch style of artwork, and combine that with the fact that you've got her in action, in a battle pose, no overt sexualization, is just awesome.
Now I'm not saying I don't enjoy that sometimes, but this is a classy joint I'm running
It's strong, the fierceness in her eyes, the prowess of her form. This is a badass picture of a character who often gets downgraded to comic relief. It's easy to forget that for her character foibles, she is still a NINJA.
Fan Music
Title: Final Fantasy VII- One Winged Angel
By: Smooth McGroove
Time: 7:05
Category: A Cappella
You've seen this video already. I mean if you're on this page (or frequent the plug.dj/lifestream) then you've heard this song. And you've probably heard a lot from this man too. Why am I showcasing this then? Because it deserves it. The man is on another level and everything he does is absolutely astounding.
Title: Make Who React Her
By: Artificial Fear
Time: 4:25
Category: Black Metal
To be fair I'm not 100% on the distinctions between Black Metal, Death Metal and just plain Metal, so that categorization may be off, but suffice to say this is one absolutely kick ass remastering of Mako Reactor. It would feel right at home in the Advent Children soundtrack complete with heavy martial percussion, wailing electric guitar and grinding bass. Take this in metal lovers, it's a sound to behold.
Title: Black Magic Synthesis
by: Danny Baranowsky
Time: 6:30
Category: Uh, you're guess is as good as mine. Closest would be Industrial, then synth rock, then orchestral.
I almost made this my "parting shot" because of how weird it is, but it's a decidedly good weird. As the name implies, this is a synthesis of many musical styles into one, remolding Black Mage Village into something that I think Raoul Duke may have heard in his head during the drug trips in Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas. Throw in the fact that towards the end, relative to nothing else within the game, the song starts throwing in quotes from the Necronomicron in the Evil Dead movies and you have a drug trip in musical form.
PS: Did you hear the one about the Cookie Monster becoming a necromancer? He used the Necronomnomnomicron.
Fan Video
Title: Final Fantasy VII- Machinabridged Trailer
by: TeamFourStar
Time: 2:07
Category: Trailer
Props to Theozilla for originally sharing this and our next Fan Video entry in this thread. This is short and requires only a short explanation. TeamFourStar, the masterminds behind the wildly popular and awesome Dragonball Z Abridged are making a Final Fantasy 7 machinima in their abridged style. THE HYPE IS SO REAL.
Title: Ep 1. Cloud, Start The Reactor
by: cloudstrife8
Time: 12:53
Category: Machinima Parody
But they were beaten to the punch by cloudstrife8, again props to Theozilla for first sharing this WAY back in 2012. The humor is a touch on the meta side at times, the very first joke being about the game skipping. And it's a touch on the rough side. But the comedy is on point. It's a long series but definitely worth a view.
Title: Final Fantasy VII, Shinra, Mako and Oil
by: TheGameTheorists
Time: 6:51
Category: Fan Theory
Going to cheap out with the last one (as if using videos that have already been shared wasn't cheap enough) and share an older Game Theory from MatPat. First off, if you don't follow his channel, do it. Secondly, take in the joy that is this wonderful bit of fan theory and dream of what political messages may be waiting for you in the remake.
I'm not far enough in myself to put a definite stamp on the category, only being on Chapter 5 myself, but let me tell you about this incredible story by our own Licoriceallsorts.
I first found out that this was a thing when I interviewed CameoAmalthea and Licoriceallsorts about their joint fic Father and Son, which is another one that you absolutely must read if you have not. The interview can be found here. CameoAmalthea is no slouch of an author, and both of these ladies far exceed anything I've ever written. So when she goes on to sing the praises of this behemoth of a work I know she knows what she is talking about. I finally got to read it myself and have just begun a long and incredible journey.
The story begins simply enough, a job with Reno and Cissnei goes south and Reno accidentally hits a cat with a stray bullet. They think it's dead but through some luck and careful ministrations on Reno's part, the cat is nursed back to health. The cat becomes a sort of wistful spirit, shadowing Reno popping up at his work shortly after he misplaces it. That's how the story begins, mind you. What this simple act begins is a chain reaction that leads into a story about what it means to come to terms with your past, what it is to be a Turk, and the looming fear of mortality.
The highlight so far is a conversation between Rude and Reno that takes place in the fourth chapter , bearing the title of the entire piece "Death is Part of the Process". While shorter than the other chapters, it is also a very deep and meaningful discussion that is surprisingly relatable even to those of us not in fields where death waits around every corner. It's the fear of mortality, and the worries that our lives will be meaningless.
Throw in other amazing philosophical discussions and concerns that this story delves into, such as the fine line between leading and controlling, and the virtues of tough love, this piece has grabbed a hold of me and I cannot wait to see where it is going. You need to read this one, like seriously!
Parting Shot
I... don't... know guys. It's a crack fic in video form. You'll laugh but you'll feel terrible about laughing.
Creepy and sad, this fic is an amzing bit of Chrono Trigger writing. It follows Magus's perspective during the North Cape incident. What follows is some of the bleakest and most powerful writing I've ever seen about the man. I actually featured this one on TheLibrary, you can watch the interview with Dawn here.
Yeah, so I kind of got fanfic reading burnout for this issue so decided to go ahead and just use one of my own. This is from my series Shinra Inc. And and is a humorous look at how Halloween parties usually go in the business world if your business happens to be run by Rufus Shinra...
Fan Art (click on the images to view)
Title: Final Fantasy XIII-2: Chichu
By: LindseyWArt
Category: Airbrush
Chichus are supposed to be cute and LindseyWArt has made this into something terrifying. I actually kind of admire that...
This adorable Halloween image is the exact kind of thing I love about Chibi art. The cute-i-fication of pretty much anything. And the Halloween thing is really just an adorable bonus.
Title: Halloween Town
By: pupukachoo
Category: Manga Art
This absolutely stellar piece could be the cover of a Halloween Town themed Manga Series with all the dark imagery and jagged linework of the Tim Burton classic. I think we can all agree this was one of the more fun worlds of the original Kingdom Hearts and the vibe carries through to this image.
Fan Music
Title: Nightmare Before Kefka
By: zircon
Time: 3:50
Category: Danny Elfman's Wet Dream
You ever wonder what life would be like if Danny Elfman scored the Final Fantasy games? Yeah, this. Somebody seamlessly blends Kefka and Wild West from FF6 into a creepy, bouncy, melody that's more on the funny side of scary. One of my favorites.
I just discovered this one today to be honest, and I'm glad I did. It's a very over-the-top scary, playing on the theme Time Compression and taking it to a new level, almost an HD remaster of the track. If you want spooky, this is a good one to go to.
Title: Above The Rising Falls
By: sephfire
Time: 4:42
Category: Orchestral Rock
What? A Kingdom Hearts Remix? Jason Tandro be mixin' it up this Issue. This creepy Rock version of two of the games creepier tracks Destati and Hollow Bastion blend well and create this really unique sound. Fans of KH will love this one.
Fan Video
Title: Creepy Gaming - FINAL FANTASY VIII "Squall Is Dead" Theory
By: TheStickyPaddle
Time: 21:40
Category: Fan Theory
I mention this theory a lot, and here it is sort of explained. The guy's voice can get a little grating at times but I think he's funny enough to watch even if he does wear out his welcome a bit at times. What's good is great, and this is a creepy ass theory so it seemed to fit with the Halloween vibe.
Title: Which Final Fantasy Game Should You Play First?
By: DreamcastGuy
Time: 21:41
Category: Instructional
Pretty much exactly what the title says. I've always said depending upon what level of skill I assumed said person had I would recommend their first FF be either 1, 5, or 10 (in descending order of video game skill). 6 or 7 would also be a good starting game too. Well this video breaks each game down into it's strengths and weaknesses.
Title: FINAL FANTASY VII: CLOUD GOES GROCERY SHOPPING
By: Animation Domination HiDef
Time: 1:44
Category: Parody Cartoon
How did this not make the parting shot? Because if you can believe it the Parting Shot this week is even weirder. This short humorous one is to make up for the two much longer videos before it. The music is stock and off-putting just like with most of these direct parody things, but the concept is so simple I actually thought it was rather cute and worth sharing.
Parting Shot
Uh... Robot Chicken anybody? I mean odd sketches are their usual routine, but I never expected them to do a Final Fantasy 7 sketch... about them owning a restaurant. Yeah... this is like the guys at Adult Swim wrote some crack fic and made it a video. Which is probably exactly what happened.
Uh... Robot Chicken anybody? I mean odd sketches are their usual routine, but I never expected them to do a Final Fantasy 7 sketch... about them owning a restaurant. Yeah... this is like the guys at Adult Swim wrote some crack fic and made it a video. Which is probably exactly what happened.
Oh my God, I saw that on adult swim when I was little. My cousin was spending the night and with my sis, the three of us would watch adult swim for the anime, and we saw that. So stupid but so hilarious.
Funnily enough, we hadn't played VII yet, but knew the characters were from VII because Advent Children was coming out and we'd read up on the movie. Oh, fun times.
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