Those Who Fight: Final Fantasy 7, Environmentalism, and Beyond

[@Skyehoppers]

Hi! What did you think of analysis? Any differing interpretations? Anything I missed? I'm sure there a million little things that I could have talked about but didn't, even after all the amount of time I did spend. If you have the means, please consider donating to my Patreon (link in description)! Current perks are early access, credits, Discord server, and regular updates. Future perks will include voting on topics and exclusive content (but yeah haven't gotten that far yet). Here are some discussion questions to get further conversation started? 1. There are a lot of subtle, abstract images in the ending. Do you have a confident idea of what they mean? Stuff like Cloud's confusing line about the "answer from the Planet" or the yellow orb he sees while in the vision travelling toward Sephiroth? 2. I did not 100% complete this game while replaying it for the video. I played a lot of the sidequests, but certainly not everything. Is there any additional side content or worldbuilding details? that could add to the full meaning of the game? 3. I was a bit mean to Cid in this video, which I still think is justified lol, but if you have a more interesting reading on the character I'd still love to hear it! I'll probably think of some more questions in a bit, but for now thank you so much for watching!! This took an incredible amount of effort and I am so proud of myself for finishing it. More! Videos! Soon!!*

[@rashkavar]

Wow, you got a heck of a lot more out of FF7 than I did! Regarding Cid, I was fully expecting him to have some nightmarish military backstory before his chance to be the first man in space. His random outbursts of aggression fit a popular portrayal of PTSD caused by war. But we never get to see anything to suggest that - instead we see a weirdly twisted version of the enthusiasm for space travel one sees in figures like Goddard and von Braun (the latter of whom did some pretty horrible stuff in order to get funding for his research into rocketry, but everything I've read suggests that his goal was always space exploration...the people with the money just wanted missiles for delivering bombs during the war and "physics packages" after the war.)

[@Arkenidae]

I know this review-analysis only takes on the original game, but Nanaki wasn't the last of his kind. He was, instead, the last *male* of his kind. His girl, Deneh, just never appears in the original game. The spin offs offer for this issue the explanation that both her and Nanaki were meant to take part in a ritual to appease the Planet, lasting several years, but were disrupted by Shinra coming with intentions to capture one of their kind for Hojo's machinations; the Turks (there were many more Turks other than Rude, Reno, etc back in the day) allow them to perform the ritual, on the condition that they can take Nanaki with them. Deneh spends the entirety of the OG's timeline still holding up her end of the deal. Also, not that many of the sidequests add more meaning to the overall message, but some of them offer some interesting questions. Like why the Kalm traveler has so many powerful materia with him. Or how a random fellow, isolated from the world has the item for leaning Great Gospel. Overall it's a question of... Who are these people and why or how they came in possession of all this OP stuff? And as much as I like Cid as a character, I think it's justified, yes. He's the embodiement of "I have an issue/trauma/mental instability but I'll pin my troubles on others instead of solving them". But that parallels well to Cloud as a character ("I'll take on a fake persona of coolness and hyper masculinity to avoid confronting my failures in life.") and also Vincent ("I have failed to protect someone, so it's my fault exclusively.") The abuse towards Shera really sucks and I don't think him saying a half apology, marrying her off screen and naming his new airship in AC after her fixes anything, but he's... a figure worth of analysis too, to say the least. Also I'm gonna disagree with you on Sephiroth (as a person/character, not as a puppet of the system) not having empathy or being a representation of toxic masculinity. He never once tries to be a tough, macho type of guy. In the Nibelheim flashback, he's shown to try to make conversation with his subordinates, even if he's already by that point on the verge of absolutely losing it and even if he comes across as being "othered" for the conditions that made him be... himself. He excuses himself when one foot soldier falls on the mountain and they can't recover their body, saying that it may look cold, but explaining basically that going for that foot soldier would risk the well being of the group. His hair is longer than even the girl party members and he has a soft face, much like Cloud, while most of other men in the game are portrayed in a much more "typically masculine" way. Sephiroth's arc mirrors Cloud of being in doubt/looking for an identity, while in a system that makes guard dogs for the rich out of them, but never actually finding a true identity and misusing the lie he believes to be a truth to harm others for an useless goal. Cloud defeating him is Cloud recognizing one doesn't need to be a glorified/idolized lap dog/special/"not like other girls" to have value as a person and be worthy of other's attention... he can just be himself, without illusions. He doesn't need to be above others or detached/god-like. (Fun note? Sephiroth in Japanese uses the personal pronoun "ore" - for confident or adult men - to refer to himself before his fall, even if most of his text falls in the same lines of being caring with subordinates, telling Cloud to go visit relatives/friends as they're in Nibelheim, etc. is more or less the same. But he changes this to "watashi" - neutral, often more feminine or detached/distant in the way a god would be - after he finds the "truth" of his origins. It's a little change, completely lost in translation, but it adds a certain nuance. He still didn't act the way he did due to his gender or sense of masculinity, but rather due to delusions of godhood/being superior to humans.) Otherwise, I think your analysis is fantastic! Certainly one of my favorite videos about this game, to be honest. The little zoo stories in between segments added a real lot to it, especially with the way the picture slowly clears up with each segment, until we have all the pieces together and can see it crystal clear.

[@UltimaLuminaire]

Loved the video, even if I think differently in places. Small nitpicks are all I have (only relative to FF7 classic; I've played everything to 100% completion but I like the spirit of your video, so classic only). One off the top of my head: In the video you mention Cloud having done terrible things under Shinra at one point, just before the reveal of Cloud's identity as a grunt. I don't know if this was a purposeful smokescreen, but in the event that it was a statement made in earnest, I think there is a massive amount of evidence to the contrary. Grunts are portrayed in ways that no other NPC type get, even by Final Fantasy standards beyond 7, and often to a stark degree. For where Cloud was at, it was highly unlikely he had any effect or even high-stakes violent job that would force him to take innocent lives. The Nibelheim incident was a one-of-a-kind mission. 1. I'm not certain, but the theory in my head is that he found a personal connection to the lifestream; a connection to the planet that exists within himself similar to what the Cetra had discovered. As for the orb, I assumed it was a stylistic moon even though it has only ever been featured in the cutscene with Nanaki's father. 2. Nothing much. I do find it funny that you could read the Knights of the Round summon as the original team of Cetra that defeated Jenova, and using it on her in the Northern Crater will increase the HP and overall damage from the final boss. Of course it's just a damage check, so technically using Omnislash with Ultima Weapon will trigger that, too, but it's still funny to me. 3. No, I think Cid was weaker character-wise than Cait Sith. People I know who like him typically do so because they glorify and romanticize war, exploration, and aviation in a similar way that Cid does in the game. For some reason, the southern accent in AC made the Shera pill even more bitter to swallow for me. Oh, funny realization that's forced on you by Crisis Core Remaster somewhat: Sephiroth's hometown is also Nibelheim, and he remembers the scenery enough to hate it when he snaps. Also, I found the Nibelheim coverup more chilling than you did. To me it was the ultimate smokes and mirrors employed to screw with people; FF7's Roswell or Area 51. If you extrapolate that with Sephiroth's experience under Shinra and Hojo's general ass hattery, of course he'd never value people. They're all phony and cowardly.

[@Skyehoppers]

@UltimaLuminaire Ah, so when I said "has done horrible things on the orders of those above him" I mostly meant assaulting Aeris and giving Sephiroth the Black Materia. That is the footage I played when I said that line, I think. Also to a lesser extent the bombing missions with Avalanche.

[@rashkavar]

@@Skyehoppers There's also just the implication that grunts in general wind up having to do some fairly terrible things. There's nothing to indicate the Aero Combatants fought on the way up the Sector 7 pillar are SOLDIER or Turks rather than just grunts with a thing that lets them fly. Sure, they've been told to keep 'terrorists' from climbing the pillar, and their ultimate failure to do so is in line with the narrative of AVALANCHE sabotaging the pillar...but they're still there supporting Shinra's actions involving the pillar and thus are unknowingly taking part in the destruction of the pillar. It's very worth noting that people, especially those in military and paramilitary organizations, can do terrible things without being aware of it, as they lack the context and perspective that they need to understand it. This is an obvious example - they're following orders in trying to prevent members of AVALANCHE from climbing the pillar, not knowing that these are the people trying to *stop* the pillar from being destroyed.

[@TrapMagius]

Simply glossing over Cid made me quite surprised. It's about a man that had to abandon his dream of going into space to save someone else.He could've either gone through with the launch but live with the guilt for the rest of his life of having killed someone over it, or cancel the launch to save someone at the expense of something he always wanted. That's why he has such a deep conflict right there in the cockpit. Right as the rocket was about to take off, he makes the right moral decision to shut the engines off. It's unknown if he smoked prior to to this point, but smoking is often a coping mechanism. His internal turmoil after the event caused him to shift blame onto Shera for being "too cautious", even if he deep down knew that wasn't the case. That's why he's so abusive and angry. After the events of the first visit to Rocket Town he simply joins up because he has nothing left. It's not until the Huge Materia mission that he finds some sort of purpose and starts to change into a better person. He's had nothing up until this point in the story to stick around for. After he finally reaches his goal of going into space and the oxygen tank exploding that he realies that Shera was right all along, even urging the others to escape while they still have time. He finally apologizes to Shera because she was right all along, and he made the right decision that day to abort the launch. In the escape pod he marvels at his dream being fulfilled, and finds a greater understanding of what the others are trying to accomplish by saving the Planet by seeing it from a perspective none other have up until this point. That the Planet is really just a tiny marble in a vastness of space, or as he puts it "like a small child that's sick and needs nurturing and protection to get better". It's a humbling experience to him. And that ends his character arc, growing into a better man.

[@MrFlippybob]

Great breakdown of CID, I would also add; using the context of the video's connection to fossil fuels in real life, he also can serve as the *blue-collar worker* (literally as having a blue-collar). He fits that "stereotype." he is a fierce, rough-around-the-edge mechanic type in a once important town that has long lost its claim to fame if it ever had one. He isn't a fighter like Cloud or Vincent, an eco-anarchist like Tifa or Barret, a protector like Nanaki or Arerith, or a villain like Dyne. He is just the average mechanic with pains and regrets and is self-destructive. The important thing to note is he is able to change. Once he understands what is really at stake, he chooses action and temporally leads the team; the choices echo his choice to be responsible all those years ago. He shows that people can change for the better, and when given all the information, " the average" person will make the right choice. (It is interesting to add he was the one who convinced the Highwind's crew to join the parties mission)

[@davidb3265]

@@MrFlippybobgreat comments from both of you, I was looking to see if someone else brought it up before I typed it all myself. I’ll add what I also find interesting about the characters is how you can take all this in without also seeing him as a “good” person overall. I think it maybe could have been even stronger or interesting in another way if Shera was able to move on from him herself but I think the bones of the lesson and story up until the end of the game are worth mentioning in this great tale of many different struggles of identity, mistakes and redemption (for better or worse)

[@SkippytWalrus]

I'm happy to see love for Cid, so many people still hold him to his despicable attitude and his treatment of Shera. While I'm not saying that's a good thing, those feelings come from somewhere and just like the planet Cid needs to be healed, like all of the characters in the party. For Cid, that's seeing the planet for the first time (commonality with The Boss of MGS3 fame) realizing how small everything really was. Only now that he's here in space where he wanted to be, does he see how little that dream really was. Sees how his anger for this lost opportunity is out of proportion. Glad to see it all pointed out by you guys!

[@The_Rude_French_Canadian]

I remember being so invested in Cid’s story when I played this as a 16 yrs old lol

[@morbidgull8922]

It was odd to me as well as he has to much to tell but the more he mentioned “masculinity” it started to make sense why he just completely ignore cid, which is kind of sad. Also the constant aeriths death was “pointless” or “unnecessary” kind of rubbed me the wrong way as well.

[@BoyGeorgiaX]

1:24:23 I’m native and all my boys and I love Nanaki. Also, the naming aspect is probably a nod to the way that many native children were forced to stop using their names at boarding schools. So many natives have Anglo last names and most don’t speak their own language. My family is also like this. We are aware of our family name but legally use an Irish name instead. My dad along with all of my aunts and uncles ended up in foster care and of the six that I am aware of, only one uses the family name. They even rename our landmarks. They call Little Bighorn Battlefield “Custer’s Last Stand.” When I still worked in my hometown I would tell tourists that I had never heard of “Custer’s Last Stand” and couldn’t help them find it. I think they really handled Cosmo Canyon well.

[@gamercore5216]

Same i'm Cherokee myself and Nanaki has always been one of my fav party memebers (Exact order has fluxated over the years and replays but he's always been top 3)

[@A.D.I.D.A.S-916]

Brainwashed into hating white people, typical. As if yall weren’t doing it to other tribes before the Europeans came and did it.

[@A.D.I.D.A.S-916]

Custer was a national hero 🫡

[@CrescentWolf879]

One of my favorite moments in the game is one I don't think I see people bring up. You have crossed the ocean, leaving behind both Midgar and Junon. You go to Costa del Sol for some much needed relaxation, things have never looked better. You begin climbing Mt Corel with the feel good music playing, surrounded by nature on all sides, the sun gleaming at the top of the screen- Hard cut next room to the Mako Reactor theme, the mountain hollowed out with a nightmarish power plant assembled inside. You cannot escape Shinra's reach no matter where you go, and this moment cemented it for me.

[@ELFanatic]

One of favorites too

[@dissmob7648]

That part of the game is so much better without the random encounters... sometimes you just want to enjoy the jrpg atmosphere without being constantly interrupted. You can really see that the artists enjoyed drawing the backgrounds and playing with light effects.

[@RedGoner]

sephiroth took his shirt off so he could have one of the best smash ultimate skins 23 years later

[@Skyehoppers]

Ur so right

[@Garden0flowr]

I think the Promised Land was never a location, but instead a state of the world (all the land there is) where there is no pollution or massacre The Promised Land is the world returning to the harmonious ways of the Cetra Symbolically, I think no one in-game ever considered this because they've all suffered cruelty and grit to the extent that it's normal to them, hero and villain alike It'd be alien to imagine a world where everyone has chosen the best path, even as much as the heroes want a better world

[@user-ej1dh3hb6l]

A world without electricity (or Shinra electric company at least) ? Could it be the same with this world we're living in?

[@user-bw4jm1bv1i]

I think that's why Cloud says that he'll see Aerith again. Not in the corporeal sense, but more metaphysical, with what she has done for world.

[@user-bw4jm1bv1i]

​@@user-ej1dh3hb6lI think we could be doing things probably a lot better than we are and they don't have to come at the expense of our current conveniences or in some cases, that may not be a bad thing.

[@delsingray5923]

Just saw it as "heaven"

[@jimmythecrow]

@@user-ej1dh3hb6l no.

[@GusPagan]

1:22:00 WHO thinks the Nanaki's father scene is corny? that scene is beautifull, Seto's story is amazing and this scene is masterfully made to convey Red's emotions.

[@DanielSantosAnalysis]

I was thinking that too!

[@jamesw8698]

it looks like he's crying support materia lol

[@Flopdoodle]

Cretins, that's who.

[@BoyGeorgiaX]

Lots of weird and purposefully obtuse takes in this video for sure

[@Immadeus]

@@BoyGeorgiaX yeah like that ugly dithering filter he used for all the footage. Those filters look nothing like an actual CRT and are unnecessary. Just show the upscaled footage.

[@onthefence928]

At the end I think cloud means that he understands that the promised land is actually the harmony of souls in the lifestream. They can meet aerith again over they rejoin a healed lifestream after death

[@offlineraided]

Cloud cant join the lifestream, he has jenova cells inside him

[@Animus_Altia]

"Back then you could just get by with skinned knees." This moment when being spoken to by the voice within himself, is that voice recalling when he and Tifa fell on Mount Nibel. The only person who could be saying this to him, who could know about it, is himself. His true self, his younger self, speaking to him from deep within. The little boy that helped Tifa put himself back together, and the little boy you control while Sephiroth puppets Cloud into giving the Black Materia to him at the temple.

[@Flopdoodle]

Glad someone gets it. Saw one stupid theory earlier where someone claimed it was Zack because Hojo transplanted Zacks kidneys into Cloud, making him carry a literal piece of Zack which means he's always with him spiritually and allows Zack to "commune".

[@Argosaxelcaos]

​@@FlopdoodleCloud does know some things that probably only Zack knew, like what Sephiroth found inside the reactor and how he reacted, so there probably was some memory bleedoff. Maybe because all the mako they were infused with?

[@RoseBleueDuRosierSec]

I think the "we'll meet her again in the Promised Land" thing is about non-dualism. Humans are not separate from the Lifestream or the Planet, and they're not separate from her either, even if she passed away. Of course they'll meet again, and of course they've seen the promised land: it's the Planet itself, and our lives in it. Idk if it makes sense explained like this.

[@LazerzZ]

This video is utterly beautiful. In an age post compilation and remake, it’s so cathartic to see someone just break down and analyse what makes the original FF7 a masterpiece in and of itself, in 1997 and still does today. This is such a passionate and moving analysis.

[@paz1514]

Lmao

[@delsingray5923]

I didn't think he was calling this a masterpiece tho It has plenty of holes and mistakes that people put down 15 and 13 for That said, 7 and 15 are their own kinda of .... masterpieces

[@Epic2kartworks]

It's so crazy to me just how deep this game really goes. Describing the scale and scope of this game is really difficult to people who haven't finished it

[@knack3381]

I used to have a running in joke with my friends, where I would literally just compare random plot points in other stuff to FF7 whenever I could as a joke to make the plot seem absolutely unhinged to the guys who hadn't played it. So like, they'd be talking about among us and I'd be like "oh, its just like Jenova". They'd be doing fantasy stuff in DND and I'd be like "oh its like the dragon Sephiroth kills". They'd be talking about CBT and I'd say it's just like Don Corneo's mansion. They were talking about a movie about a famous astronaut that ends with him having a falling out with his wife, and I said it was like Cid. And it was just me trolling, but also says so much about the scope of the game. What I loved about doing it is that the bit was completely under my control, and I could just pull it out whenever I felt like it. And I'd always save that bit and was careful to never overuse it, lest I ruin its comedic timing. That joke died the second I had the bit stolen by a fictional character who got as close as possible as they could to mentioning FF by name, to explain the situation to everybody else. Because they literally did the thing I was doing. And later on in that series I ended up predicting the plot by saying "OH FUCK IT, IT'S GOING TO SHAPE UP LIKE FF7 DID BECAUSE FUCK ME". Which actually completely happened. And I'm still so upset about it.

[@rumplstiltztinkerstein]

@@knack3381 Yeah. It might be hard to imagine, but FF7 wasn't planned and directed perfectly from start to finish. It was actually a combination of several different ideas from several different members of the staff together. You can even find Berserk references in this game.

[@DBLRxyz]

@@knack3381Fictional character that stole your bit? What ya mean exactly, which one.

[@riikka9842]

Never get tired of watching crazy long analysis or theorizing videos of the VII universe.

[@Vanity0666]

It's literally about indigenous practices for tending to the environment and how modern civilization is attempting to break itself away from nature entirely to become a new form of life that worships at the altars of wealth rather than treating the planet as the sacred being that it is.

[@Skyehoppers]

Love that, very well-said

[@tatarsauce6314]

And people think ff7 has no politics. And it doesn’t stop at games

[@jimmythecrow]

no its not. Indigenous practices didn't include helping the planet, it included burning down forests and terraforming the world to their idea. People like you have no idea what theyre talking about.

[@11555Rambler]

Looks at slash and burn agriculture and then at a strip mine: These are basically the same

[@offlineraided]

Indigenous practices translate to cannibalizing neighbor tribes

[@samalmond2321]

I always thought FF7 mapped quite nicely onto the transition into adulthood with cloud being almost a blank slate at the start trying to appear tough but in reality being very insecure, then over time he learns to be himself and be a strong man without requiring the influence or validation from his original role model, Sephiroth. There is also all the role of meteor, which in this reading comes more as the general anxiety of the huge change that comes with growing up. There is also the big sword thing 😉

[@davidmiles1741]

I mean, if you think about it, Cloud has basically spent the years between 16 and 21 inside of a test-tube. Functionally, he's still a teenager (Interesting parallel with Nanaki, too).

[@potentialPizza8]

I got about 10 minutes into this video (with patron access from yesterday) and it made me realize... no, I want to play this game myself. Despite calling out its issues, you've made the game sound incredibly interesting (as though I didn't already know I need to play it eventually sooner or later lol). I'm going to get on that and, hopefully, be back here in a few weeks or months to appreciate your fantastic analysis of it. Looking forward to the next video!

[@starbutter2730]

Im right there with ya. Ive yet to experience this game for myself as well so while im deeply interested in this video, imma have to fight the tempation so i feel ya lmao.

[@mileab6725]

This game changed my life when I was a 13 year old lad, you’ll love it

[@dylanfredrick6303]

Strongly recommend looking into seventh heaven mod manager if playing on pc, changes the game completely

[@franimal86]

It’s like $8 on steam. You can add mods to update the graphics, too

[@eclisis5080]

play it on PC with mods, the 60fps mod is worth it alone even if you don't change the background and character models

[@marsjake8]

While I disagree wholeheartedly about Cid just being a one dimensional, unlikable character, and certain elements of the masculinity thing. I think this video is fantastic and you did a great job. It’s always nice getting new perspectives on these kind of things

[@Loukgob]

Cid is actually a quite complex but also very relatable character (death_unites_us recently made a great in depth video on it). And in many ways he is one of the characters that has the greatest change in his outlook at life, all he takes for granted, and his partly misplaced blame for losing his dream. So as for "why" there are actually quite a few reasons why many like him a lot

[@thesecorridorsoftime]

There are also a few other FF's who have a "Cid" in the cast.. it feels like a classic role.. like Biggs and Wedge

[@catantcha99]

​@@thesecorridorsoftimecid has appeared in every mainline game except 1

[@millgiass]

Watching Cloud Beat Aerith is going to be rough with the new enhanced graphical style. Someone named Obsidian Melon was doing a VERY good kinda sarcastically jokey comic version of FF7 and they basically fizzled out at that scene. Years later that was the last scene he drew.

[@PKLooove]

I have a small criticism about your criticism of Nanaki's real name not being used by the party. While it makes no diegetic sense to rename people like Barret or Tifa, Nanaki's name prompt is very different. He essentially tells you he won't tell you his name and that Red XIII is what Hojo called him. I think in this case it would make a lot more narrative sense that Cloud and friends do choose some nickname for him. And by that perspective they don't drop the nickname when the real names is known because well... that's how nicknames tend to work. That being said, things could still be slightly better handled by the team asking if he would rather be called Nanaki or the nickname they're all used to by now.

[@TrueUnnamedHero]

Also you call people what they tell you to call them. Thats the respect you show them, if red wanted to be called nanaki by them he could have told them. Its not their choice to decide what they call him.

[@keyofpop]

I do agree with this to an extent. My partner recently changed her name and we all asked if we should use her new name or her old nickname. She emphatically preferred her old nickname because it's something that connected her to us and has always been a happy name to her. But therein lies the difference. I imagine if it was a nickname she had gotten from someone who mistreated her that we simply used, she wouldn't be as happy to keep it around. I was left with the impression personally, that none of the team even cared enough to ask what Nanaki wanted. Even playing it back in that time.

[@delsingray5923]

​@@TrueUnnamedHero while true, sometimes using a true name could be better than an assigned title bc it means THEY are being addressed personally Its very clear why nanaki didn't want to share his name and it wasnt bc he wanted red 13 but more about disassociation, which was changed when information was learned by him, so it makes sense that he'd want to go by his birth name then

[@delsingray5923]

Besides, they call Aerith "Aeris' despite that it's been confirmed for about 25 years now that its Aerith

[@origialtych]

I would like a discussion about Advent Children when it comes to Enviormentalism because the alternative they switch to for global energy consumption to Mako is Oil and everybody claims that OIl is suppose to represent green energy when its Oil and I never heard anyone talk about how that is contradictory they just switch to other stuff

[@Vanity0666]

Before Mako they used coal, Barret is a coal miner whose plant got shut down. Before we humans used petrolium oil and coal we used whale fat and similar other fats to burn as a fuel source for fires, nearly hunting whales to extinction, which were revered as god like beings to numerous world cultures. Oil being new in the universe means they haven't recognized the dangers of using it yet.

[@Tylerthephantom]

Always found it hilarious that literal eco-terrorist Barrett Wallace becomes an oil tycoon.

[@Vanity0666]

@@Tylerthephantom they dont know that oil is bad yet, again Barret was also a coal miner

[@MoonlightBrillance]

This is just another example of Advent Children being a badly written professional fanfic that disregards a lot of the original stories themes lol.

[@annenoir760]

I honestly feel like the reason the game is so contradictory in many of it's points is simply because this isn't a story created by one person, many people worked on this game, some thought the message it conveyed was the most important part while other developers might have thought making a Chocobo Racing Simulator, going on a date with the female characters (and Barret) or snowboarding down a mountain and all of those tonally distinct areas were something they'd enjoy, thus creating a messy experience, many old games suffered from this and unfortunately FFVII is one of them.

[@PrimeParadiso]

The whole part about not fitting into a group of guys or feeling able to define a man - damn I felt that

[@iamerror]

I don't often like watching videos I helped with the script because it all has an eerie feeling of already knowing everything you're going to say, but your pacing/music/visuals are so stellar it pulls me in anyway!

[@UltimaLuminaire]

IMO the script was very smooth. Even when he apologizes for some things in hindsight, I don't even feel it was necessary because of how every moving piece came together. Congrats on doing such a great job.

[@MortonGoldthwait]

While I cannot deny the phallic imagery present, lets not forget that the majority of Final Fantasy VII's problems originated from a giant hole in the ground.

[@abhiram7392]

And also one evil scientist who did not told his truth to his son that his is mother is lucrecia and not jenova which would lead to a peaceful live for everyone nearly . as shinra will still steal lifestream from planet

[@1ばかぶた]

"Also, not acronym for anything" is killing me

[@Skyehoppers]

thank you lol I'm glad at least someone else found that funny

[@rashkavar]

It is very worth noting that given what real world places Costa Del Sol and Golden Saucer evoke, it is extremely reasonable to have a shockingly poor community like North Corel in between them. When I was little, my family took a trip to a resort in Mexico, down on the Yucatan peninsula. (Not Cancun, but not far from it.) Not being the kind of tourists who like to hang around at the resort pool and get drunk, my parents took us out on a number of day trips. Several of these were to satellite resort sites - a beautiful river full of amazing fish to go snorkeling in, for those who tired of snorkeling and pestering the fish in the ocean, things like that. One of these, however, took us to a Mayan village - the residence for many of those who worked at the resort, in fact. Mud brick houses with dirt floors where a charity organization was in the process of delivering stone hearths to use as an oven rather than the open fires they had previously been using. The conditions were, to the eyes of a naive little boy from Canada, disturbing. We got back to the resort, and were informed that there was a Michael Jackson concert happening that evening (the fact that they still held such concerts several years after the man himself passed on casts doubt on the veracity of the performer actually being Michael Jackson, but it was every bit as showy and over the top as you would expect such a concert to be. In other words, we left Costa Del Sol, visited North Corel, then went to the Golden Saucer. It's the same level of tonal whiplash, just in reality.

[@alexcallender]

> "when I was little..." > tells story that takes place "several years after" 2009 Damn. I'm getting old.

[@rashkavar]

@@alexcallender Not that old, I left out a detail: at the time of the holiday, Michael Jackson was alive and well. Sometime in the mid 2010s, my dad was looking up the resort we went to and saw they were still hosting Michael Jackson concerts, despite the fact that by that point the man was dead and buried and thus generally considered unavailable to perform. At the time we thought it was an actual concert by MIchael Jackson. The idea it might have been an imposter didn't occur to us until hearing about the posthumous concerts. The trip itself would have been somewhere around the year 2000. Early 2001 makes the most sense; we didn't do anything international after that trip, and I think that was provoked by 9/11 making air travel much more of a hassle.

[@williamking7800]

1:03:34 "Placing a real life fossil fuel on a pedestal over a fictional fossil fuel fatally undercuts that idea to me." That's because you've missed the point entirely. It's a warning about trusting corporations when they propose solutions to problems. A present day example of this are electric vehicles (EVs) which present an illusion of environmentalism by not running directly off of fossil fuels, but instead requiring electricity that comes from electric power plants that are usually ran by... consuming fossil fuels. The point isn't that coal is good, the point is that the history of the energy industry under capitalism is oil replacing coal by saying that it's cleaner than coal, which is then replaced by natural gas which sells itself as cleaner than oil, and so on. It's telling you to look questioningly or even cynically at those offering solutions to see if what they're really motivated by is actually profit and control.

[@esoopthederp7672]

I feel like the problem with EVs is more the child slaves mining the rocks then the oil plants

[@jackluffy7914]

As a black person my self I genuinely like Barret. Final fantasy is probably one of my favorite rpg series to date so seeing a black character being part of the main cast is something that’s special to me. Now when it comes to him being a stereotype my idea of the whole thing was at the beginning of the game the whole cast had a persona going on until we left Midgard. Cloud was a cool and strong first class soldier until we see that he’s just a character who acts tough infront of others. Or Red and how wasn’t really cool with the cast that much until we get to Cosmo canyon and see his backstory and find out more about him. The same with Barret in the beginning he’s loud and dead set on blowing up the mako reactor yet as the game goes on and we see more he just seems like a very passionate person who wants to make the environment better for everyone but especially for his daughter. He genuinely cares for Tifa and later on cloud as well. You might say it’s tacky the way they did him but I do keep in mind his character was made by Japanese people who probably never met or seen a black guy in person in 1997. I don’t aspect them to get representation right but I do see that they cared about his character a lot. Plus the remake Barret is SO much better

[@jimmythecrow]

hes a stereotype, of course you felt like him

[@jackluffy7914]

@@jimmythecrow if you played the original you’ll know the “tough act” he pulls is just his fear and insecurity.

[@11555Rambler]

Compared to other depictions of black people in 90s Japanese culture his depiction is almost progressive lol. I grade it on a curve because the average Japanese person has met 0 black people IRL and maybe seen one or two on TV

[@spacejunk8978]

Red's howl next to his father makes me WEEP every time.

[@Doubtkiller256]

coming in to report they somehow DID make Cait Sith look believable in the remake. Still not sure how they managed it tho.

[@nvrndingsmmr]

Regarding your use of the CRT filter and your understanding that upscaling destroys the intended look of old games, in an ideal world, everyone would understand this and do what you're doing. Thank you for acknowledging that and explaining it to those who might not know!! It looks great!

[@delsingray5923]

I don't feel things becoming outdated and locked to time means it was "intended" to look that way

[@nvrndingsmmr]

@delsingray5923 When game developers use CRT monitors on their computers to develop and create all of the visual assets for a game that is meant to be displayed on people's CRT TVs, it absolutely means it was intended to look that way. Lol. Maybe you're just too young to really understand but flat screens with high resolutions and clearly defined individual pixels have not always been the standard. When people say "I remember this game looking better when I was younger" they're usually completely right. Playing a game designed for CRTs on modern displays doesn't look bad because the game or CRTs are "outdated", it's because people are using radically different display technology and the end result is not at all what the developers intended.

[@justinkearl2212]

This is one of my favorite videos on all of KZbin. I love FF7, I'm heartbroken by the dying world we live in, and I relate so much to your takes on both. Thank you for making this. I watched the whole thing, and I imagine I'll be doing that again a time or two in the future.

[@xs99sx]

I'm normally much more of a lurker, but i jist wanted to say thank you for such an insightful analysis. I got recommended your Super Paper Mario video 2 or 3 days ago, and I'm going to be spending the next few days watching the rest of your catalog in all my free time. I'm sorry you're getting all these negative comments suddenly, but just know you're gaining new lifetime fans too ❤

[@averytubestudios]

Was I the only one who was looked forward to those little zoo stories at the beginning of each chapter. They were really cute. Also, thank you for giving Red XIII a whole chapter. He’s my favorite character in FF history and deserves more love.

[@BigGnome]

I think what makes your video essays stand out to me (aside from the editing, genuinely some of the best of any video essayist out there and I absolutely adored your attempts to hone in on PS1/CRT aesthetics for this one in particular) is that you always give what you're talking about a fair shake and feel completely honest. You always strike the perfect balance between being able to articulate why a given work is commendable and also talking about said work's narrative flaws and/or serious issues that it should be held accountable for. For example, your gen 5 Pokémon videos always felt like a breath of fresh air amongst the sea of artificial feeling praise you see pop up in discussions surrounding those games. As for this video in particular, Final Fantasy 7 is a game that's truly special to me both because it helped me rediscover my love of a genre I stopped playing as often and because it came at a point in my life where I was interrogating my relationships with my mental health and my masculinity/sexuality, causing me to see myself in Cloud in a lot of ways (the part of the video where you talk about being more comfortable with masculinity on your own terms rather than what's forced on you really hit close to home for me). So it means a lot to me to see someone not just regurgitate the same bullet points that have already been said countless times but instead give a game that's important to me a truly fair shake that strays away from the artificial feeling praise or petty nitpicks that have become unfortunately common in KZbin critiques. Keep on doing what you're doing, KZbin needs more people like you.

[@ciaranvolke]

I watched this one when it came out and I loved it and I still think about this video from time to time. For some reason there's been a lot of negative comments on this one from the past few days so I just wanted to say thank you for making this and thanks for continuing to make more (just watched the Super Paper Mario video)!

[@StevenJQuinlan]

The fact that this is the third multi hour retrospective on the game which touches on different points than either of the other two talks to the sheer depth of this game. It wasn't my first final fantasy, nor even my favourite, but it is probably the best overall game

[@BM-dq3bv]

nuclear is actually the cleanest form of energy. of course there is always that risk of another chernobyl.

[@JookerAss]

Have you heard about hydrogen? It only leaves water after being used as a fuel, and nuclear energy in contrast produces nuclear wastes that are pretty hazardous

[@11555Rambler]

Mako is analogous to fossil fuels. The lifestream is similar to the fossilized plants that fuel our economy in that they take millions of years to produce, they are extremely dirty, and they are not replaceable within our lifetime. I know they say reactor but the clear analogy is petrochemicals

[@Rosencreutzzz]

I *think* the voice speaking to him is Zach and I can't remember if that's something merely eluded to more greatly by or explicitly stated by Crisis Core, prequel that it is. Cloud and Zach were, before the prequel was even considered, imagined as antithesis to eachother in temperament... thus the names Cloud Strife and Zach Fair (dorky, I know). Zach is potentially more entwined with Cloud than being just a deeply impressed role model, to the point that, as Sephiroth claims to be a composite part (or even the whole) of Cloud's being, Zach...actually is entrenched in him in some way through the Hojo experiments.

[@Skyehoppers]

I do like that interpretation! A lot of other people have now said this too and I think it probably was the intention. The voice in the church still doesn't *feel* like Zack to me, but that might be a translation issue.

[@resetbutton7982]

@@Skyehoppersyou’re right the voice in the church is Cloud speaking to himself

[@Flopdoodle]

@@Skyehoppers It's not Zack, it's True Cloud. I keep seeing a lot of theories like this but the problem with them all is that they all aim to undermine Cloud as a character with any agency. Cloud at no point in the FFVII game thinks he is Zack. He thinks he did some of Zacks deeds, but he never thinks or acts like him, nor does he recognize anyone Zack would. Cloud is very much his own person and isn't being driven due to a goddamn Kidney Transplant performed by Hojo using Zack as the donor, that's just one stupid theory from the OP.

[@existentialgamer9206]

I always thought it was the real Cloud, also symbolized by the few scenes where you see his transparent child self. After Tifa helps Cloud find himself, this transparent child merges into him, and you never see any splits of himself/voices in his head again

[@delsingray5923]

​@@Flopdoodle thinking he did some of zacks deeds and having his title/position is a way way of projecting himself as zack and therefore thinking he is. That was part of his journey of finding his true self

[@pancakes8670]

I always interpreted FF7 as being more about human connections than the environment. The planets core is quite literally made of the metaphorical souls/memories of everyone who has/will ever live.

[@RobobTheGreat]

1:08:18 "He is the only Black person in the game." But, he isn't, though! He's just the only one with a name. All the others are nameless NPCs.

[@Skyehoppers]

But it was just a few NPCs in Costa del Sol, right? No one else in Midgar or Corel is black iirc

[@knopfir]

One thing about Sephiroth being shirtless at the end. Wouldnt that be because when cloud gave him the black materia. he was literally just a shirtless torso?

[@samcassidy2441]

Now this is how you do an analysis video... brilliant work. Really great exploration of themes and mix of theoretical and personal interpretation. The theory that none of the Sephiroths before northern crater were the real deal makes perfect sense, too

[@Zonai7184]

I have played and studied this game franchise for so long, yet your work was able to allow me to see it in such a more profound light. Your narration and presentation of the lifestream's final moments assisting holy brought tears to my eyes. I hope I can look forward to more content like this from you in the future. You have an amazingly artistic analytical mind and a knack for making it sink in. Thank you.

[@Duskets]

Billionaires will literally pursue a fabled promised land instead of paying taxes

[@gorasul12]

The irony being that paying taxes is only giving wealthy morons your money to waste 🤣

[@redargylesocks]

1:30:36 the sigh after describing aeris’s “I want to meet you” is so relatable.

[@rx777en]

Extraordinary video. A lot of those "essay video" channels just name what happened in the game and give their opinion on it, while you went deep into the themes, what they meant and a lot more that I wouldn't be able to name right now! Honestly, hats off to you sir, thank you for the time you've put into it, I appreciate you!

[@Xiatter]

As a 38-year-old fan of FFVII who played it probably a year or two after release, it always looked funky. Just look at the differences between VII and VIII. And then IX looked like it was putting PS1 to its absolute limits. And then FFX, my least favorite but still a fan favorite, made the PS1 games look like they weren't even trying. But I found VII the most endearing, the most atmospheric, the most delightful, and the most devastating. It went through the growing pains of being the first PS1 Final Fantasy, but I'll always love it.

[@sydney2942]

My Post FFVII:Rebirth Take: Another thing that gets me the most about FF7 is that it's not just about environmentalism and capitalism from a straightforward position of "Exploiting the planet is bad!" but also the active consequences of private businesses running the government and colonialism.The one thing that stuck out to me when playing Rebirth (the second instalment in the remake franchise) is how decimated the places we go to are, and how it entirely lies in the hands of Shinra and corporate colonialism. The original game has a lot of moments that definently hammer home this colonialism aspect, but when you're walking in a real scale town of people protesting about Junon or through a village of people who literally witnessed mass killings by corporate militia, it feels entirely different. Wutai and the Republic of Junon are quite literally taken over by a company and colonized until they are nothing but shadows of their former selves. Shinra genuinely took over a city (Junon's capital), and just decided to build another city on top of it, and start wars with all of it's neighbors for their own gain. What happens to the cast of FF7 and the world of Gaia isn't just a first graders depiction of a dystopia, rather it focuses a lot on aspects of capitalism that even today, as you can see by the comments that actively try to ignore the very core of the game, seems insanely controversial. Like people get really uncomfortable when discussing militia forces and corporate colonialism despite many companies being built by is decades prior. People don't like even talking about Belguim and Congo or France and Haiti and it's been a long time since then. I also want to add onto the fact even though FF7 is a Science fiction/Fantasy narrative, the label of "Dystopian" is very selective and is definetely dependant on environment. The specifics of what happened to Yuffie and Wutai or Barret and Corel are certainly not dystopian fictionalized "worst scenarios" of unchecked capitalism, they're quite literally very common around the world. Dole, and Chaquita, and lithium batteries and whatnot. Blood diamonds and oil, and so on. Like to be clear here, companies going to other countries killing their people and taking their shit using militias under the table is not new, and corporate colonialism has been a thing and is a popular exploit in capitalism for specific industries. Like from the angle of US and Japan, this is dystopian and a crazy thought, but from the angle of 3rd world countries that commonly get the shaft like this... it's not out of the ordinary in their history.

[@milkk393]

honestly this video is incredible, the way you present and analyse the story of ff7 whilst relating it to your own personal experiences is really entertaining and engaging! cant believe i didnt see this until now, id love to write and analyse like this and youve got me thinking more about the environment

[@harrietdrums]

This is one of the best videos on FF7 I've ever seen. Super in depth and more detailed than just going over the story. The toxic masculinity angle is something I'd never considered but it makes total sense. Your voiceover is so calming, I hope this blows up!

[@rumplstiltztinkerstein]

1:51:32 The video is great but some topics are off the mark. The manga Berserk was very popular at the time. So a lot of games and anime were getting inspiration from it. Cloud having a big sword like that, wanting revenge against Sephiroth, is inspired on Guts revenge towards Griffith. It is not a 1:1 comparison, but we can clearly see that it was used as inspiration for lots of things that happen on the game. Guts have a massive steel sword that was crafted specifically for him. He was fighting ever since he was a child. Griffith uses a saber during the golden age arc. It is a more dexterous weapon. Instead of making Sephiroth a western looking sword fighter. They gave him a very large odachi. Griffith betrayed his close friends and humanity to achieve his dreams. Sephiroth betrayed his humanity because he felt that humanity betrayed him. It is not exactly the same thing, but it was what was popular at the time. The directing and writing of FF7 came together through input by several different people from the company at the same time. It is a good game. But please don't see every detail on it as absolutely intentional. Sometimes a character has a big sword because it is a popular topic at the time.

[@hotgirledits2000]

you know literary analysis takes into account the meaning of a work independent of what was or was not intended by the many voices in the room contributing to the work's creation right. also have we considered that guts big sword is also phallic symbolism

[@gatorssbm]

This game did inspire me to try to fight for my relationship with someone with abandonment issues and it near broke me because of me also being neglected as a kid. Didnt help I had 0 heads up when it happened and I was already anxious around that time, first time I genuinely connected to someone in years and shes just gone. Wasnt until a month later I figured out why and despite them still being gone I dug into why we feel this way and what I could do to help if they ever came back. Was very hard repressing so many sudden negative feelings when my true intent was to forgive because of so many forced ideals put on me that men should NEVER show weakness and that was a mistake I made by being apparently so cold at first but there were times I was honest that I wasnt comfortable even if rare. But it did take awhile for me to get a second chance and I made sure to be clear that I still trusted them and was more open to being vulnerable and after nearly a year of this its benefitted both in the long run. I near demonized my ability to care because I was so hurt in the process of feeling like I was betrayed but in the end Im glad I was able to finally build some confidence and actually get to have genuine intimacy with someone, despite how much we initially seem to push away or not care deep down we all need this to heal ourselves.

[@musicalmoses]

I am absolutely speechless. I have heard many people summarize FFVII and touch on many of its themes; but outright ignore the themes of anti-capitalist and environmental damage. This is the summary I have always wanted, and it is how I describe this game to anyone who seems willing to listen. I attribute my views in part to FFVII. It planted a seed that I would water and grow into a tree. Thank you so much for making this. I will share it with as many people as I can.

[@TheGlooga]

My last comment looks like it got eaten, so Dia Lacina's ranking of FF soundtracks on Paste Magazine includes a Native American perspective on Cosmos Canyon. Also vis a vis Cid, god as someone for whom Kingdom Hearts 2 was formative and also their only exposure to Cid Highwind prior to playing FF7 in full, learning that everyone's favorite wisecracking, wheat chewing hacker/mechanic was actually an awful abusive dude was. Fun

[@TheGlooga]

Though as someone who knew Sephiroth and Cloud as Cool Guys With Swords(TM) from KH2, learning their actual characters and arcs in FF7 was a surreal delight

[@Skyehoppers]

Oh thank you Ill check that out! And huh I had no idea cid was in kingdom hearts at all, all i knew is Cloud in that game is an usual depiction that kinda fuses him with Vincent?

[@TheGlooga]

@@Skyehoppers It's been a while so I might not remember it fully, but really all he wanted was to chase Sephiroth while Tifa chased him and Sephiroth...stood around looking cool? They were more an Easter egg/secret boss than anything and it was a very "beginning of FF7" characterization. Yuffie, Aeris, and Cid meanwhile were actually involved with the plot though they're led by Squall, who here is portrayed as a post-FF8 mature adult that just. Fully replaces Cloud.

[@Jburneyjr]

Its theorized that having Pre-emptive materia equipped gave Cloud the leg up.

[@the_pineapple3436]

I've never seen a full playthrough of FF7, but the way you go through the game and clearly explain everything makes this video so welcoming. the fact that it captioned the entire video too shows how much you care about each and every video. Thank you for your incredible videos!

[@michaelsalaferreris270]

Thank you for taking the time to put this video together. This is a beautiful, critical piece that reflects heavily on the greater consciousness of an entire generation. Your analysis was so fair and incredibly elucidating. I couldn’t help but think, “Is this why I am the way I am? Games like FFVII practically taught me how to read.”

[@JediMB]

My interpretation of Sephiroth and Jenova has for a long time been that by the time the primary plot of the game began the two had ceased to be distinct individuals/creatures. Sephiroth became Jenova and Jenova became Sephiroth as Sephiroth's wounded body and Jenova's head became sealed away together in the Northern Crater. The combined entity took on the personality of Sephiroth and the parasitic instincts and desires of Jenova, but remained mostly dormant until Cloud peeked into the tank in the Shinra building and Jenova's body started to stir. That's when Sephiroth started projecting himself through Jenova's body, and the pull of Jenova's Reunion became stronger for those infected with her cells. It's been so long since the last time I played Final Fantasy VII beyond the times I just gave the earliest bits a spin on PC. It was probably in the early PS2 days, so I guess it was around that time when it finally registered with me that Aerith had figured out that Cloud had taken on a Zach-like persona by the time of their Gold Saucer date.

[@chewthulu1004]

This probably says more about me than the video - even though the video is of the HIGHEST quality I've seen as a retrospect/analysis type of content - but this is the ONLY video on FFVII that made me feel...well, remotely anything, really. The personal story behind the events of your life you shared, that DO connect with with the overall narrative, the deep dissection of themes and symbolism in the game (even though most of it is text instead of subtext), and of course helping me realize why this never reaches my top ten list of Final Fantasy games: the tonal whiplash that fights against the design of the game. I just discovered your video essay on Bastion last night, and I'm glad I'm listening to these videos at work today. Thank you so so much for making these wonderful analysis and essay videos, and reminding me - yet again - the value of video games outside of the entertainment value they give. Stay safe out there.

[@franimal86]

I believe the beginning dialogue and the dialogue about the skinned knees is Cloud’s internal dialogue. Thank you for sharing your struggle. I believe many don’t know how to fight right, like you said, cuz I’m not sure how to fight right, either. But being honest and brave in the face of your fears is the white materia in our lives. One last thing. I believe we are never truly alone in this world. FF7 reinforced the idea in me that we are all connected, somehow, maybe in ways we can’t see right now. All life is connected. I wish you the best and thanks for sharing your views on my favorite game ever!

[@tetrastreamxvii]

Aerith was actually born in Icicle Inn before being taken to Midgar.

[@brainrmiller]

As for your last questions in the video, Jenova was a mind reader as well as a shape shifter and those that possessed her cells were granted variations of the same abilities. Every time there is a flash of white light (or static in the remake) and cloud goes catatonic, that's Jenova activating inside Cloud absorbing memories of people around him, which usually ends up ultimately confusing him if said memories contradicted those he previously held as fact, especially considering he is not aware that that is happening in the first place. Thats the origin of the "voices" you're so confused about, its Jenova mind reading people around him, constructing a new personality for him. Cloud was a blank slate after the Nibelheim incident, basically turned into a vegetable. He got his soldier fighting technique by being with Zack for a bit in between Nibelheim and midgard with Jenova absorbing Zack's abilities due to their proximity (cloud is zacks living legacy, literally) and his knowledge of him as a child when he reunited with Tifa at the train station absorbing Tifa's memories of him. All of this is pretty much covered in the big story book about the compilation of FFVII.

[@jenniferchough]

Thanks for this extensive and wonderful video and commentary. I quite enjoyed it all! I do have an answer for you to a question you posed at 2:33:48-What does Cloud mean when he’s talking about the Promised Land? It’s actually been answered by the official Ultimania in the correct English. That line was infamously mistranslated in the OG ; the same one you cited in this video (as was the line about Cloud being left out in his childhood, among many other lines, as you’d pointed out about the OG). The correct translation for this line from Cloud is “…the Promised Land and the answer from the Planet…we can meet them there together.” As he holds Tifa and her theme is playing, he promises her that they will “one day see the dear people they lost.” This makes a lot more sense as he’d be referring to all their family and friends whom they both lost along the way during the scope of the epic story, from their childhood into adulthood, including Cloud’s mom, Tifa’s dad, Zack, the Avalanche crew, and ofc Aerith, all directly due to Shinra and Sephiroth and the entire ensuing struggle. But, in that line, neither the words “her” nor “Aerith” were used there. So, yeah, one day, when it’s their time, Cloud says, together, he and Tifa can go meet the dear ones they lost. If you’d like the source, I’d be happy to send it to you vis whatever medium. As someone who knows JP, I’d always wondered where that incorrect line came from and how it’s still misinterpreted still to this day, especially after Square Enix corrected it. Cloud’s memory of his childhood also revealed that he was the one who kept himself ostracized (even though Tifa had asked him to join-this is delineated in the newest novel) because he felt he was special but he didn’t necessarily like the others in the group. The “you didn’t let me join” is incorrect. It’s “I couldn’t bring myself to join.” So many misconceptions over the last 26 years over these things😅 We see in the LS that he joined SOLDIER specifically to be strong so that Tifa would notice him so it seems he did want to be with/around her but his “eccentric and introverted” personality (devs’ description) obstructed him when Tifa’s circle of friends widened later on beyond him. Perhaps he was not ready for that since they played exclusively together when they were very young and things changed as they grew, not to his liking. The devs said she was the only one he kept close even though he shunned the other kids (also in the Ultimania).

[@Shadrio]

I'm just glad we're way past the age in which the common discourse surrounding this game is that "Cloud is such a badass" and that the story was "unimaginably convoluted and undecipherable". It really does a huge disservice to a story that still hits hard 20 years after its release. I came into the FF7 hype line way, way later due to how I saw the discourse surrounding the game's story (and I really wasn't into RPGs and especially JRPGs at the time, and even to this day I barely just play those which are popular) but I have been enjoying things like the deep mechanics in the Materia system (what I would give for another RPG with a system like FF7's Materia) or discussion on how Sephiroth might not even be alive during what we play through. I guess I'm glad I missed out on this game as a kid, child me definitely wouldn't have taken the messaging this game gives off to heart. Probably wouldn't have noticed how much of a dork Cloud really is, or if I had I would have just dismissed his character as "lame" or "weak" or whatever preteen me would have thought.

[@vtubersubs3803]

I wasn't aware people were even saying ff7's story was convoluted or indechipherable lol. It's actually one of the simpler plots in the series

[@Buglin_Burger7878]

I think a lot of that comes from Zack and how many things involving him was flawed in some capacity that added complexity but didn't add to things. Almost all of it could be written off as Experimentation to the point it is possible to remove Zack. Since it was very easy to miss major scenes giving key information it could feel horrible. Especially since if I recall you can never tell those waiting for him that he is dead. So it feels less like Zack is dead and more of an arbitrary surprise twist character. I'm personally fine with the reveal, but I can see some people hating it and making things feel messy.

[@enchantixstar]

this was such a gorgeous and touching video!! i cant imagine the work gone into it and the fact i just watched it for free is insane...you have an amazing way of conveying your thoughts and its been so great listening to this as it so obviously comes from a place close to heart.

[@misteryourdad]

This is a genuinely breathtaking video. FF7 is, as you so clearly demonstrated, a sprawling game, and you've somehow managed to capture all that sprawl and make something cohesive out of it. Your editing is (as always) top-notch, the retro filter totally works, and the story of your own relationship with the environment is both an effective framing device and the emotional core. I had always found the shift from Shinra to Sephiroth as antagonists kinda jarring--for the exact reasons you described--but you've reconciled them in a way that feels true to the text without making capitalism a mini-boss. Hell of a job, enjoy the break, and can't wait for the next one.

[@Skyehoppers]

Thank you, thank you 💙 And I hope my in-video recommendation brought at least some new traffic to your video as it's a really interesting take on the game as well!

[@Lumpimp]

i listened to this whole thing in one big sitting while i was working my shitty retail job and parts of it, especially your conclusions, nearly made me cry some. i adore what you took away from ff7 and all of its themes, there were some i didnt even think about and i think that's beautiful. you did a fantastic job making this and i'll definitely be recommending it to folks i know.

[@OgreDLink]

I never understood why when you learn Reds real name it doesn't give you the option to use his real name instead. Also this is the first video essay I've watched that actually had a bibliography, really well done wish I could write this well. I liked the slowly clearing video of the forest that was a nice touch

[@mikedelgrande5296]

Did you ever play the Remake and now Rebirth? I’m an OG fan of FFVII, it was my first ever JRPG on PS1. I was 13yo when I first play it and now an old man 40yo. The OG, Remake and Rebirth are all some of my favorite games ever made. Imo they did an outstanding job on the Remake and retelling of FFVII.

[@joshuanovack480]

This video was a little intimidating at a 3 hour run time but it was very worth it. It feels like you combed over nearly every part and gave an analysis of things people likely missed. Definitely a recommend for anyone looking to understand the story of this game.

[@unfortunatelyevil1767]

Without exaggeration, this is one of the most perfect videos. Instantly on my short list of videos that I want to come back to in times of needing connection; along with LadyKnightTheBrave's MASH video, and Noralities' Utena. The take on Sephiroth being dead the whole time, replaced with the analogy of heirarchy makes so much sense and I am glad to have learned it! Living on the lower side of the upper plate is weirdly hard, where one mistep could send you on a lethal fall, but being separated from those forced into community below. Especially in a locale where the joining together has been so stigmatized by those in power. Per the actual content, specifically all of the offshoots of FF7, there is definitely a feel of failing to have the heart of what FF7 was, due to it becoming such a capitalist success. Especially with the idolization of jenova-sephiroth, and the rotting leftovers of un-dealt-with grief in the fans over Aeris. With the remake, the fact that it capitalistically tried to hide it was part 1 of an unknown number and the lack of it being a tech upgrade to the game and instead being a different story really pushed me off of it, and I won't be playing any of the other parts. Though, if you upload the streams on a second channel or here, so I can watch at double speed, I'd be interested in how you vibe with it!

[@JeanBobInnelemonde]

I fully agree. I find myself to be somewhat angry about the remake's project as I so much wanted people to be able to experience a modernized version of Final Fantasy VII for those who aren't able to get past its aged presentation, and I'm sure there's a decent amount of them (and I'm not blaming them).

[@bornrookie1664]

I'm glad I rewatched your video. I literally just the other day thought, "why do we still maintain a capital system?" It's only keeping the low low and the rich rich. Systems are all in place if people are taken care of why need money? Sorry where else do I share radical thoughts.

[@mitsame]

this video is Quite awesome... im taking some time to absorb it all naturally but it's given me a lot to think about and i really enjoy all the perspectives on things i don't hear much about, especially that with how ff7 handles masculinity and it was refreshing hearing something more thoughtful than just "death can be sudden and unfair sometimes" as the lesson to take away from aerith's death. between this and watching a friend of mine play through it for their first time, there's been a lot of ideas swirling in my head about ff7 in general. this game feels like such an anomaly with what tends to be brought up from the game in broader conversation compared to the actual text, and thus what gets kept as a surprise and what becomes common knowledge something that i think is gonna really stick with me for a while and color a lot about how i think about the original ff7 is really just how remake is being handled, the idea of a narrative serving as an answer to a lot of the original game's ideas and themes is so compelling and i hope it's all handled well so that it can end up resonating with people as well as the original does. i'm really curious to see what you end up taking away from that too, on that note! i think just from the fact that they're asking us to be familiar with crisis core, something that spoils what i'd say are ff7's biggest twists, from the get-go, paints a really weird picture with the direction they wanna take but i hope if The Vibes of remake are any indication then i have a lot of faith

[@soundwave-815]

Just finished this video as the final piece of my Rebirth prep! Well done!! Really enjoyed every bit of this. After starting the original about 100 times through the years I finally dove in and I played through the Original, Remake and Crisis Core all for the first time in the last month! What a series!

[@taeahn6065]

You shared you in this video. It keeps me going

[@ShinzouKatsune]

Ive actually always appreciated the tonal whiplash. Something about it feels like Greek drama. If anything it makes the game more realistic in that it highlights how emotionally seperated the world is. Yes it would be nice if we all mourned together when something world shattering affects us, but we aren't all along the same path or story at the same time. We can't assume everyone is ready to mourn with us.

[@InfernalRamblings]

Incredible work-this is insightful, presented well, and right on the mark. I was left wanting more even after 167+ minutes. I especially love the analysis and commentary from around 1:01:55 to 1:07:18. I've seen over and over again people use Barret's lines to Reeve on the Highwind as the game explicitly denouncing "violent" activism. This of course ignores the far more intense and widespread violence perpetrated by those in power: the wanton destruction of the environment (which will kill or displace billions of people, as well as cause the extinction of ecosystems and species), the literal violence of imperialist conquest, and the exploitation and resulting life-shortening poverty that is imposed upon the working class (especially in the Global South). Oddly enough, many of the people who would finger-wag AVALANCHE seem to come up excuses why this violence is seemingly "okay." (Also this is more pertinent in the Remake, where it's made explicit, but: there's an implication that the bombs AVALANCHE were using were very intentionally designed to only destroy the reactors to the point where they would be no longer functional, NOT to cause excess collateral damage. I believe Jessie has a quick line in the original game where she remarks that the explosions were way bigger than she expected. The Remake of course shows that Shinra deliberately enhanced the destruction of the reactors in an effort to turn the public against AVALANCHE. All of this is moot of course because your point about how AVALANCHE didn't build solidarity and community and work *for* those around them undermined their greater goal. Again, well done.) Random aside: "How To Blow Up a Mako Reactor" is also a fitting title/thumbnail. ;)

[@Skyehoppers]

Thank you 💙 Did I drive any new traffic to your video by chance? I really hope so as your take on that theme is so well-done

[@InfernalRamblings]

@@Skyehoppers I appreciate the mention! There's been a few dozen or so views that have come as a result.

[@hmurt560]

I've been putting on your videos a lot recently because they are nice to listen to when i'm making dinner and eating dinner. I think your videos are amazing and really tackles what games are trying to tell us and how it relates to all of us, even in games like pokemon where you could potentially just write off the story as "for children". I really hope you keep up the great work and I look forward to watching the rest of your videos and future ones.

[@cjjohns2860]

Loved the video! Your voice was so soothing and the script and editing were phenomenal! Thanks for making such a good vid. And i look forward to see what you will post in the future!

[@ecritdelajaponographie8565]

7:21 Professional translator here. If a piece of media includes a blatant mistranslation of the conditional particle と in the very first boss battle, it's badly translated. I love FF7, and the original PS1, PC, and Official Playstation Magazine translations, but said translations are, by any objective measures, pretty bad.

[@ecritdelajaponographie8565]

2:21:33 FWIW, "Jenova" (ジェノバ) looks a lot less like "Jehovah" (エホバ) in Japanese.

[@TKUltra971]

The tale of FF7 has so many layers to its story and the sociopolitical commentary that it covers its amazing it got created in the age that it did. It breaks my heart because that story? The story about PEOPLE and the HUMAN CONDITION that was FF7's world? Its never going to be retold as it should have. It's a fking disgrace.

[@UltimaLuminaire]

Ah, I don't know if this sentiment is entirely echoed by Skyehoppers. I'd at least encourage you to check out the list of video essays he recommends in the description. Honestly, Nojima is not brainless. Maybe not lucid all the time, but he hasn't forgotten what he wrote and why he wrote it. What would concern me is how much more willing he is to co-operate with localization and ESRB ratings that I wonder if that will all muddy the execution in part 2.

[@TKUltra971]

@@UltimaLuminaire He's a hack. so much was wrong with FF7 remake that it could be a 8 part mini series. this just isn't the surface, its literally them forgetting everything that ff7 was, implied and spoke to players about. It has nothing to do with the ESRB or localization, just working with Sony and things being put to the axe then overall incompetence with the release, its outsourcing and internal affairs. There's no space for part 2 as everyone has moved on. C-C sales proved that (and Remake sales overall). Which why it appears they have cold feet. A time travel story? lol. That speaks nothing to ff7's monolithic story. ..If there was an issue with the ESRB edge fest games wouldn't be released nor would it still be on the PSN store (original). Please don't take my strong criticism as hate mongering, believe me fans wanted this to succeed more than square themselves did all things considering.

[@WishMakers]

This video is wonderful, a masterclass even in retrospective analysis of a game as a whole in weaving a narrative around an already existing narrative... But what I was not expecting was the breakdown of a gender expression that is fascinatingly similar to my own at the start of Red 13's section. "A guy on my own terms." I like that. Thanks for putting into words something I've never been able to express, even though we're just strangers on the Internet.

[@Aranock]

This was beautiful, I adore how you edited and structured the piece, the interweaving of analysis, personal attachment to the work and your experiences was skillfully done. 💜

[@Skyehoppers]

Thank you! Honestly it definitely was influenced by Queer Relativity to some extent 💙

[@Aranock]

@@Skyehoppers I didnt want to presume; but I'm glad it was. Thats exactly the type of thing I hoped Queer Relativity would encourage and inspire. Giving a language to understand past experiences etc.

[@jewels7018]

I very much appreciate your addition of your personal experiences because I feel like I’m following in the same career footsteps as you, and your account shocked me out of something.

[@ty_sylicus]

I'm surprised I'm not only willing to listen to a feature-length doc of FFVII but, I actively enjoyed it.

[@DanielSantosAnalysis]

This has been sitting in my "Watch Later" for months, I am finally getting around to it. I am about 30 minutes in but so far it's fantastic so, really kicking myself for sleeping on this video for so long.

[@BalmungMP5]

Cloud gave sephiroth the materia because of brain control from jenova. He was having a breakdown because he just found out his life was a lie. Making it about toxic masculinity is quite a stretch, i think. It is interesting to see how younger generations interpret this story, though.

[@Skyehoppers]

Yes thats what literally happened within the universe of the story. What does that represent to us, though? What does it say?

[@MoonlightBrillance]

This is probably the longest KZbin video essay I’ve ever fully watched with zero breaks. This was fascinating and entertaining, even if we disagreed on some things. I’d love for you to share your thoughts like this on Rebirth and Remake, as many feel it really muddies some of the OG stories beats and themes that you so well explained and analysed. Thanks for the great video and for giving me a new perspective on this game!

[@Pokepants]

Ugh the memories/introspection before each chapter is such a good inclusion omg

[@wahwahwah6690]

I'm native, and since you asked I think the section with Red 13s tribe was depicted really well. Probably what did it best for me was that I hardly noticed there was a Native American aspect to it. I thought, "oh hey, that's pretty neat. This makes the world feel more alive and personal." It's not overstated, It's just there for the people who recognize the similarities. Sort of reminds me of how Bill in The Last of Us is gay, but you wouldn't really notice unless you look a bit deeper into the story and context.

[@svdden_dread]

I can't express with words how much I admire your herculean effort to create this masterpiece of a retrospective-analysis-commentary video 👏👏Your views about the game and ecological crisis are so on point , and you "made" me to watch this in one sitting , something that I rarely do with this kind of long essay-videos 😁I can't wait for your next upload , a huge fan of your work from Greece 😍

[@paperwatt]

Well, you did it, someone finally told me the plot of Final fantasy 7. I had no idea all these parts about sephiroth and Cloud. The idea that Sephiroth, THE Sephiroth, may have not even be alive/lucid the whole game is wild to me. This was one of those games that I felt was too big to play. And not too long, or too complex, too culturally big to try it.

[@rashkavar]

Given your rather dismissive nod to Advent Children at the end, I think you're not going to like this theory, but... I think the voice Cloud hears is Zack. He is a kind and nurturing figure in Clouds life, though Cloud spends a good chunk of time conflating his memories of Zack with himself. As someone who's atheistic, my interpretation is that these are remembered echoes of Zack's kindness to him, coming deep from some subconscious place. My grandmother died years ago, but sometimes I can still almost hear her encouraging words from a time when I was losing my struggle with depression. Zack may not have been his blood, but he was a consoling friend at a time when one was badly needed. Blood doesn't matter anywhere near as much as true friendship and respect in times of need. These memories are often dissonant, however, because of Cloud's confused identity. A more spiritual read (and one supported by his appearance alongside Aeris in a shot or two of Advent Children) is that for whatever reason his soul is not fully melted away into the lifestream. Perhaps this has something to do with whatever augmentations they do to SOLDIER members (Mako, Jenova cells, both, something else? I forget), perhaps its something to do with his connection to Aeris, or perhaps individual souls aren't just subsumed into a morass of Lifestream and souls can just check in on the people they're closest to in this world (And nobody else really mentions it because that's supposed to be normal, it's only weird for Cloud because of his identity issues). So, for whatever reason, Zack can just pop in to check in on Cloud.

[@gekigami1791]

I've never been able to find a video that so succinctly and perfectly captures and explains views that I've had and developed for years but have struggled with explaining to others. It's difficult being dismissed as holding violent beliefs/tendencies when the only driver of that is violence by those in power towards people and the environment. At what point do we consider the acts of subversive groups (even the ones that result in collateral damage/casualties) to not be mindless terror, but self defense? I've never had the opportunity or time to play through FFVII, but it's clear to me that taking the time to do so would be quite enjoyable and beneficial for me. I'm always learning and always subject to change, and I think that by playing this game and consuming other media with similar themes I can continue to refine and more completely understand my own philosophy and the general philosophies I choose to ally with. Maybe I should convince my family to play it, too.

[@VZed]

Took a few sittings, but here I am at the other end, and, amazing work! I only first played this game in like 2019 or 2020 (can't even really remember) and it was live on stream so a lot of the finer points of things kinda sailed right past me. I should go through it again one day but... too much to play. This summary and interpretation was more than valuable, though. I picked up a lot I missed in the game and it contextualized what I do remember beautifully.

[@Skyehoppers]

Too much to play indeed...my list only ever gets longer. Exciting in some ways, but also like existentially terrifying too

[@Miraihi]

What a wonderful analysis. Something similar has been done by the channel called "Study of swords" and the cycle of videos "Final Fantasy VII: A Marxist Reading", but your version is also really thorough and touches upon more themes.

[@DuckDuckSupreme]

I don’t usually comment on vids, but I want you to know this is one of the best youtube videos I have ever seen in all my years! I’ve never even played this game, but I fell in love. I hope you make many more videos to come, and get a ton of subscribers so that more people get access to your thoughtful, gentle, and heartfelt points of view. Keep it up 🍃🌳🍁

[@fripptricky5099]

This is one of the most well-written, conceived, and executed video essays I have ever seen. It captures the reasons why FFVII is still the most impactful piece of media I've ever had the pleasure to experience. An instant KZbin classic that I will return to with reverence. Tremendous, tremendous, tremendous.