Aerith's death: post Compilation.

[Max Payne]

The same theory that applies to Aerith is also true for Zack, in my case at least. I no longer care about the death of Zack.

The death scene in the original game was brutal and silent at the same time, just like death is in real life. Sudden, unexpected, unfair. This was an ex-SOLDIER, a First Class guy even, and he died because he let down his guard for one second, which he did because he felt a compulsion to check that Cloud was alright.

Then Crisis Core...and then Advent Children Complete... Just...damn it all.

Oh wow yeah, they really screwed the pooch in Crisis Core. They took his absolutely horrific death and turned it into a touchy feely J-Pop fest where he's dragged into heaven by his dead mentor.

yuck.

 

[Octo]

Yeah, for one thing, Cloud can never say 'I didn't watch my buddy die face down in the mud so some fantards can make obscene hentai pictures of us together!"

 

[Shademp]

This one I find more difficult to make a formal case for, but I can't be the only one who no longer feels a satisfaction from killing Sephiroth in the original game.

In the ending FMV, we saw the red traces of his spirit energy be purified and dissolved into the lifestream. I remember that feeling of finality and that sense of reward after defeating that which had been such a menacing presence throughout the entire experience.

With the movie, my moment of pressing the circle button to kill off the villain is undone. Instead the movie defeats him again for me and even then it is implied that he is not completely dead yet.

Again, more difficult for me to make a case but this is how I feel.

Edit: Naturally, the "Rufus ambiguous death" FMV in the game no longer has that awesome impact it once did. I always considered his "death" to be in limbo. He might be alive, he might be dead, but either way Shinra has fallen and Rufus' character as the untouchable one is finally broken.
I promise you guys, if I ever come across a time machine I will undo the Compilation.

 

[Scias]

The Compilation ruined her death IMO. In the OG her death was shockingly realistic, without warning, no last words, NOTHING, it happens and it happens right there and before you even knew it BAM, no more Aerith. She died and there was nothing you could do about it. At first you could think it was part of the process, some kind of sacrifice but no, it wasn't even that, she DIDN'T intend to be killed, it was just that, an assasination.

Then in Advent Children she actually appears and TALKS more than many members of AVALANCHE. What the fuck, man.

 

[Octo]

This one I find more difficult to make a formal case for, but I can't be the only one who no longer feels a satisfaction from killing Sephiroth in the original game.

In the ending FMV, we saw the red traces of his spirit energy be purified and dissolved into the lifestream. I remember that feeling of finality and that sense of reward after defeating that which had been such a menacing presence throughout the entire experience.

With the movie, my moment of pressing the circle button to kill off the villain is undone. Instead the movie defeats him again for me and even then it is implied that he is not completely dead yet.

Again, more difficult for me to make a case but this is how I feel.

Edit: Naturally, the "Rufus ambiguous death" FMV in the game no longer has that awesome impact it once did. I always considered his "death" to be in limbo. He might be alive, he might be dead, but either way Shinra has fallen and Rufus' character as the untouchable one is finally broken.
I promise you guys, if I ever come across a time machine I will undo the Compilation.

This is why I have a problem with the whole 'sequels cant ruin the original' thing. Ok, they can't ruin it, but they can certainly taint it.

I don't think there's a single person who enjoyed FFVII who didn't want to see what happened to the characters next. We all wanted more.

We can't 'unknow' or 'unsee' the compilation, so I find it really difficult when going back to the OG. I still really enjoy playing it, but now there's this nagging sense of 'yeah but you know what happens next now'

If George Lucas made an episode VII where Chewie gets killed off (this actually happened in one of the books-the bastards!) the Evil Emperor comes back again, and Jar Jar Binks has sex with Leia. You couldn't watch the originals without being aware of that, and that would cast a whole new light on those films wouldn't it?

If I didn't give a shit about FFVII as much as I do, maybe it wouldn't matter as I could just play the original in a detached way and I wouldn't be wondering about the characters long after the end credits. :/

 

[Makoeyes987]

The same theory that applies to Aerith is also true for Zack, in my case at least. I no longer care about the death of Zack.

The death scene in the original game was brutal and silent at the same time, just like death is in real life. Sudden, unexpected, unfair. This was an ex-SOLDIER, a First Class guy even, and he died because he let down his guard for one second, which he did because he felt a compulsion to check that Cloud was alright.

Then Crisis Core...and then Advent Children Complete... Just...damn it all.

You just don't care much about anything, do you?

I will say this though, Aerith did appear in the end of FFVII to Cloud and then to rally the Lifestream against Meteor so it wouldn't wipe out all life.

So really, she kinda had her foot in the door to "generic ethereal animu goddess" from jump street. The Compilation just finished the job.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

In answer to X's opening question, I think Aerith's death still has much the same meaning for me as it always did, more or less because I've always been more concerned with what a master stroke of storytelling it was than anything else. I still consider it as one of FF's very best moments, and one of the greatest in all of fiction.

This is why I have a problem with the whole 'sequels cant ruin the original' thing. Ok, they can't ruin it, but they can certainly taint it.

I don't think there's a single person who enjoyed FFVII who didn't want to see what happened to the characters next. We all wanted more.

We can't 'unknow' or 'unsee' the compilation, so I find it really difficult when going back to the OG. I still really enjoy playing it, but now there's this nagging sense of 'yeah but you know what happens next now'

I definitely get where you're coming from there. It becomes easier, though, when there are continuity contradictions involved, such that it's impossible to even look at the sequel and prior title as being in the same timeline.

For example, "Beast Wars" and "Beast Machines," for reasons I go into here, are utterly irreconcilable, and the taint that BM brings with it doesn't affect my enjoyment of BW one bit. The story ended at BW.

Also, look at the X-Men film series. "First Class" saves it by removing "The Last Stand" and "Origins: Wolverine" from continuity.

"Before Crisis" is another fine example. It's so incompatible with the other titles in the Compilation of FFVII that you can just ignore it. Same with "Dirge of Cerberus" and "Crisis Core."

 

[Max Payne]

Also, look at the X-Men film series. "First Class" saves it by removing "The Last Stand" and "Origins: Wolverine" from continuity.

X-Men first class is a bad film that still lines up poorly with the other movies.

 

[Celes Chere]

I think the only scene they should have kept with Aerith is the hand reach scene when all of Cloud's friends are helping him upwards. If they had not shown Aerith at all beforehand and kept that scene it would have been way more powerful (it already is an awesome scene already). I think that would have been enough to pay Aerith the screen time she deserves without it being too ridiculous. ;A;

and yeah I agree that they should have done flashbacks instead of this... Spirit. It doesn't make sense though - it's already iffy as to why she can appear to Cloud and no one else (besides the children). I always assumed it's because she's a Cetra and Cloud REALLY needed to be uplifted so she used some sort of power to go and see him... so how the fuck does Zack do it? And why is Cloud so special that he gets to see his deceased friends? That's not fair, let Tifa see her Dad. >:I

 

[Alessa Gillespie]

And why is Cloud so special that he gets to see his deceased friends? That's not fair, let Tifa see her Dad. >:I

or let barret see his wife and dyne

or let vincent see lucrecia

or let red see his dad

srsly gaiz

 

[Max Payne]

or let barret see his wife and dyne

or let vincent see lucrecia

or let red see his dad

srsly gaiz

clearly aerith is the only important dead person

 

[Vivi]

On top of what everyone else has said, it really irked me that Aerith was able to call all children in Edge to tell them about Cloud. Since when can dead people use phones?

 

[Alessa Gillespie]

On top of what everyone else has said, it really irked me that Aerith was able to call all children in Edge to tell them about Cloud. Since when can dead people use phones?

well...

 

[ForceStealer]

I will say this though, Aerith did appear in the end of FFVII to Cloud and then to rally the Lifestream against Meteor so it wouldn't wipe out all life.

So really, she kinda had her foot in the door to "generic ethereal animu goddess" from jump street.

^This.

Also, for all we know, Cloud's just insane and thinks he sees her.

 

[Lord Noctis]

^This.

Also, for all we know, Cloud's just insane and thinks he sees her.

Would be a valid point if it weren't for the Great Gospel kicking Geostigma in the nuts.

@thread The comp has somewhat lessened the impact of Aerith's death for me. Not a llot. Its still a great scene, and still works wonderfully in the confines of FFVII. But the comp does hurt it.

Honestly, the way death is handled in the comp is its second worst feature. The continuity issues are the worst.

 

[ForceStealer]

Yeah well, the Planet stepped in and stopped the bullshit before (Meteor), could jsut be that again

 

[Lord Noctis]

Yeah well, the Planet stepped in and stopped the bullshit before (Meteor), could jsut be that again

And I suppose you have an explenation for who called everyone on the phone to tell them about Cloud, and a theory on how Cloud went from being swiss cheese to perfectly fine after he fought Sephiroth.

 

[ForceStealer]

I was kidding, leave me alone My real point was basically Mako's.

 

[Lord Noctis]

I was kidding, leave me alone My real point was basically Mako's.

I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ALONE!!! THERE WILL BE NO MERCY!!!

NO MERCY!!!

 

[ForceStealer]

:tidus:

 

[Lord Noctis]

:tidus:

 

[Tetsujin]

or let vincent see lucrecia

a) Bitch ain't dead.

b) Vincent goes to cry in her cave on a daily basis.

 

[Ite]

It can't ruin the OG if I ignore its existence.

 

[Masamune]

I will say this though, Aerith did appear in the end of FFVII to Cloud and then to rally the Lifestream against Meteor so it wouldn't wipe out all life.

So really, she kinda had her foot in the door to "generic ethereal animu goddess" from jump street. The Compilation just finished the job.

Oh so wrong.

She appeared for all of two seconds at the very end of the game.

That's a world apart from hopping in and out of the Lifestream at whim and having her own telephone network. Shit's just ridiculous and cheapens her symbolic death.

 

[Ⓐaron]

Never mind her symbolic death; it cheapens her literal one.

Stupid shit like this is why I've been avoiding the Compilation. And judging from everyone's reaction here, I've made the right choice.