Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega Translations *Translator* Ryu Kaze/Ryu Sinclair; contact: [email protected] *Time period of initial translations* March, 2006 *Last updated* June 13, 2006 *Current Version* 9.00 ****Notes to make yourself aware of**** ==MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR FINAL FANTASY VII AND ADVENT CHILDREN ARE IN THIS FAQ== Also, be aware that at any point the in the translations where you see something in brackets, it is something that I have added to the translation, either for the purpose of clarifying the wording (Japanese does not always translate directly into English in such a way that it's entirely coherent), or to offer an analysis of a certain section of the translation. Also, for your convenience, be aware that you can use the numbers to the right of each section in the table of contents to do a ctrl+f search and instantly get to the section of your choice. *****Table of contents***** -1: Version history (001) -2: Statement of purpose (002) -3: Translations from the character profiles segment of the book (003) -4: Translations from the Story Playback segment of the book (004) -5: Complete translation of The truth of Final Fantasy VII segment (005) 1) Jenova (005.1) *Jenova Relation 1: The Jenova Project (005.1A) *Jenova Relation 2: The Reunion (005.1B) *Jenova Relation 3: The Sephiroth Clones (005.1C) 2) The Ancients (005.2) *The Ancients Relation 1: The Promised Land (005.2A) 3) Meteor and Holy (005.3) *The Black Materia: Meteor (005.3A) *The White Materia: Holy (005.3B) 4) The WEAPONs (005.4) *The WEAPONs that appear in the story (005.4A) 5) Lifestream (005.5) *Lifestream Relation 1: Mako Energy (005.5A) *Lifestream Relation 2: The Study of Planet Life (005.5B) *Lifestream Relation 3: SOLDIER (005.5C) -6: Translations of the vehicle specifications (006) -7: Translations concerning the plot-related connection between FFVII and FFX/X-2 (007) -8: Notes on information in the Advent Children Reunion Files book (008) *Production notes* (008.1) *Character and plot notes* (008.2) *Miscellaneous notes (008.3) -9: Recommended further reading (009) -10: Acknowledgements about the game, the Ultimania Omega and this FAQ (010) ****Version history**** (001) June 13: Added a bit of extra information to the notes on the Advent Children Reunion Files book, specifically more information on how Sephiroth's power compares to Cloud's and that Sephiroth, Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz are left-handed Added a little more information to the section on the connection between FFVII and FFX/X-2 June 4: Added notes on the Advent Children Reunion Files book May 18: Added Translations of the vehicle specifications section May 3: Removed some speculative information concerning Rufus' survival deemed inaccurate Added a new site authorized to host the FAQ April 26: Clarified "continuation" as meaning "sequel" April 23: Added new Translations concerning the plot-related connection between FFVII and FFX/X-2 section Added another translation to the new section April 17: Added some translations from Tifa and Yuffie's profiles to the character translations Added some translations concerning Tseng and Rufus to the Story Playback translations April 16: Added a translation of the "The open cell door" passage to the Story Playback section translations April 15: Added "Enigma of the voice" and a passage I've entitled "[From the Story Playback segment of the book]" to the Story Playback translations April 6: Changed "Feremis" to "Faremis" March 30: Added bio info for Gast, Zack, Tifa's dad, Lucrecia, Jessie, Biggs, Wedge, President Shinra, Heidegger, Scarlet, Hojo, Palmer and Reeve to the character translations Changed "Translations from the character profiles and Story Playback segments of the book" into two seperate sections March 28: Added bio info for Ifalna, Bugenhagen, Zangan, Johnny and a little bit for Aerith to the Translations from the character profiles and Story Playback segments of the book March 27: Added Turks bios to the Translations from the character profiles and Story Playback segments of the book Changed "Notable sections from the character profiles and Story Playback segments of the book" to "Translations from the character profiles and Story Playback segments of the book" March 25: Small mistake; fixing "surname" to "name" in regard to "Ifalna"; thanks go to Blood Omega of GameFAQs for noticing the mistake March 25: Made a sweep for spelling and formating errors March 24: Translations completed and FAQ published ****Statement of purpose**** (002) This FAQ's purpose is to provide an English translation of the notable storyline related sections of the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega to the fans of Final Fantasy VII who may be unable to acquire or translate the book themselves. I've tried to maintain as accurate a translation here as possible, and I believe I've managed to keep all the explanations true to the original Japanese information offered in the book, but I'll tell you right now that it's not going to be perfect. My teaching credentials are in the English language and English literature, not the Japanese language. As such, I don't claim to be a master of translating Japanese. It's just something I do as a hobby because I enjoy it and find it interesting, and this is the first big translation project I've done since September, 2005 when I translated Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. That's six months of rust to build up on my skills, and while I do feel like I've improved even more since then, the point I'm trying to get across is that I've done my best here, but that it's probably still not perfect. That said, I do have faith that I've accurately conveyed the intent of everything present in those sections I translated, and I've tried to maintain a Japanese-to-English wording as consistent with the original as possible. Where that wasn't always possible (and it's never going to be), I've inserted brackets ([ ]) to indicate the words that I had to insert in order to maintain the same flow we would use in English. Surprisingly, I've not had to do it all that much. Also, be aware that (also contained in brackets) at the end of many sections you'll find an analysis section where I offer some kind of clarification or comment on the section you've just read. I do hope you'll enjoy this FAQ and that it will be of benefit to many fans of Final Fantasy VII; both those who weren't able to read the book for themselves and those who just want to see another take on the wording. Enjoy. ****Translations from the character profiles segment of the book**** (003) ***[Tifa's] Appearance*** (Page 23) Her long black hair is in a hairstyle such that its tip looks like a dolphin's tail. Her garments are simple and monotone, consisting of a tanktop and a mini skirt, the length of which is quite short, giving a considerable degree of exposure. (Accompanying screenshot caption 1) In her super-tight mini skirt, she thrives at the art of hand-to-hand fighting. (Accompanying screenshot caption 2) Due to her form, her plain garments take on a pleasant appearance. ------------------------ [Analysis: This is, perhaps, the funniest thing in the entire book. It's funny both in how it's taking the time to describe what we could see with our own eyes, and in the wording it's using. This is not a joke. The book really says that stuff. Anyway, it would seem that Tifa's hair ending in a shape like a dolphin's tail was intentional, and is the reason behind the Dolphin Blow Limit Break.] ========================================================= ***[From Aerith's bio]*** (Page 30) |15 years ago| Together with her mother, she escaped from the Shin-Ra headquarters to the train station in the slums of Sector 7, where she would be seperated from her by death. She was then brought up by Elmyra as her foster daughter. (*1) >>>*1 After encountering her at the train station, she enters Elmyra's care and begins living in the slums of Sector 5. Afterward, she is visited by the Turks many times, as they request that she return to the Shin-Ra headquarters, but she consistently refuses. ------------------------ [Analysis: Nothing notable; I was looking for an explanation of how Ifalna was wounded during the escape from the Shin-Ra headquarters.] ========================================================= ***Stop the vehicle, please!*** (Page 37) Yuffie fears nothing, with one exception. This [fear] is her huge weakness in vehicles! Cargo ship, airship, submarine......no matter what she rides in, it immediately puts her down. Especially when riding in an airship, she'll try appealing to someone for sympathy. (Accompanying screenshot caption) To put her motion sickness to rest a little bit, she always rides outside the cockpit of the airship. ------------------------ [Analysis: Cute. Nothing we didn't know already, but cute.] ========================================================= ***Sephiroth's will and Jenova's will*** (Page 53) The Sephiroth clones seen in various locations continue gathering for the Reunion. Seemingly, the will of Jenova as a human is the result of it consuming Sephiroth's spirit; in actuality, Sephiroth is controlling Jenova. (Accompanying screenshot caption) Sephiroth's voice is heard through his "mother," Jenova, as applied through its cells in the Sephiroth Clones. ------------------------ [Analysis: This section confirms that Sephiroth was in control of Jenova.] ========================================================= ***Shin-Ra Company Relations*** (Pages 56-58) **Keyword>[The Shin-Ra Company]** The world is actually controlled by this corporate giant. It was originally a weapons development company called "Shin-Ra Works," but after realizing the potential in [supplying] Mako Energy, it rapidly grew. [Through use of the substance] Mako Energy becomes when it crystalizes -- [which is] called "materia" -- and investing in the elite SOLDIERs, who are showered with Mako Energy [and] sent to the battlefield, [the company] quickly brought the great war that had spread across the globe to a conclusion; furthermore, being that the people had become dependent on Mako Energy for their everyday lives, after the war, the company controlled the world. *President Shinra* Places of appearance: Mako reactor no. 5, Shin-Ra headquarters President of the Shin-Ra Company. Having taken it from a simple weapons development company to a corporation that controls the world in a single generation, he is a remarkably capable manager. He excelled at the art of predicting human nature and guiding what the public thought. With the legends of the Ancients' "Promised Land" [in mind], he believes that abundant mako may lie there, and plans to monopolize it to further the company's development. (Accompanying screenshot caption) It is his cherished theory that one can control the world by grasping the people's hearts with money. He finds the opinion of his son, Rufus, [on how to control the world] dangerous and ensures that it's kept away from the company's affairs. *Public Safety Maintenance Department* -Heidgger- Places of appearance: Shin-Ra headquarters and various other places The man in charge of [Shin-Ra's] Public Safety Maintenance Division, he has a coarse laugh of "Gahahaha" and doesn't present himself in his words or actions as possessing much intelligence; he will speak in flattering tones to those in higher positions, but those who are below him are the objects of his vented annoyance and displeasure. He was a close aide of the [first] President, but after Rufus' inauguration, he's treated coldly, and this treatment intensifies because of [the actions] of Cloud and the others. (Accompanying screenshot caption) His title generally held practically no value [previously], as he did nothing but flatter the President, but Rufus saw through his incompetence. *Weapons Development Department* -Scarlet- Places of appearance: Shin-Ra headquarters and various other places The only woman on the board of directors. On the surface she is an excellent and beautiful weapons developer, but her speech and actions are filled with poison. Self-centered and coldhearted, she is unconcerned at playing with the lives of others. Her self-righteous characteristics are symbolized by her [trademark] roar of laughter: "kyahahaha." 4 years ago, she burned Corel and took one arm from both Barret and Dyne. In the latter half of the story [in the game's present day], she produces the mako cannon [the Sistery Ray] and the Proud Clod. (Accompanying screenshot caption) She has a high degree of pride and frequently looks down upon her colleagues. She considers Heidgger an idiot and comparable to a horse. *Science Department* -Hojo- Places of appearance: Shin-Ra headquarters and various other places Void of good sense and humanity, he is a typical mad scientist. As a novice, he participated in the Jenova Project with Gast, an expert, but after he [Gast] left, direction of the project fell to him [Hojo]. Gast and collaborative research had bore the SOLDIERs, but 5 years ago, he [Hojo] began the Sephiroth Clones experiment on his own. Company employees keep watch over its progress and keep him informed. (Accompanying screenshot caption) Steeped in an inferiority complex in regard to Professor Gast, he repeatedly reacts with inhumane experiments. He's actually Sephiroth's father, but never introduced himself [as such]. *Space Exploration Department* -Palmer- Places of appearance: Shin-Ra headquarters, Rocket Town The director of Space Exploration, he is the oldest executive. Despite his position, knowledge and dignity, he says things such as "tra, la, la" and possesses other childlike behavior, which detracts from his character. Loving to take his tea with sugar and lard, he's grown round, and should take a second look at the differences of the dietary life. (Accompanying screenshot caption) Because the Space Exploration program is currently frozen, there is little he actually does. Though his relationship with Cid is not particularly close, that doesn't mean he isn't talkative. *Urban Development Department* -Reeve- Places of appearance: Shin-Ra headquarters Very serious, middle-aged and [in possession of] a strong sense of responsibility. There is a distinct line of demarcation between this man of proper tact and the other executives. His attachment to Midgar is deep, as he has watched over since its conceptual stages; therefore, throwing that same city into disorder is painful for him. He is able to portray life-like capabilities in the inanimate Cait Sith doll, which he controls by remote from within the Shin-Ra headquarters, tracking Cloud and company's movements. (Accompanying screenshot caption) In a meeting of the executives [during the discussion to drop the Sector 7 plate], he is straightforward in his position, frankly presenting his opinion of the situation, but as usually happens, he gives in at the end. **Keyword>[The Turks]** Alias of the Shin-Ra Company's Investigation Division of the General Affairs Department, they're actually an elite unit with a special task. It begins with serving as bodyguards to [the company's] VIPs and scouting for members of SOLDIER, and extends to all manner of shady activities, including espionage and assassination. Though under the command of Heidegger, they frequently use their own judgment. *Rufus Shinra* Places of appearance: The Shin-Ra headquarters and various other places The only son of President Shinra. Cunning but cold-hearted, it's said that no one has ever seen him bleed or cry and he has unfavorable criticism within society. As he carried thoughts of controlling the world through fear, his father regarded him as dangerous. After Sephiroth murdered his father, he was given a perfect opportunity to assume position as the new president. In the hopes of finding the Promised Land, he initiates a pursuit of Sephiroth. In the latter half of the story, he works to conceive plans stop to Meteor and the WEAPONs, ironically taking up the position of protecing the world from dread. (Accompanying screenshot caption) In a meeting of the board of [Shin-Ra's] directors, measures to counter Meteor and the WEAPONs are put into action. *Tseng* Places of appearance: The Sector 7 support pillar and various other places Leader of the Turks. Though he is still young, he has been active [as a Turk] for more than 10 years. In the present, his subordinate, Reno, is directed to carry out many operations, and he [Tseng] isn't given much field work. A calm, polite person, he doesn't usually let his emotions show on the surface, and has reservations concerning Aerith [,who he has been ordered to apprehend], [and] for whom he has come to harbor special feelings. *Elena* Places of appearance: The Mythril Mines and various other places A blemish on the Turks. After Reno was injured while carrying out orders to drop the Sector 7 plate, she was chosen as a newcomer to the shorthanded group. Having a loose tongue as a weakness, she carelessly discloses secret information, and as someone who tackles every situation with complete dedication, she has numerous complaints with her seniors' [Reno and Rude] layed-back attitudes. *Reno* Places of appearance: The church in the slums and various other places A young man with firery red hair. The condition of his uniform suggests the attitude and personality of one who is irresponsible, but his self-confidence and pride as a Turk is twice that of most men. In his work and in his personal life he has his own way of doing things, adding his peculiar motto "zoto" to the ends of sentences when speaking. *Rude* Places of appearance: The Shin-Ra headquarters and various other places Reno's partner since old times. Contrasting with Reno in numerous ways, mainly in putting work before talk, silence is the closest thing to his motto. Despite appearances, he is not bald for fashion purposes, this being a natural development instead. He secretly likes Tifa, even though she's an enemy. ------------------------ [Analysis: Nothing that we don't really know from playing the game except for that small bit about Rufus' father regarding him as dangerous (though that's touched on in Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII), Tseng having been with the Turks for over 10 years and the notable bit about Rude being naturally bald.] ========================================================= ***Zack*** (Page 59) Places of appearance: Nibelheim (Cloud's flashback) One who made for a positive-minded cheerful comrade in SOLDIER. Coming from the remote region of Gongaga, he went to Midgar about 10 years ago. He was recognized as having the capabilities of a 1st Class SOLDIER, but when he was dispatched to the Mt. Nibel mako reactor, destiny would take a sudden turn. While trying to stop Sephiroth's reckless activities, he was seriously injured, and afterward became an experimental subject for Hojo; then, after escaping, he was killed. At the beginning of the story, Cloud plays Zack's role in his memories. (Accompanying screenshot caption) Saying that they are "friends," Zack supports Cloud, his other colleague [who was sent with Sephiroth] -- [and] who has contracted mako poisoning -- up to the very end. ========================================================= ***Zangan*** (Page 59) Places of appearance: Nibelheim (Cloud's flashback) The Zangan martial arts style is an original practice, and he is Tifa's martial arts teacher. He is always traveling, with 128 pupils in various places. During a short stop in Nibelheim, he was giving fighting instruction to Tifa. Shortly afterward, during the incident in which the town burned, he went to the mako reactor to confront Sephiroth, and ended up saving Tifa, carrying her to Midgar. ========================================================= ***Tifa's dad*** (Page 59) Places of appearance: Nibelheim (Cloud's flashbacks) Tifa's father. After his wife died an early death, he treated their daughter, Tifa, with overbearing concern, [even] holding Cloud under distrust after Tifa was in a dangerous situation. Feeling a powerful need to protect his village, he tried to stop Sephiroth's destruction five years ago, but lost his life in the process. ========================================================= ***Gast Faremis*** (Page 59) Places of appearance: Icicle Lodge (video tape) Aerith's father. He was once the head of Shin-Ra Company's Science Department. Conducting research on the first humans, the Ancients, he believed Jenova [whom he had discovered] was an Ancient and began "the Jenova Project" to increase the Ancients' numbers, but during the process, he recognized his failures and resigned. At Icicle Lodge, with the cooperation of Ifalna, he would conduct original research that would make progress. However, shortly after their daughter was born, he was killed by Hojo and the results of his research were taken. (Accompanying screenshot caption) While interviewing Ifalna about the Ancients and other matters, they began to love one another. They then led a modest but happy life, but....... ========================================================= ***Ifalna*** (Page 59) Places of appearance: Train station in the slums of Sector 7 (Elmyra's flashback), Icicle Lodge (video tape) Aerith's real mother. A woman of the Ancients living in Icicle Lodge, she was the last Ancient of pure blood. While cooperating with Gast in his research, a love between them began to bloom, and -- making a home with one another -- they had a daughter. However, during the peak of their happiness, it was snatched away from them by Hojo and she and Aerith became prisoners in the Shin-Ra headquarters, to be used for experimental purposes. Several years later, they would escape to the train station in the slums of Sector 7, where she would take her last breath. (Accompanying screenshot caption) After escaping together with her daughter, Aerith -- to whom she had been able to pass on little of the traditions and teachings of the Ancients -- she entrusted her with the White Materia. ------------------------ [Analysis: Sadly, there's no explanation for why Ifalna died; we just have to assume she received some kind of fatal wound during the escape.] ========================================================= ***Lucrecia*** (Page 59) Places of appearance: Lucrecia's cave, Nibelheim (Vincent's flashback) A woman who worked in the Shin-Ra Company's Science Department. As a member of the Jenova Project, she served as assistant to professor Gast. She was beautiful and intelligent, but after stepping on the road to being Hojo's lover, she would end up offering the body of her own unborn child for experimentation. The child who was given Jenova cells -- Sephiroth was born; and with the effects of the experiment causing irregularities in her own body, she removed herself from the public eye. She was the woman who was the object of Vincent's yearning, and the reason he began to hold himself accountable of "sin." ========================================================= ***Biggs*** (Page 60) Places of appearance: Mako reactor no.1 and various other places A member of AVALANCHE who gathers at the Seventh Heaven bar. Though not a very serious person, he keeps the teachings of the Study of Planet Life firmly in mind and takes part in anti-Shin-Ra activities. He seems to have some complaints with Barret's leadership. (Accompanying screenshot caption) His complaints about Barret appear in his sleep talk. Also, in the scene where he gets drunk [while talking] to Cloud. ========================================================= ***Wedge***(Page 60) Places of appearance: Mako reactor no.1 and various other places Biggs' friend whom he treats like a younger brother. Plump-bodied and humorous, he brings warmth to the base [of AVALANCHE]. Timid and kind-hearted with everyone, he easily loses his composure. Adding "-su" to the ends of words, he has the most polite language [of the members] in the group. (Accompanying screenshot caption) If [the player] chooses to have Cloud speak either positively or roughly [with Wedge, in the basement of Seventh Heaven], he [reveals] this feeling [of cowardice/nervousness]. ========================================================= ***Jessie*** (Page 60) Places of appearance: Mako reactor no.1 and various other places [A woman with high] inner strength and talent, she extensively mixes explosive compounds for AVALANCHE's plans. She conducts herself in a ladylike manner. [However, she shows herself to be more than a little clumsy.] (Accompanying screenshot caption) After the explosion of mako reactor no. 1, she pulls Cloud aside [to show him the map of the Midgar Rail System]. ------------------------ [Analysis: I had a little trouble translating the last line of Jessie's main paragraph; that's why it's completely in brackets. I'm sure I missed something in it.] ========================================================= ***Johnny*** (Page 61) Places of appearance: Sector 7, inside a train, the Honey Bee Inn, Costa del Sol A young man with the outward appearance of a delinquent and troubled thoughts. Secretly harboring feelings for Tifa, he went to Seventh Heaven frequently. He lived in the slums of Sector 7 with his parents until resolving to travel. En route, he nearly yielded to the temptation of going to the Honey Bee Inn, but continued traveling until he arrived at Costa del Sol, where he would begin living with [a woman who became] his lover. Like Cloud, he has a harsh attitude. (Accompanying screenshot caption) At first, his mannerisms were only those of a harsh youth, but because of the love of a woman, he would grow into a man. ========================================================= ***Bugenhagen*** (Page 63) Places of appearance: Cosmo Canyon The expert on the Study of Planet Life who lives in Cosmo Canyon. This elderly man with the greeting of "Ho ho hoooo" is called "Grandfather" by Red XIII, to whom he is close. Held in high esteem by both local people and those from various other places, many people visit the village to be taught about the Study of Planet Life by him firsthand. He is an unbelievable 180 years old, but he's still full of vigor and in curiously excellent condition. (Accompanying screenshot caption) Being a man of intelligence, he operates Shin-Ra's latest mechanized inventions with his thoughts turned to the mysteries surrounding the voice of the Planet. ------------------------ [Analysis: Curiously, this identifies Bugenhagen as 180 while the game identified him as 130. Presumably, this is a typo on the part of the Ultimania Omega, as both the English and Japanese versions of Final Fantasy VII identify Bugenhagen as 130.] ****Translations from the Story Playback segment of the book**** (004) ***Enigma of the voice*** (Page 68) As Cloud is trying to place the bomb, a mysterious voice speaks to him. Later, this same kind of mysterious voice resounds in Cloud's head in the scene where he and a voice have a conversation, and it offers him reminders. These voices are the original Cloud, as -- due to Hojo's Sephiroth Clones experiment -- Zack's personality merged with his, creating the present day Cloud, producing a conflict of multiple personalities(-->P.11). During the scene in the first mako reactor, what [the voice] says is it [trying] to point [Cloud] toward the memory of Sephiroth five years ago in Nibelheim's mako reactor, as the two places were similar. However, Cloud is not able to listen to the words of the memory. (Accompanying screenshot caption) "Open your eyes!" [the voice] calls out, as it does when the scene at the Temple of the Ancients comes and the words of Sephiroth make use of Cloud as a puppet. ------------------------ [Analysis: This section confirms that the voice that often talks to Cloud during the first disc of the game is his subconscious, that part of him that was buried under the false identity he formed.] ========================================================= ***The open cell door*** (Page 94) Indicating the brutality of Jenova, a bloodstain leads from the open cell door -- which was opened previously without [anyone] noticing -- to the top floor. It would seem that after awakening, Jenova intentionally opened specifically Cloud's door, leading [him] to the top floor. As he's a person who carries Jenova cells [inside him], was it trying to help Cloud......? ------------------------ [Analysis: This section confirms that Sephiroth -- using Jenova's main body (see below passage entitled "Jenova inside the ship") -- opened Cloud's cell door during the massacre in the Shin-Ra headquarters.] ========================================================= ***[From the Story Playback segment of the book]*** (Page 102) Hojo was the cause of the malfunctions at the mako reactor. Hojo had placed humans in the devices used to form materia, and -- being drenched in high-density mako -- they turned into monsters. ------------------------ [Analysis: This small segment tells us that the humans who had been placed in the pods inside the Mt. Nibel mako reactor were not only placed inside devices used to create materia, but that they were, indeed, transformed as a result of exposure to an unhealthy quantity of mako. This is relevant, as some fans in the past have often wondered if, perhaps, Jenova cells were added to the mix. This passage would seem to indicate that this was not the case, and that the mako exposure alone was the cause of their mutations. In other words, this section confirms that mako can cause mutations.] ========================================================= ***Jenova inside the ship*** (Page 112) Cloud confronts "Sephiroth," the murderer of the ship's crew in the bottom of the ship. In truth, Jenova began moving away from the Shin-Ra building on its own, and took on the form of Sephiroth. (Accompanying screenshot caption) This [that Jenova was being carried by Sephiroth] was a misunderstanding. The arm was not carried, but rather was detached here. ------------------------ [Analysis: This section -- together with the accompanying screenshot where Tifa can be seen asking if this means that Jenova was being carried -- reveals that the main body of Jenova was not carried out of the Shin-Ra headquarters by a Sephiroth Clone, as has often been thought in the past. In truth, Sephiroth assumed control of the main body and had it force its way out of its confinement, assume his form, slaughter the Shin-Ra personnel -- as well as President Shinra himself -- open Cloud's cell door and then escape. It is this main body of Jenova that AVALANCHE pursues from Midgar. This section further reveals that the tentacle of Jenova that transformed into Jenova-BIRTH on the Shin-Ra cargo ship was detached from the main body during the confrontation with AVALANCHE in the bottom of the ship.] ========================================================= ***Tseng on the verge of death*** (Page 150) Seeing Tseng -- who was cut down by Sephiroth and left on death's door -- Aerith is unable to hide her shock. Though they're on opposing sides, he holds a special meaning to her. Also, before entering the heart of the temple, if [the player] speaks to him, he will mutter "I am...... still alive......" thereafter. When one thinks about how the temple collapses later, doesn't his survival seem hopeless......? (Accompanying screenshot caption) When faced with Tseng's condition, Aerith steps behind a pillar to try hiding her tears. ------------------------ [Analysis: Nothing particularly special. Just tells us what we know and presents the obvious notion that Tseng surviving that incident looked downright impossible.] ========================================================= ***The Sephiroth of the water altar*** (Page 157) Immediately after the tragedy surrounding Aerith takes place, the battle with Jenova-LIFE begins, doing so such that it interrupts Sephiroth's words; they're continued after the battle, but the title of whom they're credited to changes from "Sephiroth" to "Jenova." The reason for this is that the confrontation on the altar occurs with Jenova while it's displaying Sephiroth's mimed form. It then changes to a more accurate display of its true nature. ------------------------ [Analysis: This section reveals that the Sephiroth encountered in the City of the Ancients (the one that murdered Aerith) was -- yet again -- Sephiroth manipulating a part of Jenova's body in his form. Being that this form transforms into Jenova-LIFE and gets destroyed, however, this piece was not the main body, like that seen on the Shin-Ra cargo ship (which flew away after leaving its "arm"/tentacle); this was a previously seperated but unidentified part of the main body that was utilized to take Sephiroth's form.] ========================================================= ***Elena burns with vengeance*** (Page 158) "How dare you do that to my boss!" Elena shouts, hurling her anger at Cloud. Somehow, she suspected Cloud of being the one to try killing Tseng at the Temple of the Ancients. Did an encounter with Tseng provide her grief? ------------------------ [Analysis: It seems to be hinting (if I translated it right) that Elena has seen Tseng, this being why she knows he got messed up and being why she's upset. By the very concept, it's suggesting that he survived what happened to him in the Temple of the Ancients. It's also notable that this original Japanese line said by Elena did not carry the finality that her line in the original English localization of FFVII did. There, she said "But you really got guts doin' my boss in like that!", making it appear that Tseng had died. Though the PC version's translation fixed this -- having Elena say that Tseng had been messed up instead of done in -- most English-speaking and reading players saw the version that suggested Tseng's death was a definite, leaving many perplexed when he returned in Advent Children. Anyway, the above translation of the line is the most literal rendering, but I think the English PC version's take on it was well done. Sadly, there's no explanation of how Tseng survived, though, presumably, Elena went back into the temple after AVALANCHE had gone in and found Tseng as they had, rescuing him.] ========================================================= ***As for those which have been chased so far*** (Page 163) Before the battle with Jenova-DEATH, the words of one of the Sephiroth Clones in line for the Reunion offers an indication of the truth: those who carried Jenova's cells were given the mission of bringing the Black Materia to their master, Sephiroth. The fact of the matter is that the "Sephiroth" Cloud saw in various places was not Sephiroth himself, but rather the body of Jenova from the Shin-Ra building mimicing his form. ------------------------ [Analysis: This is just more of the previous confirmations: that the forms of Sephiroth AVALANCHE has been seeing are not his real body (which has been in the Northern Crater all this time), but Jenova's main body -- and seperated pieces of it -- in his form. Like the piece that became Jenova-LIFE, that which becomes Jenova-DEATH is just another unidentified piece of the main body of Jenova, seperated from the main body and given Sephiroth's form while under his control.] ========================================================= ***Rufus' last moment?*** (Page 197) Taking a direct hit from Diamond WEAPON during the story, what became of him is left a mystery. News of his death spreads to the people, but is he actually [dead]...? (Accompanying screenshot caption) Heidegger and the people of Kalm conclude that [Rufus] has died. ------------------------ [Analysis: As with Tseng, we get a hint here that Rufus may have survived, most likely to set up his return in Advent Children. Sadly, there's no explanation of how he survived.] ========================================================= ***Vincent's anger*** (Page 198) If Vincent is in the party when they go to the Mako Cannon's controls, during the conversation with Hojo, Vincent will have a reaction. To Hojo, his wife was nothing more than laboratory material to bear his son, Sephiroth, who -- as he says -- was something for him to study and satisfy his scientific desires; [this brings on] Vincent's wrath. Additionally, after Hojo has been killed, each party member express a line, including Vincent, who is noticably deeply emotional. ------------------------ [Analysis: This segment confirms that Lucrecia was Hojo's wife.] ========================================================= ***Jenova-SYNTHESIS*** (Page 204) The forms of Jenova that have been fought up to this point (BIRTH, LIFE, DEATH) were parts of the body which escaped from the Shin-Ra building. In regard to Jenova-SYNTHESIS, this form that was arranged to be fought inside the Planet, it is the head of Jenova that Sephiroth had in hand five years ago and the other parts Shin-Ra had, their Reunion complete. As such, its appearance differs from the previous forms: the image of this form's upper body has become strong, it being the closest to perfection. ------------------------ [Analysis: This section tells us that Jenova-SYNTHESIS is the combination of Jenova's main body and its head. It's also implied -- since Sephiroth killed all the Sephiroth Clones but Cloud and sent them down into the Northern Crater -- that the cells Hojo injected into the Sephiroth Clones are part of this merged form of Jenova.] ========================================================= ***Cloud's final battle*** (Page 204) After fighting Bizarro Sephiroth and Safer Sephiroth, Cloud has a final 1-on-1 battle with Sephiroth in the spiritual realm. Although the ego of this Sephiroth Clone was stricken with an inferiority complex in the past, Cloud fights on and achieves victory in the end. -- [Analysis: Nothing to really analyze here; it tells us what we already know and means just what it says.] ****Complete translation of The truth of Final Fantasy VII segment**** (005) This section touches on the difficult terminology [of the game], and in each section explains their meaning. ***Jenova*** (Pages 210-213) (005.1) An intelligent lifeform from somewhere in space. Approximately 2000 years ago, it crashlanded at the North Pole ["Knowlespole" in the English localization of the game] (the vicinity of Icicle Lodge's ["Icicle Inn" in the English localization] present location), negatively affecting the Planet; it came to be feared as "the Calamity from the Skies" by the Ancients, who still existed in great numbers at that time. Vicious, extremely aggressive and cunning. Having no thoughts of creating anything following bringing destruction, it only follows its instincts to incite ruin, utilizing its mimic ability (-->P.211) to infect other living organisms with its virus. In addition, due to its abnormal resilence, even if dismembered, its cells will call out to one another, seeking to reunite into their original form (-->Reunion/P.211). The scar Jenova's landing left on the Planet remains even to the present day, being now known as "the Northern Crater." (Accompanying screenshot caption) The parts that are seperated from the main body are still able to function as extensions. That is what those monsters called "Jenova" are that Cloud and company fight during the journey. ------------------------ [Analysis: This section informs us of a few things we already knew and a few we may not have. Jenova came from an unidentified point in space, and -- though quite intelligent and cunning -- is nothing more than an instinctual monster made up of viral cells, which it seeks to spread to other lifeforms. This instinct to infect other lifeforms -- and its desire to rejoin when its cells get seperated -- are the only things this creature lives to do. This section also further confirms that the Jenova-BIRTH, LIFE, and DEATH bosses are merely seperated parts of Jenova's main body.] ------------------------ **Jenova Relation 1: The Jenova Project** (005.1A) Approximately 30 years ago, a plan to find "the Promised Land of abundant mako" is set in motion by way of the Shin-Ra Science Department beginning a project under Gast's direction. The purpose of the project was to artificially produce someone with the abilities of the Ancients (Cetra/-->P.214). Jenova, discovered in the Northern Crater, was incorrectly identified as an Ancient, and its cells were to be injected into a normal human with the expectation that they may artificially display the abilities of the Cetra as a result. Research was conducted at the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim. It began under the responsibility of three members [of Shin-Ra's Science Department]: Gast, Hojo and Lucrecia; but Gast withdraws midway [through the project]. Authority over the project is then transferred to Hojo. "The Sephiroth Clones Project" (-->P.213) follows as an extension of this. *Professor Gast and the Jenova Project* Approximately 2000 years ago, Jenova collided with the Planet, and although the Ancients were nearly reduced to extinction, some Ancient survivors managed to seal Jenova underground in a deep sleep. However, Jenova would awaken because of Gast's guidance of Shin-Ra's Science Department. Approximately 30 years ago, the mummified form of Jenova was excavated and Jenova mistakenly identified as an Ancient; the Jenova Project then began. Hojo was a member of the project; the body of his colleague and lover, Lucrecia, was utilized for experimental purposes, injected with Jenova cells prior to her giving birth. Thus, Sephiroth was born. After several years, Gast became wracked with guilt, and -- in regret of the use of humans for such an abnormal experiement -- gave Shin-Ra his resignation. He then removed himself to Icicle Lodge, which lay in the vicinity of where he had discovered Jenova, and began new independent research. There, he would make the acquintance of a local woman with the name of "Ifalna," a survivor of the Ancients; interviewing her, he would begin to arrive at the truth about the history of the Ancients, Jenova's mimic ability and the WEAPONs (-->P.215), things which Shin-Ra knew nothing about. In the meantime, a love between he and Ifalna would form, and together they would make a home and have a child: Aerith. However, he would be shot under Hojo's orders and the results of Gast's research fell into Hojo's hands. *The product of the project: Sephiroth* While in Lucrecia's womb, Jenova's cells became part of Sephiroth's growth. While he's the biological son of Hojo and Lucrecia, with regards to his role in the project as an unnatural product of "Jenova of the Ancients," one could say that he is "the son of Jenova." Simultaneously, he was the first to have the role of a SOLDIER (-->P.217). However, mass production of SOLDIERs required adults of sound mind and body who could be injected with Jenova's cells and exposed to mako, as this simplification of the process used on Sephiroth would result in vast differences from how their bodies had been before. (Accompanying screenshot caption) The staff of Shin-Ra -- who did not know the true nature of Jenova -- believed Sephiroth to be an Ancient. *Jenova's mimic ability* Jenova has a mimic ability which allows it to read the memories and feelings of others, then adjust its appearance, speech and behaviour accordingly to immitate what it has seen. Jenova once used this ability to get close to the Ancients and infect them with its virus, which killed many of them. This ability is not limited solely to Jenova itself, for those who have its cells within them possess it as well, though in an incomplete form. Immediately prior to the start of the game, when Cloud's mind was shattered, he ran into Tifa and seemed to immediately return to "normal" (-->P.13); this was because the mimic abilities of the Jenova cells inside Cloud read her mind, seeing her memories of him, which were then combined with his own ideal vision of himself, fashioning a new personality for him. (Accompanying screenshot caption 1) According to Ifalna, the Ancients infected with the virus lost their sanity and turned into monsters. (Accompanying screenshot caption 2) As Sephiroth said in the Whirlwind Maze, when Cloud met Tifa, he formed a new personality. ------------------------ [Analysis: This section tells us that while Sephiroth was lying about much of what he told Cloud, he was telling the truth when he said that Cloud formed a new personality when he met Tifa shortly before the main events of Final Fantasy VII began. Sephiroth's story was filled with half-truths: Cloud was, indeed, a Sephiroth Clone, he did form a new personality when meeting Tifa (thanks to the abilities of Jenova's cells) and he was not the 1st Class SOLDIER who had gone to Nibelheim with Sephiroth; however, he was a real person (being a Sephiroth Clone only meant that he had been injected with Jenova cells and infused with mako like members of SOLDIER) and really had been in Nibelheim.] ------------------------ **Jenova Relation 2: The Reunion* (005.1B) Due to its amazing regeneration capabilities, Jenova's divided cells reunite to become one again. 5 years ago, Sephiroth fell into the Lifestream holding the head of Jenova, going to the Northern Crater, where the Planet's energy is concentrated, and where he would begin the Reunion -- and assuring his restoration -- by focusing through Jenova's cells. This regeneration was to be carried out by way of the Reunion, as the scattered Sephiroth Clones (-->P.213) would begin migrating toward the Northern Crater. (Accompanying screenshot caption 1) The Reunion is an ability of Jenova, but Sephiroth instructs the Sephiroth Clones in the role of their master. (Accompanying screenshot caption 2) The main body of Jenova began migrating from the Shin-Ra headquarters because of the Reunion. The Jenova cells in Cloud received the call of the Reunion the same as those of the mimiced form. *The movement of Jenova's main body for the Reunion* Excavated 30 years ago, Jenova became the experimental material for the Jenova Project and was placed in the Mt. Nibel mako reactor. Jenova remained in the Mt. Nibel reactor until five years before the game, when Sephiroth -- having learned the secret of his birth -- took off its head, which fell with him into the bottom of the reactor. The now headless main body that was left in the reactor was -- by Hojo's instruction and after being utilized in the Sephiroth Clones experiment -- transported to the Shin-Ra building. Shortly after Cloud was apprehended when he broke into the Shin-Ra building to rescue Aerith, the Reunion began. Hojo expected the headless main body to be the focal point for the Reunion once it began, but in reality, it was the Northern Crater. The scattered Sephiroth Clones and the main body of Jenova within the Shin-Ra building all began to move. Jenova shattered its containment case, murdered President Shinra, escaped from the Shin-Ra building and began to wander the world. Now, Jenova's mimic abilities caused the main body to take on Sephiroth's voice and appearance, which it kept hereafter during its appearances in various places. (Accompanying screenshot caption 1) The head of Jenova from the Mt. Nibel mako reactor -- which fell into the hands of Sephiroth -- had an influence on the focal point of the Reunion. (Accompanying screenshot caption 2) The shape of Sephiroth was assumed by Jenova's main body. It is in this form that it is seen committing murders. *The path of Jenova's main body, which came from the Shin-Ra building* In the Story Playback section (-->P.66), the conduct of the mimetic main body of Jenova [having taken Sephiroth's form] and that of the Sephiroth Clones were listed in the "Black sheep information" columns. Here, those specifically regarding the main body of Jenova have been collected. Kalm Black sheep information 1 (-->P.104) Eastern grassy plains~Chocobo Farm Black sheep information 2 (-->P.104) Swamp lands~Mythril Mines *Kills a Midgar Zolom while passing through Junon~Cargo ship Black sheep information 3 (-->P.111) *Meets Cloud in the hold and leaves a section of its body [Jenova-BIRTH] before escaping Costa del Sol Black sheep information 4 (-->P.112) *The place where it emerged from underwater is seen Mt. Corel Black sheep information 5 (-->P.118) Gold Saucer~Gongaga area Black sheep information 8 (-->P.124) Nibelheim *Urges Cloud to participate in the Reunion Bone Village Black sheep information 11 (-->P.148) Temple of the Ancients *Acquires the Black Materia Forgotten Capital *Kills Aerith and leaves another section of its body [Jenova-LIFE] while escaping Northern Crater *Participates in Sephiroth's Reunion **Jenova Relation 3: The Sephiroth Clones** (005.1C) 5 years ago, immediately after Sephiroth fell into the Mt. Nibel mako reactor, Jenova's main body -- which had been left behind -- was utilized by Hojo for an experiment. This plan -- which Hojo intended to use to prove his Jenova Reunion Theory -- was called "the Sephiroth Clones Project." The experiment's procedure -- which involved injecting cells taken from the headless body of Jenova into the subjects and exposing them to mako -- doesn't differ from the manufacturing procedure for SOLDIERs. The largest difference is that SOLDIERs are selected from a prime field, being strong of mind and body and able to withstand the experiment uninfluenced by Jenova's cells, whereas the Clones' fragile minds leave them as "portions" of Jenova. The subjects of the Sephiroth Clones Project were the survivors of the Nibelheim incident, with absolutely no thought given to sorting them as with SOLDIER, and -- being unable to maintain their egos -- they lose the ability to live a normal human life. With the Sephiroth Clones, as part of the experiment, an identification number was engraved somewhere into their bodies. Cloud was a Sephiroth Clone, but received no number due to the "failure work" (referenced in the article below). Cloud's obsessive drive to chase Sephiroth and settle everything over the thoughts of him taking his hometown -- at any cost to and an indifference for himself -- is much the same as that of the Jenova cells. (Accompanying screenshot caption) After Sephiroth reduced Nibelheim to ashes, it was reconstructed and the movements of the Sephiroth Clones observed, though with little concern for their well-being. ------------------------ [Analysis: This section pretty much tells us things we know from the game: the procedure used on Cloud and the other survivors of Nibelheim to make them into "Sephiroth Clones" was identical to the procedure used on members of SOLDIER, the difference being that members of SOLDIER are specially selected because they have the physical AND mental strength to handle exposure to mako and being injected with Jenova's cells. Of course, the purpose of the experiment also differed, in that instead of being intended to be members of SOLDIER, these guys were just intended to prove the Jenova Reunion Theory, and if they died after that, Hojo really didn't care. This section also brings up the matter of the failure of the project, who -- despite popular misinterpretation -- was not Cloud, but was Zack; he didn't suffer the ill effects of the experiment, which allowed him to break himself and Cloud out of the Shinra Mansion before Cloud be given a number. Of course, there's more on that to come in the next section, so I'll stop here.] ------------------------ *Successful work, failure work* As for the mentally and physically strong, carrying Jenova's cells inside their bodies will not cause them to receive Jenova's influence, and they will not become a puppet of Jenova like the Sephiroth Clones, but will instead become a SOLDIER possessing strength far beyond that of a normal human being. In Zack's case, he had already successfully received the SOLDIER procedure previously, and undergoing experimentation as a Sephiroth Clone did not make him into a puppet of Jenova; he retained his normal human behavior to the end. However, unlike Zack, the residents of Nibelheim were perfect in the role of Sephiroth Clones for Hojo's experiment. As for Cloud, like the other residents of Nibelheim -- [who all became perfect] Sephiroth Clones -- being unable to withstand the SOLDIER treatments, he could not retain himself and his mind completely collapsed. When reunited with Tifa in Midgar, though, the coherence of being normal would return to him and he would gain a personality that essentially let him be his own person, even if confusion would come of it. Also noteworthy is Sephiroth's unique case. Until the secret of his birth was known, he had legendary strength of which he was proud, but 5 years ago, he began walking a different road from that of humans. However, he was unwilling to be placed under Jenova's control and became the leader himself, with its actions falling under his control in the end. This fact resulted in Sephiroth gaining a new sense of strength. (Accompanying screenshot caption) Even without awareness of the Reunion as a Sephiroth Clone, Cloud was still drawn to it like the other Clones. ------------------------ [Analysis: As mentioned in the previous analysis section, Cloud was a successful Sephiroth Clone, having the exact results Hojo had hoped for; he wasn't the failure at all, and instead, Zack -- who freed Cloud before he could get a number -- was. Zack could handle the SOLDIER/Sephiroth Clone treatments just fine, and this made him a failure for the purposes of Hojo's experiment. This section also reiterates the notable fact that Sephiroth's will and ambitions were too powerful for him to be controlled by Jenova, and that he became its ruler instead.] ------------------------ *The Sephiroth Clones that make appearances in various places* The following are the Sephiroth Clones seen branded with numbers, [as well as] one who was [once inaccurately] concluded to be like them. 1......The one with a tattoo seen in the palm of his hand. He went from North Corel to the Gold Saucer. 2......The man being watched over in Sector 5 [of Midgar]; he was suffering from the effects of mako poisoning. 4......One of the wriggling black mantled people in Nibelheim. 5......One of the wriggling black mantled people in Nibelheim. 9......Exited from the entrance of the Temple of the Ancients. [This Sephiroth Clone's] tattoo was on their neck. 11.....One of the wriggling black mantled people in Nibelheim. 12.....One of the wriggling black mantled people in Nibelheim. 13.....(Red XIII) ------------------------ [Analysis: While Red XIII is on this list, his placement is implied to be only a result of him having a tattoo and of him having once believed that he might have been like the Sephiroth Clones, as he had no idea what Hojo had done to him. No one but Hojo and Sephiroth knew the true nature of the Sephiroth Clones at that time, so there was some uncertainty concerning whether or not Red XIII was supposed to be like them. Of course, it's later revealed that the Sephiroth Clones were all survivors from the Nibelheim incident of five years before, and in light of that, as well as the fact that Red XIII was apprehended by Shin-Ra less than two years earlier (as seen in Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII) and the fact that Hojo wouldn't have wanted Red XIII to be killed -- made evident by the fact that he said he wanted to preserve his species back in the Shin-Ra headquarters -- it becomes apparent that Red XIII was not a Sephiroth Clone at all.] ------------------------ ***The Ancients*** (Page 214) (005.2) The race also called "the Cetra," these people lived on the Planet in ancient times. The Forgotten Capital and the Temple of the Ancients along with nature and a single woman are their only remaining traces. They spoke with the Planet and helped to cultivate it, channeling the Lifestream to many places, inciting an abundant cycle of life. When Jenova came from outer space, some of them moved to the North Pole in an attempt to ease the Planet's wound which had come as a result of the collision [between the Planet and the meteor Jenova had been riding]. Using its mimic ability, Jenova got close to the Cetra and released its virus upon them, nearly driving them to extinction. Only two Ancients appear in the [game's] story: Aerith and Ifalna. Ifalna is Aerith's mother and the last pure ancient. Due to her mixed heritage, Aerith's ability to converse with the Planet is comparitively lower than her mother's was. (Accompanying screenshot caption) As seen in situations with Aerith, the Ancients had a special ability to speak with the Planet. They called it a "Planet reading." ------------------------ [Analysis: This section indicates that while normal humans can gain some of the Cetra's abilities despite their lost heritage -- such as hearing the Planet's cries (AVALANCHE and Bugenhagen) and even the ability to understand it (Bugenhagen) -- genetics can play a role in the matter, as well. Due to all humans on the Planet (Cetra and the normal humans) being descended from the Cetra of the past, and because some ordinary humans gained some abilities reminiscent of the Cetra (AVALANCHE and Bugenhagen gained the ability to hear the Planet's cries, and Bugenhagen even interpreted words in the air at the Forgotten Capital), it can be concluded that being a Cetra is a lifestyle or culture, but that those who are directly descended from "practicing Cetra" are more easily attuned to the abilities of the Cetra. In other words, whereas normal humans have to actively pursue the rekindling of their lost heritage, a child of one with Cetra abilities will likely be experiencing those abilities whether they want to or not (as Aerith did). In other words, being a Cetra is apparently both genetic and cultural.] ------------------------ **The Ancients Relation 1: The Promised Land** (005.2A) The aim of the Cetra was to find the land where supreme happiness awaited. Passed down as an oral tradition, what the land of supreme happiness is supposed to be was never concretely identified. The Shin-Ra interpreted that a land of supreme happiness must be somewhere where they could find abundant mako [as it would make them even more wealthy], and wished to use an Ancient to help them find it, while Sephiroth considered the Promised Land to be a place in which he could draw the power to use the Black Materia in his aim to become a "god." Though both of them had different goals, they both got the idea that the Northern Crater was the place they were looking for. The theory of one of the Planet Life scholars [in Cosmo Canyon] is that the Cetra's mission to find the land of supreme happiness is equivalent to the peaceful sleep [of dying and returning to the Planet] (a line delivered [in the game]). According to this theory, the Lifestream -- to which everyone returns -- is itself the Promised Land, but this is not something that one can assert to be true for everyone. Therefore, it is in each person's hands to take their own interpretation. (Accompanying screenshot caption) For one with the conception that the Promised Land is a place where energy swells up from inside the sleeping earth, the Northern Crater -- where the Lifestream breathes forth -- may be it. ------------------------ [Analysis: Here, we're pretty much told that there's no correct take on what the Promised Land is, and that it could be any number of different things for any number of different people. It can even be the same thing that another person would consider the Promised Land, but for entirely different reasons. Sephiroth and Shin-Ra both considered the Northern Crater to be the Promised Land; Sephiroth because he knew he could use the energy there to help him use the Black Materia in his plans to become a "god," and Shin-Ra because they saw it as a land where "the abundant Mako will just come out on its own," allowing them to bypass the costly maintenance of mako reactors and just reap profits. The basic conclusion is that there is no conclusion: the Promised Land is not one thing, and is something specific to each individual. This idea is brought up again in the "Maiden who Travels the Planet" novella at the back of the Ultimania Omega, in which Aerith refers to the Lifestream as the Cetra's Promised Land, while the Northern Crater is referred to as Sephiroth's Promised Land.] ------------------------ ***Meteor and Holy*** (Pages 214-215) (005.3) **The Black Materia: Meteor** (005.3A) It is the Ultimate Destructive Magic; it calls to planets [-- meaning meteor-like rocks --] drifting in outer space and pulls them down to the Planet. It was one of the magicks given to the Ancients, but due to it harnessing enough power to destroy the Planet itself, the Ancients feared it could prove dangerous and sealed it away by their own hands. After falling into the Lifestream, Sephiroth learned of Meteor from the Cetra's firsthand knowledge of it, and set into motion a plan to gain mastery over the life of the Planet. (Accompanying screenshot caption) When the Planet is hurt, the spiritual energy that is the Planet's very life will automatically gather in that spot. Sephiroth planned to make use of this by intentionally harming the Planet and gaining dominance over its energy. **The White Materia: Holy** (005.3B) The only means of opposing Meteor, the Ultimate White Magic was passed down amongst the Ancients. It is said that when an Ancient learns of Holy in the Forgotten Capital, prays at the water altar and their mind then links to the Planet, Holy is thereby put into operation. Passed down through the Ancients' generations, the White Materia came to Aerith from her mother, Ifalna, and she kept it hidden in a ribbon in her hair. How exactly Holy applies its power once invoked and in operation is not definite. It is simply known that "all that is bad for the Planet will disappear." (Accompanying screenshot caption) As evidence of the Planet accepting Aerith's prayer, the White Materia laying on the water bed shines a pale green color. However, Holy's movement was being held back by the wicked will of Sephiroth, who had called Meteor. ------------------------ [Analysis: This section confirms what many who played the game believed: that Aerith knew nothing of Holy until she got to the City of the Ancients -- to which she felt herself being drawn -- and learned of it there, the same way that Bugenhagen later would.] ------------------------ ***The WEAPONs*** (Page 215) (005.4) The WEAPONs, created by the Planet itself, exist for the sake of acting as a self-defense mechanism [for the Planet]. Once, when the Planet had been injured after Jenova collided with it, Jenova became an impediment [to the Planet healing], and the Planet manufactured the WEAPONs to remove the creature by force. However, because the survivors of the Cetra succeeded in sealing Jenova away, the Planet mixed the WEAPONs with the natural mako within the Northern Crater and put them to sleep for a long time; until they -- perceiving the crisis to the Planet -- awakened simultaneously with Sephiroth calling Meteor. Regarding everything as a threat to the Planet, humans and civilizations became targets of the WEAPONs' destruction, though they faced opposition in Cloud and his friends. (Accompanying screenshot caption) Within the Northern Crater, where the Lifestream swells, the WEAPONs were put to sleep. Their faces are visible within the enormous mako which formed within the crater. ------------------------ [Analysis: According to this section, the WEAPONs began attacking everything because they perceived everything as a threat to the Planet. Many fans have pondered why they didn't go after Sephiroth, as he was the one holding Holy back and preventing it from stopping Meteor; the Maiden who Travels the Planet novella at the back of the book explains that Sephiroth's barrier around the Northern Crater prevented the WEAPONs from detecting him. As a result, they attacked everything else instead. What's not clear, however, is if this means that they would have focused on Sephiroth if they could sense him, or if he simply wanted to prevent them from attacking him, as they eventually would have. Also, it's long been believed by many fans that the WEAPONs may have been trying to kill everything in order to strengthen the Lifestream with additional spiritual energy, and while this section seems to suggest that they simply attack anything that they could perceive as a threat to the Planet, the fact that prior to their awakening Hojo stated that the WEAPONs' purpose was to destroy everything -- which he had learned from Gast's interviews with Ifalna -- would suggest that the two ideas may not be mutually exclusive. The Planet would benefit from both, and both would be accomplished in the same way. Finally, be aware that there are two more WEAPONs not identified here, though one of them does appear in the original Final Fantasy VII, while both appear in Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII. One of them is Chaos, Vincent's ultimate Limit Break, and the other is Omega WEAPON.] ------------------------ **The WEAPONs that appear in the story** (005.4A) Diamond WEAPON/Diamo WEAPON The WEAPON from the earth that shines white. Outside Midgar, this WEAPON from the earth sparkles. During its invasion of Midgar, both it and the Northern Crater's barrier were hit by a beam from the Mako Cannon. In the International version [of the game], it fights Cloud and company, but the developments that follow are the same. Ruby WEAPON The WEAPON of deep crimson that lies hidden in the desert sands. A formidable opponent, like the Emerald WEAPON also included in the International version, it was arranged to be fought most effectively 1-on-1. Emerald WEAPON The green WEAPON that travels hidden in the deep sea. Appearing only in the International version, it is also possible to fight it, but without a special Materia, it is inevitably going to be a bitter fight. Ultimate WEAPON/Ultima WEAPON The winged, jet-black WEAPON that owns the skies. It fights Cid and company in Mideel, but has been arranged to be fought many times. Sapphire WEAPON The navy blue WEAPON that swims through the ocean, it is not possible to actually fight it. When Tifa and Barret are in Shin-Ra's Junon offices, it draws near, but is defeated and sunk by the Mako Cannon. ------------------------ [Analysis: There's not a lot said here that's really notable, but it is worth mentioning that "Diamond WEAPON" and "Ultimate WEAPON" were called "Diamo WEAPON" and "Ultima WEAPON" in the Japanese versions of the game. Apparently, when the game was localized into English, the names were expanded to match the words they were based on. It's interesting to note that in subsequent localizations of Final Fantasy games, the "Ultima" in "Ultima Weapon" was kept as such for the creatures that would bear that name.] ------------------------ ***Lifestream*** (Pages 216-217) (005.5) Everything that lives on the Planet returns to the Planet, and new life is born from their life force, which is also the life of the Planet and is called "Spirit Energy." The flowing collective of this spiritual energy is called "the Lifestream." When those who live on the Planet die, their life force returns to the Planet, becomes part of the Lifestream and is eventually allocated into a new life that will grow. This cycle of energy normally allows the Planet to function richly. **Lifestream Relation 1: Mako Energy** (005.5A) The name the Shin-Ra have given to spiritual energy. This nickname is "Mako Energy." In the Study of Planet Life's philosophy, it is called "Spirit Energy," but it is called "mako" by others in its use in humans' daily lives. Both labels are used, but the title of "Spirit Energy" is opposed in modern times, as the use of mako in peoples' daily lives rapidly spreads. *Mako poisoning* The Lifestream is the place to which all life returns, and, as a result, it is overflowing with knowledge. Consequently, when one falls in the Lifestream, the surge of information entering their head exceeds their brain's tolerance level and the danger of their mind shattering becomes high. The state in which one's mind has collapsed like this is called "mako poisoning," and doesn't happen only by falling into the Lifestream, but also through being exposed to mako. Cloud has suffered from this condition on 2 occasions. ------------------------ [Analysis: This section is basically saying that the knowledge of those who die returns to the Lifestream with their spirits, and there it combines with all the other knowledge; so the Lifestream is a big sea of spirit energy filled with knowledge and memories, and when someone else falls into that sea -- or is exposed to it through mako infusion -- that knowledge fills their brains. If they're not capable of handling all that extra knowledge that doesn't belong to them, it can cause their mind to "break," resulting in them going into a vegetative state (mako poisoning). Members of SOLDIER like Zack can handle this without losing their own place among all the extra knowledge, but people with inferiority complexes (most people, including Cloud) can't.] ------------------------ *The various mako reactors* Shin-Ra's prices for providing Mako Energy from their mako reactors have increased in the various places around the world where mako is abundant. Those that appear in the [game's] story are the 8 mako reactors around Midgar, the Mt. Nibel reactor, the Corel reactor, the Gongaga reactor, the undersea reactor and the Fort Condor reactor. Recently, before the beginning of the game, the Gongaga reactor suffered a meltdown and activities there have been suspended; during the story, Midgar's reactor numbers 1 and 5 are blown up at the hands of Cloud. *Materia and postwar society* When Mako Energy condenses, it becomes materia. In places where the energy is abundant, materia has formed naturally, but these are rare instances and it's more practical for Shin-Ra to manufacture it by way of artificial production. It is said that the knowledge of the Ancients is within materia. By bringing out this knowledge [through contact with the materia], one can interact with the Planet and even an ordinary person can gain the powers of the Ancients, as it is the condensed [spiritual energy which contains their] knowledge that is implemented as a link [to the Planet]......This allows for the presentation of abilities [associated with the materia]. Materia is mostly used for combat purposes, as they hold power that far exceeds that of traditional weaponry. As a weapons development company, the Shin-Ra commercialized materia as a battlefield investment, having previously invested in a line of SOLDIERs, and quickly brought a transcontinental war that had lasted for several years to a close. Monopolozing the production of materia, Shin-Ra quickly began to take the lead in postwar society. Although peace then began to settle across the world, the Shin-Ra were establishing a desptoic order, as the people became increasingly dependent on mako, which has brought us to the present day. **Lifestream Relation 2: The Study of Planet Life** (005.5B) The study of the Planet, which the scholars in Cosmo Canyon reared. In Cosmo Canyon, the voice of the Planet can be heard, and there it is treated with great care, regarded as a living entity, a way of thought -- stemming from ancient roots -- that has been systematically organized. Red XIII's tribe and Bugenhagen's tribe -- called "the Bugah Tribe" -- follow the ideology of the Study of Planet Life, giving great consideration to the life of the Planet and making advanced progress in researching the subject. In addition, the Bugah Tribe also conducts research on the Ancients. The Lifestream, Spirit Energy, and the circle of life are all aspects of the Study of Planet Life. The anti-Shin-Ra group AVALANCHE was founded by one who had been strongly influenced by the Study of Planet Life. ------------------------ [Analysis: This section tells us that Bugenhagen's tribe has a name ("the Bugah Tribe"), but sadly leaves us with no name for Red XIII's tribe. Despite popular misinterpretation, Bugenhagen is not Red XIII's biological grandfather; this is simply a title of familiarity.] ------------------------ *The Planet's circle of life* 1) A person grows......Their knowledge increases 2) Return to the Planet (the Planet's growth)......When a soul returns to the Planet, the Planet grows 3) The Planet produces new life......The next generation is born (the Planet now bears the evolved energy gained from the previous generation of life it produced) Sephiroth['s plan to have] Meteor fall would result in (1) a vast increase in the level of death, and (2) the disembodied energy would also gather at the Planet's wound, allowing him to make use of the energy's return to the Planet. The (2) course of the Planet's energy [when returning to the Lifestream] is interrupted by Shin-Ra's method of forcibly extracting it and consuming it (3). ------------------------ [Analysis: This section informs us with clarity that the concept of the Gaia Theory seen in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is identical to the Lifestream idea presented in Final Fantasy VII: energy is distributed by the Planet, giving life to various lifeforms which then grow and gain knowledge and memories as they do so; when they die, this energy then returns to the Planet, taking the knowledge/memories with it, allowing the Planet as a whole to grow.] ------------------------ *The anti-Shin-Ra organization* One who participated in the Study of Planet Life began to question the conduct of Shin-Ra due to their use of the Planet's Spirit Energy as mako. To protect the life of the Planet, they began anti-Shin-Ra activites in various places. Extreme conduct would follow on their part, and the explanation of Shin-Ra's faults that they offered held that the life of the Planet was more valuable than that of humans. (Accompanying screenshot caption 1) The anti-Shin-Ra organization AVALANCHE -- whose activites were aimed to disrupt Midgar -- had the power to serve as an obstacle to Shin-Ra. (Accompanying screenshot caption 2) The AVALANCHE seen in the game was the new AVALANCHE, of which Barret was the leader. Their base was the Seventh Heaven bar in the slums of Sector 7. ------------------------ [Analysis: Here, we're basically told what we already knew from the game: that someone who participated in the Study of Planet Life in Cosmo Canyon founded AVALANCHE. Barret mentions that AVALANCHE was founded in Cosmo Canyon during the party's stop there, but what wasn't made explicitly clear to many players of the English localization, however, is that Barret was not the founder of AVALANCHE and was not its original leader. In fact, Barret was not even a member of the original AVALANCHE. In Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, events dating back six years feature the first public appearance of AVALANCHE, with their leadership consisting of three people: Shears, a field commander, Fuhito, a research commander who had more authority than Shears, and Elfe, a young woman who supposedly served as the group's overall leader. In truth, Fuhito was using her and was the one who had obssessively dedicated himself to the Planet after researching the Study of Planet Life; he had a complete disregard for the lives of human beings, and -- being utterly dedicated to the Planet -- wished to use a powerful summon called "Zirconiade" to eradicate all living things on the surface of the Planet so that it could have back all of its Spirit Energy, while simultaneously being free of all native threats.] ------------------------ ***Lifestream Relation 3: SOLDIER*** (005.5C) Shin-Ra's elite soldiers. The Turks scout to gather those who would be capable of handling being injected with Jenova's cells and exposed to mako; those who are gain a massive artificial increase in strength and ability. It is not common to impose this procedure on one against their will, as the resulting changes to their mind and body can be large, and they must be able to bear the experiment's process in order to become a SOLDIER. Those who are selected to become these elite soldiers will join SOLDIER in either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Class, as based on their capabilities. The superior class is 1st Class, but those who reach this rank are few in number. Each class has its own respective uniform, but only those who are 1st Class are allowed to also wear civilian clothes. (Accompanying screenshot caption) Sephiroth bloomed on the battlefield and many boys yearned to join SOLDIER. Sephiroth was instrumental in Cloud and Zack having their eyes on joining SOLDIER. ****Translations of the vehicle specifications**** (006) (Pages 301-313) In this section, I'll be offering my translations of the various vehicle specs offered by the Ultimania Omega in its World of FFVII section. I've done my best to translate this information accurately, but I'm not an expert on the various mechanics of vehicles, so if you are and you see anything that doesn't seem to make sense, then that might be why. Also, if you notice that the romanizations for the vehicle names don't match those used in the original game -- or in other places -- with respect to punctuation or capitalization, be aware that I copied the romanizations used by the Ultimania Omega as they appear in the book itself. With all that out of the way, enjoy: ***hardy-DAYTONA*** Vehicle type: hD-92 Length: 2,300 milimeters Width: 785 milimeters Height: 1,175 milimeters Cubic displacement: 1,160 cubic centimeters Engine: VE4-Ge type (oil-cooling V type 4 cylinder DOHC) ------------------------ [Note: This is the vehicle used by Cloud to escape from the Shin-Ra headquarters on Disc 1.] ========================================================= ***HIGHWIND*** Length: 237 meters Width: 183 meters (propellers not included) Height: 33 meters (propellers not included) Weight: 1,380 tons (when unloaded) Load capacity: 2,150 tons Maximum speed: 386 knots (at sea-level) Cruising speed: 173 knots Ascending time: Unknown Ceiling [/maximum altitude]: Unknown Range: Unknown Climbing engines: 16s-Ge formula engine (*1) x4 Auxillary climbing engine (*2): 3a type inverted V type 12 cylinder refined mako engine (ascending output of 1,900 horsepower) x2 Climbing propellers: 5.5 meters in diameter; 4-speed hydraulic; pitch of 30~80 degrees Propulsion engines: Designated airship type engines (*3) x2 Propulsion propellers: 7.5 meters in diameter; 4-speed electrical; pitch of 30~60 degrees Crew capacity (estimate): 34 Armament: Unknown Place of construction: Unknown *1......Ascending output 15,200 horsepower. Shin-Ra-made, air-cooled 8-13s radial engines (ascending output of 3,800 horsepower, with double 24 cylinders); Cid linked 4 of them together, giving the airship's engine the use of 96 cylinders. [With this], a single propeller can move in two bases. *2......Used for the exhaust turbine of the climbing engine *3......Ascending output of 22,400 horsepower. Shin-Ra made, liquid-cooled, 8-54 V24 cylinder engines (ascending output of 2,800 horsepower); Cid linked 8 together, giving the airship's engine the use of [an additional] 192 cylinders. ========================================================= ***Tiny-Bronco*** Length: 12.74 meters (rotor not included) Width: 12.48 meters (rotor not included) Height: 3.57 meters (rotor not included) Weight: 2,280 kilograms Load capacity: 3,850 kilograms Maximum speed: 235 knots (at sea-level) Cruising speed: 173 knots Ascending time: Unknown Ceiling [/maximum altitude]: 9,400 meters Range: 1,140 nautical miles (estimate) Engine: Oil-cooling RG24 type horizontal-facing 24 cylinder engine Ascending output: 3,800 horsepower Rotor: 4.7 meters in diameter; 2-speed electrical; pitch of 20~70 degrees Crew capacity: 1 ========================================================= ***SHINRA Transportation unit GELNIKA*** Length: Unknown Width: Unknown Height: Unknown Weight: Unknown Load capacity: Unknown Maximum speed: Unknown Cruising speed: Unknown Ascending time: Unknown Ceiling [/maximum altitude]: Unknown Range: Unknown Engine: Oil-cooling RG24-f type horizontal-facing 24 cylinder engine x4 Ascending output: 8,240 horsepower ========================================================= ***uV type Submarine*** Length: 93.5 meters Width: 22.7 meters Draft: 5.3 meters Standard displacement: 1,342 tons (surface)/2,722 tons (underwater) System: Shin-Ra standard-issue mako engine x1 Output: 6,500 horsepower Speed: 17.5 knots (surface)/27.3 knots (underwater) Range: 7,500 nautical miles at 18 knots Crew capacity: 28 Armament: 610 milimeter torpedo tubes x4; 20 milimeter mounted machine guns x2 Place of construction: Junon shipyard dock 3 ------------------------ [Note: The kanji seen on the red sub is a kanji for "1," while the kanji seen on the silver sub is a kanji for "2."] ========================================================= ***B1A type Helicopter*** Length: 9.14 meters (rotor not included) Width: 3.05 meters (rotor not included) Height: 2.89 meters (rotor and antenna not included) Weight: 1,230 kilograms Load capacity: Unknown Maximum speed: 150 knots (at sea-level) Cruising speed: 43 knots Ascending time: Unknown Ceiling [/maximum altitude]: 4,300 meters Range: 140 nautical miles (estimate) Engine: Oil-cooling RG08 type horizontal-facing 8 cylinder engine (ascending output of 900 horsepower) Rotor: 4.2 meters in diameter; 2-speed electrical; pitch of 20~60 degrees ------------------------ [Note: This is the type of helicopter seen escorting Rufus away from the dock at Costa del Sol.] ========================================================= ***B1B type Helicopter*** Length: 9.14 meters (rotor not included) Width: 4,32 meters (rotor not included) Height: 2.89 meters (rotor and antenna not included) Weight: 1,560 kilograms Load capacity: Unknown Maximum speed: 132 knots (at sea-level) Cruising speed: 37 knots Ascending time: Unknown Ceiling [/maximum altitude]: 4,300 meters Range: 140 nautical miles (estimate) Engine: Oil-cooling RG08 type horizontal-facing 8 cylinder engine (ascending output of 900 horsepower) Rotor: 4.2 meters in diameter; 2-speed electrical; pitch of 20~60 degrees ------------------------ [Note: This is the type of helicopter seen in use by the Turks just before Sector 7 collapses.] ========================================================= ***sA-27 type Motor tricycle*** Load capacity: 820 kilograms Cubic displacement: 760 cubic centimeters Engine: 1S-Ge type (oil-cooling 1 cylinder OHV) Occupant capacity: 1 ------------------------ [Note: This is one of the vehicles on display in the lobby of the Shin-Ra headquarters.] ========================================================= ***bA-37 type Motor tricycle*** Length: 2.96 meters Width: 1.87 meters Height: 1.56 meters Cubic displacement: 760 cubic centimeters Engine: 1S-Ge type (oil-cooling 1 cylinder OHV) Occupant capacity: 2 ------------------------ [Note: This is the vehicle used by Tifa, Barret, Aerith, and Red XIII to escape from the Shin-Ra headquarters on Disc 1; the occupant capacity noted here refers to the capacity for the vehicle's cab.] ========================================================= ***pA-86 type Automobile*** Load capacity: 1,280 kilograms Cubic displacement: 1,004 cubic centimeters Engine: 3p-Geu type (vertical position 3 cylinder OHV-6valve) Occupant capacity: 1 ------------------------ [Note: This is one of the vehicles on display in the lobby of the Shin-Ra headquarters.] ========================================================= Locomotive 600 ------------------------ [Note: No specs available; this is the type of train seen in the opening of the game.] ========================================================= Locomotive 5884 ------------------------ [Note: No specs available; this is the type of train used by civilians in Midgar.] ========================================================= ***Buggy*** Length: 7.26 meters Width: 3.58 meters Height: 1.96 meters Load capacity: 2,150 kilograms Maximum speed: 80 kilometers per hour ========================================================= ***Rocket SHINRA No.26*** Height: 48 meters Load capacity: 1.418 tons Note: Contains an escape pod ========================================================= ***Snowboard*** Length: 153.0 centimeters Effective edge: 116.0 centimeters Waist width: 25.1 centimeters ========================================================= ***Ropeway*** Length: 12.75 meters (gondola only) Width: 4.06 meters (gondola only) Height: 2.88 meters (gondola only) Load capacity: 2,920 kilograms Maximum inclined angle: Approximately 42 degrees Occupant capacity: 15 ========================================================= ***Chocobo Cart*** ------------------------ [Note: No specs available.] ****Translations concerning the plot-related connection between FFVII and FFX/X-2**** (007) As some fans of Final Fantasy VII, X and X-2 may or may not know, the worlds of the two games share a plot-related connection. The connection's existance was established during an interview with Yoshinori Kitase (lead developer of the Final Fantasy series) and Kazushige Nojima (the scenario writer of Final Fantasy VII, Before Crisis, Advent Children, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2 and the Kingdom Hearts series) in 2002, as featured in the Final Fantasy X Ultimania Omega guidebook, an official Square-Enix publication. This interview established that there would be a connection between the two worlds, though it didn't detail it. However, based on what was later revealed to be the connection, it's clear that it had already been conceived, as Kitase hints at it with his final word on the subject. In 2003, the exact nature of the concept was finally revealed in the Final Fantasy X-2 Ultimania, having been hinted toward by a few elements of the game. Nojima revealed that Shinra of the Gullwings, an Al Bhed child prodigy and inventor of various machinery, would attempt using the remains of Vegnagun -- the behemoth machina Shuyin tried to destroy Spira with -- to extract life energy from the Farplane and use it to power machines. Shinra would attempt doing this as a result of his analysis of the Farplane late in the game. During this diagnostic, Shinra concluded that there was a great deal of energy floating around inside the Farplane, and that it was most likely the life force of Spira, which could be extracted and used as a power source; however, he concluded that it would take generations to properly implement the idea. Further of note is that Nojima explained that the Al Bhed entrepeneur Rin also was interested in extracting mako from the Farplane, and that he provided Shinra with the funding to make the attempt. For his part, Rin's desire to do this is revealed during the game should he be uncovered as the culprit behind covering up the malfunctioning machina disaster on the Mi'hen Highroad. Nojima went on to say that Shinra's attempts to use Vegnagun's remains failed and that he was unable to complete the concept of mako-extraction, just as Shinra had predicted. However, some 1000 years later, once space travel became possible, Shinra's descendants would go on a voyage to the world of Final Fantasy VII. There, at some point in the future, they would be successful in utilizing the concept, and would provide electricity from the Planet for a price; these descendants would found the Shin-Ra Company of Final Fantasy VII. The connection would again be hinted toward in the Final Fantasy X-2: International+Last Mission (released in 2004) game's Last Mission scenario, in which Rikku revealed that Rin and Shinra had begun working together. Next, the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega guidebook (released in September, 2005) also brings forth mention of the concept, and, finally, the connection may have received further indication through Dirge of Cerberus (released in January, 2006) and the Advent Children Reunion Files book (released in May, 2006), in which it is established that the Shera airship seen in Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus runs on ancient, lost non-mako technology that Cid discovered. This technology very well may have originally belonged to Shinra's descendants, as they are the only previous inhabitants of VII's world indicated to have been in possession of advanced technology, and because the interior of the Shera bears some aesthetic resemblances to those of the Fahrenheit and Celsius airships that figure prominently into FFX and FFX-2 (though the Shera's interior bears more of a resemblance to the Celsius'). I will here present the dialogue from Final Fantasy X-2 that hints at the connection, as well as the interviews and other translations that establish its existance as part of official Final Fantasy continuity. ***Dialogue with Rin from Final Fantasy X-2*** Rin "You are suggesting that my decision to upgrade the machina resulted in a number of casualties... ... and that I tried to cover it up?" Yuna "You put the investigation in our hands because we were amateurs. You hoped we would botch the case." Yuna "And then, I kept calling you even though I didn't have any leads." Yuna "You would have objected to the meaningless interruptions, if you really wanted to solve the case." Rin "I see. It appears that I have underestimated you, Yuna." Rikku "Why, Rin?" Rin "If word got out that machina pose a danger, people would fear them and stop using them." Paine "So Yevon's not alone in sweeping things under the rug." Rin "I firmly believe that machina are an indispensable part of Spira's development." Rin "Even if there is another incident, I intend to conceal the evidence." Yuna "You really think people will follow you that way?" Rin "I am not alone in my thinking." Rin "We are researching ways to extract the vast energy that sleeps in Spira, and use it to power machina." Paine "You're a jackass." Rin "I will take that as a compliment." ***Dialogue with Shinra from Final Fantasy X-2*** Shinra "Aha..." Yuna "What are you looking at?" Shinra "Farplane data." Shinra "The more I study it, the more fascinating it gets. There's limitless energy swirling around in there." Yuna "Limitless energy?" Shinra "The life force that flows through our planet...I think." Shinra "With a little work, we could probably extract the energy in a useable form." Brother "Sweet!" Shinra "Of course, that'd take generations." Brother "That's no fun!" Buddy "Well, still, it is something worth shooting for." Yuna "Think how much Spira would change if we ever got it to work!" Yuna "Maybe one day we could build a city full of light, one that never sleeps!" Shinra "No doubt about it." ***Dialogue with Rikku from Final Fantasy X-2: International+Last Mission*** Paine "These days, people are always looking for sunken machina." Rikku "Yup-yup!" Yuna "Oh? Has Shinra been helping you with that?" Rikku "Ahh, now that you bring it up..." Rikku "Well, he left the ship and got together with Rin, and what do you think all that research they've been doing is about?" ***Interview with Yoshinori Kitase and Kazushige Nojima in the Final Fantasy X Ultimania Omega*** (Page 191) **FFVII and FFX are connected?!** --"Previously, with a conversation in the FFX Scenario Ultimania, you made certain inferences, and since it's been about half a year since then, is there anything new you'd like to clarify about FFX?" Kitase "That's true...... Now that FFX International is out and we're in the future, I'm in a predicament; it really isn't that hard to think of another story [set] in that world; room for expansion was left possible there without too much difficulty, don't you think? Speaking conversely, FFX received a splendid reception and made us think of adding to it." Nojima "After FFVII was finished, we were easily able to add Zack's open[-ended role] into the International version. But, with X, there was an older story with a partly-finished world and an opening that this new one could be added to and [, in doing] so[,] complete it." Kitase "So, you could say [in terms of] time, Nojima-san decided to designate it to act as a sequel to VII, if you follow me." --"It's a sequel to VII!!" Kitase "Well, there was a joke right there. Simply put, in VII's ending, Holy came, and the next thing you knew, it was over without closing things up, and then it was the "500 years later" [scene] in the future. There's a large margin buried there. A margin for the imagination. Nojima-san and Toriyama are going to be filling something of that with VII, though, while they're at their best and can do it." --"So, will it become a sequel to VII's story?" Nojima "I have a strong feeling that they're going to be connected." --"Huh, so VII and X ARE connected?" Nojima "Well, there's not many specifics to it. I know that what becomes of people when they die is among them; you could say that it's basically the same. Both [concepts came to] function along the same line of thought as I wrote the stories. Sometimes my thoughts just flow out like that, even though pyreflies distinctly aren't green." --"When you speak of the dead becoming [something] green, do you perhaps [mean]......?" Nojima "Yes. In my mind, pyreflies and VII's Lifestream are the same substance." Kitase "Nojima-san's even considering making use of an idea like this -- [with] an addition to the idea of life origin -- in a sequel to FFX International. That's just a little bit of the thought that's been going into what to do with VII." Nojima "That's right. There's something like the Lifestream [in X's world also]......." --"'An addition to the idea of life origin'......does that mean you're going to revise life origin concepts or something?" Nojima "I can't say......it's a secret (laughs)." Kitase "It's a surprise with how someone from the story conducts theirself with regards to the Farplane." ***Interview with FFX-2 creators from the Final Fantasy X-2 Ultimania*** (Page 723) **"So, what of this child, Shinra......"** --"Among these latest stories, 'connected' is one of the key words becoming applicable, isn't it?" [Daisuke] Watanabe "I personally like the word 'connected,' but there's one aspect where that applies well." Nojima "During the game's progression, various vague things will be tied together to reveal it." --"For example, the name 'Shinra' suggests a connection with VII? There's [what's said] in the 'Graduation Mission' scenario [ -- 'graduation' referring to Shinra being soon to leave the Gullwings -- ], and the 'I am not alone in my thinking' line from the 'Rin's Detective Work' scenario seems to have some particular significance." Nojima "Actually, it does. After quitting the Gullwings, Shinra received enormous financial support from Rin, and began trying to use Vegnagun to siphon Mako Energy from the Farplane. But, he is unable to complete the system for utilizing this energy in his generation, and in the future, when traveling to distant planets becomes possible, the Shin-Ra Company is founded on another world, or something like that....... That would happen about 1000 years after this story, I think." --"So VII's story is after that?" Nojima "Well, you could say the feelings I have are like that. When I think about the characters, those are the kinds of feelings I already have. Shinra is a good child, but his descendants are going to end up becoming like the president [of Shin-Ra] (laughs)." Watanabe "With you said about VII, after seeing your episodes with Shinra, one of the people on the [development] staff said that the first shot of the Bevelle Underground 'gives the impression of somewhere else.'" [Motomu] Toriyama "Certainly; it looks like the opening shot of Midgar in VII." ***Information on Shinra of the Gullwings in the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega*** (Page 563) Shinra is a boy who supports the Gullwings, the group which the main protagonist, Yuna, belongs to. He carries a name that gives him an association to the Shin-Ra Company, and he is researching a method that could utilize the energy of "the life force that flows through our planet." The results of this cannot be seen in FFX-2, but maybe one day his descendants will establish a "company that supplies the energy of the planet"? (Accompanying screenshot caption) The words of Shinra, which can be heard at the end of the story. This world has something similar to the Lifestream that is worthy of attention. ***Interview with FFVII creators from the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega*** (Page 571) --"At E3 (the world's largest game show, which was held in America), as a demo for the PS3, the opening of FFVII was shown; was its purpose to serve as something of a preliminary announcement? Kitase "Well, in regard to that, please think of it as a mere demonstration. Because the production period for its imagery was [going to be] so short, we made the opening of FFVII, as it was easy to represent. Beyond that, there is no particular deeper meaning. --"In that case, it's not a remake; when might you be making something to serve as the direct continuation of FFX-2?" Kitase "Producing something like that holds the same problem as a remake [of FFVII], as our schedule just isn't open for it [right now]." ***Information concerning the Shera and fuel in the Advent Children Reunion Files book*** (Page 87) What do they use for fuel in this time period? "Cloud and the gang certainly aren't using mako anymore, because it drains the life of the planet. That means they don't use Materia, either. Yuffie collects them, but that's just because she lives to collect things (laughs). I guess the airship must be running on some mysterious ancient power source." (Nomura) ****Notes on information in the Advent Children Reunion Files book**** (008) As you, the reader, may or may not know, Final Fantasy VII's direct sequel, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, has an Ultimania-like book of its own: the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Reunion Files book published by SoftBank. This comprehensive book features in-depth information on each character in the film, interviews with their voice actors, interviews with the film's core creators, a lengthy production digest of the film, and a wealth of info on aspects of the film's plot. I have here collected a lot of the more interesting and notable information from the book, broken it down into categories, and sorted it accordingly. Be aware, though, that this is not necessarily everything you personally may find of interest in the book, and that I'll not be quoting anything from it here, neither in English or Japanese. I'll simply be paraphrasing. This is because the book is actually in both English and Japanese -- being the only Final Fantasy book I know of to be bilingual -- and I recommend it to all fans of the film who can read either language. As one who owns more than a dozen official Final Fantasy books, this is absolutely my favorite one. Without further ado, here's the information from the book: ***Production notes*** (008.1) -The short CG production by Square's Visual Works department (the project that eventually became Advent Children) was began in January of 2002. It wasn't until March of 2003 (when Final Fantasy X-2 was released in Japan) that the official go-ahead was given to the Advent Children project itself. In other words, you can say that Advent Children's pre-production began in January of 2002. -The real world footage from AC's credits and Reminisicence of Final Fantasy VII was filmed in Hawaii. -Takeyuki Takeya (the monster and mechanical art designer for the film) designed Cloud's First Tsurugi sword set used in the film. He says that he doesn't know what the individual names of the swords are, nor what their specific attributes are. "First Tsurugi" is, apparently, the name for the entire set and the completed sword (as most people thought, I believe), and the swords were just called "the fusion swords" during development because they weren't given proper names. -Takeyuki Takeya also designed Bahamut Sin (whose design he said was partly inspired by Jomon pottery) and the Shera airship. -Yusuke Naora designed the Velvet Nightmares and the Dual Hound (Loz and Yazoo's weapons). -Nomura said he didn't do the designs for the weapons, creatures, and the Shera airship because he wanted to focus on directing. -Yusuke Naora's location design of the shell structure in the Forgotten Capital (Kadaj's base) was the first piece drawn in the film's pre-production. -Nojima said that he got the idea for Geostigma from a plot element originally intended for Final Fantasy X, but that wasn't implemented. The idea was that Yuna would have been going around curing diseases all over Spira. He said that since he needed a plot element to cause Cloud to need to protect people weaker than him, he came up with Geostigma. -Nojima said that he set AC 2 years after FFVII because it's a pretty long time, but also short enough for the past to still be lingering in people's minds. He also said it was long enough for Marlene to have probably started talking a lot. -Nomura had Cloud take down Kadaj without really grunting or showing any signs of straining himself so that when he was grunting a lot during his fight with Sephiroth and displaying lots of signs of fatigue it would emphasise how much more powerful Sephiroth was. -When designing Sephiroth for the film, they took various steps to make him seem like something other than an ordinary human, a supernatural entity. For his appearance, they gave him slanted eyes. In rendering him, they never showed him blink. For his lines, Nojima gave him a majestic style of speech that would suggest that his mentality had ascended beyond that of ordinary humans. -Nomura said that since Barret is compared to Mr. T so often, they deliberately went out of their way to make him look different from him in Advent Children (yes, he actually said this). -At one point, the development team was unsure of why Sephiroth would appear to fight Cloud, and were only certain that he must appear for a final battle with him. They considered various ideas, including Sephiroth only being visible to Cloud, but ultimately went with what we see in the finished film (Kadaj's fusion with Jenova's cells). -The Madhouse animation studio was selected to create Last Order because they had been used on the anime trailer for Before Crisis, and because the company's president was very enthusiastic about the idea of a FFVII animated feature, and frequently payed visits to Nomura at SE's offices to discuss the idea with him. Because of the enormous support Madhouse was expressing for the project, they were a shoe-in for the job. -Despite how simple a garment it was, Cid's t-shirt was apparently an extremely difficult piece to animate realistically. Initially, it came off looking rubbery. -Apparently Yazoo's hair was a pain in the ass to animate. -The original promotional video for AC shown at the Tokyo Game Show in 2003 was all of the development footage that Nomura and his people had at the time. Since they knew they would be unveiling the project only 6 months after it had finally gotten an official go-ahead, Nomura wanted to pack the preview with action shots and then focus on developing everything else around them later. -The English version's April 3, 2006 premiere is mentioned, as is the fact that it was met to a thunderous warm welcome. This is probably what prompted the delay of the book from May 2 to May 22. It's not explicitly stated, but I'm guessing that it was this large show of support from English-reading fans that made SE or SoftBank decide to include English translations of all of the Japanese text in the book (with the exception of a little bit of the production credits in the back). This was the first time this was done with an FF book to my knowledge. -Mideel was originally going to be used as the film's therapeutic location, but the development team decided to create Healin and utilize it instead because of how far Mideel is from Midgar/Edge. -It was the "Deep Dive" hidden FMV from the original Kingdom Hearts that sparked a desire in Nomura to try making an even more cool-looking battle scene in a CG film in the future. He had a specific desire to use FFVII as the source material, and being that Visual Works had wanted to make a FFVII CG production anyway, once Nomura agreed to go on the project as its director, things gradually took shape. -In initial sketches, Kadaj was referred to as "Lost Name" because he didn't have a name yet. -The original subtitle of the film was going to be "Reunion," but Nomura felt that the word didn't convey the sense of "coming back again" well enough, so he did some research and found the word "advent," which is often used to mean "second coming." Nojima, for his part, wanted "children" in the title, so the two words were combined. Nojima says he feels that the title does a good job of expressing that FFVII is back and that Sephiroth is going to come back during the film. -Nomura said back around the time of Parasite Eve's production, he had come up with an idea for a game that involved a cat and a dog searching for their missing master. The cat would ride on the dog's back. This idea is what led Nomura to think of sticking Cait Sith on Red XIII's back after they decided not to use Cait Sith's Moogle mount. -Nomura says he gave Denzel wavy hair to make him more unique since it's not a common trait with FFVII's characters. -The Shadow Creepers' heads were based on crows' skulls. -At one point they considered having Yazoo and Loz holding the Shadow Creepers from the beginning on leashes while they rode their motorcycles, but decided not to. -Originally, the scene with Kadaj talking to Aerith after Sephiroth fell wasn't included. However, they decided to add this scene in late in the production because they wanted to give Kadaj a scene of salvation, as they felt that he was a character who needed to be saved too. ***Character and plot notes*** (008.2) -Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo are referred to as physical manifestations of Sephiroth's spirit and will three times in the English text, with the specific wording used in Japanese being something akin to "will bodies of Sephiroth's thoughts" on one of those occasions and "phantoms of Sephiroth" on another. Also, Kadaj is said to represent Sephiroth's cruelty, while Yazoo represents his allure and Loz represents his strength. -It's confirmed that the silver-haired men's desire to find Jenova's remains and merge with them is due in part to Sephiroth's desire to be restored goading them without them knowing it. -It's stated that Sephiroth and Kadaj are left-handed. Most likely Yazoo and Loz are as well since -- like Kadaj -- they are physical manifestations of Sephiroth's spirit and feature some of his attributes. That in mind along with the fact that Loz's Dual Hound weapon is on his left arm and being that Yazoo chooses to use his left hand to fire his Velvet Nightmare when fighting with only one gun, we have reason to believe this is true. -It's said that the SHM concluded that the remains of Jenova were under the Meteor monument and commanded the kids to surround it as human shields. Apparently when the children's Reunion instinct led them to Edge, the SHM concluded that the remains of Jenova must be under the monument because Rufus had built it. -An in-universe explanation for why Loz often moves with a blue blur behind him is not given. It's simply said that because he's so big and bulky, they wanted to off-set his girth by making him look really fast and used the blue blur only for him to emphasise that he's fast. It's not suggested -- despite how often people think so -- that it has anything to do with his Dual Hound. -No explanation for where the SHM got their bikes is offered, but Takeyuki Takeya said that he designed the SHM's bikes with the impression that they're very generic and that there might be tons of bikes just like them. They probably stole them from somewhere. -No explanation for the SHM's cell phones is offered either. However, I bet they stole them from Elena and Tseng since they had to get the other Turks' numbers somehow. -It's mentioned that after Sephiroth jumped into the Lifestream back in Nibelheim, his body dissolved, but because of his powerful will, he reformed it at the Northern Crater, where his life energy and Jenova's head were washed to. This most likely is why he only seemed to have a torso when he cast Meteor (he was still reforming his original body), and why the Ultimania Omega says that he was regenerating in the Northern Crater. -The Shadow Creepers are referred to as Summons (capital "s"). -Nomura implied that the Shera runs on some ancient non-mako technology, as confirmed in Dirge of Cerberus. Thought not explicitly stated either here or in Dirge of Cerberus, this is most likely part of the FFVII-FFX/X-2 connection (see the section on this within this FAQ for more information about it). -Rufus had the Meteor monument built to serve as a reminder of the tragedy. I guess -- since he blamed his company for the Meteor disaster and the planet's weakened state -- he wanted people to remember the errors humanity had made in the past. -It's said that Cloud was outmatched when it came to the fight with Sephiroth. Sorry everybody who thinks that Cloud was almost on par with him: he wasn't. Even worse for Cloud, Nomura said that Sephiroth didn't sweat during the entire fight and never exerted himself. In other words, he wasn't even trying hard. Cloud on the other hand was clearly giving it his all and was described by the book as exhausted by the time the battle was nearing its conclusion. -It's said that Loz fights Tifa to amuse himself. Sorry everybody who thinks that Tifa was probably as strong as him or stronger: she wasn't. -Nojima said that Vincent has to be dragged into something before he'll take action, and that if it wasn't for the other members of Avalanche being his friends, he probably wouldn't have joined the fight against Bahamut Sin. -Vincent's revelation to Cloud in the Sleeping Forest that he had never tried to forgive himself for the things he had blamed himself for was one of the major factors that caused Cloud to realize what he needed to do. -The entire movie occurs over the course of 3 days, beginning at noon on Day 1 and ending at 7:00 AM on Day 3. In othe words, the film occurs over the course of 43 hours. -The fight between Avalanche and Bahamut Sin/the fight between Reno and Rude and Yazoo and Loz lasts 2 hours. -The motorcycle chase up through the moment Sephiroth appears lasts another 2 hours. -Cloud's final battle with Sephiroth began at 6:00 PM on the story's second day and he woke up at 7:00 AM in Aerith's church on the third day. There's no suggestion of how long he was unconscious, but I'd guess it was anywhere from 10 to 12 hours. -Nomura said that Midgar covered in greenery 500 years after the Meteor incident symbolizes humans re-embracing nature. Perhaps they won't go with humans dying out after all, as Kitase indicated may happen during an interview with Electronic Gaming Monthly in October, 2005. -Fuel for the love triangle debate: Nomura refers to Tifa as being many things, including a lover/sweetheart (in a romantic/sexual context; "koibito" is the Japanese word used here), and Nojima says that when he began writing the script for Advent Children, the first thing he was sure of being part of the setting is that Cloud and Tifa were together. That said, Nomura may have meant that Tifa's a lover in the same way people will say "I'm a lover, not a fighter," and Nojima may not have meant "together" in a romantic context. For the record, I think Tifa's got this won, but that's me personally. Let the war continue! -Nojima says that when the water drop appeared in Aerith's church after Cloud and Tifa fell unconscious, their wounds were healed. He said he wanted that water drop to serve as foreshadowing of Aerith's later appearance in the church, as they had given Aerith a watery theme for this movie. -Nomura says that despite people often thinking that Rude's black, he thinks that Rude's appearance is more of a South American look. -Nojima said that even though Rufus' wheelchair was part of his disguise, he really did suffer a lot of injuries from Diamond WEAPON's attack and isn't in the best shape. -Nojima says that Reno's not so much interested in rebuilding the Shin-Ra Company because he thinks it should be rebuilt. He just thinks the idea sounds cool and exciting. -Nomura refers to Red XIII as being "a feline of sorts" and jokes that sticking Cait Sith on him made for more of a cat riding a bigger cat than a cat riding a dog like the idea that had inspired Red XIII carrying Cait Sith. -The kanji used for "Sin"/"Shin" in Bahamut Sin's name means "tremor" or "quake." For those unfamiliar with this kanji, it's the first kanji in the dual kanji word "shindou," which means "tremor" or "impact." They used the kanji for "shin" in this book, while rendering it in katakana in the AC Prologue book from September, 2005. -According to Nomura, the use of materia drains the planet's life energy, this being why the good guys don't use it anymore. There's not an explanation for why its use drains the planet's energy, but based on Sephiroth's explanation from the original game that materia links someone to the planet and allows them to use its powers, its most likely that the materia allows someone to tap into the Lifestream's energy and manifest it as a spell based on the specs of the materia they're using. This would, of course, drain the planet's energy, the same as turning it into electricity would. ***Miscellaneous notes*** (008.3) -On Yazoo's page, it refers to the Velvet Nightmares as "gunblades" in the English text. This is strange because it doesn't do that in the Japanese text, and this reference to the weapons as gunblades never shows up again. Of course, they aren't like the gunblades in Final Fantasy VIII even if these weapons are meant to be classified as such, because those weapons could only be used as swords (according to FFVIII's Ultimania) and the Velvet Nightmares can only be used as guns (according to all of the official AC sites). -Kazushige Nojima's first name is mistakenly written as "Kazunari" at one point in English, most likely a result of "Kazunari" and "Kazushige" sharing the same kanji. I've seen this mistake before. -They don't keep certain romanizations consistent in the English text. "Veld" is written as both "Veld" and "Verdot" on the same page in the Before Crisis section, and "Shears" is written as both "Shears" and "Sears." -The name of "Elfe" from Before Crisis is written as "Elfe" without an accent mark over the "e" to emphasise it be pronounced as "eh." -Rosso from Dirge of Cerberus is referred to with "he" instead of "she." Obviously a mistake, as she is very much a woman. -Vice's/Weiss' (also from Dirge of Cerberus) name is romanized as "Weiss." Hopefully it stays that way for the English versions of DoC, as "Weiss" actually does mean "white" in German (all of the elite Zvet SOLDIERs in DoC are named for colors). -At one point in the English text, Nojima refers to Sephiroth's motivation largely being revenge against Cloud because of how badly his pride was hurt when Cloud turned the tables on him in the Mt. Nibel mako reactor. More notably, it says that this defeat was made all the worse because Cloud was a "rookie SOLDIER" at the time. This, of course, is a mistake, as Cloud was never in SOLDIER, and the Japanese text there doesn't say "SOLDIER." At least not in reference to the elite squad, which is always written in katakana. It uses the kanji for "rookie soldier," meaning a regular private in the army. Just thought this should be pointed out before we had people going "They're contradicting their own continuity!" or "I knew Nojima was on LSD!" -The pink ribbons the characters wear are confirmed to be in remembrance of Aerith. -The angel statue in Edge and the number of birds flying over Midgar in the opening apparently don't have any specific meaning after all. Nomura said that they had a meaning to him and members of the production staff in a previous interview (I think it was in the AC Prologue book), but apparently they don't have specific universal meanings like the wolf that symbolizes Cloud's guilt. Apparently Nomura just wanted to make people give more thought to what they were watching (that's my guess). -Nomura said that he sees Vincent and Cloud as being very much alike, only Vincent acts and speaks older (probably because he is). -The Japanese voice actor for Yuffie has been serving as her voice actor since Ehrgeiz came out. -The guy who did Cait Sith's voice also did the Japanese voices of Auron (Final Fantasy X and X-2), Tobli (Final Fantasy X-2), and Squall Leonhart (Kingdom Hearts I and II). -The young guy who did Roxas' Japanese voice in Kingdom Hearts II auditioned to do the voice of Denzel, but Nomura felt he was too old for the role. However, it was this audition that made Nomura think he would be perfect for playing Roxas. ****Recommended further reading**** (009) -Final Fantasy X-2 Ultimania Translations: http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/file/final_fantasy_x_2_ultimania.txt http://faqs.ign.com/articles/702/702971p1.html http://faqs.neoseeker.com/Games/PS2/final_fantasy_x_2_ultimania.txt These are my translations from the Final Fantasy X-2 Ultimania guidebooks. -Xcomp's "The Final Fantasy VII Collection" website: http://xthost.info/ffwebnovel/ This is a really great site, featuring translations of Before Crisis episodes, the Advent Children Prologue book, On the Way to a Smile (Case of Tifa and Case of Denzel) and Maiden who Travels the Planet (from the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega). -Squall_of_SeeD's "Final Fantasy VII & Advent Children Plot Analysis" FAQ: http://db.gamefaqs.com/portable/psp/file/final_fantasy_vii_ac_plot.txt http://faqs.ign.com/articles/657/657331p1.html This comprehensive FAQ on the original Final Fantasy VII and its sequel Advent Children contains a lot of verified theories and explanations about the game and the movie. It also has a few translations, but it's more of an extensive story analysis guide than a translation FAQ. ****Acknowledgements about the game, the Ultimania Omega and this FAQ**** (010) ***Thanks in the making of this FAQ go to...*** ...my wife and daughter, simply for the wonderful life you've given me. I love you two so much. ***Publications cited in this FAQ*** -Final Fantasy VII itself -Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII -Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII -Final Fantasy X, X-2 and X-2: International+Last Mission -Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega -Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Reunion Files -Final Fantasy X Ultimania Omega -Final Fantasy X-2 Ultimania -Final Fantasy X-2 Ultimania Omega -Final Fantasy X-2: International+Last Mission Ultimania ***Notes on the Ultimanias*** -Edited by Studio BentStuff -Published by Square-Enix -Publishing rights held by Square-Enix ***List of sites authorized to host this FAQ*** -Any site ran by me -GameFAQs -IGN -Neoseeker -Super Cheats Final Fantasy VII, X, X-2 and all of their derivatives are registered trademarks of Square-Enix. They own the rights to them, their characters and the designs of those characters. Square-Enix owns the rights to the information in the Ultimanias, but I own the rights to the interpretation of those words seen in this FAQ. Feel free to quote this guide, but I'd appreciate it if you'd say where you got your info when you do it, and I'd appreciate it twice as much if you'd throw in a link to the FAQ as well. Please remember that quoting this FAQ verbatim without acknowledging it as the source is a violation of copyright, as is publically displaying it somewhere else without my permission. If you don't see your name/affiliated site of employment/ownership on that list of sites authorized to host this thing, it shouldn't be on your site without you getting permission from me to host it. My e-mail's at the top of the page, so please ask first. As I've said in the other FAQ I've written, I probably won't say no if you ask me to let you host it somewhere else, but I'd like the courtesy of having the opportunity to say no anyway; if you don't give me that opportunity and I find out about it, the answer is an automatic no from there on out. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.
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