Ite
Save your valediction (she/her)
- AKA
- Ite
I don’t see where Tifa’s performance is “uninspired.” I played with voices off, but I’ve now seen that scene in three languages. The voice performances are wonderful. And while Tifa’s mocap is directed to be a bit meek for a brawler imo, it’s a deliberate and consistent character choice.
The only way one might think the performance is less than stellar is a lack of script for Tifa’s actor to “perform.” There’s no dialogue. There is a strict emotional hierarchy in performance: facial < blocking < speech < song < dance/aria. An impulse that moves your face is less strong than an impulse that moves your body. (I don’t know where ‘anime grunt’ falls on this hierarchy, that wasn’t part of my degree I’d probably put it with facial.)
Tifa famously quashes her impulses, so I really can see the other side of this debate. Moreover, Tifa moves her face and her body — it’s not dialogue, but it is written there in the script: Tifa sees Sephiroth, her eyes widen, she lets go of Cloud and takes a step back. She lets go of Cloud, which is also telling. I was wrong in my earlier estimation of “just eyebrows” after watching this scene a jillion times.
Where I (and others) may get mixed up or feel like the game is forsaking her is that in the OG, she has actual lines of dialogue:
It’s easy —natural, even — to see her new script as an emotional downgrade. But the scene in Remake is totally different. Sephiroth is right there.
The only way one might think the performance is less than stellar is a lack of script for Tifa’s actor to “perform.” There’s no dialogue. There is a strict emotional hierarchy in performance: facial < blocking < speech < song < dance/aria. An impulse that moves your face is less strong than an impulse that moves your body. (I don’t know where ‘anime grunt’ falls on this hierarchy, that wasn’t part of my degree I’d probably put it with facial.)
Tifa famously quashes her impulses, so I really can see the other side of this debate. Moreover, Tifa moves her face and her body — it’s not dialogue, but it is written there in the script: Tifa sees Sephiroth, her eyes widen, she lets go of Cloud and takes a step back. She lets go of Cloud, which is also telling. I was wrong in my earlier estimation of “just eyebrows” after watching this scene a jillion times.
Where I (and others) may get mixed up or feel like the game is forsaking her is that in the OG, she has actual lines of dialogue:
Barret
He's dead... The leader of Shinra, Inc. is dead...
Tifa
Then this sword must be...!?
Cloud
Sephiroth's!!
Tifa
...Sephiroth is alive?
It’s easy —natural, even — to see her new script as an emotional downgrade. But the scene in Remake is totally different. Sephiroth is right there.
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