Can we please tone down the Aerith bashing and understand that she's a complex character who has been quite faithfully written to her core character? Also for everyone's sake, stop discussing the dates as if one was more canon and made more sense than any other, they all make sense because Cloud is acting faithfully to
his own characterisation with each character.
NPTK is a contradiction if we connect it to the ending; they have no promises to keep between them but in the end Cloud "promises" to defeat Sephiroth xD
The "promise" from Cloud is actually a mistranslation. Which explains how this flows much better in JP (the FR also has that mistranslation). Also I've said it to me NTPK feels more like her singing to both Cloud and Zack but whatever. It also fits the ending.
Coming back to Aerith's characterisation, I think we should separate two Aerith: the one we have in game and have had since REMAKE, and the one who appears at the dream date who is more akin to CoLW!Aerith to me. I separate the two because I am not sure that CoLW!Aerith had the same experience as "our" Aerith. To me the dream date speaks of something more meta between the relationship of Cloud - Aerith - Zack and how, in each universe, it will keep repeating.
Now, onto "our" Aerith: she is 22, discovering the world, wanting to visit and see everything, wanting to have fun, crushing on the guy who reminds her of her first love, whom she still hasn't moved on from. It's her
big adventure, the one that her mother promised her when she was a kid. This is Aerith, as she is presented to us, and as she was in the OG, just expanded upon.
Personally what I regret is that there are moments where she could have cared more about her Cetra heritage: why doesn't she read the books Sephiroth did in Nibelheim? Or be more interested in Cosmo Canyon? Those would have been great addition, especially since she's part of the team that goes to the Shinra Mansion, she could've learned there what she can't learn in Icicle village (since she's dead).
On the other side I did really love it when we arrived at the Temple. Her trial was really sad, it touched me a lot to see this little girl being ignored by adults while asking for help. Her speech was interesting too, because it could be a warning about what to do against Sephiroth, but also when she described true strength, I saw Tifa, as well as the path that she set herself on, considering her motherly characterisation in ACC. So this Aerith is changing, her meeting for the first time the knowledge of the Ancients, her seeing her little sad crying and alone is a moment of truth, a moment when she decides that she will save the Planet against Sephiroth. And I really liked this Aerith.
For the dream date, as I said, it looks like in every universe Aerith is going to be confronted to her own feelings towards Cloud and Zack, and understand that Cloud doesn't see her that way. Their bond is a deep friendship, he does cherish her, but not like she wanted or maybe not how she
thought she wanted. Because behind all of this, Zack, who is their connection, never disappeared from her heart, as she didn't want him to.