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percheduphere · 4 months

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LET'S TALK ABOUT WHO LOKI CHOOSES

I've previously discussed romantic tropes in the Loki series in my meta here. This meta supports the former by counting each of Loki's decisions with each of Loki's love interests (Sylvie and Mobius) and where those decisions occur in the progression of the overall story of S1 and S2 combined. The end of S1 is the midpoint of the whole story. Bear this in mind as I track how Loki's decision-making shifts. You can even choose to view Loki's decision-making with respect to Mobius as platonic if you want. It doesn't change the plot, count, or character development.

I have to give Sylvie attention and credit where it is due. To not do so would not only ignore her legitimate importance in the series and Loki's development, but it would also undermine my own credibility as an essayist. Feel free to comment, but here are my ground rules: no hate and no yucking other people's yum.

S1E1: Loki chooses himself. We could make the argument Loki chooses to trust Mobius here, but I don't think we see Loki start to like Mobius as a person until S1E2.

S1E2: Loki straddles between choosing himself and choosing to help Mobius because he actually wants to. It helps that the latter serves self-preservation. Loki most obviously chooses himself when he bullshits Mobius at the RenFaire. His choice is more gray when proposing the apocalypse theory. To be conservative, I won't count this in Mobius's favor. However, I feel fairly confident Loki chooses to help Mobius (1) sift through the possible apocalypses because of this genuine reaction:

Loki is starved for praise. He's a centuries-old god for goodness sakes.

When a third option presents itself at Roxxcart, Loki chooses himself and Sylvie (1).

S1E3: Loki chooses to: 1.) help Sylvie through "attempting diplomacy" with the widow (2), 2.) help Sylvie with his "shit plan" disguise (3), 3.) be vulnerable with Sylvie on the train (4), 4.) sing Sylvie a song (5), 5.) help Sylvie get to the arc (6).

S1E4: Loki chooses to comfort Sylvie by holding her hand; their feelings for each other trigger a giant Nexus Event (7). Loki chooses to tell Mobius the truth about the TVA; if he didn't care about Mobius, he would have withheld this information (2). Loki chooses to trust Mobius (3). Loki chooses to reciprocate Mobius’s feelings of friendship (4). Loki chooses, with Mobius, to find and rescue Sylvie (8). Loki chooses to combat Renslayer with Sylvie (9). Loki chooses to confront the Timekeepers with Sylvie and gets pruned (10).

S1E5: Loki chooses to share a blanket with Sylvie (11). Loki chooses to stay in the Void and follow Sylvie to the end of time, "Where you go, I go" (12). Loki chooses to hug Mobius (5). Loki chooses to trust Sylvie's insistence that he intrinsically knows how to enchant (13).

S1E6 (THE MIDPOINT): The confrontation with HWR is tricky. Loki chooses to slow down and think about the consequences because he's learned the value of slowing down and thinking from Mobius (6). Loki chooses to kiss Sylvie back (I realize this is debatable for many Lokius fans, but I'm not going to argue this; 14)

S2 NOTES: For the sake of my own sanity, I am not counting Loki's unconscious and conscious timeslipping. You can refer to the counts for that in my meta here. I will also not be counting the near-infinite number of loops Loki refuses to kill Sylvie for "the good of the multiverse."

S2E1: Loki chooses to seek out Mobius for help (7). Loki chooses to be vulnerable with Mobius in the hallway (8). Loki chooses to trust Mobius's judgment that they only have one shot at stopping the timeslipping (9).

S2E2: Loki chooses to protect Mobius from Brad (10). Loki chooses to help Mobius reverse-engineer Brad's TemPad (11). Loki chooses to comfort Mobius in the pie automat (12). Loki chooses to follow Mobius's intimidation plan for Brad (13). Loki chooses to convince Sylvie to join his and the TVA's cause (Sylvie declines #1; 15). Loki chooses to hold hands with Sylvie to combine their blast power (16). Loki chooses to follow Mobius back to the TVA (14). Loki chooses to ask Sylvie to stay and help (Sylvie declines #2; 17). Loki chooses to comfort Mobius in the Control Room (15).

S2E3: Loki chooses to humor Mobius's sightseeing (16). Loki chooses to try cracker jack (and hates it; 17). Loki chooses to prioritize the Loom per Mobius’s advisement (18). Loki chooses to give into Mobius's tandem bike request (19). Loki chooses to plead with Sylvie to spare Timely and asks for her help (NOTE: this is Loki's 3rd request; writers love the significance of threes and Sylvie turns Loki down all three times; 18).

S2E4: Loki chooses to defend Mobius in the Pie Automat (20). Loki chooses to compare (through implication) Thor's relationship with Jane with his relationship with Mobius (21). Loki chooses to use this same comparison to assure Sylvie that her mercy on Timely was an act of mercy for all people on all timelines (19).

S2E5: Loki chooses to look for Mobius in the Pie Automat (22). Loki chooses to look for Mobius in the Control Room (23). Loki chooses to recruit Mobius (24). Loki chooses to quote Mobius's "form and function" to Don (25), Loki chooses to help Mobius through the time door (26). Loki chooses to promise Don (Mobius) that he can return him to any point in time (27). Loki chooses to recruit Sylvie (20; she turns him down a 4th time). Loki chooses to argue with Sylvie that Mobius should have a choice (28). Loki chooses to listen to Sylvie that his friends are better off without the TVA (21). Loki chooses to let Don go for Mobius’s own good (29). Loki chooses to control timeslipping upon hearing Sylvie say "Do you think what makes a Loki a Loki is that we're destined to lose?" (22). Loki chooses to rewrite the story to save Sylvie and Mobius (23 / 30, respectively).

S2E6: Loki chooses to reenact all of Mobius's small gestures of kindness even though they cost precious time: he chooses to hold Victor's glasses (31), he chooses to compliment OB's "not to scale" model (32), he chooses to recite an abbreviated version of his and Mobius's bickering over "who's in the suit?" (33), he chooses to finish Mobius's joke about taking OB's job (34). He chooses to seek out Past Mobius for guidance and comfort (35). He chooses to shake Mobius's hand (36). He chooses to talk Sylvie out of killing HWR (24). He chooses to sacrifice himself to save Sylvie and Mobius (25 / 37, respectively). He chooses to listen (and watch?) to Mobius say, "Let time pass" (38).

Loki chooses Sylvie: 25

Loki chooses Mobius: 38

If I missed any decision points for either Sylvie or Mobius, let me know and I'll update the meta and counts accordingly.

Ultimately, Loki's sacrifice is for BOTH Mobius AND Sylvie. BOTH ships are important to the narrative and Loki. However, between the two of them, there is only one person who has consistently chosen Loki since S1E1, never rejected Loki and his requests for help, and who has, in turn, unknowingly been chosen by Loki in kind. Need a meta for Mobius’s decision-making? Here it is.

#loki #mobius #lokius #loki season 2 #loki series #loki meta #my meta #loki analysis #my analysis #sylvie

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sizzleissues · 5 months

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I loved the Paris special and all the hype leading up to it and after it and I just love how it went. I was so afraid it would disappoint my expectations, do something basic and trite but no, it went for something and I loved it.

Like for the most part the art, discussions and fics I saw previous to the airing were kinda goofy. We heard 'evil Marinette and Adrien' and constructed two evil little guys to swing around while we waited. They were bratty and overly dark and unapologetically cruel and conniving. Of course people did explore the possible reasons for them being different but we didn't know what the reverse world was like, where it broke off from our canon so we could only make guesses. People concluded they either did it for the heck of it, or that it was a lashing out against their circumstances. Whether the behavior followed them into being civilians, especially before all the designs were released, we didn't know and we made beautiful noise based on assumptions.

Then we got the episode.

The two kids weren't evil for the heck of it. They were tricked by someone greater, similarly how Master Fu told our Marinette and Adrien to use their power for the greater good, to better the world, the Supreme told them to use it for the greater evil, with some sort of reward in return for accomplishing this goal. It pit them against each other. They couldn't wholly work apart, neither were strong enough to do that, but they were never entirely together because if they worked together, they would simply turn against the Supreme. By telling them that only one of them could get what they wanted, the Supreme became a far cleverer and eviler villain than whatever Gabriel became by the end.

Bad Marinette and Adrien became trapped in the cycle of abuse they likely faced in their civilian lives. Marinette lived under the thumb of Chloe and her worse world and instead of being empowered as Toxinelle, she was trapped in a cycle of failure as it slowly killed her for ever wanting a chance at something better. She has the same capability as our Marinette to be good and to be resilient but the power of one toxic voice is demonstrated in her fall. At the midpoint of the special she knows that how fucked she is and how its entirely by the Supremes' design but she can't do a single thing about it other then finish what they came to do. It takes the hope Ladybug installs in her for her to overcome the manipulations of the Supreme. Bad Marinette loses the chance to get back what she wanted in the first place, whether that be freedom from Chloe or something in her home life but she accepts that she can improve things in a different way. Find Alya, join the resistance, carve out something new for herself. The lack of mention of her father makes you wonder and the bitterness about her mother is another open question. Is her Sabine mean or did something else happen to strain their relationship?

Adrien similarly became trapped in his grief and instead of Griffe Noire being a release from it, he toyed with his life in desperation to get his mother back, like our Gabriel did towards the end. I don't think Good Gabriel was a terrible father like our Gabriel but he was misguided. I think he likely didn't want to address Emily's death because by the looks of the opening, it was quite emotionally distressing and having to face that would mean admitting some terrible things (like that his actions resulted in her death, and that Adrien's 'birth' was the catalyst that had her killed). So he stayed silent and allowed Adrien's resentment to build. This Adrien is also still home schooled. I think again that Good Gabriel does this because he thinks allowing Adrien out into the world would put him in dangers way, since the Supreme obviously hasn't reclaimed the miraculous yet. But again he doesn't explain why, evidenced by Adrien working for the man responsible for his mother's demise. Adrien doesn't know, he thinks his father is pretending like nothings wrong and keeping him cut off from the world. Its likely that the one day Adrien runs away to school, the Supreme finds him and gives him the miraculous before he's whisked away again. Proving Gabriel right, but he doesn't know it.

The Supreme is also just fucking with Gabriel. He knows Gabriel's identity so he's using his son to fuck with him further. He kills his wife and then turns his son against him. His son who is now doomed to die if he doesn't retrieve the butterfly miraculous.

Both character's now reflect paths our versions could have gone down. Yes the world isn't run by the Supreme but miraculous has taken time to show the other ways the city can be terrible. Their Mayor's corrupt controlled by the whims of his daughter and investors, a greedy business man holds a monopoly on artists and the cities biggest fashion designer works with the smartest business woman in town to make rings to spy on everyone, who is literally a super villain with no known motive. Things are pretty shit and it’s not like the show isn't directly pointing to these things as terrible.

Ladybug and Chat Noir see this steaming pile of shit and decide to save it anyway, overcoming their personal challenges along the way. Like why not overthrow the mayor, why not take down those who don't need to be akumatised to be evil? It’s proof of their inherent goodness, even with everything they'd been through prior to origins that they don't do this. Versions of them are only compelled to be evil because someone different gets in their ear, someone promises them better "if they paid only a small price". Neither want to do it, but its all they have left after choosing that path instead of the other. We know that this darkness is in our versions as well. Adrinoir asks why not use the wish to solve everything? He could have his mother back, his father would revert from this cold mess to his distant but loving father. He acts out, plays a different character and doesn't think when he should. Maribug is constantly tearing herself apart trying to balance things and ends up abusing her power occasionally (especially in the earlier part of the show). She sometimes acts selfishly and is misguided. These aren't two entirely different sets of people, but the same set if the wrong traits are amplified.

And omg I love this show.

Instead of going, look at these two evil guys, doing evil things for no reason we get these morally complex renditions of our favorite characters. There's nothing wrong with the previous interpretation but it says little about our own characters in turn and only offers a chance for some hijinks and fun before the episode ends. (I wish they'd been dating and revealed like all our hearts dreamed but if that would have been true they'd have been too powerful and defeated Better fly in like five seconds so they could get back to making out - this lovesquare is even less functioning now)

Anyways be cool, watch miraculous

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #ml paris special #toxinelle #griffe noire #claw noir #shadybug #sizzle rambles

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accio-victuuri · 6 months

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This hot search tag is cute. Xiao Zhan’s smile analysis. I have to agree, that sweet smile is one of his assets. ☺️☺️☺️

The smile arc refers to the line formed by the incisal edges of the maxillary anterior teeth and the cusps of the posterior teeth (i.e., the upper green line in the picture), this curve is consistent with the curvature of the lower lip (yellow line in the picture above), then your smile will be more contagious. If the smile arc is flat or reverse

If it is directed towards someone, it will appear far-fetched and even sinister. Xiao Zhan's smile arc is a relatively standard type, very suitable for toothy smiles.

When we grin, we can see the innermost teeth and mouth. There are two black spaces between the corners. This "buccal gap" is often mentioned as the "cheek corridor". If the cheek corridor is too small, it will appear that the mouth is full of teeth; if the cheek corridor is too large, it will appear that the mouth is full of teeth. The mouth is relatively empty and the smile is not contagious; a moderately sized cheekbone can complete a full and smart smile.

The dental arch refers to the arrangement of the upper and lower jaw teeth on the alveolar bone. According to the shape difference of the front segment, it can be divided into square, oval and pointed. The dental arch can support our cheeks and lips, which contributes to the fullness of the facial appearance. The degree of coordination has a relatively large impact. Xiao Zhan’s dental arch and his delicate and restrained face. It matches the small square face very well.

The smile line refers to the intersection line between the red edge of the upper lip and the oral cavity. It is generally divided into three categories: ①Low smile line: 2MM (i.e. exposed) Gum smile, showing more of it can be called "super high smile line"). Xiao Zhan has a standard mid-range smile line, showing just the right amount of teeth and gums.

The curvature of the upper lip refers to the midpoint of the upper lip (blue dot in the above picture) and the corners of the mouth (yellow dot in the above picture points). There are 3 most common situations①The corner of the mouth is higher than the midpoint of the upper lip, and the curvature is upward; ②The corner of the mouth is between the midpoint of the upper lip Equal height, straight curvature; ③The corner of the mouth is lower than the midpoint of the upper lip, and the curvature is downward Generally, we think that the upward curvature of the upper lip is more beautiful. This kind of smile also known as the "Mona Lisa's Smile", Xiao Zhan belongs to the curve-upward category.

#xiao zhan #bunny laoshi and his sweet smile YESSSSS #accio victuuri translation #the explanations are cool but i really don’t need it to appreciate his SMILE

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semi-imaginary-place · 17 days

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"The journey of the protagonist is our journey, shaped by all decisions. This is the meaning of the contract signed at the beginning of the game. In signing, we're choosing to face death and see the journey to its conclusion.

What is that journey exactly? It's all revealed in a deck of tarot cards. Or, as Nyx would say, "The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed".

The tarot cards tell a story in numerical order, representing the spiritual growth and transformation of an individual as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery. The P3 hero finds himself in the role of this individual as he holds the power of the Fool, the first card in the Major Arcana bearing the number zero. The illustration on this card depicts a foolish wanderer. His innocence and naivety of the world suggest some unlimited possibilities as he moves through the Major Arcana.

He encounters archetypal figures representing the different stages of life. He must incorporate these experiences into himself if he is ever to realize his full potential. These appear as the Social Links, the bonds with other people the hero must forge to strengthen his personas.

But there's always a duality to the archetypes, and this also holds true for the tarot cards as well.

The Shadows also bear the Arcana, making them necessary obstacles on the Fool's Journey. The Arcana of the Shadows stands in opposition to that of the Social Links; one represents the card in its positive, upright position, and the other in its reversed, negative position.

Each one of these Arcana is a learning experience, a chance for the Fool to catch a glimpse of the many universal truths passed down by the collective unconscious." (Blasckk)

But Nyx Avatar's arcanas also end in death when in tarot death is only the midpoint of the Fool's Journey. Is the end of one thing but also the begining of something new

“Beginning with "The Fool" and ending with "The World"... they tell a story in numerical order that is a metaphor of an individual's journey through life. Each Major Arcana represents a stage on that journey... an experience that the individual must incorporate to realize his oneness. They are all important, so let's take a look at each of the 22 cards, one by one." (P3 Edogawa)

"The final card is The World, which represents the individual's full awareness of his place in the world.” (P3 Edogawa)

"Naturally, the Universe, as the culmination and integration of all arcanas, is nothing but the very own archetypal tree and man embodied, the potentiality of life as Aleister Crowley described it ... As the final arcana, the Universe is also the end of existence and its meaning. It’s the full realization of the primordial Nothingness that the Ein Sof is, not through being anything in particular but through being everything that has existed and exists, thus truly being nothing. ... So all in all, this means the Universe is the collective unconscious itself. Not a fragment of it, or just holding a part of its power, but ALL of it. And at the same time, it’s also the full realization of it, the dispersal of all unconsciousness and primitiveness into an harmonic whole that knows itself, equal in every sense to the incarnation and realization of the Ein Sof within the tree of life. It’s the archetype of all humanity (ie. the source of the previously mentioned Adam Kadmon) and life, their potentiality and meaning, their purpose.

...

Then, the final confrontation between the protagonists and Nyx isn’t only for the sake of present life, but also for all that has existed previously and its legacy, even Nyx itself. It’s the affirmation of life’s meaning and purpose against what once was and wishes to return to… and what must be ultimately confronted. It’s both the separation from everything that has happened, and its acceptance and forgiveness. That’s why the Universe can’t really go against Nyx, because they are the same, and thus the arcana must accept it." (Meliane)

#Persona 3 #P3 #Persona

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pirefyrelight · 20 days

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Finally casted off! But I'm not done yet. They look like tassels but in fact they are not.

I definitely misjudged how big and heavy it was actually going to be, but pattern wise I think I did a cool thing.

So the big purple stripe is the midpoint and you can see the transition. When looking at colorwork techniques I found it was basically impossible to have a reversible and seamless transition, so I made it reversible by having each stripe be an odd number (5 rows) so that both sides both had the seams and seamless transitions.

I can't be the only one to have done this technique but I also didn't see it spelled out like this so I kinda consider it me figuring it out on my own? Yeah.

Can't say I'm proud how it turned out yet cause it's not actually done yet but hopefully soon. Hopefully it will look a lot cleaner once all the ends are sewn in.

#pire.txt #Knitting

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david-talks-sw · 2 years

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Just finished reading the script for Revenge of the Sith. I had read this one before but it’s been, like, years. Will post about it soon :)

A thought crossed my mind and so Imma just jot it down here.

If I look at these screenplays with my screenwriter hat on, rather than the fan hat… these aren't ‘very good’ feature scripts, by conventional standards. They’re ‘okay’ at best.

As a conventional feature script, there’s issues all over Attack of the Clones, for instance. Too much expositional dialogue, too much plot not enough emotion. Again, “show, don’t tell”, always. When we do get character-driven dialogue, it’s phrased in a very formal dialect rather than a more conventional one.

But this is nothing new, right? Like, we’ve seen so many articles and videos criticizing the Prequels online. Myriad are the “let’s rewrite the Prequels” videos… and most of them rewrite the trilogy from the ground up. Some of these even result in stronger scripts (the Belated Media one is really good)... but that's, like, cheating.

Anybody can "fix" a story by just starting over. The real challenge is fixing it in a way that the TV shows and comics I grew up with still stay the same. A proper rewrite would take everything Lucas wanted to do with the prequels and only execute it better.

Now the screenplays I write aren't too shabby (got selected in a few competitions but I've only been doing it for 4-5 years, so I'm clearly no master yet ^^') so sometimes I ask myself:

Could I write a feature script that

1) is classically "better"... (more aligned to screenwriting conventions, aka, a single protagonist who takes up most of the screentime, clear inciting incident happening at page 15, midpoint of the script being a reversal of what happens on page 90, etc).

2) ... while also saying everything Lucas wanted to say? (by keeping every theme and subject, every commentary, every planet, every design and every line that spun-off into a TCW episode)

And the answer is "no".

At some point, I'd need to do away with some of the elements that have come to make the Prequels so iconic.

I mean, take Attack of the Clones, for instance. You're already trying to juggle two plots:

PLOT 1, Anakin and Padmé fall in love. Classic romance. Think Romeo & Juliet.

PLOT 2, Obi-Wan's investigation: noir-style with massive political implications. Think State of Play.

Each of these two plots is a feature film by itself. But then you've got all these subplots, but they're all CRUCIAL to the story of the Prequels. Off the top of my head:

SUBPLOT, the Separatists vs the Republic conflict, the Military Creation Act, Palpatine getting emergency powers: commentary on how a democracy turns into a dictatorship.

SUBPLOT, Anakin and attachment: commentary on how a good person turns into a bad person. Setting up this crucial flaw that'll doom Anakin in the next film. He loses his mother in this film and begins to feel very possessive of Padmé.

SUBPLOT, Obi-Wan & Anakin: former needs to put faith in his apprentice, latter needs to be less arrogant. Arrogance them also "rhymes" with Luke's arc, sets up how Anakin loses his arm and subtextually hints at how Dooku fell to the Dark Side.

SUBPLOT, everything with Count Dooku: quod sum eris, he is what Anakin will become.

SUBPLOT, Padmé being a target for assassination: moral people in positions of power will always be the first to go. If war is brewing, voices encouraging peace will be silenced or overshadowed.

SUBPLOT, the theme of duty: the Jedi are duty-bound to serve the Senate and so they're cornered into either joining the war or watching it ravage the galaxy. Also, Anakin and Padmé's respective duties make their romance forbidden (source of conflict).

SUBPLOT, Yoda crying for Anakin's loss, Mace supporting Anakin. The Jedi trust and approve of Anakin, making his betrayal in the next film harsher.

SUBPLOT, Palpatine's manipulation of Anakin, also laying groundwork for the next film.

As well as showcasing new planets, characters and set-pieces and action sequences that help you (Lucas) revolutionize digital cinema and VFX.

Orienting it all towards a target audience of 6-12 year-olds.

These are complex stories. You can't tell them properly without including all these elements. Like, in The Phantom Menace, you can't have Anakin start out as a 14-18 year-old (as most rewrite videos suggest) because the attachment to his mother wouldn't be as strong, by that point.

And, like, this is probably the very thing that Lucas had to face when writing the Prequels:

You either adapt the tale you're spinning in a conventional feature structure and lose a looot of stuff... or you tell the story you want to tell and you do it right.

And movies have to be concise, the runtime is very limited. You only have 120 minutes to tell your story, give or take. So you can see how these screenwriting conventions quickly become restrictive, especially to an artist like George Lucas.

Would the Prequels have worked better as an 8-episode limited TV show? Probably, yeah! Hell, you can kick many of those deleted scenes right back in (they provide SO much context).

But back in the early 2000s, you wouldn't get that kind of budget for a TV show. TV was considered to be "lesser" than film.

So short of cutting them up and remaking them as a series, there's really no other way to "fix" the Prequels. They're the way they are by design. Anything changes, and you're looking at something that's not quite as iconic, doesn't hold as much subtext.

#my two cents #star wars #long post #extra long post #george lucas #screenwriting

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a-couple-of-notes · 1 year

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modernity, music, and jean jackets in willow 2022

I know the anachronistic elements of willow 2022 have been extremely controversial, for both bad-faith and good-faith reasons. I completely get why. this analysis isn’t meant to tell people they’re wrong or even change their minds; I just want to articulate why I liked these choices, so I can better understand my own thoughts on the matter. so: I liked the modern music. I liked the jean jackets. why?

there are a couple of factors here that probably helped: I didn’t know any of the songs beforehand, except “good vibrations” vaguely. I also generally don’t mind anachronistic costuming; it isn’t something that takes me out of the experience. but I also admired how intentional the show was with these elements - and it was intentional, beyond just wanting some banging rock songs in the credits and some fashion for the chosen ones.

let's discuss.

musical intention

alright, I’m going to say some stuff that might sound like stating the obvious, but it’s important to acknowledge: the ending credit songs are all directly responding to, and furthering, the events of the episode/the characters’ emotions/the meta-story. whether it’s successful, unsuccessful, or so blunt it makes you cringe is up to you, but the intention is there.

“guess who’s back” by BEGINNERS and night panda ends the first episode. the gist of the song - “heard you missed me/say hello/been on the run...guess who’s back” - refers directly to elora, who has been revealed after 16 years by willow. it’s also about the return of willow as a story/universe - the franchise is back. finally, it’s the show telling you that there will be firmly modern elements like this, whether you like it or not.

“hurdy-gurdy man” by sir jude (originally by donovan) ends the second episode. the slow build-up in the first verse mirrors the growth of the eckleberry bush, with the chorus hitting as the plant begins to shoot up in earnest. the lyrics of the song reference a traveling minstrel singing love songs - “it was then when a hurdy-gurdy man / came singing songs of love” - much like graydon the bard, whose belief in elora caused her to grow the eckleberry bush in the first place.

“enter sandman” by rina sawayama (originally by metallica) ends the third episode. it’s a driving rock/metal song all about nightmares and something wrong lurking in the dark; obviously, this is nockmaar (but also the darkness and sin lurking within graydon). the tone of the song orients us toward the heart-pounding danger of the castle, the exciting next step of the quest, instead of the sorrow and anxiety of graydon’s wound. this helps give momentum and energy to an otherwise death-and-despair-filled episode, and is also, tacitly, a promise that we don’t have to mourn for graydon (yet). the drums mix with the storm and thunder around the castle and it’s very cool.

“black hole sun” by SWANN (originally by soundgarden) ends the fourth episode, and it’s a pretty direct reference to all the badness happening in the immemorial city - “in disguises no one knows/hides the face/lies the snake,” “boiling heat, summer stench/’neath the black, the sky looks dead.” there’s also a cool foreshadowing here of how kit eventually saves airk, by “call[ing] [his] name through the cream.”

surprise! “time for some mayhem” by arre! arre! opens the fifth episode, and - okay, they’re chaotic, they’re fighting, this is just fun. but also, it’s structural. we ended the fourth episode, the midpoint of the series, with airk wandering the immemorial city: dramatic, sad, ominous. the musical cue helps reset us to our wacky main party and indicates on a macro-level that we’re beginning a new half of the series. on a micro-level, this episode will also be about surprising reversals - mainly the bonereavers turning out to be great partiers, but also how kit and jade’s princess/knight dynamic keeps flipping, how the adventurous brownies end up as satisfied homemakers, and how a tossed willow reveals his fear of mediocrity. so of course the wildwood would turn the musical structure upside-down, too.

“crimson and clover” by the pom-pom squad (originally by tommy james and the shondells) plays during the fifth episode during boorman's kiss with scorpia. it’s a love song meant for all three couples: boorman/scorpia, graydon/elora, and jade/kit. it’s another way the episode messes with the structure of the music, possibly alluding to the desire all the characters have to come back to the wildwood when the journey is over. this is the happy ending they want.

“good vibrations” by the beach boys ends the sixth episode, over airk meeting the crone for the first time. I’d argue that this is the song choice meant intentionally to be dissonant; its bouncy tune and claims of “good vibrations” don’t feel right because, well, it’s the crone. but the lyrics are as direct as ever, setting up airk’s instant attraction to the crone - “I love the colorful clothes she wears/and the way the sunlight plays upon her hair.”

“for the glory” by kin palo plays during the seventh episode, during the training montage. and, okay, it’s probably my favorite musical cue - not for any deep reason as to its placement, it’s just a baller song. I mean, this is just classic 80s montage - you need a rocking song behind it, both for tone and to convey the condensed passage of time! the driving drums and lyrics about going beyond your limits represent how the characters are progressing in magic and swordfighting, pushing themselves to new heights. I also love how the song ends abruptly on the beginning of the sexy swordfight, the sound of kit’s block cutting it off on “all for the glory,” as if to say, “hmm, well, not all for the glory - there’s some flirty ulterior motives, too.”

“I’m a wanted man” by royal deluxe plays at the end of the second episode, cementing airk as an opponent for kit and elora (if the short hair didn’t tip you off). the lyrics are all about an untrustworthy criminal with blood on their hands - “I would kill again to keep from doing time/you should never ever trust my kind” - reflecting how the characters must understand airk at this point, as someone they can’t trust and will try to kill them. the bridge of the song has the speaker contemplating whether they can change if someone asks them - which possibly connects to airk’s recovery at the end - but that’s buried deep in the credits, so I don’t think that counts.

“I’m on fire” by soccer mommy (originally by bruce springsteen) plays during the fake wedding in the eighth episode. what the force already covered this in their podcast episode, but basically, it’s used to denote how the crone wants to regress and infantilize elora - “hey, little girl, is your daddy home?” it’s also a song about desire and how only the person the speaker is singing to can quench it, reflecting the crone’s desire for elora’s power and also, in the case of the line “I’ve got a bad desire” over elora looking at her friends, elora’s desire for graydon.

“money for nothing” by dire straits plays at the end of episode eight, and - alright, so I think this was mostly chosen for the cool buildup and how the chords could come in right on the fire breath. it’s a song about resentment, how the speaker sees musicians on MTV getting “money for nothing” and “chicks for free” while the speaker has to do physical labor, like installing microwave ovens and moving TVs. if it does have lyrical meaning, it’s either referring to graydon or the wyrm. although graydon did make his love confession freely, without expectation of elora loving him back, the song could point to some buried resentment toward airk - or at least the wyrm goading him about whether he does. also, graydon is literally in dire straits.

so the songs are chosen to reflect the characters, story, and meta-story, and often very unsubtly so, which fits with willow’s approach to storytelling - it’s very direct. I also want to mention that five of the eleven songs featured are female covers of originally male songs (hurdy-gurdy man, enter sandman, black hole sun, crimson and clover, and i’m on fire), with - as far as I can tell - eight of the eleven songs featuring female vocalists (those plus guess who’s back, time for some mayhem, and for the glory). this is very much in line with the way the show centers women, and I like it.

finally, I want to talk a little about how the credits songs help dictate the pace. many of the complaints surrounding the music are about how it breaks immersion, and that’s valid; it’s a change in style, even if the lyrics/tone of the songs are meant to drive everything forward. I do think there’s a reason they did it this way, though, and that is: willow is meant to be consumed week-to-week, chapter by chapter. it’s not meant to binged straight through, which means the credits songs actually have three jobs: 1) be a satisfying break point, 2) continue the emotional/character throughlines, and 3) set the tone for the next episode. there is a certain amount of immersion-breaking because...well, we’re taking a break. and while we take a break, we’re going to cement what we just saw and tease what’s coming next.

this is why, for example, we go into “enter the sandman” after episode 3 instead of a musical sting related to graydon: the episode needs to break instead of feeling completely unresolved, and the next episode, while having graydon angst, is really about everyone facing the darkness in the castle. so the ending song properly centers the castle, instead of being sad or coy about graydon's wound and creating untrue expectations.

again, whether this works for you or not is your experience - I personally liked having something that felt integrated with the story I just saw but also allowed the events to resolve a little. it let me know that the creators weren't just dangling cliffhangers at me for no reason, that every chapter was an intentional part. and it helped me watch week-to-week without growing frustrated at the incomplete story.

the jean jackets (or, an overall appreciation for kit’s costuming)

okay, so that’s the music. now about the jean jackets. (again, I want to reiterate that if you didn’t like the costuming, that’s okay! not trying to change your mind, just trying to work out why it worked for me and why the creators may have made these choices). like the music and the dialogue, the costuming is trying to blend the modern with classic high fantasy - and the looseness of cheesy ‘80s fantasy shows gives them a lot of bandwidth. from an accuracy perspective, I completely understand why it doesn’t work for some people, if it’s too immersion-breaking. but from a character perspective - how costumes reflect personality and growth - I like it. for example:

kit starts out in full, dark armor (she’s cynical and emotionally guarded) with a cape (she’s self-important and arrogant).

she sheds the cape in episode 3, when her inflated view of herself has been thoroughly broken. in nockmaar, she’s wearing an open leather jacket (still guarded and abrasive, but opening up).

and she sheds the jacket at the wildwood party for one dark blue layer with an open neck (her true, bare state, ready to be honest, which she is under the truth plum.) kit keeps this costume for the rest of the series as she keeps being open (to elora, messily, in episode 6, and then to jade and elora in episode 7).

she gets the jean jacket in episode 7 as they start riding across the shattered sea, and again when kit and elora go off the cliff. it mirrors elora’s own jean jacket (they’re mirrors of each other, tied together), and, with its cut-off sleeves, also mirrors the outline of the cuirass kit receives in episode 8.

and with the kymerian armor in episode 8, kit comes full-circle back to armor, except this time she’s earned it - it’s shiny and gold instead of dark, reflecting her belief in the person she’s sworn to protect.

okay, but why do I like it?

you can analyze intention all you want, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to liking. for example, I just analyzed the kymerian armor, but I’m actually neutral on how it looks. (I know, I know - I like the modern music and I’m not in love with kit’s armor, what kind of willow fan am I?) the actual reason I like the music and the jean jackets is very simple: I liked seeing how modernity could be integrated with a classic high fantasy tale. for me, it worked.

maybe it’s just that I haven’t been watching the right shows, but it’s always seemed to me that modernity and classic high fantasy were too frequently mutually exclusive. oh, sure, you could have rock music and quippy heroes, but it would be in a story that was endlessly ironic, relentlessly running from its own genre. the modern elements would be there to show how outdated the classic fantasy genre was, how these new heroes were different and wouldn’t be like those old-school dudes. on the other hand, yeah, you could have a wholly classic fantasy tale, but it would be totally divorced from the modern world, scored with western orchestral in medieval times, as if saying that, to have a mythical, classic story like this, it would always have to be set away from us, with older, grander figures. both of these set-ups can and have worked.

but willow is the one of the few shows that, for me, struck a balance. because instead of treating the anachronism of these elements as their only characteristic, they used them as a genuine part of the show. modern music? cool, and we’re going to choose ones that lyrically cement character and help set up the pace/tone of the narrative as a whole. jean jackets? fun, and that’s a costuming choice that we’ll use like all other costumes, to reflect character growth. the modernity isn’t a joke. willow’s modernity just as earnest and honest as the rest of the show, like its centering of women, like its many POC characters, like its queerness. and it made me feel welcome.

#willow 2022 #willow spoilers #willow meta #kit tanthalos #elora danan #graydon hastur #the crone #airk tanthalos

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satoshi-mochida · 8 months

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Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches February 29, 2024

Gematsu Source

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will launch for PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024, Square Enix announced.

The game will be available in the following editions:

-Physical – Across two game discs; includes a reversible cover, and the preorder incentive of the digital “Midgar Bangle Mk. II” armor at participating retailers

Standard Edition ($69.99)

Deluxe Edition ($99.99) – Includes Mini-soundtrack CD, artbook, and SteelBook case.

Collector’s Edition ($349.99) – Includes large, highly detailed collectible statue of Sephiroth, Deluxe Edition contents, along with digital DLC items including downloadable content “Summoning Materia,” allowing players to summon the Moogle Trio, and the “Magic Pot,” along with equipment, like the “Reclaimant Choker” accessory and the “Orchid Bracelet” armor. The Collector’s Edition will be available to pre-order in limited quantities from the Square Enix Store.

-Digital – Includes the downloadable content “Moogle Trio Summoning Materia.”

Standard Edition ($69.99)

Digital Deluxe Edition ($89.99) – Includes digital Mini-soundtrack, digital artbook, and digital downloadable content items including the “Magic Pot” Summoning Materia, “Reclaimant Choker” accessory, and the “Orchid Bracelet” armor.

Digital Deluxe Edition Upgrade ($20) – Can be purchased to upgrade previously purchased Standard Edition, adding Digital Deluxe Edition contents*

Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Twin Pack ($99.99) – Offering great value during the pre-order phase, the Twin Pack includes Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, available at launch, and the full game download of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade which will be available to play as soon as the Twin Pack is pre-ordered.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Digital Deluxe Twin Pack ($119.99) – Includes Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade full game download plus all Digital Deluxe Edition contents.

Here is a set of message from the game’s development staff on the release date announcement:

■ Messages from the Development Staff

Yoshinori Kitase, Producer

“Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has been set for release on February 29, 2024. This second installment of the Final Fantasy VII remake project will feature elements from the previous game, as well as greatly enhanced features such as the vast world map to explore and synergy abilities with party members. The story will unfold more dramatically than ever before, with a rapid pace of major twists and turns. We know fans are dying to see one scene in particular… “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth can be enjoyed on its own as a standalone adventure, with the party leaving Midgar to explore the wide world beyond. But for those wishing to deepen their understanding of the story, a recap of the previous game will also be provided. “We hope that both fans and those who have never played Final Fantasy before will enjoy this game.”

Naoki Hamaguchi, Director

“We are finally able to announce the release date to all of you! We have been working tirelessly on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth since the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake, and we can’t wait for you to experience our labor of love. In this title, Cloud and his friends, who have fled Midgar, will be setting out on an adventure across an expansive world of untold adventure in pursuit of Sephiroth. “While the main storyline is bigger and more ambitious than the previous game’s narrative, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth also embraces the concept of ‘free exploration,’ with compelling stories, fun mini-games, powerful monsters and so much more to find throughout the world map. We hope you will explore this world in great detail, as nearly 100 hours of adventure awaits. “We hope you will take this new Final Fantasy game experience in your own hands to enjoy.”

Tetsuya Nomura, Creative Director

“This is the second title of a trilogy, and covers between the start of the journey outside Midgar to the midpoint of the original Final Fantasy VII. If Final Fantasy VII Remake was an introduction to the world and a preparation for this journey, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth serves as an illustration of the incidents that started the journey, an exploration of the people tied to it, and the journey itself, heading toward its climax. Many elements were carefully selected for this title and because this is a series, we have the unique opportunity to review and incorporate feedback from the previous title, such as by increasing the number of characters. I am sure that the bar for the next work will be raised even higher now that we have included so many spectacular elements in this work, but even so, the entire team continues to work diligently and without compromise on its development. “There is also the looming question of what fate awaits. Whether you have experienced the original title or will embark on this adventure with fresh eyes, we hope you will face the ending of this work on your own terms.”

■ PlayStation Blog Interview

PlayStation Blog interviewed the following development staff:

Can you explain what we’re seeing of the combat system here? Has it remained untouched since Final Fantasy VII Remake or have you altered anything for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth?

Hamaguchi: “I want to highlight the new synergy moves most from the battle system. This new mechanic allows the player to use synergy commands and abilities freely at any time by using up a gauge charge in a similar manner to Limit Breaks. So through the battles, players will feel the relationships and bonds that have developed between the characters even more so than in the previous game. We’ve also added skill trees as a new element of character growth. You can unlock synergy abilities through the skill trees, too. Many new Materia with new abilities not seen in the first game are available as well, so players will have even more options to customize and build character loadouts to their own taste.”

Viewers got a glimpse of Red XIII in combat as part of the new trailer. Players are now able to control him directly, what can they expect in terms of his abilities that makes him distinct (and a great party member) in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth‘s battles?

Hamaguchi: “The development team challenged themselves to give Red XIII a new play style that felt different from the other characters. Red XIII doesn’t just have an ATB gauge but also uses his own unique ‘revenge gauge’ mechanic. His revenge gauge charges when he guards against enemy attacks, and he can spend that charge to use various abilities once the gauge is filled. We’ve designed Red XIII as a new type of character that requires the player to strike a balance between offensive strategy using the ATB gauge and defensive strategy using the revenge gauge.”

We have seen Red XIII and Cait Sith shown as playable characters and the footage released also shows another character who looks like Vincent, so will he be playable as well? Will the party expand further too?

Nomura: “The original party members are all present in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. In the previous title, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Red XIII became an accompanying member in the second half of the game, but he will become an official, playable party member starting from Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Similarly, there are characters who are accompanying members in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, that will become official party members in the next title.”

And viewers caught a glimpse of Alexander and Odin! Can we expect more returning summons from Final Fantasy VII for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and will any summons from Remake return?

Hamaguchi: “There will be many other summons in the game, in addition to those that have already been revealed in our previous videos, with some also returning from Final Fantasy VII Remake. In fact, the lineup of summons has actually been fleshed out over and above the previous game, with new, extended side content based on a summon who did not feature in the original Final Fantasy VII and even more besides.”

Sneaking into the original Junon saw players partake in another unique minigame. We saw the parade and many other mini-games in the newly revealed trailer, so will the same mini-game from the original Final Fantasy VII still be playable?

Hamaguchi: “Yes, the same mini-game will be playable, but we’ve greatly increased its scope compared to what was in the original Final Fantasy VII. In the original, Cloud sneaks into one of the units participating in the parade and joins in on the performance, but in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, he becomes the leader of that unit and can customize the composition of the soldiers participating in the parade. The chosen unit composition will alter the performance and, it goes without saying, that this also affects how the mini-game is played. The parade to celebrate the inauguration of Rufus as the new president of Shinra is the climax of the first half of the original game, so the development team was really enthused about making all the details for it. It’s one of the moments I hope players enjoy the most.”

And speaking of mini-games, we got a fun glimpse of Gold Saucer and its own mini-games. How do the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth versions of these differ from the original’s?

Hamaguchi: “I think there are a lot of fans who point to the number and variety of mini games as one of the draws of the original Final Fantasy VII, but for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth we have gone all-out and created a huge number of mini games on a scale that surpasses even the original! Many of these mini games can be experienced in the main story, but we also have lots of unique games and challenges that appear as part of the side stories you can find as you explore the world map. There might well be players who get so caught up in all the fun mini games that they find they aren’t making progress in the main story…”

Gold Saucer is another iconic locale that players will be eager to visit. How have you approached redesigning this amusement park?

Hamaguchi: “Players will first visit the Gold Saucer in the middle section of the game but are then free to come back to it at any time they like. In order to create that motivation to make them want to come back, we designed the park to provide a changing and ever more wonderful experience with each visit, so new mini games are added, and harder difficulty modes are unlocked as the main story progresses, giving you even more to do there. It is not just the mini games either, and the parts of the Gold Saucer seen in the main story have also been fully remade and upgraded too, so you can expect great things from it.”

The trailer also shows moments of the party exploring lush exterior open areas. How do those larger areas work within the context of gameplay and story?

Hamaguchi: “Once the team leaves Midgar, Cloud and the team’s major objective Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is to follow and track down Sephiroth across the expansive world they find themselves in. We’ve put a lot of emphasis on exploration-focused game design with this title as we wanted to create that feeling of going on a journey while traveling around the world in pursuit of evidence of Sephiroth’s movements.”

Now you’re several years into remaking iconic locations of Final Fantasy VII and with Final Fantasy VII Remake being so successful, do you feel less pressure to match fan expectations when reimagining beloved areas and moments?

Hamaguchi: “As Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will take players to various locations across the whole world, we needed to re-create the massive Final Fantasy VII world map that would also incorporate places such as towns and dungeons within itself. To do this, we dug deeply into the feeling of each different region and reflected that in the graphics, creating areas that look and feel quite diverse. On top of that, we designed chocobos unique to each region that have their own abilities (e.g. mountain chocobos that can climb sheer cliffs and sky chocobos that can fly etc.), so players will need to utilize their chocobos to fully explore each area. I hope players have a lot of fun with this aspect of the exploration!”

Final Fantasy VII Remake offered new interpretations of classic locations and moments, as well as entirely new ones that enriched the game. Is there a similar balance for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth?

Kitase: “As with the previous game, we have strived for the right balance between old and new scenes in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but we also tried to take on more new challenges than we did in Final Fantasy VII Remake with some of the new scenes. I am confident these new scenes will be wildly enjoyable for fans and newcomers alike.”

What is the function of the world map in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth?

Hamaguchi: “The world map is vast and expansive, so not all of the locations on it will be used in the main story alone. In fact, volume wise, the amount of side content in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is nearly double that of the main quest content. Players who want to enjoy Final Fantasy VII setting on an even deeper level can explore all the corners of the world, discovering many different and exciting experiences such as new stories, battles, and mini-games to play. It will also be possible to return to any of the regions in the world even after the main quest moves on from that area, so you don’t have to worry about leaving things behind or unfinished.”

Given this is a direct continuation Final Fantasy VII Remake, can players port over their save file and their character builds to continue their journey into Final Fantasy VII VII Rebirth?

Hamaguchi: “We have announced that the Final Fantasy VII remake project will be a trilogy and that each entry will be a standalone game in its own right. Because of this, each game’s balancing is done independently and a player’s levels and abilities will not carry over from one game to the next. However, we have created some special bonuses for fans who played the previous game, allowing them to start with a little something extra.”

What can you tell us about the soundtrack and music Final Fantasy VII VII Rebirth?

Kawamori: “The world Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is much larger Final Fantasy VII Remake. Because of this, the team has created a variety of new music to go alongside that. We’ve also expanded the variety of musical genres this time around, so I think there will be plenty to enjoy. Of course, we also have many re-arrangements of classic tracks from the original Final Fantasy VII, too, so I hope fans will enjoy comparing both iterations of the same song to see what has changed. For example, the music in the newly released trailer is a re-arrangement of Final Fantasy VII main theme as a battle music track and gives you a taste of the direction the team has decided to take in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.”

What was the concept behind the new trailer?

Nomura: “Every trailer has a specific purpose. Since this is the second installment in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, there are people who have played the previous game or enthusiastic fans who follow the built-in mysteries, but for newcomers or those who are or simply interested in the Final Fantasy VII series, we wanted to include a full overview of what kind of experience they will have with this remake project. So, there is less of a mysterious pretense to the story this time, but you can look forward to the next trailer.”

There was a scene with Cloud and Sephiroth fighting together, but will the player get to control Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth?

Nomura: “If you played the original Final Fantasy VII, I’m sure you can guess which scene I’m talking about. You will be able to control Sephiroth in the same scene in this title as you did in the original.”

The Gold Saucer appears in the newly released trailer, but will players be able to enjoy the much-anticipated date scene on the Ferris wheel too?

Nomura: “Naturally, this is one of the major highlights of Gold Saucer, so it is included in the game. Please look forward to how it will appear in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, with its high-resolution visuals.”

Final Fantasy VII Remake showed the story up until the escape from Midgar, but what point does Final Fantasy VII Rebirth take us up to?

Nomura: “We have mentioned this a few times before, but the order in which you can explore the locations is not the same as the original Final Fantasy VII, and there are some shifts in the order. For example, Wutai, one of the major locations, is not part of the route in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and will be visited in the next one. Although there are some changes in the order of the locations, the locations depicted in this title extend up to ‘The Forgotten Capital,’ where the greatest fate of Final Fantasy VII awaits you.”

And here are the latest details:

(Screenshots will be added to this post later today.)

■ About

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the highly anticipated new story in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, a reimagining of the iconic original game into three standalone titles by its original creators. In this game, players will enjoy various new elements as the story unfolds, culminating in the party’s journey to “The Forgotten Capital” from the original Final Fantasy VII. After escaping from the dystopian city of Midgar, Cloud and his friends set out on a journey across the planet. New adventures await in a vibrant and vast world – sprint across grassy plains on a Chocobo and explore expansive environments.

An Expansive World

As the party searches for Sephiroth, you will explore the beautiful, expansive regions of the world and open up new areas to discover. Dig deeper into the world of Final Fantasy VII with rewarding side content and mini-games, plus various unique forms of transportation to navigate the world.

An Evolved Battle System

Combine strategic thinking with thrilling action combat alongside your comrades, including newly added characters. Deepen their relationships to unleash powerful team-based combos.

Beyond the Walls of Fate

In this standalone adventure for fans and newcomers, Cloud and his comrades venture across the planet, their fates unwritten, making each step outside the dystopian city of Midgar fresh and mysterious.

■ Story

For years now, the Shinra Electric Power Company has been providing the world with energy at the expense of the lifestream, the “river” whence all life flows and whither it returns. After storming the company’s headquarters and engaging in a series of battles for the ages, Cloud and his companions leave Midgar behind and set out for the wider world. Once in the grasslands, they hop aboard chocobos and embark on a journey with an unknown destination. Meanwhile, Zack—beaten and battered from his fight against an army of troopers—hobbles across the wastelands into Midgar with a mako-poisoned Cloud on his shoulder. Though he has managed to escape death for now, the ominous rift in the sky gives him little reason to rejoice. That is hardly the only threat facing the world, however. The Shinra Resistance Committee, backed by Wutai’s interim government, declares war on the company; figures shrouded in black robes carry with them the corpse of Jenova, a veritable calamity from another world; and the Weapons—fierce and monstrous guardians of the planet—have recently awakened. Amid this chaos, Sephiroth has set his plan in motion, thus ensuring myriad fates intertwine and are birthed anew.

■ Characters

Cloud Strife (voiced by Cody Christian in English)

“There’s no point in wasting our time worrying about fate if we can’t change it.”

An ex-SOLDIER: first class, Cloud came to Midgar to start a new chapter of his life as a mercenary. At the invitation of his childhood friend, Tifa, he accepts a job with Avalanche. Together, they confront Shinra, ultimately leaving Midgar behind in pursuit of Sephiroth and the truth─a quest which will lead them to defy destiny itself.

—Weapon: Sword

He fights by switching between modes specializing in mobility and offense. A single swipe of his huge sword can knock several foes off their feet at once. Some of his abilities also allow him to take the fight to the air.

Barret Wallace (voiced by John Eric Bentley in English)

“This is the planet we’re talkin’ about! Y’all know she’s gonna pour her heart and soul into this fight!”

The leader of an independent Avalanche cell, Barret spearheads an operation to take down Shinra’s mako reactors. He pays a hefty price for this, however, when the company retaliates, and his comrades die in the crossfire. Armed with the memories of his lost friends and the newfound knowledge of Sephiroth’s plans, he departs Midgar in hope of saving the planet and safeguarding a future for his daughter Marlene.

—Weapon: Gunarm

What he lacks in speed, he makes up for in both sturdiness and strength, converting his anger toward Shinra into raw firepower. He employs a variety of ranged attacks, from rapid-fire salvos to powerful explosions, which allow him to strike foes high in the air or across the battlefield.

Tifa Lockhart (voiced by Britt Baron in English)

“Ever wish you could just snap your fingers and forget the worst stuff?”

Though a loyal member of Avalanche—an underground organization that opposes Shinra—Tifa nevertheless questions the group’s extremist tactics, struggling to reconcile her cause with her conscience. This internal conflict reaches a fever pitch when her group’s actions effectively lead to the fall of the Sector 7 plate. Racked with guilt, she leaves Midgar in search of a new path to tread.

—Weapon: Gloves

She strings together swift combos while utilizing a variety of martial art techniques. Her ATB fills quickly, allowing for the use of multiple abilities in rapid succession. She also boasts several skills that deal more damage to airborne or staggered foes.

Aerith Gainsborough (voiced by Briana White in English)

“Just look at it all… A living, breathing planet. Even after everything we’ve done to it, it’s still going strong.”

A flower seller who lives in the Sector 5 undercity and the last remaining descendant of the Cetra, a people known for communing with the planet. Shinra takes her prisoner in their efforts to reach the Cetra’s foretold “promised land,” but Cloud and company come to her rescue. She escapes Midgar and embarks on a journey into the outside world of which she has long dreamed.

—Weapon: Staff

Utilizing the power of magic, she casts spells from a safe distance and launches attacks that home in on her foes. She can also conjure beneficial wards and warp between them, as well as restore the party’s HP with her limit break.

Red XIII (voiced by Max Mittelman in English)

“I may be clad in fur…but that doesn’t mean I’ll purr.”

Red XIII is a beast with a flaming tail, crimson fur, deadly claws, and the ability to speak. Cloud and company help him escape Professor Hojo’s clutches, and he decides to join them on their journey. His species is known for their long life spans, and he is no exception. As this Cosmo Canyon native is the eldest member of the party, he offers its members words of wisdom from time to time.

—Weapon: Collar

He sets upon foes with an unrelenting assault, laying into them with a beastly ferocity. Guarding against incoming attacks will feed his Vengeance gauge. Once it is full, he can unleash his inner beast, but sufficient skill is required to maximize its potential.

Yuffie Kisaragi (voiced by Suzie Yeung in English)

“If I win, you get the honor of serving yours truly!”

A member of Wutai’s elite corps of ninja operatives, Yuffie infiltrates Midgar on a mission to steal the “ultimate materia” from Shinra. Her plan ends in disaster, as she fails to claim the materia and loses her partner Sonon in the struggle. Just as working alone begins to take its toll on her, however, Cloud’s group comes into the picture.

—Weapon: Throwing Star

Using her throwing star and ninja skills, she excels at both long- and close-range combat. Elemental ninjutsu allows her to exploit enemies’ weaknesses without relying on spells. She also keeps opponents on their toes with a variety of aerial attacks and tricky techniques.

Cait Sith (voiced by Paul Tinto in English)

“Alright, everyone! By popular request: a fortune or two to steer you true!”

A wisecracking, feline-shaped robot often seen poised atop his big moogle pal. One of the Gold Saucer’s most popular mascots, he is well loved for his fortune telling—a service he also offers to Cloud and friends. His adorable appearance also belies access to a surprising amount of insider intel on Shinra.

Sephiroth (voiced by Tyler Hoechlin in English)

“Don’t be afraid. It’s not death—it’s a homecoming.”

A former SOLDIER: 1st class of legendary renown, he is said to have died in the line of duty in Nibelheim five years ago. This is proven untrue when he appears at the Shinra Building and absconds with a research specimen known as “Jenova.” He now toys with Cloud at every opportunity, seeking to change the course of destiny and rule the planet.

Zack Fair (voiced by Caleb Piece in English)

“I dunno—hopes? Dreams, maybe? Something like that! So long as we’ve got those—and hold on tight and never let go.”

Zack may have worked with Sephiroth as a SOLDIER: 1st class, but he trained under a different operator, and it is from this man that he both learned to take pride in his work and received his iconic buster sword. After a grueling battle in which he overcomes the odds and cheats death, Zack returns to Midgar—where he hopes to see his love Aerith—with a mako-poisoned Cloud in tow.

■ System

The Evolved World of Final Fantasy VII

In this game, players can freely roam across lush grasslands and rugged wildernesses, all while enjoying a wide variety of quests and mini-games. Face off against the threats that await you by teaming up with your comrades and unleashing powerful new synergy abilities.

Combat

Action and strategy combine in thrilling combat, now made even more exciting thanks to the addition of new team-based abilities.

From flashy, action-packed fights to slower, strategic battles, this game offers ways for players of all persuasions to enjoy combat.

World

The world is divided into several regions, with each one offering different environments to explore and experience. Where you go and how you get there is up to you.

■ Combat: Basic Systems

Fighting

Press [□] to perform a normal attack. Dealing damage will also fill the ATB gauge needed to use abilities and spells.

Commands

Open the command menu with [x] to enter Tactical Mode, which slows down the passage of time. Devise your strategies in the moment or register commands as shortcuts and use them as your intuition deems fit.

Abilities

Equipping weapons and setting materia will grant access to a wide range of abilities. Using these abilities requires you to expend charges from the ATB gauge, which fills as time passes or whenever you deal damage.

Magic

Magic materia can be set in weapons and armor to enable the use of spells such as Fire and Cure. Casting spells consumes both ATB charges as well as MP.

Unique Abilities

Press [△] to activate a character’s unique ability. Some of these abilities do not require ATB, but instead take time to charge.

…And More

■ Combat: Summons

Summons

Setting summoning materia will grant access to the power of the gods. A conjured deity will follow the player’s lead and fight enemies automatically, but you can also instruct them to use special abilities. Before they depart the battlefield, summons will unleash one final attack powerful enough to wipe out any foe.

Odin

A horse-riding swordsman who brandishes an enormous blade known as Zantetsuken. He gallops toward foes and sends them flying with a single, sweeping slash.

Alexander

An enormous, armor-plated weapon that towers over even other summons. No ordinary foe could possibly withstand an assault from its entire arsenal.

■ Combat: New Systems

Synergy Abilities

Powerful attacks in which two characters team up to turn the tide of battle. More abilities will unlock as you increase the party level—a numerical expression of how closely-knit your team is—and deepen the affinity between party members. Fill the synergy gauge by using unique abilities and prepare to unleash a synchronized assault!

Cloud / Sephiroth: “Double Helix”

Sephiroth unleashes an elegant flurry of strikes, and Cloud does his best to follow suit.

Aerith / Cait Sith: “Kitty Cannonade”

Aerith imbues Cait Sith’s moogle with magical energy and unleashes a ranged attack.

Yuffie / Barret: “Ninja Carbine”

More Barret and Yuffie lean into their shared prowess and unleash a ranged attack.

…And More

■ World: Chocobos

Chocobos are the adorable feathered friends of the Final Fantasy series. In this game, once you catch a chocobo in the wild, you can call it at any time in that region, and it will offer you special assistance in traversing its home terrain. You can also customize your chocobo’s equipment to create a steed that’s suited just for you.

Chocobo

Hop aboard your chocobo to explore the world with ease. Try sprinting if you’re in a hurry to reach your next destination.

Mountain Chocobos

Using their mighty talons, these chocobos can climb up and down steep slopes that bear special markings. Even if a destination seems inaccessible by foot, you might be able to get there on chocoback.

Sky Chocobos

These chocobos can take flight from gliding ranges and soar across peaks and valleys. Take to the skies and nothing will stand in your way.

■ World: New Forms of Transportation

In addition to chocobos, this game features many ways to get from one place to another. Take your friends on a buggy ride through the wastelands or do some seaside sightseeing aboard a wheelie… Put these various vehicles to use as you explore the world!

Buggy

The buggy, which can be ridden across sandy terrain, can also drive through shallow water and travel faster than chocobos. Buckle up and take the party on a wild ride through the vast desert.

Wheelie

In the seaside resort of Costa del Sol, you can ride around on a wheelie, a two-wheeled self-balancing vehicle. Tour the town at your own pace, all while taking in the beautiful scenery of this land of eternal summer.

■ World: Minigames

Not only stories and battles, but all kinds of unique elements of fun await players.

Enjoy the numerous minigames available across the game’s world.

G-Bike

The “Spinning Slash,” which uses a large sword to reap enemies, and the super-accelerating “Nitrous Boost” are just a few of the many things you can do in this bike game. Fight off the relentless gun-shooting participants and win the battle that goes beyond just speed.

Chocobo Races

A fierce race to test your chocobo riding skills. Break the balloons that appear along the way to use various techniques. Deepen the bond with your chocobo and aim for first place.

3D Brawler

Manipulate 3D polygons and take on your opponent in a one-on-one match. Avoid your opponent’s attacks and deliver a powerful punch. If you have powerful limit moves that you can unleash by continuing to land hits, victory will surely be yours.

Watch a new trailer below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

Release Date Trailer

English

youtube

Japanese

youtube

#Final Fantasy VII Rebirth #Final Fantasy VII Remake #Final Fantasy VII #Final Fantasy #Square Enix #Gematsu #Long post #Youtube

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