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Volume 20 . Volume 20. Spring 2020 • on the web 2020 • Spring 20. Volume VII deep in your heart.” Lockheart, - Tifa “No, not memories… a memory is something that is con “No, not memories… a memory it can be right? That’s why sometimes recalled, sciously mistaken or wrong. It’s different a from memory locked is a PhD Belfast. University, His graduate from Queen’s and the application of interdisciplinary methodology and close and methodology interdisciplinary of application the and reading to video games. Recently, David has been examining and aesthetics, their narratives, game between relationship the them. the industrial efforts that produce research interests focus on theorizing Japanese digital cultures cultures digital Japanese theorizing on focus interests research essay argues that this process exists to reconcile the player with the JRPG ‘world’, a pan-mythological territory often reliant on signs, symbols as and exposition archetypes of an intricate and alien place. Idesign, gameplay and aesthetic FFVII’s of reading close Through discov player of nexus the is the that demonstrate to aim psychological characterisation and ery, ‘lore’, and the significance of this model in the reframing and reinvention of the past common to the JRPG genre. Abstract / pro critical writing on the topic has emphasised the Typically, the tagonist asfigure However, the primary vector of player agency. of Final Fantasy Fantashii VII VII, (Finaru hero(es) 1998) exhibit psy chological depth in which party characters confront their self-delu sion. This is particularly apt with Cloud who experiences an intro spective reckoning while comatose that prefigures the game’s denouement. Beyond the narrative function this of self-discovery, quarter

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The Deluded Hero, New Mythology, and Nostalgia in and Nostalgia Mythology, New Hero, The Deluded VII Final Fantasy “What you Remember is the Illusion” the Illusion” Remember is “What you David Stevenson

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’s impact has David Stevenson Stevenson David titles towards a a titles towards . A vast stake onstake vast A . 2 FFVII FFVII Volume 20 Final Fantasy “What you Remember is the Illusion” is the Illusion” you Remember “What is an exceptional game is no exaggera ’s production appears embedded in the in the appears embedded ’s production on a global scale, where the game was an the game was on a global scale, where FFVII FFVII . 3 , 2020), makes it evident that the that evident it makes 2020), , Final Fantasy VII video game, cultural studies, JRPG, narrative, genre video game, cultural . The opening hours of the game surpasses the neo-me 4 ernized’ fable where it would appear that corporate greed is is greed corporate that appear would it where fable ernized’ true enemy of humanity. The true enemy scale of of humanity. FFVII’s opening, which stream The task of summarizing what a ‘Japanese Role-Playing Game’ The ubiquity of sees the player control Cloud through an act of extreme industrial establishes the tone of high drama , and moral ambigu ity that persists throughout the As narrative. the game progresses, personal history the and intimate recollections of Cloud are con sistently and often delusional. interrogated recent in even nebulous considered something remains is (JRPG) discourse on the topic, but some explanation is warranted. The outlived the boundaries of its origin on the PSX, now presented as an epochal game the where Midgar of techno-dystopia the in begins it as itself; game protagonist, , participates as part of an eco-terrorist Shin prevent to plant power major a celldestroys successfully that exploitative harvesting ra’s of the planet’s spiritual energy; the Life­ dieval ‘lost continents’ of previous ‘mod the both parties had been placed on a new business partnership, a newboth parties had been placed on a console, As and lifetime new sales technology. of surpass 12.6M across multiple platforms, its continued availability ( remake the of launch recent the and consoles, modern on Remake VII: tasy of millions were invested in costly Silicon Graphics workstations in workstations Graphics Silicon costly in invested were millions of qual graphical unparalleled of game a producing towards effort an too, had bet significantlySony, on Square, agreeing to finance ity. the marketing for in the ‘Japa interest territories where ticipated to penetrate Western been marginal nese Role-Playing Game’ had prior Keywords: say that To tion. It was produced in a period of significant transformation in the video game industry which saw the introduction of CD-ROM, Sony’s first entry into the console market, and the formative steps towards 3D graphics on domestic gaming hardware. Squaresoft Sony unproven the with partnering in company their mortgaged with relationship fractious (allegedly) an following quarter

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David Stevenson Stevenson David Volume 20 “What you Remember is the Illusion” is the Illusion” you Remember “What https://www.kinephanos.ca/2015/ comports well with Schules’ model of inter of model Schules’ with well comports ) FFVII is through its position in a larger framework of creative De power. soft of aegis the under together brought media spite soft political discourse to the JRPGs contrary, are possess; they quality intrinsic any of because not Japanese to oth Japanese by virtue of their relation they are rather, er creative media. ( kawaii-/ …One way to understand the Japanese qualifier of JRPGs of qualifier Japanese the understand to way …One Fig. 1: FFVII’s ‘Battle View’. Cloud, Barret and Tifa shown fighting and Tifa Cloud, Barret Fig. 1: FFVII’s ‘Battle View’. a dragon. Schules’ reading posits the difficulty of a JRPG being interpreted in Further, isolation. product a as consistent mechanically is game the that given relation, JRPG is a loosely-defined genre,reasoned through a taxonomy of have Attempts (Japan). origin of place and system, gameplay scale, gaming on based ‘JRPG’ the of taxonomy the quantify to made been websites and imageboards (Pelletier-Gagnon, 2018; Mallindine Schules term. definitive a produce to yet has research this but 2016) (2015) presents a distinctive reading of the ‘JRPG’ as construed stating that: ludology, than media interrelation through more quarter

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kvarter akademisk ------4 FFVII (1996)

(1988), to the David Stevenson Stevenson David Neon Evan Genesis Neon Volume 20 , ease of will progress be The Vision of The Escaflowne Vision FFVII “What you Remember is the Illusion” is the Illusion” you Remember “What series of games, and shares thematic parallels Final Fantasy , first-time players could expect the game to require roughly require to game the expect could players first-time , . In addition, the overpopulated and inorganic dystopia of (1995-1996) in which humanity is similarly pitched against a 5 The general principles of a JRPG is that they are epic, long-form epic, are they that is JRPG a of principles general The with a suite of additional combat abilities. In a broader case, the ap the case, broader a In abilities. combat additional of suite a with peal of a JRPG is that it presents a grand narrative that incorpo signifi a and game-world, the of exploration events, story rates by both rewarded is player the for Progress cantcombat. of amount the continuation of the narrative and new places to see, as well as of characters inproficiency combat. observing the increasing be should It regard. this in JRPG the of expectations ludic the fulfills stressed that, as a text-heavy game, that the player’s continuing determined by making prudent choices during combat, and tailor combat, choices during making prudent by determined ing the characters allocated through beforehand equipment and ‘materia’, mako-infused gemstones that enhance the characters figure, a sub-menu is highlighted that presents abilities for the play the for abilities presents that highlighted is sub-menu a figure, com appropriate an pick will player The combat. in select to er mand that the will execute without further input. The deter are received), damage given, damage (e.g. combat of metrics character’seach by mined valuesnumerical where (stats), statistics are given to reflect their proficiency in certain combat tasks. The design of a JRPG typically eschews ‘skill-based’ input for a more With to gameplay. tactical approach chic motorbike in his attempt to escape the city. chic motorbike in his attempt to escape games that demand a significant time investment. In the case of FFVII necessary hours more many with end, to beginning from hours 60 figure The game. the in hidden content optional vast the discover to game’s battle system is pre above demonstrates how the provided off square Tifa and Barret Cloud, of ‘party’ the image, the In sented. against a dragon, placed in opposition at the of margins the frame. common A feature of the JRPG is turn-based combat, in which the heroes exchange strikes with the enemy in In sequential the order. of the is note particular Of time. the of other with gelion dominant extraterrestrial force, and which similarly the reimagines mythological of realm Gaia/Gaea and questions both the personal history and intent of its protago nists Midgar is resonant with in Otomo’s Neo-Tokyo extent that Cloud, like Kaneda, battles his opponents on a techno- quarter

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Mako David Stevenson Stevenson David Volume 20 Cloud’s identity has been refac “What you Remember is the Illusion” is the Illusion” you Remember “What is most consistent is in the theme of delusion, and the Cloud’s delusion comes as a result from Mako poisoning after FFVII . ’s relevancespecific to its Japanese audience, with Hutchin 6 Player agency and character identification are manipu lated and disrupted by the designers, a creating self-re flexive environment where players are forced to draw world. and the real connections between the gameworld (2017: 72) Tifa is Tifa similarly deluded; she reminds him of a childhood event In terms of scholarship, much has been done in terms of covering of terms in done been has much scholarship, of terms In part of a project to obedient clones of produce the legendary Se phiroth. Cloud’s personality at the outset of the game is an amal gam of Zack (an actual member of SOLDIER whose sword Cloud supportthat memories childhood of retention the and wields) now this fragile identity as an elite mercenary. where Cloud vows to become a member of SOLDIER. Tifa recalls that Cloud was her closest friend in childhood, but the memories Where Where found are motives character’s and party beliefs the which to extent game’s the at player the to presented ‘Cloud’ The falsehoods. on ed opening - initially named ‘EX-SOLDIER’ [sic] is in fact neither a distinguished hero or indeed a member of SOLDIER in the first place his confrontation with Sephiroth in events set prior to the game’s be reactor, Nibelheim’s of core the into Sephiroth plunging After ginning. Cloud falls unconscious, only to be abducted by Shinra under the ma lign experiments of Professor Hojo.. of Jenova cells by implantation Professor Hojo the as by tored stances of physical mutation, loss of motor skills, amnesia, and death. The protagonist, Cloud, is himself a victim of exposure, which is reckoned with throughout the Central story. to Hutchin is that son’s argument interest interest in the game is contingent on identifying with both the sprawling therein. storyline and the characters FFVII anti-nuclear game’s the of reading intricate an presenting (2017) son discourse. This is seen most clearly in the definition of ‘ energy; spiritual planet’s the from harnessed source power a as gy’ highly efficient, but with a disastrous ecological toll. larly catastrophic to humans exposed directly to it, prompting in quarter

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David Stevenson Stevenson David Volume 20 , having been plungedbeen having , FFVII “What you Remember is the Illusion” is the Illusion” you Remember “What , the idea of heroism remains inacces remains heroism of idea the , FFVII Fig 2.2. The photograph presented to Cloud in his Fig 2.2. The photograph presented vision of Sephiroth. Within the bounds of bounds the Within Black Materia on Sephiroth’s behalf, the path of heroism is only false the with reconciled have they once characters the to accessible hoods that motivated their beginning. sible and largely abstract. The two major heroes of Gaia are Zack Zack of Gaia are abstract. The two major heroes sible and largely and Sephiroth. The character of Zack is only directly addressed in the optional cinema’ ‘secret event the towards close of the game, of events the by dead is Sephiroth and assault; reckless Cloud’s through reactor mako Nibelheim’s into interests. best Jenova’s in acting puppet deranged a is remains what the- Zack where Cloud, by unknowingly mirrored ideal an is Zack Giv elusive. remains SOLDIER, of hero disappeared and displaced obey largely are FFVII in party the and Cloud of events the that en ing a narrative engineered by Jenova, i.e. for Cloud to uncover the shown later in Cloud’s subconscious that proves this isimpression Tifa, and Cloud of delusion entwined the Beyond truth. the from far Barrett blames himself for the destruction of Corel and the loss of story. the of course the in alive found is he yet Dyne, friend best his spy, Shinra a is Sith Cait coward, a died father his believes XIII Red presents herselfYuffie as a legendary ninja and is in fact the runa way princess of the kingdom of Wutai. Where this dissonance be tween the projected self and reality is a consistent motif, they pre for joining Cloud on his quest. sent each character a salient motive quarter

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Fig 2.1 Cloud’s recollection of the photograph taken Fig 2.1 Cloud’s recollection at Nibelheim.

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David Stevenson Stevenson David Volume 20 “What you Remember is the Illusion” is the Illusion” you Remember “What . This memory unravels later in the game when Cloud experi Cloud when game the in later unravels memory This . 7 Tifa Tifa encourages him to mentally revisit the memory of Nibel DIER. To definereveals himself, memory a Cloud never ‘secret’ di DIER. To mem His him. excluded that clique a of part was Tifa that - vulged ory of following Tifa, until the two fell off aperilous mountain weak his identified he where moment defining a formed bridge, and forged a desire for strength; as a means to be noticed and included. The final memory of the ‘Nibelheim incident’ reveals an of role the in but recalled, he’s events the to spectator a as Cloud anonymous Shinra guard. Cloud is at Nibelheim as seen in fig 2.1, Cloud’s account of his memories. The firstrevelation is Tifa that never saw Cloud at the fall of Nibelheim; Zack now occupies second memory is the Cloud’s Cloud’s place in his recollection. promise Cloud made to Tifa in childhood - the defining memory tolikeness Zack’s and Cloud AVALANCHE. in stay him made that one another reveal the extent to which Cloud has emulated a hero the narrative. past, now absent from heim. Here, questions Tifa the approach of conscious memories as something that can be replicated, and so the probing turns to far SOL joining for reasoning his as such concepts, foundational more these events appear to be a satisfactory recollection to both player and leaving party, only Tifa to make a stoic inquiry into Cloud’s story ences a vision of Sephiroth. The photograph taken in Nibelheim is to be seen. In the second im but he is nowhere Cloud, to presented age, Zack appears to be Cloud’s individuated imposter, only by hair Following colour. these events, and Tifa Cloud are both en gulfed in the lifestream, swallowed by a fracture to the planet’s beginsand consciousness, Cloud’s in spectator a as exists Tifa core. medi now Tifa Significantly, past. the of accounts Cloud’s revisit to ates these memories and confronts the inconsistencies present in Cloud recalls the events that led him to leave SOLDIER. Fig 2.1 shows a flashback ofCloud’s triumphantreturn to his hometown, Nibelheim, as a proud member of SOLDIER and Sephiroth’s trust ed underling. In the image, Cloud is preparing to venture to the towns the terrorizing monsters exterminate to reactor Nibel Mount folk. photograph A is taken to inaugurate the event, with Cloud, the detail to proceeds Cloud side. by side placed Sephiroth and Tifa events at the including reactor, the ensuing destruction of Nibel heim by Sephiroth and their dramatic confrontation. The detail of quarter

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David Stevenson Stevenson David are are there to fill us Volume 20 FFVII sets up the motivations and “What you Remember is the Illusion” is the Illusion” you Remember “What FFVII ’s dialogue performs another task, as grand narrative is reason to persevere. FFVII as the narrative escalates to a mythic level as level mythic a to escalates narrative the as FFVII’s FFVII’s ’s ‘cinematic dialogue’ explores how text within within text how explores dialogue’ ‘cinematic ’s FFVII FFVII This restructuring of the classic heroic narrative is indebted to the to indebted is narrative heroic classic the of restructuring This Cloud’s gesture of self-acceptance sets an optimistic tone as the What differentiates Cloud’s story from other Final Fantasypro implementation of dialogue in-game. Greg Smith’s (2002) formalist (2002) Smith’s Greg in-game. dialogue of implementation of analysis the game first appropriates cinematic form, then diverts from it. Much like a filmic narrative, goals of its key character (Cloud), at the outset, but the interactive leftoften function narrative the serves combat game’s the of nature to film dialogue. Thus, Smith notes that ‘many of the key lines of game moves towards its concluding hours; that having no des tined place within In this sense, the narrative forgoes the typical moral dualism of heroic conflict, opting instead to place the awakenedCloud as an clearing up the residue of outsider, events which seven occurred years before the game’s beginning. This awakening marks a sig in shift nificant the party travels through to the centre of the planet to confront Jenova; a fight that culminates in a confrontation with the final, angelic incarnation of Sephiroth. fracture. What liberates Cloud is not the recovery of a hidden innerhidden a of recovery the not is Cloud liberates What fracture. strength, but instead the acceptance of his own weakness. Cloud’s child in strength physical of lack literal his to both refers weakness hood, but more aptly refers to his urge to be ‘noticed’ by others, illusory the to succumbs he easily how to explanation an providing narrative that Sephiroth provides him. The events revealed in Cloud’s coma scene radically alter the perception of the narrative; is now one be and Sephiroth the original duality between Cloud tween Zack and Sephiroth, where Cloud has been displaced of the far. motives that have guided him thus but is one of the two generic Shinra guards cloaked in deep blue fatigues to the right of the image. Once Cloud is able to accept his is a creation he admits that his identity at Nibelheim, incidental role will, and my own weaknesses”. Sephiroth’s of “Jenova cells, tagonists is the inversion of Rather the than hero’s ascend journey. to the role of a legendary hero, the game begins with Cloud as an ac and story, his in inconsistencies the until mercenary exceptional cusations of being a failed replica of Sephiroth, causes a psychic quarter

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------9 and ; the ; . Tellingly, . Tellingly, 9

Final Fantasy Xenogears , David Stevenson Stevenson David , but turned into Volume 20 , culminates with the FFVII pilots spar with ‘An FFVII FFVII mecha . The visual motif of a battle battle a of motif visual The . 8 “What you Remember is the Illusion” is the Illusion” you Remember “What , motivated by the question of iden . All of these texts engage in the minia the in engage texts these of All . ’s preoccupation with the past is a defini , develops the continuity of the exists in a gulf where it mirrors the religious Xenogears (1998), released after released (1998), FFVII Xenogears FFVII Evangelion was created from a story initially proposed by Tetsuya . , an anime in which teenage Xenogears , at the very least, appropriates thematic elements from ’s final battle is deliberately angelic; beyond this, he is also In this sense, FFVII series, and establishes the major theme of identity then explored of release the with struc This scale. ever-increasing an through humanity of turisation tural shift reorients the hero narrative from the horizontal conflict humanity which in narrative ‘vertical’ a towards villain and hero of Evangelion anxieties of tial in the writing of going?”.we are where we, are what from, come we do “where tity: in reappears plainly self the recollecting of motif The protagonist, Fei Fong is Wong, a construct of a ‘monster’, a ‘cow ard’, and the false persona of ‘Fei’. Fei’s bifurcated identity neatly overlays with Freud’s model of the psyche (his monstrous self is literally named ‘Id’), while the imagined persona of ‘Fei’ shields him from the truth - that he is, in fact, the reincarnation of a deity known as ‘Abel’. This particular synthesis between character inte psychology and spir mediated through riority and cosmic horror, itual intertext is a element congruent through with Sephiroth with at Sephiroth the end of the game. form Sephiroth’s taken in FFVII cosmos capable of attacking the party using the entire the game a and and cruel unfair his god.accomplices destroying protagonist Xenogears basis for as the and Kaori Tanaka Takahashi allegedly deemed “too dark and complicat a new and separate IP, ed” for one of Square’s mainline titles 2010). (Yip, Soraya Saga, a that concedes Takahashi, to partner and illustrator, writer, freelance the works of Nietzsche, and Freud Jung in particular influen were against an angelic figure is most distinctly seen in the confrontation confrontation the in seen distinctly most is figure angelic an against in on the past, not to point us toward the future’. Smith’s study demonstrates that emu the beyond function a serving dialogue game of example tive lation of film this dialogue; interrogation however, of the past also modernity to myth. to reconcile suggests a desire Evangelion gels’ intent on eradicating humanity quarter

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Śūnyatā Asian Philoso David Stevenson Stevenson David Volume . Ed. Heine, Steven. 20 Heidelberg Journal of Reli of Journal Heidelberg builds these elements into [Last Accessed: 27/11/2019]. [Last DOI: https://doi.org/10.17885/ DOI: FFVII “What you Remember is the Illusion” is the Illusion” you Remember “What [Last Accessed: 04/06/2020]. [Last Squaresoft on Playstation Marketing Plan Marketing Playstation on Squaresoft Vol. 13: 1-16. 13: Vol. Zen and Comparative Studies Vol. 2 (2): 15-30. Vol. Vol. 25 (4): 358-383. Vol. gions on the Internet the on gions Theological Exposition of the differentiation of Final Fantasy VII Fantasy Final of differentiation the of Exposition Theological Children.’ Advent VII: Fantasy Final and heiup.rel.2018.0.23842 Thought: Abe Weak Masao and Gianni Vattimo.’ phy Buddist Palgrave Macmillan: London. ps://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7687635/ Bamberger_marketing_files.0.pdf Finally, the heroism Finally, that Cloud projects to the player in a narrative in which the hero must firstremember himself before the crucible. passing through Banasik, Benjamin J. 2018. ‘Cloud Strife: The Intertestamental Hero - A A - Hero Intertestamental The Strife: ‘Cloud 2018. J. Benjamin Banasik, Botz-Bornstein, Thorsten. 2015. ‘Kenosis, Dynamic ticity replaces deed in what makes a hero. deed in what ticity replaces References Abe, Masao. 1969. ‘God, Emptiness, and Self.’ the True Abe, Masao. 1997. 1997. David. Bamberger, just like Cloud himself. Shaped by preconceptions of what heroes to become legend through how they start, and what they go are, incarnate. The revelation is that Cloud has merely been trying his best to meet the caricature of his own hero, Zack. is not the role as theby astray led journey; hero’s the of archetype the in expects one valor of his implanted past, and in shedding that past begins to role in earnest. thatfulfill The he the heroism is protagonist’s be lieved to hold at the outset is found to be false; true heroism is the but chosen, the nor exceptional the not is he that acknowledgement authen Now, truth. the in belief newfound his to due fight will who lingers As at stated the bottom rung of a totalizing mythic order. Cloud’s prior, psychological growth is significant on a narrative level, and arguably gratifying to but the player, it remains that the outcome of / success the Jenova) Sephiroth (in hero’s isdestroying ambiguous with regards to humanity’s long-term survival. The long-run and common a is destruction and apocalypse of motifs ning motif of Japanese media, but quarter

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, ------11 Vol. Vol. https:// , by Masao

Situated Play No. 5: 80-103. David Stevenson Stevenson David Who Owns Jung? Owns Who The Philosophy of Final Fantasy VII Fantasy Final Introducing Introducing Japanese Volume 20 Gamevironments “What you Remember is the Illusion” is the Illusion” you Remember “What Zen and Thought Western Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds Fujita, Masakatsu). Trans. Chapeskie, R and R Chapeskie, Trans. Masakatsu). Fujita, Philosophers of Nothingness: An Essay on the 500 Years 500 Later: Years An Oral History of Final Fantasy (Eds. Alisa Freedman Slade), and 71-80. Toby (Ed. [Last Accessed 14/11/2019]. [Last . University of Hawai’i Press. The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies Buddhist of Association International the of Journal The . Read-Only Memory: UK. al Communication and Management. [Working Paper]: [Working Management. and Communication al openarchive.cbs./bitstream/handle/10398/7034/wp76.pd f?sequence=1 Model Ever Played’: Using Topic Undirected nese You’ve RPG Anglophone in Presence JRPGs of Evolution the Examine to ling Publications’. Web the Kyoto School Kyoto the Singapore. M. Springer: J. W. Krummel, Economy, of Institute Research Externality.’ Complexity the and 2 (4): 1-47. (RIETI) Vol. and Industry Trade VII of the JRPG Genre.’ Construction Asia.’ Copenhagen Business School, Department of Intercultur Popular Culture Routledge. and London: York New rytelling in Japanese Games’, Ritsumeikan University Game preparato [Inaugural 2018, Japan, Replaying / ResearchCenter ry issue], 68-76. and London. York Ann Casement: 5-18. Routledge: New Ed. al History of Games through America’, Japan and Embodied Experience and Social Critique’, Proceedings of Digital Games and Research Association (DiG of Digital Proceedings Games and Research RA) Conference. Abe.’ 168-171. 10 (1): Vol. Kyoto School Pelletier-Gagnon, Pelletier-Gagnon, Jérémie. Much 2018. like ‘Very any Other Japa Mallindine, J.D. 2016. ‘Ghost in the Cartridge: Nostalgia and the Moeran, Brian. 2004. ‘Soft Sell, Hard Cash: Marketing J-Cult in Kobayashi, Keiichiro and Inaba, Masaru. 2002. ‘Japan’s Lost DecadeLost ‘Japan’s 2002. Masaru. Inaba, and Keiichiro Kobayashi, Leone, Matt. 2018. Hutchinson, Rachael. 2017. ‘Nuclear Discourse in Discourse ‘Nuclear 2017. Rachael. Hutchinson, Sto Hutchinson, Rachael. 2017. Transmedia ‘Refracted Visions: in Academy’ Japanese in ‘Jung 2007. Toshio. Kawai, Keiji, Nishitani. 2018.‘Nihility and Emptiness’, in Consalvo, Mia. 2007. ‘Visiting the Floating World: Tracing a Cultur a Tracing World: Floating the ‘Visiting 2007. Mia. Consalvo, Griffiths, Paul J. 1987. ‘Review: Heisig, Paul 2001. W. quarter

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kvarter akademisk , ------12 Siliconera Vol. 2 (2). Vol. Vol. 30 (2): 30 Vol.

David Stevenson Stevenson David [Last Accessed: https://www.ki [Last Accessed: Volume 20 1995-96. Japan: Gain Japan: 1995-96.

. Game Studies . PSX. Japan: Square. Dir. . PSX. Japan: Square. Dir. Vol. 5 (1). (1). 5 Vol. [Last Accessed: 13/05/2020]. Accessed: [Last Dejitaru Debiru Sutōrī: Megami Ten Megami Sutōrī: Debiru Dejitaru The Eastern Buddhist Eastern The 1996. Japan: Sunrise. Dir. Kazuki Dir. Sunrise. Japan: 1996. The Journal of Analytical Psychol “What you Remember is the Illusion” is the Illusion” you Remember “What https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468- . . 2005. Japan: Visual Works. Dir. Tet Dir. Works. . 2005. Visual Japan: Journal of International and Advanced Kinephanos ’ . 2020. PS4. Japan: . Tet Dir. Shinseiki Evangerion Shinseiki [Last accessed 14/11/2019]. [Last Accessed: 04/06/2020] [Last DOI: 10.1386/jgvw.10.2.135_1 Fainaru Fantajī Sebun Vol. 1: 35-43. Vol. . 2018. PS4/XB1/PC. Japan: Square Enix. Dir. Yoko Yoko Dir. Enix. Square Japan: PS4/XB1/PC. 2018. . . PSX. 1998. Japan: Squaresoft. Dir. . Tetsuya Dir. . PSX. 1998. Japan: Squaresoft. . 1990. Famicom. Japan: Atlus. Dir. Kouji Okada. Atlus. Dir. . 1990. Famicom. Japan: , vol. 58, pp. 52-72., DOI: Japanese Studies 10 (2): 135-148. sei Tsū Neon Genesis Evangelion. Nationalism.’ and School, Kyoto 245-266. Myth and Culture, Disaster”, ogy 5922.2013.02017.x 04/06/2020]. logue Conventions in Final Fantasy VII.’ http://www.gamestudies.org/0202/smith/ 13/05/2020]. Mix.’ Media Cultural the nephanos.ca/2015/kawaii-japan/ suya Nomura. suya Nomura. Anno. Hideaki ax. Dir. Taro. https://www.siliconera.com/2010/06/04/reflections-with- soraya--part-1/ Akane. Kitase. Yoshinori Tsang, Gabriel F. Y. 2016. Gabriel Tsang, Y. ‘Nihilism F. and Existentialist Rhetoric in the Zen, Present: the of Problem a as Past ‘The 1997. Taitetsu. Unno, Megumi. Yama, 2013. ‘Ego Consciousness in the Japanese Psyche: 1’, Part Saga, Soraya with ‘Reflections 2010. Spencer. Yip, Smith, Greg M. 2002. ‘Computer Games Have Dia Too: Words, Schules, Douglas. 2015. ‘Kawaii Japan: Defining JRPGS Through Final Fantasy VII: Remake / Evangelion Genesis Neon Automata NieR: Xenogears Works Cited: Works II / Story: Megami Tensei Devil Digital EscaflowneTenkū / no Esukafurōne Final Fantasy VII / Children Advent VII: Fantasy Final quarter

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[Accessed now threatens now threatens FFVII David Stevenson Stevenson David Mako Volume 20 ’, in October 1997. , recalls the meeting with Hiroshi Hiroshi with meeting the recalls , “What you Remember is the Illusion” is the Illusion” you Remember “What FFVII script and given additional emphasis . This version was eventually relaunched in relaunched eventually was version This . arrive according to the written prophecy of of prophecy written the to according arrive as their reckless search for search reckless their as katakana FFVII FFVII Evangelion ’s Gaea, destiny itself is a physical that property can be Final Fantasy VII: International Escaflowne a classified, in-universe version of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The design of the Angels closely mirror the historical depictions of Ophanim and Seraphim. This attack in particular was to altered look much spectacular more for of release Western the Japan as ‘ similarly uses a ‘fate alteration machine’ to transform his enemies, whoenemies, his transform to machine’ alteration ‘fate a uses similarly of this cosmic transformation. unaware remain The terms ‘SOLDIER’ (Shinra corporations’ elite task force), ‘EX-SOL English the in all-capitals in represented are ‘AVALANCHE’ and DIER’ translation. This convention is likely due to the original terms having been distinguished in when transcribed. After Cloud has recounted the events at Nibelheim, asks Tifa “Cloud? How badly was I injured when Sephiroth cut me?”. This is because, to to Nibelheim. knowledge, he never returned Tifa’s in Angels The https://www.famitsu.com/news/202004/21197153.html 05/05/2020] pro industrial by converted when ‘Mako’, as known is ‘Lifestream’ The Cloud that corporation villainous the is Shinra source. energy an to cess battles throughout the life of the planet. In observed with scientific apparatus, much like a photon or magnetic field. The protagonist, Hitomi, believes she is capable of using her the necklace is grandmother’s - necklace the in to future reality, predict Dornkirk, Emperor villain, The fate. alter to her allows that apparatus an Hinrobu Sakaguchi, producer of producer Sakaguchi, Hinrobu (then-President of Yamauchi Nintendo Japan) to officiate Square’s dis solution with Nintendo, and the ‘very warm welcome’ extended by Nintendo. Hiroshi Kawai, lead character designer on sponds to Sakaguchi’s version of events: “What I heard was Nintendo us, never come back.’” (Leone, 2018: 70). leaving said, ‘if you’re shorthand the in expressed commonly is Game’ Role-Playing ‘Japanese of ‘JRPG’.

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