Advent Children rambling
So I saw the thing last night, WOW. Though typical of a Japanese anime, Advent Children was packed with trite, pretentious dialogues and trite, pretentious themes; the breath-takingly beautiful CG, Cloud, Sephiroth and various likeable minor characters more than made up for it! Now I know close to *nothing* about Final Fantasy VII settings, so I am
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Oh sure, on the surface she is no damsel in distress whose only purpose is to be tied up prettily and waits for the hero's rescue, she CAN fight. Or can she?
What a perfect way to sum up my problem both with Lana and Ginny. Because the thing is, I normally like strong, competent, tough female characters. Not that a female character has to possess these qualities for me to like her, but I usually do like female characters who can be said to fit the criteria. I like Buffy, Faith, Drusilla (she may seem weak at first, but as the show goes on it becomes all the more clear who has the real power), Vernica Mars, Lilly Cane, Hermione, Sydney Bristow, Sydney Fox, Kahvi and Winnowill, and all these characters have one thing in comon, namely that whatever their expertise is, they accomplish things with it. Things that are useful for ( ... )
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Exact-fucking-ly.
Now that is how you do strong female characters!
They don't just brill to show off so that the hero can admire them, only to forget about their talents when it really matters.
The hero has to either be 1. a major hypocrite or 2. blinded by love and or/lust to find these fake super strengths "admirable". Yeah they tend to get forgotten when it matters, oh how about this jolly good one- when super girl breaks a vase on minor villain no.14's head as he moves to attack the hero from behind, and the hero gives her a thankful smile? Hahaha.
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Tifa: The thing you've got to understand about Tifa is that she's a lot better in AC than she was in the game. I started off seeing her as rather Ginny-esque (or rather, since I played FFVII before I read HP, I saw Ginny as rather Tifa-esque) but she's different in a lot of ways. Ginny is all grrrrrlpowah to teh MAX!!1! Tifa's a lot more sedate, and far more insecure. I'm not so much for the Tifa/Cloud love, but it's got a minor basis in fact, if only because out of their entire childhoods/town, all they've got left is each other. In the game, that seriously messed Tifa up, as she spent roughly half of the game wandering about trying to match up her and Cloud's conflicting memories ( ... )
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Okay. Sounds like she does have a believable, sympathizable vulnerability that differentiates her from the stereotype I chuck her in- though, not much on a whole, since I am talking mostly about 'fake' girlpower here :-)
The whole bit where she seemed to be holding her own against Loz, I read as more of him playing with her
Well, he did say the 'game' looked like it'd be fun (indicating that he thought she had *some* skills), and at some moments he actually appeared stressed. Tifa certainly thought she'd taken care of him when dispeared under a pile of wasted furniture.
Cloud says "...It hurts" and Mukki responds "You'll get used to it"
*LOL*
What hurts? Was it ( ... )
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Oh, fake!grrlpower annoys me as much as (most) anyone else. Tifa annoyed me more in the second half of the movie, where she didn't do anything but say "Aw, Cloud's so cool!" Yuffie was able to fight and be interesting. If only the same could be said of Tifa.
I got the impression that Loz was perhaps using half of his skill during the fight with Tifa. Certainly once he brought in his superspeed, she was out like a light. I doubt highly that she ever gave him a true run for his money.
*LOL*
What hurts? Was it obvious? Or am I to take it that the software company was doing a bit of slashfanservice ;-)?*snicker* That whole scene was perhaps the most slashfanservice-y moment in a long game filled with slashfanservice-y moments. :D They don't give any more details on what exactly happened other than those lines ( ... )
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My point exactly. Fighting skill that is rather showy and nice to look at, but ultimately achieves nothing, is a waste of screentime.
Cloud turned out rather oblivious to when people like him
Haha, which I bet only increases his attractiveness X-D
It's possible to play the game so that he grows to like one of the three girls (or Barrett)
What does he do with Barrett if you hook him up with Cloud @_@?
And since I was originally a C/A shipper, it made me quite happy!
Oh you were? But what made you no longer a shipper? I like the lack of OTP, for unless it's a pairing I can really love it'll be more fun to work on the subtext :-)! That and romance too often takes away from an adventure story rather than contributes to it!
but they aren't living together nowBut Cloud is totally moving back, I bet -_-;; Haha I think I even like the Reno/Cloud interactions better than that of Cloud/Tifa, and it's not ( ... )
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*g* I'm not much for redemption!fic over all, which doesn't leave a lot of leave-way for post-game Sephiroth/Cloud, sadly. I've seen some decent fic, but near all of them play into the idea that Cloud was in love with Sephiroth all through out the game and I don't really buy that... If you don't mind it so much though, Fusion is really good. It takes the concept of dropping a post-game!Cloud into young!Cloud's body, back when he was first trying out for SOLDIER. It's well written and has a great Zack, which is always fun. ( ... )
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I'm not much for redemption!fic over all
Redemption isn't a 'necessity' for me either, usually, but it would seem that without some sort of redemption on Sephiroth's part it's hard to have them come together (hee) in a convincing manner? How long were they er, on friendly terms before the whole Sephiroth-gone-berserk business?
I've seen some decent fic, but near all of them play into the idea that Cloud was in love with Sephiroth all through out the game and I don't really buy that
No, I don't think I want to buy a Cloud who could love someone who'd killed so many innocent people either! I could buy angsty, mixed feelings that would've been pure hatred had some total stranger done the same things, iow I could buy that because Sephiroth used to be Cloud's hero so it was somewhat different... But any more 'leeway' than that would be unthinkable??
Thanks for the recs, would check them out later :-)!!!
Post-AC ( ... )
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Ooh, I can sympathize with that... What's due?
How long were they er, on friendly terms before the whole Sephiroth-gone-berserk business?
It's an unanswered question, to be honest. We know that Cloud left home at 14 to go halfway around the world and try out for SOLDIER. We know he was back in Nimbleheim at 16, when everything went to hell. So, given time for travelling, it's really at most a year and a half that they could have known one another. And since Cloud didn't make it into SOLDIER, the interaction that they might have had is limited. The most realistic answer is that they only met on the one mission we see them on, but it's plausable that they'd gone on others as well. Sephiroth seemed at least curious about Cloud's return to his hometown, and since I can't see him bothering to ask personal questions of a random kid, it's possible they knew each other to some degree.
No, I don't think I want to buy a ( ... )
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Month-end report of doom -___-
Sephiroth seemed at least curious about Cloud's return to his hometown, and since I can't see him bothering to ask personal questions of a random kid, it's possible they knew each other to some degree.
Hmmmm... Do you think, that Sephiroth noticed him out of the vast non-SOLDIER crowd because Zack was being friendly with him? Though, heh, I really don't have any trouble thinking the reason Sephiroth was somewhat curious was because Cloud was simply beautiful :-P
And honestly, kissing Cloud would likely have been the only thing that would have messed the poor boy up more, you know?
Sure! But in a good way *g* The kid needs some Sephiroth loving, or more precisely, I need some Sephiroth-loving-Cloud, like BADLY, like NOW.
The ironic thing? The only person left confirmed to have Jenova cells is Cloud.A plot bunny just hopped by, I think it said something along the line of Cloud, giving blood, and very much regreted it afterwards *g* Say, if Cloud has a child, would it be at all possible ( ... )
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Oh, after many an explanatory posts from Ginzai (for the benefit of newbie/dummies such as moi), I reckon that that has to have been the case. Thanks!
SEPHIROTH appears to be the ultimate nii-chan not only because he was the most successful JENOVA eperiment, but because he pwnz all their asses in a free-for-all-swordfight-slash-orgy <3
Sephiroth also pwnz the asses of almost every single big-boss-villain I've come across in other series, man!!
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XD What's more intriguing to me is that he knew Cloud had Geostigma. Was he keeping up with his puppet from Lifestream? I ask you.
Geostigma... It's another weird, not-really-answered-in-AC sort of thing. Basically it's a sickness that comes about, I was assuming, due to over exposure to Mako. Another theory is that it's due to Jenova cells in the body being fought off, like a virus, and that works for Cloud, but all the kids and Rufus had it too. So, in short, it's weird. We know that it's related to Sephiroth because he's able to use the people who have it. Or something. -_-;;
0_o oh...?
So, when Sephiroth was mass-murdering, it was more complete insanity rather than enjoying the torturing etc then?
See, to me Tom is all about hurting everyone. Doesn't matter who or what, so long as they're weaker than him, he wants to hurt them. Sephiroth though didn ( ... )
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So let's assume Sephiroth was in his pitiable 1/7th-soul-Voldemort state, or something equally not!alive, and he was still watching Cloud's every move??? Awwwwww, I am touched. Touched I say!
So, in short, it's weird. We know that it's related to Sephiroth because he's able to use the people who have it.
Oh I see, the all-encompassing power of Sephiroth to be able to do *anything* should the plot requires it? Wait, what would Sephiroth have tried to make Cloud do had he still got the Geostigma?
.......... *runs to the calming refuge of cold shower again*
And the one he liked hurting most was Cloud, for reasons I'm still trying to figure out.
Psssst, you sure it wasn't just Cloud's extreme prettiness that drew the attention, at least at the beginning ;-P?
because to Sephiroth, humans are too insignificant.Okay, I think I got the idea now. Thanks for the explanation ( ... )
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Aw, me too. Then again, Lifestream seems very boring. If I were Sephiroth and all I had to do all day was float and mutter about what to do next time I was resurrected, then I'd be watching the Cloud-o-vision channel as well.
Oh I see, the all-encompassing power of Sephiroth to be able to do *anything* should the plot requires it? Wait, what would Sephiroth have tried to make Cloud do had he still got the Geostigma?
.......... *runs to the calming refuge of cold shower again*
XDXD Basically! As for Sephiroth making Cloud do anything, if he had, it probably would have been while Cloud was in Lifestream back in the game, while he still thought he was nothing but a clone. Plus it's canon that Sephiroth was able to invade Cloud's dreams during the first part of the game, so I kinda wonder what sort of dream smex activities they might ( ... )
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Hee, you are right, and dear ol' Sephiroth's proposition words to Cloud came across as very staged, meaning he must've rehearsed them (the most seductive smile and leering included) hundreds of times while thinking of Cloud. Pity he overlooked the importance of keeping Cloud pinned while he teased! Damn.
Plus it's canon that Sephiroth was able to invade Cloud's dreams during the first part of the game, so I kinda wonder what sort of dream smex activities they might have gotten up to.
I am getting more and more convinced that Sephiroth simply wasn't very bright, look at all the unutilized opportunities he could've seduced Cloud to his bed side! That, or Nomura is a mean little man who just wouldn't allow Sephiroth to get any, and does not believe in the make-love-don't-make-war mentality *shakes fist angrily*!
In AC, Cloud, Rufus, and Kadaj (even Loz, to a lesser ( ... )
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