While I love to pieces everything that they’ve done with Tifa and Aerith in Remake, I think the petty rivalry over Cloud in the OG is being a little overplayed when people discuss it today (not here, I mean in general). Sure, in the OG there were some juvenile comments here and there and the occasional irritation, but hostility was never even implied. While their relationship wasn’t exactly fleshed out, they were often shown enjoying their free time together, unlike the rest of the team, and Tifa seemed to have a far better understanding of who Aerith was as a person than the rest of the group – even better than Cloud, I might add. After the heroes are left to ponder over things and their lack of closure on their way to AC, it also makes sense that what Tifa feels for Aerith might be a bit more complicated and nuanced, though still largely positive – but that’s a discussion for another thread.
In general, I always felt that Tifa
was slightly jealous of Aerith. Cloud might have been an element of that, but what I found more interesting was how Tifa saw traits of the person that she would have liked to be in Aerith – someone who can just come out and say things, and take action, instead of being crippled by her own insecurities. Kind of like how Zack was the person Cloud had hoped to be when he joined Shinra. That kind of jealousy is not necessarily a negative emotion, as it can be a mixture of admiration and frustration towards one’s own shortcomings, and it can even help you to strive to be the person that you want to be. I have felt like that towards certain friends, and it was mostly born out of sheer appreciation for those people and a desire to do better for myself. In that sense, I can see Tifa getting frustrated over time at Aerith’s apparent ease with this stuff and even with Cloud – or rather at her own lack of ease
– even in future installments. I would like that, that’s only human.
As an aside, I can understand people getting different ideas from character dynamics, but I always think it’s a bit weird when fandoms try to frame relationships that were clearly intended and sold as romantic as “sibling-like”. This is not limited to FFVII, but like, WHY. I’ve seen people trying to argue that for both Cloti and Clerith for the last 20 years (Jesus) and I… still don’t get it…
I do feel that over the Compilation the authors (or at least Nojima
) might have grown more attached to Zack/Aerith and Cloud/Tifa, and I could see them ironing things out in that direction. If I were to judge by the vibe that Remake gave me, I was a bit puzzled by what they’re doing with Cloud and Aerith, but with her being such a wild card it’s too hard and too early to tell. I think the mutual feelings of interest are still there, but eh, too many variables right now.
As someone who doesn’t think that Cloud’s love for Tifa was in any way diminished by his love for Aerith, though, I don’t think Aerith genuinely falling in love with Cloud would diminish her love for Zack. If anything, I’d use Aerith’s apparent awareness of who Cloud really is to show more clearly how she fell in love with him for who
he was, rather than for who he reminded her of. I find that far more compelling and far more beautiful.
Basically, if I had my way with the remake I’d have you guys discuss in LTD hell until the end of times, YOU’RE WELCOME
edit: welp that was a long post
