I confess: I'm a Final Fantasy "fan-girl"

For the past few years, I have been a huge fan of Final Fantasy games. The riveting storylines, the character development, the back-stories, the detailing in the FMVs and artwork, the strategy and of course the music composed by Nobuo Uematsu bring the games together to make a unique and exciting experience for each game.

The latest games have also begun to make use of voice acting and even pop music in the soundtrack, using such talents as Faye Wong, Rikki, and Utada Hikaru - opening me up to different singers and types of music I would never have ever known about. (Yes, I'm now a fan of Utada Hikaru, haha!!)

Most recently, I have been reading more and more about the up and coming FF movie - Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, which takes place 2 years after the game. And I can't wait for it to come to North America.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children takes place 2 years after the original game. If you haven't seen any of the artwork, screenshots or even any trailers, I suggest checking out this website:
www.adventchildren.net and you'll see why I'm so excited about it. I assure you it's definitely worth checking out. You could also check out the official website but alas, the text is in Japanese (but you could look at the pics and trailers).

I will remember FFVII as one of the first FF games I have owned (aside from the very old Nintendo ones). I will also remember this game as the one that actually brought tears to my eyes at the unexpected and sudden death of a beloved main character - which occurred in the middle of the game. Yes - they killed the character - no reviving with phoenix downs or healing with magic or potions - this character literally died with a sword through her torso, and there was no chance of bringing her back (although I kept hoping throughout the game she would magically appear). (Apparently she makes an appearance in the movie - maybe as a flashback??!! - YAAY!!)

At that point, I knew that FF was a different kind of game - willing to take the risk of killing off a character. FF approaches its audience as mature adults, able to deal with such serious themes as the meaning of life, class conflict, spirituatlity, death and loss, poverty, love and friendship (rather than the simple and easy good vs. evil). Each FF game has its own well-thought-out world and history. Each character has their own problems and history, their own inner conflicts and their own motivations. Many characters aren't easily put in the "good" or "bad" role. There is no cut and paste character and there is no black and white.

As much as each FF game is set in a fantasy world, the themes and the characters are very real. I truly wish to aspire to that level of writing - being able to create a world that just sucks you in, and characters that anyone can relate to, that you can imagine yourself interacting with.

For so many reasons, I admit that I am a Final Fantasy "fan-girl".