Signs of a Complicit Relationship - PART II: What Cloud Means to Aerith [CC & REMAKE SPOILERS]
Вставка
- Опубліковано 19 тра 2020
- CLERITH: Signs of a Complicit Relationship
-This was originally going to be one video but there was too much different focus and it felt really disorganized. A single scene can have multiple things to say. So I decided to redo everything and organize them into parts.
PART I : What Aerith Means to Cloud
• Signs of a Complicit R...
PART II: What Cloud Means to Aerith
Intermission: The Zacloud Fallacy
• Signs of A Complicit R...
PART III: Completing Each Others Missing Pieces
• Signs of a Complicit R...
PART IV: Love Beyond the Surface of a Game
Final Fantasy VII Remake: The Investigation Unit Within the Painting
istanleyff7.tumblr.com/post/6...
A Complicit Relationship
Sharing the same ideas doesn’t necessarily mean that there is complicity in your relationship. It’s not just about harmony between two people… Complicity goes much, much deeper; it’s a question of providing your partner with what they’re missing!
Music used for intro and outro:
Final Fantasy VII Remake - OST: Descendant of the Ancients
www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5rHz...
==========================================================================
DISCLAIMER:
Footage is from the PSP game Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core and the PS4 game Final Fantasy VII Remake. The credits go to its creators.
Fair Use:
"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing." - Ігри
![Signs of A Complicit Relationship Intermission: The Zacloud Fallacy [OG, CC & REMAKE SPOILERS]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/WJmrHPl3Mpw/mqdefault.jpg)
![Signs of A Complicit Relationship Intermission: The Zacloud Fallacy [OG, CC & REMAKE SPOILERS]](/img/tr.png)
![Signs of a Complicit Relationship - PART III: Completing Each Others Missing Pieces [RE SPOILERS]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wfFv0iVni9I/mqdefault.jpg)
![Signs of a Complicit Relationship - PART I: What Aerith Means to Cloud [OG & REMAKE SPOILERS]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/r9T3PLSDX2A/mqdefault.jpg)
EDIT 6/11: Brianna White (Aerith's VA) finally saw the Dream Sequence and she said so many insightful things, including how Aerith tried to tease Cloud about being worried about her but Cloud having none of it. I love her. If you haven't seen it yet, here it is: www.twitch.tv/videos/647385251?sr=a&t=11021s
So... despite being captured by Shinra, Aerith's concern is primarily Cloud. She visits his dream to try and reassure him that she is fine. And then, feeling helpless about her fate, she tries to stop him from falling in love with her, even to the point of trying to make him believe that his feelings were not real. This is how much Aerith loves Cloud.
🥰
=(
@Kevin Putra Ramadhana lol calm down, no need to post multiple entries. You have to understand, Cloud, unlike Aerith, is not a ray of sunshine that one wants to capture in a bottle. Cloud is like a slow drizzle of rain. Although Cloud is captured by a singular strong aspect of Aerith. Aerith is captured by the small things that Cloud makes her feel. His awkwardness, his sincerity, his innocence, and his fortitude among other things.
There is no singular thing in Cloud that captures Aerith but instead she is attracted to the multitude of things that makes Cloud. It gives her comfort and security, and most of all the strength to fuel her optimism.
@Kevin Putra Ramadhana simple aja intinya, aerith itu dari kecil udah menderita dari kehilangan orang orang yang ia sayangi, juga dari impresi orang lain terhadap dia begitu orang lain tau kalau dia itu sebenarnya dari garis keturunan cetra,seperti di video di jelaskan bahwa orang menganggap kalau si aerith itu creepy alias serem dan weird alias aneh intinya begitu orang lain mengetahui siapa dia sebenarnya, dia selalu di jauhi.
Nah, walaupun dia merasakan semua penderitaan ini, dia tetap mencoba menutupi memori-memori masa kecilnya yang sangat sedih, makanya dia ga pernah secara langsung ngasih tau ke siapapun kalau dia itu descendant of the ancient dia takut orang menjauhinya, inilah hal yang paling ditakuti aerith makanya pas di lokasi train graveyard itu jelas di video kalau eligor itu memanfaatkan hal yang paling ditakuti oleh seseorang untuk menjadi kuat, dan di sini jelas nampak kalau aerith itu takut di tinggal sendiri takut dijauhi semua orang
Jadi apa hubungannya dengan cloud ?
Cloud itu orangnya ngomong kalau beneran penting aja, ngomong kalau menurut dia butuh aja, jadi setiap hal yang ia katakan itu selalu tulus ga pernah "bacot" gitu, dan hal ini disukai oleh aerith,selain itu cloud itu orang nya awkward banget ya simpelnya bisa dibilang kurang pintar berinteraksi sosial sih wkwkwkkw, aerith suka ni karakter cloud yang begini, beda banget dari zack 180 derajat malah, kan zack itu udah flamboyan over confidence lagi gitu. Sejalan dengan video, jelas kalau cloud itu bahkan ga suka gombal sama sekali bahkan kasih pujian pun susah gitu, tapi kalau lu ngerti, setiap orang kayak cloud gitu kalau udah kasih pujian itu beneran tulus ga berniat buruk memang karena mereka memang sangat peduli terhadap sesuatu, di sinilah dinamik keduanya tampak, di saat aerith lagi down dan kehilangan semangat, cloud ada disitu untuk memastikan aerith tidak menyerah dan terus bolak balik gitu, kalau misalnya cloud yang bermasalah aerith yang bertindak dan sebaliknya, intinya cloud itu orangnya tulus terhadap aerith dan mau mengerti akan keadaan aerith dan inilah yang aerith bener bener butuhkan karena kita tahu walaupun dia itu karakter yang sangat tegar dan berani, dia itu mudah menyerah dan cloud selalu ada untuknya saat dia pengen menyerah, dan itu tampak banget semua di resolution scenenya si cloud sih (mimpi ketemu si aerith) si aerith ini mulai pengen menyerah kembali atas cintanya terhadap cloud saking ga maunya dia membuat cloud menderita akan kehilangan aerith (ga mau liat cloud menderita setelah ia meninggal) lu bayangkan aja dah saking cintanya ia sama cloud ia sampai melarang cloud untuk mencitainya (ini karena dia sudah menyerah dan tak tahu untuk berbuat apa lagi) dan cloud jelas ga nerima apa yang aerith katakan, dia jelas bilang "do i get a say in all this" yang maksudnya dia menolak atas apa yang aerith bilang dan ia pengen mencintai aerith apapun yang terjadi gitu,ini penglihatan gua aja kali sih ya tapi ekspresi aerith di mimpi itu jelas menutupi sesuatu dengan senyum padahal dia sangat sedih malah mau nangis di beberapa frame, jadi jelas aerith itu berat banget buat mengatakan hal ini dan berharap cloud bisa berhenti mencintainya, akan tetapi itu sudah terlambat jadi aerith gagal dalam melarang cloud, walaupun ia gagal, begitu cloud bilang "i am coming for you" hati nurani aerith itu bahagia tapi ia juga sedih akan apa yang akan terjadi di masa depan gitu.Dari mimpi tersebut jelas kalau bukan cloud aja yang cinta sama aerith tapi juga sebaliknya, kalau lu sering denger orang ngomong kalau maksud aerith "its not real" itu karena ini emosi zack, lu percaya aja sama kata nojima, writer ff7 kalau memang bukan itu maksudnya, artinya itu karena aerith tau takdir dia di masa depan gimana jadi ia tidak ingin membuat cloud menderita.
sorry ya kalau kepanjangan mudah-mudahan ngerti ya wkwkwkwkw
@Kevin Putra Ramadhana It's not blocked. She knows or has an idea that she is going to die and she does not want him to suffer. I hope this is not spoiling you... Aerith was killed by Sephiroth in the original time line and Cloud grieved so much that in Advent Children he was basically suicidal. She doesnt want that to happen again.
What exactly is so difficult to grasp she is beautifully what cloud's presence means to aerith the previous and this video show us why they fall in love with each other and the bla bla bla as you so elegantly ss ther feelings they have for each other and I love them ❤️ without them it's just clps the same clips might I add so words makes them better so I hope it clears up the fog in your brain awesome work as always girl
First love = Zack
True love = Cloud
You're God Damn Right
Zack deserves it, goddam playah.
@@meowmeow3778 Not like that bruh, it's different about how Aerith treat Zack and Cloud. aerith has never been treated favorably from people, and that's where Zack who cares about her but still with his attitude that is not serious cause he into SOLDIER pride doing a lot of work. And next we see Cloud, who cared a lot about her.
Same thing for Cloud
Childhood Crush = Tifa
True love = Aerith
And genuine and merely true loves always end in tragedy... No one loves again the same way they did when they truly fell in love.
I believe Cloud is so precious to Aerith because he represents the innocence she lost. Aerith never knew what innocence is. Her father was killed when she was just a baby and then she was captured by Hojo who experimented on her mother. Then she started making those painting which lead to the death of many people and to her being strangled by an unknown figure. She later escaped Shinra and saw her mother die in front of her. Even when she started living with Elmyra her childhood years were not innocent. She never made any real friends cause most kids thought she was a freak. The only relationship she had besides Elmyra was with the Turks and you can't call that a healthy relationship. Then she met Zack. For the first time in her life she met a really good guy but he always gave priority to his duty as a SOLDIER than to their relationship. Plus after Angeal died a part of Zack's innocence died with him. Eventually he left for a long time mission without saying goodbye to her and never came back. Then she met Cloud. Even though Cloud has been through many traumatic events himshelf he's still pure at heart. His awkwardness, his sincerity, the way he really feels sorry for stepping on her flowers, the way he listens to every single word she says, his kindness all of these are traits Aerith never had in her life. At last she found the half she was missing.
This, this perfectly describe how i feel but can't put to words, thank you
😭😭
I still can't understand how people said cloud has zack's peronality and aerith love cloud because of zack. Cloud is cloud and zack is zack, they are completely different to each other, in normal life or in their behaivor or anything else. And you right cloud feel sorry for falling in to aerith flowers, but zack, zack didn't feel sorry or any kind of that, he just said that he might not be a normal person. If people keep saying cloud has zack's peronality and cloud love tifa, why don't they think that tifa fell cloud just because zack's personality? Cloud don't even interest with tifa anymore, how tf does he love tifa? Even aerith know that cloud and zack are two completely different people, and obviously she love cloud more, she just"like" zack but she "love" cloud, that for sure. Cloud and aerith has similar childhood, tifa barely care him when he was a kid. They are a perfect couple, and they are the half of each other, no doubt.
@@thuyanhtong3020 its a misconception that clotis throw around to try and distance cloud and aerith. Somehow these false memories don't apply to tifa as well.
Plus Cloud never had any friends as a child so likewise Aerith also seems to fill that void for him
Screw all the ff7 purist i hope cloud saves her...honestly the game wasnt the same with out her. Im extremely optimistic of this parallel reality digressing from the past...lets.hope 7 seconds resonates with cloud
Im praying for a cool scene where cloud hears sephiroph repeat the 7 seconds quote then he jumps up to block him. Fuck those purists man
If Nomura pulls a Rian Johnson and subvert our expectations by giving us an even more wholesome Aerith than ever before, give us hope and THEN kill her again, I swear I will never buy another Nomura title ever again. Not even the rest of the remake... I had my heart broken 20+ years ago, it's high time they mend it back. Also I was a purist before playing the remake..
@@coyote271280I believe we will be reunited with aerith in part 3
People mention all the time that Aerith breaks down Cloud’s “tough guy” persona. One detail I noticed that gets forgotten a lot is the big hand robot scenes.
The first time Aerith tried to high five Cloud, he tried to act too cool for high fives. She brushes it off the first time due to her very positive character. The second time she shows that she’s hurt by Cloud’s lack of empathy. Then, and only then, does Cloud feel bad about it. He hurt someone who’s clearly just trying to break down his walls and get to know him better.
Then we get the cute scenes where he tries to high five Aerith and accidentally gets blown off. In the end they finally get the freaking high five in, showing that although they were on different pages, their gears are starting to mesh (This is also said in the chapter description in game)
Bonus part: I think this is extra cute when they high five after the hell house battle. It was simultaneous which really shows that they’re in sync now
I loved that awkward high five
Loved all the high five thing
I don't think it was Cloud acting cool, I think it was him being so awkward and socially stunted that the simple act of giving someone a high five is completely foreign to him. Notice that after she raises her hands the first time he just gives her a blank stare as if to ask "What are you doing?"
She taught Terminator how to high five lol it's a really cute bonding scene though!!♡
mhm, and only aerith could do that
It pained me when tifa said that cloud’s eyes were scary, yet we do understand the fear she felt, but still, while Aerith found his eyes stunning and that was cute
That's not what tifa said
She said cloud your scaring me after he just tried to kill Jonny
In the scene after that she says you've changed cloud asks how
She says I suppose it's...yeah your eyes. They used to be less...
We don't know what she was going to say because cloud speaks
@@nyb537 When she says he's scary, he answers it must be the eyes filled with mako (even though, it's a parallel, I don't think it was made randomly, when his eyes are mentioned in front of Tifa there's a scary feeling/ heavy atmosphere, but with Aerith it's the opposite)
But that was in response to Cloud almost killing Johnny as such she is scared by the cold and possibly ruthless behavior that Cloud exhibited.
Aerith found Cloud's eyes stunning because he was actually opening up to her emotionally by asking her about her first crush's name and love life.
@@hamizanyunos1502 Remember though, she stopped Cloud from killing Reno like Tifa stopped him from killing Johnny.
Aerith still showed no fear. Sure, she's seen these eyes before, but she compliments them instead.
For me, Tifa has always been nothing more than a friend for Cloud. While Tifa was his childhood crush, I see nothing but a friendship aside from that. Plus, Tifa seems to be everyone's crush at one point, as she is this beautiful tomboy with a good heart. So it's not really surprising that Cloud crushed on her at one point. Besides, I think it'd be a bit cliché if Cloud ended up with his childhood crush.
As for Aerith, their relationship has always given more romance in my opinion. Cloud is always stuttering and completely different when Aerith is around. He doesn't dismiss her or turn her down, even when she mentions "one date". I also think Advent Children really highlights their relationship. In Advent Children, Cloud distances himself from everyone, including Tifa. He feels a tremendous amount of guilt for Aerith's death and can't seem to forgive himself. It's only at the end of the film that he smiles and feels at peace because of Aerith and her reassurance.
Poor Aerith. She saw the worst part of humanity and yet she manage to grow with a positive attitude,a goodness and a level of empathy that can rival with the purest angels of any mythology of our world. She may look like a delicate flower, but she have the heart of a lioness. May the Gods (creator of the remake) give her a chance to live this time. May the fatality of her fate be broken once and for all.
Yes. Alone because I want to see Cloud and Aerith become a real couple in the 2nd part. ^^
I hope her and Zack will meet again.
@@foreigngrounds9776 The problem is... Aerith no longer feels the same...
I gotta say, I'm enjoying these videos because it seems the support for Cloud and Aerith is small compared to Cloud and Tifa. Don't get me wrong, Tifa's great and helped put Cloud's memories back together, but Aerith basically brought life and hope back into Cloud, and not just once. Even in Advent Children when he was depressed, avoiding everyone and ignoring calls, where was he? In the church in Sector 5's slums, or other places where he had strong memories of Aerith. Geostigma also played a part in it, yes, but even still he felt like he failed Aerith and was asking for forgiveness. In the end she helped him beat not just Sephiroth, but also cured the Geostigma disease and restored hope for him and everyone else.
Also in the Lifestream White snippets, she has shown that she could come back to see Cloud but chooses not to do so since she wanted Cloud to see her as he remembers her instead of something similar to Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo for Sephiroth. After all this time, she still thinks about him.
After playing FF7R, OG, and the entire compilation, you really start to understand the depth of Cloud and Aerith's connection. They connect on both a physical and spiritual level that is not seen with any other characters in the game. When you begin to understand the true story behind Remake, it becomes very clear that Cloud and Aerith's connection transcends both time and space. Their destinies are intertwined, whether that is through happiness or sadness. I look forward to the next games for sure and hope that SE will provide us with the closure that we have been longing for the last 23 years.
Nomura already started planning this remake as far back as 2006/2007, but then Square-Enix went on that wild goose chase with the Fabula Nova Crystallis games (FFXIII trilogy, FF-Type 0, FFXV) and taking a decade and a half (literally) to make Kingdom Hearts 3.
I'm into the soulmate connection/spiritual stuff. So I am a strong CloudxAerith. And I approve your comment!
It’s kinda crazy you mention this especially after the song shown in the latest Rebirth trailer…”No Promises To Keep”…I think your thoughts lend well given the lyrics, and Aerith is singing it.
It isn't a coincidence that Aerith basically went back in time to see Cloud again. For those who understand the deep connection between Cloud and Aerith, the latest trailer (and pretty much all of Final Fantasy 7 Remake) is a testament to the physical, spiritual, and emotional connection between these two characters. Can't wait for Rebirth to come out in a couple of months!
@@neoexodeath I feel u. Wish I could fast forward to Feb 29 😭
Cloud please don't lose Aerith this time, for yourself, for us, for everyone! Do whatever you have to in 7 goddamn seconds or 7 years I don't care. Just protect her and keep her safe.
Did you notice that the song that plays during the scene with them all in Aerith’s room is a mix of Cloud and Aerith’s theme together?
Yes. It is the song I use in the opening and ending scenes of them doing the high 5. It is the best.
Pollen Ainne I just thought it was really touching that they did that in one of the most important parts of the game where Aerith is explaining that she wants to help everyone and defy destiny. It really makes you believe, especially with that song playing, that if anyone could do it Cloud and Aerith could together.
Especially since during the OG she put the burden on herself alone.
@@SkilledLegend Where does the theme play in the game? I don't think there are any official Cloud X Tifa theme mashups in the game (correct me if I'm wrong). Clerith all the way!
FlowerGirlFF7 im not sure honestly but the mix plays when they’re in Aerith’s room in Shinra and they’re talking about her being an ancient, the whispers, and how she’s losing herself. It’s very masterful considering Cloud knows exactly how it feels to lose part of himself. It plays Aerith’s theme and then subtly goes into Cloud’s and moves back to Aerith’s without pause it’s pretty nifty.
I love when cloud is talking to the flowers
If you really understand cloud you know how much that means 🥰
Every couple must have differences, and similarities. They are similar in loneliness, but very different in how it expresses itself. Aerith is light, and Cloud is shadow, but a day is not complete without both.
I think when Aerith says she should just give up, it’s her saying she should just resign to the faith the planet has for her. But when Cloud tells her she’s no quitter, he kinda gives her the courage that maybe she shouldn’t give up and that she can change her faith. I think we’re going to have a scene similar to FF8 when Squall rescues Rinoa from being frozen Look it up. I can already see Aerith trying to sacrifice herself and Cloud stopping her.
Oh my gosh I would love that 😭
I rewatched the hidden forest scene from OG recently and noticed a couple of things. A lot of people assume the Cetra must die in order to successfully summon Holy, but in fact both Holy and Meteor can be summoned without sacrificing one's life. Sephiroth, who is not of Cetra origin, is able to summon Meteor while still alive in the Northern Crater. Aerith tells Cloud not to worry himself and let her take care of Sephiroth in the forest dream scene. She tells him that she will see him after she is done. Not something that someone would say if they knew he/she had to die in order to save the planet. Also, it is stated by Bugenhagen that Aerith was successful in summoning Holy before her death.
If Sephiroth's endgame is to redo the whole Meteor thing again, then Cloud and company should be able to stop him without Aerith having to die again. By going to the Northern Crater and defeating Sephiroth earlier, they can allow Holy to act sooner and the Lifestream will not need to be involved.
But I have a feeling Remake won't play out the same as OG did. The ending will probably be very different.
@@neoexodeath It's not about summoning Holy. Aerith managed to succesfully do the spell before her death. But in the end Holy was not enough to defeat Meteor. After her death she joined the lifestream and managed to use it's power and that's how she eventually defeated Meteor. And this is something she couldn't do when she was alive. That's the true reason why she has to die.
@@kwstas1290 There is a common misconception here, Lifestream is not needed for Holy to stop meteor, Holy is the ultimate weapon against meteor it never needed lifestream, the only reason lifestream is needed in the OG because Cloud and His Team defeated sephiroth and Activated Holy too late, meteor was already closing in, therefore requiring lifestream's help.
If Cloud and his team managed to get to sephiroth and stop him early, Lifestream wouldn't be needed to stop Meteor.
EzBread Omg you’re right. Reading your comments made me remember some of the conversations from the OG. I’m gonna re-watch some parts to remember exactly what happened. But if you are right then indeed we have a chance for Aerith to survive this time.
I also love that he honestly compliments her for not being a Quitter.
I also felt that when they beat the hell house in the Arena.
Cloud respects her there as well as a fighter and supportive combat Partner not just a pretty face
Although when they were in the lift heading down to the dungeon he warns her to be nervous about the upcoming battles- such a tease!
and their high five is a proof that they're congratulating one another as a team of fighters.
Cloud’s a good relatable protag in Remake. I’m not a shipper kind of guy, but I genuinely want Cloud to be happy with Aerith. And if the ending of Remake is anything to go off of, who knows?
Something that needs to be addressed is that Cloud’s need to protect Tifa is out of obligation not love, Cloud promised Tifa to be there for her when she’s in a bind and he wants to fulfill that promise to her and to make up for not saving her at Mt. Nibel (despite it not being his fault but everyone in the village made it his fault) But with Aerith there is no obligation, he doesn’t NEED to protect her, yet he does anyway. Someone in a discord group I’m in said that to Cloud Aerith is like a little treasure he found that he wants to hold on to. It’s hilarious how despite Tifa and Cloud knowing each other since childhood that Aerith is the one Cloud is able to instantly connect with on a personal level.
At the end of the day, Aerith is the one Cloud treasures.
By the way knowing someone since childhood ≠ childhood friendship.
Yes, there is definitely a sense of obligation as Cloud takes responsibility quite seriously. But he also does care about Tifa in a personal level as a friend. In the same way that he cares for each and single people in his team as he slowly lowers down his walls with the help of Aerith. But yes, he too is protective of both Tifa and Aerith as he was even protective of the doctor he was guarding in Before Crisis.
However, the similarities end there. Cloud puts up walls easily as a result of his childhood and social awkwardness and we can see him put up those walls the moment Tifa told him to just go back to Sector 7 and that she can handle things alone by herself. Tifa might have had well meaning intentions but to Cloud it was a rejection to his drive to protect. He even ends up telling Aerith that Tifa is a big girl and can take care of herself. Does he not really care about what happens to Tifa? Ofc he does, and no matter how competent Tifa might be, someone who cares for your well being will always worry about you no matter what. But Cloud's worries for Tifa was stumped out as he closed himself off everyone.
Hence, his drive to save Aerith despite everyone seemingly being against it speaks volumes. His statement to take Aerith back despite Aerith herself trying to tell him she was just doing fine is a huge development on Cloud's character. A development that is spurred on because for once he cares about someone more than his pride or his own self-preservation.
And that my friends is what we call love.
@@PollenAinne I think Cloud's relationship with Tifa was always complicated because most of their relationship was built on trauma and tragedy.
i.reddit.com/r/FFVIIRemake/comments/geqch0/spoiler_cloud_and_tifas_past_a_study_of_childhood/
I don't like pitting Cloud x Tifa vs Cloud x Aerith, I can genuinely see why either ship could work as there is a lot of chemistry in both of these pairings.
While I do like Clerith pairing because of the reasons you give in your videos, I don't fault people for liking Cloti because Tifa was genuinely a very important person in Cloud's life and development as a character. She and Cloud despite not being very close friends were the last links to childhood home and relatively stable years before more traumatic and tragic events happen later in life.
Yes Cloud and Tifa's relationship is complex and difficult but real life relationships tend to be that way. The reddit post I linked above explained why Cloud and Tifa even if are not in a romantic relationships have a deep personal relationship.
@@hamizanyunos1502 I would agree, but y'all need to know that it's not every real relationship who looks like Cloud and Tifa, some people actually know how to chill, have chemestry and understand each others, and trust each other too. Cloud and Tifa could look like a "real couple" bc they have issues but imo the problem is that they litteraly mostly have issues, I feel like they are toxic for each other.
Cloud and Aerith could easily have problems too, not necessary big ones, but knowing Cloud persona, or even Aerith one, they could easily disagree at some points, but they as I said before, they trust each other, and they know how to communicate, so it wouldn't be that deep. I do believe Cloud and Tifa relationship is complex, but imo the complexity is just the only point abt their relation, they hide too much things to each other, have a terrible communication (AC means everything) and it looks like they don't understand each other enough, it would be normal in real life, if the person wasn't like Cloud I think.
@@hamizanyunos1502 Also I still respect Cloti I just gave my opinion, and Clerith has complexity too, that's why these videos exist :)
Aerith, especially in Remake, knows things. But Cloti fans want to act like Aerith can't see Cloud for who he is and confuses him with Zack. It's absolutely ridiculous.
Seeing Aerith as a child, and (spoilers) knowing what happens to her later in the story brought a few tears to my eyes. She's a very believable character, and the character design is so realistic. And what an adorable kid.
Their relationship is probably one of the saddest yet sweetest in history of video games. Both of them had nobody, that really cared for them (except Elmyra, but that doesn't count) until they met one another. I can't get over how beautiful their relationship is. Both of them falling in love with each other. It's so precious.
That’s why I love Aerith so much. She’s the strongest character emotionally who is carrying the whole fate of the FF7 Remake world on her shoulders and yet she feels like she can’t share it with anyone to spare them pain. Even in the OG she always felt alone because of her cetra burdens (she literally says this at Cosmo Canyon) and then got the short end of the stick by losing her life and also being separated from a new love in Cloud and the new friends she made. This is why Hollow makes me legit cry every time. I love Cloud so much because he is maybe the only one who was able to detect her hidden sadness and this time he doesn’t want her to feel alone ever again 😭😭😭. It really shows the devs/ Cloud’s love for her character.
Yeah her backstory was so tragic and traumatizing, her father died when she was young with she and her mother kidnapped to be experimented by Hojo who psychologically tormented her with the idea that she was responsible for deaths caused by Hojo's experiments. Afterwards she and her mother managed to escape but Ifana died leaving the young Aerith to be terrified to be left alone again, she was lucky to be adopted by Elmyra but even then the rest of the town remains distant towards her as a child commenting her as weird or at worst a freak, so she never develop any real friendships.
Moreover the Turks who are constantly hunting or trying to manipulate has only made her life worst as she it only further isolates her from everyone else.
Add that to the fact she as a Cetra holds large power and influence over the Earth itself thus likely has holds their entire planet's survival, it can be emotionally burdensome and it is implied and shown she is very sad and lonely due to these circumstances.
Yet she remains optimistic, cheerful and compassionate to everyone she meets and remains brave enough to fight against Sephiroth with her friends.
It is likely Zack was one of the first real friends she had but it was a short relationship as Zack was pre-occupied with being a SOLDIER thus was not able to dedicate time to their relationship
But Cloud came along and despite his cold, brooding and sullen demeanor was willing to be open with her emotionally connect with her. His own traumatic, rough and lonely childhood easily made him sympathize and connect with Aerith's on a personal level thus why he seems hurt to see her sad and unhappy.
@@hamizanyunos1502 well said, almost cry when read your comment 😭she is often misunderstood by this fandom due to her appearance eg. wearing pink and long skirt, physically weak, but she really is strong and hide all the pains. I really hope she get happy ending. It’s just really sad knowing that her most happy moment is when she travelling with cloud and the party, how she wanted to get on the highwind but never once
@@Ren-kk6iq Yeah I hope she also gets a happy ending too alongside Cloud, in the original she probably is united with her mother and Zack in the Lifestream but I think she is also very sad to see Cloud and her other friends struggle with dying Earth in Advent Children.
Another wonderful video. I loved the symbolism of child Aerith crying for someone to "come get her" and no one coming.. Only for Cloud to rush in "to get" Aerith. He's literally saving her from her fears.
23:28 when cloud tried to grab her hand back after she touched his face! Like he’s saying “don’t go” !! 😩💔
Aerith spent her childhood as an objectified person in Shinra, rather she grew into a person who pursues freedom and personality though. Perhaps Aerith saw her childhood through an unstable cloud. And, in fact, she still hasn't fully accepted her identity. She saw her weaknesses through the cloud, but rather because of that, she was able to express herself more naturally to the cloud. Although they seem completely different on the outside, they both seem to understand the sense of alienation felt by each other in a short time and gain the courage necessary to accept themselves through such experiences. We often talk about what Cloud only got from Aerith, but I think Aerith also gained a stronger belief in the direction she wanted to live through.
Wow I wasn’t aware of Aerith’s whole backstory, it’s heartbreaking! I never thought about Aerith’s perspective, since Cloud is the most damaged one here while she always seems so cheerful. So thx for that hindsight !
As for Zerith... Zack is really likeable and I enjoyed playing Crisis Core but, let’s be honest, it did a lot of damage to FF7’s continuity. CC is about Zack’s whole story, not his relationship with Aerith. I find it weird people are so hung up on Zerith when it’s given like 15 minutes of screen time in a 30-40 hours game, and when Aerith herself stated in the OG they weren’t serious... and even if they were, Zack’s been gone for years, she’s allowed to move on, sheesh... That’s exactly what the ending tells us by the way, Cloud and Aerith both go past Zack - she’s looking forward, not back
Anyway, thx for that. I always loved Cloud and Aerith and their dynamic, how natural, and honest it feels, but the remake made me love them even more. The more I watch the RS, the more I find it meaningful. So many things are happening there, especially on Cloud’s part. He’s more active than in Tifa’s (admitting how he feels, impulsively trying to grab her hand when it takes him forever to hug Tifa and only because he saw Barret do it, making his own decision when until that point he kinda only went with the flow) There’s a real dialogue between them, it’s so fulfilling !
(and thank god Cloud doesn’t try to flirt with Aerith, it’s so not like him. When he tries to with Tifa in the bar, he’s so bad at it it’s cringy 😂)
There's one thing for sure about aerith, she does not like it when people trample her flowers. In before crisis when the Turks are fighting avalanche, she constantly exclaims to not trample the flowers. She even has to admonish Zack saying that people are usually more careful around flowers. Cloud is different in that he actually apologizes. But one things for sure, if she's ok with you smashing her flower bed, she likes you.
Depends on how you mean by smashing...... i'll leave now.
I never even thought about this story from Aerith's perspective, her vulnerabilities. You've added so much more beauty into this than I initially saw in it. It is my favorite love story. Great video, once again, eagerly awaiting part 3.
Quick reminder that while Zack dated Aerith for two years he was still flirting with other women the entire time, IE Cissnei.
So as much as she might have loved him, the fact that she assumed he ran off with another woman isn't that surprising.
I desperately wanna see both Cissnei and Elfé return for future installments of Remake.
I think one cannot compare Cloud and Aerith's time together with Zach and Aerith. While Zach and Aerith saw each other off and on during the course of a couple of years, Cloud and Aerith lived and fought together to save the planet. The happiness and life/death situations that they experience together as friends, comrades, and ultimately lovers helps to build a bond that is much stronger than just simply visiting or hanging out for fun. This can be seen in real life. More intense experiences give way to more powerful emotional responses.
But Aerith also didn’t have a clear answer on what happened to him at that point. Of course she would assume that he ran off with another woman. She’s trying to fill in the blank and with that answer it makes it easier for her to move on. That’s what humans do when we don’t have a clear answer in order to have closure. We come up with our own assumptions. She wrote 80 some letters to him with no response. Humans are complicated. Emotions are complex too.
I’m not saying that to diminish the special bond that Cloud and Aerith have. I’m just saying that that’s probably why she’s probably using that as a defense mechanism. She’s hurt that she didn’t know what happened to Zack. Until later on in the game. But on another note I think it’s awesome that Cloud and Aerith have each other tho. It’s beautiful how they bring each other up.
Ive played Crisis Core. Zack's eyes were only on Aerith. He didn't really flirt with other women and wasn't a big fan of the Turks. Especially when he was on the run taking care of Cloud. She was also was the last thought that he had while he was dying after his last stand.
@@princessjupiter922 I think he loved Aerith the most but everything else is verifiably false. He was absolutely close to both Tseng and Cissnei as evidenced not only by the DMW but their scenes together. Zack cared about and trusted them. He left Tseng to protect Aerith and Cissnei to protect his parents.
In his last scene with Cissnei, she tells him his parents already consider her part of the family. It goes as far back as the OG FF7 where Zack's parents mention her as the "Other Girl".
"I'm coming for you."and「迎えに行く」，my favorite lines
I think when Aerith is talking to the flowers, she heard even more than she let on to Cloud. It feels like she was already sensing that they were on their way to changing destiny's course, hinted by her comment about giving up. Her story could progress from that point with 1) her embracing "fate" which will lead to her eventual death or 2) altering the course of fate which will change everything including herself.
Aerith is extremely perceptive and it's obvious she struggles with how much information she has to withhold from everyone. In Chapter 17 when she finally lets go and makes it clear that Shinra isn't the enemy, the Whispers attack her. Her bringing that knowledge of Shinra to the party this early on in the story was a pivotal moment in the Whispers trying to maintain the timeline
Those who understand Clerith relationship are MATURE, down-to-earth and highly perceptive people. Sorry, can't say the same thing for other ships who need to grow up. Enjoy your videos very much ! Right on.
PS. I bought the PS4 Pro just to play one single game: FF7R. Last game before this was FF12.
It's not a matter of who is more"mature",it's a matter of preference.We all have our own definitions of love or best girl and stuff like that and we all have our own reasons for shipping this or that.I am a huge clerith shipper but I've never considered myself as more mature then cloti fans.I have my preference,they have their preferences.There's no need to put other people down to boost your ego.There's a difference between critical comparison and bad faith debate.
By saying "mature", I mean the person:
(1) is able to understand intricate complexities of relationship in real life (not necessarily in other stuffs),
(2) respects and does not go around attacking other people of different opinions. I often see that Cloti fans are typically more aggressive than peaceful Clerith fans.
At first, I myself am open to any perspective, be it Clerith or Cloti. I started from a blank point of view, no preference for any ship. But the more I played the game & spent hours watching cutscenes to objectively observe the emotional responses of the characters both in the OG and Remake, ... I began to see that "Clerith" makes more sense and this is one of those UA-cam channel who affirm my beliefs.
@@knto2000 Oh okay,I understand what you mean.I just thought you were one of those clerith fans who say cloti sucks or stuff like that.Sorry I misunderstood you
Cloud loves both, he's still trying to figure himself out. He's 16 remember, up until he falls into the lifestream, his head is still messed up, and everything that is going on. I don't think top of his head is which girl I should be with. Maybe he has an inclination towards Aerith because they spend more alone time together, but if you pay attention he clearly loves them both, and both is equally important to him figuring out his true self.
I am not sure about mature.. but yeah definitely more perseptive :-) because I am
"Learn to talk to her!!" That was adorable Cloud being a dork for Aerith!!♡☆
Cloud and Aerith deserve an happy ending, imagine them having Cetra kids and making the planet flourish with plants and nature like in the cutscene at the beginning of the video, that would truly be their "Promised Land" a place they can call home, the place Cloud's been striving to find for the past 23 years (and obviously the same place where Aerith is), if you consider the fact that the developers confirmed that the ending of the OG was a bad ending then this remake is the perfect chance to give those 2 unfortunate what they've always wished for.
Edit:Goddamn they made Aerith's back story even more tragic than it was in the original, now I really want Cloud to save her
"Fear of war and pestilence, fear of loss and failure, fear the hate of your enemy, fear your god and savior...failure"
Fear Factory, Fear Campaign
YES! Cloud needs to save her!
@@PollenAinne I also think it'd be very incoherent on the devs' side if they let her die again considering everybody else (Zack,Biggs...) were basically revived
@@kingthorgrim1591 Yep. Also with the themes introduced in part 1. Cloud getting visions of her death and Aerith telling him not to fall in love with her because she's going to die. And then Sephiroth asking Cloud to change destiny with him. It all points to Aerith surviving. At least in the Forbidden City... I'm not quite sure she will remain alive because Cloud seems to have some minor death flags, that it is quite possible that both Aerith and Cloud will die in the end.
He will
When final part is ended, Aerith might be alive, but think Cloud might be one who had died. Sometimes hero dies at the end.
Wonderful job as usual.
The story is so well written, but so many people just don't seem to have the ability to read between the lines, or they don't really care. And there are some people that will simply choose not to see the truth, or pretend that it isn't there at all. Thank you for doing this Pollen!
I wonder what those people did in literature/English class lol
Coming back to this video and I just wanna say that at 22:46 is the happiest and most comfortable I've seen Cloud throughout all of remake part 1, hell maybe in the entire FF7 series.
Aerith is inlove with Cloud more than Zack. She said it herself in "The Maiden Who Travels the world". Zack should be with Cissnei.
The maiden who travels the planet isn't canon i think. This is still mentioned in the og during the gondola scene with aerith.
@@potatoking4227 Square Enix never said that it wasn't canon though, and they even approved of it when it was written. I think fans just try to take advantage of the fact that it wasn't written by the devs (even so, in FF7 dismantled, Aerith also confirms that she loves Cloud more than Zack in Gongaga)
How perceptive are you? (from seeing Chapter 14: Aerith Scene/ Cloud Dream especially after she said: "But whatever happen, you can't fall in love with me"):
- Lowest:
She loves someone else. She hates Cloud
- Low:
She thinks Cloud have issues with his own feeling (or imagination) because of his mental problem?
- Normal:
(if you know her fate): She doesn't want Cloud to suffer because of her fate. or
(if you don't know her fate): There must be something going to happen for her to say those word
- High:
(Notice something strange) her words are contradicting to her expression/ behavior
- Highest:
(Notice: her leg are shaking, her eyes are watery, her face is sad, she is sighing a few times and her voice is trembling. After saying: It's morning, she is sighing deeply)
she is emotionally hurt while saying those words. It means: she cares/ loves Cloud very much.
Edit (Additional): When Cloud said "I am coming for you/ Mukae ni iku". She is surprised and her face is showing a mix feeling of sadness (the reason she said those words) and happiness (her own feeling).
Putra Hardjono also add in the smile on her face directly after this when Cloud says “I’m coming for you.”
@@MrFilmmakerphil PERFECTION.
Exactly ! Well done.
@@MrFilmmakerphil : Sure. Done.
"I'm coming for you" (ENG)
"Mukae ni iku" (JP) has a deep meaning related to romance.
If you read lots of Manga/ Japanese romance, you will see "Mukae ni iku". It could be described as a love confession as well.
(Please, let me know if i am wrong).
@@putrahardjono4409 You are correct. It's literal meaning is "I will pick you up" But context is important in JP and since they were talking about love just before that, in context Cloud is saying "I will take you back to my side" or something of the sort. But it definitely is him claiming her as his.
"It's a bit frustrating, but I'm glad"
悔しいけど嬉しい
So a few weeks ago I got around to reading that little novella about Aerith's childhood and I had mostly forgotten about it until this video. Just take my heart, it's been ripped right out of my chest, ugh. This couple. This story.
Hahahaha "Let's put away this nonsense that Aerith sees Zack in Cloud", can't agree more
Thanks for another great and perceptive video!
Some might say Cloud falling for Aerith is because of Zack's influence. What do you think?
Yeah that narrative is getting worse by the day so I am currently making an intermission video just for that one. Probably be out by tomorrow.
Yeah it's madness right i feel fans misunderstood the whole story and come up with there own story lol. from what I remember Cloud only acts like Zack at one point in the entire game. It's during the nebelheim memory/flashback. Even as a kid i remember it was strange like why was cloud doing random squats all of sudden. It was so out of character. Clouds never bursting with energy to the point that he couldn't keep still. cloud is always chilled. Then when we found out it was because cloud misremembered the whole thing and it was all a false memory. It made sense Like after the flash back cloud acts like himself again. I don't get how people can believe It. Perhaps it's a test to separate people who got the story from people who didn't. And the guy who came up with the theory is laughing his ass off at how many people believe it.
@@PollenAinne Although both Zack and Cloud have are brave, morally good and cool warriors they couldn't be more different in terms of other personality traits . Zack is confident, suave, optimistic and cheerful heroic character that despite all the hardships he underwent he remains steadfast in being a heroic and morally righteous person.
Cloud on the other hand is a deeply traumatized person that struggles to do good despite his flaws. He holds a lot of guilt, self-blame and doubt in himself to do what is needed hence he has a strong inferiority complex and cherophobia( fear of experience joy/happiness because it can be easily taken away). His brooding and sullen demeanor is more of a coping mechanism for his own insecurities and failings.
Although I do agree that Aerith likes Zack for the traits I mentioned, she clearly also likes Cloud's personality traits that Zack lacked: his adorkable-ness, his vulnerability and willingness to accept Cetra abilities while everyone else just dismisses it as weird.
In many ways Cloud was genuinely the first person that treated Aerith with kindness, respect and accepted her when almost everyone she knew just rejected her for being quirky and weird(childhood) or wanted to exploit her( Turks)
Don't get me wrong Zack was likely Aerith's first crush and Zack himself has many admirable qualities that Aerith fell in love with but he was very busy with SOLDIER work and did not spend much time with Aerith personally and emotionally as much as Cloud did hence why she said to him that their time together was the most happiest moments in her life.
@@hamizanyunos1502 I really like your take on this. I think a possible reason Cloud accepts Aerith’s “weird” Cetra abilities might be because he also hears voices in his head due to the Jenova cells and she’s the only other person who can connect with him on this (other than the clones I suppose but obviously they’re pretty far gone).
Tifa always wanted cloud to be nice but cloud remaind harsh and brutal
Aerith didn't say cloud to be nice and even praised him for his skills and attitude this is what made cloud melt
Wow, I love your insight on the allusion to her "giving up" during the flower scene to it being referenced again during the dream sequence. I never thought about Aerith telling Cloud to not fall in love with her as as her feeling like she should give up again
Well done! I must say that ff7 is a story, where context is a very essential tool to understand it and its characters. Japanese talking habits do not tend to articulate everything directly like in the west. It's all about the context, always. That's why a lot of people in the western countries seem to have issues to get the meaning in some actions and sentences during the story, mostly when it comes to romance. They keep the romance in this game subtle, but due to the context it's still clearly present. It's a complex story, where the ability to read and understand the context correctly is so important to understand the story in its fullest. You basically explained Aerith' s character in the most direct way the story author would never do in the game, IMO.
I was so bummed when I saw that resolution. I felt the same way Cloud did, "what do you mean?! don't I get a say?" Now I have a completely different understanding of the whole scene (though I probably wouldn't ever have without your video!) Your videos are so concise and I learned a ton, all in around 20 minutes. I'm really jealous, great job I'm excited for the next part.
Can't we all relate to Aerith? I mean, she was an Ancient who keeps lots of thoughts in her mind, things that she may wanted to share to someone but the problem is to whom? She was able to share these things to her mom Elmyra ofcourse but right at the moment when she felt the message of the flowers, I do feel like she wanted to share her thoughts to Cloud who was there as well. But she was afraid to vent out because Cloud might really not believe the things that she'll say but then she had an assurance that she could do so by Cloud's "Tell me, anyway", which from my interpretation is "Feel free to tell me about it" but it's Cloud so ofcourse he won't be saying what he truly feels uwu. These two really, I think they've been confessing with one another in indirect ways. And lastly, Cloud's sincere "Learn to talk to her" and "Good work today, guys" I don't need to say anything about these words.❤
damn I really loves their relationship in the remake with their respective voice actor doing an amazing job bringing their character to life, they really compliment one another. I agreed that Aerith doesn't see Zack in Cloud, she has already given up on Zack in crisis core when she wrote her last letter to him. Damn the future suffering will be even greater than 1997 did haha
Another excellent video, congratulations. Cloud and Aerith’s interest in each other was always mutual, and you showed this very well.
A lot of the Tifa fans try to push the theory - as you point out - that Aerith only likes Cloud because he reminds her of Zack. He does remind her of him a little, but she grows to adore Cloud because of his vulnerability.
I’ve read that by the time they reach Gold Saucer, during their date, Aerith accepts in her own mind that she now undoubtedly loves Cloud more than she did Zack.
I really hope they go down the route that if we choose Aerith’s path in the game, there is a way to bring her back. I do actually think that the reason they showed us Zack surviving in an alternate timeline, is to show us that fate CAN be changed. Hence, there will be a way for us to either save, or, which I think is more likely, she dies , and we can bring her back.
Look forward to part 3!
I never understood the reason why Cloti fans insists that Aerith only likes Cloud because of Zack. How can they be compared when they are opposites in personality (at least when Aerith first met Cloud). Zack is this happy-go-lucky optimistic dude while Cloud is stoic, cold and withdrawn. So how can they say that Cloud reminds Aerith of Zack? 🤔
@@NAJ_P_Jackson I know right! It's so contradictory. The only traits they share are their eyes, SOLDIER clothing and sword. Aside from that, Zack and Cloud are as different as night and day
I have to mention this, just because it's inaccurate. Aerith takes care of the flowers at the church while the children play there. She was/is not "close friends" with Kyrie; she just spends a lot of time in the church, where the children play. Here's the book verbatim:
"Were you friends with Aerith?" Reno Asked.
"Well, sort of," said Kyrie. "There's this run-down church in the slums, and a couple of friends and I used to play there a lot. We'd have pretend weddings and stuff. Aerith was always there, taking care of the flowers by herself. Sometime's I'd talk to her. One day, she suddenly told me I had to go home, right away. I thought she was being mean because another kid stepped on the flowers."
"Yeah, I remember the flowers. She loved those things."
"So I stomped out, and when I got home, they'd just brought in my parents' bodies."
"Damn..."
"My grandma told me something once, about the Lifestream and the Ancients. I always thought it was just a story, but after that, I was sure Aerith was one of them."
"When did all this happen?"
"I was ten. Aerith was a few years older than me. So what do you think I said the next time I saw her?"
"Dunno."
"I told her she was creepy." Kyrie pulled her legs up on the seat, hugging them to her chest and burying her face in her knees.
"Ouch."
"I stopped going to the church. When I finally went back... it was years later, after Sector Seven fell. I thought I'd find some flowers for the people who died. That was when I learned that the Turks took Aerith away."
I don't know if you can fix your video, but right now it is inaccurate information about Kyrie and Aerith's relationship.
You are right. It seems I took it that Aerith was part of the couple of friends she used to play with. Will try if I can fix it with a caption, or maybe mention it in the next video. Thanks!
I like the dream. A lot of the meaning, especially with the English, is implied. But I feel like you can see how much Aerith cares about Cloud, and how much it hurts her to try to push him away.
I really like the complexity and depth of the characters and relationships. Your videos show it really well.
I completely agree. You can easily see the emotions in Aerith's face. She wants to save him pain. You can also see what to me appears to be the lifestream in the background, I have not seen the other scenes, and Aerith looks toward it as if she is seeming something then appears to pray. Perhaps she was just trying to gather her thoughts. However, IMO she was given knowledge and already knows what will happen to Cloud mind and his heart. She is trying her best to heal him before he is hurt.
The dream scene was so well done.
I think what hurts even more is Aerith cares more about protecting Cloud mentally and emotionally than her own demise.
She's caught between her Cetra duty to the planet and enjoying every moment living with Cloud. It's the first time someone appreciated Cloud just for being himself and being around her!
Cloud usually never asserts himself when pushed away, much less reaching out for someone on his own. He loves and appreciates her just as much as she does him. You even see his eyes glancing down as she thanks him. He's not used to this at all.
Aerith has such a conflict going on inside her and it's obvious her words don't match her feelings.
Even before playing ff7R, I knew of cloud and tifa, but I could never see them as a couple. As I'm playing the game, I dont understand the ship at all. Tifa and cloud are just so awkward to each other. When they met up again for the first time at 7th heaven, there wasnt even any excitement. But with Aerith, the vibes feel different. Yes, it's still awkward bc of clouds social skill, but this time around, its a comfortable type of awkwardness. I put off playing ff7R for such a long time bc I knew about the original ending. I really hope this time around, itll be different. I just want Cloud and Aerith to be happy :(
I finish Rebirth... I admit... and I have a lot of mixed feelings
My hope for part 3 is low... but it's still there ( Nomura please !!! let them be together/happy somehow )
As an autistic person I can relate to Aerith. Most people think I'm weird because I'm different. I was also always excluded in school.
Lets hope the story changed that Aerith not died at Part 2, And cloud and aerith have babies at the ending and the cetra will reborn
Anyways thanks pollen for your love, I'll support you by subscribing you Because i like Clerith relationship, Keep it up Work it
well, this has to happen to prevent bad future seen in Red XIII's vision where the planet killed all the humans (because Cetra was gone). We gotta believe!
*sighs* i just cant believe that im not alone in this ship after all these years.
their connection and wavelength runs skin deep and not superficial.
Really Love The Video 👏... Perhaps i'd like to add a bit more about their relationship that i discovered.
1. Aerith trusted Cloud with choosing the flowers to take to the Leafhouse should signify something too. Imagine, a guy who just said that all flowers mean the same to him a while ago basically got to choose the flowers for the decoration. And she even said she knows he has eyes for this kinda stuffs. Perhaps this signify that Aerith understand a bit more of his interior persona compared to how other characters understand him.
2. The Scene in front of the Corneo Mansion when Aerith crosses the bridge towards Cloud. They could have met anywhere in the Wall Market but that's the exact spot they see each other. Perhaps, it was Aerith who literally wants to "bridge" herself towards Cloud in a way. Other than the romantic notion about the scene, Aeriths' dresses were also dependant on how much efforts Cloud put into it. The more Cloud put in efforts, the more she feels confident about herself and her look. And the smile she made after she saw Cloud Stuttering would perhaps show how much she appreciated his efforts and all he's done for her
So perhaps Aerith's trust and Cloud's efforts for her would be a solid foundation for their feelings to develop even more going forward .
Nice context. Aerith definitely trusts Cloud. It can be seen by how she trusts him to deal with the kids and most of everything else. The way she softly laughs as he deals with the children's devotion in him. She really believes in him.
Ah, a truly beautiful 2nd part to this beautiful short Clerith documentary. It was beautiful to see you explain explain exactly what makes Cloud and Zack different from each other and how much more sincere of a person he is than Zack (and how important that is for someone like Aerith). I especially loved how you pointed out when Aerith was trying to make Cloud give up on her because of what was meant to happen in the future (and how she was right about her being good at giving up), but Cloud refuses to ever give up on her. I have a strong feeling that maybe when it draws much closer the time for Aerith to die, Aerith will probably once again try to push Cloud away and probably even be more explicit as to why this time, but Cloud will say to her that even though she has already given up on living, he will never give up on her and will do everything in his power to save her.
I cannot wait for part 3. It's going to be so good. I know it.
Also have to mention that Cloud sees himself as a "special" person so considering the experience he had with Aerith its quite clear to see he's more comfortable around her no matter what
Dear Pollen Ainne, I am only halfway through this video and you have filled my heart, my mind, and my soul until their very foundations threaten to burst. Your work in telling the story of Cloud and Aerith’s relationship is of the highest caliber and has made Aerith real to me. I cannot find words enough to thank you for what you have done here. I aspire to accomplish that same effect on others as you have. However, my work is in the field of science and as such, it will never hold a candle’s scintilla to the glory that you have wrought. May all good things flow unto you. Thank you.
Thank you for your kind words. I am happy to meet so much people who cares about CA as I do.
I have read through all the comments on this video and am encouraged by how many people are affected by the Clerith story. However, while they do care and have their own analyses to share, I must make it clear that I highly respect you for your work, even to the height that I am so overtaken by all that the creators of FF7 have put into the story. It seems as though you have an extraordinary ability to understand Cloud and Aerith’s relationship. Your accomplishments exceed my own in 43 years of marriage and child-rearing. If you could apply your wisdom and skill to help people in real life to understand their relationships, that would be a great blessing in this world. You young people give me so much hope for the future of humanity. We may never meet, but you have had a profound impact in my life, all 67 years of it. (Yes, that is me in my avatar but it was 1979.)
i dearly dearly dearly hope that your Clerith passionate video will be known worldwide. you deserve every bit of it Pollen. i dearly hose so !
Thanks a lot. I appreciate your vote of confidence
The lenght of the dream sequence is much longer then other two resolution. Also, it is the only cutscene of the three that you can see in the ending credits frame sequence, even if you had the other two in the game.
Barret: 2.32
Tifa: 2.44
Aerith: 3.28
I have had the most odd parallels to this, had a girl chase me for quite awhile and was oblivious to their playful advances but would always keep it real. Keeping compliments rare and pretending I didnt care initially or just not seeking them out but theyd always be stubborn. Eventually I learned to open up to them and once that finally happened we would spend nearly every day together for over 2 months, but then something sudden happened. They kept an emotion buried of being burned out so instead of taking the risk of rejecting me or thinking Id leave them if it kept going (deep rooted abandonment issues) they suddenly just vanished, it wasnt til weeks later I found out what the cause even was and theyd subconsciously push me away thinking Id never accept them.
But after reflecting on everything I decided to challenge that rejection head on even if it meant waiting for their feelings to cope, and in the end I did (albeit not too strongly to avoid any triggers) show them that I really did care regardless and Id accept them for who they were. Even though they tried to playfully deny it they finally admitted there was some frustration there and finally came clean. Weve been happy ever since and it makes me super proud to be able to help someone with complex issues like that, all it takes it pushing your friend to confront their fears and assuring them that youll support them. Some people really do bring out the best in you to do things you never wouldve had half the confidence to do without them.
Love your story. Loving someone gives us the power to push through our own limits.
Another great video! I hadn’t read the new Aerith novella so I had no idea about Hojo and the paintings. This really makes me admire Aerith’s positive and hopeful personality more. It’s nice to see how someone who has been through a rough childhood bring out the best in someone else. I agree with what you said, Cloud and Aerith keep each other from giving up and it is so beautiful to see! 💞 I can’t wait for part 3!
I’m glad I was able to contribute to your analysis through my translations! Thank you for these Ainne, your perspective about CA is really enriching.
Thank you so much for your hard work in translating the novel! We all appreciate it.
YASSSS u never disappoint RISE CLERITH RISE
Love that you understand every single detail on the game, not surprise that i’m really into clerith
I'm sad, and happy at the same time. I love her and Zack because Zack is such a great guy, but I also am rooting Aerith with Cloud too. This is so confusing!
It's okay. I like Zack too. But in the end, I just really believe that Cloud makes Aerith happier because they have a deeper bond through shared childhood trauma and the polar opposite attraction, just like magnets. Cloud seem to be also sensitive to the lifestream, which is why Aerith can connect to him in his dreams... she hasn't been able to do this with anyone else. They dont need a cellphone. lol
Kyah! Was waiting for this!! So insightful. I love all the other legit sources you bring in too. That just shows they’ve always been the canon. My favourite part of this video is, “They’re like batteries that recharge each other.” Couldn’t have made a better comparison!!!
Cloud is the epitome of ツンデレ (Tsundere), which is a character personality type that seems really cold and unfeeling but actually deeply loves. It’s usually only after encountering someone very different, usually a cheerful, bubbly type, that a tsundere feels comfortable enough to show his true feelings.
I think Aerith can relate to Cloud as both grew up as kids who didn't have or any real friends. Plus being a Cetra and dealing with children in sector 5 a lot she can read his emo tough guy act like a book. Plus Cloud is described by many girls as cute or good looking and the fact the is in Soldier.
Wow I never noticed that stuff about Eligor but it makes so much sense. Thanks for included…props to the writers, that’s excellent
Been waiting for this for a while...wasn't disappointed
Haha, there was so much exposition, that I had to actually take out some clerith moments, but yeah that end battle with Sephy is another great example. lol
I like this one, AGAIN.
-Lonely Cloud
Just wanted to say that you are a very perceptive person and thank you for putting this up. I gained a few insights about Cloud and Aerith's interaction that I haven't thought about before. You're a real life Aerith!
Aw, I am far from it but I try. lol. Thank you for the wonderful compliment thought.
Was on the verge of crying all over again after seeing the train graveyard scene, then Zack showed up and I laughed
Really loved your take on all this. Ever since the original FFVII I felt like the Aerith Cloud story was far more nuanced than the technical abilities at the time was able to display. The remake has really allowed it to expand and breath. I enjoyed your take on the dream sequence as well. However, and it is probably just me, but I felt that that sequence was real, and not some dream. [SPOILERS for the ORIGINAL and AC]. It feels to me that this Aerith might be from some point after she entered the life stream. She seems to understand what Cloud is going to go through with her comment about it not being real. And when he reaches for her, she dissolves into the green strands of the life stream. I think that Sephiroth in remake is showing us that once you become part of the life stream, time becomes fluid and we are seeing that with Aerith as well. Or maybe I'm seeing what I want to see with this moment. An existence for Aerith beyond the tragic moment. Either way I loved your video and am looking forward to your next one.
TRULY BEAUTIFUL!!! this video is so truthful! my compliments dear,! you understood perfectly the characterization of Cloud and Aerith created by Nojima and Square enix itself, and above all you understood their unequivocal and transcendental bond of love that will bind them forever, in eternity ❤
Uhmm I think one of the things I love most is that Aerith is the girl who unleashes Cloud's "frost exterior" and from here on he will never be the same, thanks to aerith he will start to discover "The real himself" can't wait to see more :')
it's very clear in the OG, but the remake made it obvious to everyone, and I'm very happy ❤
I can't wait to play the second game of this "remake project"
I have gooooooood feelings for the future parts ❤
Wow I didn't expect to find you here,this is awesome,then again I shouldn't be surprised.By the way are you working on another video or are you currently taking a break from all that?
OMG i swear your videos made me cry but this one in particular made me cry even more after knowing Aerith's childhood past, she has been through a lot and saw the evil in humans, and left alone, yet she still optimistic and cheerful, trying her best to encourage Cloud and brings the best of him, healing him from all the negative feelings he had, she is too precious and perfect and deserves the happiest life ever.
I actually think that Aerith knew how the future will unfold, but since they defied destiny i dont believe she still knows what will follow but what i want to believe is that she will be saved this time and be with Cloud (2nd wish :P )
Edit : Goddamn everytime i hear younger Aerith say "A man you really really love just died" i feel a spear impaling me through my heart.....
"how much?"
"Well that depends on the customer. In your case... It's on the house."
*places flower on clouds heart*
"they symbolise reunion you know"
Subtle Aerith. Very subtle.
Yes I know, I butchered the last part of the quote 🤣 I can't remember exactly how she phrased it.
No its perfect. Its the exact quote frm the original JP version.
...continuation.
5. Chapter 9, when Aerith and Cloud went to Wall Market to save Tifa. Whether any choices we choose, (mature, sporty or exotic) it doesn't matter. Cloud doesn't see how Tifa is beautifully dressed when he had met her while heading to Don Corneo's place. He knew Tifa can handle herself, as what she assured to him, but he knew that danger is still possible. This, for me, is the slight disadvantage of Tifa to Aerith (mentioning the shippers, I can't really side to any of you as of now, maybe I could choose at the release of part 2 of the Remake). Tifa is too strong to handle that even Cloud won't make much effort to protect her, except in certain circumstances that she really needed to be saved. The time Aerith became curious on Tifa when Cloud mentioned her after his mind bugged of Tifa's childhood vision, but he describe their connection in a vague way. Aerith became more curious when they saw her inside the wagon leading to Wall Market, and that curiosity made Aerith to offer herself to be a candidate for Don Corneo's bride, which Cloud didn't intervene. So, ignoring what Tifa had said to him, they went to Wall Market to know how to penetrate Don Corneo's place. Moreover, while Cloud is staying at the Sector 5, Aerith didn't question his personality, especially when he asked for a payment for every task he take (sidequests with Aerith). For some reasons, Cloud is already growing here, breaking the ice inside his soul, and learned to communicate naturally. And the evidence? His high-five to Aerith after they defeated the Hell House, which he didn't do while they're on their way to Sector 7.
6. Again, at Chapter 9. Cloud became more conscious at Aerith's personality. He saw her disappointment (failed high-fives, for example), but still energetic. So, to compliment her effort, he take every chance to help her to enter the audition, to the extent that he himself had to be also the candidate by crossdressing through the help of Andrea after their dance showdown at the stage of Honeybee Club (the craziest idea I had ever imagined, that I myself can't even explain why it has to be done, authors trolled us unexpectedly, why? 😂). Well, Aerith supported all the way up there (and trolled him, poor Cloud). But to mention, Cloud recognized Aerith's beauty and elegance when she showed out with her red gown. And yeah, this is the first time I saw Cloud express this over someone (lucky Aerith). Even if he had met Tifa at a room, he didn't commented on her dress or on her beauty, but instead, he chose to shut her on commenting at his crossdressing. Since then, for me, Tifa is under Aerith in terms of poking Cloud's attention and emotion. But there's a slight clue that Cloud couldn't have Aerith for long, that's when Cloud left Aerith's house and as he is on the way, she met Aerith, and his mind bugged after sometime, with a tear on his eye (beginning of Ch. 9). If the presumption of that distortion is true, then expect a terrifying freedom that awaits him ahead.
7. About Marlene. As I really focusing on the whole story, I don't know if she is either a biological or adopted daughter of Barret, as it is not mentioned at Ch. 3. But it seems that Marlene has this connection to Aerith, as she is never mentioned from Tifa or Barret (and even Cloud) to her, until the fall of the pillar of Sector 7 wherein the little girl has to be saved at the bar and Aerith offered to help, which made Tifa puzzled (Ch. 13). My presumption for me is this: Marlene knew that Aerith is not a "normal human," but she's too young to understand it fully, and the only thing she knew is that, those dead people return to the planet (Ch. 3). Well, Aerith has this too sweet and pure personality, which made Marlene trust her. To make her safe, Aerith requested to Tseng to deliver Marlene first at her house before going to Shinra. By the record, even if she's only about four years old, Marlene is still a mystery character on this remake. Whether she is a normal human being or something, it might be revealed at the next part or it might not matter anymore.
8. Chapter 11, when Cloud, Tifa and Aerith face the ghosts. The main highlight: Tifa's jealousy to Aerith's charisma. Tifa knew the story at the train graveyard, that the place is haunted, so she's reluctant to continue as she is afraid also. When they are at the entrance of a maintence facility of an abandoned station, in which there's glowing drawings that invites them, Tifa asked them if they will enter there. But Aerith is so energetic that she decided to continue and her assurance that Cloud will protect her is intact. Tifa's jealousy became visible when she saw Aerith hold Cloud's right arm, thinking that she's flirting, so she snugged Cloud also, to his left arm. That's cute, actually, 'coz Tifa became conscious on what Aerith can do. Mine.
9. The dream sequence. By playing the game, there are different sequence to be do to unlock it (and all of it are canon, though Aerith's sequence would fit because of the next scene). As much as I understand, the sequence starts at Ch. 3 sidequests. After the fall on Don Corneo's trap, at the sewers, there's this choice whether Tifa or Aerith is the first person to wake up after Cloud gained his consciousness, and choosing any of them will trigger the sequence with their own scenes. Back to the sequence, there are three of them:
a. For Barret. We saw how rude Barret is to Cloud from Ch. 1 up to Ch. 10. But on that sequence, Barret realize that Cloud is not really what he knew: Cloud has this gold heart inside the blunt personality. Thus, he promised that after all their missions, he will introduce Cloud to his friends. As for him, Cloud is the man anyone that could be trusted. (Though I don't know how to unlock this sequence, even if I am viewing other gameplays.)
b. For Tifa. This is the common one, the easy unlockable sequence, but this hit hard for her. We saw how devastated Tifa is after the fall of the pillar of Sector 7 that resulted of the destruction of their whole place, so she need a leaning shoulder to cry on, and it's Cloud. And Cloud felt her pain. But this sequence doesn't have any conversation between their feelings to each other, thus, for shippers, Tifa is not for Cloud at this moment, still.
c. For Aerith. For the many of us, this is the best sequence, for this is the most heartbreaking, and this is the only the dream scene among the three. For some, this is the OG Aerith that came from the Lifestream, which is somewhat possible 'coz Cloud can't touch her at the near end. But the problem is that, we can't really expect that Aerith will be for Cloud at the end, as she told him that he can't fall in love for her, which made Cloud hurt. This confirms that Cloud has this unknown feeling for Aerith, and her importance is huge, so he told her that he will come to her, to be all in with Aerith. For instance, Cloud changed partially 'coz of Aerith, and protect her at all cost.
I'm 1 year late, but I have 2 small corrections to your comment. The first is that aerith's resolution should actually be the easiest to get since cloud starts out with more affinity for her than he does tifa. Second is that if this is og aerith, she tells cloud he can't fall in love with her actually because she knows her fate and knows that cloud gets super depressed (almost suicidal) after what happens to her and she doesn't want him to go through that pain again
I saw the Japanese version of Cloud's dream of Aerith. One of the commenters for the video said, "
[SkilledLegend
-3 weeks ago]
@cloudkitt Correct. For example in this scene cloud says “mukae ni iku/迎えに行く” in English it translates simply to I’m coming for you but based on the context of them talking about love it’s more of I’m coming to get you to bring you back to my side." That's friicken cute as heck.
I love this. Despite watching this, I’m pretty sure I’d still tear up when I play the game myself. I love the part where Cloud talks to the flowers. Really shows, how open he is when he’s around Aerith
PS: I had to rewind the vid cuz I got distracted by the Materia in the background 😅
Don't worrry @Pollen Aine , I believe we will finally get the great debate of the love triangle(s) resolved with the remake project. What a golden opportunity to both resolve who Cloud loves, and now with Zack possibly being back, who Aerith loves. Two debates settled in one fell swoop :)
I agree with you. Especially with Zack back, there will be no more confusion about whether Aerith is just with Cloud because of Zack. It will now be clear that it has always been Cloud that Aerith loves since 1997.
@@PollenAinne Exactly. I just want to thank you again for making your video series as well. You truly have been a pillar of strength for the Clerith community. You have even inspired me to try to make a video of my own. I'd love to do a video with the only audio being the Music "Water" from Advent Children playing, displaying Cloud's grief in a visual form without words, just scenes intercut, of Aerith from both the film and the remake, and Cloud. Something that communicates without words whom he holds in his heart.
@@PerfectEclipse Awesome. I would love to see it.
I love this couple so damn much! 😭😭😭
I love this analysis of these two and their relationship. There’s also a theory that Aerith might have time traveled and knows all of the events of the original FF7 and she’s very secretive and vague at times, but in certain moments she lets slip knowledge of things she shouldn’t know about. Check out PlayStacin’s video on both games being connected. For example, Cloud being a merc, Marlene, Barret and the fact that he’s the father. The fact that she knows Cloud so well already, when it’s only been a day they’ve been together. Her words to him in the dream sequence make much more sense when you have this theory in mind too. It also makes the reunion flower scene more meaningful. She is happy to see Cloud again, they are reunited. She spends as much time with him as possible calling it a special day. I love this theory so much because she is challenging her fate.
Just how "Ancient" is Tseng? Lol that guy never ages xD
They messed up in the flash back scene. He 30 in FFVII, thus he should be 15 in the flashback, I don't know why he looks the same.
@@akirachaossuta unless it is supposed to be stereotypical, he just didnt age in 15 years xD
Lol
Finally a convincing clerith statement! Although i didnt interested in this ship, but I've been searching throughout the internet about the reason people support clerith, but none of them makes sense until i found this video. It needs alot of work and love to make this video, i enjoy it alot, thank you so much ^^
4 months late to this but the person who posted this video has made multiple videos for the ship if you haven't seen them yet. This video, as said in the title, is part 2. Part 3 is probably the best imo
@@xmant8842 no worries, i've finished the other 2 videos too. Thank you so much for the information! ^ ^ wish you have a nice day
Thx so much for the video!
I’ve seen a few interpretation clips of Aerith’s words “Even if you have, it’s not real”.
Some thought it was Aerith breaking his heart or she was implying his feeling for her was actually Zack’s. But I totally agree with you that she said that for Cloud’s sake as she cared so much for him and didn’t want him to get hurt because of her unfortunate fate...
When he says "learn to talk to her"
it could be that he means the flowers, or himself.
All these moments they shared are so beautiful. I bet none of the true clerith fans would swap those with one kiss that doesnt have weight in the story plot 😊
We now know that the OG timeline is considered a bad end from the Remake and I always entertained the idea that it's because Aerith died in that timeline that humanity ceased to exist. The planet lost the last person it needed to to correct all the wrongs humanity inflicted on the world and decided to just wipe them all out.
If Aerith lives and have many Cetra babies then maybe that bad end can be prevented. 🤗
I specifically remember I think hijame tabata confirming that the og timeline was the bad end and humanity is soon extinct
Aeriths back story hits like bricks, it must hurt her to think what happened to her moms body after. Even if she returned to the planet. Just the thought of what Hojo said is true. Cloud will do whatever to make sure she keeps smiling
alright the rebirth came out and i just finished so i need you back 😭😭😭😭😭💔
Both Zack and Cloud were great men and both guys were also very handsome so im torn between two lovers for Aerith, even in the pre dev. Concept I heard that Sephiroth even considered to be her love interest so i guess Aerith is the queen of FF7 hehe btw great videos keep it up👍
i absolutely love your videos. there is so much to learn from these characters and you have broken them down masterfully.
Ahh finally. I been waiting for this
Amazing video cant wait for part 3
I can feel you put your heart into those 2 relationship really deeply~ Tks for video! I love it
These videos are beautiful and brilliantly made. Thank you
Thank you :)
I just can't help listening to Barrett quietly cackling. 😂