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Why Nobody Can Let Go of Final Fantasy VII

Kenn Hib

215,908 views

Watch with headphone for best viewing experience!!

What happens when a voice actor, video editor, mental health advocate and HUGE ffvii fan has an idea....

Thank you for watching! This is my first video essay---it took me 10 months total to write, record, and edit this all so please let me know what you think in the comments! What did you agree or disagree on? Was there anything I missed? How do you think they're going to handle Cloud's character in Part 3?

And let me know if there's any other subjects you'd like to see from me!

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
3:38 - Aerith's Death
8:34 - Cloud's Story
19:02 - Denial
25:36 - Rebirth's Change
33:24 - Cloud's Mental State
39:10 - The Fans
47:19 - Conclusion

Follow me on Instagram!
FF7 Edits: Instagram: vespert.ine
Main: Instagram: kenn.hib

FFVII 1997 Footage from Lacry: ‪@Lacry‬

Due to popular demand, here's a list of the music I used throughout this video!

(FFVII Remake Prelude)
1. Flowers Blooming in the Church (Remake OST)
2. Aerith’s Theme Piano Version (Advent Children) SLOWED
3. On that day five years ago (Remake OST) SLOWED
4. Under the Apple Tree (Rebirth OST)
5. Anxiety - Five Years Ago (Rebirth OST) SLOWED
6. One Winged Angel (Remake OST)
7. Wake Up (Rebirth OST)
8. Barret’s Melancholy (Rebirth OST)
9. End of the World / A Portentous Sky (Rebirth OST) SLOWED
10. No promises to Keep (Date) (Rebirth OST)
11. Distant Skies (Rebirth OST) SLOWED
12. Listen to the cries of the planet (Rage) (Rebirth OST)
13. Listen to the cries of the planet (Rebirth OST) SLOWED
14. The Promised Land (Advent Children)
15. Hollow Skies (Remake OST) SLOWED
16. The Trial of Aerith (Rebirth OST) SLOWED
17. Aerith’s Theme - Return to the planet

#ff7 #ffvii #finalfantasy #finalfantasy7rebirth #finalfantasyviirebirth #cloudstrife #finalfantasyvii

20 Comments

@KennHib Creator 1 year ago Pinned

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your love and support on this video, it's been overwhelming in a great way! You've asked for more essays, but the truth is, I've been spending my time in other ways...

As you can see, Final Fantasy VII and mental health are huge passions of mine. I'm also a voice actor! So I started "The VOlnerable", a podcast where I have conversations with my fellow voice actors about mental health!

⭐Our latest guest...? JOHN ERIC BENTLEY, voice of BARRET WALLACE!⭐

It would mean the WORLD to me if you checked it out! Talking with John about our experiences with depression and how FFVII helped me get through mine was very special and overall it's just an extremely important conversation that's very relevant in our day and age. If you enjoyed this video, I really think you'll enjoy our episode! Let me know what you think, and I promise I'll get back to making more video essays soon! Love you all!

HERE'S THE LINK: https://youtu.be/Tv1aQaWCn8U

-Kenn <3

@samdyer-payne4719 1 year ago

It occurs to me that the denial aspect is why Cloud didn't have a room/trial in the temple. It was a test to see if each character could let go of their trauma but Cloud is too in denial to even register that he has trauma to begin with, making him unable to take the test! I suddenly appreciate that whole section in Rebirth a lot more.

@MoonlightBrillance 1 year ago

For a character that’s so popular, Cloud (and to a lesser extent Tifa) is very misunderstood and misrepresented. He’s amazingly written and I’m glad to see some appreciation for him in this video. Really great essay and your delivery and music choices were amazing! I really felt the emotions 🥹

@charposting 1 year ago

i could NOT believe when you said this is your first video essay. it’s just SO SO SO well made and beautiful and perfect. 10/10 no notes, made my week

@TravisRayLive 7 months ago

Jesus Christ. At 40 years old, and having played the original when it first released, I never took such a deep dive into his mental health. But this essay has me in utter tears because you’re absolutely right, Aerith cannot live. It’s what drove the story, taught us finality, and so much more. Amazing essay.

@Fnar79 10 months ago

Wait, hold up... This is your FIRST video essay? You, madam, are a masterclass. I truly hope you get the opportunity to do this sort of thing as a career. The world will be better for it.

@jinepiphany904 1 year ago

The "Cloud is the fans" shows how well written Cloud is and how the developers and writers know how to use the medium of video games to enhance the story. Great video essay!

@chrispysaid 1 year ago

as a VERY amateur voice actor, I have to say your vocal delivery throughout this entire video is so, so, so, SO good. it's extremely refreshing to hear someone who knows how to deliver a script in a video game breakdown who doesn't sound either bored or like a cartoon character—and that's to say nothing of the substance of the script and the breakdown itself. I subbed immediately, bell rung, thumb pressed

@Homitu 1 year ago

What an incredibly well written, edited, and narrated video about a game I cannot get enough commentary on. Seriously, your voice is incredible at communicating the intended tone and emotion of each part the script! The time, care, and effort put in here is absolutely noticed and appreciated! Well done!

@dtho16 4 months ago

Anyone else rewatching their favorite ff7 rebirth theory videos to hope for a part 3 reveal this week!?

@Deano-over9000 11 months ago

Cloud and Aerith both experience a lot of loss. But What made Aeriths death hard for the audience was her really rough childhood so young. The loss etc she went through and the lovable kind soul she is makes us really want to give her a much better future. So when she dies, well gives herself up to Sephiroth , that makes us ( the player ) feel like we failed.

@kayladaly8378 1 year ago

I sat in bed for days after rebirth. I felt like the ending, the meaning, the story had been stolen from me. And then i realized.... The devs literally made me experience clouds actual emotions without even realizing or knowing why. Amazing essay. Thank you for this

@xeonaught6942 1 year ago

you are the first person on the Internet to fully describe what almost 40 year old me felt whilst playing the original tho I did not feel grief in my life as a 11 year old Aeriths Death was the first.. what I found Ironic is I lost my mother near the time of Rebirths Release infact I reached "THE SCENE " the day after my Mother's funeral .. I sat there empty emotionless I felt nothing with the ending of rebirth It took me over a week to grasp what they was going for whilst also processing grief it's now over a year since rebirth came out and now I can say im really pleased with the ending its absolutely genius we are seeing everything from clouds perspective I feel the start of Part 3 is going to be wild I don't think people are ready

@calvindarmanegara4203 1 year ago

You could say, it's his Final Fantasy

@ジャスーの日本語 8 months ago

Cloud's denial makes sense on why he forgets whatever happened. I read online too that it can make someone forget easily

@BoomTharis 12 hours ago (edited)

I just beat Rebirth 2 days ago and I feel really lucky to have found this video. Yes, after I finished the game I have very similar feelings you had explained in this video, but I couldn't put into words or visuals. I feel much better to know that some people out there also share this feelings and thoughts.

I also agree with you about that Cloud denying Aerith's death created another interesting narrative that I really want to see how things gonna turn out. And yes, I truly want Aerith to live but as a big fan of the game, I also feel I cannot let that happen. It's the whole reason why this is FF7.

You really did make a great job putting them all together. I like your script, the editing as well as the music/sound you carefully designed along with the voice narrative. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO. Now I'm subscribing!

@zerocloud20 1 year ago

easily one of the best videos on ff7 ever made

@GuidingKey1991 1 year ago (edited)

First of all, you deserve a massive congratulations. Not just for this being your first video, but for your first video being such a brilliant one. I was gripped watching this from start to finish. You’ve broken down so many important elements of the FFVII series, especially when it comes to Cloud, which are spot on! 🙌keep up the good work🎉I’d love to see another video!

@gabrielfranks1416 1 year ago

This video had me tearing up multiple times. There are a lot of reasons the FFVII is my favorite piece of interactive fiction but you absolutely nailed the core of it. As someone who also felt robbed by the absence of certain crucial scenes you mentioned on my first playthrough, I've since come to similar conclusions about the devs' intent and your take feels validating. I'm more excited than ever for part 3. Keep making videos! You've got a real talent

@theblacksmokes1091 1 year ago (edited)

I literally put off finishing the game for weeks because I didn’t want to have to watch her die. I often joke with other ffvii fans that Tifa is cloud’s best girl, but Aerith is mine. When I play as Cloud, I choose Tifa, but when I play as myself, I choose Aerith. I was utterly confused by the ending of this game, but mostly because I had spent hours frustratingly fighting and losing to the same final boss over and over again until I went back to the last save point, lowered the difficulty, then slogged through the hour of unskippable cut scenes and 50 “this is not yet my final forms” again just to wax the final sepheroth that I had no idea wtf was going on at that point.