UPDATE: The English version of the title cards have been updated as of January 17, 2025! While Aerith is no longer “The One,” she is now “Special Friend” – while not as bombastic, it’s still a cute, romantic euphemism. Tifa is no longer “Childhood Pal,” but “Beloved Friend” – a much closer translation to the original Japanese. The Japanese versions have not changed: Aerith is still 約束の相手 (“Promised Partner”) and Tifa is 愛しの幼馴染 (“Dear Childhood Friend.”)
Native English speakers will understand “special friend” as romantic euphemism, but for those unfamiliar with the term, here are some definitions and usages from online dictionaries.
Noun
special friend (plural special friends)
- (euphemistic) A partner or lover.
Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/special_friend (Accessed January 17, 2025)
Definition of special friend
Noun
- (romance) person with whom one has romantic relationship
They are not officially dating but are special friends.- (relationships) friend with a unique or significant role
He has always been my special friend since childhood.
Source: – Reverso English Dictionary (Accessed January 17, 2025)
A win’s a win, right?
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: The Gold Saucer dates have just dropped in Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis, and it’s official: for Cloud, Aerith is “The One.”
The new main story chapters cover everything from Cid in Rocket Town all the way to the party’s second visit to the Gold Saucer, where the famous date takes place. Like in the original game, Cloud can go on a date with Aeris, Tifa, Yuffie, or Barret, depending on dialogue choices the player has made throughout the main story. Completing each date nets the player a “Title Card” that they can display in their profile.
The title card is different for each character. For Aeris alone, the player unlocks “The One.”
That’s right, folks: Aeris is the one. The romantic connotations here are off the charts. She is what Cloud’s cherishes most, a la Cait Sith’s ominous prophecy. She is Cloud’s “loved” one. And now she’s, most simply and eloquently, “The One” for him.
In the Japanese version of the game, Aeris’s title card is equally heart-fluttering. She unlocks 約束の相手 – “Promise Partner” or “Companion of Promise.” It elicits image of fated, meant-to-be lovers, and also the word “Promise” brings up a few special connections. Does it refer to the Promised Land, where Cloud wants to meet Aeris again? Does it refer to Aeris’s Rebirth theme song, No Promises to Keep? Either way, it’s sure special.
The other characters unlock their own distinct title cards. For Yuffie, it’s “Passion Hunter.” For Barret, it’s “Doting Father.”
And for Tifa, you ask? It’s “Childhood Pal.” Eek!
In all fairness, it should be noted that the Japanese version of Tifa’s date is far cuter. She unlocks 愛しの幼馴染 – which means “Dear [Beloved] Childhood Friend.” The word 愛し uses the root “love”, though it’s worth pointing out that this is a generic word for love and not specifically romantic love. That said, “Childhood Pal” is a poor approximation – but most likely a victim to necessary letter-conservation for strict character limits.
There’s one more thing we have to discuss about Cloud and Aeris’s date.
Ever Crisis uses the original Final Fantasy VII‘s version of the dates. There’s no Rebirth-influenced overlay to any of them whatsoever (sorry, Tifa fans). Ostensibly, Ever Crisis uses the same script as the original game – but there’s a difference or two.
At the end of their ride in the gondola, Aeris utters an iconic line, translated as I want to meet you. She says this after admitting she was initially rattled by Cloud’s superficial similarities to her first love, Zack, after which she states that Cloud is indeed different. In Japanese, there are notable romantic connotations to this phrase “I want to meet you,” and Aeris is demonstrating here that she understands Cloud is not being true to himself – and it’s Cloud’s authentic self that she is interested in.
Folks who prefer that Aeris not take up any real estate in Cloud’s heart have tried for years to explain away the fireworks as something platonic, or even as Aeris affirming – instead of moving beyond – her romantic interest in Zack. One embarrassingly common coping device seems to have been a claim that when Aeris says “I am searching for you” and “I want to meet you,” the “you” in question isn’t actually Cloud – it’s Zack.
So, is there any weight to the theory that Aeris is actually talking to Zack in these poignant pieces of dialogue? Is she actually expressing a desire to reunite with her first boyfriend, and simply using Cloud as an avatar for him?
Not a chance, says Ever Crisis. Aeris’s Japanese lines – which were considered too iconic to change in Rebirth’s iteration of the date – have here finally been altered. Instead of saying あなたに会いたい (“I want to meet you”), the line has been amended to クラウドに会いたい (“I want to meet Cloud.”)
In English, the line was altered in a slightly different way. Instead of “I want to meet you,” she now says “I want to find you.”
It’s a tiny change, but remember, Ever Crisis pulls directly from the original scripts – both the Japanese and the English versions – so any changes thereafter have been made intentionally. Could it be mirroring the Rebirth version of the dialogue, where Aeris tells Cloud “I’m trying so hard to find you?”
Or could it be mimicking No Promises to Keep, where Aeris sings about how she believes one day “you’ll come and find me”?
The line also bookends the game’s ending, where Cloud tells Tifa that he believes he can meet Aeris again in the Promised Land. The original English line is, “I think I can meet her there.” The Reminiscence of Final Fantasy VII video, included in the Advent Children DVD, retranslated the line as “I think I can find her there.” Whatever the change means is anyone’s guess.
But we aren’t done yet – one more thing!
In the original date, once Cloud and Aeris exit the gondola, Aeris asks if Cloud enjoys being with her. It’s a cute, flirty moment, and Cloud can either answer affirmatively or play it cool and act like it’s no big deal. Clerith-haters have tried to use this dialogue option as evidence that Cloud dislikes Aeris… but Ever Crisis hammers home that his line is only him teasing.
In this version, Aeris asks Cloud if he wants to go out again sometime. Again, he can answer affirmatively (aww!) or negatively.. but here’s the reality of the “negative” option.
Aerith: Today was fun. Let’s do it again.
Aerith: What do you say?
Cloud: …. [DIALOGUE OPTION 1]
Cloud: No, I’m good.
Cloud: ….I’m kidding.
Aerith: That was mean!
Cloud: …. [DIALOGUE OPTION 2]
Cloud: Sure, sounds good.
Aerith: Great! Let’s check out some more of the rides next time.
To those who didn’t get it in the original, Cloud is teasing Aeris here. Perhaps awkwardly – he’s not actually cool and suave, he just tries to be – but it is teasing, and certainly not him actually rejecting her.
At any rate, Ever Crisis has once again delivered a feast for Clerith fans. If you haven’t yet, download the game and enjoy our star-crossed lovers for their iconic date once again!
Earth & Sky: A Cloud x Aeris Love Story 