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

Ryeleigh

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Rye
No wonder Cleriths are so miserable, every argument they try to construct is an uphill battle right from the start.
I hope this doesn't come off as mean but they'd probably be a lot happier if they just enjoyed their ship instead of trying to prove it's canon and demanding validation from everyone else. But maybe that's just me since my ships have never been canon and I've never particularly wanted them to be canon.

Yeah, I do think it's a bit of a regressive mindset to assume that everything between a man and a woman has to be romantic in nature.
In that sense, shipping itself is regressive since shipping intrinsically views every relationship through a romantic/sexual lens.

I've always seen Aerith assuming Zack had lots of women to himself was a way to... I dont know.... give herself a reason not to be so upset over him?

Like if she was able to convince herself he wasn't a man worth her love it would make it easier to move on? I dunno.
I thought it was easier for her to think that he must've run off with some other girl than him being dead?
 

Yoru

Pro Adventurer
I've always seen Aerith assuming Zack had lots of women to himself was a way to... I dont know.... give herself a reason not to be so upset over him?

Like if she was able to convince herself he wasn't a man worth her love it would make it easier to move on? I dunno.

That's my interpretation of it when I saw her saying this to his parents.

Actually it has multiple layers imo :
  • Trying to get out of this encounter with them by saying that it's probably not about her in the letter
  • Convince herself that she's probably nothing to him, that it was too good to be true in her lonely life
  • Trying to fool her mind by portraying him as someone not necessarily loyal, to give herself a reason to give up without regret.

In short, it's complicated. Classic Aerith lol
 

pxl_pushr

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Pixel
Like how hard is it to read in between the lines here. Aerith "Zack sure was charming must have lots of girls". The player seeing Zack is dedicated to Aerith. Cloud "you still like him then" Aerith "he's never given me a reason not to" weird you would think multiple girls would be a reason not too something isn't adding up here. Never seen Zack not been dedicated to Aerith very odd wonder if Aerith could possibly just be unable to accept his death seems to be a theme in the game. Wonder why Aerith is still looking for news
You shush with your subtext reading
 

Sacky

Pro Adventurer
AKA
SackyBoy
I agree with you, I also think that’s why most extremist and toxic CAs hate the concept of “real” Cloud even if the narrative makes that distinction important, because they want to deny that there exists a version of Cloud that only Tifa has exclusive access to, making claims such as Aerith knew the real cloud too and sometimes they also deny Cloud copied Zack at all (trivializing Zack as a character again) and believe all parts of Soldier!Cloud are entirely materialized by Cloud’s ideal version of himself. (Which, I would argue, is still an incomplete presentation of his real personality)
Soldier Cloud is interesting because it's still Cloud the memories he makes don't just disappear after the lifestream sequence it's just all fragments of his personality are one. Soldier Cloud has Tifas memories of Cloud, the stories Zack told him about Soldier and what Cloud thought his ideal strong personality would be. We also have Sephiroth Cloud aswell who might be a fight in lifestream sequence who knows? So after lifestream sequence it's more Cloud accepting his failures and what he calls his weaknesses, while also remembering his past and his feelings all coming forth at once. Its almost impossible to describe how Cloud probably felt after that sequence probably an awakening and an ego boost when he finds out the girl he liked fell for him for being him not the Soldier he thought he needed to be.
 

abzy1200

Pro Adventurer
I agree with you, I also think that’s why most extremist and toxic CAs hate the concept of “real” Cloud even if the narrative makes that distinction important, because they want to deny that there exists a version of Cloud that only Tifa has exclusive access to, making claims such as Aerith knew the real cloud too and sometimes they also deny Cloud copied Zack at all (trivializing Zack as a character again) and believe all parts of Soldier!Cloud are entirely materialized by Cloud’s ideal version of himself. (Which, I would argue, is still an incomplete presentation of his real personality)
I definitely think Aerith knew Cloud wasn't himself, and could see that he was some dorky, and kind person beneath it all. In that sense, she knew who the "Real Cloud" was.

That being said, if someone gave me a description of someone's personality, and they say "that guy is dorky, but he is kind underneath it all", I still don't actually know that person. People and their personalities don't just fit into neat little boxes/categories.

Two people can be dorky and kind, yet still be completely different people. So Aerith did not "know" the Real Cloud, if that makes sense?
 

abzy1200

Pro Adventurer
Yeah i happened upon this person too i'm afraid. Safe to say i did not like their takes either.
They have to be trolling, the account was only made in April, and in further replies with other people they started using hashtags such as #Clerithtoo and #Justice for Tifa.

Just in general feels unserious, though the cynic in me believes it's real, the optimist in me says it's a cry for attention.

EDIT: If it makes anyone feel better, I replied with only this simple image and ratioed them almost 2:1 in terms of likes, so Twitter isn't a complete lost cause.

1714762050084.png
 

Rin

Pro Adventurer
I personally don't like that they brought Tidus back, couse it felt like it took away from the ending of 10 for me a lot, which i think is one of the strongest FF endings in general, so i'm a little soured about it.

Overall though, i can always pretend the perfect ending doesn't exist in 10-2, so it doesn't bother me whenever i replay 10-2 and such. Not like i play that game for story anyway.
Don't get me wrong, I'm in the camp of believing FFX is a masterpiece from start to finish and I actually really love the ending and I'm accepting of it but I can't lie and say that the 100% ending for X-2 didn't mend my 12-year-old broken heart lol. I don't like the plot of X-2 at all, I think it's horrific even though the game is really fun to play / it was my most played FF growing up, but if it gave me anything it gave me a happy, fanservice reunion for my OTP.
 

Hellenic

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Hellenic
Don't get me wrong, I'm in the camp of believing FFX is a masterpiece from start to finish and I actually really love the ending and I'm accepting of it but I can't lie and say that the 100% ending for X-2 didn't mend my 12-year-old broken heart lol. I don't like the plot of X-2 at all, I think it's horrific even though the game is really fun to play / it was my most played FF growing up, but if it gave me anything it gave me a happy, fanservice reunion for my OTP.
Yeah that's fair. I also think X-2 is just trash plot wise and i pretty much only play it for the gameplay. I actually think the combat in that was the best till Remake came around as far as the FF series go.
 
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Yoru

Pro Adventurer
Don't get me wrong, I'm in the camp of believing FFX is a masterpiece from start to finish and I actually really love the ending and I'm accepting of it but I can't lie and say that the 100% ending for X-2 didn't mend my 12-year-old broken heart lol. I don't like the plot of X-2 at all, I think it's horrific even though the game is really fun to play / it was my most played FF growing up, but if it gave me anything it gave me a happy, fanservice reunion for my OTP.

Broken heart mended by Yuna & Tidus reunion.
Mind broken by the view of Wakka's baby.

My 15 years old honest reaction
 

imach0c0

Pro Adventurer
Like how hard is it to read in between the lines here. Aerith "Zack sure was charming must have lots of girls". The player seeing Zack is dedicated to Aerith. Cloud "you still like him then" Aerith "he's never given me a reason not to" weird you would think multiple girls would be a reason not too something isn't adding up here. Never seen Zack not been dedicated to Aerith very odd wonder if Aerith could possibly just be unable to accept his death seems to be a theme in the game. Wonder why Aerith is still looking for news
I think some people cherry pick things that favour their head canon of "Zack the womanizer" or the narrative of "Aerith never loved Zack."

Although Aerith is someone who lives in the moment and doesn't really worry for tomorrow, Zack's loss is one of the things that really tests those character traits in her. On the surface, Aerith is trying to move but she struggles to which is why Zack lingers in her heart.

I think Aerith saying that Zack was charming was her way of coping. Its been 4 years since she last heard from him and during those years, she was trying to move on. When she goes to Gongaga, there are Zack triggers everywhere that cause a relapse of emotions. Its easier for her to accept that he left her for other girls than acknowledging his love for her due to the pain it may cause her. When she says she maybe likes Zack, she gets lost in thought which gives us an indication that Zack still lingers in her heart despite what she says/shows on the surface.
 
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imach0c0

Pro Adventurer
That's my interpretation of it when I saw her saying this to his parents.

Actually it has multiple layers imo :
  • Trying to get out of this encounter with them by saying that it's probably not about her in the letter
  • Convince herself that she's probably nothing to him, that it was too good to be true in her lonely life
  • Trying to fool her mind by portraying him as someone not necessarily loyal, to give herself a reason to give up without regret.

In short, it's complicated. Classic Aerith lol
I think Aerith knows that the letter is about her but doesn't want to acknowledge it because of the pain it may cause her. But yes, there are layers to her being avoidant.

There was a letter from Aerith to Zack that was released in the Limited Edition Crisis Core set and in it, Aerith mentions that when a vendor asked if she had a special someone, she said yes right away. (not sure if this could be used as canon info to the lore)
 
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abzy1200

Pro Adventurer
deny Cloud copied Zack at all (trivializing Zack as a character again) and believe all parts of Soldier!Cloud are entirely materialized by Cloud’s ideal version of himself. (Which, I would argue, is still an incomplete presentation of his real personality)
Something else I want to address aswell, saying that SOLDIER Cloud is an idealised and accurate representation of himself is just false altogether.

Look no further than how he treats the members of AVALANCHE. The kind, protective Cloud that cherishes everything would never tell somebody to "blow off" just for trying to make conversation.
 
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Ryushikaze

Deus Admiral Parsimonious, PHD, DDS, MD, JD, OBE
AKA
Tim, Ryu
They have to be trolling, the account was only made in April, and in further replies with other people they started using hashtags such as #Clerithtoo and #Justice for Tifa.

Just in general feels unserious, though the cynic in me believes it's real, the optimist in me says it's a cry for attention.

EDIT: If it makes anyone feel better, I replied with only this simple image and ratioed them almost 2:1 in terms of likes, so Twitter isn't a complete lost cause.

View attachment 16519
Got a higher resolution version of that image, by any chance?

Something else I want to address aswell, saying that SOLDIER Cloud is an idealised and accurate representation of himself is just false altogether.

Look no further than how he treats the members of AVALANCHE. The kind, protective Cloud that cherishes everything would never tell somebody to "blow off" just for trying to make conversation.

When I think about it Cloud acts more like Sephiroth before he lost his mind. Stoic but can joke a little, not very animated.
SOLDIER Cloud is made up of a mix of Elements of Zack and other ideal SOLDIER types because he wants to be that for Tifa. Some of that includes being cool and aloof like Sephiroth.
 

Eerie

Fire and Blood
Something else I want to address aswell, saying that SOLDIER Cloud is an idealised and accurate representation of himself is just false altogether.

Look no further than how he treats the members of AVALANCHE. The kind, protective Cloud that cherishes everything would never tell somebody to "blow off" just for trying to make conversation.
SOLDIER Cloud is the version that Cloud thinks he should be to be the perfect SOLDIER in order to make Tifa notice him. It’s a mix between his personality (the cooler not interested is true Cloud for example), Sephiroth’s and Zack’s.

Also make sense of that but some extreme CAs pretend Tifa is attracted to SOLDIER Cloud and makes him come out while Aerith loves real Cloud and makes him come out. Even though the devs have stated the reverse.
 

nars305

🎵 I am so, so bored 🎶
Also make sense of that but some extreme CAs pretend Tifa is attracted to SOLDIER Cloud and makes him come out while Aerith loves real Cloud and makes him come out. Even though the devs have stated the reverse.
And it doesn’t matter if this is addressed in ToTP because there is no changing certain people’s minds even if you have legitimate proof.
 

Sacky

Pro Adventurer
AKA
SackyBoy
SOLDIER Cloud is the version that Cloud thinks he should be to be the perfect SOLDIER in order to make Tifa notice him. It’s a mix between his personality (the cooler not interested is true Cloud for example), Sephiroth’s and Zack’s.

Also make sense of that but some extreme CAs pretend Tifa is attracted to SOLDIER Cloud and makes him come out while Aerith loves real Cloud and makes him come out. Even though the devs have stated the reverse.
"Cloud your scaring me" cant get more proof than that. Tifa feared the soldier eyes Aerith liked them cause it was like Zacks
 

abzy1200

Pro Adventurer
SOLDIER Cloud is made up of a mix of Elements of Zack and other ideal SOLDIER types because he wants to be that for Tifa. Some of that includes being cool and aloof like Sephiroth.
SOLDIER Cloud is the version that Cloud thinks he should be to be the perfect SOLDIER in order to make Tifa notice him. It’s a mix between his personality (the cooler not interested is true Cloud for example), Sephiroth’s and Zack’s.
I'm having a bit of a brain fart right now, are ye agreeing with me or not? I genuinely can't tell.:(

"Cloud your scaring me" cant get more proof than that. Tifa feared the soldier eyes Aerith liked them cause it was like Zacks
That's another contrasting thing about this whole thing.

Aerith loves Cloud's eyes because they remind her of Zack's. Tifa is afraid of them because they are a reminder he isn't quite the normal boy he used to be and one she loves.

Basically:

Aerith likes(or liked) SOLDIER Cloud

Tifa doesn't like SOLDIER Cloud

Which checks out with what we know.
 

Maidenofwar

They/Them
I think no matter what some people are just not going to like the way they went with Aerith over the honest, forthright/forward, enterprising version of Aerith they thought existed in OG, they don't want to see those they see as "haters" as right, for them it wasn't a girl hung up on her ex to the extent extremists have called deluded/desperate and sad, I don't know I think some think people are calling Aerith pathetic, and they never wanted Aerith to be a sad, pathetic character, so if they see anything they think justifies that take the defenses go up, so I think part of any possible melt down for p3 not going the way some wants is dismissing everything but OG.
 
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