Aerith is the easiest character to get a date with
① Initial affection level
Aerith's initial affection level is higher than other characters'
② Aerith is the easiest character to raise affection with
Ever since they reunited in the Sector 5 church, Aerith has shown a certain interest in Cloud, which makes her the easiest of the four characters to raise affection with. If you play the game normally, Aerith's affection level will never fall below Yuffie's or Barret's. In other words, to date Aerith, you only need to be careful not to raise Tifa's affection too high.
③ The usual date partner is Aerith
If you play normally without thinking about anything, the usual date partner is Aerith. In short, she's easy to like and hard to dislike.
On the date, she shows her proactive side, but...
④ Usually it's with Aerith
A “date event” also happens here. The Ferris wheel date that occurs again is an event where you ride the Ferris wheel with the character with the highest affection level. Although at this point in the story it's usually with Aerith, if conditions are met, you can also date Tifa, Yuffie, or even Barret. It makes players work hard for what they want to see.
⑤ It's usually Aerith
In Aerith's case. If you play normally, it's usually Aerith。
Cloud is her lover
The Road to a Smile
Cloud is a friend to women, and also a lover, a symbol of something important, and a presence to be protected.
Japanese:恋人
Spanish: amante
German: Geliebter
French: amant
Filled with love
—What was the reasoning behind writing Aerith's tragic story the way it was written?
[Nojima]: Although the story script had not yet been fully finalized when I joined the development team, I had already received the request to "write a script in which the heroine disappears partway through the story." We then decided that Aerith would disappear partway through, while Tifa, who was a witness to Cloud's childhood, became the character who could remain until the end of the story. Because Aerith disappears partway through, we deliberately staged the scenario events leading up to her disappearance with a romantic approach。By the way, Aerith's surname "Gainsborough" was borrowed from the French singer Serge Gainsbourg.
For cautious, introverted people, Aerith is recommended
For you, who are cautious about everything and introverted, Aerith is recommended. Being dragged around by her selfishness like an older sister is pretty fun too, you know?
Aerith and Cloud are famously an intimate couple
In Final Fantasy VII, the famously intimate couple(lovebirds)
A love story that could never be
(Original multi-region trailer, regarding the promotional line shown when "Love" is displayed. For whether this trailer is official, see whether the old trailer comes from official sources)
European version: Bitter war of love…and hate.
North American version: A story of a love... that could never be.
French version: Une histoire d'amour impossible. (A story of impossible love.)
Buying Aerith's smile for 1 gil
While people were still confused by the news of the attack, on a dimly lit street with an unstable mako supply, I met a flower seller.
She had striking, memorable eyes. She was the same age as me, or maybe a year or two older. But the innocent light sparkling in her eyes suddenly made her seem a little younger.
I suddenly became curious about the color of my own eyes. The faint glow that all SOLDIERs bathed in mako possess. Even now, as an enemy of Shinra, that mark will never fade...
"Hey... what's going on?"
I bought a flower, rare in Midgar, from the girl who asked the question.
"Do you like it?"
Seemingly glad that the flower sold, the uneasy expression on the girl's face vanished. If that smile could be bought for just 1 gil, it was quite a good deal。
A fateful encounter
① Fate begins to sway
To the promised land... The fateful encounter with Cloud set the pendulum of fate in Aerith's hands swaying. When she was still a child, her mother told her about the Cetra. In order to fulfill her mission as a nurturer of the Planet and a descendant of the Cetra, she set out on a journey to the promised land she had never seen. Aerith saw Zack's shadow in Cloud, harboring an innocent love, toyed with by her own fate...
② A fateful encounter
Cloud, who took part in the No. 1 Mako reactor bombing together with the anti-Shinra organization "Avalanche." After the operation was received, he met a young girl in Sector 8. Her name is Aerith, an encounter of fate。
③ Meeting Aerith and reuniting with Sephiroth begins saving the planet
At the request of his childhood friend Tifa, he began helping the anti-Shinra organization "Avalanche," centered on Barret. At first he was not interested in their goal of "protecting the planet," but meeting the Cetra woman Aerith and his fated reunion with his nemesis Sephiroth, he began to devote himself earnestly to the battle to save the planet. For Cloud, it was also a battle of facing himself and bidding farewell to his past.
④ Meeting Aerith and Sephiroth's revival changed his way of thinking
Mako energy—a resource indispensable to people's lives in a new era. The Shinra Electric Power Company, which manages Mako, became a huge enterprise in the blink of an eye, and now even holds world hegemony. However, Mako energy is the very life of the planet, and using Mako as a resource is equivalent to depleting the planet's life. Some people, feeling a sense of crisis, formed anti-Shinra organizations and, centered on the metropolis of Midgar, carried out resistance activities against Shinra.
The formidable mercenary Cloud, though hired by the anti-Shinra organization Avalanche, cared nothing for the future of the planet. However, meeting Aerith, a surviving Cetra who can speak with the planet, and learning that Sephiroth, the hero of the past who could become a threat to the planet, had revived, gradually changed his way of thinking. Together with companions who had gathered to save the planet, Cloud pursued Sephiroth, the enemy who destroyed his hometown. That journey forced him to confront the truth he had been unconsciously avoiding. What is his true self, what is he fighting for—while agonizing over these questions, Cloud, together with his companions, took on a battle that staked the future of the planet.
⑤ The heroine of a tragic love; helping her is the beginning of the journey
The tragic heroine who met in Midgar
Aerith, the flower-selling girl met in Midgar.Helping her became the beginning of this journey. And she, too, was swallowed up by a huge vortex of fate.
⑥ The vortex of fate
A tremor from the sky... Aerith, a girl selling flowers in the Mako city of Midgar, felt somewhat uneasy, while Cloud was hired by the anti-Shinra organization Avalanche and took part in acts of destruction.A chance meeting drew the two of them into the vortex of fate. A journey toward the promised place... eventually became a battle that staked the fate of the planet.
⑦ The two destinies change at the moment they meet
The place where Cloud and Aerith met.A place where their destinies changed dramatically。
⑧ The meeting guides Cloud onto a new path
Aerith, who was pursued because she possessed the ability to hear the voice of the planet.Meeting her guided Cloud onto a new path。
⑨ Meeting Cloud sets the gears of fate in motion
After the No. 1 Mako reactor exploded, Cloud, who had only exchanged brief words with her, reunited with her in the church she loved. Meeting him set the gears of Aerith's fate in motion.
⑩ The threads of fate are tied
Reuniting in the church full of blooming flowers, the threads of fate are tied
Cloud awoke in a church in the Sector 5 slums. Beside him he saw the figure of the flower girl Aerith. In their calm conversation, Cloud felt a brief peace. However, that calm was broken by Reno, a man from the Shinra intelligence division, the Turks. He called Aerith an "Ancient," and attempted to have Shinra soldiers capture her. Cloud agreed to act as Aerith's bodyguard in exchange for a date, escaped the church with her, and escorted her home.
⑪ A Fated Encounter with Cloud
Aerith appears as a flower girl from the slums. A Fated Encounter with Cloud As the sole surviving Cetra, she becomes swept up in a vast vortex of war. What is the Promised Land? Toyed with by fate, Aerith tries to carry out her mission as a Cetra, nurturer of the Planet. She fears not even a cruel ending—
⑫ A Fated Encounter with Cloud
A woman who combines an adult's composure with a child's innocence, displaying a peculiar charm. She is a descendant of the special race known as the "Cetra," who converse with the Planet and nurture it, and as such she has been pulled along by others' intentions since childhood. A fated encounter with Cloud sets her off on a journey to understand the destiny she bears as a "Cetra," but because of that destiny, she ultimately meets a tragic end.
⑬ A Fated Encounter with Cloud
"Aerith," the tragic heroine from the classic RPG Final Fantasy VII, appears in the guise of a slum flower girl, and her fated encounter with Cloud left a deep impression. Up until then, mass-produced figures had difficulty with character paintwork, but this figure was painstakingly painted by hand one by one, making it extremely refined and lifelike.
This product comes with a card printed with the serial number shown below, making it highly collectible!
⑭ Cloud's closed heart, until fate led him to Aerith
Cloud's heart was shut tight against this struggle, until fate arranged for him to act. He met Aerith, one of the last surviving Cetra, who could hear the moans of a dying world, and learned of the return of the fallen hero Sephiroth, who now plots to hasten the world's destruction.
Cloud's rarely-seen smile
At the beginning of FFVII, Cloud is a "cool SOLDIER," full of pretentious talk. Later, upon discovering his SOLDIER identity is a lie, he tries to act like himself, but he shows little joy or sorrow. The only time he laughs in FFVII is early in the story, while talking with Aerith with his mind still under Jenova's control.
Afterwards he regains his true self and begins a new life, but he is bound by guilt and is almost always gloomy. Thinking about it carefully, the smile he shows at the end of AC is deeply moving.
(Picture) Cloud, laughing with Aerith in the slum church after shaking off Reno and the other Shinra pursuers.
The price she charges for flowers
She sells flowers to Cloud, whom she meets in Sector 8, for only 1 gil, but she is a shrewd businesswoman, charging as much as 300 or 500 gil to those with ulterior motives in the Sector 6 slums. Her cheerful, strong-willed personality and a shocking event in a certain scene made her a heroine players remember vividly.
Feeling something special in each other
While escaping the church, there is a scene where Cloud and Aerith exchange smiles. It is the only clearly depicted smile he shows in the entire FFVII story. That they became so close soon after meeting shows they felt something special。
The two grow close quickly
She is fond of Cloud, and they quickly grow close. Her adoptive mother assures us she has a stubborn personality—once she says something, she won't listen to anyone.
Aerith is very fond of Cloud
Aerith, who asks about his relationship with Tifa and is very proactive in matters of love. However, if you pay close attention, her lines are full of questions like "Do you like me?" while she hardly ever mentions her own feelings—that is her technique in love. The fact that she makes advances like this shows how much she likes him. Don't ignore her or let her lead you around; go at your own pace, and it will instead leave her flustered.
Taking the initiative in approaching Cloud, whom she likes
Aerith speaks her heart with innocent words, like a little girl. Though gentle in appearance, she is not afraid of getting involved in dangerous things, and she also takes the initiative boldly toward Cloud, whom she likes. At times, her tone shows such strong will that it startles people. Perhaps her sense of duty as a Cetra gives him this feeling.
Aerith's pure love
To the promised land…The fated encounter with Cloud set the pendulum of Aerith's fate in motion. When she was a child, her mother told her about the Cetra. To fulfill her mission as a nurturer of the Planet and a descendant of the Cetra, she set out on a journey to the promised land she had never seen. Aerith saw Zack's shadow in Cloud, carrying a pure love, tossed about by her own fate…
Marlene notices Aerith's fondness for Cloud
Marlene points out that Aerith likes Cloud. When Cloud answers "I don't know," she suddenly gets angry. But when he answers "I hope so," she says very thoughtfully, "I won't tell Tifa."
The type Cloud's mother recommended
Cloud, dozing off on the bed in Aerith's house, recalls the scene of returning to his hometown five years ago. What triggered all of this was the call in his mind, something coming from the real Cloud.
Was the woman Cloud's mother recommended Aerith's type?
For more on the type Cloud's mother recommended, see The type Cloud's mother recommended
Cloud feels responsible for Aerith being kidnapped
Barret and Tifa stand dazed, having lost their close friends in an instant. Meanwhile, Cloud feels responsible for Aerith being kidnapped.
Cloud's attitude changes because of Aerith
"You can fight for others' sake. I'm impressed."
—Seeing Cloud take care of Aerith
This is the scene where Barret, who had been hostile toward Cloud, sees him in a new light for the first time. After that, Barret's attitude toward Cloud softens.
The reason Cloud saves the Planet
Early design materials
【Rufus】: I'd like to ask you one thing—on what basis do you absurdly believe you can save the Planet?
【Cloud】: …………Aerith
Rufus hears nothing
【Rufus】: What did you say?
【Cloud】: Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand
Rufus leaves looking resigned, leaving Cloud alone
【Cloud】: Aerith… this should be fine, right
We will definitely rescue Aerith
Infiltrating the Shinra Building. I will rescue Aerith... I swear!
Cloud gets jealous
Aerith, worried about Zack,notices that Cloud is jealousand so teases him.
Original-version hidden dialogue, Gongaga
"Could it be... you're jealous? Hmm? Hmm hmm? Are you, Cloud?"
"I was just kidding, don't take it seriously!"
"I kind of wish you were..."
"Let's go, Cloud"
When Aerith's affinity reaches 120 and you choose jealousy, the hidden dialogue is triggered (the bolded part)
Gold Saucer date
See more at the affinity system
① Aerith senses Cloud's true personality
"I'm searching for you. I... want to meet you." She says this to Cloud on their date at the Gold Saucer amusement park:
Drawn to Cloud, who carries the shadow of her first love Zack, and after the time they spent together, she senses that Cloud's true personality lies dormant deep within. Without urging him to realize it, she speaks these meaningful words.
① The Gold Saucer date is usually with Aerith
It is Aerith's case. If you play the game normally, she is generally the one who invites you.
② Usually with Aerith
Here too a "date event" occurs. The ferris wheel date that happens again is an event where you ride the gondola (Sumire Rō?) with the character who has the highest affinity. Although by this point in the story it is usually with Aerith, if the conditions are met, you can also date Tifa, Yuffie, or even Barret. It makes players strive toward what they have seen.
③ For the one you love
For the one you love — the secret date is a date for two
④ The Gold Saucer date is the bodyguard's reward
The promised date is at the Gold Saucer amusement park
She asks Cloud to be her bodyguard, offering "one date" as the reward. On the night he stays at the Gold Saucer, she takes him on the date as promised, and they spend a pleasant, fleeting time together at the theater and on the ferris wheel.
⑤ The words interrupted by the fireworks play during the date with Aerith
(花火に消された言葉，消された means to fade away or be drowned out. It is not "interrupted")
BRA★BRA Brass Concert 2018
[Kitase]: This song plays during the date with Aerith, so many people may empathize with that scene when they listen to it.
⑥ Concert illustration
At various concerts, the piece "Words Disappeared by Fireworks" is performed, and in various books, the illustrations accompanying the Gold Saucer date scenes often show Cloud and Aerith
⑦Program for "Words Disappeared by Fireworks"
Blue-ray music discs for FF6, 7, and 10
Chapter II, "Words Disappeared by Fireworks," focuses on three main characters. They are the protagonist Cloud and his two potential love interests—Tifa and Aerith. The movement opens by briefly introducing Aerith through "Aerith's Theme." Then a short passage represents the beginning of her date with Cloud. Cloud's theme, the "FF7 main theme," keeps sounding, and amid the bird-like fluttering of the bells, the relationship between the two characters gradually deepens. Just as the conversation is about to begin, their interaction is briefly drowned out by fireworks.
Next comes the performance of "Aerith's Theme," but before it fully unfolds, the movement's focus returns to Cloud, and it is his turn to be introduced. His theme begins with a touch of fear, and you can feel this young man struggling there with his new emotions. Some themes of Aerith and Tifa run throughout, and you can feel Cloud growing more confident, with his bond with these two characters deepening. Just as we expect Aerith's return, Tifa's theme intrudes as if to obstruct, drowning out Aerith. When Tifa takes center stage, Cloud's theme sounds from time to time, blending perfectly with Tifa's, but Cloud thinks of Aerith—it is a dilemma.
The second phrase of Cloud's theme sounds. He again feels somewhat confused. The little bird brings Aerith back. She is searching for a way back into Cloud's theme. Eventually, the violin solo sings in harmony with the cello, Cloud realizes his feelings for Aerith, and her theme blossoms in perfect harmony with Cloud's theme. However, Aerith remains hesitant. One reason is the resemblance between her old friend Zack and Cloud. Aerith tries to shake off her feelings, but the two are no longer in perfect harmony, their respective themes sounding simultaneously in the high and low registers; they are briefly in harmony, but Sephiroth suddenly intervenes, throwing the situation into chaos.
Aerith and Cloud try to find each other again; they play some of their themes in different keys, desperately trying to return to harmony once more. However, Sephiroth appears again, the situation worsens further, intensifying the discord and tension. Aerith's theme repeatedly attempts to remedy things, but when Sephiroth pierces Aerith with his sword, it is all over. She can only let out a short, heavy breath; Sephiroth withdraws the sword, Aerith's breath slowly fades, and before long, she stops breathing.
⑧ Art Museum features only the Aerith date
The Gold Saucer is the world's largest amusement park, managed by the manly dio. Cloud and the others visited it many times between battles. The encounter with Cait Sith. The repeated deathmatches at the Chocobo Square. And the promised date fulfilled on the night of magic... In the city of desire floating in the desert, the two's quiet feelings still slumber...
Their faint memories still slumber......
"I saw it in you... but it's different, different... Hey, Cloud. I'm searching for you."
(What Aerith says at the end of the date on the Ferris wheel)
⑨ The farewell in the Sleeping Forest indicates that the Gold Saucer date has already happened
Well... I should be going now. Let's meet again after everything is over.
Ah... Cloud, the Gold Saucer date was really fun, and the night view we saw from the cable car was so beautiful. I'll never forget it.
And... I won't forget you either, Cloud
⑩The only date shown at the FFVII 25th anniversary
In the nostalgia segment of the FF7 25th anniversary, only the Gold Saucer date scene and the flower field in the church scene were selected.
The Gold Saucer date scene with Aerith was shown in full, and it was the only date shown.
⑪ The "Words Disappeared by Fireworks" at the Final Fantasy VII 25th anniversary broadcast
Only the date scene between Aerith and Cloud was shown
Cait Sith looks forward to the two of them getting married
Cait Sith, who claimed to have a substitute body and took over the puzzle, ends up divining the compatibility between Cloud and Aerith. The result: "Aerith's star and Cloud's star! They have a wonderful future!" If you know how the story develops later, this is a sad fortune-telling, but if you look at the meaning of "future" from another angle, perhaps you may see hope...
The lines Cait Sith says I was looking forward to Cloud and Aerith's wedding，and I felt all the more reluctant to let go.
I like Cloud more than Zack
When I first met Cloud, I thought he resembled Zack. Some of his gestures, his way of speaking... even his gentleness. But Cloud is Cloud. I think that now, surely I like Cloud more than Zack。
But Cloud is so dense.
Aerith opened Cloud's heart
① Aerith opened Cloud's heart
During a mission, Cloud met a woman named Aerith in the slums' church. As it happened, she was also being watched by the Shinra Company, and Cloud began acting as her bodyguard. Aerith's cheerfulness opened Cloud's cold, closed heart. But this warm time was short-lived, because he lost Aerith to Sephiroth.
② He melted the ice of Cloud's cold, closed heart
The Shinra Company, a giant corporation ruling the mako city of Midgar, drains the planet's life energy, "mako," to power its machines. AVALANCHE, an underground resistance group, hired the former Shinra SOLDIER Cloud as a mercenary. During a mission, Cloud met a woman named Aerith in the slums' church. By chance he discovered she was being watched by the Shinra Company, and so Cloud acted as her bodyguard and moved together with her. Aerith's cheerfulness melted Cloud's cold, closed heart. Yet the warm time was far too brief; Aerith's life was taken by his nemesis Sephiroth, and Cloud had to face his grief and reclaim his true self. To stop Sephiroth, who sought to destroy the world, and save the planet's future, the protagonist Cloud shouldered a mission as heavy as the great sword he carries.
③ The heroine Aerith opened his heart
The story progresses from the protagonist Cloud's perspective, the heroine Aerith opened his heart，and plays an important role in approaching the mysteries. Through her, we approach the truth of the story.
④ The departed Aerith guides Tifa into Cloud's closed-off inner heart
On this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Aerith staked everything.
Aerith desperately spoke to Tifa, whose mind was in chaos after being soaked in high-density mako, guiding her consciousness into Cloud's closed heart. In truth, this was something she herself had wanted to do. But Aerith could not complete this task. So she entrusted it to Tifa. She entrusted everything to Tifa's feelings for Cloud. Entrusted it to the one who had "lived" together with him — and then, Tifa completed the task. She compared Cloud's memories with her own recollections, seeking out things that only the real Cloud could know. With that proof, the door to his heart was opened. Cloud — a soldier who never made it into SOLDIER and, through the implanted Jenova's power, copied the habits of his friend Zack — was dredged up from the depths of memory protected by a hard shell. Not the false personality he had created over himself to keep his sense of self, but the regeneration of the personality he was originally meant to have.
"I'm so glad, Tifa. Thank you... Even though I'm a little jealous, I leave Cloud to you — and everything in the world above from now on, too."
Aerith watched Tifa stay close beside the recovered Cloud as they returned to the surface, and smiled like a loving mother.
Aerith soothes Cloud as he turns violent toward her
"Cloud... You didn't do anything wrong. It's not your fault" — said in the Temple of the Ancients, to Cloud who was on the verge of losing himself in his confusion
Aerith noticed that Cloud was being controlled by another consciousness. Even as he turned violent toward her, she did not resist，and like soothing a child, she kept saying "It's not your fault."
Aerith sleeps in Cloud's arms
Aerith sleeps in Cloud's arms. A mysterious black bird drifts through the darkness, as if extending an invitation of death to Aerith. The black dress Aerith wears expresses the imagery of "burial" to the fullest.
To save the planet Aerith loved
Aerith... I won't let your life have been in vain. We will definitely defeat Sephiroth and set Holy's power free.
For the sake of this planet you love—
Cloud's Sorrow
①A Sorrowful Parting
Sephiroth cast the black magic "Meteor" in an attempt to turn all life on the planet into his own power. In order to stop Meteor from being summoned, Aerith went to the City of the Ancients. As two intense, conflicting wills intertwined, Cloud and the others faced a sorrowful parting. Sephiroth's long sword pierced Aerith as she sang the prayer of Holy at the water altar. Her life returned to the planet, never to come back again...
What should I do about this pain? My fingers are trembling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!
(Aerith is killed, Cloud's cry of rage)
②Cloud's Shattered Heart
She saw the figure watching her, saw the shattered heart, saw Cloud's face, barely holding on, grieving over losing her and burning with rage and hatred toward the one who took her life.
③The Rage That Cannot Be Stopped
Aerith is dead, right before my eyes...
I could not stop Sephiroth's atrocity, and watched in a daze as his sword ran Aerith through, within arm's reach.
Aerith would always smile like a flower, no matter when. But Aerith no longer smiles, and I will never hear her innocent laughter again
What did she ever do? Why did Aerith have to be killed? What should I do about this rage that burns on without end?
At the same time, something inside me froze, and I am afraid.
When I found Aerith praying, what was I about to do? At that moment, if my companions had not stopped me, I would surely have swung my sword at Aerith. Just like handing the Black Materia to Sephiroth against my own will—
Who am I? The former Shinra soldier Cloud...?
Tell me, Aerith—
④The Cry of Cloud's Scarred Heart
But at once, she heard the wailing.
Not a scream that becomes sound—if it were, surely the throat would tear and blood would spray? That torrent of impulsive rage wrenched from the depths of the soul—that was the sound of Cloud's heart grinding, the cry of one mourning Aerith's death, blaming himself, loathing Sephiroth, unable to heal his scarred heart.
The depth of this sorrow stunned her. Cloud thought of her this much, and that made her a little happy, yet at the same time she felt a multiplied pain. Though there was nothing more she could do, Cloud was suffering this much for her sake, and it tore at her heart。
⑤Cloud's Helpless Screaming
Just as everyone felt reassured seeing her pray single-mindedly, Cloud lost his composure again and pointed his sword at her. Cloud came to his senses at the very last moment and stayed his blade, and Aerith opened her eyes and smiled at him. In an instant, Sephiroth's long sword plunged down, piercing her body and freezing her smile. Cloud cradled Aerith's body, screaming helplessly. Before they could even grieve, Sephiroth—or rather Jenova, which had been mimicking his form all along—revealed its true self and attacked the party.
⑥Cloud's Reluctance, Tenderness, and Compassion
As Aerith lay there, Cloud tried reaching out his hand to her, while birds, butterflies, and strange creatures kept watch nearby. From the way he looked at her and the movement of his hand, one can feel his reluctance at this final farewell, and his tenderness and compassion for Aerith。
⑦Cloud is deeply shaken
Faced with Aerith's sudden tragedy, Cloud could barely force out his words. The calmness with which he said them expressed the deep shock he had suffered.
⑧A heart crushed by sorrow
Aerith chanted the great magic to protect her dear ones and the Planet. Yet at the hands of Sephiroth, who was scheming in secret to destroy the world, her life came to a sudden end. Parting suddenly with Aerith, an irreplaceable presence, even Cloud, the normally composed protagonist, showed feelings of grief and anguish: "My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning." These honest words expressed Cloud's heart, crushed by profound sorrow.
⑨A sense of guilt
Cloud → sense of guilt → Aerith
⑩Closing off his heart out of self-blame
Two years after the battle. Midgar, the mako city slowly recovering from the destruction Sephiroth brought, is struck by a mysterious calamity. An incurable disease known as "Geostigma" is claiming life after life.
As if in response to this illness, new enemies appear. Cloud, who closed off his heart, consumed by deep self-blame over the dear companion he lost in exchange for peace, is troubled by the unavoidable battle before his eyes.
"Can sins be forgiven?"After a long struggle, Cloud finally resolves to fight.
What is the enemy's purpose? Why are people falling ill? When the battle that transcends human understanding is over, what truth awaits him?
⑪ Cloud is filled with deep regret
Because of what happened two years ago, Cloud and the others, trading their dear companion Aerith for her prayer, triggered the White Materia and thereby saved the Planet. Cloud still feels deep regret for having failed to save her. Then, Aerith's voice whispers to him...
⑫ Cloud's resentment and guilt
"FFVII Advent Children" is the true sequel to "FFVII"—not in the form of a game, but a film made with high-quality full CG. The story takes place two years after the fall of Meteor. Cloud and Tifa live together with orphans, but he lives a solitary life, burdened by the regret and guilt of having lost a dear companion. One day, the delivery company he runs receives a call requesting an escort. Kadaj and his cronies, pursuing the client, soon attack Cloud and his companions. What is their purpose? Can Cloud overcome the trauma within his heart?
⑬Cloud drinking over Aerith
She knows that the fact he failed to protect Aerith has been causing Cloud unbearable pain. Cloud is trying to live on while overcoming this memory.But if he goes to the place where he said farewell to Aerith, might his heart once more be torn apart by sorrow and regret? After closing up for the night, Cloud, quite unusually, is drinking. His glass empties. Tifa, thinking it over to the end, refills his glass.
"Want me to keep you company?" She has something she wants to tell him.
"I'd like to drink alone."
Cloud's answer makes Tifa lose her composure, and she can't help saying:
"Then drink in your room."
⑭A symbol of the sin of failing to protect those dear to him
Two years after returning to the Planet, Aerith still lives in the hearts of the companions who saved the Planet. Especially in Cloud's heart, Aerith has become a symbol of "the sin of failing to protect those dear to him," a factor that closes off his heart. She extends a helping hand to Cloud and the Planet, once again facing danger. Like a mother, she watches over the entire Planet, letting everyone feel her presence in every corner of it.
⑮The Land Where Grief Cannot Be Healed
In the Cetra city shrouded in sorrow, sparks fly fiercely
In this Forgotten Capital, Cloud sees an apparition. Behind him he senses a nostalgic presence, and a voice as innocent and gentle as back then—
"Why have you come?"
When asked, Cloud speaks the wish in his heart. To this answer, the owner of the voice playfully replies:
"To whom?"
Cloud turns around and is abruptly brought back to reality. Kadaj and his gang are already waiting on the road ahead. Shaken, he sees Denzel among the children blocking his way and knocking over his motorcycle.
⑯The Forgotten Capital reminds Cloud of Aerith
【Nojima】: The Forgotten Capital as a setting and Aerith are completely one and the same. Even if one doesn't like it, it is a place that makes Cloud think of Aerith。
⑰Famous lines from AC
I... want to be forgiven.
Can sins be forgiven?
⑱Hesitation and regret at the Forgotten Capital
After Cloud wakes up, Reno and Rude tell him that the orphans have been kidnapped. The enemy's hideout is the Forgotten Capital. This is where Aerith's tragedy happened... hearing this, Cloud hesitates. And toward Cloud, who has always felt regret over past events, Tifa presses him relentlessly. While Cloud still cannot come to terms with it, he rides his motorcycle straight toward the enemy's position, and at that moment Aerith appears in his consciousness. Cloud cannot make sense of her at all, but three enemies attack him. And the children, Denzel, and Marlene are there too.
⑲Irreplaceable people, unforgivable sins, beings that cannot be forgotten
To Cloud, they are beings that cannot be forgotten. Zack, who "died because of his own fault," and Aerith, who "suffered a tragic fate because he failed to protect her."The two became irreplaceable "unforgivable sins" in Cloud's heart。
⑳The sin of failing to protect those dear to him
The sin of failing to protect those dear to him—thinking this, Cloud closes off his heart. What will his reunion with Aerith bring him?
㉑Kitase uses the loss of a beloved person as an analogy for Aerith's death
Mr. Kitase maintains that culture and the arts place too much value on dramatic deaths, and that "in the real world things are completely different. You only need to look around you. Nobody wants to die that way. People die of illness or accidents. Death comes suddenly, with no good or bad to it. What it leaves behind is not a dramatic feeling, but a great emptiness. When you lose someone you deeply love, you feel a great emptiness, and you think: 'If only I had known it would be like this, I would surely have done things differently'. That is the feeling I wanted to give players through Aerith's death coming relatively early in the game—to feel reality rather than Hollywood".
㉒Cloud suddenly loses someone important
In the end, was he unable to stop it successfully?
【Nomura】: First of all, I think most players would have hoped to defy fate and have Cloud withstand the attack to avert that fate. In the original, in order to depict the fate of "suddenly losing someone important," Cloud was powerless against Sephiroth, and the two were parted without even being able to speak to Aerith. But if one really loses someone important in the real world, people cannot accept it right away. This time, we decided to make "being unable to accept the loss of someone important" our creative principle.
㉓Did Cloud come to the church to atone, or did he find himself drawn to the place of their shared memories?
"I guess... I wanted to be forgiven. I wanted to be forgiven..." Cloud murmurs softly. The church, empty of anyone else. Did he come here to atone? Or did his feet carry him, of their own accord, to this place where he and Aerith share their memories...? Sunlight streams down through the stained glass, as if even the quiet air inside the church could feel it.
Aerith loved the real Cloud
① Gradually drawn to Cloud himself
"At first, Aerith felt a kinship with Cloud because he resembled Zack, the first person she had feelings for, but she gradually became interested in Cloud himself and was drawn to him."
② Aerith saw through the real Cloud, the one Cloud himself hadn't noticed
Sensing that Cloud and Zack overlapped in some ways, Aerith saw through him—that this wasn't the real Cloud. "I'm looking for you." "I want to meet you."These two lines saw through to the real Cloud, the one even the Cloud before her hadn't noticed himself, and their existence—profoundly meaningful words.
③ Aerith wanted to meet the real Cloud
Her prayers were in vain. Seeing Cloud's broken heart, Aerith shed tears. The remnants of his personality seemed beyond repair. But then—if he wasn't Cloud, who was he? Aerith only knew Cloud as the ex-SOLDIER he appeared to be; this wasn't even a basis for conjecture. An indescribable sense of helplessness surrounded her.
"Cloud... I want to meet you. The real you."
④ Her feelings for Cloud remained even after he lost himself
Even after realizing that Cloud had lost his true self, Aerith's feelings for him remained. While striving to fulfill her duty as a Cetra, her concern for him continued until the very last moment.
⑤ Searching for the real Cloud
Her words to Cloud were meaningful: "I'm looking for you." "Don't break."She seemed to have already realized that the Cloud before her wasn't the real him, even though the two had not known each other for long. Was this, too, thanks to her 2 innate, mysterious ability?
⑥ Aerith had already seen through Cloud's essence
"Don't break"
Aerith, standing in Cloud's dream, seemed to comfort him and offer him advice. These words show that Aerith had already seen through Cloud's essence。
⑦ Aerith's soul speaks with the real Cloud
【Maaya Sakamoto】: In a word, innocent. Her very existence is a kind of "beauty". This is Aerith's "impression" in Cloud's heart，and it is also the image of Aerith's soul speaking with the true Cloud... Her lines all left a deep impression on me and resonated with me; it was challenging, but I performed them with care.
⑧ Understanding the real Cloud
Aerith could not sleep. Perhaps because she was a Cetra, she didn't feel tired at all.
Right now, she was simply happy. Happy that she had come to know the real Cloud, and that, even for a brief time, she had been able to protect him—
⑨ From the Cloud he truly was
Nodding off on Aerith's family bed, Cloud recalls the scene of returning to his hometown five years ago. What triggered all of this was a call in his mind, something from the original Cloud。
The woman Cloud's mother recommended—is she Aerith's type?
For more of the types Cloud's mom recommends, see the types Cloud's mom recommends
Aerith still lives in Cloud's heart
Are Tifa and Cloud now living separately?
Tifa supports Cloud from behind the scenes. However, it seems the two did not get together after the great battle. They live apart from each other, and it seems she hasn't received any contact from Cloud, Aerith still lives in Cloud's heart, and Tifa understands this too… it appears to be this kind of relationship!?
An illusion living forever in Cloud's memory
An illusion living forever in Cloud's memory…
In the battle two years ago, the girl who briefly scattered beneath Sephiroth's cruel blade—Aerith. A girl who looks very much like her appears before Cloud. Is this a vision Cloud is seeing…? Or what!? Could this work hold the possibility of her revival!?
Aerith's consciousness lives within Cloud's body
Even after they die, their consciousness remains with us. As for Cloud, he saw Aerith many times in the film. He saw her not because he sensed her presence. He saw her because her consciousness still lives within his body。
Aerith's voice
From the Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Farewell Exhibition
You drift further and further away from me
I am drifting away from you
Ah... it's rising
I too will vanish into the sky...
I see you...
You are crying...
Don't cry anymore
It's going to rain
Aerith's hesitation about her own departure
On this point, Aerith had no hesitation: either all of humanity perishes, or she avoids destruction at the cost of her own death—there was no need to think it over; she steeled herself. If there was anything she hesitated about, it was leaving Cloud, who had lost his mental balance, but if she didn't go, neither her companions nor anyone in the world would be saved. She reached her answer: even for Cloud's sake, there was no other choice.
The feelings Aerith wants to convey to Cloud
The woman thought of ways to convey the crisis to Cloud. As she thought, she vividly recalled the many feelings she had failed to convey to Cloud. There were so many things she wanted Cloud to know. But she didn't know what to convey or how. She hadn't been this troubled in a long time. In the end, the woman felt she should first meet Cloud and then figure things out.
Her attachment to Cloud keeps Aerith awake within the Lifestream
"In that case, is there any way to convey to Cloud that I'm doing fine…? Saying 'fine' is a bit odd, though! Then let's say I'm awake and aware!"
Her attachment to Cloud—perhaps that is exactly what keeps her awake.
Like this—souls of the dead coming from far away to meet family or lovers once more, wanting to tell them "I love you"—she had sensed this several times while living in Midgar. Lingering thoughts, and the thoughts of those left behind, allow a person to remain strongly conscious as an "individual."
Unable to convey it to Cloud
Aerith understood why the great crater in the north was one of the places the Lifestream could not approach. It was Sephiroth's barrier. When the calamity from the sky, Jenova, descended upon the planet, the planet was struck by the meteor it rode in on, leaving a huge scar—and now that land, where energy gathered to heal the wound, had become the cradle for Sephiroth's regeneration. The streams of life swirled into unnatural vortices around it, blocking beings of consciousness like her from approaching.
She approached Cloud's body as it drifted along with the current, desperately speaking to him. She kept trying the whole time Cloud was washed ashore at Midgar. But his heart, shattered by despair, could not hear Aerith's voice. No matter how she called out, just as when they parted in the Forgotten Capital, she could not reach Cloud.
Helplessly watching Cloud's body return to the ground, Aerith stood frozen in the sea of Mako.
Aerith liked Cloud far more than her first love
Especially when she thought of Cloud, Aerith felt even more pain.
She had feelings for Cloud; at first she felt he was a bit like the person she had first fallen in love with. Even though his face, voice, and personality were not alike in any way, strangely, his behavior and habits always reminded her of that person—but that soon stopped mattering. Because she liked him far more than her first love. Cloud was her hero, and also someone she could not stop worrying about. Though he looked confident and composed, at times a fleeting look of bewilderment would show on his face. If she could, she wished she could stay by his side forever. She wanted very much to be by his side.
When she left her companions and headed for the Forgotten Capital, Cloud's heart was like an egg about to burst. It was not about to hatch; rather, it was as if the viscous yolk inside was about to spill out—a state in which his mind might well collapse. She wanted very much to support him. If she had not been the last Cetra, Aerith would without doubt have done so.
Made clear the distinction between Zack and Cloud
That appearance was dazzling in Zack's eyes.
"Tch, Aerith, you're the standout among the girls I'm on good terms with. After that mission, if I could make it back to Midgar, maybe we might have ended up dating. I hate Sephiroth, and also Shinra for the covert work."
"Someone who gets along with lots of girls will never become a lover."
"That's so mean. I'm just gentle with everyone, that's all."
"That's exactly what's wrong. It has to be someone clumsy and pure, like Cloud."
"Is that what Aerith likes?"
"Who knows? After five years, maybe I've already changed!"
"Tch!"
Holding hands in the light
① The hand that had always been protecting Cloud
The "hand" that protected Cloud
A hand reaching out from the light to guide Cloud as he flew—this overlaps with the final scene of Final Fantasy VII itself. In the life-or-death battle between Cloud and Sephiroth, his consciousness flew into the Lifestream, and it was this hand that brought him back to reality and saved his life. Yes, two years ago, at that moment of battle, she had been protecting Cloud all along。
"She" at this moment also guided Cloud out of collapse in the great northern sky.
② Aerith's hand saved Cloud
At this moment, Cloud, separated from his body as a spirit, saw a hand guiding him in the abyss of the Mako world.
It was snow-white and slender—it reminded him of the hand that had given him a flower in Midgar. Cloud unconsciously reached out his own hand, and then—
His consciousness returned to his body; the hand he had grabbed was Tifa's, extended to support Cloud whose footing had nearly given way.
If he hadn't been guided, he would likely have fallen into the depths of hell; Cloud noticed this and realized he had been saved.
③ AC: Grasping Cloud's hand
A pure white world
The hazy, all-white view glimmered faintly, and a hand reached out. This hand grasped Cloud's hand tightly. Cloud also clasped her hand firmly in return. Her hand sent Cloud up to a higher place.
④ The "her" who was lost forever
With his friends' help, Cloud fights the enemy in the sky
Bahamut was slammed to the ground by Cloud and his companions, then flew back into the air.
At the same time, Kadaj, who had been watching the battle with great interest, suddenly looked troubled. Rufus Shinra, sitting in his wheelchair, took action at just the right moment, and Kadaj, half in doubt, released the magic.
As Bahamut was about to spit out a fireball, Cloud leapt in pursuit. His friends boosted him one after another, pushing him higher and higher. The moment he broke through the fireball, Cloud saw the last hand pulling him up—the figure of the "her" he had lost forever two years earlier.
My wish was to see her again
Going alone to the Forgotten Capital to deliver flowers
"Cloud is probably just too tired."
Though she answered this way, something still felt stuck in her heart. Marlene was a child very sensitive to changes in adults. On her day off, Tifa and Marlene cleaned the room Cloud used as his office. A large number of unsorted receipts lay scattered on the desk. One of them caught her eye.
Client
Elmyra Gainsborough
Item: Bouquet
Delivery location: Forgotten Capital
Tifa pretended not to see it and put it together with the other receipts. Yet her heart was strongly shaken. Delivering goods all over the world—could that also mean revisiting old places?
Advent Children: Cloud goes to Aerith's house and the church
In the Remake, the one standing at the door of Aerith's house and at the church door is the Cloud of the AC era
Denzel was a child brought by Aerith
"Hey, do you remember what you said when you brought Denzel here?"
"What did I say?"
"A lot. Even if I objected, you would still bring that child back. I felt that you had already decided as much.”
"That is—" Cloud, just like back then, made the face of a child who thought he was about to be scolded.
"Tell me. I'll listen first, then decide whether to be angry."
Cloud nodded and continued.
”Denzel—collapsed in front of Aerith's church. So I think it was Aerith who brought Denzel before me。”
Having said it all in one breath, Cloud no longer looked at Tifa.
”You went to the church, didn't you.”
"I had no intention of hiding it."
"But you hid it anyway."
"Sorry."
"I never said you couldn't. But next time, I'm coming with you."
"Mm."
"And Cloud, you've got one thing wrong."
Cloud looked at Tifa with a surprised expression.
"Aerith didn't bring Denzel to you."
"Mm, that's just what I thought myself."
"That's not what I mean."
"Aerith brought Denzel to our family."
Cloud gazed at Tifa, and at last smiled.
A few days after this conversation, Cloud left home. Was the future shown by that smile nothing but an illusion? Tifa kissed the children's sleeping faces, then walked into Cloud's office. She brushed off the thin layer of dust on the family photo and tried calling him. After the phone rang several times, it switched to the answering machine's voice.
Cloud lives in the church full of memories
The church where Cloud first met Aerith, the church full of memories. Tifa and Marlene came here and confirmed that Cloud was living here.
Cloud keeps away from everyone
After defeating Sephiroth, without anyone, keeping away from everyone, he lived quietly all alone……
After that brutal battle over the Planet, he saved the Planet and reclaimed the true self he had once lost. However, it came at a great cost. Now he refuses contact with others, living a lonely life all by himself。
The church is a place of memories with Aerith
Tifa collapses in the slum church, a place of memories with Aerith; Cloud's rescue always comes one step too late……
Feelings for Aerith that remain unchanged until death
Feelings from those who received her
[Nomura]: Aerith was one of the companions who traveled with them before. For those who received her, I think each of them holds their own love or feelings toward her. The same goes for Cloud in this story; he still holds feelings for Aerith that will not change until his death…… As for how this church scene relates to that…… well, I'll leave that part up to everyone's imagination (laughs).
Tifa's view of the relationship between Cloud and Aerith
① Jealousy
Tifa sometimes shows jealousy toward Cloud over Aerith. Her feelings for Cloud seem complicated, going beyond a simple childhood friendship. In the latter half of the story, her tone becomes more feminine, perhaps because after the events at the Forgotten Capital, she began to face her feelings honestly.
② Complicated feelings watching their special bond
Best friend and love rival? Complicated feelings toward Aerith
Facing Aerith, who "also has feelings for Cloud" and could be called her love rival, Tifa treats her as a friend.
But even so, when Aerith and Cloud formed a special bond, one different from her own relationship with Cloud, as a woman, it is not hard to imagine that Tifa also harbored complicated feelings.
And Tifa's complicated feelings still persist in AC, set two years after Aerith's death.
③ Withdrawing after seeing the two chat
"Ah, please don't misunderstand. Cloud and I are just childhood friends, nothing more." — She says this to Aerith even though no one asked.
Before even being asked, she herself denied any relationship with Cloud. Unlike her earlier complicated expression, her resolute tone instead betrays the turmoil in her heart. Seeing Cloud and Aerith chatting so happily together in the park, she seems to want to step aside herself。
④ Sulking
Seeing Cloud and Aerith displaying a world of their own right in front of her, Tifa finally can't hold back and starts to sulk。
⑤ Tifa is jealous of the two talking through the wall
"I'm so sorry" — Tifa says to a surprised Aerith, who has just learned that she and Cloud were in the same room.
Tifa overheard the conversation between Cloud and Aerith through the cell wall and learned that Cloud had made one date the condition for being her bodyguard.
A hint of adorable jealousy shows through in her slightly sharp tone.
⑥ Unable to stay calm watching the two grow close so quickly
Tifa is not indifferent to Aerith and Cloud growing close so rapidly. She always tries to keep a calm attitude, but as can be seen from her dialogue during their date, her heart cannot stay calm。
⑦ Cloud's restlessness after Aerith's death
In addition, Cloud, who saw Aerith's death as his own sin and fell into deep self-reproach, not only protected Denzel on the grounds that he was "a child Aerith brought", but he himself also left for the church where Aerith had been, Tifa could not hide her frustration with Cloud—and perhaps it was not only because he was weighed down by the past, but also because it had something to do with Aerith.
⑧ A complicated expression
Upon learning that Cloud had left her and gone to Aerith's church, Tifa's expression became complicated.
⑨ Losing patience
She knew that the fact he had failed to protect Aerith had always been tormenting Cloud. Cloud was trying to overcome that memory and go on living. But would going to that place of farewell with Aerith tear his heart apart again with grief and regret? After closing up for the night, Cloud, quite unusually, was drinking. His glass emptied. After thinking it over, Tifa refilled his glass for him.
"Shall I keep you company?" She had things she wanted to say to him.
"I want to drink alone."
Cloud's answer made Tifa lose her patience and blurt out。
"Then drink in your room."
⑩ Deeply shaken
"Cloud is probably just too tired."
That was how she answered, yet something still stuck in her heart. Marlene was a child very sensitive to changes in adults. On her day off, Tifa and Marlene cleaned the room Cloud used as his office. A large number of receipts lay scattered unsorted on the desk. One of them caught her eye.
Client
Elmyra Gainsborough
Item: Bouquet
Delivery location: Forgotten Capital
Tifa pretended not to see it and put it away with the other receipts. However, she was deeply shaken in her heart. Traveling all over the world making deliveries—wouldn't that amount to revisiting old places?
⑪ Understanding that Aerith still remains in Cloud's heart
Are Tifa and Cloud now living separately?
Tifa supports Cloud from behind the scenes. However, it seems the two were not together after the great war. The two live apart, and it seems she has not received any contact from Cloud either, Aerith still remains in Cloud's heart, and Tifa understands this... it appears to be that kind of relationship!?
Things would go smoothly with Aerith
The Tifa chapter was premised on things not going smoothly between Tifa and Cloud from the start... If it were Aerith, things might have gone smoothly, but the burden on Aerith would have been great.
Cloud pulled himself together because of Aerith
① Only Aerith can resolve Cloud's inability to move forward
【Nojima】: As long as he still feels responsible toward Aerith, Cloud cannot move on. From the very start of making AC, I felt this issue had to be resolved. Apart from Aerith, Cloud's feelings cannot be resolved by anyone else, right? I tried to convey the nuance of "I'm still by your side"。
【Nomura】: From the beginning it was decided that she would only show her face in the final scene, and the CG was practically a done deal. The moment I saw the finished product, I thought, "Oh, she's really cute."
② Words only Aerith could say
【Nojima】: Because Sephiroth exists, Aerith necessarily exists as well. Of this there is no doubt (laugh)The only one who could tell the guilt-ridden Cloud "don't worry about it" is none other than Aerith herself。
③ To lift the burden from Cloud's heart
Cloud loses himself in the maze of his own mind, partly due to the onset of Geostigma. To ease the burden on his mind, Aerith playfully calls out to him.
⑤ The story's backbone is that Cloud receives Aerith's message and pulls himself together
【Nojima】: The backbone of the story remains unchanged. It is the story of Cloud, who had shut his heart off, receiving the message Aerith sends through the children, and finding his resolve again. It simply became a story of Tifa, Cloud, and the children.
④ Cloud feels that he is no longer alone
Coming back to his senses, Cloud finds himself somewhere. Congratulated by his companions and the orphans, a smile naturally returns to his face. Aerith and Zack stand behind the door, seemingly witnessing it all. Yes, he is no longer alone.
Looking Back in the Flower Field
Flower Field
Aerith's lingering image (an existence without physical reality) watches Cloud ride away with a somewhat lonely expression, but it soon turns into a smile.
Advent Children Theme Song
The theme image song of this work, "CALLING," is a famous song by Kyosuke Himuro released in 1989, included on the album NEO FASCIO.
(Portions omitted)
"In this work, a very important scene that wordlessly conveys the message I myself wanted to depict and the feelings of protagonist Cloud was only completed thanks to "CALLING" accompanying it. I believe everyone can feel its persuasive power," Nomura said.
(Played during the AC ending credits, "CALLING")
What kind of existence is Aerith to Cloud
① The one he loved
Putting an end to it all……
The idol of his boyhood, the enemy who took away the one he loved, and also the mother body of the Reunion — Sephiroth. As an enemy of the Planet and a fated rival, unless Cloud can settle things with him one-on-one, his battle will never end.
②The person dear to him, Aerith
【Nomura】: He once met his best friend Zack and the person dear to him Aerith, yet lost them both.
③Did Cloud lose Aerith, or himself?
Regarding Sephiroth's whereabouts, Cait Sith's divination yielded three results. Beyond the first two, the third prophecy that led Cait Sith to travel with the party is intriguing — "You will get what you desire, but you will lose something important."
If the story is advanced to the Forgotten Capital, the "losing of something important " can be taken as the loss of Aerith. If the story is advanced to the Northern Crater, it can be seen as foreshadowing the imminent collapse of Cloud's sense of self.
④The important person who resonates with Vincent
Can sin be forgiven — Vincent asks Cloud. Because they both carry the guilt of "being unable to protect those important to them", his words strike a heavy resonance.
⑤A symbol of the sin of being unable to protect those who matter
Two years after returning to the Planet, Aerith still lives on in the hearts of the companions who saved the world. Especially in Cloud's heart, Aerith has become a symbol of "the sin of being unable to protect those important to him", a factor that closed off his heart. He extends a helping hand to Cloud and the Planet, once again facing danger. Like a mother, she watches over the entire Planet, letting everyone feel her presence in every corner of the world.
⑥Guilt toward the person who mattered
While helping Tifa run the bar "Seventh Heaven", he also runs a delivery business, and the four of them — her, Marlene, and Denzel — live together like a family, but he went missing after contracting Geostigma. Behind his behavior lies the guilt of having failed in the past to protect the person who mattered to him, but through his battles against Kadaj and the others, products of Jenova, he regains the courage to face reality.
⑦The ones he could not protect — the important people
Failing to protect someone important—a sin—so he thought, and Cloud closed off his heart. What will his reunion with Aerith bring him?
⑧What Sephiroth seeks to take away
【Sephiroth】: What is it that matters most to you?
There are 3 shots of Aerith in the flashbacks, while Zack, Tifa, Denzel, and Marlene each have only 1 solo shot
⑨One of the important people
The place where awakening comes (this scene takes place in the church flower field) — the place of Cloud's promise.
Cloud, deep in slumber, heard voices. They belonged to two people who had been dear to him, and who were no longer of this world—their voices. With joy and concern, they told Cloud that he did not belong here.
When he wakes, he finds his companions all there. There are the children rescued from the fatal disease. Tifa and Marlene, and Denzel who wanted his hand to heal the scars of the stars — his family is waiting for him. Surrounded by blessings, he learns where he belongs, and knows that he has forgiven himself.
Looking back suddenly — "she" has already risen and departed. Together with the friend who gave Cloud his life. He need no longer suffer in loneliness... and so they, too, can return to the place where they belong.
Back into the Lifestream that embraces the Planet.
⑩Irreplaceable people, unforgivable sins, unforgettable beings
For Cloud, they are beings he cannot forget. Zack, who "died because of his own fault," and Aerith, who "suffered a tragic fate because he failed to protect her."The two became irreplaceable "unforgivable sins" in Cloud's heart。
⑪Important companions
《FFVII Advent Children》 is the direct sequel to 《FFVII》, presented not as a game but as a film made with high-quality full CG. The story takes place two years after the fall of Meteor. Cloud and Tifa live together with orphans, but he carries the regret and guilt of having lost an important companion, which makes him live a lonely life. One day, the delivery service he runs receives a phone call requesting an escort. Kadaj and his followers, who are pursuing the client, soon attack Cloud and his companions. What is their aim? Can Cloud overcome the trauma in his heart?
⑫An important companion
Two years after the war. Midgar, the mako city slowly recovering from the destruction brought by Sephiroth, is struck by a mysterious calamity. An incurable disease known as "Geostigma" is taking lives one after another.
As if in response to this disease, new enemies appear. Cloud, who deeply blames himself for the important companion he lost in exchange for peace and has closed off his heart, is troubled by this unavoidable battle unfolding before him.
"Can sins be forgiven?"After a long struggle, Cloud finally decides to fight.
What is the enemy's aim? Why do people fall ill? After a battle beyond human comprehension, what truth awaits him?
⑫The important person (he loved)
[Kitase]: The most shocking scene in the original is Aerith's tragedy at the Forgotten Capital, and how to depict it with modern techniques was a very difficult problem.
The original intended to depict the loss and sorrow of an important person suddenly disappearing before one's eyes, but I have heard that the sense of loss was so intense that quite a few people stopped playing after Disc 1.
In Rebirth, the sense of loss is expressed through a different form, and the protagonist Cloud's feeling of being unable to forget what happened to the important person before his eyes is importantly conveyed. It began with creative director Tetsuya Nomura's thoughts on life and death, and the game's production team and editing team actually recreated the idea wonderfully as a game scene.
In fact, in the ending of Rebirth, people who see it will have all sorts of thoughts and interpretations different from those of the original, and such a scene is very memorable.
[Hamaguchi]: I believe this remake trilogy will become the most beloved and famous game in gaming history.
(Here the simultaneous interpreter rendered "the important person" as he loved)
Ranking of the most memorable scenes and lines
Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary and Final Fantasy VII 15th Anniversary commemorative voice actor event
"The most impressive scene"
First place: Aerith's tragedy
Second place: Aerith's opening CG
Third place: Sephiroth amid the sea of flames
"Impressive lines"
First place: "Aerith... she can no longer speak... will never laugh... never cry... never get angry... What should we do? What about this pain? My fingers... are tingling... My lips are dry... My eyes feel like they're burning!..."
Second place: "Because you, Cloud, are a puppet."
Third place: "Cloud, I was looking for you. I wanted to see you."
Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary farewell exhibition
①Promotional material only featuring Cloud and Aerith
In VII, it was a water burial
FFVII: opening CG with Aerith and the water burial
②Classic lines
Who is the person you want to see again?
Fingertips trembling, throat parched, a burning heat deep in the eyes!
③Forgotten Capital-inspired liquor
No matter how much you drink, the memories you'll never forget are always there。
Tears are the taste of the farewell drink. Just kidding.
④Exhibition images
Advent Children's early drafts were about a story of Aerith, Cloud, and the children
①Rejected draft of Aerith sitting behind Cloud on his motorcycle
【Nozue】: Cloud wakes up in a child's room; this room was created in the early stages, so it was difficult to make various scale adjustments later on.
【Nojima】: This was the story's "turning point" — the "turn" of the classic four-part structure (introduction, development, turn, conclusion). Originally, we wanted Aerith to sit on the back of Cloud's motorcycle and talk with him, but we decided against it, because it would have been too scary, like a ghost story (laughs).
—If there are any secrets about "FF7ACC" that you know of, could you share them with us?
【Nozue】: There are plenty. The revised scenes also reflect fan feedback, so I'd actually rather have you look for them yourselves. If I had to mention just one: in Denzel's memory scene, the fallen Shinra Company mansion sign was cleverly made to incorporate settings from the novel.
【Nojima】: Speaking of secrets, everyone loves that back-to-back staging, don't they (laughs). In the scene where Aerith first appears, Cloud and Aerith stand back to back, but the original plan was for her to suddenly sit on the back of the motorcycle。
【Nomura】: Because of the structure of Aerith's outfit, she couldn't straddle the motorcycle, and given the structure of Fenrir, she couldn't sit sideways on it either, so we made changes. That setup of suddenly sitting on the back of the motorcycle sounds like a ghost story (laughs).
【Nojima】: Oh, I thought you all liked the back-to-back setup (laughs).
【Everyone】: (loud laughter).
②AC was originally centered on Cloud, Aerith, and the children
—FFVIIAC was originally a story of about 20 minutes; what kind of story was it?
【Nojima】: It leaned more toward the mysterious or spiritual, and wasn't such a tightly plotted story. It mainly centered on the characters Cloud, Aerith, and the children, while the other characters made few appearances. At the end of FFVIIACC there is a scene where the children gather in the church; that scene was written as a 20-minute version.
—The initial script was originally conceived on a scale of roughly a 20-minute runtime, but it ended up becoming nearly five times that length. So did the themes and story also become completely different compared to the original?
【Nojima】: No, the theme has always been the same.
—In other words, the theme didn't change, but compared to the original, the content has changed considerably。
【Nojima】: For players who only ever saw the finished product, there's probably no way to compare. But for me personally, the changes were truly enormous. I would even often get phone calls in the morning or early dawn about added content and such (laughs).
—Were those phone calls all from Mr. Nomura?
【Nojima】: Yes. Although he speaks in a very gentle tone, it's precisely that gentleness that makes him scary.
③ The skeleton is still there
【Nojima】: The skeleton of the story is still there。The story tells of how Cloud, who had shut his heart, received the message Aerith sent through the children, and pulled himself back together. It just became a story of Tifa, Cloud, and the children.
④ Nomura describes the initial design
—What highlights are worth paying attention to among the new scenes added in FFVII ACC this time?
【Nomura】: As for highlights, honestly the whole film is one. But if you mean scenes I've always wanted to include, it's the interactions between the children.
This time we added a scene near the end where the children head to the church.That is actually a main scene from the unpublished twenty-minute version originally written by Mr. Nojima—Kazushige Nojima, the screenwriter of this film.
In addition, Nozue—Takeshi Nozue, the CG director of this film—also added some scenes to the highway battle sequence. The blindingly fast high-speed battles that Cloud and the others engage in are undoubtedly one of the highlights of this film.
BRA★BRA Brass Concert
Up until now, I always had the FF characters appear together in the traditional sense, avoiding being able to attach character names. But when I heard Mr. Uematsu say that BRA★BRA 2018 would only perform VII pieces, the image of Cloud and Aerith holding instruments came to mind, and in the end I broke my own rule! Trumpet Cloud, flute Aerith—they suited the cute instruments so well that, carried away in the moment, I also drew the Shinra and Turks members.
PS magazine inner pages
Man and woman. Cloud and Aerith. Love and friendship. Hope and despair. Life and spirit.
The water tower and the stars of the night sky. Jealousy and disappointment
PS magazine inner pages
Whisper of the Maiden
The unused Aerith limit break "Whisper of the Maiden," which raises allies' attack power.
30th Anniversary Blu-ray Music CD Promotional PV3
In appearances 7, 8, 9, and 10, both are couples
Osaka ARTINA café perler beads
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