Let's discuss Cloud's main love interest: Aerith or Tifa

[Shishikabob]

"you must spread some reputation around before giving it to Loony Bob again"
dammit

but good post, I completely agree, I hate how Cloud missing Aerith or feeling guilty about her death must automatically mean he loves her romantically. Yet the feelings Tifa and Cloud shared for one another must be friendship... whatever.

EDIT:
BTW I'm not saying disc 1 doesn't matter, I was just trying to say it's all optional and there's no evidence that he likes Aerith romantically that isn't optional... unless I'm wrong, correct me if I'm wrong..

EDIT2:

However, I can understand how people can say that Cloud would have actually gone for the one which was more willing to jump into bed with him at the time, and for them, maybe Aeris was the love interest while she was still alive

And I'm saying I can't, but I'm a bitch like that

[Loony BoB]

I would agree that there is nothing to strongly suggest he likes Aeris romantically that is not optional. It's been a long time since I've played the game, though.

[Shishikabob]

BTW I was speaking solely on facts above... personally, I have always thought that Aerith and Cloud, at the very least had good chemistry. I've often even argued on forums that they did have feelings for another, (puppy love anyway) and TBH it seems obvious to me XD but I've never been able to prove it, so really that's interpretation, and even though I agree there's no evidence.. it's just something I always felt.

[Loony BoB]

Soldier boys are known to like cheap bimbos, yes. Mwahaha, I've not insulted Aeris this much in a while. Good times.

[PeneloRatsbane]

Wasn't Tifa added in as an after thought? when they decided to kill Aeris? that might be speculative or flat out wrong but I always saw Tifa as the secondary love interest, but who steps up to main love interest when Aeris dies.
Plus Cait Sith said Cloud and Aeris were more compatable or something, why bother putting that in if Aeris wasn't the main love interest?

I dunno, this is a question that can't be answered. I'm resigned to thinking its just "complicated" like love in genereal

[Christmas]

Am I the only one that thinks Cloud want both of them like every normal guy that went through puberty?

[Raistlin]

Soldier boys are known to like cheap bimbos, yes. Mwahaha, I've not insulted Aeris this much in a while. Good times.

Haha, reminds me of that FF7 character poll where we both worked hard to sabotage Aeris.

Though I did not take it to the degree of actually celebrating her death.

[Ryushikaze]

Wasn't Tifa added in as an after thought?

No.

when they decided to kill Aeris? that might be speculative or flat out wrong but I always saw Tifa as the secondary love interest, but who steps up to main love interest when Aeris dies.

Even if Tifa was made exactly when they decided to kill Aerith, this decision happened long before the story as we know it existed. Tifa was the fifth character or so designed, after original design Cloud, Barrett, and Aerith as she was.
That said, that idea actually hurts the C/A cause, because when they decided it was to be Aerith who died, they changed her role and gave it to Tifa. So if she was the Alpha in the beginning of development, that role was given to Tifa.

Plus Cait Sith said Cloud and Aeris were more compatable or something, why bother putting that in if Aeris wasn't the main love interest?

To act as a red herring before SHE DIES. Cait Sith is called an unreliable fortune teller by the people who made the game.

I dunno, this is a question that can't be answered. I'm resigned to thinking its just "complicated" like love in genereal :D

It's actually an incredibly straightforward example of romance, literary-ly speaking.

[Loony BoB]

Though I did not take it to the degree of actually celebrating her death.

By 'celebrating' I mean saying something like "Woohoo!" or "Yes!" when she got whacked.

[Shishikabob]

Wasn't Tifa added in as an after thought? when they decided to kill Aeris? that might be speculative or flat out wrong but I always saw Tifa as the secondary love interest, but who steps up to main love interest when Aeris dies.

If we're going to go down that route then let me tell you that originally Cloud and Tifa were going to have sex under the highwind, with no mistake for "Maybe they just talked." or anything. Originally, they were going to go into a Chocobo stable, and come out the next morning and Cloud was going to look around nervously or something to that effect.

[PeneloRatsbane]

Ahhh Okay just to be clear, I don't give a damn about who Cloud really loves or whatever, its fictional and this argument will rage on as long as people play this game. I think no matter what its always going to come to personal preference and personal interpretation.
There was romance between Cloud and Aeris, but overall its Cloud and Tifa at the end game.

[Ryushikaze]

I'm just curious, this romance, where is it? What romance can you have when the guy is completely oblivious of your intentions?

[Shishikabob]

Well maybe he (she?) meant there was romance from Aerith

[PeneloRatsbane]

(She)

Oh i dunno, he's flirty or whatever.
TBH i haven't played this game in like 5 years and i certainly never gave it that much thought. *shrugs* But its popular innit, with the masses, I mean it didn't pop out of no where did it.

[Kyros]

I replayed through this whole game about 3-4 weeks ago and I really didnt see too much stuff to say Aeris was the main love interest. Pretty much everything in the game pointed to Tifa.