[DTF!] Final Fantasy 7 <-> Final Fantasy 7 Remake Comparisons

[Dice]

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Barret!
"I've been here since the beginning and I still don't know what the hell's goin' on." - B.W.

1997 Barret had a giant, comically exaggerated frame: His body is like some sort of Marvel character (he could literally grab his entire head with one hand), and his anger made him look like a Dragon Ball Z character.

The challenge was translating that exaggeration into a realistic form, and I really like what we got. It's easier on the eyes and adapts his giant stature well.
Simply put: What a massive glow-up! I've already mentioned FF7R's interest in making characters 'pretty' – and Barret is way more handsome compared to his '97 days. Like Cloud, his appearance was softened up, but in a good way.

The most immediate change I saw was getting rid of the steel rings around his waist & arm for more realistic accessories. I DID like how the silver bands stood out before (matching his dog tags and earring), but it really wasn't practical or functional – just purely aesthetic (and probably uncomfortable?).

The waist rings became (what I see as) a weightlifting belt. And it'd make sense given his overall size and that he's constantly wielding a heavy piece of metal – so core strength/support would be important (and visually, it reinforces his strong frame).

Barret also bought a shirt! A plain black top replaces having nothing there before (it's a scoop neck too, so it still shows off his pectorals). For PS1 Barret I can FEEL the nipples chafing on denim, but the undershirt is practical and… I dunno, plays into his sentimental angle better? Getting parental-like advice from a shirtless guy just has a different vibe I guess lol.

I appreciate the more textured look of everything now too. Barret's jacket was pretty simple before, but now it's got pockets, zippers, and straps. And PS1 Barret's pants were …just pants™, while the 2020 bottoms now have textures and seams. Both jacket and pants fit better too; hugging his shape rather than bunching up. (Though ya can't blame the '90s for loving a loose fit -- t'was the style then).

Additionally, his single belt in the PS1 game has now changed into an elaborate set of leg bags for whatever eco-terror needs. Visually speaking: I like that it adds more bulk to a tank-class character (some of that mass lost in his cartoon form is made up in other ways). I also like the reliance on plastic clasps than belts (you'd *expect* Square Enix to swing that way and they didn't 😜).

The tattoo is different (and has been since Advent Children). From a small "skull breathing fire" to a large "skull ON fire" (I think it looks like Jack Skellington). He's got massive arms so it's good that tattoo covers more!

Also Barret's one of few FF characters with body hair, and I respect the commitment to rendering quite a lot of it! His beard hair extends down the neck and chest, and he's got quite a bit of arm hair now. (Hairy people: Square sees you! 👀)
Speaking of hair: That's changed too; from a shaved hi-top to a shorter style that's more grown out on the sides.

Barret's gun arm now has extra support! Before was a clean-cut that immediately went from fore-arm to gun-arm™, but now extra padding and straps secure the tech better – and it takes up nearly the entirety of his right arm (not just the wrist). After hearing that amputees aren't likely to use those fancy robot arms you see for a very practical reason (they're heavy!), I feel like this change is sensible, and makes Barret's injury and surgery feel more lived-in than before. i.e.; It's not a clean-cut or "easy replacement" – it's something he has to constantly wear and strap into.

Finally: He's got sunglasses now! Barret's a big tough guy – but he's also a big-hearted guy. I think he's cried at least 4x on the journey so far (the Sector 7 collapse, when Marlene is found safe, during the Dyne episode, and at the end of Rebirth). ...And I'm not even shaming! Barret is passionate, strong, and a bit of a father-figure to many. He carries a lot of weight on his shoulders (doing 'bad things' often for the greater good) and he absolutely holds nothing in (anger or otherwise).

😎 Sunglasses will always make you look at least a LITTLE tough and mysterious; but they've also been there for the times when he needs to hide his tears.

Love it all.

"Let's Dance Asshole" / 10 (that's good!)

Other Odds & Ends​

I love Barret's Advent Children key art with Marlene. How do we feel about his AC style though?

Frog Barret regenerates his missing arm! Frogs do this! I suppose it's not worth changing the model too much, but this is such a fascinating quirk to think about it.

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[Dice]

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Aerith
"Actually it's pronounced Aeriス"

Cloud and Barret look like soldiers 💪... Tifa is a barmaid brawler 🥊 ... And Aerith is a flower girl.🌸

That is: She's more of a normal girl. She's caring, she's sweet, she makes jokes, [she can sense when people die], and she lives the slum-life to the fullest. Aerith captures modern femininity through her design.

Despite some minor hangups, her look is completely iconic. The challenge over the years was taming it into a style that could be, er, a little more adaptable into real life (...mostly the hair) and modernized for current fashion trends.

HAIR​

'97 - First thing's first: Those bangs are HUUGE. The high bangs (where it spikes up then spikes back down) were big around the 90s [1], but Aerith and Sephiroth might have reached new heights in anime hair with this. That said, I don't hate it -- I love that her face is clear and easy to see. (I can hear my mum saying "get those bangs off your face so people can see your pretty eyes!"). Realistically speaking: It's strange, but I can't help but love it.

I do have a theory! Maybe this style is a version of voluminous 80's/90's styles that got more exaggerated the more it got adapted [2]. Internet detectives similarly pieced together how Case Closed 's Ran might have evolved into her characteristic HAIR SPIKE from a SWOOP! [3]... I'm not saying this is what's happened here, but it's the best I got. 🤷‍♀️ I think it's just 'cool 90s volume' cranked to an 11.

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'20 - But the '97 hair just can't work in real life. Full stop. Cosplayers have [accurately!] tried, and it just isn't the same. Remake Aerith instead has THICK curtain bangs that evenly parts in the middle to frame her face (the intent is to have her bangs lead your eyes down to her lips 👄). The rest is mostly unchanged: A twist braid is done up by a pink ribbon, and medium-length curls fall along the sides of her ears. It's clean and pretty.

...So I got beef here.🐮 Her curly locks on the sides drive me nuts, especially during a few big scenes in Rebirth. It's odd when one part of her hairdo is curly while the rest looks straighter. it's weird seeing different curls on different lengths of hair, it makes her hair style look unfinished/messier than it should [4] – no one really styles their hair like this lol. In my opinion, her hair should be wavy all the way through.

Additionally, consistent curls would match Ifalna's hair better [5], and Aerith SHOULD be the wavy counterpart to Tifa's straight hair. But for my money, it's Aerith's Wall Market hair [2] and Amano designs [1] that do a better job incorporating more natural and realistic waves throughout her hair. In these artworks her side curls LOOK like REAL curls that taper off naturally (and look less like a chopped off braid that won't unravel [6]), I'd also argue it's more accurate to the intent of the PS1 game's design (even being more asymmetrical) [7].

So uh point is: "Hair Down Aerith" is better in Remake > Rebirth.

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It was always going to be hard working this style realistically. And even in Remake it still looks...very cartoony lol. 🧐 I don't expect people to share my hangup here, and really it's me splitting hairs over something I generally think looks beautiful, even if it's not especially realistic.

JACKET ​

'97 - I won't lie: I like this more. The metal sleeves are punk AF and it suits the Aeris who grew up in the Slums. I LOVE the big shoulders and the high-crop . Shoulder pads are sorta "in" these days, but only with specific "power looks" (i.e. it's more high fashion than common). But big shoulders were already going out of style in the 90s, and I think the reason they're used here is legit that "hero factor" it gives off: It makes you look assertive, bold, and it more shape and "architecture" to the garment!

Don't worry, I'm not trying to sell you on shoulder pads, but here's an example to demonstrate the effect it has....
(...but it also kinda looks like she's shrugging lol)

'20 - Now she has a more standard jean jacket with a relaxed fit, which suits her carefree attitude better and makes her look slender (especially now that her dress adds volume). The belt buckle sleeves make more sense than steel cuffs[!], and gold metals replace silver accents to keep things warm ('cause it's Tifa who gets silver accessories). I really love the brand new star studs on the shoulders.

Red jackets are always chic.

DRESS​

I basically found exactly what she's wearing, and this look has been around for ages – you couldn't ask for a more modern (or girly) outfit. It's the perfect contrast: Those big chunky brown boots are perfectly complimented by a sweet feminine dress. It's cute and versatile – fashionable yet casual (...fasual 😎).

'97 - I LOVE the old dress; it was EVERYWHERE in the 90s. Funny enough, these frocks often had floral print, which Aeris forgoes for a solid dark pink colour. But I love the full buttoned-down dress, and the slit halfway up makes it just a little dishy. From movies I remembered Julia Gulia from The Wedding Singer wearing the full ensemble, and Marissa Tomei from Only You (George Costanza's favorite movie!) who's wearing the buttoned-down dress like Aeris has on.

'20 - This fluffier dress makes her look more like a country bumpkin. There's frills, lace, and a bow at the waist – I am imagine this was to soften her up. She's a gardener, she's hangs with kids, and her new dress better matches her fluffy and sweet personality (Tifa's already got the real estate for being "the sexy one", and Aerith looks really "va va voom" when her '97 dress is on a realistic model😳). Going from dark pink to a patterned light pink and white makes the dress brighter (literally, and figuratively it feels more innocent).

It's a little froufrou for my tastes, but I like it for her!

ACCESSORIES (SPOILER WARNING)​

Her '97 cuffs are now a set of 3 bracelets. A rose gold ring with florals on it (hmm), a silver one with small bolts on it (HMMM), and a plain yellow gold bracelet (hmm??). I think it's fine to take these bracelets at face value, but interpreting them is way more fun. I'm not sure what the '97 bracelet were going for, so this is a beautiful way to retool it while retaining the old shape/tiers/colours. This feels specific and personal.

The leather cord necklace is classic and modest. But the extra floral pendant in 2020s Aerith is a nice touch. You can buy it officially too (and like Yuna's necklace, I want them).

I think it's easy to see Aerith's design (and personality) as twee… and it kinda is, but at least they see through it pretty faithfully. Her outfit is so wonderfully normal, but an aspect of Aerith's appeal feels 'unreal' that the whole "world-saving florist with a heart of rose gold" just kinda works. 🌹

I realize this went on long...but I dunno... Whenever I look at Aerith through her many renditions, I think it's safe to say Square Enix have similarly laboured over designing her to be practically perfect.

...In part, I think, to make losing her that much harder.

TLDR;
1990s Aeris is cool and kicky.
2020s Aerith is fluffy and sweet

TOO LATE / 10

Other Odds and Ends​

Frog Aerith!! 😭 💕

A mod with Aerith's Advent Children attire (which is basically her '97 attire).
...It still suits her. :(

Brianna White does Aertith cosplay! She does such a great job voicing such an important and tricky character --- FF7 can be HARD material to work with. I feel it's easy to put on "soft airs" for such a passive girl, but Brianna finds a way to make Aerith sound natural, flexible, and at times adorkable.

Remember Adella Cosplay? She was probably one of the earliest cosplayers to totally nail Aerith's look (and she's quite a beauty herself), but even with that…you can tell why the hairstyle had to change.

My phone wallpaper. ♥ (And here's a clean, slightly edited version if anyone wants it)

Aerith's other looks....aren't great IMO. :/ The girl's consistent, but they're all just a little much. Her Ever Crisis bikini is the best one, but we got grandma's doily table cloth covering her up.

Click to shrink...