The following article by Robert Seddon was reprinted with permission from Face of the Moon.
MDS7
Robert Seddon says: We begin just after the alternative version of the pre-promise scene, and as you can see this version starts off familiar but exhibits much more foreshadowing than the final script; this seems to be an emerging trend in the unused text.
| 『ここで回想へ{EOL} | To the flashback |
| ニブルヘルム村・旅立ち編』{END} | Nibelheim – Travelling |
Robert Seddon says: Placeholder text; refers to the promise flashback.
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「思い出してくれたみたいね、約束」{END} | Looks like you remembered the promise. |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「俺は英雄でも有名でもない。{EOL} | I’m not a hero and I’m not famous. |
| 約束は・・・・・・守れない」{END} | I can’t keep… the promise. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「でも子供のころの夢を実現したでしょ?{EOL} | But you made your childhood dream come true, right? |
| ちゃんとソルジャーになったんだもの」{END} | You became a SOLDIER. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「ねえ、これからどうするの?」{END} | So, what will you do now? |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「・・・・・・セフィロスをさがす」{END} | …Search for Sephiroth. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「セフィロス・・・・・・生きてるの?」{END} | Sephiroth… is alive? |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「わからない。{EOL} | I don’t know. |
| もう死んでるならそれでいいさ」{NewScreen} | If he’s dead, that’s fine. |
| 「でも、生きてるんだったら{EOL} | But if he’s alive, |
| 俺は・・・・・・あのときの決着を{EOL} | I… have to settle things |
| つけなくちゃならない」{END} | once and for all. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「あのとき?」{END} | “Settle things”? |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「5年前・・・・・・ニブルヘイム。{EOL} | 5 years ago… Nibelheim. |
| 俺たちの故郷をあいつは・・・・・・」{END} | Our hometown, he… |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「{Tifa}だってそうだろ?{EOL} | Don’t you feel the same, Tifa? |
| ひどい目にあったんだからな」{END} | You went through something horrible. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「・・・・・・・・・・・・」{END} | …… |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「{Cloud}・・・・・・あのときのこと{EOL} | Cloud… you know |
| 知ってるの?」{END} | about what happened? |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「知ってるもなにも・・・・・・よく覚えてる」{END} | I know everything.. I remember it well. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「・・・・・・・・・・・・」{END} | …… |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「ん? どうした?」{END} | Huh? What’s wrong? |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「・・・・・・{Cloud}、覚えてるんだ・・・・・・」{END} | …Cloud, you remember… |
| {Barret}{EOL} | Barret: |
| 「おう!!{EOL} | Oi!! |
| いつまで、ごたごたやってんだ!!」{END} | How long till you stop fussin’!! |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「わかった。{EOL} | I understand. |
| {Cloud}はセフィロスを探すのね」{END} | You’re going to look for Sephiroth. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「でも・・・・・・気が変わったらもどってきて」{END} | But… if you change your mind, come back to us. |
Robert Seddon says: So that’s another point at which Cloud seems to be leaving; compare Barret yelling at him to ‘get the hell out’ in other unused text.
MDS7 Part 2
| {Barret}{EOL} | Barret: |
| 「いくぜ!!{EOL} | We’re movin’ out!! |
| もたもたすんな!!」{END} | Quit laggin’!! |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「いきましょ!」{END} | Let’s go! |
| 「お、おいっ!!{EOL} | O, oi!! |
| どいたっ!!{EOL} | It moved!! |
| どいたっ!!」{END} | It moved!! |
| 「撃たれるっ!!{EOL} | I’m hit!! |
| 撃たれるっ!!」{END} | I’m hit!! |
| 「ゴリラ!!{EOL} | Gorilla!! |
| ゴリラ!!」{END} | Gorilla!! |
| 「ヤダッ!{EOL} | No! |
| さわんないでよっ!!{EOL} | Don’t touch!! |
| 変態!!」 | Pervert!! |
| 「あら、いやだ!{EOL} | Ew! |
| {Barret}が帰ってきちゃったよ。{EOL} | Barret’s back. |
| きっとまずいことがあるよ」{END} | That mean something bad’s gonna happen. |
| 「ほら、やっぱり。{EOL} | Yeah, see? |
| いわんこっちゃない」{END} | I told ya so. |
Robert Seddon says: The mind boggles. Children at play? ‘Gorilla’ as a possibly racial slur directed at Barret? Some completely unknown NPC(s)? We don’t know. We now move indoors to Seventh Heaven (mds7pb_1): most of these lines do appear in the English files, though not during gameplay, but there are occasional differences between those versions and what GlitterBerri makes the Japanese script out to say.
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「ね、{Cloud}{EOL} | Hey, Cloud! |
| このお花、ちゃんと{MULTICOLOUR}根{MULTICOLOUR} がついてるわ。{EOL} | This flower’s {MULTICOLOUR}roots{MULTICOLOUR} are still attached. |
| 「枯らさないようにすれば{EOL} | If I don’t let it wilt, maybe |
| ふやせるかもね!」{END} | more will grow! |
Robert Seddon says: From a technical point of view, the noteworthy thing about the above is that it doesn’t correspond to even a blank dialogue box in the (English language) PC version’s files as viewed in Loveless.exe. Maybe it isn’t referenced in the game’s own tables… I don’t know; but the presence of such things – there seem to be quite a few in the Honey Bee Inn – doesn’t make our job any easier. The use of ‘Limit’-style colour-scrolling text on a single kanji is striking: why would so much emphasis be wanted? Maybe the early plans were to have less subdued formatting. We can see by comparing this in-development promotional screenshot NexusJannis found…
…with how the same text looks in the final game…
…that at some point Square clearly changed their minds about the division of text between boxes; maybe they also made other stylistic changes at the same time. (Incidentally, note that Marlene’s pose is different too.) Even so, why emphasise that word? Maybe Square once planned to do more with the flower.
| 『ドカドカドカ!!というSEがはいるよてい』{END} | “’Bang bang bang!!’ sound effect planned.” |
Robert Seddon says: The English files have: Thudthudthud!! That ???? is supposed to come in. It now seems this refers to Barret’s footfall as he charges in (reading SE as ’sound effect’).
| 『ピンボール動く{EOL} | “Plans for the |
| ・・・・・・{EOL} | pinball machine to |
| ・・・・・・予定』{END} | ……move.” |
Robert Seddon says: This could well be another placeholder; 『』 brackets seem to be used for those elsewhere. The next couple of pieces of unused Seventh Heaven dialogue can be found in the English files, but there are a couple of points to note.
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「{Cloud}! もどってくれるの?{EOL} | Cloud! You’re back? |
| あ、でも、ちょっとまって」{NewScreen} | Oh, just a minute! |
| 「プレジデント神羅の発表が{EOL} | President Shinra’s address |
| ニュースで読まれるの」{END} | is being read on the news. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「私たち・・・・・・次はソルジャーと戦うのね」{END} | We… we’re up against SOLDIER next. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「{Cloud}、助けてくれるのね?」{EOL} | Cloud, you’ll help us, won’t you? |
| ☞ 約束だからな{EOL} | ☞I did promise. |
| ☞ でも、{Barret}がきらい{END} | ☞But, I hate Barret. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「ありがとう、{Cloud}」{END} | Thank you, Cloud. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「そんなこと言いにきたの?」{END} | You came to tell me that? |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa; |
| 「・・・・・・悪い人じゃないわ」 | …He’s not a bad person. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa; |
| 「だいじょうぶ。{EOL} | It’s alright. |
| 私からちゃんと話しておくから」{END} | I’ll talk to him, OK? |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「さあ、下へいきましょ!」{END} | Well, let’s head downstairs! |
Robert Seddon says: Another bit with a difference from the English files:
| ビックス{EOL} | Biggs: |
| 「あのさ、{Cloud}!{EOL} | Um, Cloud! |
| {Barret}は、あんなこと言ってるけど・・・」{NewScreen} | Barret says things like that, but… |
| 「おれたち、ほんとは不安なんだ。{EOL} | We’re really worried. |
| ソルジャーが出てきたら{EOL} | If SOLDIER gets involved, |
| おれたち、みんなやられちまう」{END} | we’re all done for. |
| ウェッジ{EOL} | Wedge: |
| 「{Cloud}さん、手貸してくださいよ。{EOL} | Cloud, please help us out. |
| 俺、こわいっす」{END} | I’m scared. |
| ジェシー{EOL} | Jessie: |
| 「{Cloud}・・・・・・{EOL} | Cloud… |
| なんだか、せつないよ」{NewScreen} | You look kinda miserable. |
| 「どうしてなの?」{END} | What’s wrong? |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「どうなってる・・・・・・?{EOL} | What’s happening…? |
| やけにゆれるな・・・・・・」{END} | I’m really shaking… |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「{Tifa}・・・・・・?{EOL} | Tifa…? |
| どこだ?」{END} | Where am I? |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「・・・・・・俺はどこへ向かっている・・・・・・」{END} | …Where am I going… |
Robert Seddon says: The last line seems to correspond to …I’m going out… in the English files, which made me think Cloud was walking out of the door, or maybe blacking out (since I was thinking about how the Materia outtake starts with him slumped by the pinball machine). Reading this, however, I now suspect this is Cloud’s first time on the pinball machine lift: his reaction makes it sound as though he hasn’t already seen it used as a lift, which suggests a different order of events on first entering Seventh Heaven. This is all speculative, of course.
The following article by Robert Seddon was reprinted with permission from Face of the Moon.
MDS7
Robert Seddon says: We begin just after the alternative version of the pre-promise scene, and as you can see this version starts off familiar but exhibits much more foreshadowing than the final script; this seems to be an emerging trend in the unused text.
| 『ここで回想へ{EOL} | To the flashback |
| ニブルヘルム村・旅立ち編』{END} | Nibelheim – Travelling |
Robert Seddon says: Placeholder text; refers to the promise flashback.
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「思い出してくれたみたいね、約束」{END} | Looks like you remembered the promise. |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「俺は英雄でも有名でもない。{EOL} | I’m not a hero and I’m not famous. |
| 約束は・・・・・・守れない」{END} | I can’t keep… the promise. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「でも子供のころの夢を実現したでしょ?{EOL} | But you made your childhood dream come true, right? |
| ちゃんとソルジャーになったんだもの」{END} | You became a SOLDIER. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「ねえ、これからどうするの?」{END} | So, what will you do now? |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「・・・・・・セフィロスをさがす」{END} | …Search for Sephiroth. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「セフィロス・・・・・・生きてるの?」{END} | Sephiroth… is alive? |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「わからない。{EOL} | I don’t know. |
| もう死んでるならそれでいいさ」{NewScreen} | If he’s dead, that’s fine. |
| 「でも、生きてるんだったら{EOL} | But if he’s alive, |
| 俺は・・・・・・あのときの決着を{EOL} | I… have to settle things |
| つけなくちゃならない」{END} | once and for all. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「あのとき?」{END} | “Settle things”? |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「5年前・・・・・・ニブルヘイム。{EOL} | 5 years ago… Nibelheim. |
| 俺たちの故郷をあいつは・・・・・・」{END} | Our hometown, he… |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「{Tifa}だってそうだろ?{EOL} | Don’t you feel the same, Tifa? |
| ひどい目にあったんだからな」{END} | You went through something horrible. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「・・・・・・・・・・・・」{END} | …… |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「{Cloud}・・・・・・あのときのこと{EOL} | Cloud… you know |
| 知ってるの?」{END} | about what happened? |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「知ってるもなにも・・・・・・よく覚えてる」{END} | I know everything.. I remember it well. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「・・・・・・・・・・・・」{END} | …… |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「ん? どうした?」{END} | Huh? What’s wrong? |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「・・・・・・{Cloud}、覚えてるんだ・・・・・・」{END} | …Cloud, you remember… |
| {Barret}{EOL} | Barret: |
| 「おう!!{EOL} | Oi!! |
| いつまで、ごたごたやってんだ!!」{END} | How long till you stop fussin’!! |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「わかった。{EOL} | I understand. |
| {Cloud}はセフィロスを探すのね」{END} | You’re going to look for Sephiroth. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「でも・・・・・・気が変わったらもどってきて」{END} | But… if you change your mind, come back to us. |
Robert Seddon says: So that’s another point at which Cloud seems to be leaving; compare Barret yelling at him to ‘get the hell out’ in other unused text.
MDS7 Part 2
| {Barret}{EOL} | Barret: |
| 「いくぜ!!{EOL} | We’re movin’ out!! |
| もたもたすんな!!」{END} | Quit laggin’!! |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「いきましょ!」{END} | Let’s go! |
| 「お、おいっ!!{EOL} | O, oi!! |
| どいたっ!!{EOL} | It moved!! |
| どいたっ!!」{END} | It moved!! |
| 「撃たれるっ!!{EOL} | I’m hit!! |
| 撃たれるっ!!」{END} | I’m hit!! |
| 「ゴリラ!!{EOL} | Gorilla!! |
| ゴリラ!!」{END} | Gorilla!! |
| 「ヤダッ!{EOL} | No! |
| さわんないでよっ!!{EOL} | Don’t touch!! |
| 変態!!」 | Pervert!! |
| 「あら、いやだ!{EOL} | Ew! |
| {Barret}が帰ってきちゃったよ。{EOL} | Barret’s back. |
| きっとまずいことがあるよ」{END} | That mean something bad’s gonna happen. |
| 「ほら、やっぱり。{EOL} | Yeah, see? |
| いわんこっちゃない」{END} | I told ya so. |
Robert Seddon says: The mind boggles. Children at play? ‘Gorilla’ as a possibly racial slur directed at Barret? Some completely unknown NPC(s)? We don’t know. We now move indoors to Seventh Heaven (mds7pb_1): most of these lines do appear in the English files, though not during gameplay, but there are occasional differences between those versions and what GlitterBerri makes the Japanese script out to say.
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「ね、{Cloud}{EOL} | Hey, Cloud! |
| このお花、ちゃんと{MULTICOLOUR}根{MULTICOLOUR} がついてるわ。{EOL} | This flower’s {MULTICOLOUR}roots{MULTICOLOUR} are still attached. |
| 「枯らさないようにすれば{EOL} | If I don’t let it wilt, maybe |
| ふやせるかもね!」{END} | more will grow! |
Robert Seddon says: From a technical point of view, the noteworthy thing about the above is that it doesn’t correspond to even a blank dialogue box in the (English language) PC version’s files as viewed in Loveless.exe. Maybe it isn’t referenced in the game’s own tables… I don’t know; but the presence of such things – there seem to be quite a few in the Honey Bee Inn – doesn’t make our job any easier. The use of ‘Limit’-style colour-scrolling text on a single kanji is striking: why would so much emphasis be wanted? Maybe the early plans were to have less subdued formatting. We can see by comparing this in-development promotional screenshot NexusJannis found…
…with how the same text looks in the final game…
…that at some point Square clearly changed their minds about the division of text between boxes; maybe they also made other stylistic changes at the same time. (Incidentally, note that Marlene’s pose is different too.) Even so, why emphasise that word? Maybe Square once planned to do more with the flower.
| 『ドカドカドカ!!というSEがはいるよてい』{END} | “’Bang bang bang!!’ sound effect planned.” |
Robert Seddon says: The English files have: Thudthudthud!! That ???? is supposed to come in. It now seems this refers to Barret’s footfall as he charges in (reading SE as ’sound effect’).
| 『ピンボール動く{EOL} | “Plans for the |
| ・・・・・・{EOL} | pinball machine to |
| ・・・・・・予定』{END} | ……move.” |
Robert Seddon says: This could well be another placeholder; 『』 brackets seem to be used for those elsewhere. The next couple of pieces of unused Seventh Heaven dialogue can be found in the English files, but there are a couple of points to note.
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「{Cloud}! もどってくれるの?{EOL} | Cloud! You’re back? |
| あ、でも、ちょっとまって」{NewScreen} | Oh, just a minute! |
| 「プレジデント神羅の発表が{EOL} | President Shinra’s address |
| ニュースで読まれるの」{END} | is being read on the news. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「私たち・・・・・・次はソルジャーと戦うのね」{END} | We… we’re up against SOLDIER next. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「{Cloud}、助けてくれるのね?」{EOL} | Cloud, you’ll help us, won’t you? |
| ☞ 約束だからな{EOL} | ☞I did promise. |
| ☞ でも、{Barret}がきらい{END} | ☞But, I hate Barret. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「ありがとう、{Cloud}」{END} | Thank you, Cloud. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「そんなこと言いにきたの?」{END} | You came to tell me that? |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa; |
| 「・・・・・・悪い人じゃないわ」 | …He’s not a bad person. |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa; |
| 「だいじょうぶ。{EOL} | It’s alright. |
| 私からちゃんと話しておくから」{END} | I’ll talk to him, OK? |
| {Tifa}{EOL} | Tifa: |
| 「さあ、下へいきましょ!」{END} | Well, let’s head downstairs! |
Robert Seddon says: Another bit with a difference from the English files:
| ビックス{EOL} | Biggs: |
| 「あのさ、{Cloud}!{EOL} | Um, Cloud! |
| {Barret}は、あんなこと言ってるけど・・・」{NewScreen} | Barret says things like that, but… |
| 「おれたち、ほんとは不安なんだ。{EOL} | We’re really worried. |
| ソルジャーが出てきたら{EOL} | If SOLDIER gets involved, |
| おれたち、みんなやられちまう」{END} | we’re all done for. |
| ウェッジ{EOL} | Wedge: |
| 「{Cloud}さん、手貸してくださいよ。{EOL} | Cloud, please help us out. |
| 俺、こわいっす」{END} | I’m scared. |
| ジェシー{EOL} | Jessie: |
| 「{Cloud}・・・・・・{EOL} | Cloud… |
| なんだか、せつないよ」{NewScreen} | You look kinda miserable. |
| 「どうしてなの?」{END} | What’s wrong? |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「どうなってる・・・・・・?{EOL} | What’s happening…? |
| やけにゆれるな・・・・・・」{END} | I’m really shaking… |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「{Tifa}・・・・・・?{EOL} | Tifa…? |
| どこだ?」{END} | Where am I? |
| {Cloud}{EOL} | Cloud: |
| 「・・・・・・俺はどこへ向かっている・・・・・・」{END} | …Where am I going… |
Robert Seddon says: The last line seems to correspond to …I’m going out… in the English files, which made me think Cloud was walking out of the door, or maybe blacking out (since I was thinking about how the Materia outtake starts with him slumped by the pinball machine). Reading this, however, I now suspect this is Cloud’s first time on the pinball machine lift: his reaction makes it sound as though he hasn’t already seen it used as a lift, which suggests a different order of events on first entering Seventh Heaven. This is all speculative, of course.
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