Aeris

*thinks about Tifa's theme playing during her death*
*pictures staff giving a thumbs down to pitched story detail*

I find Rufus' death more sad than I find Aerith's death... I'd rather get stabbed than energy beamed in the face, and getting a heap load of rubble falling on top of me...

The thing that I thought was saddest about the death was that the first time I played the game, I spent a load of time training Aerith up, to get Great Gospel, which I only got to use like, two times, scince she only learnt it just before going into the temple of the aincients...

And you talk about Don Corneo's death being like a Looney Toons Cartoon... I guess you wouldn't be talking about that if you saw Daffy duck Slip a masamune through Bugs Bunnie's back, because that would mean that Aerith's death would be comical, like Corneo's.

No, the masamune wouldn't be funny, even in cartoons.

We are getting into a debate. If you don't want this thread closed, you may start a thread in Eyes on Each Other about the general issue of what's funny and what's not. PM me if you start one. We could also just PM our debate. Up to you, Lavos.

Meh, I can't be bothered with a debate...
I'd rather not fight anyway, too troublesome.

[QUOTE=Teh Lavos]I can't see how people can be upset that Aerith dies...
I mean, sure she can be useful in battle sometimes, but Sephiroth killing her is no different than Cloud and the group killing countless amounts of Monsters and soldiers. Just think how the families of the Soldiers are going to feel when they find out that some Spikey haired guy killed their Son/Husband/etc with his big sword.

And nobody thinks that its sad when You kill Heidegger and Scarlet?
Or when Reno kicks Don Corneo off the statue in Wutai.

Just because it doesn't have fancy music or a fancy FMV, you don't give two craps about other characters dying...QUOTE]

i've tried to explain that to Aeris fans for years! I just thought it would be pointless her, because no one has listed anywhere else! Anyway, thats besides the current point. I found Rufus's death worse for a few reasons.
1. I wasn't expecting it.
2. rufus was cool, one of the coolest in the game in my opinion.
3. At first, i didn't even realize it. You just see the explosion, but nothing really to say that Rufus DIED. It took me a while to figure out (the first time I played) that he was dead!

Well they play the player's emotions like an instrument. And it works. You don't feel remorse for the soldiers because they're just normal enemies, for one. They have no character, they're just obsticles. Not to mention they choose to stand in your way, it's their choice. Though I love where you were going with that. I think the game itself woulda been a lot better if everyone's death were taken seriously. Play some heart wrenching music when any of the main characters die so they all have a "holy crap" kinda impact. Though I think you'd probably get desensitized to it by the end of the game. Aeris was a one of a kind scene in the game so it was made more profound just by that fact. The point remains though that all the enemies were merely obstacles. Aeris was someone you controled and got to know. The creators wanted you to get close to her and feel the impact. And for a lot of people that worked. That's all. They coulda done it with any character and gotten the same results pretty much. I'd have been just as mortified if Barret had died. His poor kid...

You forgot about that one Soldier grunt that falls instead of running away when Sapphire Weapon attacks Junon. :(

EDIT: Oh, and your marching pals if you decide to battle them in the sub. Alternate music plays, so you feel bad. :(

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Originally Posted by Vyk

I'd have been just as mortified if Barret had died. His poor kid...

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I agree, Barret dying probably would have been worse, especially now that you mention his kid... But then again, I felt pretty bad about that when Dyne (SPOILER)jumps off a cliff after telling Barret to take care of her. That was pretty sad... I mean, he didn't even get one last chance to say goodbye to his daughter... :'(

I forgot about Dyne. Not as sad as Aeris, but his death was definitely sad. Yeah, after saying I thought the Don's death was comical, you'll think I'll say Dyne's death was comical. No, it wasn't. It's all in the game's presentation that dictates most players' emotional reaction. Elements of the presentation may include dialogue, music (or lack thereof, in Dyne's case), FMV, camera angles, and also whatever other events were meant to build up to a certain climatic event.

For example, Dyne's death for me yielded moderate sadness. Everything starting in North Corel was the primary stuff building up to the death of Dyne. Music doesn't exactly rock, and it's not in a major key, either, while you are in North Corel. Barret gets focused on, and his speeches and flashbacks are mostly serious. We do get a little comic relief or as Barret dances around bullets for as long as you want. I always laugh at that! Then, at the Gold Saucer, the story breaks for you, thus dissipating sadness, but the depressing tone gets picked up again once you access the battle square. Then after the depressing desert prison stuff, you fight Dyne with just Barret. Notice the music during the fight. Squaresoft holds back on being dramatic and serious, but resumes building up to the climax following the battle with the choice of dialogue, lack of music, and sound effects. Mention of Dyne following his death is quite brief, thus transitioning the game to something more fun.

Contrasting to Aeris's death. The story is building up to her death for the entire long first disc, almost. Interestingly, also, most of Aeris's content is either exciting or comical. Getting ready for her death, they begin to focus in on her a lot more. The music gives you a different feeling than when you were in North Corel. You feel uneasy. Finally, she leaves the party. Following the date, the player gets hardly any humor at all, but yet is absorbed into the game. There's just uneasiness all over the place with Cloud's recent developments and the theme "Who am I?" I love that song. The City of Ancients theme also has an uneasiness theme to it. In trying to make the most emotional scene they possibly can, they use FMV, and the music is perfect, as the shock (which exploded from the long uneasiness) becomes sadness. But it's a beautiful kind of sadness that comes from the sweet major key melody, as opposed to say, that sad song from Xenogears, which is still beautiful. Cloud's speeches are perfect. The song draws from first Holy falling and boucing into the water, but the main song is drawn from Cloud's speeches, and that is what the song is about. The scene is drawn out, with the song, as you fight Jenova. More FMV afterwards. Finally, after the scene, Aeris is still felt throughout the game. The characters seem to get over it, but you are reminded of her again when you come back to the Temple of the Ancients with Bugenhagen. The song is revived again at the end of Disc 2. Aeris is in the ending, too, so the player is not likely to forget her.

Personally, it didn't bother me in the least. Wasn't sad, mad, happy, or anything, was just, "Huh, that's interesting". Maybe I lack human emotions. :)

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Originally Posted by Weimar Pluto Knight VII

We do get a little comic relief or as Barret dances around bullets for as long as you want.

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It's best to watch this scene with circus music in the background.

Edit: I just thought about another sad death in the game, too... Biggs, Wedge and Jesse's deaths are all pretty sad. :cry:

So many sad deaths in FF7, when you really think about it. As I've said, I never liked Aeris to much, but the first time I saw the scene, it was a little sad.As for Biggs, Wedge, and Jesse, they where pretty awesome characters, and then, they were just dead. Killed mainly by one of my fav characters, Reno. And then theres Dyne, buts already been explained, no need to say the same think over. And RUfus! A lot of awesome characters died in this game. Someone needs to make a memorial.

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Originally Posted by TurkSlayer

A lot of awesome characters died in this game. Someone needs to make a memorial.

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I was gonna make a website in memorial to Biggs, Wedge and Jesse... but i'm too lazy to do it.

The best memorial to a dead NPC is a prequel in which they aren't NPCs.

For another matter, Aeris/Aerith
Do you like Aeris = Heiress or Aerith = Earth?

Even if her name was originally Aerith, or ended up becoming Aerith (no idea, because I have no idea when or why Aerith even started circulating) I wouldn't pronounce it like Earth. Same as Aeris (Heiress) except with a lisp. Heireth. Aerith.