From my understanding, this Nomura stereotype is not something made up by LTD. He's notorious outside of FFVII because of his non answers and in some case lies (and belts). Like the whole "Namine has no relationship with Kairi" thing when Namine turned out to be her nobody.
It's why a lot of fans prefer to rely on Nojima quotes as he's the writer and he is a lot more, eh, "definite" when he replies. That said, I never hated the guy for it, I always felt he loved the idea of "player interpretation" more than the others and I actually kind of admire that.
Nomura specifically says this may answer questions about Cloud and Aerith's relationship as it pertains to Final Fantasy VII.
But that's the thing, it doesn't answer anything. Not by itself. Besides a one second scene at the ending, by itself the interaction and the relationship- there is very little to go by except they have a special connection. Which I always believed in anyway.
And I'm someone who thought that Cloud-Aerith was being shipped in the original Kingdom Hearts. But a lot of that is absolutely overhauled in KHII. If we can assume that KH is meant to be commentary on CxA, why not look at the series as a whole? Cloud wasn't searching for Aerith, nor was she his light.
But I agree that it definitely showed they have a connection, and one that is important enough to be highlighted.
When I watched AC, I viewed it as SE saying Cloud and Aerith are meant to be together and that Cloud desires to be with Aerith above all else.
I suppose this is where I strongly disagree, that Advent Children is not a romantically themes series and thus, 99% of the scenes have little romantic connections. I believe in interpretation only to an extent.
I think Advent Children is about Cloud regaining his strength of character after years of guilt and self deprecation, and that the resolution is not romantic, it's something that celebrates how strong he was to overcome his issues and live happily with his family. This is why there is consistent talk of memories, this is why guilt gets a visual cue in the movie, why Cloud gets important scenes with not just Tifa and Aerith- but Vincent, Denzel, and Marlene.
It's why Cloud says specifically the reason he was so down was because he couldn't protect himself, why the hand reach scene wasn't just of Aerith but of everyone- who helps him defeat the monster both in the game and inside of him, why the creators specifically said he was happy with his family, and why in The Kids Are Alright- Cloud mentions family to the protagonist of the novel.
If I had to pick one line that defined Cloud in that movie it was when Sephiroth asks him what he cherished so he could take it away and Cloud states "There's nothing that's not important to me"- the last line he utters before finally defeating Sephiroth. And why when Cloud wakes up, it's not a matter of where, but it's a matter that he wakes up to everyone he loves surrounding him, his family (who he gets to heal in the end after being scared of failing the entire movie), his friends, and Zack and Aerith watching over him. Hell, the first thing he sees when he regains consciousness is not the church itself, it's the hands of children.
To Splintered::
I would say Cloud and Tifa over came some of their... I wouldn't call them failures but issues I guess but I think they're still in the process of building a strong foundation together just as friends which is why I don't see them as compatible.
They already have a strong foundation built up as friends, it's undeniable. Romantically though, I do agree they are trying to overcome issues. They'll do it all their life because that's key to their relationship- it's not they don't have problems it's that they overcome those problems. That's why the creators mention that they'll always be issue, but more importantly in my mind, they'll always overcome it.
They've overcome Cloud's PTSD, Tifa's major survivor's guilt, Tifa's insecurities, the lies they made up, a terminally ill child, guilt, anger... they've been through that, they conquered it, and they're happy.
I think two very reserved people with a hard time comunicating their feelings, isn't a good match.
Oh man I disagree. I think two shy people can definitely form a strong romantic bond, both in literature and in real life. I think it's kind of sad to think that just because two people are reserved individuals, that would automatically mean their relationship is doomed. Especially if the couple has shown themselves that despite difficulties, they have communicated and talked about the hard stuff.
What they had in the past was a crush from their child hood.
The crush is in the past, but only because I fully believe by now it's fully evolved into something much more. And not just romantic, they fulfill other roles as well, which is where I think the confusion comes from. Yes they are best friends, yes she's motherly, yes she can stand up to him. And yes, even with all of those, she can be a lover, because their relationship isn't really all that simple. But I can understand where people look at their relationship and assume it's not lovers, because there are other legs for it to stand on.
It just seems she has a lot of insecurities about their relationship ones that aren't healthy for a solid relationship.
Tifa has insecurities about her future and whether or not she deserved to be happy. She had insecurities about whether or not her family was "real" despite others telling her so. She has insecurities about her relationship with Denzel. She's insecure on whether or not she should tell the whole truth when she doesn't even know what the whole truth is. And yes, she's also insecure about her relationship with Cloud.
Tifa is a character who fundamentally overthinks. For a woman who has lost her family, her friends, and her home twice, Tifa often thinks about her place in life with the ones she loves. It's her flaw. And it's a flaw that she will work out with time, together with her family.
You could say that Cloud's relationship with Aerith is unhealthy, because it is consistently characterized by heavy guilt, him running away, and self deprecation. But it's not about that, because Cloud pushes past these problems and begins to give the memory the respect it deserves. The same thing with Tifa. What's unhealthy isn't that there are bumps in the road, what's unhealthy is if they give into them.
How is the church tied to Zack in any way when it was where Aerith had spent most of her time?
The final images of the movie consist of three images. All three mean something
The images of the people he cares about: his friends, his family, and the flowers that watch over them. Not a part of the ones in the picture, but still connected.
Zack's grave, with the same flowers, but Cloud referencing it as the start of a journey rather the guilty memory of someone dying
The very final image of the ENTIRE movie is this. This is what the church has evolved to: a symbol of healing and reverence to those who have fallen. There's a reason why Cloud moved the buster sword there, you can interpret it at will, but it's still not a random move. Especially since this is the last thing the audience sees.
. He was surrounded by the people he loved yes, but the Church was a heavy connection to Aerith right from the start, before any of his friends arrive. Just because a bunch of his friends gather where Aerith resides doesn't suddenly erase the fact that it is tied to her majorly and most of all.
It's connection isn't gone, it's about the emphasis. It's not about location, it's about what's going on. The promised land is where is happy, and he is happy with: Smiling at Aerith, smiling at Tifa, healing his surrogate son when he despaired over not being able to heal them, all his friends and teammates there cheering him on, and watching Zack and Aerith walk away with full confidence.
And his final words before the credits roll "I'm not alone anymore." This is the point of the church scene. Not being alone. Not romance.
