SPOILERS LTD Remake — It's like New Coke except ... no, it's exactly like New Coke

[eleamaya]

Did they really say that the Lifestream is their most important scene?

Kitase and Nomura did say it's their favorite scene.
But people here could dig the actual quote from the interview better than me.

 

[Eerie]

– Mr. Kitase, which scene do you find most striking even now?


Kitase: Like Nomura, I’d have to say the climax in the mental realm.

Here. So yeah, they're NOT ditching it and that's why we already have heavy hints about it. It's not going anywhere because it's the key to Cloud being the true Cloud again.

 

[KindOfBlue]

I have. But you still need to hear and read it from SE and the directors or the developers themselves. With a quote and a name attached so that we know who said this and who said what. It makes life easier for all of us. Because a fan or "devout" lay workers might add their own spin into this and into that. So pay attention to that.

As for me, I gave nothing but factual evidence from the mouths of the developers. So you can use them with confidence.

The quotes provided in the thread are from official guidebooks released by SE

 

[eleamaya]

The quotes provided in the thread are from official guidebooks released by SE

I think what he tried to say is.... only interview from the devs' mouth that matters

 

[KindOfBlue]

I think what he tried to say is.... only interview from the devs' mouth that matters

That’s such a weirdly convenient line to draw lol

 

[LNK]

I wonder what’s gonna happen when the remake is done and people can no longer use “let’s see when the remake is over” to put off addressing what we’ve already known from the OG lol

Lol I agree! Denial is not just a river in Egypt to them

 

[LNK]

Most people will say that he gave us what he felt right there, a "No" and "It's not like that." From Cloud Strife, himself. Confirmed.

If most people say that, then they have only played remake, and view Cloud as robotic. They know nothing about his character

He literally hid from Tifa and even ignored her when they were children. Tifa: "Are you ignoring me?" Albeit, waving at Cloud catching his attention.

When I was a kid, I used to do that to girls I liked. I also pushed em and teased em

 

[Eerie]

It's especially funny to me because in other languages, including JP, Aerith reinforces that Tifa's important to Cloud before she drags him in Wall Market, and he doesn't deny lol. So if you pay attention, clearly he's lying through his teeth.



"Doesn't it worry you? She means a lot to you, doesn't she?"

Please note her seriousness there.

 

[frosty]

If most people say that, then they have only played remake, and view Cloud as robotic. They know nothing about his character

Or, have never watched an anime in their entire life

Most people will say that he gave us what he felt right there, a "No" and "It's not like that." From Cloud Strife, himself. Confirmed.

Here, have a short trope that happens frequently in media - using FMA (only video I could find)

Main character Edward being asked if he loves Winry by Riza and he goes OFF and literally says almost the same things as Cloud does: No, it's not like that. Followed by "We're just like friends since we were kids, she's just like family to me". Granted the BIG react is done for (a little juvenile) comedic purposes, but it is kind of implied because Aerith goes "You're getting flustered" in JP.

I like this example because they get together at the end of the story, share a hug, but with 0 big grandiose confirmation of love for one another. Flashforward, and they're shown having 2 kids. Sounds a little familar huh

 

[Maidenofwar]

Lol I agree! Denial is not just a river in Egypt to them

Well you cannot force people to be afraid nor define experiences for them. I enjoyed the non verbal and verbal communication and body language between Cloud and Aerith also added in the new ending scenes for the DLC and no amount of yelling it's not real it's an imagination is going to change that for me. I have every confidence they will continue to have and share scenes and moments like that going forward.

As for Lifestream event I think it might still happen but when, where and how it happens might be different due to Zack/time travel/line shenanigans.

 

[Eerie]

I don't really think it's the problem here, Maiden ^^ I think it's very normal for cleriths to enjoy these scenes, and Cloud at this moment of the game in the OG is also attracted to Aerith. To deny it is denying the story ^^

The problem is when someone jumps and says Cloud and Tifa are nothing but friends even after the OG, oddly enough when SE has gone out of their ways for several years to tell us that they are together and that they've been in love with each other for years, uh..

 

[KindOfBlue]

It’s a shame because I think most people would agree that Cloud and Aerith make for a cute couple, I sure wouldn’t mind if they did end up together and the game certainly wants you to like the idea of them together but ultimately a story where they do is not the story the devs wanted to tell, that’s like the whole point of her death in terms of what it means for Cloud.

Were there two heroines from the outset?
Nomura: No, originally there was only Aerith, and Tifa was added as another heroine later. To make up for Aerith dying, we needed a heroine who would be by the hero’s side until the end.
- FFVII 15th Anniversary Famitsu Interview

Nojima: As a motif for them, Tifa is “the childhood friend who’s been with you since nursery school”, and Aerith is “the girl who transfers school mid-term and quickly leaves for another school.” Since she doesn’t have many scenes, you’ve got to make it so that the transfer student has a big impact. That was what I thought.
- FFVII 10th Anniversary Ultimania

Inside, I felt one thing was for sure: Cloud and Tifa would be together. Everybody would be back home where they belonged.
- Nojima, Reunion Files

Well you cannot force people to be afraid nor define experiences for them. I enjoyed the non verbal and verbal communication and body language between Cloud and Aerith also added in the new ending scenes for the DLC and no amount of yelling it's not real it's an imagination is going to change that for me. I have every confidence they will continue to have and share scenes and moments like that going forward.

There’s nothing wrong with preferring Cloud and Aerith and enjoying what they have for what it is but once you start ignoring and misrepresenting the creator’s intentions for the story they made, that’s just…weird lol

 

[LNK]

Well you cannot force people to be afraid nor define experiences for them. I enjoyed the non verbal and verbal communication and body language between Cloud and Aerith also added in the new ending scenes for the DLC and no amount of yelling it's not real it's an imagination is going to change that for me. I have every confidence they will continue to have and share scenes and moments like that going forward.

Eerie beat me to it

As for Lifestream event I think it might still happen but when, where and how it happens might be different due to Zack/time travel/line shenanigans.

Based on what the developers have said, I highly doubt the lifestream scene will be much different. If it is, it'll be even more geared towards Tifa and Cloud having feelings for each other

 

[Clear A]

What I find interesting is that Cloud has some of Zack's memories as they have just described. But not his personality. Two distinct things. Have to wait till parts of the remake make their debute.

Nomura: The scene that sticks out for me is the scene when Tifa goes into Cloud’s mental realm and he remembers the truth about what happened in the past.

In the original scenario, Zack didn’t exist

– Mr. Kitase, which scene do you find most striking even now?

Kitase: Like Nomura, I’d have to say the climax in the mental realm. The scene where the mysteries regarding Sephiroth and Cloud all become clear. I didn’t know until we were in the latter stages of development that Cloud’s memories were Zack’s. First of all, when I originally checked the scenario, the character of Zack didn’t exist. Zack was a character who came up as Nojima was building up the mysteries. So until that part was complete I was left wondering just how he was planning to solve this, and all the while making the event scenes, still in the dark about the truth.

Nojima: But with Zack, I didn’t simply bring him in just because it was needed for solving the mysteries. When I joined the development team, the concept of Aerith seeing her first love again in Cloud was already there, so I brought him in to link that with solving the mysteries.

Nomura: About the concept of her seeing her first love again in Cloud, at first we were thinking of making that man Sephiroth. When I got the request for the illustration of Zack we were already near the end of development, so when you look at it now it’s not even coloured, and I can’t really deny that it feels like quite a sudden request.

FFVII 10th Anniversary Discussion: p. 8 to 13 of the FFVII 10th Anniversary Ultimania

They asked what is striking for them. Didn't think it meant favorite. They said it is the turning point or climatic point because it reveals a lot about Cloud and Sephiroth.

 

[KindOfBlue]

They asked what is "striking" for them. Didn't think it meant favorite.

They asked what is most striking, sure, doesn’t necessarily mean favorite but the question does place the scene at an especially high level of importance

…also, I thought ultimanias didn’t count

 

[Clear A]

^^Let me clear my thought about what I said earlier about the Ultimanias, as long as it is from the MOUTHS of the developers e.i., TN, Kitase, Nojima, etc then it is VALID.

 

[KindOfBlue]

^^Let me clear my thought about what I said earlier about the Ultimanias, as long as it is from the MOUTHS of the developers e.i., TN, Kitase, Nojima, etc then it is VALID.

And why would they make statements for an ultimania if they felt the rest of it wasn’t valid?

 

[Eerie]

What I find interesting is that Cloud has some of Zack's memories as they have just described. But not his personality. Two distinct things. Have to wait till parts of the remake make their debute.

He has some of his mannerisms, that's what attracts Aerith to him. The way he uses the Buster sword, for example in Remake, one of the mode he uses is Zack's way of using it. Another is Sephiroth's - which makes sense because Cloud made up a SOLDIER persona based on the two guys he looked up to - Zack and Sephiroth. There's also the pride of being a SOLDIER - that's typically a Zack thing.

The devs have already stated that his personality around Aerith is the fake's one, and that's why he's being nervous around her. Which makes me laugh when you see the new ending with Zack, because hey, look, who's nervous to meet up with Aerith? On the other hand, Cloud's personality is the true one around Tifa, which is the one she is attracted to anyway. She doesn't like the SOLDIER personality and I find interesting how they showed this in Remake, it's very clear that she only opens up to him once his true self shows.

 

[Clear A]

Nomura: The scene that sticks out for me is the scene when Tifa goes into Cloud’s mental realm and he remembers the truth about what happened in the past.

In the original scenario, Zack didn’t exist

– Mr. Kitase, which scene do you find most striking even now?

Kitase: Like Nomura, I’d have to say the climax in the mental realm. The scene where the mysteries regarding Sephiroth and Cloud all become clear. I didn’t know until we were in the latter stages of development that Cloud’s memories were Zack’s. First of all, when I originally checked the scenario, the character of Zack didn’t exist. Zack was a character who came up as Nojima was building up the mysteries. So until that part was complete I was left wondering just how he was planning to solve this, and all the while making the event scenes, still in the dark about the truth.

Nojima: But with Zack, I didn’t simply bring him in just because it was needed for solving the mysteries. When I joined the development team, the concept of Aerith seeing her first love again in Cloud was already there, so I brought him in to link that with solving the mysteries.

Nomura: About the concept of her seeing her first love again in Cloud, at first we were thinking of making that man Sephiroth. When I got the request for the illustration of Zack we were already near the end of development, so when you look at it now it’s not even coloured, and I can’t really deny that it feels like quite a sudden request.

FFVII 10th Anniversary Discussion: p. 8 to 13 of the FFVII 10th Anniversary Ultimania

Never did they say Cloud wasn't real. *roll eyes*

He has some of his mannerisms, that's what attracts Aerith to him. The way he uses the Buster sword, for example in Remake, one of the mode he uses is Zack's way of using it. Another is Sephiroth's - which makes sense because Cloud made up a SOLDIER persona based on the two guys he looked up to - Zack and Sephiroth. There's also the pride of being a SOLDIER - that's typically a Zack thing.

The devs have already stated that his personality around Aerith is the fake's one, and that's why he's being nervous around her. Which makes me laugh when you see the new ending with Zack, because hey, look, who's nervous to meet up with Aerith? On the other hand, Cloud's personality is the true one around Tifa, which is the one she is attracted to anyway. She doesn't like the SOLDIER personality and I find interesting how they showed this in Remake, it's very clear that she only opens up to him once his true self shows.

Cloud is officially an EX-SOLDIER.

"At first when I met Cloud, I believed he was similar to Zack. Little actions, the way he spoke... his kindness. But Cloud is Cloud. I, now undoubtedly, love Cloud much more than Zack." --Aerith's monologue in Gongaga; FFVII Dismantled

"When her thoughts turned to Cloud, Aerith hurt deeply. She had been carrying love for him. Initially, she thought he had similarities to her first love. Although they didn't share faces, voices or disposition, his behavior and mannerisms made her wonder about this mysterious person--but that was alright almost immediately anyway. Because she had come to love him more than her first love."

"Although in the beginning, Aerith felt close to Cloud is because he behaves like Zack, her interest in Cloud himself grows and she is attracted to him." --FFVII Ultamania Omega

Cloud has been real the whole time. He just has memory problems and Jenova cells infecting him from all the Mako Poisoning. SE never said Cloud has been fake with Aerith or Tifa. So where did you get this?

Cloud is even sassy to his MOTHER. Lol He's been real the whole time. I guess when Cloud was dancing at the Honey Bee Inn and cross-dressing was all fake since it was out of his character to do those things but he does it anyway to save Tifa. Cloud even told Barret in the reactor "I don't dance." lol.

Cloud is even talking to flowers to please Aerith. Totally him. And even listening to Aerith talk to him about what the flowers are saying and even complementing her after. He plays along with it. Even "Hi-fiving" Aerith. Jessie notices when Cloud is different and so does Aerith. It's because of actions like these. Still totally him.

Another note “Cloud joins Aerith as her bodyguard… and gradually, Aerith’s warm cheer begins to melt Cloud’s frosty exterior.” (FF30th Evenet Book)

Marle even says this “Cut your losses honey. Unless you like your men silent and emotionally unavailable. [Cloud’s] built a wall around himself so damn high, even he can’t see over it. He’ll never tell you what he’s thinking.”

Yet his frosty exterior is melting. lol

 

[loozzer]

Never did they say Cloud wasn't real. *roll eyes*



Cloud is officially an EX-SOLDIER.

"At first when I met Cloud, I believed he was similar to Zack. Little actions, the way he spoke... his kindness. But Cloud is Cloud. I, now undoubtedly, love Cloud much more than Zack." --Aerith's monologue in Gongaga; FFVII Dismantled

"When her thoughts turned to Cloud, Aerith hurt deeply. She had been carrying love for him. Initially, she thought he had similarities to her first love. Although they didn't share faces, voices or disposition, his behavior and mannerisms made her wonder about this mysterious person--but that was alright almost immediately anyway. Because she had come to love him more than her first love."

"Although in the beginning, Aerith felt close to Cloud is because he behaves like Zack, her interest in Cloud himself grows and she is attracted to him." --FFVII Ultamania Omega

Cloud has been real the whole time. He just has memory problems and Jenova cells infecting him from all the Mako Poisoning. SE never said Cloud has been fake with Aerith or Tifa. So where did you get this?

Cloud is even sassy to his MOTHER. Lol He's been real the whole time. I guess when Cloud was dancing at the Honey Bee Inn and cross-dressing was all fake since it was out of his character to do those things but he does it anyway to save Tifa. Cloud even told Barret in the reactor "I don't dance." lol.

Cloud is even talking to flowers to please Aerith. Totally him. And even listening to Aerith talk to him about what the flowers are saying and even complementing her after. He plays along with it. Even "Hi-fiving" Aerith. Jessie notices when Cloud is different and so does Aerith. It's because of actions like these. Still totally him.

Another note “Cloud joins Aerith as her bodyguard… and gradually, Aerith’s warm cheer begins to melt Cloud’s frosty exterior.” (FF30th Evenet Book)

Marle even says this “Cut your losses honey. Unless you like your men silent and emotionally unavailable. [Cloud’s] built a wall around himself so damn high, even he can’t see over it. He’ll never tell you what he’s thinking.”

Yet his frosty exterior is melting. lol

i don't think anyone is disputing the majority of what you're saying lol

the only thing that i disagree with is that you (and a lot of cleriths) seem to have this idea that cloud is frosty towards everyone and that aerith is the only one who can get through to him. he isn't closed off towards everyone. tifa is special to him and he isn't his usual closed off self with her.

i agree that aerith is getting him to come out of his shell. but i don't agree with how you use it imply that this makes her special in a way that no one else is.

edit: i also want to add that even as someone who prefers cloti, i've always really disliked the argument that cloud's time with aerith wasn't real or that his personality wasn't real. it's a bad argument that doesn't take into account how real people work.

for instance if someone gets into a car accident, loses all their memories, and goes through a substantial personality change, it doesn't make any of their new experiences fake. if this person used to have a girlfriend before the accident but can't remember her and decides to date a new girl, the new relationship is just as real. when they regain their memories/personality, i highly doubt they would see the new relationship as fake. even if girlfriend #2 was the complete opposite of their type before the accident, the reality is that the new relationship did happen. once their memories come back they're gonna have to make a difficult decision about whether they want to return to their old relationship or move forward with the new relationship. i find it highly unlikely that a real person in this situation would just be like "oh, well i wasn't my true self after the accident so i guess i'll just ditch girlfriend #2". it'd probably be a very hard to choose between gf #1 and gf #2.

the fact that cloud's memories and personality have been altered doesn't make his relationship with aerith fake. it's just not how real people work. all of this being said, i don't think cloud got as far as love with aerith. it was an attraction, the beginning of love maybe. and in the end, i don't think he was able to explore that relationship to it's full potential.

 

[Clear A]

i don't think anyone is disputing the majority of what you're saying lol

the only thing that i disagree with is that you (and a lot of cleriths) seem to have this idea that cloud is frosty towards everyone and that aerith is the only one who can get through to him. he isn't closed off towards everyone. tifa is special to him and he isn't his usual closed off self with her.

i agree that aerith is getting him to come out of his shell. but i don't agree with how you use it imply that this makes her special in a way that no one else is.

If you read carefully (which I don't think you did) I was telling Eerie that Cloud is real the whole time. With you Clotis (this is the tone you used) mind you I am an individual, you think Cloud is real with just about every except Aerith, why? Because we want the story to suit our own desires.

You said Tifa was special to Cloud, yet at the same time I can't say Aerith is just as special to Cloud too. Because I am deemed a Clerith. Wait now.

So I told her that Cloud is real. SE never said that Cloud was fake.

Where did I ever say that Tifa was not special to him, I think I said that she was like 5000 times, but no one wants to read the opposing team. They want to read what suits them and attack. Read. And read carefully. But you seem like a nice person so pardon me. No one is even giving Aerith any credibility but I have to be the bigger person and be neutral and fair.

I am quoting what real sources said about the characters to defend the truth and defame the falsehoods.

 

[loozzer]

If you read carefully (which I don't think you did) I was telling Eerie that Cloud is real the whole time. With you Clotis (this is the tone you used) mind you I am an individual, you think Cloud is real with just about every except Aerith, why? Because we want the story to suit our own desires.

You said Tifa was special to Cloud, yet at the same time I can't say Aerith is just as special to Cloud too. Because I am deemed a Clerith. Wait now.

So I told her that Cloud is real. SE never said that Cloud was fake.

Where did I ever say that Tifa was not special to him, I think I said that she was like 5000 times, but no one wants to read the opposing team. They want to read what suits them and attack. Read. And read carefully. But you seem like a nice person so pardon me. No one is even giving Aerith any credibility but I have to be the bigger person and be neutral and fair.

I am quoting what they said about Aerith to defend the truth and defame the falsehoods.

read my edit lol.

also you keep saying that tifa is special to him as a friend only, which is obviously not what me (and other clotis) are referring to when saying that she's special. your comments all suggest that aerith is the only one who is special to cloud in the romantic sense

 

[KindOfBlue]

Cloud is officially an EX-SOLDIER.

Cloud was never actually in SOLDIER

He just has memory problems and Jenova cells infecting him from all the Mako Poisoning.

You say that as if it wouldn’t have drastic effects on his psyche and personality. Granted, I don’t believe his time with Aerith was fake either (even if she herself suggests otherwise), but you’d be ignoring a pretty big aspect of the story if you don’t consider how his mental state affects his relationships.

Where did I ever say that Tifa was not special to him, I think I said that she was like 5000 times, but no one wants to read the opposing team. They want to read what suits them and attack.

I hope you see the irony of writing this while ignoring information from official sources

I am quoting what real sources said about the characters to defend the truth and defame the falsehoods.

Wait, wait, wait, are all of those quotes “from the mouths of devs”, because you’re gonna have to be consistent if that’s your standard for what’s valid and what’s not

 

[Graymouse]

The one major problem that Cloud X Aerith fans have is disproving Cloud X Tifa, not the other way around. The burden is on them to do so. Most Cloud X Tifa fans agree that Cloud at some point fell in love with Aerith or had some romantic feelings for her. However to completely ignore scenes that are canon, and have been written about in the Ultimania, or say that Cloud has no romantic feelings for Tifa is in my opinion absurd. All of us know how the story ends. With that said, FF7 Remake will not deviate from the main plot line of the OG. The Devs have stated so many times in many interviews.

I truly hope that Cloud X Aerith have more intimate scenes together in the remake. However, I really do feel that the way the story has been going thus far Aerith is more concerned / centered on doing her Centra duties than worried about or trying to have a romantic relationship with a man-child which who suffers from one of the worst cases of dementia in a video game. Just saying.

*edited to better articulate my thoughts.

 

[eleamaya]

"At first when I met Cloud, I believed he was similar to Zack. Little actions, the way he spoke... his kindness. But Cloud is Cloud. I, now undoubtedly, love Cloud much more than Zack." --Aerith's monologue in Gongaga; FFVII Dismantled

You completely ignore the previous passage before Aerith jump to this conclusion that IT'S CONTRADICT TO CRISIS CORE.

Here is the full passage in Dismantled.

I was a little surprised that this village was Zack’s birthplace! Although called my first love, that doesn’t mean that we became particularly intimate.
I encountered him by chance as a flower vendor in Midgar. It was good for a little while, so I thought. A friendly, childish SOLDIER, who even gave kindness to girls. I encountered Zack and began to think that even a good-natured person was from Shinra.

Therefore, 5 years ago, when Zack departed somewhere on a mission and he seemingly disappeared, I cried considerably. Yeah, I call this first love. Mother got angry at Zack when she saw me like that. That matter made him completely at fault.

At first, when I met Cloud, I believed he was similar to Zack. Little actions, the way he spoke… his kindness. But Cloud is Cloud. I, now undoubtedly, love Cloud much more than Zack. But Cloud is clueless.

Since you love the devs' outright statement but completely ignore Ultimania (btw what you quote above also from guide book and I thought you hate to use that), this is Nojima's interview in CC Ultimania.

Interviewer: In FFVII, the part of Aerith’s first love which we couldn’t imagine how it was, is described in CC, and lots of FFVII fans are pleased about it.
Nojima: Like the part of falling to church from above, how it was repeated when meeting with Cloud is already decided from the very beginning. Rather than calling it romance, both of them were still young, we didn’t have enough time to describe why she fell for him in the game, so we made it a sudden encounter then fall at first sight. Personally, it’s my greatest joy to be able to bring Aerith’s line “one date” to Cloud part in FFVII, as originally Zack’s line in the game scenario. That line in FFVII was intended to be coming out of nowhere, but because of that, it gives the impression of “Aerith being thoughtless” to say such thing, so it was kind of bothering me. Now it’s made to be Aerith taking it from Zack’s words, I feel like I’ve managed to defend Aerith.

Interviewer: Other than “1 date” line, her wearing ribbon and selling flowers in the Slums part, was also affected by Zack.
Nojima: I wanted to entwine Aerith’s traits in FFVII to Zack as much as I can.

Interviewer: In the latter half of the game, it’s a nice scene to have Aerith convey her 23, tiny wishes.
Nojima: It’s good, right? If I was requested for things like that, it’ll be a little unbearable (laugh). However, if she only had about 10 wishes, maybe Zack could still memorize them. So I made it 23, then it’s impossible for Zack to memorize.

Zack and Aerith meet in the church, not when she's selling flowers! And then Aerith's trait entwined to Zack's as much as she has. And even without this interview, Aerith also sent 89 letters, and you compare her "love Cloud more than Zack" because her relationship in Dismantled isn't intimate nor as deep as what Nojima portrayed. Trust me, without everything in CC, if their relationship was just flat, I'd also agree with Benny Matsuyama here in Dismantled.

"When her thoughts turned to Cloud, Aerith hurt deeply. She had been carrying love for him. Initially, she thought he had similarities to her first love. Although they didn't share faces, voices, or disposition, his behavior and mannerisms made her wonder about this mysterious person--but that was alright almost immediately anyway. Because she had come to love him more than her first love."

Oh, and Maiden? which the novella is also written by the same person who had no idea about Zack & Aerith's relationship and jump to conclusion that Aerith loves him less than Cloud? This dialogue in Maiden is interesting btw:

“Man, you know Aerith. Out of all the girls I’ve gotten along with, you truly are the best. After that mission, we could have stayed the way we were and might have been able to continue to go out with each other after I returned home. I hate Sephiroth. And I hate Shinra who’s been hiding all the stuff they’ve been doing.”

“Someone who’s gotten along with so many girls can never become a lover.”

“How mean. I’m nice to everyone.”

“And that’s your bad point. You’re not simplistic and awkward like Cloud.”

“Is that what you liked, Aerith?”

“Who knows. Things might have changed after five years.”

Where Nojima himself stated:

Interviewer: Did you intend to portray Zack’s wavering between Cissnei and Aerith?
──シスネとエアリスのあいだでザックスが揺れ動く描写をするつもりはあったんでしょうか？

Nojima: No, that’s not true.
野島：いや、それはないですね。

source

Nah. All the things you think Aerith loves Cloud more than Zack doesnt exist here. Zack is very OOC in his first sentence above lmao, no wonder that was her response. And things havent changed after five years because she sent 89 letters for four years in CC and still lament her grief towards him on FF7R ending and she isnt clueless that he's gone.

Interviewer: During the ending, Aerith murmurs, “The sky, I hate it.” [EN localization: “I miss it, the steel sky.”] Is there some deep meaning to this?

Nomura: For Aerith, the sky symbolizes sadness. Zack and her mother, Ifalna, are precious/dear people to her who were taken away to the sky.

But aside from that, come to read Maiden again, because what Benny writes there is the old idea in Early Material about Cloud being full cloth who has SOLDIER memory and contradict to OG. My suggestion is... never use those two sources (Dismantled and Maiden) to explain Aerith's feeling to both Cloud and Zack and to explain who Cloud is.