"LAST ORDER FINAL FANTASY VII" review and impressions: A must-see for fans?

"LAST ORDER FINAL FANTASY VII" - Exploring the new appeal of Final Fantasy VII

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

game

■ Release date

September 14, 2005 *An OVA included in the limited edition box "ADVENT PIECES: LIMITED" of "FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN" released by Square Enix.

■Release and sales

Square Enix

■Frequencies

25 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■ Director

Morio Asaka

■ Production

・Animation Production: Madhouse

■Works

©2005 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.CHARACTER DESIGN : TETSUYA NOMURA

■ Story

Zack and the wounded Cloud escape the lab, but Shinra's pursuers are closing in. Tseng, a Turks member in command of the pursuit, recalls the time when Zack and his comrades, who were once first-class soldiers, fought a fierce battle against Sephiroth, the man who caused the massacre.

*Quoted from Madhouse's official website

■Explanation

An OVA included as a bonus in "FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN ADVENT PIECES:LIMITED." It tells the story just before the opening of the PlayStation game "FINAL FANTASY VII."

*Quoted from Madhouse's official website

■Cast

・Zack/Kenichi Suzumura・Sephiroth/Tomoyuki Morikawa・Cloud Strife/Takahiro Sakurai・Tifa Lockhart/Ayumi Ito・Tseng/Junichi Suwabe・Luno/Keiji Fujiwara・Rude/Daisuke Kusunoki・Turks (rod)/Daisuke Namikawa・Turks (pistol)/Megumi Toyoguchi・Turks (shotgun)/Mayuko Aoki・Turks (dual pistols)/Ginpei Sato・Turks (fighting)/Yotsuka Yoshitada・Hojo/Nachi Nozawa・Zangan/Hiroshi Fujioka,

■ Main staff

・Director / Morio Asaka・Original story / Kazushige Nojima・Screenplay / Kazuhiko Inukai・Character design / Tsune Abe・Chief animation director / Satoshi Tazaki・Animation directors / Fumie Muroi, Kunio Kazuki, Katsuya Yamada・Art director / Hidetoshi Kaneko・Color design / Yuriko Kakumoto・Director of photography / Yukihiro Masumoto・Editor / Yoshiko Kimura・Music / Takeharu Ishimoto・Sound director / Hirofumi Shimizu・Sound production / Tohokushinsha・Supervising director / Tetsuya Nomura・Executive producers / Shinji Hashimoto, Yoshinori Kitase, Yoichi Wada・Animation producer / Yuichiro Saito・Animation production / Madhouse

■ Related works

・FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN
・FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN COMPLETE

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

■ Story and Background

"LAST ORDER FINAL FANTASY VII" is an OVA released by Square Enix in 2005, depicting the story just before the opening of the PlayStation game "FINAL FANTASY VII". The work revolves around the escape of Cloud Strife and Zack Fair, depicting them escaping from the Shinra Company's pursuers. In particular, the Turks' Tseng's recollections of past battles and the fierce battle scene with Sephiroth provide new perspectives for fans.

This OVA is included in the limited edition box "ADVENT PIECES: LIMITED" of "Final Fantasy VII Advent Children" and is a must-see for fans. In just 25 minutes, the story delves deeply into the background of the game and describes in detail the characters' feelings and motivations for their actions. This complements parts that were not touched upon in the main game, helping fans to deepen their understanding.

■Characters and Cast

In "LAST ORDER FINAL FANTASY VII," the main characters include Zack Fair, Cloud Strife, Sephiroth, Tifa Lockhart, and Tseng. In particular, the acting of Kenichi Suzuki, who plays Zack, and Takahiro Sakurai, who plays Cloud, realistically express the characters' feelings, leaving a strong impression on viewers. In addition, the voice of Toshiyuki Morikawa, who plays Sephiroth, has an overwhelming presence just like in the main game, increasing the tension of the story.

In addition, the Turks members Runo, Rude, Rod, the handgun, the shotgun, the dual pistols, and the martial artist are all voiced by unique voice actors, enhancing the appeal of the work as a whole. In particular, the participation of veteran voice actors Nozawa Nachi as Hojo and Fujioka Hiroshi as Zangan further enhances the quality of the work.

■Video and Music

The visuals of "LAST ORDER FINAL FANTASY VII" are drawn with high-quality animation by MADHOUSE. In particular, the fluidity of the battle scenes and the detailed expressions of the characters bring out the maximum visual appeal. In addition, under the direction of Director Morio Asaka, character designer Tsune Abe, chief animation director Satoshi Tazaki, animation directors Fumie Muroi, Kunio Kazuki, and Katsuya Yamada cooperated to faithfully reproduce the worldview of the game.

In terms of music, the original soundtrack by Takeharu Ishimoto enhances the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the background music that heightens the tension in battle scenes and the melodies that portray the characters' feelings are important elements that draw out the emotions of the viewers. In addition, the sound production by sound director Hiroshi Shimizu and Tohokushinsha also plays a role in enhancing the realism of the work.

■Director and staff

Director Morio Asaka successfully translated the worldview of the game into animation in "LAST ORDER FINAL FANTASY VII," providing viewers with a new perspective. In addition, with the cooperation of Kazushige Nojima, who was in charge of the original story, and Kazuhiko Inukai, who wrote the screenplay, the story is written with depth and tension. Furthermore, under the supervision of supervising director Tetsuya Nomura, the consistency of the character design and story is maintained.

Thanks to the efforts of executive producers Shinji Hashimoto, Yoshinori Kitase, and Yoichi Wada, and animation producer Yuichiro Saito, this OVA is a high-quality work. With the cooperation of art director Hidetoshi Kaneko, color designer Yuriko Kakumoto, cinematographer Yukihiro Masumoto, and editor Yoshiko Kimura, the visual beauty and story flow are in perfect harmony.

■ Related works and recommendations

"LAST ORDER FINAL FANTASY VII" is closely related to "FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN" and "FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN COMPLETE". By watching these works, you can gain a deeper understanding of the game's worldview and character background. In particular, "Advent Children" depicts the new adventures of Cloud and his friends, and you can see how the past events depicted in "LAST ORDER" will affect their future.

This OVA is recommended not only for fans of the Final Fantasy series, but also for viewers who enjoy action anime and deep stories. It is particularly easy for beginners to understand, as it is made in a way that makes it easy to understand the characters' feelings and the background of the story, even for those who have never played the main game. It is also perfect for those who want to enjoy a dense story in a short amount of time.

■ Summary

"LAST ORDER FINAL FANTASY VII" is a must-see for fans of the Final Fantasy series, and it delves deeply into the world of the games. With high-quality animation and music, as well as a unique cast and characters, viewers will be drawn into the story. Also, watching it together with related works will deepen your understanding of the entire series. Be sure to watch this OVA and discover a new side to Final Fantasy.