Good for nothin'

[Jiro]

We all know Final Fantasy VII had a brilliant translation, so nothing got lost between the English and Japanese version.

When in the Church in the Slums, after crashing from a ridiculous height, Aeris says her materia is "good for nothing". I always wondered; was she being sarcastic or did she not actually know what it did?

If she didn't know what it did, when'd she find out?

So many questions. You must give me the answers or my curiosity will never be satisfied.

[Shlup]

I originally thought she really didn't know what it was for. I was, what, fourteen at the time though? Looking back I think she knew but was being all modest or some bull.

[Raistlin]

It seems like she didn't know what it was for, at least fully, which is certainly plausible because of her mother dying when she was young. Maybe she eventually figured it out herself, or maybe some Cetra spirit told her. FF7 has enough things wrong with the writing that this never really concerned me.

[seiferalmasy2]

Translation was fairly accurate there

「ね、マテリア、持ってるんだね」<End>
「わたしも持ってるんだ」<End>
<Cloud>
「今はマテリアはめずらしくもなんともない」<End>
「わたしのは特別。
　だって、何の役にも立たないの」<End>
<Cloud>
「……役にたたない？
　使い方を知らないだけだろ？」<End>
「そんなこと、ないけど……
　でも、役に立たなくてもいいの」<New>

original

“Say‚do you have any Materia?”
“Yes‚some.”
{CLOUD}
“Nowadays you can find Materia anywhere.”
“But mine is special.
It's good for absolutely nothing.”
{CLOUD}
“…good for nothing?
You just don't know how to use it.”
“No‚I do…
it just doesn't do anything.”

Translated:

"So you have materia, right?"

"I have one/some"

"Materia isn't exactly hard to come by these days"

"Mine's special, but it's completely useless." [lit. it serves no purpose]

"Useless? Maybe it's just because you don't know how to use it yet?"

No it's not that...

but anyway, it doesn't matter. (even if it is useless).


She doesnt think it does anything, cloud thinks she just does't know how.

[Rodarian]

She was sorta being lil coy about it because while she knows what its meant for... Iflana *her bio Mom* must have told her earlier on what it was meant for....Of course Aerith didn't know how or rather when to use until the time came for her to do so...

[Slothy]

She was sorta being lil coy about it because while she knows what its meant for... Iflana *her bio Mom* must have told her earlier on what it was meant for....Of course Aerith didn't know how or rather when to use until the time came for her to do so...

I don't know if I'd say she didn't know how or when to use it. I'd say it's more likely she just knew it couldn't do anything yet because there was no big world ending threat like Meteor, or it might be that it wasn't meant to do anything until the Black Materia was used.

You're right though, looking at both translations it seems that she's just being coy, though it doesn't come across quite as well in the original translation.

[Mercen-X]

What is the White Materia for anyway? Just to counteract the Black Materia? If it's only purpose is to counteract the Black Materia, then generally speaking if there's no one nearby intending to use it just yet, then the White Materia really does serve absolutely no purpose.

[seiferalmasy2]

What is the White Materia for anyway? Just to counteract the Black Materia? If it's only purpose is to counteract the Black Materia, then generally speaking if there's no one nearby intending to use it just yet, then the White Materia really does serve absolutely no purpose.

It is used to summon Holy to destroy meteor, it is the opposite of black materia...

[qwertysaur]

She did not have enough MP to cast holy. It turns out you needed 1000 in the FF VII universe, so she needed the planet to do it for her :p

[Mercen-X]

It is used to summon Holy to destroy meteor, it is the opposite of black materia... So then
Just to counteract the Black Materia? generally speaking if there's no one nearby intending to use it just yet, then the White Materia really does serve absolutely no purpose.:eep::redface::choc:

[seiferalmasy2]

Ahh I see :) Well since the black materia hasn't been counteracted at the time you meet her...it still does have a use.

[Sephiroth]

Aerith didn't know how to use the White Materia. When she arrived in the City of the Cetra, the Forgotten Capital she learned how to use it. And that's the truth. Square themselves say in the Ultimania Omega Aerith didn't know how to use it like she says in the church. But then in the Forgotten Capital she knew how to use it, like it is written in the Ultimania.


She did not have enough MP to cast holy. It turns out you needed 1000 in the FF VII universe, so she needed the planet to do it for her

This would be no problem. You can have 9999 Magic Points in Final Fantasy VII because of the "HP <=> MP" Materia. But I know it was just a joke.

[Mercen-X]

It turns out you needed 1000 in the FF VII universe, so she needed the planet to do it for her

Where'd you get that?

[Sephiroth]

It turns out you needed 1000 in the FF VII universe, so she needed the planet to do it for her

Where'd you get that?[/QUOTE]

He was just joking. That's why he used a smiley.

[qwertysaur]

It turns out you needed 1000 in the FF VII universe, so she needed the planet to do it for her

Where'd you get that?
A nice clown was selling booklets in the desert. He was upset that he got lost though and got sand on his boots. :p

[Jiro]

Nice clown? You're kidding, right? Clowns of all kinds are evil

[qwertysaur]

My friend's Mom is a clown :bigsmile: