Well, since it'll be awhile before AC comes out, and it looks like Square isn't going to be releaseing too much more information about the movie until then, I thought I would go ahead and open a thread that would get all of our think tanks running and creative juices flowing to get our minds off of the delays...

The topic - based on what you understand from what's been released, how do you think the story of AC will pan out? OR, if YOU were directing the movie, how would YOU make the movie?

I'll post some thoughts of my own later. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, theories, hopes, etc...

My greatest hope for Advent Children is for it to be confirmed that the true love story of FFVII was between Cloud and Aerith. I'd also like for it to be confirmed that Cloud will never consider Tifa to be anything more than a friend. In reality, however, I doubt that the love triangle will be resolved because Square is going to make too many fans unhappy if they resolve it. I expect that Square will leave the Love Triangle inconclusive once again. :(

Geostigma - I'm really beginning to think that it has something to do with Hojo's experimentations and SOLDIER. Those who have Jenova cells because of Hojo's experimentations AND a weak will now have Geostigma. I'm thinking that the children have Jenova cells because they are the children of SOLDIERs. That would explain why Cloud wants to take care of the children. I don't think people have Jenova cells because of the Lifestream washing over everyone at the end of VII because a higher percentage of the population would have Geostigma if that's how they got it. Besides, if Square doesn't want to lessen the meaning of Aerith's sacrifice by reviving her, why would they want to lessen the meaning of her sacrifice by having her actions result in the death of Humanity? :lol:

Will Cloud die? - That's a tough call. The movie is about the survival of the children, so I do expect that the children will survive. There's about a 50-50 chance that Cloud will survive, however. If they truly want to end Cloud's story and put a close to the love triangle, then there's a good chance that Cloud will die. They may have him sacrifice himself so that the children can live - perhaps in a final battle with Sephiroth - which would redeem Cloud's feelings of "unworthiness".

Cloud's guilt - I think Cloud will be able to see Aerith's face once he has forgiven himself. I'm not sure what it will take for Cloud to forgive himself, however. I think he may forgive himself once he realizes that he wasn't able to save her because he was being controlled. But why wouldn't he realize that already? :unsure: Or maybe it's not a matter of Cloud feeling guilty at all...

That's all my babblings on it for now... perhaps I'll have more to add later. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the post Aly... yes, the inner hopeless romantic in me hopes that the love triangle will be resolved (in Aerith's favor, of course). :lol: :rolleyes: B)

As far as my suspicions/hopes for what's going to happen in AC -

The SHM and Sephiroth might be plotting an insidious plan to "morph" or "combine" Aerith with Jenova in some way (spiritually, metaphisically, Jenova into Aerith's body, etc... take your pic), to create some sort of super-Jenova for their insidious plan... though it could be that the SHM are not truly evil, but just misguided.

My reasons for this suspicion---

-- The SHM's preoccupation with locations associated with Aerith/the Cetra (the church, the forgotten city, etc.)
-- That cryptic quote awhile back about Sephiroth doing something "even more evil than before"... or something vaguely like that
-- If Square is planning to revive Aeris, this would be a plausible way to do so, and could provide oodles of drama (Cloud making a valient effort to save her from being corrupted by Jenova as the SHM+Sephiroth attempt her "tainted" revival...) Sephiroth's power to revive Aerith could also be a tool for manipulating Cloud, say, during a critical moment during the final battle (ex. Seph - "Join me Cloud... together we can escape this mortal coil and become gods among men! Never shall you suffer nor want anymore. I can give you whatever you want... whatever you desire... I know what you desire Cloud, more than life itself... Join me, forget this world that has been so cruel to you... and the girl can be yours! (melodrama continues...)")

I've got more, but I'll leave that for now...

I want Cloud to die, but if I were to direct it, I would play it out in such a way that the audience can't be too sure if he's truly dead or not.... make them go, "Hey, what the heck? Is Cloud dead or not? What the hell happened?"

If the whole Geostigma thing remains on the Planet, I'd like it if the children and WCM die too. Oh, and the SHM? Well, I don't know about Yazoo or Loz, but I'd like Kadaj to remain alive and go insane.... I mean, really insane, and his future left unresolved.Also, as much as I love Tifa, I'd like it if she ended up alone, because let's face it, it happens. I'd like the movie to show the really harsh realities of life, you know?

Hmm... that could be a cool idea. It's probably irritate a lot of fans, but if done well could be a very good ending (like a vague "wtf" ending like in Neon Genesis Evangelion)

lol, wow, that's depressing, even by FF7 standards...

Hmmm... that would explain their preoccupation with the Ancients. It's an interesting idea. I sorta got the impression that Cloud may lose Aerith again somehow in that scene where he looks so sad and he's almost touching the pink ribbon. BTW, I brought up the SHM's interest in places having to do with the Ancients here: The Forgotten City

I'd forgotten about that quote! I wondered at the time what in the world could be more evil than what he'd already done. :unsure:

I've had similar thoughts, although I had pictured Aerith getting revived as a mistake due to the SHM's efforts to revive Sephiroth or something. They try to revive Sephy, but they end up reviving Aerith, too. The catch: if Cloud manages to stop it, he ends up losing Aerith again, too.

I couldn't agree with you more.

With the theme of the movie being "survival", I am almost positive someone important dies. Just like the theme of "life" in FFVII, Square should show both sides of the theme.

If I were making it, I would allow Cloud to die as soon as he saves the world again. Like I said many times before, Cloud deserves his promised land after such a hard life. It would only be fitting for him to find true happiness in the end.

I would also show how Tifa IS ready to move on. That sticking to a crush all her life isn't going to go anywhere. She would let go of this and finally be happy and free of this emotion. Because seriously, she's usually depressed because of Cloud and how he doesn't notice her among other things. Get over it and live your life, sweetie.

I'm not too sure about Sephiroth and the SHM. I haven't really developed my own theory yet.

Good ideas, everyone...

Ye know, another thing that I'd really like to see in the movie is Aerith (in some form) taking on Sephiroth (in some form). I'd like it to be shown in some way that she has the power to fight him - whether it's magical or spiritual or mental. I'd like to see her give him some sort of payback, as well as showing her strength and power as an Ancient. I'm tired of hearing how weak and worthless she is... I'd like to see Aerith really have the opportunity to show her stuff. :rolleyes:

So would I! Just so people would shut up about how she is weak! She is only as weak as you make her. :rolleyes:

I want to see Aerith and Cloud hug ^_^ - something along the line of Yuna and Tidus in FFX...where Tidus's spirit huggles Yuna...yeah...I want to see Cloud attempting to hug Aerith's spirit but went right through it (sob)

I want to see Cloud cry for Aerith (I am evil like that)

When is the movie coming out anyway? I've been waiting for eons! Pfffft.

I think that would be a good dramatic climax: Cloud battles Seph in physical form, and the spirit of Aerith battles and overcomes Seph/Jenova in the struggle to control the lifestream, thus completely eliminating them. Good call!

Those are both great ideas - very touching. Conveys strong emotions without going over the top. Having Cloud cry wouldn't be evil, as long as they let him maintain his dignity (maintaining composure, but tears streaking down cheek - but no blubbering!)

Along with that, I'd like to see Aerith's funeral again. Not the Death scene, mind you - it was horrible enough as it was - I've no desire to see it again in enhanced graphics. But I *would* like to see the funeral again, if for no other reason than to establish that Cloud did in fact cry at her death, and that he was horribly shaken by it. I've heard too many Cloti claim that Cloud didn't cry and that he didn't show grief at her death. I'd like it to be definitely established just how much of an impact her death had on Cloud.

I think we'd all love to see an embrace and/or a kiss. I hope it will happen. :rolleyes:

Well, I figured it was high time I breathed a bit of life back into this thread, lol. This is something that I’ve been mulling over in my head for awhile, so here goes:

Even before AC, I had always gotten the nagging suspicion that there was something more to Cloud’s character than what meets the eye in FF7. More specifically, I have always gotten the sneaking suspicion that Cloud is actually half-Cetra himself. Here are some of the reasons:

1. This isn’t so much a reason as it is something that doesn’t discount the theory --- Cloud’s background is largely a mystery. We hear next to nothing about his father, and even his mother is presented as an afterthought. There some potential for “wiggle room” in portraying his past.


2. Cloud’s negative reaction to being injected with Jenova cells seems unusually strong. Though he and Zack are meddled with at the same time, Zack is in much better shape than Cloud (who is practically a drooling zombie) when they make their escape. It would make sense considering that the Cetra and Jenova are diametrically opposed, that a Cetra injected with her cells would have such a bad reaction. One could argue that Zack is simply made of “sterner stuff,” which is plausible since the game portrays him as the uber-talented hero-type contrasted to Cloud’s bumbling wanna-be. However…

3. There are instances in the game that Cloud is presented as much more powerful than your average human. One such example is the flashback in Nibelheim. Insanely powerful Sephiroth, who demolishes the whole town and dispatches Zack with ridiculous ease, is in turn surprisingly easily killed by Cloud in a fit of rage (Cloud not knowing his own strength?). Yes, Cloud hit Seph from behind, but Seph’s far too powerful a character to be taken out that easily by just anyone, even from behind.

Also, in regards to Cloud being controlled by Jenova, we all know about its importance to the story line, and how Cloud has to find himself and resist her evil influence. However, Cloud is the only clone in the game that is able to maintain some degree of independence from Jenova/Sephiroth. The rest of the clones we see in the game are completely and utterly under Jenova’s control from the moment we encounter them. How is Cloud able to resist so much better than the rest?

4. Both Cloud and Sephiroth travel through the Lifestream at some point. However, while Sephiroth passes through, he is never truly enlightened about the true nature of the Cetra and the Promised Land (it seems as though he believes he himself is a Cetra throughout the game). Cloud, on the other hand, passes through the Lifestream and seems to get an actual, enlightening answer from the planet (remember that he seems to gain an epiphany about the nature of the Cetra and the Promised Land at the end of the game: “… I think I can meet her… there”). How can Cloud do this, but Sephiroth can’t?

5. Cloud is the only one who can sense Aerith. No one else in the party can. Anastar has a convincing essay about the nature of love in Japanese culture and how it relates to C&A in the game, and it is completely convincing. Beyond that, though, CloudXAerith is the only couple in the game that has this connection. Vincent does not sense Lucrecia. Tifa does not sense Cloud. Barret does not sense Myrna. Cid does not sense Shera… etc…


So, collectively there seems to be a lot of circumstantial stuff that implies that there’s more to Cloud. Unfortunately, as I just mentioned, the stuff is all circumstantial. However, FF7 is a very subtle game with many subplots and whatnot, so I wander if Nomura wasn’t subliminally trying to suggest something like this to us… This is a heck of a lot, so I’ll post how this relates to my theory about AC later… Let me know what you think!

Interesting ideas, Buhon... I've heard others suggest that Cloud may be half Cetra. One thing that must be remembered is that all humans are descendants of the Cetra. One forum member at Advent Children.net even had a whole theory about humans evolving into the Cetra once again - you can see more about that theory here: The Cetra

Okay... I can buy that. :rolleyes:

Supposedly, that was a result of Cloud's will not being strong. Remember that Cloud was rejected from SOLDIER because he didn't have a strong will. Only those with a strong will were accepted to become SOLDIERs.

That could be explained by an adrenaline rush.

Fear is a healthy, natural response to a dangerous situation that engages our ‘fight or flight response’: our body’s primitive, inborn and automatic response to a perceived threat...

... this response is hotwired to an area of our brain called the hypothalamus, which, when stimulated, initiates a sequence of nerve cell firing and chemical release that prepares our body for running or fighting: for fight or for flight.

When the response is activated, chemicals like adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol are released into our bloodstream. Our respiratory rate increases. Blood is shunted away from our digestive tract and directed into our muscles and limbs. Our pupils dilate. Our awareness intensifies. Our sight sharpens. Our impulses quicken. Our perception of pain diminishes. Our immune system mobilizes with increased activation. We are primed to fight or flee.

This primeval force is responsible for the seemingly superhuman acts of heroism that we read about almost every day in newspapers. A mother lifts a car single-handedly off her trapped child. Firemen heroically race into blazing buildings to rescue endangered victims. A small boy pulls his hulking father out of an icy lake and drives miles to get help.
Source: The Hero Factor (The Discovery Channel)

Cloud's hometown was being burnt to the ground, his mother had been killed in the fire, and Cloud knew that friends had been injured and/or killed (Zack, Tifa, Tifa's father, the photographer). Cloud was also stabbed through the shoulder by Sephiroth before Cloud threw him into the Lifestream. That's more than enough to produce an adrenaline rush.

I've nothing to counter that one. :rolleyes: Good question.

Hmmm... both Sephiroth and Cloud learned things within the Lifestream. Sephiroth said this in the Temple of Ancients after Cait Sith blows the Temple up:

Aerith "Sephiroth is different. He's not an Ancient."
Cloud "He shouldn't be able to find the Promised Land."
(The screen flashes white. When it fades, we see Sephiroth standing at the edge of the pit.)
Sephiroth "...Ah, but I have."
(He floats up, over the pit.)
Sephiroth "I'm far superior to the Ancients." "I became a traveler of the Lifestream and gained the knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients." "I also gained the knowledge and wisdom of those after the extinction of the Ancients." "And soon, I will create the future."

Sephiroth seems to realize that he's not an Ancient in this passage. However, Cloud said that he got an answer from the Planet after the hand reach scene, which may mean that Aerith was involved in Cloud receiving that answer. Cloud didn't have such an epiphany after travelling the Lifestream.

Okay... but none of the other couples you mentioned involve one member of the couple being an Ancient. However, Aerith didn't sense that Zack had died - which may reinforce what you're saying. If Aerith is the source of this connection, then why does it work only with Cloud (as far as we know)? :unsure:

It may be that (rather than Cloud being half Cetra) Cloud simply gained some of the wisdom and knowledge of the Ancients while travelling the Lifestream and while being immersed in Mako in Hojo's lab. In that quote I gave above from the Temple of the Ancients, Sephiroth said that he himself had gained the knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients while travelling the Lifestream. Also, the doctor in Mideel said this after Cloud was found:

Doctor "I'll say it again, he's got Mako poisoning. I've never seen a case this bad..." "An immense amount of Mako-drenched knowledge was put into his brain all at once......"

The knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients is contained within the Lifestream, so it makes sense that Cloud would gain at least part of the wisdom and knowledge of the Ancients from travelling in it - especially since the doctor confirms that a great deal of Mako-drenched knowledge was absorbed into his brain.

There's another thing in the story which suggests that Cloud had extra-sensory perception of some kind. Remember when Diamond Weapon stops attacking Cloud's party? Cloud senses something that the rest of the party doesn't:

(Boss battle with Diamond Weapon)
(FMV sequence. The Weapon turns and slowly moves back toward the sea. Cloud and the others stay behind; as it leaves, the huge shadow it casts recedes from where the party stands. They watch it go.)
Tifa "What's wrong? Are you still looking for something...?"
(Cloud shakes his head.)
Cloud "No, it's...... feeling something. ......Yeah, it senses murder."

Note that that happens after Cloud was immersed in the Lifestream.