Romance is dead

[Jiro]

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw7ewotvTG1qk7hbto1_500.jpg

What are your favourite romances in the Final Fantasy series? I know Squall-Rinoa always gets a lot of hate, but at the very least it was a dynamic relationship; Squall didn't just spot her, think "I'm gonna tap that" and then spend the whole game either doing so or winning her over. He had to fall for her, albeit it very strangely. I'm not even going to touch that specific one now.

Zidane-Garnet and Tidus-Yuna remind me of each other in a sense. Both females are sort of tentative about relationships for one reason or another, and then in the end boyo "disappears" and the girls are all heartbroken and sing away their sadness.

[Jinx]

Yeah, except Garnet and Zidane are AWESOME.

Honestly, I've always had problems with the Yuna/Tidus relationship. I've also had problem with the Tifa/Cloud and/or Aeris/Cloud relationships.

Mostly it's because I've always felt like those mentioned relationships the people really had nothing in common. They had no particular reason to have feelings for each other. Especially Yuna/Tidus. They came from completely different worlds, believed in completely different things, had completely different personalities to a fault...they just ended up together because they were the same age, and were attractive. Personally, I felt like Rikku/Tidus would've made a much better relationship. And wtf is up with the Lulu/Wakka relationship? She had his brother, and then Wakka was the next best thing? (well, after Tidus, I guess.)

I feel like the Garnet/Zidane relationship was the best. They come from different worlds both figuratively and literally, but they both deal with being lost and not knowing who they are. Garnet's kind of bitchy, but she's not a bad person, even in the beginning. Zidane's kind of annoying and needs to put his tail back in his pants, but obviously has a heart of gold. Over the course of the game she comes to care for him because of who he really is past all the womanizing, and he comes to care for her for more than just her looks.

[Del Murder]

Garnet and Zidane was the only well-written romance of the entire series.

Maybe Cecil and Rosa, but there wasn't much to that. They were together from the start.

[blackmage_nuke]

Draco and Maria, but Im a sucker for musicals.

Also Mog and Umaro.

[Elpizo]

Garnet and Zidane was the only well-written romance of the entire series.

This.

[Jiro]

I'm a big fan of Zell and Pig-tailed girl, as well as Cid Fabool and Hilda. The fact that she can forgive him, phwoar. Cid and Shera is a little bit hard to believe, but I'll give it some credit.

[Jinx]

Were Cid and Shera an actual couple?

[Sephex]

Even though it was already established, there is something about the simplicity of the romance between Cecil and Rosa that I enjoyed.

[Trumpet Thief]

Just to echo previous poster's sentiments, I really enjoyed the Zidane/Garnet romance. I also really wanted Terra and Locke to hook up in Final Fantasy VI, but even as a platonic friendship, that worked.

Personally, though, the most believable romance to me was Squall/Rinoa. It was a very strange and downright stupid dynamic at times, but it was probably the closest thing to 'love' that I've seen in these games. Squall's transition from jerkass to desperate lover was pretty darn accurate in my books, and for all of the strange dialogue, I felt a real (if not strange) sense of infatuation presented between the two. I kind of liked that it wasn't completely straight forward, and that a lot of it was marred by Squall's general awkwardness.

Just in general, I give props to Final Fantasy VIII for pulling off a very 'different' type of love story.

[Spooniest]

Even though it was already established, there is something about the simplicity of the romance between Cecil and Rosa that I enjoyed.

This. The beauty of understatement.

I'm not playing Final Fantasy to experience the agony and the ecstasy of a stormy love affair, I'm playing it because I think slaughtering mass quantities of unholy abominations is an ok way to dull the misery of existence for a few hours.

I like that Final Fantasy 4 just puts the romance "there" and doesn't repeatedly beat you over the head with it. Plus, Cecil and Rosa are both consenting adults who get married at the end, so there's none of this "will they or won't they" BS.

[Pike]

Locke/Celes. Locke/Celes forever. So freaking cute.

[Wolf Kanno]

I've never been fond of the "boy meets girl" love story because the writers always try to make it a focus and like Spooniest, I don't want good story telling being mucked up with this whole "Will they? or Won't they?" BS, especially since it usually pretty flat in the FF series.

I tend to like the love triangles the most, because I feel they are the love stories that bring out more discussion and they are not usually as easy to see. Cecil, Rosa and Kain was always an amusing dynamic among the three of them and I felt the love triangle makes their relationship and their characters more interesting. Locke/Rachael/Celes was one of my favorites, partly because the love story rarely overshadowed the plot and always stayed as this side event but I also feel it's interesting to see a story where one of the three isn't really a participant anymore. While I kind of feel that Cloud and Tifa's relationship is established on poor grounds since Tifa really didn't know Cloud as a kid; I have always liked the CloudXAerith relationship just because it was interesting since their attraction was kind of twisted, with Aerith sensing Cloud was like Zack, and Cloud being subconsciously controlled by parts of Zack's memories. It was interesting to watch. I also just liked the Ashe/Prince Rasler relationship since it was nice to see a well developed "lost love" story that actually didn't end with Ashe getting a new boy toy to replace the love of her life.

Honestly, I want to see a love story between to former lovers. People who actually have history for one another and called it splits because they both had issues that got in the way of the relationship. I find these types of love stories to be far more interesting and we've seen the "boy meets girl" story done to death by now so let's give it a rest.

[Quindiana Jones]

Barrett and Cloud. It was a beautiful night at the Gold Saucer.

Seriousness aside, Del said it perfectly. I love the Zidane and Garnet relationship. It feels genuine.

[darkchrono]

Honestly, I want to see a love story between to former lovers. People who actually have history for one another and called it splits because they both had issues that got in the way of the relationship. I find these types of love stories to be far more interesting and we've seen the "boy meets girl" story done to death by now so let's give it a rest.

True. But you also need to remember that these types of stories would be a little too complex for fourteen and fifteen year olds to relate to. Even into highschool (but especially so in junior high) boy/girl relationships tend not to get any deeper than he likes her and she likes him so why not start talking to eachother.

[Jinx]

Honestly, I want to see a love story between to former lovers. People who actually have history for one another and called it splits because they both had issues that got in the way of the relationship. I find these types of love stories to be far more interesting and we've seen the "boy meets girl" story done to death by now so let's give it a rest.

True. But you also need to remember that these types of stories would be a little too complex for fourteen and fifteen year olds to relate to. Even into highschool (but especially so in junior high) boy/girl relationships tend not to get any deeper than he likes her and she likes him so why not start talking to eachother.

I'd say a majority of the fans of Final Fantasy are 18+, as most people have grown with the series. They should cater to all of their demographic, not just the younger audience.

That said, if a a teenager wants a boy meets girl story, they can play an older title. One title with the "former lovers" story would not throw off the series.

[Sylvie]

Cloud and Tifa, because I used to fantasize heavily about it as a kid. They, as a couple, have been to every corner of my mind.

[qwertysaur]

Zell and Hot Dogs, a forbidden love.

[DarkBahamut]

VIVI AND QUINA.

[Fynn]

I loved the triangle in FFVII. I always thought Tifa's role in it was the most tragic - it's like she would have to replace Aerith, staying in her shadow. And it's debatable how much of Cloud's affection towards Aerith was him just channeling Zack. And Crisis Core actually made me squee like a little fangirl at the cuteness Zack and Aerith's moments together emitted.

I also love Balthier/Fran. They're just so subtle, and yet you can see how well they understand each other and how much they care for each other. It's never the focus., we don't see it begin or end, they are just there. Anyone saying they were not in love with each other - OK, you could say there is not enough evidence in game. But for me, there are two things in the game that convince me that it is indeed love - Fran left her village, possibly forever, her whole family left behind, to be with Balthier. I mean, to be a pirate with him, but still - it's no wonder Balthier wooed her. He's so charming he'd convince me to ride an airship with him, and I'm a straight guy. :love: And second of all - the end of the game. It's been a while since I played it, but there is a scene when he thinks she's dead, or something, and it's just so heartwarming. And then there's this artwork by Yoshida:
36523
My favourite couple in FF, bar none. And my second favorite couple in any video game (right behind Shulk and Fiora :D)

[Clo]

Balthier and Fran was by far the sexiest. And subtle. After that, eh, I don't know... I guess Zidane and Garnet or Locke/Celes/Terra.

[Jessweeee♪]

ZellxPig Tailed Girl 4EVAH

I also thought Zack and Aeris were cute in Crisis Core.

[Spooniest]

Honestly, I want to see a love story between two former lovers. People who actually have history for one another and called it splits because they both had issues that got in the way of the relationship. I find these types of love stories to be far more interesting and we've seen the "boy meets girl" story done to death by now so let's give it a rest.

I agree with you that it would make a good story; the question is would it make a good Final Fantasy story. Real alienation and bitterness can be kind of a downer, and detrimental to the "all-ages" flair the series has tried to maintain so far.

For an example, see Revolutionary Road. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutionary_Road_%28film%29) Deals with mature themes of love, sure. But not cathartic fantasy, at all. Really, really bleak.

[Jessweeee♪]

I wish we could have had a bit more of the Seifer/Rinoa backstory in FFVIII.

[Rantz]

VIVI AND QUINA.

This is the only correct answer.

[Pike]

I took the liberty of taking the demographics debate posts out of this thread and putting them into a new one, because I think it's an interesting thing to talk about with lots of room for discussion:

http://home.eyesonff.com/general-final-fantasy/143600-final-fantasy-rpgs-gaming-demographics-split-other-thread.html

Continue talking about romance and such here! :flirt:

[Wolf Kanno]

Honestly, I want to see a love story between two former lovers. People who actually have history for one another and called it splits because they both had issues that got in the way of the relationship. I find these types of love stories to be far more interesting and we've seen the "boy meets girl" story done to death by now so let's give it a rest.

I agree with you that it would make a good story; the question is would it make a good Final Fantasy story. Real alienation and bitterness can be kind of a downer, and detrimental to the "all-ages" flair the series has tried to maintain so far.

For an example, see Revolutionary Road. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutionary_Road_%28film%29) Deals with mature themes of love, sure. But not cathartic fantasy, at all. Really, really bleak.

Honestly, when I think about my the type of love story I want, I think of Macross Plus or Neon Genesis Evangelion. Both had a love story involving older people (late 20s) and their baggage from the past. Of anything, I think people could get behind it since the former lovers bickering could be funny to watch on screen, and I feel you get to see more of the characters personality.

[DarkBahamut]

VIVI AND QUINA.

This is the only correct answer.

I mean com'n! All these CloTi stuff, what about a QuiVi or VuIna trend?