Ultimate Fan Service: A Review of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children


The best game-to-movie flick EVER.

Eight years ago, Squaresoft released Final Fantasy VII on the Playstation, a defining chapter in the mega-popular RPG series. A groundbreaker in more ways than one, FFVII captured the hearts of countless gamers for the epic story, the endearing characters and the surprising emotion once thought unheard of in a videogame.
Gamers laughed and cried along with hero Cloud Strife, his allies and companions in the battle to save the planet against the depredations of a power-hungry mega-corporation and worse, the threat of total destruction by a mad, would-be god. In the course of the quest, lives were lost, and sacrifices were made. The ending of Final Fantasy VII left a lot of questions unanswered, many things unsaid, many feelings bottled up. I should know, since I myself wrote my first and only attempt at fan fiction for FFVII, moved by the story and wanting closure for the embattled heroes.

Eight years after, Squaresoft finally delivers that closure, with what is probably the most awesome ending to a videogame. For that is what Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is… a long overdue epilogue and reunion in the world of Final Fantasy VII.

Two years after hero Cloud Strife and his companions defeated the Shin Ra Electric Power Company and it’s rogue creation, Sephiroth, the world is in flux. With the stoppage of the use of Mako Energy, the very Life Stream of the planet, the world has had to sacrifice the luxury and easy life of the past. Furthermore, a new threat has appeared in the form of an incurable disease called Geostigma (Star-Scar Syndrome), which is said to be incurable.

Despite this, everyone is rebuilding and pitching in to put the world back together- everyone, it seems, except for Cloud himself. Sinking once again into depression, Cloud has begun to withdraw from those who love him- his childhood friend (or perhaps more than a friend?) Tifa Lockheart, his comrades and the orphans they’ve taken under their wing. This bout of melancholy is brought about by two things- the return of a feeling of guilt for having failed to save someone very dear to him, and the fact that Cloud has himself contracted Geostigma.

Complicating things even more is the appearance of three malevolent and inexplicably powerful young men- Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo- mysterious silver-haired villains who are dead-set on recovering the last remaining trace of Jenova, the ancient source of evil that spawned Sephiroth himself. If they are not stopped, anything can happen… even the return of the fearsome One-Winged Angel himself. To protect what is dear to him, Cloud must somehow find the strength and will for battle… one last time.

What can I say about this movie? I’ve been waiting eight years for this. I had to suffer through that faker Spirits Within flick before I got here. But you know what? It’s worth the damn wait.

In terms of Story, I have to say that the plot of Advent Children is simple and to the point: It’s all about Cloud and his finding redemption. Which is really expected since the movie really is an Epilogue, an extended ending to the long and complex saga which was the Final Fantasy VII game. That said, the only way to truly and fully enjoy this masterwork is by having played and lived through the game that bore fruit to it. Otherwise, it’s simply not possible to really identify with the world, the characters, the story.

How can outsiders understand just who or what the mysterious girl who appears in teasing dream sequences is unless they’ve met her themselves and known her fate? It is the identity of this person that pretty much holds a lion’s share of the emotion and gravitas of AC.
How can anyone not knowing the game understand what Shin Ra was, who the Turks are, and how it is so amazing to see them working to rebuild the planet this time around. Knowing the history between them and the heroes is crucial to the enjoyment of their scenes.
Why is there a red-robed Spawn-wannabee named Vincent wearing oversized pointy shoes? Why is there a talking anthropomorphic cat with a loudspeaker riding on a talking red lion? Who’s that super-cute ninja girl? Who’s the brother with the cool gun for an arm? And why does everyone seem to have super powers?
If you’ve played the game, know the story and the cast, nothing in this movie will puzzle you… you’ll be too busy being giddy with nostalgia, excited at seeing a familiar world and characters come to life before your eyes like never before.


Old enemies and friends get together one last time.

But then, aside from the sheer nostalgia factor and the fan service, there’s the action.

Simply, frickin’ unbelievable.

The action and battle scenes in Advent Children are UNREAL. Part anime, part magical Wuxia cinema, part Matrix, part comic book super action… all mashed together and supercharged to produce some truly awesome fight scenes that simply blow away anything filmed live- Oh, the magic of CG.
What can I say about the fight scenes in Advent Children?
The numerous running skirmishes between Cloud and the Silver-haired Men… amazing ballets of ridiculously overpowered weaponry and oversized blades. After seeing Cloud and company in battle, you WILL believe that huge, man-sized swords are light as feathers and more effective than, say, rocket launchers and guns. Then there’s the jaw-dropping fight between Tifa Lockheart and the burly Loz in the Ruined Chapel- though relatively brief, it stands right up there with the gravity-defying fights in Kung Fu Hustle.
Then there’s the battle for Midgar between the many heroes of FFVII against a MASSIVE, winged Summoned Monster that just has to be seen to be believed. THIS is how superhero comic book action should be done. Suspend disbelief and just WATCH. You will enjoy and you will believe.
And then, finaly, there’s the finale- the awesome final battle between Cloud and… his worst foe. This, I must say, easily puts the equivalent finale from Matrix: Revolutions to shame. WHOA.

It’s amazing to see how AC has progressed from other CG flicks- characters move and look so realistically, and the detail is breathtaking- there’s no more of the dead-eyed blankness and marionette feel of Spirits Within. The way the Japanese do CG is different from the US, such as with Pixar, and it’s refreshing to see the newness of style from things like The Incredibles to this.

There’s eye candy galore in the offering, and for the outsider, that’s sadly the best that AC has to offer. I would dare say that this is a lot, regardless, and the film does try to explain things. Still, while the astute, casual watcher can understand the movie, they probably won’t feel the emotion behind it. Not like the true FFVII fan.

That’s why I say with total conviction that Final Fantasy VII Advent Children is THE ultimate fan service. This was made for us. For me. And darn, I love it.

Is it perfect? Well, if I had control, I’d have asked for a few things. Tifa back in her old outfit. I would have loved to have seen more Yuffie ninja girl action. I would have liked even more of the other heroes. I would have asked for more decisive kickbutts to have been dealt to the Yazoo and Loz from Cloud in the final stretch. But in the end, these are all just nitpicks, really. This is, seriously, as good as it gets.


So does Cloud end up with the lovely Tifa here? Watch and find out.

All the loose ends that matter are tied up. Heroes are reunited and fight together for one more good fight. Goodbyes long overdue are finally said. There are no real earth-shattering changes or developments, but really, that’s not the point. Advent Children is meant for us to see and leave the world of Midgar in a good place, alive and perhaps ripe for a new string of future adventures. But for Cloud and his friends and newfound family, this story, the story of FFVII, has come to and end. And what an end it is.

Thank you, Squaresoft for taking this calculated risk- this incredibly niche, but wonderful project. Thank you, director Tetsuya Nomura, musical genius Nobuo Uematsu for bringing back the sounds and emotion, and all of your team for keeping the world of Midgar alive for us. Thanks for giving us this wonderful gift. I’ll cherish it always.

Gosh, where is my copy of FFVII? I want to play. Again. Heh.

The Wait is Over.



I've got it.

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. Also got Last Order, the anime short film by Madhouse (Ninja Scroll) about the events in Nibelheim within the FFVII game's story. I can't wait for this weekend's overtime session to be over so I can hie off and enjoy it in The Sanctum.

Review to come soon. WOOHOOO!!!!

Wet Wet Wet

This is the kind of day when you'd just want to spend the whole time curled up in bed, lulled to sleep or half-consciousness by the pelting sounds of rain. On the good side, I was able to spend half the day at home, thanks to last night's overtime. But then, I had to force myself out of my sheet cocoon and hie off to work. Of course, everything seemed to be soaked today- the rain isn't always strong, but it never stops. There are flooded streets, and wouldn't you just know it, I get myself splashed by a son of a bitch's car just steps away from the office. Feh.

Anyway, all I can do is just do my stuff, finish it and brace for more work into the weekend. It's a living. Sigh.

Geddemit!

I haven't been able to do ANYTHING on Project: Hero yet! AAAHHH!!!

Looks like overtime this weekend though... so I can probably scratch Saturday off. Maybe I can get my groove started on Sunday.

Now, it's all a question of what to do first... Nikki's story, my story, or the cover.

Ah, decisions, decisions. Well, whatever. I work best under pressure...

Famous last words.

MAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!

Too Many Voices

Internet forums can be cool. You find a nice forum where everyone is polite, follows the rules and contributes to healthy discussions, it's great. You can find great stuff earlier than anywhere else. But then there are the times when TOTAL IDIOTS just appear and you just wish you had a 'PUNCH' button you could press for all those grammatically-incompetent, got-nothing-else-to-do but complain aimlessly Trolls that just seem appear out of the woodwork. I guess you gotta expect Random Monsters to appear sometime.
Damn, I'd probably wear out that Punch Button. Like I wore out my Vanishing Ray. Heh.

Rising Angel


Fallen Angel #1 coming for the Holidays.

Newsrama just posted a preview of Fallen Angel #1 by writer/creator Peter David and new artist J.K. Woodward. To recall, the original FA series was originally released by DC and cancelled after a 20-issue run. However, the loyal fan base has been so vocal and supportive of the title that Mr. David was able to swing a resurrection and give the character of Lee a new lease of life under IDW Publishing.

The pages... well... the pages look incredible. As was said in my previous post, Mr. Woodward's photo-realistic style isn't limited to covers... his interior pages have the same quality and it's pretty awesome. It's like seeing Fallen Angel: The TV series. Anyway, it's good to see that despite the change in art style, the character will remain true to her previous incarnation- from her costume to the creepy, creepy way her feet never touch the ground. Fortunately readers both new and old will finally find the truth about Lee's aversion to the earth and more when the character's origina is revealed in the new series. The new first issue will be a jumping-on point for new readers, as well as giving loyal fans good service. Yayness!


Alternate FA#1 cover by Fernando Blanco.

Fallen Angel #1 comes floating in this December from IDW Publishing.

Final Fantasy Advent Children Released

... in Japan. Yep, the dvd and umd versions of the CG movie sequel to Final Fantasy VII is now widely available. I expect bootlegs and fansubbed-versions to make their way here very soon. Whatever happens though, my own Japanese copy of the dvd is already being shipped to me as I write this (I'll have it in 4-12 days according to the seller).

I'm so hyped for this, and I know a lot of you out there are excited as well. I do know that quite a few of you out there might not have had the pleasure of playing FFVII, and therefore I have to warn you... full enjoyment of Advent Children really is only possible if you played the game. There's so much story, plots, characters and emotion wrapped up in the over 60+ hours of gameplay that a 97-minute movie can barely manifest the richness of FFVII. Much is left to the imagination and the knowledge of the source material to fill up.

All I can recommend to non-FFVII players who want to see AC is to either get a good plot-guide and do your reading, or just grab a copy of the game and start playing. Still, by itself Advent Children is a sight to see. The action and CG quality are worth the price of admission alone. However, the story and revelations, the continuation of what the game left off... for fans, this is priceless.

The next time I write about AC, it will be after I've seen the film myself. Till then, this is the MAD Advent Children report, signing off.

Advent Children Hong Kong

Yeah, we hate the Venetians for being able to watch FFVII Advent Children ahead of the rest of the world. We can now add Hong Kong to the hit list, as the CG movie is now available there, right now. Thanks to HK's liberal trade policies, they can release earlier than Japan (where the laws are more stringent and thus release dates have to be followed to the letter).
Already, spoiler pics and discussions are spreading in various forums. I can't resist taking a look, but then again, how can I even be more spoiled? I just want to see the darn movie already and marvel at the amazing CG, the awesome fight sequences and the pleasure of seeing the Final Fantasy VII cast in living, bigger-than-life motion. Well, I'm expecting my Japanese copy of the film perhaps in a couple of weeks- probably a bootleg will appear soon in local anime shops. Hope, hope!

Superheroes and Fairy Tales

Over the past week and this weekend, I watched two cool flicks; Disney's superhero teen movie Sky High and the dark fantasy-period adventure, The Brothers Grimm.

Sky High stars a cast of new and veteran performers to bring a superhero-filled world to life. The film focuses on Will Stronghold, the teenage son of the world's two greatest superheroes (played by Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston. Aside from dealing with the fact that he secretly has NO POWERS, he has to contend with super bullies, finding his first high school crush and the decidedly negative way that his new alma mater segregates people into 'Heroes' and inferior 'Sidekicks'. A long-thought-dead arch villain's return and quite ingenious plot complicates things even further.

For a Disney movie, this is pretty cool. Some parts seem 'TV-movie'-ish, like some of the CG effects and some stage-play acting, but overall I had fun and there were some neat action effects. That and there's a guy named Warren Peace. Heh. Incredibles-lite... and that's really not a bad thing.

Dean and Nikki were raving about The Brothers Grimm, so I was really excited to watch this. Beforehand, I already wanted to see it thanks to the creepy atmosphere and premise which kinda reminded me of Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. Anyway, BG stars Matt Damon and Heath Ledger as the titular siblings- two wandering con artists who poses as supernatural ghostbusters/witchhunters. Their exploits eventually lead them to being drafted by an evil French General (Jonathan Pryce) to investigate the disappearances of some children in a supposed enchanted forest. Some creepy atmosphere, bizarre manifestations of fairy tale conventions and Monica Bellucci as an evil queen make this a winner, as does the hilarious performance of character actor Peter Stormare (he played the Devil in Constantine and every cool Russian in movies, I think) as Italian psycho/torturer Cavaldi. The minuses are that there are some dragging bits, and the film takes its time to get to the meat of the matter. Otherwise, a happy ending to my weekend.

Both these flicks are showing right now. Catch them while you can!

Antsy

The last time I had problems with ants and a piece of tech, it was with my scanner. But that was perhaps a year or two ago. What a bitter campaign that was. Days and days of hard battle, to smoke out the invaders who had been able to gain a foothold inside the equipment, building what seemed to be the startings of a whole goshdarn colony. Ultimately, I lost that war... I got a new scanner to replace the ant-violated one. This time though, it's another story.

This time it's my laptop. My Mac Powerbook G4 15-inch laptop. I came in and found ants crawling in and out of the keys. Why are they doing this now? Perhaps a bit of food got into the keys? Or is it the heat that draws them in? Well, I got some alcohol and gave the Mac a once over... and then repeated blowings into the crevices dislodged some of the buggers. Thankfully, it seems that I detected the threat early... but now, I may have to store my Mac somewhere safer than just on the table. I don't want another war with these six-legged infiltrators, dammit.

Lolligaging

According to Advent Children Net, Square-Enix, the producers of Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, have announced that the recent rumors of a US release are untrue, and while there will conceivably be a limited/collected edition release in the US, nothing has been confirmed or announced. So far, on the official website, FFVII AC has a 'holiday release', which means probably November or December. Or later.

What the heck? I really can't figure out these guys. There's already an Italian version. The Japanese version is coming out in several days. Why delay the english language version for months?

Well, knowing the way things really work, fansubs of Advent Children will be available once the DVDs or UMDs of the Japanese version are released. There will probably be copies here very soon. I for one have ordered the Japanese DVD... I am not waiting any longer than I really have to. Keep your frickin' english dubbed crap. I just want my original Japanese with subtitles.

Hang delays. I want my FFVII yesterday, damn it.

Luxour

First it was Bubble Trubble years ago. Then it was Apeiron. Then recently, Snood and Bejeweled.

Now, the new game craze sweeping the land (well, The Salt Mines at least) is Luxour, a furiously addictive game on the Mac which can be described as Snood but with all the weird heads and characters turned into rolling marbles which roll inevitably through a spiraling path towards a goal which you must try desperately to hold back. Whew.

Anyway, the sound effects of this Egyptian-themed puzzler/strategy game probably makes up a lot of the enjoyment. A lot of the crew can be seen, playing furiously, mouthing expletives for every step the marbles take closer to the end, a cheer for every victorious setback.

I fear to get into this game. I might not get anything done if I do...

INCONCEIVABLE!!!

I was just about to watch the Disney superhero teen-flick Sky High last night, watching through the trailers before the last full show, minding my own business, when something suddenly flashed and before me, flooring me in utter amazement.

There is actually a SECOND Dungeons and Dragons movie.

Yes, you read that right.

You will of course remember the original D&D film (which we've flogged on this blog multiple times in the past), that horrid piece of orc turd trying to pass itself off as high fantasy but only serving to be a tombstone to the genre if not for the appearance of the LOTR Trilogy. Well, we heard rumors before that producer/director Courtney Solomon had succeeded in using a charm spell to rope someone into funding a second film in the series... well, it turned out to be true.

It started off quietly. I saw what seemed to be an old, or at least, low-budget-looking fantasy film trailer before me, with knights and warriors and elves and dragons. I stared at it in confusion, thinking maybe it was the upcoming Bloodrayne film, or maybe something from Europe. But it wasn't... I stared as suddenly I recognized Bruce Payne, aka the evil warrior Damodar from the first movie, appear. DAMODAR??? Didn't he DIE in the first one? He got thrown off a tower. Well, for some reason, Mr. Payne reprises his role in the sequel, but now has gotten rid of the blue lipstick (heh) and has been bumped up to head baddie (since Jeremy Irons turned into dragon feces at the end of the first turd of a film).
Anyway, apparently Mr. Payne is the only cast member to return from the first film... the new heroes are pretty much unknown actors to me. Anyway, the movie is called Dungeons and Dragons: The Elemental Might AKA Dungeons and Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God, and apparently it is a straight-to-video release in the US. But for us Pinoys, we get it in theaters.

The plot is apparently as follows: The country of Izmir is once again under siege, this time from the black sorcerer Damodar (Payne) and his growing army of gruesome creatures. To save the land, four heroes representing strength, intelligence, dexterity and wisdom (what? No Hero of Comeliness?) must come together, form their own army, and use the elemental might to defeat Damodar before he unleashes the terror of a Black Dragon.

Woah. So how did an evil fighter (Damodar) survive a fall from hundreds of feet, and become a master sorcerer? Class change? What happened to the heroes of the first movie? If this is anything like the first film, it'll probably all be explained offscreen.

Anyway, the trailer was actually put together quite well, despite some cheap-looking special effects. I'm actually curious to see it. I want to see if it's actually possible to make a movie worse than the first D&D movie.

Hey, who knows... maybe it'll be good for a laugh. Another dead dragon to flog. MAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Elemental might... phah...

Visionary

After she had her first eye operation last week (her next one is tomorrow), Mom had to wear a weird transparent eye shield over one eye whenever she goes to bed. The thing is, she has to keep her eye dry, hence the cover. So it was that Mom kinda looks like a retired member of the Universal Soldier project. Or, Cyber-Ma! Anyway, it's really cool to hear her remark about how her vision is sooooo much better now. She can, apparently, now totally appreciate watching TV since she never before noticed how COLORFUL the TV screen was. As it turns out, her vision was washed out and getting progressively blurry before- things she just took as a sign of her advancing age.
But now, she's enjoying things and perhaps seeing everything again for the first time. It's wonderful to hear that.

While she was talking to doctors and stuff, she also found out that apparently, my grade of myopic vision can already be treated (my eye grade is pretty high)... So conceivably I can have my eyes operated on myself to get better vision... if and when I can bring together the money for it. The amount isn't impossible- it's about as expensive as a comic book release like K.I.A.- so perhaps maybe next year or so, I'll be seeing stuff in a whole new light as well. We'll see.

For now though, Mom can see well. That's enough.

Back to School


The Mythology Class is back.

The first time I read Arnold Arre’s Mythology Class was years ago, in parts, even before the comic reached the printing presses. Back then, when me and Arn were in college (UP Fine Arts), I’d immediately go “Pa-Xerox! Pa-Xerox! Pa-Xerox!” whenever he came up with a chapter of his incredible, personal comic project. And being the friendly guy that he was, and is, he’d oblige. I still have those Xerox-copies of the original Myth Class somewhere in The Sanctum, locked away under lock and key, with half-aswang, half-kapre guards ever watchful.
Myth Class hooked me at the time initially thanks to the fact that about 95 percent of the characters in the book are based on real people in and around our college (including me, in a very short, very small role…heh). But while I came for the art, I stayed for the story, and never left.
This new, collected Special Edition of Myth Class is a mix; the ‘Lucasisms’, or revisions, are sporadically sprinkled throughout. They range from different treatments of scenes (and some discreet censorings…), to slight modifications of dialogue, to totally new segments that, thankfully, fit in well with doses of humor and levity to the already light banter of the Class. There’s even some updating of technology- originally equipped with audio cassettes, the techie members of the Myth Class are now packing CDs to make with the times. There’s no texting though, strangely enough. Heh.

For the most part, The Mythology Class is a wonderful re-presentation of Arnold’s classic, easily one of the most impressive local works of graphic storytelling in recent times, and even after more than six years I still consider it my favorite among Arnold’s works. Not because of art, but by sheer volume, depth, detail and the spirit that was infused in every page and character.
At more than 350 pages, it’s a lengthy, immersive read, full of fantastic images, witty dialogue, impressive action and a wide-eyed sense of wonder that Arnold always infuses in his comics.

Arnold’s original, self-published run reached a lot of people, but this new, collected release by Anino looks to reach even more. The only bottleneck is the inevitable high price, since it IS a 350-plus page monster of a book… but it’s still cheaper than any foreign graphic novel, and you’re getting a LOT of bang for your buck. Highly recommended to any fans of local pop culture and comic readers in general. Class is in session. Attendance is a MUST!

The Mythology Class tells the story of a band of travelers from antiquity, their epic, endless quest, and the wonderful mish-mash of unique youths they gather to join them in the adventure of a lifetime. Story and art by Arnold Arre, soon to be available in major bookstores and comic shops in Metro Manila.

For more information and a view of more art based on the book, visit the Mythology Class Website.

Reunion


Arnold and Cynthia Arre with MY copy of the Mythology Class Special Collection.

Not a rumor. Not an urban legend. Not a myth. Wait a minute, it is. Ah, whatever. Anyway, have you all been hearing that the Mythology Class comic book by Arnold Arre is being collected into a single, mammoth collection? Well, it's true. Now fans of the cult local independent comic book can rejoice in a remastered, refurbished, rejuvinated Myth Class, complete with new pages of art and even new dimensions into this modern komiks classic. And those long-suffering fanboys who've been asking and searching for in vain for elusive First and Second issues of Myth Class can finally see what they've been missing.

I know. Cause I HAVE A COPY RIGHT IN MY HANDS RIGHT NOW. WOOHOO!!!

Arnold and Cynthia passed by today at The Salt Mines, for a chat and to give me my free sample copy. Oh my! The truly monumental Special Collection clocks in at over 350 pages of story and extras that include colored pinup/past cover art, sketches and artist notes, and some nice odds and ends. Arnold took the time and effort to smoothen out some parts of his original masterpiece, along with some all-new pages and some changes to update the Class for the times (the gang now sports cellphones and CDs).

I expect to dive into the book as soon as I can, to see what has changed and what has remained the same of this comic opus.

Anyway, the LAUNCH of the Myth Class Collection will be on September 16, 2005, evening (6-7ish) at Rockwell. Expect to see Arnold and Cynthia there with a boatload of engkantos- er, enchanted fans. Also, you can check out the New Mythology Class Website that's loaded with new pieces of fan art, including a couple of pieces from me. Yay!

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a Tikbalang to run down. Hoho!

The Mythology Class is released by Anino Publishing. Catch it soon at bookstores and comic book shops everywhere in the metro.

Advent Voices

Just for fun and otaku giddiness, here are some info on the voice actors (Japanese) for Final Fantasy VII Advent Children and info on their previous anime roles. Some interesting stuff.

Cloud Strife, the main man and seemingly eternal imo boy, will be played by Takahiro Sakurai. The actor said in an interview that he really loved FFVII and Cloud in particular, so he was literally floored when he was asked to play the role. His previous anime voice credits include Shun Ukiya from Gatekeepers and Arihiko Inui in Lunar Legend Tsukihime. He's also played a villain, as Kagami Kyouji in Getbackers.

Tifa Lockheart is played by lovely actress Ayumi Itouh, who looks just as pretty as her CG/game counterpart (look for her online). She has been cast in the films All About Lily Chou-Chou and Swallowtail Butterfly.

Yuffie Kisaragi is played by Yumi Kazaku, whose previous anime roles include Aya Mikage from Ayashi no Ceres, and other roles in Full Metal Alchemist, Raxhephon and Initial D.

Aeris Gainsborough is played by none other than Maaya Sakamoto, who's basically a megastar in anime and Japanese music. Her previous roles in anime includes the voice of Hitomi Kanzaki from Escaflowne.

The Wheelchair-bound Man is played by Tohru Okawa, who also voiced Roy Mustang from Full Metal Alchemist. Interestingly enough, Wheelchairman's bodyguard, the red-haired Turk Reno, is voiced by Keiji Fujiwara, who played Mustang's best friend and subordinate Maes Hughes in FMA.

Sephiroth will be given his villainous voice by veteran seiyuu Toshiyuki Morikawa, whose past vocal performances include game characters Kazuya Mishima in Tekken 4 and Heishiro Mitsurugi in Soul Calibur. He also voiced the mega-villain Naraku from the Inu Yasha anime.

For me, the optimal way to watch Advent Children will be with the original Japanese dialogue and subtitles, but that's just me.

I wonder who the english voice actors will be? Speculating on that would make a great topic by itself. Heh.

Advent Reading



In but a couple of weeks, FFVII: Advent Children will be released on DVD and UMD (PSP Format) in Japan. But forget about the Nippon for a bit; if we’re going to be jealous of someone, it should be with the Italians. That’s because the final, 100-minute cut of FF7 AC has already been shown in Venice Italy.

I don’t really mind spoilers, so it was fine for me to read a super-detailed report on the movie, with tons o’ spoilers. And so, without necessarily spoiling details for the rest of us FF7 AC virgins, here are some bits of info.

FF7 AC is Cloud’s show. It’s all about him, his internal conflicts, his ongoing turmoil even after the story in the game. Everyone else is secondary, with most of the cast (including the other FF7 heroes) in roles that are little more than cameos. This is to be expected, as Advent Children originally started out as a 30-minute feature that really just focused on Cloud and little else.
For the most part though, it is apparent from the script that Aeris the Flower Girl will have a huge impact on the story, beyond the simple flashback. Next, Tifa and Vincent will also have good screentime, as will members of Shinra and The Turks.

Bottom line, there are cool moments aplenty for pretty much all the fan favorites.

Expect LOTS of fanservice like signature attacks from the game shown in full CG loveliness. The battle scenes and fights are supposed to be beyond awesome. Well, we’ll just have to see them for ourselves.

The story though is not without flaws- nothing extremely world-changing really happens, and it’s all pretty linear and not unexpected really. However, it should be stressed that you really can’t expect to satisfy everyone; by all indications though, this movie is going to rock. Fans of FFVII should expect to be majorly impressed by perhaps the ultimate in fan service ever. Everyone else who enjoys a good sci-fi fantasy adventure with unparalleled animation, drama and action should be in for a treat.

FFVII: Advent Children takes place a couple of years after the end of the story in the classic Playstation RPG. The heroes and villains of the world of Midgar must now face a new threat together- the deadly disease known as Geostigma, and the dangerous group of Silver-haired Young Men who plan to resurrect the world's most dangerous enemy- Sephiroth. Cloud Strife, fallen hero, must find it in himself to rise up and defend what he values, or die trying.

Damn, I can’t wait to see this movie. NOW. NOW. NOW.

Wild Week

Yet again this week was pretty hectic. And not without a hiccup or two. Well, there's nothing else to do about it but learn from the experience, take it all in stride and move on. All in all though I still count this week as being pretty good, and myself still pretty lucky.
Maybe next week won't be as hectic as this one was, maybe not. I remember a week or two ago, Vin asked me why I was still looking blasted after coming off a hard week of work. It's really not like after a straight run of overtime and finishing a week's worth of Job Orders that your boss will come to you and say, "Marc, you did a great job. Here's a ton of cash. Take a month's off and enjoy yourself!" It's really more to the tune of, "Marc, you did a great job. Here's some more work."

It's not like back in school when you knew when breaks came, and you could look forward to long, long periods of vacation and relaxing. I kinda miss those days, but I'm not the kind of guy who'd like to go back to school. I love working and earning my own money. I like being the master of my ship. I like not having periodical exams. I like not having to answer to some crummy professor who's more bark than real bite. Ooh.

But whatever... I'm still thankful for weekends. Those lovely oasis of calm between these hectic weeks. Without weekends, I surely would go mad. But then again... I'm already MAD aren't I? MAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!

Eye-OK

My mom had her operation today, and it went well. Thanks to everyone who gave in their prayers and well wishes. I'm sure they all helped a lot.