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

Stiggie

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Stiggie
Fair, I may be projecting. I love my friends a lot, a lot but fr it's genuinely annoying when they don't respect that I don't enjoy affection. I feel bad for feeling like that because I know it's all love to them but it feels low key disrespectful when people keep touching you when they know you don't enjoy that whole thing. So I've always read Cloud as similar.

That scene that was put on YouTube the other day from Rebirth with Aerith saying they went on a date and latching on to his arm and him like... Holding his arm away from his body and looking low key distressed resonated with me on a deeply personal level 😂😂
But don't you see? Not respecting peoples personal space and forcing your company on them is "chemistry".

For real though, it genuinely does bother me when people say Aerith somehow matches better with Cloud, personality wise, because they're so opposite. It feels like an attempt to turn something bad (they're nothing alike and argue all the time), into something good (oh, they compliment each other and have chemistry!). Like introversion is a bad thing that an extravert needs to fix, it's such an insulting stance to take imo.
It also mistakes extraversion as chemistry, they basically take there being more talking as there being more chemistry, but sound =/= chemistry, sometimes just vibing silently in each others company is chemistry.

That's not even going into the fact that Aerith has never met Cloud and the person she's having "chemistry" with is specifically a lie. Which should tell you something, but oh well.
 

Maidenofwar

They/Them
Thank you Yumelinh.

I've really seen the the worst of takes on the internets like Aerith forces herself on Cloud, is an abuser, a sexual predator, physical/emotional/sexual/mental abuser, mind f*cks Cloud, mentally sexualy abuses him, etc, I won't use the strong word people use because I know it can be triggering for some but yeah, all this and more. All this some think SE make one of their beloved characters be. So many people love her, she's beloved, many on the dev, the staff team love her too. Some think they'd really make that the truth of her? That was not her or their intention.

So I apologise if it seems I've been coming across as a bit short or defensive here or in the other thread, I try to keep my patience and not get depressed, upset or snippy, but it's hard at times 💜

Different here because people are now sharing their personal, intimate, close experiences which I won't mock. Giving some insight into why they feel the way they do, and why they might see things the way they do, different interpretations from me, which I will respect.
 
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faefolk

Pro Adventurer
But don't you see? Not respecting peoples personal space and forcing your company on them is "chemistry".

For real though, it genuinely does bother me when people say Aerith somehow matches better with Cloud, personality wise, because they're so opposite. It feels like an attempt to turn something bad (they're nothing alike and argue all the time), into something good (oh, they compliment each other and have chemistry!). Like introversion is a bad thing that an extravert needs to fix, it's such an insulting stance to take imo.
It also mistakes extraversion as chemistry, they basically take there being more talking as there being more chemistry, but sound =/= chemistry, sometimes just vibing silently in each others company is chemistry.

That's not even going into the fact that Aerith has never met Cloud and the person she's having "chemistry" with is specifically a lie. Which should tell you something, but oh well.
Yeah, I definitely don't get this thought process haha. Before I married my husband, I dated some really affectionate people - so did he. Neither of us could deal with it. And they would get pissed off that we weren't paying enough attention or loving on them enough. Vibing someone silently is my kind of chemistry. Opposites really don't attract often in that way from what I've seen in relationships. In friendships it's fine. But it does not create romantic chemistry and generally causes pretty serious relationship drama, pretty fast. So yeah, it bothers me also. That kind of Disney-style optimism and the constant need for conversation and touch would get old really fast unless you were at a similar level *coughzackcough*
 

faefolk

Pro Adventurer
Wh
Thank you Yumelinh.

I've really seen the the worst of takes on the internets like Aerith forces herself on Cloud, is an abuser, a sexual predator, physical/emotional/sexual/mental abuser, mind f*cks Cloud, mentally sexualy abuses him, etc, I won't use the strong word people use because I know it can be triggering for some but yeah, all this and more. All this some think SE make one of their beloved characters be. So many people love her, she's beloved, many on the dev, the staff team love her too. Some think they'd really make that the truth of her? That was not her or their intention.

So I apologise if it seems I've been coming across as a bit short or defensive here or in the other thread, I try to keep my patience and not get depressed, upset or snippy, but it's hard at times
Who the hell is going that far with their insults? That's like... Super not okay. I'm pretty certain that must be a minority because that's completely unhinged.
 

Stiggie

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Stiggie
Thank you Yumelinh.

I've really seen the the worst of takes on the internets like Aerith forces herself on Cloud, is an abuser, a sexual predator, physical/emotional/sexual/mental abuser, mind f*cks Cloud, mentally sexualy abuses him, etc, I won't use the strong word people use because I know it can be triggering for some but yeah, all this and more. All this some think SE make one of their beloved characters be. So many people love her, she's beloved, many on the dev, the staff team love her too. Some think they'd really make that the truth of her? That was not her or their intention.

So I apologise if it seems I've been coming across as a bit short or defensive here or in the other thread, I try to keep my patience and not get depressed, upset or snippy, but it's hard at times 💜
There are two things here that are often conflated. The intensions of the developers and what is being shown.
Obviously we are meant to like Aerith and obviously Cloud is meant to eventually warm up to her as well, I'd say somewhere during the track to sector 7.

So when people say that Cloud hates her attention and all that I think that's a little far fetched, clearly all the playable characters are supposed to like the way all other playable characters interact with them at some point. Final fantasy isn't a series about a bunch of people continuing to dislike each other. Even Zidane and Steiner like each other by the end. Or Barret and Caith Sith

That is different from saying that moment to moment Cloud is happy with everything that goes on, he's clearly uncomfortable at points, but as has been stated, you can feel uncomfortable at times and still generally like a person. Hell, you can even feel uncomfortable, and still kinda like something, in the same moment.

But even with all of that being said it's still valid to go "I think this behavior is unacceptable, even if Cloud ends up being ok with it and even if SE intends for me to find it endearing". To me, what Aerith does is at times really messed up, and depending on how accurate some of the leaks I've read are, and depending on context, are downright despicable, and that's completely valid, and it's also valid to feel like that negatively impacts the story. For example, if Aerith, while knowing Tifa and Cloud have a history and are going through some sort of courtship, tries to become friends with Tifa while also trying to get between them, then I find that inexcusable.

There is also the real life vs story aspect to consider. IRL flirting with someone else after not seeing your BF for 5 years is of course completely fine, and if Zack wasn't a seen character in the story it would be fine in the story as well. But since we put focus on Zacks attempts to return to Aerith we are creating a story, and Aerith flirting with other men while Zack is desperately trying to get back to her is not the most enjoyable story to watch. Ergo, Aeriths actions make the story less enjoyable, aka, worse, aka, she's a bad character. And it's ok to not like bad characters.

So even though we're supposed to like Aerith, and many do, it is also completely justified to look at Aerith and not like her personality or her character.

Who the hell is going that far with their insults? That's like... Super not okay. I'm pretty certain that must be a minority because that's completely unhinged.
Silverwield is at the very least, she F-ing HATES Aerith, and genuinely acts as if Cloud does too. But yeah, it is the minority of course. You never hear from the majority. Even the people here are part of the 1% most extreme shippers, because the vast bulk of people don't care enough to even have a civil discussion, they're just....the silent majority.

By necessity the loudest people are the ones you hear most from, the most extreme parts of any group are also the most motivated, so whenever any group gets to a certain size there will be outliers on the bell curve that just take it too far. It's a well known propaganda tactic to shine a camera on that 0.01% that exists in any group to then claim that "this is what that group is". While taking the opposite group and essentially doing the reverse "99% of this group is fine, so if you shine a light on the 1% and use it to define the group you are a bigot".
All that matters really is who holds the spotlight.
 
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Edley

Pray for Sound
AKA
Issac Dian, Dudley, Chev Chelios
The more I think about it, I kinda love the idea of the sleeping forest date scene. On its surface, it seems a bit of a cruel way to dash Aerith’s hope for a romance with Cloud. With a little more depth, I think it’s serving the purpose of telling us that the love triangle was always a false choice. Cloud is not choosing Aerith or Tifa and Aerith isn't really choosing between Cloud and Zack. Aerith cherishes Cloud, but has fallen for him because he represents the idea that someone could make her feel the way Zack did again. It’s a dream that Aerith manifests using Cloud as a stand in. Her feelings and her love for Zack haven't changed, so she’s not looking to forget Zack just to move forward with Cloud, but return to those feelings she shared with Zack, but with Cloud instead, which is impossible.

She’s lying to herself, thinking if she can just recreate that spark with Cloud that something would develop that would distract her from the awful feeling in her heart. So she goes back to what gave her joy with Zack. From the church and the flower bed where she connected with both of them to the date where Zack gave her the ribbon, the only thing she has left of him other than memories. Problem is Cloud is not Zack, no matter the similarities. Her heart knows that Cloud could never give her that particular ribbon and even if he did, it wouldn’t have the same meaning, so she substitutes the hair clip, bangle, and stamp figure. Regardless, she becomes frustrated that she can’t just pretend not to be heartbroken for a moment. Cloud isn’t thinking in the context of romance, for many reasons, chiefly because his heart lies with Tifa. It’s not something that he can give, whether he realizes it yet or not.

It is not up for debate that Aerith has become a cherished person to Cloud. The idea of spending more time with her suits him. He’s just miscast in the play Aerith is attempting to substitute for reality. Cloud starts to question what exactly is happening so she settles on a yellow flower pin, her first memory and gift shared with Cloud. Even this fails as she knows he regifted the flower to Tifa. Aerith finally understands that her feelings didn’t match and Cloud can’t be for her what Zack was. She chooses to cherish Cloud’s friendship.

Then Sephiroth shows up and reality smacks her in the face again.

TL:DR; The Sleeping Forest date is not a clumsy friend zoning, it’s Aerith confronting the grief she’s been burying inside and coming to terms with her feelings for Cloud. That’s just my take. Your mileage may vary.
 
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null

Mr. Thou
AKA
null
I don't mind Aerith being in cope mode. It works. But if that's what they're going for, I hope they don't decide to trust the audience to use critical thinking. Spell it out with a sky writer.

Edit: a word
 
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Ryushikaze

Deus Admiral Parsimonious, PHD, DDS, MD, JD, OBE
AKA
Tim, Ryu
Aerith's been officially coping after Zack's death since CC, if not since OG, really, but yes, spelling it out even more clearly would be nice.
 

Yumelinh

Pro Adventurer
So ltd is ded now it's alive again xD? in a timespan of hours
00A691938A1389C0EDBCECD1340A6B876F5F2DCD
 

null

Mr. Thou
AKA
null
Aerith's been officially coping after Zack's death since CC, if not since OG, really, but yes, spelling it out even more clearly would be nice.
True enough. However if I understand correctly Aerith directly inserted Cloud into the CC date scenario, which seems like a whole new level of cope. Unfortunately not everyone has played Crisis Core, so I hope things like this aren't left to the players to piece together.
 

rkss

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Me
Tbh when dev said they'd focus on giving both girl equal contents. I knew what'd be their "priority". So I don't believe it will end, not in part 2.
I'm more worry about the fact that Zack is now a factor and half-alive and so... uh it makes things "weird". Even weirder when the game kinda implies both girls know other loves cloud.

Maybe I'm just too self aware to find it's a strange direction dev are going. People that like interaction between party members probably don't mind much.
 

ThePieSamurai

Lv. 25 Adventurer
AKA
Pie Samurai
The plot thickens! Hopefully this can be clarified by @Darth_Krid

I do not understand how people can deny the obvious. ‘Advent Children’, the absolute canonical movie that takes place two years after the end of the OG, shows that Cloud and Tifa are in a relationship. They live together, they take care of Marlene when Barrett is out scouting for new oil fields, and they have unofficially adopted an orphan son, Denzel. Shoot, Barrett even refers to Tifa as Denzel’s mom when the team winds up in Edge as they prepare to fight the summoned Bahamut. The movie doesn’t leave it up for speculation - Tifa and Cloud are together in a romantic relationship.

So why do people, what y’all refer to as “Shippers”, get so up in arms about Cloud and Tifa being together? Like I’ve stated before in this thread Cloud’s feelings for Aerith are only partially real. Most of his feelings for her and towards her come from his subconscious memories of Zack, who told Cloud a lot about her. While he doesn’t remember Zack and their conversations about Aerith until Tifa is able to help Cloud piece together his fractured psyche in the Lifestream he still has those memories and conversations at the forefront of his subconscious mind. Aerith is similar as well - many of her feelings for Cloud come from the fact that he is so much like Zack. Because he’s basically Zack inside his Cloud shell she is naturally drawn to him.

Had Aerith survived the OG do you think that they would have went on to become man and wife? I don’t, not at all. I don’t think that they would have had a relationship after the end of the OG that would have lasted more than a few months, perhaps even a year or two.

The OG makes it pretty apparent that Cloud has had serious romantic feelings, bordering on infatuation, for Tifa since they were children. Much of his behavior as a child was due to his desire for her to notice him, and the OG definitely hints that she did and had some pre-teen and teenage romantic infatuation with him as well, although she didn’t show it.

Destiny and fate are a big part of the FFVII universe, and I think that Cloud and Tifa were fated to love one another, and that Aerith’s survival wouldn’t change that. I’d be perfectly fine with one of the Aeriths to survive, but I don’t think that she and Cloud would be together for long, if even at all, in a world in which she lives and Zack is dead, and there’s virtually no chance that Aerith would chose to be with Cloud in a world in which Zack survives.

Whether you like it or not Cloud and Aerith are not meant to be together. They are, at best, star-crossed lovers akin to Romeo and Juliet, but Romeo survives while Juliet dies.
 

animosity07

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Anima
I do not understand how people can deny the obvious. ‘Advent Children’, the absolute canonical movie that takes place two years after the end of the OG, shows that Cloud and Tifa are in a relationship. They live together, they take care of Marlene when Barrett is out scouting for new oil fields, and they have unofficially adopted an orphan son, Denzel. Shoot, Barrett even refers to Tifa as Denzel’s mom when the team winds up in Edge as they prepare to fight the summoned Bahamut. The movie doesn’t leave it up for speculation - Tifa and Cloud are together in a romantic relationship.

So why do people, what y’all refer to as “Shippers”, get so up in arms about Cloud and Tifa being together? Like I’ve stated before in this thread Cloud’s feelings for Aerith are only partially real. Most of his feelings for her and towards her come from his subconscious memories of Zack, who told Cloud a lot about her. While he doesn’t remember Zack and their conversations about Aerith until Tifa is able to help Cloud piece together his fractured psyche in the Lifestream he still has those memories and conversations at the forefront of his subconscious mind. Aerith is similar as well - many of her feelings for Cloud come from the fact that he is so much like Zack. Because he’s basically Zack inside his Cloud shell she is naturally drawn to him.

Had Aerith survived the OG do you think that they would have went on to become man and wife? I don’t, not at all. I don’t think that they would have had a relationship after the end of the OG that would have lasted more than a few months, perhaps even a year or two.

The OG makes it pretty apparent that Cloud has had serious romantic feelings, bordering on infatuation, for Tifa since they were children. Much of his behavior as a child was due to his desire for her to notice him, and the OG definitely hints that she did and had some pre-teen and teenage romantic infatuation with him as well, although she didn’t show it.

Destiny and fate are a big part of the FFVII universe, and I think that Cloud and Tifa were fated to love one another, and that Aerith’s survival wouldn’t change that. I’d be perfectly fine with one of the Aeriths to survive, but I don’t think that she and Cloud would be together for long, if even at all, in a world in which she lives and Zack is dead, and there’s virtually no chance that Aerith would chose to be with Cloud in a world in which Zack survives.

Whether you like it or not Cloud and Aerith are not meant to be together. They are, at best, star-crossed lovers akin to Romeo and Juliet, but Romeo survives while Juliet dies.
Hardcore shippers need to channel their passion to eroge games instead of inventing scenes in their head those type of games actually let them choose their ending lmao
 

aeriths

Lv. 25 Adventurer
I do not understand how people can deny the obvious. ‘Advent Children’, the absolute canonical movie that takes place two years after the end of the OG, shows that Cloud and Tifa are in a relationship. They live together, they take care of Marlene when Barrett is out scouting for new oil fields, and they have unofficially adopted an orphan son, Denzel. Shoot, Barrett even refers to Tifa as Denzel’s mom when the team winds up in Edge as they prepare to fight the summoned Bahamut. The movie doesn’t leave it up for speculation - Tifa and Cloud are together in a romantic relationship.

So why do people, what y’all refer to as “Shippers”, get so up in arms about Cloud and Tifa being together? Like I’ve stated before in this thread Cloud’s feelings for Aerith are only partially real. Most of his feelings for her and towards her come from his subconscious memories of Zack, who told Cloud a lot about her. While he doesn’t remember Zack and their conversations about Aerith until Tifa is able to help Cloud piece together his fractured psyche in the Lifestream he still has those memories and conversations at the forefront of his subconscious mind. Aerith is similar as well - many of her feelings for Cloud come from the fact that he is so much like Zack. Because he’s basically Zack inside his Cloud shell she is naturally drawn to him.

Had Aerith survived the OG do you think that they would have went on to become man and wife? I don’t, not at all. I don’t think that they would have had a relationship after the end of the OG that would have lasted more than a few months, perhaps even a year or two.

The OG makes it pretty apparent that Cloud has had serious romantic feelings, bordering on infatuation, for Tifa since they were children. Much of his behavior as a child was due to his desire for her to notice him, and the OG definitely hints that she did and had some pre-teen and teenage romantic infatuation with him as well, although she didn’t show it.

Destiny and fate are a big part of the FFVII universe, and I think that Cloud and Tifa were fated to love one another, and that Aerith’s survival wouldn’t change that. I’d be perfectly fine with one of the Aeriths to survive, but I don’t think that she and Cloud would be together for long, if even at all, in a world in which she lives and Zack is dead, and there’s virtually no chance that Aerith would chose to be with Cloud in a world in which Zack survives.

Whether you like it or not Cloud and Aerith are not meant to be together. They are, at best, star-crossed lovers akin to Romeo and Juliet, but Romeo survives while Juliet dies.
It’s completely understandable why people feel strongly both to Cloti and Clerith. Both ships are given content and baited because it brings in money.

I can see with Cleriths enjoy it, it can be seen as a tragic budding romance cut short by a horrible fate. Cloti because it’s childhood crush turned into something more with a perfect crescendo within the lifestream sequence.

That being said, with rebirth I don’t think it’s a coincidence despite being optional or not there is a scene where Cloud can confess and kiss Tifa—his first kiss and only kiss in the entire franchise with one of the two main love interests and why we have Zack back showing how much he cares for Aerith with Aerith being conflicted over her feelings/coping with lies on why Zack is gone, and still ultimately dying. This with everything supposedly ending up with Advent Children there is a messy, but pretty clear narrative they’re planning out.

Tl;dr: both ships have appeal, but the endgame narrative is pretty clear when you take off shipping goggles
 

Maidenofwar

They/Them
Follow up from earlier,

I guess, I mean, maybe I'm just googly eyed about everything, or compartmentalise in different ways, seeing everything as distinct and different possibilities, in my game if I'm dating Aerith, I'm not in a relationship with Tifa, and vice verca, etc. So I don't really see Tifa or Aerith as bad characters in the way some do. Similarly I don't see Aerith as knowing all this about Zack, she's been losing her memories. I think after the party emerges to face the unknown future she has lost a lot. Also this Aerith is not the one Zack gets back to, well idk, it's not the Aerith he reunites with? and meanwhile our Aerith lost memories and went on a journey making new ones even if some of them might have been recreating ones she already had. It's confusing xD
 

null

Mr. Thou
AKA
null
@Maidenofwar I definitely don't view it as taking different routes when I play. It's more like bringing a dynamic that already exists to the forefront. Everything that happens on the Barret date? To me that's 100% what Cloud and Barret's relationship is, whether I get the cutscene or not.

Same with everyone else. There's no way for the player to seriously change any relationships; only the story itself affects that. Like, I couldn't make Tifa give up on Cloud no matter how hard I tried to blow her off.
 

Maidenofwar

They/Them
I don't really see Tifa pursuing Cloud that zealously for most of disc 1 tbh. Rebirth seems different. Tifa
trying to kiss Cloud in Gongaga? Like wow.
 

Zach1545

Rookie Adventurer
[ I'm focused on the unlockable romantic scenes in Rebirth, according to the leaks. Aerith stumbles into Cloud's arms on the gold saucer date. she says she's trying so hard to find Cloud. she rest her head on his shoulder and they hold hands. On the date with Tifa, she tries to express her feelings for Cloud, who in response pulls her in for a hug and kisses her. That's a night and day difference in my opinion. Which is not like OG FF7 at all. ]
 

frosty

Pro Adventurer
AKA
The Snowman
Stiggie said:
But even with all of that being said it's still valid to go "I think this behavior is unacceptable, even if Cloud ends up being ok with it and even if SE intends for me to find it endearing". To me, what Aerith does is at times really messed up, and depending on how accurate some of the leaks I've read are, and depending on context, are downright despicable, and that's completely valid, and it's also valid to feel like that negatively impacts the story. For example, if Aerith, while knowing Tifa and Cloud have a history and are going through some sort of courtship, tries to become friends with Tifa while also trying to get between them, then I find that inexcusable

Perhaps a gentler way to look at Aerith's behavior without demonizing her as "backstabbing, boyfriend stealing person, who has no loyalty to Zack" in Rebirth (if what I get from the leaks is correct) is that she is HAS already been constantly trying to suss out Cloud and Tifa's relationship to see if it's safe to admit to Cloud what she feels about him - that's why she keeps asking Cloud questions about Tifa, flirts with Cloud in front of Tifa etc. But because the both of them are not forthcoming in admitting their feelings for each other to anyone else, and the bulk of their affection happens in private spaces, she isn't given a clear "he's taken" signal, perhaps tries to shoot her last shot before death. The good way to think about her is: If Cloud and Tifa just fessed up, Aerith would have supported her friends and taken her feelings to the grave.

I know a lot of LTD combatants interpret Rebirth Aerith's behavior to try to "steal her friends man" but from a person that's dying, she does not have 100% confirmation that the man she likes is in love with someone else, and she just takes her small and final chance to see he feels the same way, and, well, die knowing, so she tries. But to the viewer we all know she's just coping with Zack, and when she doesn't get the reinforcement she needs at her very last chance, she acknowledges this. It's a little sad, really.

That's the gentlest, most sympathetic explanation I can give on behalf of Aerith, because there are a lot of bad takes out there ripping Aerith apart.

MaidenofWar said:
I don't really see Tifa pursuing Cloud that zealously for most of disc 1 tbh. Rebirth seems different. Tifa
trying to kiss Cloud in Gongaga? Like wow.

It sounds like you're positioning it like Tifa is coming onto Cloud the way Aerith hits on him, but I'm sure that conversation between them is so emotionally charged that
even YUFFIE
can sense it through the walls.
 
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