Tifa Lockhart - Blog Posts

Day three of shop updates! (I know, I've been busy!)

Final Fantasy 7 girlies: Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough! Both are $40 + shipping 💜

Hi, it's me. I've been busy. Socials took a back seat for a bit. Here's what new in the Nerdvana shop! Reblogs welcome!

My contribution to the Six Fanarts challenge. The suggestions came from my Twitter feed.

Look what I made

(Inspiration from SnapCube)

Some WIPs of fanart I'm making for Tifa!

FFVII AFFECTION MECHANICS LIST

Probably this article was better suited for Valentine's day but I'm not well known for my perfect timing... :)

I thought it could be useful to have a full list of the OG variables that affect the date mechanics, a description of the actual Remake mechanics and the differences between the two games all in one post.

I had initially planned to add here also the Wall Market dress mechanics but this post is long enough and the Remake dresses are just so amazing that they absolutely deserve their own post and my complete devotion💖

So...Let’s get to the list!  

OG AFFECTION POINTS

A reminder before reading:

Not all the optional choices of the game affect the scores.

Not all the optional choices that affect the score are mandatory.

Only four characters are associated to the affection mechanics and they start the game with different pre-set scores: Aerith 50, Tifa 30, Yuffie 10*, Barret 0. Aerith and Tifa are the most probable outcomes for the date.

The two main events influenced by the affection points are the Gold Saucer date and the scene under the Highwind. The charcter who has the highest score will spend a night with Cloud at the Gold Saucer; the dialogue between Cloud and Tifa before the final battle will be more explicitly romantic if Tifa has at least 50 points.

The characters are not in competition with each others, most of the choices affect the points of just one character at a time and sometimes they even affect uniformly more than a character. As a general rule, the points increase when Cloud tries to be a kind person and decrease when he's willfully mean.

The outcomes for the date and the HW scene can be different: it's not necessary to achieve Tifa's date to get the high affection HW scene, nor dating Aerith automatically triggers the low affection version. It is perfectly possible to get both Aerith's date and the high affection scene with Tifa.

MIDGAR:

1. On the train after the attack at the Reactor No. 1, when Jessie tells Cloud about the IDs:

Jessie: I know! Next time, I'll give you one I made myself.

"Thanks anyway" (No change)

"Looking forward to it" (-3 Tifa)

2. [Optional] At 7th Heaven, if Cloud bought Aerith's flower:

Tifa: But...A flower for me? Oh Cloud, you shouldn't have... - Cloud: No big.

"Give it to Tifa" (+5 Tifa)

"Give it to Marlene" (+5 Barret)

3. [Optional] If Cloud talks to Tifa when she's behind the bar:

Tifa: Sit down. How about......something to drink?

"I don't feel like it" (No change)

"Give me something hard" (+5 Tifa)

4. When Cloud tries to leave Seventh Heaven:

Tifa: So! You're really leaving !? You're just going to walk right out ignoring your childhood friend !? - Cloud: What......?

"How can you say that!" (+5 Tifa)

"...Sorry" (No change)

5. [Optional] The morning of the attack on the No. 5 Reactor:

Tifa: Good Morning! Cloud! Did you sleep well?

"Next to you, who wouldn't?" (+5 Tifa)

"Barret's snoring kept me up..." (+5 Barret)

6. On the way to the Reactor 5, getting through the train without being caught by the security system

Succeed (+5 Tifa, +5 Barret)

Fail (No change)

7. When Cloud is hanging after the explosion of the Airbuster in the Reactor 5:

Barret: Hey, you gonna be awright?

"(Be strong)" (+2 Barret)

"(I don't know if I can hold on)" (-3 Barret, +1 Tifa)

8. After falling in Aerith's church, when the girl is trying to run away from Reno:

Push a wrong barrel (-3 Aerith)

Tell her to fight the troopers (-1 Aerith)

Tell her to run (No change)

Tell her to run, but she has to fight (-1 Aerith)

Push the right barrel (+1 Aerith)

9. At Aerith's house, when Cloud says he wants to go back to Sector 7:

"No way!" (+1 Aerith)

Aerith: Is Tifa......a girl? - Cloud: Yeah. - Aerith: A girl...friend? - Cloud: Girlfriend?

"Yeah, that's right" (-5 Aerith)

10. When Cloud and Aerith are going to split up after getting to Sector 7 gate:

Cloud: Thanks. I guess this is goodbye. You gonna be all right going home? Aerith: Oh no! 'What ever will I do!?' ...isn't that what you want me to say?

"See her home." (No change)

"Go on to Sector 7" (+1 Aerith)

11a. [Wall Market option A] Talking to Aerith if Tifa is chosen as Don Corneo's bride

"You alright?" (+3 Aerith)

"We gotta help Tifa!" (-2 Aerith)

11b. [Wall Market option B] Talking to Tifa if Aerith is chosen as Don Corneo's bride

"You alright?" (-2 Tifa)

"We gotta help Aerith!" (+3 Tifa)

11c. [Optional] [Wall Market option C] If Cloud is chosen as Don Corneo's bride and acts hesitant

Don Corneo: You don't like me? There...there isn't someone else, is there?

No, only you (No change)

Yes, his name's Barret... (+5 Barret)

12. When Corneo throws the group in the sewer:

Talk to Aerith first (+3 Aerith)

Talk to Tifa first (+3 Tifa)

13. [Optional] After the plate fall, if Cloud talks to Marlene at Aerith's house:

Marlene: Guess what? Guess what? Aerith was asking me lots of questions. Like what kind of person Cloud is. I bet she likes you, Cloud!

"I don't know" (+3 Tifa, -3 Aerith)

"Let's hope so" (-3 Tifa, +3 Aerith)

14. At Shinra HQ, after meeting Red XIII and before fighting Sample H0512:

Cloud: We'll take care of that monster. Somebody take Aerith somewhere safe...

"Tifa, I'm countin' on you!" (-2 Tifa)

"Barret, take care of her!" (+2 Barret)

15. When party splits up to escape Shinra HQ:

Cloud: If all five of us go together, we'll be noticed. Let's break up in two groups.

Whoever is in the party gets a +2 boost

16. [Optional] Talking to Tifa in the jail (this option can be repeated indefinitely):

Tifa: Psst (Can we get out?)

"Leave it to me" (+1 Tifa)

"Kinda hard" (-1 Tifa)

17. In the jail, when Cloud thinks about the other party members:

I wonder how [Barret/Aerith/Red XIII] is doing

The first one gets a +3 boost (no change for Red XIII)

The second one gets a +1 boost (no change for Red XIII)

No change for the last one

18. After leaving Midgar:

Barret: ^#$^%......awright. Go Northeast to a town called Kalm. If something happens, we'll meet up there. 'Sides, we can't have 5 people strolling down the fields. It's too dangerous. Split us into 2 parties...

Whoever is chosen to join the party gets a +1 boost (no change for Red XIII)

KALM

19. After Cloud's flashback when Barret decides to leave the Inn:

Barret: Yo, Cloud! Let's get a move on!

"Right" (+1 Barret)

"Wait a sec" (Barret talks again) -> "Beautiful, just beautiful" (+3 Barret)

"Wait a sec" (Barret talks again) -> "Is that all?" (-1 Barret)

20. [Optional] If talking to the woman on the first floor of the house next to the Inn (the points change only if the characters are in the party. The dialogue can happen at any time before the GS dates):

Thanks to Mako energy, life's pretty darn convenient. Thanks to Shinra. Don't you think?

"Yeah, maybe" (-2 Barret, -1 Aerith, -1 Tifa, +1 Yuffie)

"You're full of it" (+2 Barret, +1 Aerith, +1 Tifa, -1 Yuffie)

21. [Optional] If talking to the woman on the second floor of the house next to the Inn (the points change only if the characters are in the party. The dialogue can happen at any time before the GS dates):

Mako energy's made things a lot more convenient......But seems like a lot of plants and animals have been disappearing at a rapid pace. I think the old life was better. Don't you think so?

"Yeah, maybe" (+2 Barret, +1 Aerith, +1 Tifa, -1 Yuffie)

"No way" (-2 Barret, -1 Aerith, -1 Tifa, +1 Yuffie)

FORT CONDOR

22. [Optional] If Cloud is the party leader and talks to the old guy (the choices affect everyone, even if the party hasn't recruited Yuffie yet):

It appears you have a problem with Shinra, too. After all, you climbed up here. Why not listen to what I have to say for a moment?

"I guess so" (+5 Barret, +3 Aerith, +3 Tifa, +2 Yuffie)

"Not interested" (-5 Barret, -3 Aerith, -3 Tifa, -1 Yuffie)

23. [Optional] After the old guy tells Cloud about his problem (the choices affect everyone, even if the party hasn't recruited Yuffie yet):

What do you think? You want to join us in our fight?

"All right" (+5 Barret, +3 Aerith, +3 Tifa, +2 Yuffie)

"Not interested" (-5 Barret, -3 Aerith, -3 Tifa, -1 Yuffie)

*MEETING YUFFIE

[Optional] The player can repeat the recruiting dialogue as many times as they want. Recruiting Yuffie on the first try will grant her 10 points, failing and repeating it will increase her points up to a max of 30 points (+2 for every correct answer).

CARGO SHIP

24. [Optional] Talking to Yuffie who asks for Tranquillizers for her motion sickness:

"Here, use this" (+4 Yuffie)

"Nope" (-2 Yuffie)

25. Talking to Aerith about the Highwind:

Aerith: That was REALLY something. Hey, do you think I could get on it?

"I'll take you someday" (+2 Aerith)

"I dunno..." (-2 Aerith)

26. Talking to Tifa about the war:

Tifa: ...But, you know what? I really hate this uniform. Uniforms, soldiers, war, I hate 'em all. They take away all the things and people you love... I wish they'd all disappear. Right, Cloud?

"Yeah..." (+2 Tifa)

"I don't know" (-2 Tifa)

GOLD SAUCER

27. After Barret leaves the group, Cloud can choose a partner. The choice will affect the score of the FIRST character he'll interact with. Only if the player declines Red XIII they'll still be able to affect one of the girls' score. If the player doesn't pick anybody, the character with the highest score will join him and the points won't be affected (Red XIII will join instead of Barret):

Go together (+3)

Don't go together (-2)

COREL PRISON

28. The character chosen to accompany Cloud and Barret to fight Dyne:

Cloud: So there it is, Barret. So I guess it'll be Barret, me, and......

(+10 Aerith, +3 Tifa, +2 Yuffie, no change Red XIII)

GONGAGA

29. [Optional] After meeting Zack's parents:

Cloud can talk to Tifa and/or Aerith (if they are in the party).

Ignore them (-3 Aerith / -3 Tifa)

Talk with Tifa (+1 Tifa)

Talk with Aerith -> "Poor guy" (+1 Aerith)

Talk with Aerith -> "(...jealous...envious...)" (+2 Aerith)

COSMO CANYON

30. [Optional] During the first visit the party splits up. If Barret was in the party Cloud can have a conversation with him:

Barret: There was this guy who studied 'Planetary Life' here. He couldn't take things the way they were, so he went to Midgar to form AVALANCHE. Wanna hear more?

Not really (no change)

"Go on" (additional dialogue) -> "And then" (Barret +6)

"Go on" (additional dialogue) -> "Yeah, whatever..." (Barret +3)

WUTAI

31. [Optional] Completing the first quest in Wutai until Yuffie returns the stolen Materia (Yuffie +10)

***

REMAKE AFFECTION POINTS

Even though the Remake covers just the Midgar section, the developers payed homage to the Gold Saucer dates including a beautiful "Resolution scene" at the beginning of Chapter 14, where Aerith, Tifa or Barret will appear and talk to Cloud.

What determines the optional cutscene this time is the number of side quests completed during Chapter 3 and Chapter 8, namely the two chapters spent building up Cloud's merc reputation with Tifa and with Aerith.

The Remake affection mechanics are very simple: 

Aerith and Tifa start as equals. 

The player can complete 6 Odd Jobs and 1 final Discovery Quest, each one granting to the related girl +2 points. 

The girl Cloud will interact first after landing in the sewers will gain an additional +1 point that will eventually serve as tiebreaker. 

As you can guess, the girl with the highest score will lead the optional cutscene but if both girls have less than 5 points then Barret's scene will be unlocked.

PERSONAL THOUGHTS:

The Remake affection mechanics are significantly different from those of the OG. Funnily enough some free-answer dialogues still exist, however not only they don't affect the score but they're also illusory choices as the plot is very linear (see below).

The Remake mechanics are less romance-based. Sure, accomplishing the side quests can be seen as Cloud spending valuable time with the girls, anyway they spend the day doing rough and mundane activities like defeat monsters, rescue kids and search for cats. The focus will always be to improve Cloud's reputation as a reliable merc. Moreover, it doesn’t really make sense to consider Barret as being positively impressed by Cloud refusing to help people in need. 

While in the original Cloud can have just one date and one of the two versions of the Highwind scene, the Resolution scenes are not mutually exclusive and it's perfectly possible that all of them take place during the same night.

***

OG AND REMAKE COMPARISON

Most of the situations linked to the affection points in the OG changed or were left out from the Remake. In general Remake-Cloud tends to be kind with both Aerith and Tifa and by the end of the game his relationship with Barret improves as well. 

Tifa’s interrogation: the flashback at Kalm

The flashback at Kalm represents the first time Tifa truly comprehends the depth of Cloud’s delusions. Some fans see Tifa’s behavior during this episode as complete head-in-the-sand avoidance of the issue. 

But… this is a misinterpretation. Tifa isn’t avoiding Cloud’s crisis at Kalm, even if she does opt for subtlety (a necessity, given what transpired at the train station). Tifa tries to use the Kalm flashback to gather evidence to disprove Cloud’s version of events… but she unfortunately discovers that the situation is not so clear-cut.

Tifa’s behavior makes her intentions obvious. As soon as Barret asks Cloud to tell his story, Tifa keeps silent, fidgeting restlessly with her hair. And in contrast with Barret and Aerith, her only dialogue is “…”s:

 As we know, Tifa hasn’t yet had the chance to hear Cloud’s side of the story: at the train station, he reacted violently when Tifa questioned him; at both the bar in OG and Remake’s Alone at Last, Cloud brushes off her questions. Kalm marks Tifa’s very first opportunity to gather information and understand the nature of Cloud’s inconsistencies. The fidgeting is a sign of Tifa’s anticipation/dread; the ellipses represent her listening intently to Cloud’s story, giving him the space he needs to speak without her contradictory recollections setting him off.

Indeed, Tifa’s very first remark is only in response to an interruption:

Barret: Yo wait a minute!! Isn’t that, um…? The name of Sephiroth’s mother… I remember Jenova. That’s that damn headless spook livin’ in the Shinra building.

Cloud: That’s right.

Tifa: Barret, would you please let us hear what Cloud has to say? You can ask questions later.

Barret: Tifa, I was only…

Tifa: OK Cloud, continue.

Aerith: The childhood friends reunite!

Cloud: …I was really surprised with Tifa.

(watch here)

Tifa abruptly cuts Barret off in a way that takes all three characters aback–why is she so uncharacteristically brusque? Cloud, Barret, and Aerith all verbally react to the outburst, as the devs want the player to notice how unusual Tifa’s behavior is. While a first-time player may not understand her motivations, a seasoned player will: at this moment, Tifa doesn’t care about anything but hearing Cloud’s story and figuring out what’s wrong with him.

Tifa continues to listen in silence until Cloud reaches her house. Suddenly, Tifa asks Cloud about everything he did there:

Tifa: Cloud…? Did you go into my house?

Cloud…? Did you go into my room?

Did you play my piano?

(if you check in the drawers to find the underwear…) …Cloud. We’re talking about something really important here.

Did you read it? My letter?

Do you remember what it said…?

Cloud… Do you remember all of it?

(link to the full sequence in Tifa’s room)

These questions may look trivial, like a frivolous Tifa trying to ensure her girlish modesty was maintained five years ago. But it’s the last two questions about the letter which reveal what Tifa is truly doing: she’s subtly interrogating Cloud to determine if he was truly at Nibelheim. If Tifa’s primary motivation is to lessen her embarrassment, then why does she explicitly prompt Cloud to restate the entire letter in front of the entire team five years later?

The full content of the letter is information which Tifa is intimately familiar with, information that only she–or someone who truly was in her room that day–would know. If Cloud doesn’t know about the objects in her room or blatantly bullshits in response her questions, then Tifa has all the more evidence that Cloud wasn’t actually there. But if he does know the answers to these questions, especially regarding something as temporary as a letter, then… what does it mean? That Cloud truly was there, even though Tifa doesn’t remember him being there…? What does that say about Cloud’s memories…? What does that say about Tifa’s…?

The fact that Cloud passes her “test”–that he knows private details of her room, and gives an accurate account of its contents–leads Tifa to recognize that there is more to Nibelheim incident than just her recollections, and there is more to Cloud’s side of the story.  Tifa doesn’t have a full understanding of the situation, and as long as she can’t explain the discrepancies between her memories and Cloud’s, she can’t simply refute Cloud’s version of events. Like it or not, Tifa realizes that the Nibelheim flashback has become a “he said, she said” situation. And who knows… maybe this confident, capable Cloud is correct, and she’s the one who’s wrong?

Now… how do we know that Tifa’s questions about her room are intended to represent her attempts at fact-finding? How do we know that they really aren’t just a trivial cutesy gameplay mechanic to break up the monotony of the flashback?

And the answer is… it’s because Cloud’s answers to these questions are referenced during a critical scene: Sephiroth’s illusion at the Northern Crater.

Cloud: The town hadn’t changed at all. What did I do? Oh yeah…

Cloud’s lines are directly influenced by the actions that Cloud took during the Kalm flashback. After the above line, Cloud can make any number of statements:

“I saw my mom. I saw the people in town.”

“Yeah, I went to Tifa’s room. There, I…”

“I played the piano!”

“I looked in the drawers!”

“I read the letter addressed to Tifa!”

Based on how much or how little you did, Cloud will say more (or fewer) of the above statements.

For example, in this player’s Nibelheim flashback, Cloud met his mom and went in Tifa’s room, where he jammed on the piano and raided her dressers. But he never found the letter. So during the Nibelheim illusion, Cloud only makes statements 1-4.

On the other hand, this player’s Cloud experienced everything during the Nibelheim flashback, so Cloud makes all 5 statements during the Nibelheim illusion.

But in this player’s Nibelheim flashback, Cloud went to Tifa’s room but did the bare minimum. Didn’t say “yes” to anything or even see Cloud’s mom. So Cloud only makes statement 2.

With this easily-missed callback, it proves that Cloud himself recognizes the purpose and utility of Tifa’s questioning back at Kalm, and emphasizes how Tifa interrogated Cloud during the Kalm flashback to try and find incontrovertible proof of his presence on that day.

Final thoughts:

>> Tifa’s final question. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Tifa’s final question at Kalm. After Barret leaves the room, Tifa speaks up one more time:

Tifa: …… Cloud…? How bad was I when Sephiroth cut me? Cloud: I thought you were a goner. …I was really sad. Tifa: ……

There are four ways to interpret this exchange:

The first is how a first-time player would experience it: it’s an exchange which both builds Cloud up as a reliable narrator and suggests that Cloud was relatively indifferent towards Tifa. (Seasoned players will recognize why this moment is played down this way: to build up the shock of the Lifestream reveal, where we learn Cloud isn’t a reliable narrator and that he was deeply affected by Tifa’s injury because he revolves around her.)

The second interpretation is that Tifa’s asking Cloud one more question to confirm if he not only was in her room, but also in the reactor that day–in case you missed visiting Tifa’s house, it’s one last factfinding mission to prove that Cloud was truly there.

The third interpretation is that Cloud’s confidence and accuracy during the flashback leads Tifa to doubt herself; she wonders if the severity of her injuries may be the reason why she misremembers the day’s events. This question alludes to her uncertainty; perhaps she’s performing some factfinding for herself by comparing more of her recollections to his.

The fourth interpretation is that Tifa always knew how badly she was injured, but this is the very first time she learns that Cloud was there when she was injured. Tifa hoped that Cloud would be emotionally impacted by her injury (due to the Promise), which is why she prompts him about it. Unfortunately, his indifferent response is very disappointing. (This could be another reason why her reaction to this moment in the Lifestream is so pronounced and why she brings up the Promise.)

While I think interpretation #1 is definitely what the devs want first-time players to get out of this conversation, I’m not sure if seasoned players are supposed to take #2, #3, #4, or something else away from it. I’ll leave that to you! I hope Remake (or a future Ultimania) gives us some greater clarity here.

>> PS: Undies. Tifa’s not really mad about the underwear–note how her response isn’t something like, “I can’t believe you invaded my privacy like that!” but it’s actually, “Cloud!!! […] …Cloud. We’re talking about something really important here.” Tifa is exasperated that Cloud’s talking about some inane pervy bullshit while she’s TRYING to figure out what’s wrong with him. Come the fuck on, Cloud, a little seriousness here!!

>> PPS: Undies, round 2. Cloud really DID look through her underwear drawer. He wasn’t kidding, because he legitimately uses that fact to prove his existence at Northern Crater. (“I looked in the drawers!”) “I simp for Tifa, therefore I am.” Oh Cloud.

This is absolutely the BEST GS date analysis I've ever seen, thank you for this great post!

Interrupted by Fireworks: the illusion over darker realities

Players love the dates for many reasons: it’s the culmination of their hard work with the affection mechanic, a silly interlude after hours of tension, an opportunity to bond with their character of choice. A sweet moment in time isolated from the heavier themes of the game.

But what if I told you that Tifa and Aerith’s dates are not just cute little flashes of fan service? That both dates are part of a broader arc highlighting how the girls recognize, confront, and decide to react to the reality of Cloud’s mental issues? 

And what if I told you that “Interrupted by Fireworks” is not just the pretty Big Date song? That “Interrupted by Fireworks” serves as an important tool in threading this arc together and setting our romantic expectations stupidly high so they can be cruelly subverted later?

Well wonder no more, as that’s what we’ll be discussing today! Cut for an image-heavy, script-heavy post.

Continua a leggere

Tifa’s journey and resolve

As we’ve previously discussed, when Tifa first discovered Cloud at the train station, she found herself faced with a dilemma: she could heedlessly tell Cloud what she knows and risk losing him physically or mentally; or she could build up her resolve and wait for the opportune moment to tell him, hoping that with proper timing, she’d be able to tell him without losing him. Tifa chooses the latter.

Tifa wrestles with her secret across Midgar, Kalm, Gongaga, and Cosmo Canyon, but her worries finally push her over the edge at Gold Saucer’s Ghost Hotel. While Red XIII worries that he may go mad, Tifa is the only one who realizes that this is likely what is happening to Cloud; that Cloud may very well be going mad already. In her fear, Tifa snaps:

Red XIII: Cloud… I’m number 13. Am I going to go mad too?

Tifa: I don’t know what Hojo did to you, but you’ve been all right so far, right?

Red XIII: But…

Tifa: Be strong.

Red XIII: But, I…

Tifa: Stop it, Red XIII! Be strong!

Cloud: Tifa?

Tifa: You’re not the only one who’s worried!

(Source)

This uncharacteristic outburst convinces her. She has to talk to Cloud–and if she can’t find the opportune moment, she’ll make one.

So… she asks Cloud out on a date.

And the opportune moment reveals itself on the gondola:

Tifa: Ok, I’m going to just go ahead and say it…

Cloud: …what?

Tifa: Aeris would be able to just come out and say it, probably. Cloud… Sometimes being old friends is hard. I mean, timing is everything.

Cloud: Yeah…

Tifa: Cloud…? I……

Tifa: ………………….

(Source)

The gondola script looks like an attempted romantic confession–but much like everything else pre-Lifestream, looks can be deceiving. Given Tifa’s earlier emotional outburst, it’s far likelier that her words are hinting at her worries. But regardless of the interpretation, as “Interrupted by Fireworks” swells in the background, Tifa can only think of one thing: “I need to tell him.” Be it her doubts or her affections, could it be that now is finally the right time?

Surrounded by the flash and glitter of the Gold Saucer, Tifa hesitates… and before she knows it, the ride is over. Tifa lacks the confidence and resolve to be open with Cloud, and she allows the opportune moment to slip through her fingers.

Like Tifa said, timing is everything, and she never gets an opportunity like this again. As soon as they get off the gondola, Cait Sith’s actions set off a rapid-fire chain of events that culminates at the Norther Crater.

And suddenly, all of Tifa’s worst fears are realized. She loses Cloud mentally. She loses Cloud physically. He is gone. All of her careful, calculated efforts were for naught. Tifa is left bereft and depressed.

Which brings us to Mideel:

Tifa: What’s the matter? Are you all alone?

(dog whimpers)

Tifa: You got lost didn’t you? Separated from someone you love? Silly thing…

(Source)

This moment is huge for Tifa. This is the first time she is able to articulate, even indirectly, any of the thoughts locked away in her heart. Between Northern Crater and this moment, Tifa has changed.

And just in time. Tifa learns that Cloud may be alive and near. Filled with hope, “Interrupted by Fireworks” swells in the background and harks back to that moment on the gondola, when Tifa could only think of one thing: “I need to tell him.” And this time, Tifa is not going to let the moment slip through her fingers.

Final thoughts:

This makes Cloud’s clone status all the more heartbreaking. Just when Tifa thinks that Cloud is safe and she can finally make up for missed opportunities, Cloud is not ready to hear her. Once again she’s lost her chance and she’s lost Cloud. We all know Remake is going to rip our hearts out with this scene.

Damn this doctor is extra af, way to twist the knife (and explain why Tifa stays with Cloud):

“Timing is everything.” Tifa is right–from Cait Sith’s treachery through to Cloud’s clone violence, Tifa never gets the chance to talk to Cloud in private. By the time Cloud wakes up at the Gongaga Inn, his ego is at the brink of collapsing into full Sephiroth Copy mode–and if he got even a hint that Tifa doubts him, his ego would simply collapse sooner, same as it does later at Northern Crater. Tifa senses this, and hopes that fake confidence in Cloud will tide him over. This is also why she asks to stay in the party when the group goes to take on Sephiroth–she wants to keep an eye on him and support him, not just “settle things with Sephiroth.”

“Timing is everything,” reemphasized. Through the Lifestream sequence, we realize that even if Tifa had opened up to Cloud earlier, nothing would have changed–Cloud wasn’t ready to face his own flaws and work resolutely towards the truth with no reservations. The right time really is after Northern Crater and in the Lifestream. 

In an upcoming (mostly written!) post I’ll talk more about how “Interrupted by Fireworks” is actually a clever device to subvert our expectations… for both girls. There’s a lot of interesting symmetry that makes the divergences even more striking.

Special shoutout to @janeiteoftheslums​ who pointed out a detail I missed in the first (extremely short-lived!!) version of this post. Thank you so much! Everyone, if you’re craving some cloti goodness, head on over and read some of her fics.

“I promise”

The importance of the “promise” through FFVII compilation

For many years part of FF7 fans stated that the promise shared between Cloud and Tifa before he left to join SOLDIER was “not so relevant” or that Tifa “pushed the promise on Cloud against his own will”. Basically it was passed off as a plot device whose only narrative purpose was to convince Cloud to join Avalanche. I think this kind of statements were faulty from the very beginning. If each one of us can have their own interpretation of a specific scene of the OG, due to the stylized graphics and the lack of voice acting, the reiterated prensence of this scene from the start to the end of the game should have been enough to appreciate its importance. 

The aim of this article is to go over the compilation to try to understand if the promise was really just presented as a plot device or if we can safely assume it has a deeper and wider meaning in the narrative context of the story.

Tifa: Hey, why don't we make a promise? Umm, if you get really famous and I'm ever in a bind......You come save me, all right?

Cloud: What?

Tifa: Whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me. I want to at least experience that once.

Cloud: What?

Tifa: Come on--! Promise me----!

Cloud: All right......I promise.

1997: Final Fantasy VII

In the original FF7 the promise was brought up by Tifa after the first bombing mission in order to convince Cloud not to leave Sector 7 and join Avalanche. After remembering the promise Cloud behaved dismissively, but nonetheless he agreeed to join the next mission. 

During the flashback in Kalm, Cloud recalled Tifa mentioning the promise when he found her in the reactor (it’s important to point out that during the flashback Cloud’s mind is still highly messed up and that it’s a mix of his own memories, Tifa’s memories and Zack’s stories. Cloud still can’t contextualize what he “remembers” but it’s relevant to notice that even in this state of confusion Tifa’s words are stuck in his mind).

The memory of the promise is one of the three sections of Cloud’s subconscious during the Lifestream sequence.

When Cloud finally remembers the truth about his past, Tifa realizes that he really kept his promise.

During the high affection scene under the Highwind Cloud finally renews his promise to Tifa.

2004: Before Crisis

The Player Turk meets Tifa on 21st September 0002 on Mt Nibel and asks her to be the guide for the SOLDIERs sent to check Nibelheim Mako reactor. Tifa asks if he/she knows Cloud and talks about the promise they shared two years before (video).

The Player Turk meets Cloud twice:

On 0001/6/28 Cloud takes part to a mission to protect a Shinra scientist from Avalanche and he ends up fighting alongside the Player Turk. If he dies these are his last words (video):

When Cloud comes to know that Tifa will be their guide to Mt Nibel, he asks to the Player Turk not to tell her that he's in town because he's ashamed of his failure (video). 

A shot of Cloud and Tifa at the water tower appears in both scenes:

2005: Last Order

Last Order is an OVA based on the events of Nibelheim incident and the escape of Zack and Cloud from Shinra's army. 

When Tifa gets injured she wishes Cloud could be there (video) (she says more or less the same lines Cloud “remembered” in OG Kalm flashback [see above]). Contrary to the other prequels, when Cloud finally arrives Tifa sees him and she thanks him for fulfilling the promise (video) (same dialogue they share in OG Lifestream sequence when they find out the truth).

2007: Crisis Core

Tifa sends an e-mail to Zack where she mentions the promise:

Sephiroth—I don't get him at all. Is everyone in SOLDIER like him? Oh, and are there any blond guys in SOLDIER? Well, it's just a dream...Any girl would love to have a blond SOLDIER guy protect her when she's in a pinch. Well, it's no good just waiting for my blond knight in shining armor to show up, so I've started learning how to fight, myself. My teacher tells me I've got a knack for it.

I almost forgot. Please don't tell anyone in SOLDIER that I asked about the blond guy. Okay?

In one of the DMW flashbacks regarding Cloud, Zack finds him staring at the water tower "thinking about the past" (video)

A parallel: Zack promises Aerith to go back to her in Midgar, under Nibelheim water tower where Cloud and Tifa shared their promise two years before (video). In my opinion this parallel reinforces the idea that the first reason Tifa asked Cloud to share a promise was to meet him again.

* I think also On the way to a smile and consequently Advent Children subtly refer to the promise but it’s less evident so I’ll leave it for another post.

2020: FFVII Remake

Like in the OG also in the Remake there’s the flashback of the promise. The devs fixed the old OG misconception - Cloud remembers it on his own - so that it is impossible to state now that Tifa forced it on Cloud. Cloud is also the first one to bring up the matter telling Tifa that he won’t leave Sector 7 because he wants to help her. 

Finally, the promise is referenced again in Wall Market. At the Karaoke Bar there’s a singer, Akila, whose career started 7 years before (when Cloud and Tifa shared the promise) and he hopes his new song, Midgar Blues, will be his greatest success. The song talks about a man who left his loved one to go to Midgar, and he recalls staring at the stars with her (song). I already wrote a post about this song.

In conclusion, I think that not only the original game but the whole compilation made sure the audience could percieve the fundamental importance of the promise, not just as a plot device but as the motive force that led Cloud to become a hero. 

Great post!

I guess the problem and the cause of all these (convenient) misinterpretations is indeed her persistent presence in the compilation. Or better, all the characters are present in more or less all the entries but she is the only character who is always shown indissolubly linked to Cloud. Which is what bothers part of the fandom.

If her physical presence can't be ignored, the only other way to make her "unharmful" is to try to diminish her relevance in the story.

But is there a greater proof of her importance than the fact itself that fans need to spend so much energy in twisting her role to make her seem an ininfluent or even a villainous character?

So the Lifestream sequence becomes unimportant, she's irrelevant, she's bully, she's insensitive, she's just fancervice, she gets rejected, she's a rebound, she lacks a character arc...let alone Case of Tifa and Advent Children... She is just there watching the other characters playing their roles.

The question is: does it ever work?

Because whenever the fandom spent too much effort spreading misinterpretations SE took advantage of the following entries to debunk them. Remake is no exception.

And it's just part 1.

Tifa is important to the FF7 story (OG and Remake) straight up due to her abundant, consistent involvement in the story—you know, the actual events of what is being written. She has more than this, but that’s the most basic level that a character can be important to a story….by simply being a prime force within it. Get out of here with anything even less than this as this understanding shouldn’t be skipped over.

“Being Important” in storytelling is something I think people perceive very weirdly in fandom for characters. Importance can be judged on different levels, but the level of that for characters should be looked at on the level of story involvement first and foremost.

Any character that is one of the protagonists, a part of your party, and literally is involved and thus affects and interacts with all story beats—something so basic needs to be understood as important. Tifa is one of the heroes, she’s on the journey from the beginning and continues throughout…you can’t get any more straight forward than this for the story. Describing it as “just being there” or “occupying space” is just stupid, I won’t sugarcoat that honestly. And the interaction she has in the story obviously goes beyond that of just “Cloud’s love interest”. She’s not just standing around, T-posing in the background while being that, and it’s a gross view of how that information is even expressed in the story itself. Any good writer that has a character interacting so much with the story [actual events] is bound to have them interacting with plot [the “what”/overall story event chain that sets the “what”] , if not the overall narrative [”how and why”/purpose of plot and structure], eventually. That’s not always the case, at least directly anyway, but even in those cases it can be examined on a micro level. But even if it doesn’t track to the line of narrative, this won’t stop them from having an involvement with story and plot if they’re included all the way through these things.

Now granted, especially in an extended series, there can be a difference between being an “important character” and being “important to a story”. Both Tifa and Cloud aren’t the primary characters in Dirge of Cerberus or Before Crisis, but obviously they still remain to be important to FF7 (OG and Remake), AC, or even Crisis Core as their roles there interact directly with key plot points for FF7. So like, still, “Tifa isn’t an important character” doesn’t stand to be a thought from a knowledgeable mind of the series.

During the dates with Aerith, Tifa or Yuffie at Gold Saucer, Cloud is involved in a theatre play.

It's a very simple and innocent tale where the player has multiple choices. Leaving aside the jokes, the story is about an Evil Dragon King who arrives in a peaceful kingdom, kidnaps the princess and takes her on the peak of a dangerous mountain. The hero goes to rescue her and can ask for the help of a knight or a wizard: if he asks the knight to intervene he's knocked down immediately, while the wizard says that love is the key to defeat the dragon. At the end of the play the dragon is defeated by the power of love.

It's only a fairy tale but...

Nibelheim was a peaceful town before the arrival of Sephiroth. In the area there are several dragons and Sephiroth burns down the whole town. Tifa, the daughter of the village chief, follows him in the reactor on Mt Nibel. Zack tries to fight Sephiroth and he's knocked down, but when Cloud arrives and sees Tifa unconscious, he finds the strenght to stab Sephiroth.

...

What a coincidence.

“I thought you would never come”

Over the course of the game, OG FFVII plays with the mystery of Cloud and Tifa’s childhood relationship. We’re primed to think that while they may have known each other as children, there was nothing particularly noteworthy or significant about their childhood together. The framing of the Promise is a great example of this.

The first time Cloud mentions the Promise is in Midgar, when he still thinks he’s an Ex-SOLDIER. When they recount the the story together, Ex-SOLDIER Cloud says he thought Tifa would never come.

Ex-SOLDIER Cloud: I thought you would never come, and I was getting a little cold.

We assume Cloud thinks this way because Cloud was like any other boy with an adolescent crush on a girl. Just an average boy being relatably nervous about an average girl. While the story of the Promise is cute, it’s only notable in that it seems to remind Cloud of their seemingly tenuous connection (or if the player is feeling uncharitable, it seems to force an obligation between the two).

Midway through the Lifestream, we discover why Cloud thought Tifa would never come: he thought Tifa hated him.

True Cloud: That night I called Tifa out to the well… I thought to myself Tifa would never come… that she hated me.

This twist changes how we perceive Cloud and Tifa’s relationship. In the first half of this memory, Cloud reveals that he had never been inside Tifa’s room, and we learn that the two “weren’t THAT close.” (There is also the regrettable mistranslation: where the line “I really wanted to play with everyone, but I was never allowed into the group” should have been translated to something like “I really wanted to play with everyone, but I could never bring myself to ask.”) This reveal in conjunction with the line “she hated me” makes us question the true nature of their relationship. Was Tifa a stereotypical popular girl and was Cloud an outcast? Did Cloud think he’d get stood up because Tifa, in a moment of childhood cruelty, arbitrarily considered Cloud to be beneath her?

While this is certainly a dramatic twist, it still paints a relatively mundane relationship. Sure, it might suggest that Tifa might have been unkind as a child, but this isn’t particularly unusual childhood dynamic. (Even if it is a regrettable one.)

But finally, we learn why Cloud thought Tifa hated him and why she might not have met him at the well…

True Cloud:  Tifa was in a coma for seven days. We all thought she wouldn’t make it. If only I could’ve saved her… I was so angry… Angry at myself for my weakness. Ever since then, I felt Tifa blamed me…

We learn that Cloud wasn’t afraid that Tifa hated him for an arbitrary, superficial reason. Cloud’s true fear was that Tifa would want nothing to do with him because she held him responsible for her near-fatal fall at Mt. Nibel. (And of course, we later learn that this is unequivocally false–Tifa never blamed him for this incident.)

With this final reveal, we learn how significant their childhood relationship truly was. 

On Cloud’s part, we learn how deeply he cared for Tifa–so deeply that his failure to save her makes a lasting impression on him. Cloud’s failure to save Tifa weighs so heavily on his mind that even five years later on the night of the Promise, Cloud worries that she might not show up. On top of that, this failure weighs so heavily on his mind that Cloud decides to become a SOLDIER so he can be strong enough to win her notice. Cloud’s failure to save Tifa is the reason why Cloud is the way he is–both his true self and his ex-SOLDIER persona. 

On Tifa’s part, we learn that she wasn’t a superficial girl who was arbitrarily unkind to Cloud. She herself was acting in good faith, and her lateness to the well was not out of cruelty. While they may not have been “THAT close,” Tifa still cared enough to get dressed up and go out to the well to meet Cloud. This speaks to how Tifa held Cloud in her esteem and never held ill will towards him.

And yes, this last part is confirmed:

As a small boy, he didn’t get along with others apart from Tifa. So when Tifa’s mother died and three of her friends decided to take her up the mountains where the dead were believed to go, Cloud wasn’t invited. But even so, Cloud secretly went after them wanting to cheer Tifa up. –Cloud profile AC prologue.

(Source: this excellent post) 

(Yes, poor Cloud really went through the better part of a decade thinking he lost the only person who treated him with kindness because he failed her….)

So through the context of the Promise, we slowly learn how important Tifa has always been to Cloud–and the answer is, she is really, REALLY important. But if you miss that final twist that ties in Mt. Nibel, then you miss this bigger story that the context of the Promise tells us.

What about Remake?

Interestingly, Remake removed the setup for the mystery of Cloud and Tifa’s relationship. Ex-SOLDIER Cloud remembers the Promise on his own, and doesn’t comment on Tifa’s lateness at all! The player is given no reason to doubt Tifa’s good intentions towards Cloud, and thus no reason to doubt their importance to one another as children.

In a game that nails the small callbacks, this is would be a massive oversight… meaning that it’s not an oversight, but an intentional change. This seems to be yet another example of Remake clarifying Cloud and Tifa’s relationship, be it by removing OG’s red herrings or removing the ambiguous moments that generated confusion in the first place.

Talk about a coincidence!

(Previous post here)

Midgar Blues

It has been said and repeated to death: there's a song dedicated to the "promise" in the Remake, and this should be enough to claim the "coincidence" post and end it here with a good link to enjoy the song.

But this song received some criticisms, so I'd like to talk a bit more about it.

1. "There is no evidence that this song is about Cloud and Tifa" and "It's just a random song in Wall Market without specifical meaning".

I saw some people trying to debate about this matter so, here we are.

The text perfectly describes the scene of the promise and Cloud leaving Nibelheim to join SOLDIER. It talks about a man/boy who left his hometown for Midgar, leaving behind a girl. There's a reference to the Lifestream and to the starry night with falling stars. The lyrics - both English and Japanese - are posted below.

This song has old-time/banjo&harmonica sounds that fit the "old west" atmosphere of Nibelheim.

The "author" of the song says he had started his career 7 years ago, when Cloud and Tifa shared the promise, and he's wondering if "Midgar Blues" will be his greatest success. Get the metaphor.

From a storytelling perspective this is NOT a coincidence: no reasonable company invests money and resources to create this sort of content without a reason (and no reasonable company invests money and resources in a song submissively sang in a hidden location of the game, probably this piece will have more focus and importance in the next parts of Remake when the promise will be brought up again - who knows, maybe at Gold Saucer?).

2. The original Japanese lyrics are different from the English translation (hence: it's not about love)

(Source)

The English version is undoubtly romantic and includes the words "True love", while the Japanese version doesn't. I'd like to point out a couple of considerations:

Whether you take the English version or the Japanese one, they're both romantic. It really doesn't seem to me that the original version sounds like a man singing for his sister or his mother. The romantic subtext is in both songs, and it's no wonder: the fact that Cloud was in love with Tifa at the time of the promise is history, more likely the addition of the "True love" part could be made in order to convince the most relunctant part of the western fandom about this subject.

This is a "Enka" song, a popular Japanese music genre that bears some resemblance with blues (for this reason, "Midgar Blues"). This genre is a form of sentimental ballad: enka songs usually express strong emotions, especially love.

This is more a personal opinion about localization from the perspective of someone who's not a native english speaker. I've read many harsh comments about the English localization of the Remake. Especially when it comes to LTD I've seen people from both sides of the fence complaining the translators to be biased CA or CT fans. Fact is that if the complain comes from both sides probably they're not the first nor the second, they're just...translators. I'm not a translator but I speak many languages and it happenes to me to watch and rewatch movies both in English and in my native language. You'll never find a literal word-by-word translation, ESPECIALLY when it comes to songs. Because it wouldn't work. A good localization has to follow the pace of the lip-sync, has to create rhythm, rhymes and lyricism when it comes to poems and songs, it has to convey the right feeling before the right word, it has to take into account the cultural differences from the country of origin of the movie/song and the receiving audience (in this case Japanese people tend to be more descreet and less explicit than western people when talking about love), and much more. With this I'm not saying everyting in the localization is perfect, I don't speak a word of Japanese so I can't make a comparison myself, but just remember that the devs DO speak English. They speak it well enough to notice the difference between the two texts of the song and if they authorized it (I doubt nobody bothered to double check the international scripts of one of the most important products of this company)...it just means that they agree.

In conclusion, yes, it's a love song about the promise and no, it's NOT a coincidence.

Why Tifa is the only person, living or dead, who can resolve Cloud’s crisis

Alternate title: “What really happened in the Lifestream”

Of course the Lifestream scene has been discussed to death within the fandom. While some consider it one of the greatest triumphs of the Cloud/Tifa relationship and the game in general, others are quick to diminish its events and Tifa’s role. “Oh, any other childhood friend character who knew Cloud could do the job.” “Oh, Cloud only needed Tifa as moral support, he could have figured everything out himself.” “Oh, Aerith (maybe +Zack) could have done it by accessing her Cetra/time machine/empath/Planet powers.”

The Lifestream sequence is extraordinarily dense with many subtle visual cues, so there’s a lot to untangle and interpret. But no matter how you slice it, any take which downplays or eliminates Tifa is fundamentally missing the point of this scene, both for the plot and for Cloud’s character arc.

A lot of the confusion stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of what actually needs to happen in the Lifestream and why. Thus, using specific details from the sequence, I’d like to present my take on the following:

Part 1: What Cloud needs to accomplish in the Lifestream to advance the plot

Part 2: Why Tifa is the only person, living or dead, who can resolve Cloud’s crisis, where we will discuss fun things such as:

Why Tifa is the the focus of his greatest flaw

What Tifa’s presence in the Lifestream accomplishes

Part 3: Why those “Tifa-less” fan theories just can’t work

This is a very long ride so let’s get to it!

Continua a leggere

Talk about a coincidence!

(Previous post here)

Aerith's key art

Since the release of the original FF7 each main character's had a dedicated key art.

They mostly remained unaltered in the Remake because their symbolism applies to both entries, while Aerith and Yuffie's changed in order to fit the themes of this new installment.

In the first picture Aerith was looking at the Highwind, but in the new one the airship's disappeared...why?

In the OG she wished she could fly on the Highwind one day. Probably this key art was meant to give to the player the illusion she could fulfill her dream and continue the adventure with her companions, in order to make more painful and unexpected her destiny.

I think her Remake key art has a totally different meaning. The central point of this picture is not the absence of the airship but the fact that she's staring at the blue sky:

The last line of the Remake makes more sense in Japanese

The sky, I hate it.

It links up better with the scene of Crisis Core where she perceived Zack's death while it started raining.

But maybe this time there's a chance...

This new picture has also a parallel with Tifa's key art: both staring at the sky, both relating it to a special person❤️

What a nice coincidence!

Cloud’s flashback in Kalm:

Cloud recalls the days before Nibelheim incident. 

Real-Cloud (the Shinra infantryman) patrols Nibelheim square and continuously stops to stare at the water tower and Tifa’s house. 

Since 1997.

Just saying.

Talk about a coincidence!

(Previous post here)

Aerith and Tifa parallel 

Eyes are the window to the soul

Cloud has the so-called Mako-Eyes, due to Mako infusion treatment. This is normally a distinctive mark of SOLDIERS and during the game many characters notice them: President Shinra, Reno, Rude, Elmyra...

Aerith

Aerith commenting about Cloud’s eyes was an important plot point of the OG as it was the first hint about her connection with Zack.

This dialogue takes place when they escape from the church across the rooftops of Sector 5 slums.

The devs decided to change this scene for the Remake and replace it with one that recreates step by step a romantic moment between Aerith and Zack from Crisis Core (for those who don’t know what I’m talking about, 0:13).

When Cloud and Aerith arrive in Evergreen Park, a place that's special for her, she starts talking about Zack and her cheerfulness fades away for the first time.

Zack’s name causes Cloud one of his migraine attacks. When he opens his eyes again she comments about their beauty and when he points out that’s because of the Mako she just sais “...I know”.

Tifa

In Chapter 3 Johnny is arrested by Shinra Public Security and Cloud and Tifa have to intervene to make sure he doesn’t talk about Avalanche. Cloud seems to have no hesitation to kill Johnny but Tifa stops him. 

This is the first time during the game where she openly states how much he’s changed and, coincidentally, she does it commenting about his eyes. Of course she’s not talking about their color. Here too he answers in a similar way, saying it's because of the Mako, to which she replies “I remember...”.

---

To sum up

Aerith:

likes SOLDIER eyes

because they remind her of Zack, the guy she loved.

She gets sad because she misses Zack.

In Crisis Core Mako eyes were described as “color of the sky - but not scary at all”.

Tifa: 

doesn’t like SOLDIER eyes

because they are different from those of the guy she had a crush on.

She gets sad because she misses the Cloud of 7 years ago.

The camera focuses on his eyes while she says that he’s scaring her.

...

WAIT! 

The devs can’t be saying that SOLDIER-Cloud is NOT real-Cloud, that Aerith likes his Zack-side and that real-Cloud doesn’t use to cut civilians in half with a massive sword...

... Right?!

What an unexpected & unexplainable coincidence!

Talk about a coincidence!

(Find the previous post here)

Tiny beautiful details: little CloTi hint

Final Fantasy universes are populated by all kind of fantastic creatures and monsters, like Moogles, Chocobos, Bahamuts, etc..

Cloud has always been compared to Chocobos by fans because of his hairstyle. In the OG Tifa points out this resemblance.

In Chapter 9 of the Remake Chocobo Sam compares Tifa to a Bomb. The name of the side quest is A dynamite body so we can guess the reason of his comment.

Interestingly enough, in the OG Tifa compares Cloud to a Chocobo when the group finds the bird’s nest on the way to Mt Corel, and the “Bombs” could be fought for the first time on the bridge in Mt. Corel.

---

The following picture is Tifa’s key art for Final Fantasy VII Remake. She is wearing her default weapon, the Leather Gloves. Their description is: Well-worn leather gloves that have seen their fair share of fights. It implies that she’s had them for a long time.

...Now let’s take a closer look at her bracelets

Do I need to add anything else?

EDIT:

Sure I do!!! In Chapter 10, when Aerith and Tifa talk about going shopping together, Aerith sais Cloud will be their pack-Chocobo!

...What a coincidence!

Thank you for the tag!

Now I’m even more convinced that they were meant to be a pair. 

Before writing the post I checked a list of OG accessories to see if there was anything similar to the “Crescent Moon Charm”. I noticed the “Earrings” and the small moons inside them, however I didn’t mention them in my post because I’m convinced they have nothing to do with the “Charm”.

“Earrings” recur in other FF entries and they are always used to increase Magic. In the specific case of the original FFVII, the stat is MAGIC +10.

The “Earrings” accessories in FFVII Remake have the same use: “Earrings” boost Magic by 5%, “Platinum Earrings” by 10%. The design changed a little but they still include the shape of a moon and the curled metal pattern. 

The “Crescent Moon Charm” has a totally different use, it reduces damage taken when equipped by non-active characters. It has nothing to do with magic. And there was no other accessory in the OG with similar use. 

The charm was created after Tifa’s earring of the OG, with a new use and, yes, probably it was meant to play a role in the scene between Tifa and Marle. I really hope said deleted scene will be in the Intergrade. From the trailer it seems it’s going to fill that annoying hole between the scene where Tifa and Barret escape from the Reactor and the one where Tifa goes to Wall Market.

Naysayers should understand that coincidences don’t exist in fiction. Fiction tries to recreate reality, but it’s NOT reality. If something in fiction seems to be an odd coincidence then it’s not a coincidence at all. 

If designers spent time and energies to create a brand new charm, make it identical to Tifa’s earring, describe it in a way that refers to the concept of love and relate it with the idea of protection - that’s the leading theme of Cloud and Tifa’s arc - IT’S NOT CASUAL. 

It’s such a nice and meaningful detail!

It’s not a coincidence, they’re definitely from the same pair

(the Crescent Moon Charm earrings, that is)

It’s not new to #clotination that the Crescent Moon Charm from FFVIIR is the same as the earring from Tifa’s mature dress and her OG dress, and they’re likely from the same pair because it’s just too perfect to be a coincidence. See: this Tweet, this recent, highly-recommended Tumblr post by @skystarsflowers , and this shameless self-promotion reblog from last year with the OG concept art.

I’ve seen some naysayers try to wave it away by saying that because there are three Crescent Moon Charms in the game (Marle’s gift, Tifa’s outfit, and the Whack a Box prize), “it’s not like it’s meant to be an earring or something, it’s probably just a normal in-world item and it’s just a coincidence that Tifa decided to wear it as an earring.” Weak, I know.

However, the side by side comparison of the inventory image vs. Tifa’s earring helped me notice something: they are absolutely earrings and they absolutely make a perfect pair.

(Source: the aforementioned Tweet)

Continua a leggere

Talk about a coincidence!

Crisis Core and Advent Children References

Second post about CloTi and ZeriTh hints in FFVII Remake!

Find the previous post here.

THE PERFECT OUTFIT

Be sure to pick an outfit that goes with mine, okay?

Leave it to me, Tifa!  😂

In order to sneak in Don Corneo’s palace, Aerith and Tifa wear nice elegant dresses, and Cloud has to disguise himself as a lady. It’s interesting how Cloud and Tifa’s outfits can match in colors, fabrics and details:

These are the OG canon outfits. To get this combination the player has to choose the Mature dress for Tifa in Chapter 3, and complete Chocobo Sam odd jobs in Chapter 9. The odd jobs depend on the answers given at Wall Market: if the player prefers Tifa probably Cloud will get this dress. The CANON dress. 

To get the satin outfits the player has to choose the Sporty dress for Tifa in Chapter 3, and complete Madam M odd jobs in Chapter 9. Same logic: if the player prefers Aerith, probably this will be Cloud’s dress.

For this last combination the player has to choose the Exotic dress for Tifa in Chapter 3, and skip the sidequests in Chapter 9.

It reminded me how Cloud and Tifa’s outfits perfectly match also in Adven Children.

The choice of Aerith’s dress depends on how many Odd Jobs in Chapter 8 were completed:

6 sidequests: red dress

3-5 sidequests: long pink dress

0-2 sidequests: short pink dress

They don’t match with Cloud or Tifa’s, but her two new dresses are pink and also the train of the OG red dress has a lighter shade...

Do you remember the promise she shared with Zack in Crisis Core?

(Yes, I edited the picture. No I didn’t alter the meaning. Link for the whole scene).

These details are AMAZING 💗

What a coincidence!

Final Fantasy 7 Original VS Remake - Key art

Talk about a coincidence!

Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII Remake Parallels

A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION

Crisis Core:

During their first encounter, Zack and Aerith spend some time together at the market, but a kid steals Zack’s wallet. Local people and shopkeepers are reluctant to help him find the kid, but in the end the Accessory seller apologizes with Zack for having misjudged him...

Clerk: Hey, Aren't you...You are! The guy who was chasing that kid around! I heard about you from the neighborhood folks. I thought you were just some dumb outsider, but it turns out you're a pretty good guy. I'm sorry we misjudged you, this is just a small token of our appreciation.

...and he gives him some items (best reward consist in: 1 Soma, 1 Hi-Potion and 1 Remedy). Then Zack buys the pink ribbon for Aerith.

Remake: 

In Chapter 3 Tifa and Cloud go around the slums of Sector 7 to change water filters and collect money (Water filters - Water tower...am I overthinking? Anyway). At the end of the side quests they head back to Stargazer Heights (that water tower again!) and have a conversation with Marle. At first Marle is rather prejudiced against Cloud, but she seems to change her mind when she sees Tifa happy after spending some time with him:

Marle: Take care you two! ...Oh? You're looking pretty chipper!

Tifa: Uh...I don't feel that different.

Marle: Must be my imagination then. Anyway! Keep your wits about you, merc! A token of my appreciation. Be good to her.

At the end of the conversation she gives him a Crescent Moon Charm. This accessory is used to reduce damage when equipped by non-active characters (so from the perspective of Cloud, he can use it to protect the others).

The description of this charm is VERY interesting...

A charm imbued with the fervent desire to be by one’s side for eternity.

And...it is identical to the earring Tifa wears with her default dress at Wall Market!  🌙

Or better: the moon earring already existed in the OG as it was part of Tifa’s outfit to see Don Corneo. The devs created this new accessory and shaped it exactly like her earring, giving it a new significance since it represents a connection between Cloud and Tifa. 

The same exact thing that happened in Crisis Core with Aerith’s ribbon! 🎀

What a coincidence!   

Good ol’ Stargazer Heights ✨

Graphics enhancement, 23 years later!

Parallels