[ff] i am thinking again about how utterly wasted Red XIII is in FF7

he would be a bright spot in the party in most other RPGs but he's totally snowed under the twentysomething humans' issues in 7 and gets no plot oxygen

and also it's just structurally weird that Red XIII sort of pre-empts Cloud's story in lighthearted miniature but this isn't addressed by the plot structure or characters at all

(I think when Cait Sith pre-empts Aeris's story, that's handled a bit more smartly; although the other characters don't remark on it, the setting of the scene and its placement within the story works)

the only clear line indicating that Cloud and Red have similar issues is the part where Barret compares Red's personality to Cloud, which happens long before we find out anything about either

there's also Tifa telling him to 'be strong' in that weird foreshadowing scene that goes absolutely nowhere, and if you're really stretching the part where Yuffie is teasing Cloud, he shoots her down and she

states she'll tease Red instead

IMAGINE HOW WEIRD IT IS MAKING A PARTY-BASED GAME WHERE TWO CHARACTERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AND NEITHER OF THEM TALK ABOUT IT AT ALL WITH EACH OTHER

???????

and that's before we get into all the stuff with Red that was just straight-up cut

e.g. 80% of his plot

moral - don't add a character just to prove you can animate quadrapeds

i mean "as ll these characters with similar issues never talk about it"

is kind of a big problem for all of ffvii

all the interparty relationships just get dropped

i love red so much tho

here's hoping the remake digs into it

here's also hoping that Cloud says "Let's Mosey" at the end still and means it

i mean, it is IC for cloud and red to never actually sit down and communicate about it, because they're both useless

but you'd expect an awk interaction where it's clear they both want to?

yeah

cloud talks more about his similarities with the unnamed airship personnel who lets you save then he ever does with one of your first 5 party members!!!!!!!!

pls give red more to do in the remake SE.

want 2 cuddle liondog son