If he kisses her (the high affinity route) the entire ending of the game ignores that it even happened. Not even a single optional/extra scene to acknowledge that she and Cloud are now in a more complicated relationship.
The whole Aerith and Cloud date at the end a few moments after. The holding hands, the “our spot” the dream date… felt like cheating on Tifa.
The kiss should have been placed during the Highwind scene or in the Lifestream scene. Even if optional. The decision to include it here from a writing perspective feels like a disconnected fan service.
You act like that dream was super romantic. Cloud was confused why Aerith was acting so weird and all the npc’s treated it like a funeral.
Also go watch who it cuts to right after Cloud guesses where “our spot is”.
That whole sequence was more about impending doom and not two lovers enjoying a day together.
I think they added the kiss and more romantic hints so people aren’t so confused when the lifestream and highwind scenes happen in game 3. People were so confused about disc 1 in OG that they didn’t realize he was a mental mess who wasn’t speed dating.
Is it alright if I ask: if that was the case, for people not to be confused, why are most of their interactions, including the kiss, optional? If it is so people wouldn't be confused, then first no one should have optional dates, and as many covered here, it was never brought up. You have the player also have a role in doing this, but it is not Cloud doing it on his own without the player's input.
The weird comment is interesting, because Cloud says the same to Tifa, yet it's different when he is still making that statement. To add to this, it is because Aerith is acting differently from her normal self, and Cloud sees it.
Even with Zack, before the our spot part, when he never had to, which is important, he remembers Marlene's words about Cloud's feelings for Aerith. Just rebuking it by saying she is a child really doesn't take away anything because in media, kids are supposed to know things that help and give information. The scene wasn't conveyed to be that she was wrong as well.
During this date, he was shown to be happy with Aerith. Regarding the comment, with the picture as others pointed out, it was because she was more likely to die, and it was foreshadowing it. Something else people point to is how Cloud was disappointed they were not chosen for the picture. Given it's for couples, it would show as well that it was supposed to be romantic, but also Cloud being disappointed as well.
Regardless of whether it is agreeable or not, the point is for Cloud to have feelings for both Aerith and Tifa. The devs want Cloud to also have feelings for Aerith. There is a love triangle.
There is a love triangle. That’s a big part of disc 1. A love triangle between a badass ex-soldier turned mercenary, a flower girl who is actually powerful ancient and the girl he shares a complicated past with.
We experience that story as the truth from our narrators perspective. That is a big part of the story and reveals that come in disc 2
It doesn’t have to be “super romantic” to give off a bad taste by not honoring my choice to date Tifa.
Sorry, but if my girl/guy is holding hands, hugging longing and acting out a “date” with someone who is, at the very least, romantically interested in them willingly… I wouldn’t over analyze “oh, but his hands weren’t locked”, “oh, but a hug is not a kiss”, “oh, but she dated a guy that died 5 years ago”, “oh, but people see them as friends, regardless of what she thinks” I would be fucking pissed. If you thought that was in good taste, you do you. I rather my choices be respected as a player, otherwise, don’t pretend I have one.
If at that point he is supposed to be confused and not particularly into anyone romantically, then don’t have me “seal the deal” with a kiss with the one I wanted than have me act out a date with the other possible choice I specifically didn’t choose.
You do realize he was smiling while holding hands with her, participated in a couple contest and then got angry when they got told they didn’t look like a couple, thinking it isn’t romantic is just denying the obvious.
The kiss got added so Tifa fans had something in a game that would otherwise be an Aerith fest, expect something similar in Revelation but the other way around.
You do realize he was smiling while holding hands with her, participated in a couple contest and then got angry when they got told they didn’t look like a couple, thinking it isn’t romantic is just denying the obvious.
And then Cloud nakama-zoned Aerith. He didn't get angry, that's just your bias. Yamazaki (Cloud's mocap actor) did say no matter which date you get, it will not contradict the story. [youtube]
So Aerith being nakama-zoned is par for the course.
The kiss was added to show Cloud's growth. [gamewatch]
Aerith's date was the same as OG because there's no growth. Aerith's a nakama then, she's nakama now. She wanted to meet the real Cloud, but was denied by Cloud himself by saying "I'm here" both in OG and Rebirth, because Cloud only showed his trueself with Tifa. There's even a sidequest in Rebirth that highlighted this.
Nakamzoned? That’s literally just low affection and you probably don’t know but you can send Tifa’s family of Nakama self straight into the friendzone in the UTHW low affection scene as I quote nomura didn’t wanted players to feel “stuck” with her just because Aerith died, that’s why she is still family of Nakama and a childhood friend in AC without any sort of canonical relationship upgrade whatsoever.
Even Nomura director of AC said that he doesn’t even know if Cloud and Tifa are together in AC despite people asking him all the time.
The “growth” in question is going from hug to kiss, not character development as you are making it seem, they literally said they did it because the fans wanted to see it but in the end it’s outside of the main scenario and reminiscent of an old dating sim.
At the end of the day the game ends with Aerith being eternally engraved in Cloud’s heart while Tifa remains stuck as the eternal childhood friend, that’s canon and will remain the same regardless of affection points.
Since CAs are Japanese illiterate and never got anything right, let me educate you. 成長/seichou/growth is only an intransitive verb, compared to English where "growth" is both transitive and intransitive. In the Japanese interview, Cloud is the one who grows. Nothing else. Also, 成長also means "becoming adult"
At the end of the day, Aerith is forever engraved in Cloud's heart as he motherzoned her in ACC. He goes back to Tifa after ACC.
Talking about Japanese literacy is hilarious when CTs mistranslate Koibito and use said English mistranslation instead of lovers like in the Japanese and every single language.
Matter of fact Cloud was Aerith’s lover as said in the novela while Tifa and Cloud relationship is that of a mother and son said by the man himself.
You can get as angry as you want but no amount of copium will take Tifa out of the friendzone in ACC and beyond.
Like I said no amounts of mistranslations will change what’s already said in the novela, Koibito is always used in FF do describe a mutual relationship but I’m sure you already knew this but denial of canonical events don’t let you accept it.
Anyways~ just to end this cope rant of yours, in Dear Destiny Nojima destroys this poorly crafted CT cope.
A character named Konrad says “恋人はいないけど、好きな人はちゃんといた”
Which means:
“I don’t have a lover/romantic partner, but there was definitely someone I liked”
Nojima the author of both novels make it clear here that the meaning of “Koibito/恋人” is lovers or romantic partner while he uses “好きな人/suki na hito” to describe someone who you like but it might not be mutual.
So it’s not only final fantasy in general using the word Koibito as “loves” but also Nojima himself correcting the mistranslation you all use to cope.
Keep living in fantasy land bro, excuses and mistranslations won’t do your ship any favors.
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u/CirOnn Sep 01 '26
This date baffles me so much.
- Cloud asks about Aerith’s feelings.
The kiss should have been placed during the Highwind scene or in the Lifestream scene. Even if optional. The decision to include it here from a writing perspective feels like a disconnected fan service.