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

[The Twilight Mexican]

Like yo, I don't disagree. That's basically what my comments say in your LTD Article.

Oh, yeah! That was you! I've always loved that comment, and -- as you can see -- that bit of insight continues to stick with me all these years later.

That's why I continued to qualify my previous post on how looking at it from one angle (confirmed romantic feelings for Tifa), the LTD is already resolved. Whatever is the nature of his feelings for Aerith does not really affect the CloTi endgame nor his confirmed feelings for Tifa.

Fair enough. I guess it just comes down to what question one's particular LTD is asking.

 

[Eerie]

I think you would probably come to the same conclusion. Especially after Cloud regains his true memories. I would imagine that the feelings for Tifa will be very strong and he would end up with her. IMHO.

Personally, it was the Lifestream scene that made me a cloti shipper, so here's hoping that the scene will be super carefully done and people will stop thinking that Cloud doesn't love Tifa anymore, it was all when they were kids teehee~~ because it drives me crazy lol.

 

[Yumelinh]

Thanks ppl!

But yeah, I personally always saw the lack of further confirmation in their complementary works ( where they seem to be so much more straight forward in explaining the character's feelings and motivations) as an answer itself. But I'm aware this is not the same for a lot of people.

Her death is really the pairing's greatest strength, and honestly? A big part of its lasting appeal to many.

I very much agree! It also saved the pairing of having any drama that would come with Cloud's true personality, memories, feelings, and his place as a dear friend of Zack. So, saving their last interaction per se, C/A is a very drama-free type of ship. I can see the appeal.

 

[Master Bates]

Oh, yeah! That was you! I've always loved that comment, and -- as you can see -- that bit of insight continues to stick with me all these years later.

That insight was inspired from the Rurouni Kenshin LTD between Kaoru and Tomoe, although the circumstances aren't exactly the same. I still stand by those comments, btw.

 

[minami758]

For what it's worth, I think it's very telling that many C/A fans who insist Cloud "prefers" Aerith while she's alive and/or never moves on from her death all dislike/hate Tifa to varying degrees.

Whereas the vast majority of C/T fans either love Aerith too or don't really give a shit either way.

 

[Edley]

I prolly said it before, but to not have the four heroes together for at least a bit in this remake would be a missed opportunity. I'm pretty sure that's why Zack's alive.

 

[Cat on Mars]

For what it's worth, I think it's very telling that many C/A fans who insist Cloud "prefers" Aerith while she's alive and/or never moves on from her death all dislike/hate Tifa to varying degrees.

That's one of the many reasons I LOVE Tifa. She brings all the salty fans to the yard and you can smell their insecurities through the screen lmao

 

[Graymouse]

For what it's worth, I think it's very telling that many C/A fans who insist Cloud "prefers" Aerith while she's alive and/or never moves on from her death all dislike/hate Tifa to varying degrees.

Whereas the vast majority of C/T fans either love Aerith too or don't really give a shit either way.

The problem with all that is while Aerith was alive, Cloud was not in his right mind at all. It wasn't until after she died, when Cloud was is "true self". and his true memories were restored. Take that however you want, but I think it is a valid argument nonetheless.

 

[Master Bates]

I've seen a lot of Tifa slander for years, but the one slander that'd make me lose my shit will be when they call Tifa a flat character.

I will not let that slide!

 

[Cat on Mars]

I know right? How do you even use the words "flat" and "Tifa" in the same sentence?!

 

[Graymouse]

I've seen a lot of Tifa slander for years, but the one slander that'd make me lose my shit will be when they call Tifa a flat character.

I will not let that slide!

I see what you did there. Very naughty! Very naughty indeed!

 

[Master Bates]

I know right? How do you even use the words "flat" and "Tifa" in the same sentence?!

Spoiler: Nojima

 

[Cat on Mars]

^You got me there.
Damn it, Nojima.

 

[Odysseus]

Even if the devs came out and settled it, nothing would change. The offended loser team of the LTD would renounce the devs and continue to argue anyway. "Death of the author" and all. This is war. This is Hell. This is shipping.

 

[Ruri]

Even if the devs came out and settled it, nothing would change. The offended loser team of the LTD would renounce the devs and continue to argue anyway. "Death of the author" and all. This is war. This is Hell. This is shipping.

Truth! Anyone too deep into their preferred ship are no longer up for moving off their own hills. Creator hypothetically announcing the One True Pairing be damned. There are allegedly shippers who refused to buy the remake until 'they knew there was enough of their couple in game' which is very telling of the reason they are invested in FFVII and how little the story actually means to them.

 

[Sasseli]

Even if the devs came out and settled it, nothing would change. The offended loser team of the LTD would renounce the devs and continue to argue anyway. "Death of the author" and all. This is war. This is Hell. This is shipping.

I know, I'm a huge Naruto fan and that's exactly what happened to the endgame ships, mainly SasuSaku, of course. They married and have a friggin child! Not even that is enough for some to stop doubting the validity of the ship! I. Don't. Get. It.
There's way too much going on between Cloud and Tifa to ignore. Of course they're endgame, whatever the Remake may bring. Cloti and Zerith are the definite ships. IMHO. I wasn't wrong with Naruto and I'm not wrong with FFVII.

 

[Graymouse]

Truth! Anyone too deep into their preferred ship are no longer up for moving off their own hills. Creator hypothetically announcing the One True Pairing be damned. There are allegedly shippers who refused to buy the remake until 'they knew there was enough of their couple in game' which is very telling of the reason they are invested in FFVII and how little the story actually means to them.

Wait, are you serious? People take this thing that serious? I know that for the most part people, here always post with a tongue in check type of shade being thrown each way. I would never of thought that there are people in the world that would take a video game that far. That is too much.

Besides, there is only one true ship anyways and we all know, It is Tifa and Cloud.

 

[Master Bates]

Tbh, I realy don't mind how people choose to enjoy what this game offers. If there are those who choose to ignore authorial intent and subscribe to the 'death of the author' school of thought for the sake of shipping, then more power to them. I'd even support it. It's really only a concern to me when shippers twist the narrative AND THEN passing them off as facts.

What I only want is for the developers to put a conclusive, nondebatable end to this LTD once and for all. It doesn't matter to me what it is, just please let it end. And I want this out of selfishness, I don't even care about shipping or the shippers. All this is for the sake of my sanity, to quell my curiosity. I want closure for this, damnit!!!

 

[Odysseus]

That's part of why I never got in deep with shipping. It seems like for a lot of people their ship trumps anything else. They don't care about the game, or the characters. All they care about is the concept of the relationship. It's kinda gross and weird honestly. Not shipping in general, just taking it so seriously.

 

[looneymoon]

I always got the impression C/A was the more popular ship at time after the OG, where "Cloud searching for Aerith in the Promised Land" was a more popular reading (egged on by stuff like FFT and KH). Death and ambiguity is baked into the appeal of the romance, and it makes sense within certain confines/interpretations of the OG. I feel like the compilation has pushed C/T to popularity, and has Z/A its own thing for pretty pragmatic storytelling purposes. By making the choice to continue the narrative as they have, there's really no way to ignore C/T being together without characterizing Cloud negatively. By making Zack a lead guy, C/A becomes a harder sell because they want you to have investment in this guy's romantic life just as much as anything else.

Honestly, when I was playing FFXV it felt like they were trying to recreate that romantic appeal that was present in the OG reading of C/A in Noctis/Luna... but uh... Results may vary on that one

 

[Sasseli]

I don't think it's really "a lot", only those who are that serious are most often the loudest.

I'm passionate about my ships, I've always been and I'd lie if I said I wouldn't be immensely disappointed if somehow the LTD concluded with Clerith (I can't even imagine that though). BUT. I would never ever throw the game into a corner of my room and condemn the creators for a reason like that. I'd still love the game (probably, if done well enough). It's just, I can't imagine it and that's why I'm confident enough about my own ships to not let that thought even bother me.

 

[LNK]

It's really only a concern to me when shippers twist the narrative AND THEN passing them off as facts.

This is what I don't like. I could care less about people shipping whoever they want to. They need to just admit that it's only their preference, not what is fact within the game.

 

[Graymouse]

I always got the impression C/A was the more popular ship at time after the OG, where "Cloud searching for Aerith in the Promised Land" was a more popular reading (egged on by stuff like FFT and KH). Death and ambiguity is baked into the appeal of the romance, and it makes sense within certain confines/interpretations of the OG. I feel like the compilation has pushed C/T to popularity, and has Z/A its own thing for pretty pragmatic storytelling purposes. By making the choice to continue the narrative as they have, there's really no way to ignore C/T being together without characterizing Cloud negatively. By making Zack a lead guy, C/A becomes a harder sell because they want you to have investment in this guy's romantic life just as much as anything else.

Honestly, when I was playing FFXV it felt like they were trying to recreate that romantic appeal that was present in the OG reading of C/A in Noctis/Luna... but uh... Results may vary on that one

I never really understood the entire C/A of the OG. I guess this again goes back to what I said earlier about love beyond the grave. It just didn't make sense to me. I know that the appeal is there don't get me wrong. I can see the appeal. But, what I can't get my head wrapped around is the fact that Cloud would spend the rest of his life waiting to die, to be joined back with his true love. (he was in his early twenties at the time of the end of FF7) That is just a whole lot of life not to live in my opinion.

I guess one can argue the fact that love is eternal and love knows no time, but if you look at it from a neutral standpoint. I don't think anyone including Aerith would want Cloud to dwell on her for the rest of his life. It just doesn't make any sense to me and kinda in my opinion makes Cloud out to be a very shallow character.

 

[Odysseus]

It always seemed to me that Cloud had feelings for both the grills, and there isn't such a definite answer to the LTD as people would like.

Cloud ends up with Tifa, yes, but he's obviously still got hang ups about Aerith, as does Tifa in her own way. Those feelings don't just go away.

 

[minami758]

I think what annoys most people is the somehow enduring train of thought that Tifa is the "second woman" or that Cloud only chooses her because she has a heartbeat — as if she's some sort of leftover woman whom Cloud actually wishes were Aerith. It's a blatant misreading of the plot and themes, but many people still believe it even if it's complete character assassination for everyone involved.

Edit to add: That's why I'm glad the Remake is already taking pains to get rid of those assumptions. That interpretation was always the most frustrating part of the LTD to me.