The Love Triangle of FFVII: Conclusion

Japanese Literature and Film

Many of the themes commonly found in Japanese romances portrayed in literature and film can be found within Final Fantasy VII. Foremost in Japanese romance as evidenced in cinema and popular culture is the idea of fukano na, or the impossible. Cinema in Japan is rife with this sub theme. Another central theme in Japanese romance is perseverance, or gambare. So to persevere in the impossible, way beyond any rational or realistic expectation, is a very strong theme in Japanese stories of romance. (From Japanese cultural and language expert Matt at All Experts.com)

Given that this theme is so common within Japanese romance, it becomes clear that Cloud does indeed intend to go back to Aerith when he says, “I think I can meet her… there”, in the final FMV. Some in the Western audience protest that Cloud would be pursuing the impossible by planning to be with Aerith after her death. However, this kind of perseverance to do the impossible out of love for someone is commonly found in the tragic love stories of Japan, even if the goal is beyond rational or realistic expectation.

Another argument heard among Westerners is that Cloud would choose to move on and enjoy life with Tifa rather than remain in love with Aerith’s spirit. Some even say that Cloud would have to die in order to have a relationship with Aerith after her death. Again, these are arguments based on Western cultural ideas, and the Japanese perspective is different. If we go on to examine the common themes of tragic love stories in Japan, we learn that committing seppuku, or ritual suicide, for the sake of love is a common idea.

From Matt at All Experts.com: “Seppuku, or ritual suicide, is not unheard of even today, especially among lovers.”

The love suicide is a very popular theme of tragic love stories in Japan, which started with a genre popular in the 18th century Japanese kabuki puppet theaters. In these stories a pair of lovers, unable to come together in life, commit suicide in the hope of escaping their earthly obligations and being reborn together in paradise. These stories were wildly popular in their own day, and the themes and images continue to appear in contemporary popular culture, from TV soap operas to anime.

A Bunraku Play: Sonezaki Shinju

Bunrako - Japanese Puppetry

The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, which was very popular with audiences in Osaka, Japan, originates entirely outside the Western tradition. It was written as a puppet drama in 1703, and has become a literary milestone in Japan. The final scene, as the lovers steal into the forest by night to take their lives, is considered to be one of the masterpieces of Japanese literature. The tragedy in Love Suicides is that Ohatsu and Tokubei can’t elope. He’s ruined, financially and socially, and she’s indentured, almost a slave. They’re about to be separated forever, and that would be unbearable. So, they resolve to die together. And for the play to succeed, they need to die beautifully, “a model of true love.”

Arts & Culture: The Love Suicides at Sonezaki

Although this kind of thinking is unpalatable to many in the Western audience, it is seen as “a model of true love” in Japanese literature, and the concept is popular even today in Japan. We have seen that Cloud and Aerith were connected by a thread of true love in the symbolism of the Japanese. Therefore, it is not impossible that Cloud, unable to come together in life with Aerith, decides to do this after defeating Sephiroth in order to be reborn together with Aerith in paradise. Cloud’s words in the final FMV, “I think I can meet her… there”, indicate that Cloud chooses to go back to Aerith. Is there an alternative way for Cloud to be with Aerith after her death? Let’s look at another possible meaning of Cloud’s words.

Life After Death

In Japan the majority of Shintoists are also Buddhists, to one degree or another, so the Shinto religion is compatible with different beliefs and opinions of an afterlife. Of those who are Shinto, but not Buddhist, one fairly common view is that when one dies, one's spiritual energy, or soul, maintains its distinct form for a period of time. The specific number of years varies, but it's roughly two human generations. During this time, one's family and friends can "call" on the deceased for advice and assistance, or even "just to chat". After two generations, the deceased's spiritual energy loses much of its distinctiveness and "merges" with the spiritual energy of other family ancestors to become a kind of "collective ancestral kami". This is not the only view, of course, because Shinto is not particularly dogmatic in these matters. However, spirit energy is generally considered to be eternal, and therefore it must continue in one form or another.

Considering Shinto: Beliefnet

In Japanese culture, the body and the soul are forever connected, even in death. The afterlife is not just that of the soul, but of the body and soul. The two cannot be separated.

Calling Off Search to Yield Endless Grief

According to Shinto belief, every person after death becomes a kami, a supernatural being who continues to have a part in the life of the community, nation, and family, while existing in another state or dimension.

Comparative Beliefs of the Afterlife by Several Major Religions

From a Japanese standpoint, the “soul” or “spirit” of the deceased maintains a distinct form for roughly two human generations before merging with the collective spiritual energy of others who have passed away. The concept of the Lifestream is quite similar to this view of spirit energy being eternal and capable of merging with the spirit energy of others who have passed away. Aerith’s spirit has maintained a distinct form within the Lifestream, which we see in her picture at the end of the game. Would Aerith be accessible to Cloud within the Lifestream?

Several Paths, One Destination

by ShroudedG

The ending scene, a tangled riddle on it's own. It can lead through several different perspectives, several different views, several different interpretations. Yet, no matter how much you twist it, bend it and squeeze it, there is only one conclusion...

Several paths, one destination....

It can be seen right here, Aerith's hand reaching out for Cloud… Cloud in turn reaching out for hers. Separated by fate and by death… yet this moment alone shows how even Death is powerless in the face of Cloud and Aerith’s desire to be together again, even if it's impossible...

As stated earlier: “Foremost in Japanese romance as evidenced in cinema and popular culture is the idea of fukano na, or the impossible. Cinema in Japan is rife with this sub theme. Another central theme in Japanese romance is perseverance, or gambare. So to persevere in the impossible, way beyond any rational or realistic expectation, is a very strong theme in Japanese stories of romance.” (From Matt, at All Experts.com)

Going against the impossible… a riddle within a riddle.

An answer from the Planet…

the Promised Land…

I think I can meet her… there

The Promised Land, another of the story's open-ended themes... a riddle within a riddle… yet do we really need to solve this riddle to make a logical conclusion? Or are we overlooking the simple fact that Cloud believes he can meet someone who died right in front of him? Someone who we thought was lost forever?

To believe in something way beyond any rational or realistic expectation. A very strong theme indeed...

…but what of Tifa? What part did she actually play in that scene and those statements? She is an integral part of the Love Triangle discussion and should not be overlooked in this analysis. To fully elaborate, we need to look at how important Cloud is to Tifa. Remember the first time Tifa found Cloud in a comatose state, look carefully at what she gives up in order to be at his side...

Tifa: “I don’t care about anything else, only Cloud…”

(She turns to face them.)

Tifa: I… want to be by his side…”

Cid: “Yeah. Right. Hang in there, Tifa.”

Barrett: “Yeah, that’s probably best…”

“For Cloud… an’ for you…”

(She nods, but doesn’t bring her head back up, looking at the floor.)

Tifa: “I’m sorry, everyone… At a time like this…”

This scene alone shows that Tifa will do anything for Cloud, no matter what the cost. This is what Tifa does for Cloud. She is an unselfish individual who will give everything for him to be happy.

for him to be happy...

There is something in her quick agreement to meet Aerith that just isn't right for someone who has taken place as Cloud's new love interest. She believes him without even questioning why Cloud suddenly says, “I think I can meet her… there”. No questions asked, no doubt in her words.....

.....acceptance

How so? As I stated before, the ending scene can lead you through many paths, but I've yet to find another logical conclusion different from my own. In order to accept what should be accepted, you first need to understand the reason behind it...and so I will provide one path that I believe is most logical. Remember the scene when Cloud's party was thrown in jail in the Shinra Building, the time when Tifa asked Aerith what the Promise Land is…

Tifa: EXCUSE me. You know, Aerith. I have a question.

Aerith: What?

Tifa: Does the Promised Land really exist?

Aerith: ...I don't know. All I know is... The Cetra were

born from the Planet, speak with the Planet, and unlock the Planet.

And......then... The Cetra will return to the Promised Land.

A land that promises supreme happiness.

Tifa: ...What does that mean?

Final Fantasy VII Script at RPGamer

We still don't know what the Promised Land truly is, but we do know that it does provide supreme happiness to those who reach it. Whatever it is, Cloud wanted to meet her there... because with Aerith, Cloud is truly happy. Tifa finally understood what it meant… and at that point, Tifa makes a sacrifice which rivals Aerith's own sacrifice. Her own happiness… for Cloud.

Pragmatism vs. Idealism: Fairy Tales

by Karma Hunter

Speculation about the love triangle of Final Fantasy VII often makes one lose sight of what the whole of the game comprises: the theme of Life. The love triangle is relevant to this theme since it is basically a mirror for the choices in Life itself. Although Cloud is thrust into glorious and often fantastical situations, the love situation is just as typical (and just as stupefying) as one we ourselves would encounter. The choices of Life are revealed in the choices which Cloud makes.

In Life, the pragmatist will make the sensible choices, choosing to opt out of dreams simply because they are unreasonable. The idealist, on the other hand, strives to attain the ultimate result in Life. The idealist may be much more likely to fail, but the potential rewards that it offers are too much to ignore. We are reminded:

"We are only given one life to live. Remember, when appropriate, to live it."

Pragmatism is a paradox. It presumes to be the most sensible and logical way to live one's life, yet results in being completely unsatisfying in every conceivable way. Why? Among other things, pragmatism cannot sustain those who choose it. A pragmatic solution intentionally shortchanges the pragmatist. The pragmatist can never attain everything that Life has to offer, just as Cloud will never attain everything that Life and love have to offer if he chooses Tifa.

But if Cloud becomes the idealist, if Cloud dares to love Aerith, despite the risks in doing so, regardless of whether she is alive or dead, and his love is constant beyond death, then his love for Aerith is ultimately more cherishable than anything that he could ever have with Tifa.

The ultimate problem of Life: does one consign oneself to the ordinary vision of the status quo, or does one risk everything in order to attain the highest form of the self? In Final Fantasy VII, the answer is obvious. Taking the easy answer of pragmatism is not an option, for it embodies Life at a standstill, which is what the Shinra and corporate pragmatists of our world do. Only idealism, according to Final Fantasy VII, can save mankind from itself, before our Holy in the form of Nature itself relieves us.

The theme of Life in Final Fantasy VII encompasses all of its virtues. And it has an end. Through the betterment of mankind and the fight for an ideal world, Life itself becomes a Fairy Tale.

Subsequently, so does its love story. The ideal search embodied in the love of Cloud and Aerith continues to live on in lore, from outlandish fanfic tales of resurrection to actual representation of their ongoing search for love in games such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Kingdom Hearts, which prove that at the end of it all, Cloud is with Aerith in spirit, if not in body.

And in Final Fantasy VII, this is revealed to be the only thing that matters.

“I think I can meet her… there”

interpretation by Li Mu Bai

Let’s examine more closely Tifa’s reaction to Cloud in the final FMV at the moment he chooses to meet Aerith. Some people claim that Tifa snuggles up to Cloud and smiles during the scene where they are hanging off the ledge. In actuality, Tifa makes a gesture of this sort only in the scene below, which is before Cloud says, “I think I can meet her… there”.

Once Cloud makes his choice to go to Aerith, Tifa makes no more movements of this sort. Instead, you can see her initial response to Cloud’s words in the picture below. Her reaction is obviously one of dismay and shock, rather than pleasure. At this point, Tifa realizes that Cloud will return to Aerith, and that Aerith will always be first in his heart.

After her initial reaction of dismay, Tifa’s facial expression changes. At this point, some people say that Tifa smiles. However, if you study the close up of her mouth below, you will see that Tifa is not actually smiling. Instead, her lips are pursed together, almost in a frown. It is simply a visual illusion that Tifa is smiling, largely due to the camera angle on the curve of her face. If you focus on Tifa’s eyes, she does appear to be smiling. However, if you focus on her mouth, Tifa’s expression is actually that of a lost soul.

Even if Tifa were smiling here, a smile is not necessarily an indication of pleasure or happiness for the Japanese. The smile can often be an expression that conceals embarrassment, pain, or anguish. In an uncomfortable situation it is not uncommon for the Japanese to give a nervous laugh or awkward smile to conceal the true emotion.

The Japanese Smile

Japanese Culture: Non-Verbal Communication

Tifa’s last response to Cloud is to bow her head in submission and resignation. Tifa does not snuggle against Cloud as she does this, although some people say that she does. Instead, she simply lowers her head, which is a gesture equivalent to a bow in Japanese society when made to a person with whom you are familiar. Besides, Tifa is unable to bow anything but her head as they are hanging in mid-air off the ledge. In the tradition of the Japanese, a bow represents humility and the desire to honor and respect another person. As Tifa says, “Yeah, let’s go meet her”, she is honoring Cloud’s wish to go to Aerith.

Japanese Culture: Bowing

Bowing in Japan

Geisha: A Review

Again, we are seeing the element of self-sacrifice here, and one that demonstrates Tifa’s love for Cloud. As discussed earlier, the karmic balance of the world is such that nothing is gained without something else being lost, according to the Japanese. In shoujo and bishoujo stories, a sacrifice can be something as extreme as death, or giving up on your own hopes and dreams so that someone else can accomplish theirs. Symbolism in Anime: Love and Friendship Out of her love for Cloud, Tifa sacrifices her own happiness so that Cloud may follow his own dream… to be with Aerith, his light.

We'll always be together

No matter what the time

Because you're by my side

The light known as "you" finds me

In the middle of the night

-Utada Hikaru, Hikari (Light)

Kingdom Hearts

Possible Outcomes

If the Shinto concept of a kami, or spirit, maintaining a distinct form for two generations after death is generalized to Aerith’s spirit, then she would indeed be accessible to Cloud within the Lifestream so that he could “meet her… there”. We see that Aerith has maintained a distinct form within the Lifestream in her final picture. Cloud and Tifa were able to visit the Lifestream during the event in Mideel where Cloud remembers his true place in the happenings at Nibelheim. Cloud and Tifa were also able to swim out of the Lifestream after that event.

We saw that the spirits of the Lifestream were able to communicate with Tifa when she first fell into the Lifestream at Mideel. We know, too, that the spirits of the Cetra are able to communicate with the living, as Aerith was able to do with the spirits in the Temple of the Ancients. Cloud was even able to hear the voices of the Cetra in the Forgotten City when he touched the white orbs found there. Although Cloud wasn’t able to comprehend what the Cetra spirits were saying to him, Aerith explained in the Temple of the Ancients that the spirits of the Ancients had lost their ability to communicate with language in a way understandable to humans over time.

At the temple of the Ancients:

(Cloud navigates the maze. There is a little rabbit-

like creature, the lagomorph from Final Fantasy 6,

that he chases until he eventually catches it in a

small room.)

Lagomorph: “nyum… nyum…”

Aerith: “Phew! We finally caught up to you.”

“I’m sorry. You waited for me.”

“Those are the spirit bodies of the Ancients.”

“They’ve been away from their Planet for a

long time to protect the Temple.”

“Over the many years, they’ve lost the ability to talk.”

The Complete Final Fantasy VII Script at RPGamer

Since Aerith had only recently died, her spirit wouldn’t be faced with that difficulty. Notice that Aerith refers here to the “spirit bodies” of the Ancients, which implies that spirits are capable of maintaining a distinct form. The Jenova cells present in Cloud would make it possible for him to endure time within the Lifestream more easily than a normal human being. Although Cloud wouldn’t be able to stay in the Lifestream for lengthy periods of time, it would indeed be possible for him to visit with Aerith’s spirit there.

A second alternative discussed earlier would be that Cloud intends to commit seppuku, or ritual suicide, in order to be reborn with Aerith in paradise. As you remember, this concept is widely accepted in present day Japanese culture, and is considered to be an act of true love.

The third alternative is that human life is extinguished by the Lifestream as it destroys Meteor, and that Cloud is able to join Aerith in spirit when that happens. However, this alternative depends upon the player’s interpretation of the ending, and whether or not the player believes that humanity survived at the end of the game.

What matters is that we know Cloud and Aerith were joined by a ribbon of true love, and that Cloud intends “to meet her… there”. It’s up to the player to decide in what way Cloud did that.