Aeris's Death FMV... What a mess!

[Shademp]

I knew of one or two inconcistencies with this FMV earlier on, but just now I noticed a heck-of-a-lot more.

#1: Aeris is facing the altar steps before the FMV. When the FMV starts, it is possible she is still facing the same direction. When we look behind her, she certainly does NOT have the altar steps behind her.

#2: Pretty much all know that when Sephiroth descends onto Aeris, he immediately has his black gloves on suddenly. However, notice also...

#3: ...Aeris NOW has the altar steps behind her! She just turned 180 degrees (assuming the beginning of the FMV is consistent with the scene before it)!
Which means that Sephiroth TOO turned 180 degrees. I think the mistake with Sephiroth's gloves slipped because of the extended period of making this FMV when they had to turn both Aeris and Sephiroth.

#4: Aeris's ribbon loosens. ...Why? It doesn't make any sense, nor does it have to. It's for *dramatic* effect of course! The same when Holy is falling down the altar steps (where Cloud is no longer standing, mind you) and we get a view of the altar, neither Sephiroth, Aeris or Cloud are visible.


My main point was actually observation #3. She friggin' turned 180 degrees and so did Sephiroth. I have NEVER noticed this before. This FMV suddenly looks very chopped up to me.

 

[Octo]

I was always thinking 'what the fuck is going on with Sephiroths neck?!'

To be honest I think they got too ahead of themselves. They should have made the cutscenes anime instead...that would have freed up some disc space for more juicy goodness!

 

[Shademp]

Here are the pre-rendered backgrounds for reference.

I was always thinking 'what the fuck is going on with Sephiroths neck?!'

To be honest I think they got too ahead of themselves. They should have made the cutscenes anime instead...that would have freed up some disc space for more juicy goodness!

Oh yes, the neck always bothered me too.

Animé? That's almost what these sequences ARE already.

 

[Octo]

yeah but you know what I mean, they just werent up to cgi, not for people anyway.

Also, is there some sort of glass roof on that altar, or are my eyes playing tricks?

 

[Splintered]

Here are the pre-rendered backgrounds for reference.

God I always thought the City of ancients was breath taking. I always wished I could explore it some more, but I guess the brevity of it all was part of the charm.

/off topic

yeah but you know what I mean, they just werent up to cgi, not for people anyway.

It was pretty awesome for its day. It might seem better to have anime hindsight, but this was pretty cutting edge shit back when it was released.

 

[Octo]

I dunno, I was looking at the FMVs from the original Tomb Raider, which came out around the same time as FFVII. Don't get me wrong, Tomb Raiders FMV are dated as hell too and not without their faults, but I think they got the animation of people down better than in FFVII.

Eg in the escape from Shinra HQ, Aeris walks like shes wearing concrete boots....wtf?!

 

[Max Payne]

The Ancient City always had a fucking bizarre design imo.

 

[Animexcel]

What we didn't see is that Holy floated around or deflected off the wall like a ping pong ball around Aerith and the shot crossfaded to Holy heading towards the steps.

I guess the ribbon untied itself cuz Holy was actually holding the ribbon together.

 

[Octo]

The Ancient City always had a fucking bizarre design imo.

Yeah, I never got all the seashell houses. If I hadnt been paying attention, I would have got the idea that the Cetra were mermaids or some such shit. The place where Aeris dies seems mismatched with the rest of it, and whats with the giant goldfish?

Also, what is beyond that area? from the looks of the screenshots it appears that the whole place is submerged and contained within glass? Does this mean Aeris's body ended up out there? (from the weird deep/shallow lake?) Because if thats the case they needn't have bothered bringing her corpse back up with them

 

[Kobato]

If you look up FF VII Citadel, the reason why Aerith's death FMV is so messy, is because Aerith was originally supposed to die at the Northern Crater and being the reason to lead to Cloud's craziness and then infamous metal breakdown that summons the black materia. Originally Aerith was going to survive Sephirioth's attack, but then sadly die at the Northern Crater.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Yeah, I never got all the seashell houses. If I hadnt been paying attention, I would have got the idea that the Cetra were mermaids or some such shit. The place where Aeris dies seems mismatched with the rest of it, and whats with the giant goldfish?

Be careful who you ask this question unless you want to hear crap about Cloud and Aerith's romantic destiny together and how that fucking fish is a symbol of it.

Also, what is beyond that area? from the looks of the screenshots it appears that the whole place is submerged and contained within glass? Does this mean Aeris's body ended up out there? (from the weird deep/shallow lake?) Because if thats the case they needn't have bothered bringing her corpse back up with them

Even if so, funerals (the ritual elements anyway) aren't really conducted for practical purposes. They're for people still living to say goodbye in as (ideally) meaningful and (hopefully) comforting a way as possible.

If you look up FF VII Citadel, the reason why Aerith's death FMV is so messy, is because Aerith was originally supposed to die at the Northern Crater and being the reason to lead to Cloud's craziness and then infamous metal breakdown that summons the black materia. Originally Aerith was going to survive Sephirioth's attack, but then sadly die at the Northern Crater.

That was just a theory that FFVII Citadel had a number of years ago, but it's never been substantiated by anything. Here's a link for those interested in reading about it:

http://www.ff7citadel.com/secrets/sa_seen4.shtml

It's not a very strong theory either. As even the author of the article there points out, stuff from the Forgotten Capital is visible in Aerith's death FMV right from the beginning. There's the gazebo structure all around her and its glass roof before Seph even appears.

As for stuff like her having a line at the Great Glacier even after her death, a number of characters have lines for parts of the game they're not available in, such as Yuffie and Cid having lines in the Mythril Cave. That's not enough to indicate they were meant to be available for those parts of the game, though.

Certainly some stuff got changed along the way as they made the game, but this one's never really been one of the things we've been led to think was one of them -- especially given Holy's role in the story, how her death played into that (you have to assume a lot of other changes to the story in assuming Aerith was meant to die later), when Gast's tapes at Icicle Inn become available, what a good ending point for Disc 1 her death is, and much else.

It's just a messy FMV because it was done sloppy. Many of the FMVs have some space/direction orientation issues.

 

[Ryushikaze]

Be careful who you ask this question unless you want to hear crap about Cloud and Aerith's romantic destiny together and how that fucking fish is a symbol of it.

Because despite all appearances, that's somehow a Carp. And Japanese for Carp is Koi. Like Love!

That was just a theory that FFVII Citadel had a number of years ago, but it's never been substantiated by anything. Here's a link for those interested in reading about it:

http://www.ff7citadel.com/secrets/sa_seen4.shtml

It's not a very strong theory either. As even the author of the article there points out, stuff from the Forgotten Capital is visible in Aerith's death FMV right from the beginning. There's the gazebo structure all around her and its glass roof before Seph even appears.

As for stuff like her having a line at the Great Glacier even after her death, a number of characters have lines for parts of the game they're not available in, such as Yuffie and Cid having lines in the Mythril Cave. That's not enough to indicate they were meant to be available for those parts of the game, though.

Certainly some stuff got changed along the way as they made the game, but this one's never really been one of the things we've been led to think was one of them -- especially given Holy's role in the story, how her death played into that (you have to assume a lot of other changes to the story in assuming Aerith was meant to die later), when Gast's tapes at Icicle Inn become available, what a good ending point for Disc 1 her death is, and much else.

It's just a messy FMV because it was done sloppy. Many of the FMVs have some space/direction orientation issues.

At best, you could argue that there was a plan to visit the NC before her demise in certain drafts of the game. There's no way her demise is supposed to be in the NC itself, unless in those same drafts, the Ancient City/Temple was also supposed to be in the NC. And no design document I've come across has ever indicated anything like that.

 

[Cthulhu]

All that is actually Cthulhu's influence. The game all takes place in some crazy Jap's dreams (or well, he became crazy after Cthulhu got to him), and as such, nonsensical events and non-Euclidianally things like this can occur.

 

[Octo]

Because despite all appearances, that's somehow a Carp. And Japanese for Carp is Koi. Like Love!

Waaaaat?! I thought 'Ai' was Love? Seriously though.....people think that somehow proves Cloud/Aeris. Words fail me. ghhg! Cant there be some sort of internet restraining order for these people?



And thanks Cthulu, that clears everything up

 

[Tifabelle]

Because despite all appearances, that's somehow a Carp. And Japanese for Carp is Koi. Like Love!

Love transcends things like logic, and language, and...physics.

 

[Ryushikaze]

Waaaaat?! I thought 'Ai' was Love? Seriously though.....people think that somehow proves Cloud/Aeris. Words fail me. ghhg! Cant there be some sort of internet restraining order for these people?

Ai is also love. A different kind of love.
Similarly, Koi of the Carp kind is not a thing you could ever mistake for Koi of the romance kind, and would be a truly horrendous pun.

And thanks Cthulu, that clears everything up

Remember, if FF7 doesn't make sense, it's Yop's fault.

 

[Octo]

Ai is also love. A different kind of love.
Similarly, Koi of the Carp kind is not a thing you could ever mistake for Koi of the romance kind, and would be a truly horrendous pun.



Remember, if FF7 doesn't make sense, it's Yop's fault.

Damn Japanese and their infuriating concepts of love! Now I've got to contend with Ai, Koi, Yaoi, Yuri, Shota, Loli, Futa and Tentacle! And combinations of all or none of the above!

I will remember this.

 

[Tifabelle]

Damn Japanese and their infuriating concepts of love!

Also Denmark.

 

[Ryushikaze]

Damn Japanese and their infuriating concepts of love! Now I've got to contend with Ai, Koi, Yaoi, Yuri, Shota, Loli, Futa and Tentacle! And combinations of all or none of the above!

I will remember this.

Most of those are just fetishes, though. Especially Denmark, and Tifabelle is a sick puppy for bringing it up.

 

[Alessa Gillespie]

Damn Japanese and their infuriating concepts of love! Now I've got to contend with Ai, Koi,Suki, and iro!

I will remember this.

fixxed i spose.

tho iro is more leik erotic shit, but there's like twenty million ways of saying love in japanese

 

[Obsidian Fire]

there's like twenty million ways of saying love in japanese

and yet some people complain that English has only one word for it.

 

[Octo]

Silly me.....I forgot Guro!

Also pls explain 'denmark'....is it what I think it is? (I actually think it could be two things...maybe three...)

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Also pls explain 'denmark'....

Here there be monsters.

 

[Octo]

C'moooon!

Ok I'll guess...scat, piss, incest, snuff, uhhhmmmm Nazi? ......Bacon?

Am I getting warm?

EDIT:
Its ok, I asked my dad

Sincerest apologies to Shademp for destroying this thread.

 

[Shademp]

I am reminded of the mistake in the disc 2 FMV when the Rocket launches up through the atmosphere. The "Shinra No .26" text is mirrored.

Oh, and another INCONSISTENCY mind you... Remember how Ultima Weapon is all bigger than the Highwind in the FMV? Then inexplicably shrinks to not even be three times taller than Barret when it attacks in Mideel? WTF?

Now don't go tell me THAT scene would not be improved in a remake. I think they would keep the scale correct.

Sincerest apologies to Shademp for destroying this thread.

I'll consider it.