Trace of Two Pasts novel discussion

[LNK]

Yet as time goes by, I find that while it is still an extremely high quality and enjoyable production, its appeal didn't linger the way the OG's did.

Are you comparing remake to all of the OG, or just the first midgar portion? When I compare remake to the 1st Midgar portion, Remake is much better

 

[kathy202]

I was comparing it to the entire OG, both as separate complete games, though not necessarily a complete narrative, which I guess isn't a fair comparison at all. But the ending of the remake makes me nervous about what lies ahead, especially considering that my favorite parts of the remake were the ones they didn't change.

 

[frosty]

I was just comparing Square Enix's approach to Disney's in a conversation with a friend today and talking about how similar they are. Very appropriately written to appeal to masses at each point in time.
....
And part of me wonders if it's because the mass appeal factor just doesn't stick to me well as an adult as it did when I was a child.

The nostalgia factor for FF7 is probably a big one.

I still cry every time I see Mufasa fall off that cliff in the original. But I look at Lion King remake as an adult and think "National Geographic - The 2-hour Africa special, featuring Beyonce" lol.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

This novel sure is deeply disliked by a lot of fans.
I'm not saying anything profound when I assume it's because the new material contradicts their own headcanon and/or makes it more difficult to argue that their own preferred interpretation is the canon one.
Ah well, to each their own.

 

[frosty]

This novel sure is deeply disliked by a lot of fans.

What exactly is the feedback or is it twitter chatter?
Are there reviews on official sites? I cannot imagine it being more hated than FFX 2.5's Eien no Daishō, cos the Japanese folk really DESPISED that one.

I saw a couple of one star reviews for Trace of Two Pasts on Amazon.jp, but it was more of people being super angry at the crappy packaging and swearing off Amazon.jp - not the actual content

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Tumblr
Someone described it as a "stupid lore magazine". I had an argument with them but I don't want to rehash it.
I probably shouldn't have said "a lot". I should have said "some".

 

[Eerie]

From reading Twitter, it does seem that a certain portion of the fandom isn't really happy with this book. I don't really think their opinion count though, as they are also trying to prove Cloud didn't expect more in ALone at Last (and was let down) despite the Ultimania claiming the contrary

 

[KindOfBlue]

when it made me like this feisty but compassionate senior citizen who seemed like the only foot race she'd be likely to run was to the top of the "Most Likely to Die When the Plate Falls" list.

On the other hand, I’m personally at a point where deaths are so predictable these days that I actually get relieved when a story doesn’t go for the most obvious emotional manipulation (looking at you, TLoU2…I still like the game though lol)

And part of me wonders if it's because the mass appeal factor just doesn't stick to me well as an adult as it did when I was a child.

Over the years, I’ve found comparing new stuff to what I enjoyed in my childhood to be fruitless as there’s no way to adequately recreate the conditions in which I experienced those things (namely the “being a child” bit)…nostalgia really makes the present less enjoyable as we become more jaded adults I’m afraid

Evangelion is a deep and thoughtful commentary on Christian theology I promise.

I was just about to make a joke about this lmao

 

[a_apple 2.0]

More about Tifas time in Midgar
https://fusetter.com/tw/uvz2qQOY#all

 

[waw]

For those waiting for translations, iStanley is dropping more Aerith scenes today:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1419968302676201475

 

[Maidenofwar]

Stanley updated again!

Very well written, on serious matters while being aware of the age of Aerith so the inner child will suddenly shine through like wondering about bellies and things.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Two things I found particularly interesting:

1. Aerith had never thought of the possibility of having children and passing the white materia on to them until Tifa mentioned it. The very concept seems to come as a surprise to her.

"I haven’t even thought about that before.”
There might come a day where she would no longer be ‘the final descendant of the Cetra’. She imagined that scenario in astonishment and fixed her eyes on Tifa.

Does this mean she never once thought about settling down and starting a family with Zack?

2. For at least a while during her time with Elmyra, she goes under the assumed name of "Rona".

I really love the fact that Elmyra is a mobster's daughter-in-law!

Yes, Nojima is really good at writing from a child's POV.

 

[Fiz]

I have to say I love the "they objectified her and took photos of her chest" bit. A not so subtle dig at those fans who see Tifa as nothing but her chest. The thing about "they saw her as a prize to be won" makes the same point.

I also really like the important distinction being drawn between a crush and love.

Cloud and Tifa's love always reminds me of the Yeats poem, "When You Are Old". (very short poem, don't worry)

So Tifa does own 7th Heaven? Of course nothing in the Remake suggested she didn't, I guess I'm just surprised she doesn't live on the premises if she owns them.

I'd love to know the details of the Marle story. I mean, it's not out of order for surgeons to show potential patients photos of their work, so there must have been something gross in their manner of doing it that made her angry. Did she then deliberately seek out Tifa to inform her that the doctors were scumbags and protect her from further exploitation? She can't have known Tifa before this incident, since it says they met because of it.

Is there a single doctor anywhere in the world of FFVII who honours the Hippocratic oath? They all seem to be unprincipled money-grubbing quacks.

These are the kinds of little details I wish they had worked more into Remake.

 

[Fiz]

Do Aerith and Tifa kiss. I just need to know this

I’d go for this new route... Aerith lives, Zack and Cloud die, Aerith and Tifa fall in love and save the world. Sure it’s fan-fic as hell but I’d get a weird sort of satisfaction watching the shippers explode.

 

[Fiz]

Two things I found particularly interesting:

1. Aerith had never thought of the possibility of having children and passing the white materia on to them until Tifa mentioned it. The very concept seems to come as a surprise to her.

Does this mean she never once thought about settling down and starting a family with Zack?

2. For at least a while during her time with Elmyra, she goes under the assumed name of "Rona".

I really love the fact that Elmyra is a mobster's daughter-in-law!

Yes, Nojima is really good at writing from a child's POV.

It’s possible, she’s quite young. Lots of women don’t really think about it until they get there, especially if they aren’t the settle down and start a family types.

 

[Odysseus]

That's an unfortunate name you got saddled with there, Aerith.

 

[a_apple 2.0]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1420086955761565697

dude we might get the Tifa novel translated

 

[Eerie]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1420086955761565697

dude we might get the Tifa novel translated

I didn't even have the time to post it lol. I'm the one helping @odekopeko to translate it. She doesn't know if she'll be able to do the whole novella

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1420138880032862211

Edit, just to be sure: I only serve as an editor. I absolutely can't translate anything XD But if you have questions about this, maybe I have answers :p

 

[a_apple 2.0]

I didn't even have the time to post it lol. I'm the one helping @odekopeko to translate it. She doesn't know if she'll be able to do the whole novella

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1420138880032862211

I didn't even realize that it's you guys translating the novel wtf
You both are awesome, thank you for doing this <3

 

[eleamaya]

Spoiler: (next section of Aerith's novel)

https://istanleyff7.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F657876640348635136

 

[Odysseus]

Should maybe put that in a spoiler lol

 

[a_apple 2.0]

wouldn't the religion talk fit more into a general ff7 topic thread, since this thread is more for news/translation/discussion about the new novel, just a suggestion

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Should maybe put that in a spoiler lol

Done!

Also, when I get a little more time today, I'm going to split the religion discussion off into its own thread.

EDIT: @a_apple 2.0 Yes lol

 

[Torrie]

Also, when I get a little more time today, I'm going to split the religion discussion off into its own thread.

Yes, please. I'd love to read all the thoughts that have been shared on the topic, but I'm afraid since it's off-topic here, it will get lost in the thread eventually. I simply can't keep up at the moment.

 

[waw]

Thanks for splitting things off.

Bring back to the novel... I know we didn't see much of the other slums but I sincerely liked getting a peak as well as the Gainsborough family running and/or being part of this construction mob. I'm glad to see relationships beteween the Plate-folk and the Slum-folk develop - which, to my knowledge, was a core part of the original FF7 design.

While not necessarily canon now, the idea that Shinra released monsters into the Wastes to keep the Slum folk in (and working) is just so icky capitalist I thought it was diabolical and amazing. So this has me all sorts of excited. That said...

I can't imagine Don Corneo in Wall Market and the Gainsborough fam never had run ins of any sort. Especially with people starting to kidnap young girls.