Released: 14 September 2005
Director: Morio Asaka
Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Budget: Unknown
Stars: Christian Sekhanan, Jonathan Waters, Kennedy Spatz, and David J.G. Doyle
The Plot:
Tseng (Waters) of the Turks recaps the catastrophic events of Nibelheim, where super soldier Sephiroth (Sekhanan) learned of his origins and went mad, leading to a violent confrontation with his fellow SOLDIER 1st Class Zack Fair (Sekhanan) and rookie Cloud Strife (ibid).
The Background:
Final Fantasy VII (Square, 1997) needs no introduction. The genre-changing, award-winning game was a best seller on the PlayStation and so popular that Square Enix expanded upon the story with the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII multimedia venture. Produced alongside the computer-generated movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (Nomura, 2005), Last Order: Final Fantasy VII wasn’t the first anime venture for the franchise (Final Fantasy: Unlimited (2001 to 2002) finished only two years previously) or the first to be directly tied to an existing game in the franchise, a task animation studio Madhouse didn’t take lightly. Final Fantasy VII director Tetsuya Nomura was apparently heavily involved in the original video animation (OVA), to the point where development was troubled as a result. Nevertheless, producer Akio Ofuji was allegedly determined to produce a high-quality product that expanded upon Zack’s character and legacy. Although included with some releases of Advent Children outside of Japan, the OVA never received an English dub, though this didn’t stop the anime from being widely praised. Unfortunately, Square were said to be discouraged by negative feedback and subsequently erased Last Order from continuity with Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (Square Enix, 2007).
The Review:
Last Order begins right after the sacking of Nibelheim and finds Zack Fair helping his wounded friend, SOLDIER grunt Cloud Strife, to safety in the nearby woods. Unfortunately, the Shinra Electric Power Company sends their troops into the woods to weed the duo out, under the direction of Tseng, leader of Shinra’s clandestine force, the Turks. As he’s essentially a super soldier, Zack easily makes short work of the grunts, though he is massively outmanned and outgunned and burdened by Cloud’s dead weight. The two are branded as “samples” that escaped from Professor Hojo’s (Sekhanan) laboratory in Nibelheim, with both infused with “Mako” energy (the veritable life force of the planet), plus cells from the malevolent alien entity known as Jenovah, and thus branded a threat, especially considering Zack’s vaulted status in SOLDIER. Though Tseng issues the order to recapture the two, he morosely reflects on the events that led to this point, thumbing through his records (and memories) of SOLDIER’s greatest warrior, the super soldier Sephiroth, who turned his wrath on Nibelheim after learning of his true origins as a genetic experiment. Seeing Jenovah as his “mother”, Sephiroth slaughtered most of Nibelheim’s inhabitants and set the town ablaze, leaving young Tifa Lockhart (Spatz) stunned by the legendary hero’s murderous actions. When she learns that her father, Brian (Justin Cabanting), went to the local Mako Reactor to confront Sephiroth, she rushes to help despite the protestations of her martial art instructor, Zangan (Doyle). When she gets there, her father dies in her arms, leaving her further distraught and even more enraged. Determined to get revenge, she enters the Mako Reactor to make Sephiroth (and everything associated with Shinra) pay. Despite her moxie, Tifa is naturally no match for Sephiroth and is left an unconscious, heartbroken heap in the Mako Reactor. Zack was equally horrified by Sephiroth’s sudden turn but was cocksure of his ability to confront the fallen hero, shocked that he could harm innocents, much less their mutual friend, Tifa, who’s left vilifying SOLDIER and all they stand for.
Regardless, Zack ploughs into the Mako Reactor to bring the fight to Sephiroth, only to be hopelessly outclassed and left gravely injured. Yet, even in his weakened state, Zack finds the strength to cheer Cloud on when the enraged foot soldier takes Sephiroth by surprise, summoning the will to send the once-lauded hero plummeting to his apparent death, though this also leaves Cloud grievously injured. In their weakened state, the two are easily apprehended by sadistic Shinra scientist Professor Hojo, the man who created Sephiroth, and imprisoned in his laboratory beneath the Shinra Mansion. Even after escaping from Professor Hojo, Zack doesn’t lose his snarky, carefree attitude, despite the odds against him. Cloud might be out cold, but that doesn’t stop Zack reassuring him and making light of the situation, regardless of how grim it appears, and promising him they’ll start a new life once they reach a safe haven. Zack is so athletic that he easily dances rings around the military, dodging their gunfire and decimating them in melee combat and with his gigantic Buster Sword. Although Zack and Cloud represent a real threat, and are valuable assets to Shinra, Tseng orders Rude (Sekhanan) to bring them in alive. As much as others revere Sephiroth, his abilities and his reputation, many also respect Zack’s skill. And with good reason: he’s a one-man army, with determination and charisma that inspires admiration, even from his enemies. This is true of all the Turks (who paradoxically sympathise with Zack and Cloud’s plight while remaining determined to bring them in) and especially their leader. Tseng was already questioning Shinra’s unethical practices; he was outspoken about Professor Hojo’s experiments and the treatment of Nibelheim. However, resentful of the Turks, the military defy their authority (and their direct orders) and use lethal force against Zack and Cloud. When they locate the two hitching a ride on a truck, they’re more than happy to take sniper shots at them and unleash their full might against them.
Unfortunately, we’re denied seeing this as the short cuts to the credits right as Zack’s last stand starts. While this is very dramatic, it denies us the full tragedy of Zack’s last moments; we see him fight for his friends and get a taste of his physical ability, but the feature doesn’t go into much depth with this. It’s a shame as the action sequences bring Zack, Sephiroth, and the game’s turn-based battles to life in a visually striking way thanks to the anime’s slick presentation. The battle between Zack and Sephiroth is as beautiful as it is deadly, with the two trading strikes within the hyper-industrialised Mako Reactor and the fight nicely personifies their different personas. Zack is emotional and hot-headed, full of passion and justified anger, while Sephiroth is a cold, soft-spoken, ominous individual, just as he was in the cutscenes and gameplay moments that this feature recreates. We don’t get a sense of his personality before his psychotic break, but Zack and others express shock at his sickening actions and awe at his abilities. Having learned that he was a genetic monstrosity infused with alien DNA, Sephiroth becomes obsessed with freeing his “mother”, Jenovah, and bringing ruin upon the world, starting with Nibelheim. Even with his new skewed outlook and apparent disregard for his SOLDIER honour and the lives of others, Sephiroth still sees Zack as a “traitor” for opposing him. Unmatched in combat and attacking with a blade that’s twice his size (one-handed, no less!), Sephiroth is a formidable foe; his madness has extended to a full-blown God complex and he easily bests Zack. However, Sephiroth’s obsessions also empower him with a faulty overconfidence; thus, he ignores a cardinal rule of battle and turns his back on his foe and is impaled by Cloud. Despite this fatal injury, Sephiroth’s rage and power are enough for him to return the favour, but he underestimates Cloud’s resolve and ends up careening down the reactor shaft, still clutching at his mother’s severed head!
The Summary:
I fully admit that I came into Final Fantasy VII a bit ass-backwards. Although aware of the game as a kid, I was a SEGA and Nintendo 64 gamer back in the day; I don’t recall any of my PlayStation-owning friends having the game at the time. So, it wasn’t until I was a lot older and got a PlayStation 3 that I really got into it, and the entire Final Fantasy franchise. This means that my first real exposure to the game was Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and the handy feature-length recap included. I then played the game, then its spin-off sequel and prequel, and here we are with this anime feature, which I believe I first watched between Advent Children and completing Final Fantasy VII, or somewhere around there. However, I didn’t remember it ending so abruptly, or being so shallow. Despite incorporating musical remixes (including a new version of “One-Wing Angel” during Zack’s duel with Sephiroth) and a handful of Limit Breaks, action sequences are incredibly brief and the short focuses more on being a sombre and brief recap of the Nibelheim incident, something the game’s cutscenes convey in far more detail. Sure, Zack showcases more personality, but the feature is so short that even he is painfully one-dimensional (he’s fierce and loyal and carefree, and that’s about it). The same is true of Sephiroth, Cloud, and Tifa, with only Tifa really standing out because you see a lot of emotion in a very short time from her. If it was supposed to be more of a deep dive into Tseng, Last Order also fumbles the ball as he just seems reflective and conflicted over it all and not much else. It’s a shame as the animation is gorgeous, but Last Order is too short to live up to its potential and left me disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of the game’s moments and features recreated with the same level of detail on show here.
My Rating:
Could Be Better
Did you enjoy Last Order: Final Fantasy VII? Do you agree that it was too short to really impress or were you satisfied with the retelling of the Nibelheim incident? Did you enjoy seeing a little more of Zack’s personality and what did you think to the abrupt ending? Would you like to see more anime adaptations of Final Fantasy? Which adaptation of the franchise is your favourite? Whatever you think about Final Fantasy, drop a comment below and be sure to check out my other Final Fantasy VII content.
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