No, I don't like that. At least I tried it out though.
You may have thought nothing of me saying that this was an easy topic to write about, but now I think you have to believe me! How about a surprise follow-up to my last post, Tifa's Promise!?
No audio version, no artwork, just extra pulp. So what am I gonna talk about, you may ask? Well...
I'm gonna weigh in on the Love Triangle in Final Fantasy VII -- That is, Cloud and his love interests Tifa and Aerith, obviously omitting Barret (lol) and Yuffie. I feel like after my last post, you'd get the feeling that I am quite the fan of the Tifa and Cloud ship. You wouldn't be completely wrong, but my ideas are a bit more complex than that. Let's get right into it!
Let's Start With What We Know
Here's what we've got to work with. For Tifa:
- Cloud and Tifa aren't childhood friends
- Clouds initial infatuation with Tifa is dangerous, because he idolizes her
- Throughout the first half of Final Fantasy VII, Tifa can't be honest with Cloud, about her feelings or otherwise.
- Tifa is on the journey driven almost completely by the want to be by Cloud's side, arguably more-so for him than to benefit herself.
- Tifa is supportive of Cloud, possibly more so than Aerith
- Though the friendship may not be real initially, Cloud and Tifa do build a strong relationship, and making it through this journey with someone is not something you should discount.
- Cloud's feelings for Tifa are not based on his initial infatuation.
- Aerith is initially drawn to Cloud for all of the wrong reasons. i.e. that he reminds her of Zack
- Cloud and Aerith are almost literally perfect for each other (you can tell through the general interactions and the fortune Cait Sith gives)
- Cloud's demeanor improves greatly when around Aerith. (I don't think her's changes, she seems to be constantly as "up" as possible.)
- There's a strong possibility that the chemistry between the two is a product being of polar opposites (that is, Jenova & the Ancients), which just as much makes them enemies
- Cloud and Aerith are very forward and truthful with each other.
- Square intends for you to go on the date with Aerith the first time you play FFVII
- Aerith accepts Cloud for who he is, saying he's actually not like Zack at all.
The Verdict
Based on compatibility and how good one person is for the other, I think the obvious answer is Aerith, and when I cast aside my personal feelings about the characters (which, by the way are incredibly positive for both girls, just slightly more so for Tifa) I'm absolutely behind that idea. Aerith is good for Cloud, and had Aerith's fate been different -- had she succeeded in summoning an uninhibited Holy, which would cause Final Fantasy VII to end without Cloud having his existential crisis and whatnot -- They absolutely should have ended up together. Cloud's quality of life is quite simply better with Aerith around, and what blossoms between them in the short time they have together is undeniable.
However that's not how the story goes.
You can't look past what Tifa goes through for Cloud. The entire rest of her life is on hold to ensure his well-being to the best of her ability, and Cloud returns that insurance to her. The relationship that starts as a lie, and an unromantic one at that, grows into something Cloud and Aerith never had. Though Cloud's romantic feelings aren't as apparent, they're still present and start to crack through toward the end of the game, especially in the "It's debatable exactly what just happened at the edge of the crater last night" scene at the end of disc 2/beginning of disc 3.
You can't look past what Tifa goes through for Cloud. The entire rest of her life is on hold to ensure his well-being to the best of her ability, and Cloud returns that insurance to her. The relationship that starts as a lie, and an unromantic one at that, grows into something Cloud and Aerith never had. Though Cloud's romantic feelings aren't as apparent, they're still present and start to crack through toward the end of the game, especially in the "It's debatable exactly what just happened at the edge of the crater last night" scene at the end of disc 2/beginning of disc 3.
So who do I choose?
Well... Dilly-dally, shilly-shally. Tifa allows Cloud to move on, and she's quite an extraordinary person in general and in Cloud's life. They've built their own bond that has been tested by Hell's fire itself. Tifa's also not afraid to kick Cloud into gear time and time again, and on top of that, I'm not so sure anyone else could handle what he puts her through. Also, I don't think Tifa should be held accountable for her inability to be completely honest with Cloud at the beginning of the game. I don't even think she knew what the honest to God truth was; I mean, when you're imagining your own version of a person who's right in front of you, how confident could you possibly be in something as irrational as emotions? Jenova's influence is a scary thing in this universe, and she shouldn't be held responsible for being it's target (I say, after Jenova literally targeted and killed Aerith).
So yeah, I like Tifa in Final Fantasy VII. She allows for and makes Cloud move forward in his life. If it weren't the same story, it'd be a lot more debatable.
Sorry, Aerith
I hope you guys enjoyed this special Extra Pulp edition of OJ. I'll see you again in a few weeks~
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