I don’t know if the devs went out of their way to choose to have Tifa not react strongly, I just figured it probably wasn’t something they thought to show because they had other things they were focused on in that scene...if her reaction really mattered in that moment, then I’d expect them to show it but Id rather not think more about something so specific than the devs themselves did
I definitely don’t mean to belittle anybody, it’s just the specific molehills people choose to make mountains out of is probably one of the weirdest things I’ve noticed in this fanbase...not that I’m any better though, I know I’ve definitely been just as tight-assed about stuff I grew up with like Spider-Man or Naruto
I mean we did get that with Cloud’s flashback already but as far as this specific scene goes, I really don’t think there’s much else to say about it other than the reason they didn’t show a reaction is “just because”, that’s all...as unsatisfying as that might be, that’s usually all there is to stuff like this or other perceived plot holes, I don’t think it’s an indictment of Tifa’s characterization considering what we can expect in the rest of the story anyways
I think the reason, for me at least, is that years of consuming media has made me understand how powerful small moments can be.
Sometimes a single shot of a face can be the difference between a shot being forgetful or something that will stay with you forever. So while you might think these are "molehills", I reply that the details are often what distinguish masterpieces from trash.
I am going to use Lord of the rings as an example, because I ALWAYS go back to lord of the rings for examples because it's the perfect example of everything that is good. In Moria we see the Dwarrowdelf.
Now the Dwarrowdelf isn't that impressively designed. But I always feel a sense of awe when Gandalf lights up his staff because the music takes the time to indicate that it is impressive, and we see Gimlis awed face. That alone is enough that 20 years later I still feel awed while watching that scene. Conversely, in a lot of modern movies I might see dozens of intricately designed cities, one magnificent vista after another, but since the movie doesn't take the time to impress on me that it is impressive, I simply do not care.
The mole hills matter, so when I see an obvious mole hill shaped hole in a scene, it bothers me, because it's both lost potential, as well as a worrying indication of a larger issue such as bad directing.
Likewise, a minute later in Dwarrowdelf we see Gimli seriously mourning Dwalin, a character we don't even know, and will not know until the Hobbit happens. But they still treat it with the respect and seriousness that their characters would feel, and because of that that is earnestly transmitted to the viewer. So when I see Tifa barely react to Sephiroth, I imagine Gimli discovering that Balin is dead and barely reacting, and I think about how much of a loss that would have been to the experience of that moment. Is it a detail? Yes. Has it been revealed that Balin is important to the story? No. And if the scene had never happened I can imagine people going "why do you care so much? what difference would it have made if Gimli had had a better reaction?". But I know how powerful the scene turned out to be because of that detail, and because of that I can mourn that same loss of potential when I see it somewhere not being taken in the first place.
I know the impact those shots, scenes, and details can have. I know how they can make characters feel human, how they can emotionally anchor you to a story, I know the potential those moments hold, so when I see an obvious opportunity for one, that is then not taken, then I know what was lost in that moment with the same pain I'd feel had it been a moment that was taken away after the fact.
