On the Way to a Smile Review - Final Fantasy VII Lore
96Today we're returning to the lore and story of Final Fantasy VII. Kazushige Nojima is a scenario writer who has worked on much of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII story. While he's best known for his work on video games, he's author of the Final Fantasy VII novels On the Way to a Smile (serialised from 2005 and published in 2009) and The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story (2011). In this episode we take a look at the history of Final Fantasy VII's sequels, the good and the bad of On the Way to a Smile, and the book as the next chronological step in the Final Fantasy VII timeline that sought to bridge the games ending with the 2005 movie Final Fantasy VII Advent Children.
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Timestamps for the episodes content -
Historical Context:
00:21 - the original ending of Final Fantasy VII
02:33 - the beginning of Final Fantasy VII Compilation
04:02 - the appeal of On the Way to a Smile and non-game Final Fantasy media
On the Way to a Smile:
08:52 - Translation and Writing Style
12:34 - Chapter summary
21:24 - Is it recommended:
21:58 - The Bad
24:16 - The Good / Conclusion
In this episode we discuss:
The extension of Final Fantasy VII Lore through the revelations of On the Way to a Smile and it's connection to events in Advent Children. We also consider the more questionable elements of Nojima's novel, such as Cloud's party replacing the Mako production with Oil production, which contradicts the themes of the original 1007 title, the Rufus Shinra death being replaced by deus ex machina survival, and other elements of plot that sought to explain or validate aspects of Final Fantasy VII's story while contradicting the original game.
Episode Denzel - A prologue to Advent Children and excellent opening sequence that documents the destruction of Midgar and the fallout of meteorfall and the lifestream reclaiming the planet
Episode Tifa - An Epilogue to Final Fantasy VII (1997) seeing Cloud Strife's party disband and Tifa deal with the guilt of surviving when others didn't
Episode Barret - Barret Wallace and his dilemma as a man of violence in a world without war - delivered through the metaphor of the gun arm and his helplessness in searching for fuel or helping cure Geostigma
Episode Yuffie - Exploring Yuffie being ostracised from Wutai maintaing her misunderstood black sheep volatility from the original game. She desperately seeks a fabled materia that might cure Geostigma.
Episode Nanaki - Red XIII and Gilligan - his personal allegory for anxiety and depression - this chapter explores his issues with mankind and his promise to meet Vincent Valentine at Midgar once a year
Episode Shinra - Rufus Shinra Reno and Rude establishing order after Midgar - this chapter explores the changing face of the Turks and Shinra corp as a primer for Advent Children and also explains Rufus Shinra's survival using President Shinra's dubious escape tunnel
Lifestream Black - Sephiroth's consciousness echoing his pursuit of Jenova reunion and lust for confronting Cloud once again
Lifestream White - Aerith recalling memories of cloud Strife , Zack Fair and the hope and solidarity that allowed the party to win out in the original game.
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