SPOILERS LTD Remake — It's like New Coke except ... no, it's exactly like New Coke
- Thread starter The Twilight Mexican
- Start date
SilverSisu
Pro Adventurer
- AKA
- Zack bro
abzy1200
Pro Adventurer
Is it a localisation thing though? Like is it actually said in the japanese version?
Because a lot of people got the wrong idea about the Aerith sidequest when Cloud says "I really wish you wouldn't (call it a date)" when (correct me if I'm wrong) he actually says "I'm not too good at that kind of thing," or something like that.
I just want to confirm because it hinders the argument that Aerith doesn't know the weight behind the word date if it's not what she said in japanese.
Rin
Pro Adventurer
Fair question but I don't really have an answer for you since I play in English. Although it is true that Cloud says he's not good at dates in JP, the sound he makes after she says she knows he's bad at it is a vey grouchy/annoyed sound so I think the localization conveyed how he was feeling during that quest correctly.
abzy1200
Pro Adventurer
It's also hardly a date if everybody else is following right behind them.
There'll definitely be plenty of Tifa-comforting-Yuffie-over-her-motion-sickness moments on the Highwind in part 3, she won't just be left outside on her own this time.
LNK
Pro Adventurer
- AKA
- Nate
Exactly! It's bad enough that they are mischaracterizing her. I'm wondering if they have a deep seeded hatred for girls/women like her in real life. It's so crazy to me.
Rin
Pro Adventurer
I hate this game mechanic so much lol I really wish they would just limit the party to you and your quest mate
Eerie
Fire and Blood
The Japanese uses the infamous doki doki to describe that scene but to be fair doki doki is not always romantic either. It was used in ToTP with Tifa about a man and it wasn’t romantic at all.
Personally I didn’t take the Ultimania in a romantic way or “interested romantically” way but rather there’s this beautiful woman getting close and he as a 16 years old in his head does feel like he doesn’t know how to respond. I think at this moment he does feel attracted however she goes on to talk about Zack lol. I personally think them trying to part a minute after is cuter and probably the most CA romantic scene in Remake for me.
Eerie
Fire and Blood
The star-crossed lovers comes from an ad from SENA iirc for the OG. That’s how CA was marketed. Of course CT was not marketed at all iirc.
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imach0c0
Pro Adventurer
Was star-crossed lovers only marketing in NA? How was it marketed in JP?
On the note of marketing - the NPTK trailer heavily alluded to CA. Not sure why they would make that choice. I recall it causing A LOT of discourse in the shipping fandom.
Eerie
Fire and Blood
Yes the marketing was different in JP. I don’t remember because I have a hard time giving two shits about marketing tbh. The NTPK trailer had me rolling and saying “oh Aerith’s so dead” it was so obvious 
the marketing for Rebirth in general was insanely bad. Cid and Vincent’ reveals were just botched - especially Cid’s.
the marketing for Rebirth in general was insanely bad. Cid and Vincent’ reveals were just botched - especially Cid’s.
abzy1200
Pro Adventurer
I don't mind it that much, it certainly still feels like the quest is only between the two characters.
That narrator lies in the same breath that he says "a love that could never be" anyway, by claiming that Cloud's hate for Sephiroth "always was" even though Cloud looked up to Sephiroth, he was his role model (alongside Zack, after he met him). So pretty worthless "evidence" if you ask me.
Plus, they're trying to sell a game that they spent millions on, they're not going to say "a kinda love that could have been if not for the plot twist of the game" in their ad.
If you would allow me to expand on this with a personal anecdote, since I'm young and a bit shy with my feelings;
Earlier this year I was at Comic con, I worked up the courage to ask somebody who was cosplaying Tifa for a picture (thankfully she said yes, phew, if she said no I would have been devastated, and I think it would have killed my self-confidence forever.) It was an incredibly short interaction, but before, during, and after that moment I was SO nervous, and I didn't settle for about 30 minutes afterwards.
But just because I felt like that in the moment, it doesn't mean that I actually envisioned a future with that girl.
I'm not going to lie that trailer was the biggest bait I think I've ever seen, I almost feel bad for them.
I took this scene to be her trying to spur Tifa into action, but it even that angle annoys me ( more towards the writers than Aerith ).
If you want to encourage someone to make a move, then encourage then encourage them, don’t antagonize them.
Then I remind myself that it’s probably more for levity and wink/nod at the more “katty” interpretations of the love triangle and I cool down. Overall, it’s a minor scene in a cluster of much stronger ones.
Rin
Pro Adventurer
It does, it's just awk when they're talking about a certain character (usually Tifa tbh) and that character doesn't chime in lmao
Yoru
Pro Adventurer
What's crazy to me too is when some Aerith fans accept and encourage this mischaracterization of her. Like when NPTK came out, there were plenty who were like "No promise to keep! looool take this Tifa. I love my girl! Keep burning this b$tch!" and I thought... seriously? That's the character you want to support?
So yeah. I would like to have all those anti weirdos far away of my games. And I'm talking about the two sides.
LunarTarotGirl
Pro Adventurer
- AKA
- Lunarae
It doesn't have to mean her literal lover in that context to show romantic feelings, which is exactly what it translates to there: guy she has romantic feelings for.
It can mean one sided love or admiring someone too like a crush. But yes koi 100% does mean she likes him more than a friend there. There is no denying that.
That is why the dream date interpretation she might not feel romantically makes no sense to me. Especially when she was warning herself not to fall in love in her resolution, and especially when she seems to want Cloud to take the reunion pin. And especially when she says on her GS date I want to be with you now. Yes her feelings are conflicted but they are conflicted because yes she is interested in the romantic sense and no you can't use koibito out of romance context. But yes it can be one sided feelings. It means person you have romantic attraction for. Like the infatuation and honeymoon stage of first meeting a potential partner. But it's one step under renai which is a love that comes with a deepening relationship, the desire to stay together.
Also the devs just plain weren't thinking too much about Zack until Crisis Core. That's why he is not mentioned. But in the CC Ultimania Aerith and Zack are also described as koibito to eachother in CC while in COL White Cloud is described as koibito to Aerith. Not in the sense of boyfriend or lover. But in the sense that she had romantic feelings for him.
And she has them for Zack also. She is conflicted romantically. That's part of her arc. It's also literally her monologue she is romantically conflicted and she doesn't know what to do because she wants to move on but thinks it might be cruel to do so. She is stuck. And her date shows that too.
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imach0c0
Pro Adventurer
In Aerith's monologue, when she says: "That's it, I can't stop thinking about you! Its frustrating" (paraphrasing)
Is she talking about Cloud or Zack? Or is it open to interpretation?
LunarTarotGirl
Pro Adventurer
- AKA
- Lunarae
Both fit. But if we go by her "I saw him in you" line at Gold Saucer I think it matches Zack pretty well. Especially in OG she said it bothered her how she saw similarities between Cloud and Zack.
So she is falling for Cloud but can't let go of Zack. At the same time.
And I understand some people may not like that. I understand loving two men at once may turn people off. But that is literally a huge part of her arc. She has feelings for two guys at once and is stuck because of it. Which is why even her response at the end of the date is "I wonder what kind of like this is" because it's showing how confusing her feelings are. By that point she isn't sure how she even feels.
But honestly just the fact her subconscious is wanting to make any kind of dancing, photography candy, couple things date with Cloud shows that yes she is 100% interested romantically in him. Just her feelings for Zack are also there lingering and basically stopping her from doing too much but wonder about her feelings. And so when Cloud still doesn't act like he is romantically interested even when saying he'll see her again she happily just accepts their relationship as is without pushing for more. If you look at the scene she is pretty accepting of whatever he says in both versions.
At least that's how I read it. He doesn't reject her he just doesn't make any motion to step outside of friendship because he doesn't see her that way, he probably is still oblivious at just how badly conflicted she is too, because he sees it as her feelings are for Zack. And she accepts the friendship and her feelings and she doesn't need more.
Also she is gonna die so that's all she can do anyway.
Edit: Elaboration and clarification
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Rin
Pro Adventurer
Yes, exactly! I simply put myself in her shoes in that moment and quickly understood how she came to the conclusion she did about "knowing where we stand." Every person, man or woman, wants their potential partner to be excited about seeing them again.
I mean, people literally choose not to go on second, third, fourth dates because the excitement just isn't there even if there's a shared physical attraction and an initial romantic connection. That's what dating is for, anyway, so I've never personally gotten upset at Aerith for trying to figure out her feelings for Cloud through dating him. That's what you're supposed to do, after all.