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

[Stiggie]

These things are not comparable to experiencing derealization. Being forcibly drugged isn't the same thing. Neither is having a brain injury. Neither is being tortured into insanity.

Cloud throws off Sephiroths control. That's not something you can compare to any real life scenario, that's the fantasy element of Clouds mental battle.

None of those things are remotely the same and honestly I'm super done with this conversation. As someone who has suffered and been treated for serious mental health issues this is genuinely just upsetting me. And honestly I just think it's absolutely ridiculous and a disservice to Clouds character to suggest nothing he did pre Lifestream counted for anything because it 'wasn't him'. Just whatever man. Think what you want to think. Maybe try not imply that mentally ill people barely count as real people or themselves next time though. I'm out.

Please don't act as if you are the only one who has had to deal with mental illness in their life, not only is it an unfair way to argue but it's insensitive. I never said nothing Cloud did pre-lifestream matters, that's you refusing to see gradients and forcing stuff into boxes again. You're forcing me to play by your rules and that's not ok. The whole point is that it's not "either or", so using the fact that I refuse to say something is in box A, since I don't believe the world is as simple as everything having a clear cut classification, to act as though I am saying it's in Box B, or otherwise exactly the same, is intellectually dishonest. And as someone who has also suffered, and is continuing to suffer from, mental health issues, what I find upsetting is when people think they can define away my issues into a neat package and treat me as though I am different.

 

[AncientGrimoire]

Aerith’s arc and journey in Rebirth, and to an extent this portion of the OG’s story, actually reminded me a little bit of Elizabeth’s own story from BioShock Infinite.

 

[LunarTarotGirl]

I think your reasoning is sound, but you come around to an odd conclusion by the end.

If Cloud actually loves Tifa, and that's undeniable, then Cloud not kissing Aerith isn't because neither want to hurt Tifa - it's because Cloud loves Tifa. In fact, Aerith is very aware of Tifa's feelings and that has done little to stop her pursuing Cloud. It works the other way too of course.

Whether Cloud himself is aware of Aerith's feelings don't seem to matter in that moment, or when he nearly kisses Tifa in Gongaga. He kisses Tifa because he wants to, what happens with Aerith can be derived logically from that.

I think the simplest solution is just that Cloud - or the devs if you like - picked Tifa.

I'm not arguing that. The character Cloud of course acted on his feelings for Tifa. Because that's what they wish to show his feelings for her. The kiss shows this clearly.

I'm saying however narratively speaking: That I still don't think would they have kissed. Even if the character had feelings for Aerith. The story set up they have just wouldn't allow it. So when it comes to the statement he had a chance to kiss Aerith but didn't take it. I think the point of that scene in the date was to clearly show they both wouldn't take it chance or no. (Neither him nor Aerith).

 

[KindOfBlue]

Back when the demo came out, I remember a streamer describing the Cloud and Aerith scene at the tower in Kalm as a “win” for Clerith despite their conversation being about Tifa because Aerith is able to relate to Cloud’s loneliness when she talks about how she wishes she had a childhood friend or something, I dunno…it’s this obsession with “winning” or being “canon” that really has me convinced shipping leads to brain rot.

 

[GamerSkull]

Back when the demo came out, I remember a streamer describing the Cloud and Aerith scene at the tower in Kalm as a “win” for Clerith despite their conversation being about Tifa because Aerith is able to relate to Cloud’s loneliness when she talks about how she wishes she had a childhood friend or something, I dunno…it’s this obsession with “winning” or being “canon” that really has me convinced shipping leads to brain rot.

They need their wins where they can get them, considering what happens later.

Although yeah, the water tower scene with Aerith in Chapter 11 doesn’t really strike me as a Clerith moment… except I guess other than both characters are talking to each other.

 

[Rose Alive]

I dunno. If I knew my friend was interested in a girl, I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t flirt with her in front of him, especially if I was unsure of my feelings for her as well.

Aerith literally grabs his arm and says they were on a date at the beginning in front of Tifa.

By the time they leave Midgar, Aerith should definitely have an idea of Tifa’s feelings. She correctly surmises that Tifa is a special person to Cloud during their rescue of children in Sector 5.

And in the OG, Cloud can outright tell her that Tifa is his girlfriend… and she’ll still flirt openly.

This I imagine was a difficult thing for the devs to portray, especially with the voice acting and facial expressions, body language, etc: how to have Aerith openly flirt with Cloud without coming off as a bad friend to Tifa. It's a fine line they walked, and one that is going to really impact people differently. Some will view it as a friendly rivalry/harmless flirting. Others will see it as tasteless and even say Aerith wasn't a real friend for doing this.

I'm stuck in the middle with this one. On the one hand, I don't think it's something a friend would do. On the other hand, I love Aerith and it's hard for me to fault her for it---especially considering that Cloud falls through the church the same way Zack did, he carries the buster sword, he's super hot, etc.

 

[LunarTarotGirl]

I dunno. If I knew my friend was interested in a girl, I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t flirt with her in front of him, especially if I was unsure of my feelings for her as well.

Aerith literally grabs his arm and says they were on a date at the beginning in front of Tifa.

By the time they leave Midgar, Aerith should definitely have an idea of Tifa’s feelings. She correctly surmises that Tifa is a special person to Cloud during their rescue of children in Sector 5.

And in the OG, Cloud can outright tell her that Tifa is his girlfriend… and she’ll still flirt openly.

And it’s incorrect to say Aerith is flirty by nature. She never acts this way with anybody except Cloud. Ever.

I never said Aerith is flirty by nature. I was acknowledging what you were saying. But the point is also to show the viewer hey look how bubbly this character is as well as let them know her feelings.

Aerith's character follows the guigui trope. Especially in OG. The character that is headstrong and pulls the main character around everywhere. She doesn't have a good sense of boundaries. But also she's socially awkward and has rarely interacted with people besides Zack. She also grew up first in a lab then a basically cage in the form of a house in the slums. I understand how you feel but from a story stand point her behaviour does make narrative sense.

In 1997 the idea of two girls being rivals over a guy was pretty popular thanks to shows like Evangelion and Kimagure Orange Road so the representation of women back then was a lot more tactless and pretty sexist honestly. Thankfully now we are in 2024 and they're doing a lot better. With every character honestly.

She is headstrong, she doesn't always understand social cues, and calls everything a date. She even calls hanging with Tifa a date.

With Cloud yes she's very flirty and pulls him around and I get why you don't like that. But I still don't think her doing those things means she'd actually kiss him with the way they set up the story.

And the gondola scene does have her moving away too. I really believe she wouldn't cross that line.

So that's all I'm saying here. Chance or no. I never expected a kiss. From where I am sitting I think it's pretty clear it would clash with who these characters are and the narrative wouldn't allow it.

 

[Hix]

On the one hand, yeah Aerith comes across as a bit insensitive - and she does this at other times too, such as when the discussion turns to Jessie - but I think if you view her behavior through the lens of her character arc, it becomes clear that she isn't doing so maliciously, at least.

5 years and 89 unrequited love letters after her boyfriend vanishes, as @Rose Alive noted, Cloud appears on the scene falling into her church in exactly the same way as Zack did when they first met. It's so similar it's uncanny, scary, could it be a coincidence? From then, the hallmarks of their relationship would ape those she shared with Zack. The "one date" reward, culminating in the playground chat, being the most overt.

This is not the actions of a thirsty girl willing to get between a friend and a guy she barely knows, but someone actively searching for a way to recapture a lost love.

 

[Ryeleigh]

I'm stuck in the middle with this one. On the one hand, I don't think it's something a friend would do. On the other hand, I love Aerith and it's hard for me to fault her for it---especially considering that Cloud falls through the church the same way Zack did, he carries the buster sword, he's super hot, etc.

I was just thinking about this. I feel that few people appreciate or consider in depth what a mindscrew being around Cloud must've been for Aerith. I mean, this kid falls through the church roof like Zack, carries his sword, and acts like him (insert the cool compilation of Cloud mimicking Zack's mannerisms). It's like, it is him but it's not him. It's no wonder the poor girl is confused (on top of still processing her grief). This is why I can't fault her behaviour because I can't even imagine being in that situation myself.

 

[Rose Alive]

I was just thinking about this. I feel that few people appreciate or consider in depth what a mindscrew being around Cloud must've been for Aerith. I mean, this kid falls through the church roof like Zack, carries his sword, and acts like him (insert the cool compilation of Cloud mimicking Zack's mannerisms). It's like, it is him but it's not him. It's no wonder the poor girl is confused (on top of still processing her grief). This is why I can't fault her behaviour because I can't even imagine being in that situation myself.

Especially the eyes. Can you imagine looking into someone's eyes that look exactly like the eyes of the one you love? Like every time she does, she probably has to remind herself that those are not Zack's eyes---those are Cloud's.

 

[Ryeleigh]

As an aside, I feel that this is totally a Zerith song: Lady of the Pier.

 

[Empyrea]

This I imagine was a difficult thing for the devs to portray, especially with the voice acting and facial expressions, body language, etc: how to have Aerith openly flirt with Cloud without coming off as a bad friend to Tifa. It's a fine line they walked, and one that is going to really impact people differently. Some will view it as a friendly rivalry/harmless flirting. Others will see it as tasteless and even say Aerith wasn't a real friend for doing this.

I'm stuck in the middle with this one. On the one hand, I don't think it's something a friend would do. On the other hand, I love Aerith and it's hard for me to fault her for it---especially considering that Cloud falls through the church the same way Zack did, he carries the buster sword, he's super hot, etc.

It's a hard thing to be stuck on, for sure. While I can see Aerith acting on impulse because of herimpending death and the fact Cloud reminds of her of Zack... I'm still torn what to think of the fact she still did it despite being aware of both Cloud and Tifa's feelings for each other. I will give Aerith this: she's very, very far from Sekai from the School Days anime (and I would like to believe that's a super low bar to clear).

For now, I stand between "It's fine, character-wise" and "If I had a friend, and she does this to me, I'd be incredibly offended, to say the least."

 

[GamerSkull]

On the one hand, yeah Aerith comes across as a bit insensitive - and she does this at other times too, such as when the discussion turns to Jessie - but I think if you view her behavior through the lens of her character arc, it becomes clear that she isn't doing so maliciously, at least.

5 years and 89 unrequited love letters after her boyfriend vanishes, as @Rose Alive noted, Cloud appears on the scene falling into her church in exactly the same way as Zack did when they first met. It's so similar it's uncanny, scary, could it be a coincidence? From then, the hallmarks of their relationship would ape those she shared with Zack. The "one date" reward, culminating in the playground chat, being the most overt.

This is not the actions of a thirsty girl willing to get between a friend and a guy she barely knows, but someone actively searching for a way to recapture a lost love.

You know when you put it like that, I agree. At least insofar as Remake Trilogy Aerith comes across.

Not sure if OG Aerith applies.

 

[LunarTarotGirl]

It's a hard thing to be stuck on, for sure. While I can see Aerith acting on impulse because of herimpending death and the fact Cloud reminds of her of Zack... I'm still torn what to think of the fact she still did it despite being aware of both Cloud and Tifa's feelings for each other. I will give Aerith this: she's very, very far from Sekai from the School Days anime (and I would like to believe that's a super low bar to clear).

For now, I stand between "It's fine, character-wise" and "If I had a friend, and she does this to me, I'd be incredibly offended, to say the least."

I think from a story standpoint it is very difficult. I think they do need to be careful how the character comes across because yeah many people would take it as her being catty to her friend. I get it.

But they also have to show the character has feelings for Cloud as it's part of her story arc. She sees him as more than a friend so I think they decided flirting would be the way to show that. Like they need to show the audience she falls for him somehow. Otherwise the reveal that she fell for him later in her date or her dream confession wouldn't make much sense.

It would also be weird if the character didn't show rising affection towards Cloud considering players are given the choice to raise her affection in the game. Like no point in having that affection point system if her relationship with him feels like the same friendship as everyone else.
With OG it was more extreme bc it was polygon people with faces that looked like this
So you gotta exaggerate to get the point across. Then they had Tifa on screen to show this polygon had feelings too for the same guy.

Here the interactions feel more natural. In HD we can see all the characters interact with more subtlety.

I do wonder if they could have showed Aerith's feelings for Cloud and her being torn over him and Zack another way. Like maybe showing her fall for him secretly anime style away from Tifa. Maybe looking at him from a distance. But with her forthcoming and bold personality I'm not sure how well that would work out.

 

[Empyrea]

I think from a story standpoint it is very difficult. I think they do need to be careful how the character comes across because yeah many people would take it as her being catty to her friend. I get it.

But they also have to show the character has feelings for Cloud as it's part of her story arc. She sees him as more than a friend so I think they decided flirting would be the way to show that. Like they need to show the audience she falls for him somehow.

It would also be weird if the character didn't show rising affection towards Cloud considering players are given the choice to raise her affection in the game. Like no point in having that affection point system if her relationship with him feels like the same friendship as everyone else.
With OG it was more extreme bc it was polygon people with faces that looked like this So you gotta exaggerate to get the point across. Then they had Tifa on screen to show this polygon had feelings too for the same guy.

Here the interactions feel more natural. In HD we can see all the characters interact subtly.

I do wonder if they could have showed Aerith's feelings for Cloud and her being torn over him and Zack another way. Like maybe showing her fall for him secretly anime style away from Tifa. Maybe looking at him from a distance. But with her forthcoming and bold personality I'm not sure how well that would work out.

Oh, I very much agree with you on this. And I think I'm fine with being stuck on this, personally. I don't have to personally like it, but it still gets the message across quite clearly. I'll take the latter over my own preference any day, if only because clarity matters a lot to me.

Funny enough, this kind of situation is similar to the premise of a Korean soap I watched with my mom watched once. Lie to Me, I believe was the translated title. The main gal there was planning to confess her feelings to her crush after passing an exam but her then friend, even while knowing this, got together with that same guy (to spite her, mostly -- she's shown to get really jealous of the main girl). Of course, the main girl finds love with someone else, but yeah.

...I think these Asian soaps gave me about as much brain rot as harem anime.

 

[LunarTarotGirl]

Oh, I very much agree with you on this. And I think I'm fine with being stuck on this, personally. I don't have to personally like it, but it still gets the message across quite clearly. I'll take the latter over my own preference any day, if only because clarity matters a lot to me.

Funny enough, this kind of situation is similar to the premise of a Korean soap I watched with my mom watched once. Lie to Me, I believe was the translated title. The main gal there was planning to confess her feelings to her crush after passing an exam but her then friend, even while knowing this, got together with that same guy (to spite her, mostly -- she's shown to get really jealous of the main girl). Of course, the main girl finds love with someone else, but yeah.

...I think these Asian soaps gave me about as much brain rot as harem anime.

Yeah Spanish soap operas too. Though the story style of FFVII is very subversive. From the surface it looks like a typical drama rivalry over a guy but when we deep dive it's not exactly and there is a lot of stuff just going on.

I think I have have heard of that drama lol. Though I will say in several anime I've watched the love triangles have been two girls like one guy and still root eachother on and respect eachother too. That's what I'm used to and I'm fine with it while others may not be.
Funny enough I have dealt with love betrayals in my life, cheating included unfortunately but in a fantasy setting love triangles and harems are just kind of a trope to me. I don't really like them, but they also don't really bother me either, idk.

I think it really depends on our experiences how we perceive the LT in Remake or any story really. In general I get how it can be an acquired taste and why we have less of them than in the 90's when they were all the rage.

I agree people don't have to like it and I can definitely see why it would make some people uncomfortable. You are valid.

Though I'm also the type of person that gets curious why things are done a certain way and overanalyzes everything.

And based on all the above I think I can say the devs weren't trying to upset anyone or show Aerith as terrible. It's just part of the execution of the story they chose to tell. And yeah a difficult balance but I do think they pulled it off. I love her friendship with Tifa too in this game. I think they did a great job. And a good job of showing her feelings for Cloud and being torn over Zack.

I'm also curious how pt 3 will handle things.

 

[roku]

I’m not sure where this idea that Zack is a Gary Stu comes from. That he has lots of fans? Does that make Cloud a Gary Stu then?

As for other attributes of a Gary Stu… well, not everyone in the narrative likes him. Genesis, the main villain, gives no fucks about him until after Nibelheim and that’s towards the end of the game. Not to mention, his popularity with his peers is supposed to contrast Cloud’s insecurities. This is done on purpose.

As for his competency making him a Gary Stu… , he fails several times in the story. He is unable to save Angeal, he is unable to stop Sephiroth, he is too wounded to stop Hojo from using him and Cloud as test subjects, he has trouble getting back to Midgar and he is killed mere miles away from what would have been the finish line.

As far as Cleriths who are fans of Zack, I think it’s just a shield. Claiming they like Zack makes it so that they can’t be accused of bias. (Not all, obviously)

To explain this to the best of my abilities, some people think Zack is Gary Stu due to how Crisis Core is written. Crisis Core has been criticized by some because it removes agency from Cloud,Aerith, and even Sephiroth to some extent. People also feel it mask Zack too important like being the guy who named seventh heaven.

 

[GamerSkull]

To explain this to the best of my abilities, some people think Zack is Gary Stu due to how Crisis Core is written. Crisis Core has been criticized by some because it removes agency from Cloud,Aerith, and even Sephiroth to some extent. People also feel it mask Zack too important like being the guy who named seventh heaven.

I agree stuff like naming Seventh Heaven is a bit silly. But that doesn’t make him a Gary Stu and I honestly don’t see how it removes either Sephiroth or Cloud’s agency.

I will agree that CC has a lot of writing flaws but it’s a Zack spin-off, of course he’s gonna be at the forefront of mostly everything that happens.

 

[shady]

Yeah Spanish soap operas too. Though the story style of FFVII is very subversive. From the surface it looks like a typical drama rivalry over a guy but when we deep dive it's not exactly and there is a lot of stuff just going on.

I think I have have heard of that drama lol. Though I will say in several anime I've watched the love triangles have been two girls like one guy and still root eachother on and respect eachother too. That's what I'm used to and I'm fine with it while others may not be.
Funny enough I have dealt with love betrayals in my life, cheating included unfortunately but in a fantasy setting love triangles and harems are just kind of a trope to me. I don't really like them, but they also don't really bother me either, idk.

I think it really depends on our experiences how we perceive the LT in Remake or any story really. In general I get how it can be an acquired taste and why we have less of them than in the 90's when they were all the rage.

I agree people don't have to like it and I can definitely see why it would make some people uncomfortable. You are valid.

Though I'm also the type of person that gets curious why things are done a certain way and overanalyzes everything.

And based on all the above I think I can say the devs weren't trying to upset anyone or show Aerith as terrible. It's just part of the execution of the story they chose to tell. And yeah a difficult balance but I do think they pulled it off. I love her friendship with Tifa too in this game. I think they did a great job. And a good job of showing her feelings for Cloud and being torn over Zack.

I'm also curious how pt 3 will handle things.

In your opinion where do you think P3 will lead in terms of the LTD? To me it seemed pretty setup for Cloud and Tifa and a Zack and Aerith reunion. I personally feel like there's been too much done in Rebirth for them to walk back. For example, how do they walk back all that romantic development with Cloud and Tifa, if you include the kiss of course, only for him to turn around and say well actually. Like the reason I put this across is I believe things with Cloud and Aerith aren't so far gone as to you can't walk it back in P3, what with what Aerith said during the church scene of not even necessarily knowing where she stands, on top of constant cutscenes of Zacks devotion, Cloud not seemingly reciprocating (though we don't really know how he feels.)

CA in P3 is certainly something I could see the directors doing if they really wanted to. But to me if they really wanted to cement CA this was the game to do it, and in that regard I think they blew it? Because now they've kind of cornered themselves if they truly want CA for part 3

 

[GamerSkull]

To be fair, the compilation has always pointed towards CT/ZA so I doubt that will change.

Although I suppose anything is possible.

 

[liuliuliu]

It is too late for the devs to remove Tifa’s kissing scene right now, and it will be well known among the players whether they like it or not when pt3 comes. It will be hard to have any more romantic development between CA. And the devs might have to be very cautious on how they put their interaction from now on. Isn’t it one of the general consensus that kissing one girl but love the other one is a bad thing? I think devs won’t allow one of their most beloved protagonists do this.

 

[Empyrea]

Yeah Spanish soap operas too. Though the story style of FFVII is very subversive. From the surface it looks like a typical drama rivalry over a guy but when we deep dive it's not exactly and there is a lot of stuff just going on.

I think I have have heard of that drama lol. Though I will say in several anime I've watched the love triangles have been two girls like one guy and still root eachother on and respect eachother too. That's what I'm used to and I'm fine with it while others may not be.
Funny enough I have dealt with love betrayals in my life, cheating included unfortunately but in a fantasy setting love triangles and harems are just kind of a trope to me. I don't really like them, but they also don't really bother me either, idk.

I think it really depends on our experiences how we perceive the LT in Remake or any story really. In general I get how it can be an acquired taste and why we have less of them than in the 90's when they were all the rage.

I agree people don't have to like it and I can definitely see why it would make some people uncomfortable. You are valid.

Though I'm also the type of person that gets curious why things are done a certain way and overanalyzes everything.

And based on all the above I think I can say the devs weren't trying to upset anyone or show Aerith as terrible. It's just part of the execution of the story they chose to tell. And yeah a difficult balance but I do think they pulled it off. I love her friendship with Tifa too in this game. I think they did a great job. And a good job of showing her feelings for Cloud and being torn over Zack.

I'm also curious how pt 3 will handle things.

I watched one Spanish soap that I can't recall the title of, and I think I'm fine with that being my only one xD In anime's case, some does romance really well while some don't. I've seen a good mix and some in-betweens.

That said, I agree that experience does affect how one interprets things. I've also been cheated on before, and ever since, harems (especially the badly done ones) bothered me whereas I just found them cliched beforehand.

Still, even then, while the whole deal with Aerith does bother me, I also feel for her because...I don't see a scenario where she wouldn't try to act on her feelings, either. Honestly, if it was possible, I would love to know what's running in her head the entire time. Her confusion is probably more than what she's shown on-screen.

To add, though, I do like her friendship with Tifa in both Remake and Rebirth, even with the Cloud deal. It's nice to see them bonding like they did. They even made me miss my old bestie.

 

[LunarTarotGirl]

In your opinion where do you think P3 will lead in terms of the LTD? To me it seemed pretty setup for Cloud and Tifa and a Zack and Aerith reunion. I personally feel like there's been too much done in Rebirth for them to walk back. For example, how do they walk back all that romantic development with Cloud and Tifa, if you include the kiss of course, only for him to turn around and say well actually. Like the reason I put this across is I believe things with Cloud and Aerith aren't so far gone as to you can't walk it back in P3, what with what Aerith said during the church scene of not even necessarily knowing where she stands, on top of constant cutscenes of Zacks devotion, Cloud not seemingly reciprocating (though we don't really know how he feels.)

CA in P3 is certainly something I could see the directors doing if they really wanted to. But to me if they really wanted to cement CA this was the game to do it, and in that regard I think they blew it? Because now they've kind of cornered themselves if they truly want CA for part 3

Honestly I'm not sure.

Because when I played Remake I was so sure they weren't going to do anything with CA except talk about friendship and how important she was. Yet this game they really pushed her feelings for Cloud to the forefront. I was surprised. We got a lot of CA interactions that sorry but to me they can look romantic if I squint so. I'm wondering if they're just going to leave it at that or like you said add something more in P3.

I think it would be difficult because I expect the next game to be very heavy CT. The set up is there for CT at least with the kiss and almost kiss and the fact disk 3 would be Tifa centric and we get the HW scene. And I think they're definitely going to have Zack and Aerith reunite at some point. I don't think they have Zack there because he is going to watch CA endgame happen (I'm sorry fellow CAs but I really don't think they would do that.) Also Zack is shown to still obviously have feelings for Aerith and was upset at the idea of her liking Cloud even if he took it in stride. So I expect ZA next game too.

But...

But even though I think they didn't cement CA here and CT and ZA are set to sail... Who knows.
They basically gave them a heartfelt goodbye but besides nakama which is locked behind low affection I never got the impression Cloud actually fully understood what Aerith felt for him. I have always been under the impression Cloud was oblivious and took Aerith for granted, not understanding what exactly was their bond till Advent Children. They might just leave CA as a beautiful friendship but open the door enough to read as romantic if ppl want and self contained to its own little arc with a maybe it could have been but it's not, while cementing ZA and CT as endgame.

But my guess is a very CT and ZA ending. Which I don't mind personally. It just frustrates me a bit that since CA is very undefined and spiritual we really don't get much closure as I would have liked besides Cloud sees her as a friend but in high affection is happy to see her again which doesn't tell us much either way and she isn't sure of her own feelings. It's a little weird if they leave that there and just never address it again.

Also are we just never going to address her resolution in Remake? Where would she get the impression Cloud would think he fell in love with her? When exactly did she realize it's not real? Why was her future self dream visiting him at that point if this is their goodbye? They have to refer to it eventually too. Or at least they should.

 

[Ryeleigh]

Also are we just never going to address her resolution in Remake? Where would she get the impression Cloud would think he fell in love with her? When did she realize it's not real? They have to refer to it eventually too. Or at least they should.

To be honest, I never personally liked that moment in her resolution. It felt bizarrely out of place and it didn't help that she was talking to herself, Cloud and the audience. So the whole thing just felt off.

 

[LunarTarotGirl]

To be honest, I never personally liked that moment in her resolution. It felt bizarrely out of place and it didn't help that she was talking to herself, Cloud and the audience. So the whole thing just felt off.

Yeah, my issue with it is mostly if she's talking to herself ok. Kinda makes sense given the situation. But... This is her future self who should know her feelings by now why talk to herself here? And if these devs want to put the point across that Cloud has romantic feelings for Tifa and not Aerith. This is just a very weird way to do it.

Because what I the CA am seeing is a very romantic looking scene with sparkles and him saying in the most anime way possible he's coming for her. And can you blame us? It is very baity.

I figured ok so he thinks he fell for her but it's a confusing situation because he is acting out a persona with some false memories and she sees Zack in him. A meta narrative illusion. Sure.

But then later I'm told: No he only sees her as a friend. He never even thought he fell in love with her.

Ok. Then why have this scene? Why not just stay straight out Aerith thought she was in love but there is a difference between like and like. Even if it's to the player it baffles me why tell it to Cloud the character at that point. And why include him and imply he thought he fell in love. I still can't figure it out.
And I hope they at least clear it up somewhere.