REBUTTAL TO: Final Fantasy VIII Revisited
Henry Phan wrote of his questions about Final Fantasy VIII and some of the debates that surround this game. As a great fan of the game myself, I find some of the answers Henry wishes to find hidden deep within the game itself, shown when you evaluate the various characters so vividly depicted. I will try to give my answers to his questions and I hope that they may shed some light on the game and its reasons for being.
Henry asked how Squall could win the heart of Rinoa? As he said, Squall is good looking, but Final Fantasy games are not known for their shallowness when it comes to the main love stories within them, so what could it be? I think it's possible to see whenever you look at Rinoa's character.
She has a very weak character as you might recall from playing the game. She is very childish, dragging Squall out when they first meet so that SHE can dance, no other reason. She has the normal teenage crush on Seifer; he is the dashing, anti-hero type of person: beautiful, mischievous, and an altogether rogue. However, nothing comes of their tryst. Moving on, we meet her again in the Owls' hideout and find her to be a more pampered, selfish young girl than was previous let known, and the game lets us see this more fully. Yes, she has her strong side and she knows what has to be done, but deep down she is a pampered girl with little knowledge of the wild world nor of love.
Rinoa is faced with the dark, brooding Squall, who interested her at the dance and offered her a challenge: to break through his walls and get to know him. She is not attracted to him straight away. She is intrigued by him, and this combined with her weak personality lead to what becomes a great love story. When Squall rescues Rinoa after Edea sent lizards to kill her, he tells her to stay close to him. He has already saved her and is now commanding her to stay with him; with her interest already piqued by the guy, and her childlike mindset, it is no wonder she becomes infatuated in him and as she matures and learns more of him, deeply in love.
That's Rinoa's side of the story. I hope it was informative. Now, on to dear Seifer.
Seifer is the typical bully. Strong on the outside and deeply weak on the inside, as shown by his breakdown after he is told off by the Headmaster of Garden. He cannot handle rejection and he wishes to improve his station through acts of brawn whilst having fun. His dream is to be a deep knight, something that he has probably wanted since he was in the orphanage because it would allow him to be safe and secure even though he was on his own. Through this, the Sorceress is able to manipulate him; making him think he is being a true, strong knight for her cause, she allows Seifer to be what he had always dreamed of. More people in the real world are manipulated by others through their dreams than is really known, but it happens, just as it happened to Seifer.
He was specifically chosen because he was known to Edea, inhabited by Ultimecia at the time, and because his dreams made him rather susceptible. He was strong, brave and would do anything that allowed him a chance to beat Squall, who would ultimately end up fighting Ultimecia/Edea as that was why Garden had been created. Why not Seifer? He is really the perfect candidate for the position.
That is Seifer's side. Does it work?
Rinoa as Ultimecia... no, I do not see it, at all. Personally, I view this debate as silly as Henry does so I have no qualms with him there.
I have attempted to argue my case to the best of my abilities. In the end, the game is a really enjoyable one so these debates are just extensions of the games. After all, a game would not spark such debates if it was not enjoyable, or at least had some thought provoking aspects to it. In the end, it is a Final Fantasy game, and though they have fallen on hard times lately, their stories have never failed to entertain or provoke thought.
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