uTube, but seeing this moment made me feel something.
It broke my heart seeing Tifa and Red here outwardly mourning and seeking comfort in each other, and Aerith actually displaying a sadness and regret at her not being able to reach them, an
This is one of the reasons I so intensely dislike Clerith as a ship these days. I just find that it poisons everything, it's like an an unwanted fan-ficesque insert in a story that is much better off without it.
These days it's not even just the romance, just the very notion that Aerith and Cloud have ANY special connection to each other outside of the Zack thing feels stupid to me. Nowhere in the past two games have I seen anything that hints at Cloud and Aerith even being particularly close. She's too busy mourning Zack and he's too busy with his own issues, being in love with Tifa, and generally sounding annoyed with Aerith and spurning her advancements. That's not to say he really is that annoyed, he clearly cherishes friends and is pretending not to, that's the entire point and rebirth shows it clearly, Cloud desperately wants bonds. But that doesn't mean that the game can just claim Aerith is special when nothing in the game really highlights her as being more special than a Barret or a Nanaki, her bond with Cloud never stands out from the others in the team and is arguably one of the more negatively portrayed ones. But because the past 20 years have ingrained the idea that Aerith HAS to be special we get these randomly inserted moments where they suddenly force the idea that Aerith is special and it just holds the story back.
Tifa lost everything in Nibelheim, then she finally got a best female friend in Jessie but loses her, we even spent time exploring this in Rebirth. She then picks up the pieces, and finds a new bond with Aerith, and now her new best friend is murdered as well......WHY ARE WE FOLLOWING CLOUD!? Why is the game not looking at the bond between the two girls who were sharing everything together? Aerith who was confiding in Tifa about Zack and helping her with all her worries regarding Cloud, and Tifa who was confiding in Aerith and helping her with her worries regarding Zack. The two girls who were constantly supporting each other, laughing together, going on actual FUN dates, talking about clothes shopping, etc.
No, instead we have to waste time on scenes trying to convince us that Aerith and Clouds bond was special, despite them barely talking and him being 90% pre-occupied with his own failing psyche and feelings regarding Tifa. Dude is barely even able to really feel Jessies death and is more pre-occupied with Tifas pain regarding it, but when the story does the same thing to Tifas new friend she is a second thought?
Make it make sense?
Make me me understand why we can't have a nice story where it's 100% clear that Aerith is living vicariously through Tifa and Cloud and has her own story-arc clearly focused around Zack. We could have had a story of friendship where Cloud and Aeriths bond shines because they were able to explicitly show how the two of them support each other platonically every step of the way. By showing Aerith ACTIVELY helping Cloud and Tifa coming together by pushing him towards Tifa verbally every step of the way and helping him express himself towards her. Same with Tifa, and same with Tifa and Cloud helping her. A story with genuine connections that go deeper than just romance and that shows Cloud and Tifa BOTH together with Aerith because of how they as a couple impacted, and were impacted by, Aerith. That show them together mourning and crying. Why can't we have a story that would make Cloud and Aeriths bond ACTUALLY feel special.
I'll tell you why we can't, because Clerith, that's why, and that's why I can't stand it.
OG Aerith fans (not all of them!) also dislike how much they made her character about Zack (for example, ribbon, pink, flower-selling, five years of grieving and longing) but considering how much Cloud and Tifa's characters and storylines are tied into each other, I'm not exactly sure what else they expected from the other FF7 romance? ¯\(ツ)/¯
Lets be honest, it's not that they're angry they made her character about Zack, that's just pretense. They're angry because they wanted Aerith x Cloud and Zack ruined that. Yet another reason I am so sick of anything to do with Cloud and Aerith.
This is literally the ONLY moment from the ending I like because I believe Tifa is her only authentically deep connection (aside from Nanaki).
Yeah, and apparently its barely a footnote, why? Because Clerith.
I really wanted her to use her Cetra powers to say goodbye to everyone.... I hate how Cloud-centric it all is. I know it's his story, but Aerith had other friends, too and in Case of Tifa, Cloud is actually the one who is emotionally strong about her death and it's Tifa who falls apart.
Yes, and why?.....