After teasing it earlier this week, Square Enix published in Japan a 13-minutes short film forFinal Fantasy VII Remake. The film features actresses and actors Masataka Kubota, Misato Morita, and Tetsuji Tamayama. It pictures how a young man, played by Kubota, never played the originalFinal Fantasy VIIand slowly gets interested in the remake.
Let me tell you this first. The movie’s acting is pretty forced, like most Japanese dramas, so you might stop reading right now if that’s not your thing. Some of the dialogue is super teleguided, to show some typical fan reactions and explainFinal Fantasy VII Remake’s features. For example, there’s a dialogue which pretty much goes:
“It’s gonna suck if it’s not ATB "
“Yeah, but they added a Classic Mode that feels like the original!”.
Anyway, if you dare to step forward, here is the short film, along with a summary of its story:
The main character, which we’ll call MC for convenience, finds the CD 3 ofFinal Fantasy VIIin his flat. His lover Kana, played by Misato Morita, felt nostalgic about the game and brought out the CDs. They don’t own a PS1 though. Later at work, MC chats about how he never playedFFVII. His superiors start going on and on about how specialFFVIIis to those of their generation. How they remember meticulous stuff like the method to get the Knights of the Round Summon Materia. And how they are curious about what’ll happen with the remake.
Back at home, MC is watching the latestFFVII Remaketrailer and asks Kana about it. This triggers a flashback about how Kana would watch her brother play all the time. However, the last time Kana talked with her older brother was over 8 years ago when their father passed away. Kana mentions MC acting so uninterested is just like Cloud.
The next day, MC gets more and more interested inFFVIIbut won’t admit it. Meanwhile, Kana starts thinking she should get in touch with her brother.
MC and Kana meet at a bar and encounter anFFVIIotaku there, played by Tetsuji Tamayama. Otaku guy starts explaining how everyone was into the game back then, whipping out theFFVIIofficial strategy guide. The otaku guy is shocked to learn MC never playedFFVII.He starts rambling about how youngsters who grew up with the internet don’t know anything. He asks Kana what scene left her with an impression, and she says stuff like Cloud cross-dressing or stuff about Aerith. Otaku guy cuts her off, as she shouldn’t say more. He basically mentions howFinal Fantasy VIIwill always exist and never change, but a new era ofFinal Fantasy VIIwill start in 2020.
We then get a bunch of flashbacks showing various japanese kids playingFinal Fantasy VII. The otaku guy is narrating. He makes a huge deal out ofFinal Fantasy VIIand how it revolutionized gaming. And how a similar revolution will again happen in 2020. Needless to say, this film is a commercial forFFVII Remake, so he didn’t mention thatFFVIIis a masterpiece but thatFFVIis better.
As the flashback ends, MC admits he’s jealous he didn’t get to experienceFFVIIback then, seeing how happy everyone seems when remembering it. Otaku guy retorts that people like him who played the original are also jealous of those like MC who will discover everything withFFVII Remake. Otaku guy says they should meet again after he plays the game, and leaves the bar, all while acting as if he’s riding a Chocobo.
The next morning, MC and Kana promise each other they’ll get a PS4 and playFinal Fantasy VII Remaketogether. But only when it releases, as MC didn’t realize the game wasn’t out yet. Kana’s brother sends her a message asking how’s she’s doing and if she saw the remake. They end up calling each other. We see the various characters, all wondering howFinal Fantasy VII Remakewill turn out. Happy end.
Square Enix made a cliche as hell short movie, but it definitely was fun to watch and relatable. Kana’s experience was particularly well played too. While the film does show little girls playingFFVIItoo during the flashbacks, the dumb idea that only boys play video games was pretty strong back then, Japan included. Kana’s story also brings up how many have trouble connecting with their own family members.
Anyone who played a game as good asFinal Fantasy VIIin their childhood has similar experiences. Now to see if they remake will actually be as good. And hopefully,the game’s next part(s) won’t take too long to release.
Square Enix recently revealed a newFinal Fantasy VII Remakescreenshot for Halloween. The latest trailerwas revealed at TGS 2019, showing the members of Turks.Aerith’s English voice actressshowed her enthusiasm in a reaction video too.And here' s thelatest gameplay videoandscreenshots explaining the Summon and Materia systems. Lastly, we translated aFamitsu interview with Tetsuya Nomura you should definitely check out.
Final Fantasy VII Remakelaunches exclusively on PS4 on June 26, 2025.You can preorder the game on Amazon to support us.
