Final Fantasy VII: Last Order

Title: Final Fantasy VII: Last Order Manga or Anime or Both?: Anime alone, as far as I'm aware, released with the Collector's Edition in the US, and the Ultimate Edition in Japan. Story: Last Order cuts between flashbacks to the Nibelheim Incident, Zack's escape from the lab with Cloud five years later, and ShinRa and the Turks' pursuit of the former. Story Critique: ...Honestly, it's not what I was expecting. I knew that it covered the Nibelheim Incident and it's aftermath, but still. They didn't even cover anything before Sephiroth goes crazy and burns down/slaughters Nibelheim. I was really looking forward to that.(pouts) Decent rehash of things already covered in the game, for the most part. As for the Zack/Cloud escape... for the most part, it's gratuitous action scenes, peppered with Zack conversing with a comatose Cloud. The only part I really liked about that part of the plot was the last five minutes, and anything to do with the Turks. Tseng was mostly used as a plot device in that he prefaced all the flashbacks with a mini-monologue about it. That was about the best transitioning that they did; for the most part, the transitions are abrupt, and disorienting. Art Style: Studio Madhouse did the animation for Last Order; I'm not sure what other series they've done. EDIT: Madhouse's credits include Paranoia Agent and, as of late, Death Note. All in all, I'm happy with the art style for this. Beautiful 2D animation, and decent CG. The CG seems awkward when it's in the same scene as 2D, though; it has to be either one or the other. Music: Your typical rock soundtrack, with some techno and strings thrown in the background. Not all that impressed. Voice Seiyuu: I was too lazy to check the credits, but, from what I heard, I'm pretty sure that any voices that S-E's used in previous VII titles (Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus, possibly Before Crisis) were used in this title as well. Voice Actors: N/A Dub: N/A Length: Last Order clocks in at just under a half-hour, including credits; about the length of your typical anime episode. I'm not all that satisfied with it; I was expecting something a little... I don't know, longer than this. Fourty-five minutes at the least, maybe closer to an hour. Overall: Beautiful animation, excellent seiyuu. They still need work on the story, music, and run time though. It's worth a watch on YouTube; I wouldn't go and buy the Japanese special edition of AC just to get this, though. Story: 6/10 Art Style: 8/10 Music: 6/10 Voice Seiyuu: 7/10 Length: 6/10 Overall: 33/50; 66% (F)

Let me start off by saying: If you've played Final Fantasy VII extensively, or have just taken in all necessary information from playing it through once then this will have a drastic effect on your opinion of this anime. I'll explain what I mean by this and review it in full: First off I have given this anime a 5 due to it being (for the most part) a recap of a portion of the FFVII storyline. Just to reiterate: if you have played FFVII and remember all information relating to the whole 5 years ago incidents at Nibelheim then I think you will agree withme when I say this anime is (to an extent) Square Enix's attempt at milking FFVII. Now I am huge fan of the Final Fantasy games having played them all through numerous times, VII included, but in all honesty all the new content you get from this anime is a couple of new scenes of Zack slicing through some members of Shinra, then get injured himself, you will also see Cloud get stabbed once more than I remember in the game, otherwise you will have already have got all of this anime has to offer by playing FFVII on the Playstation. Story: Yes the story originally was excellent in FFVII, but I'll say again, this is more or less just a recap, hardly anything new other than some action scenes, it's not worth more than the 5 average rating I have given it. Art: This anime looked nice enough, but in all honesty I have seen better and have come to expect something a little more from Square Enix. Just take a look at FFVII - AC, it came out the same year and the art and animation are MUCH better. Sound: There's a few of Uematsu Nobuo's classics thrown in which, if you're a fan of the original game like me you'll find leave you with a slight feeling of nostalgia, prompting you to remember the awesome game. Other than the Uematsu stuff, the music isn't anything special but it's good enough. Character: The anime's heavily focused on Zack, who yeah, if you like him could be an entertaining enough character, but we don't really get enough time to really develop any connection to the characters here. The appearance of Tifa and Cloud along with Tifa's mentor/ master will again leave you with that nostaligic feeling, but - here I go again - have you played FFVII you'll have seen this all before, so you know what to expect, the characters themselves are great but with so little time nothing has any real chance to develop. Enjoyment: Average because I'd seen it all before. In short: This is one for the fans, and even then it's not anything to scream and shout about. If you like action, want something quick to watch (20 mins without the credits) then go for, but don't expect too much.

This is kind of a let down, and a waste of money as well. This anime is basically most of the scenes we saw during the game, like when Sephiroth went to Jenova, and why Cloud lost his memory, etc. Plus extra scenes that were also shown in the game, but I think you had to do some stuff to unlock the extra scenes.. If I wanted to revisit those scenes I would just play the whole game. (But for those who don\'t have the game, well I guess this would be a good thing) I bought the DVD cause I thought it was like FF7:Advent Children, thinking it was a new story or a continuation of FF7. Boy, was I wrong.. I was even excited to see them in anime form, but that too was a let down. It even ended on a \"cliff hanger\".. (I can\'t remember what happened after that scene)

Final Fantasy 7: Last Order is a Special meant to expand upon the events of the Final Fantasy VII universe, specifically the Nibelheim incident and Zack Fair’s final moments. While the concept sounds promising, the execution leans more toward nostalgia-bait than meaningful expansion, offering little new insight into the beloved story. Plot: 7/10 The story follows Zack as he flees Shinra’s forces, we also get to see Tseng’s reflections on the Nibelheim incident. While it provides a slightly different perspective on these events, it doesn’t add much substance beyond what fans already knew. Instead of deepening the story, it mostly feels like a visual recap with minoralterations. For longtime fans, it’s enjoyable to see these moments reanimated, but it lacks the emotional depth that made the original Final Fantasy VII so impactful. Characters: 6/10 Tifa and Cloud are the characters fans love, but Last Order doesn’t do much to develop or expand upon them. While given Zack the most focus, he doesn’t receive any new depth, and his portrayal is largely in line with what we already know, making this feel like a redundant exercise rather than a meaningful addition to his character arc. The Shinra characters, particularly Tseng, get a bit more screentime, but again, it doesn’t significantly change our understanding of their motivations. If anything, the characterizations feel slightly off, as though they’re just going through the motions rather than truly inhabiting their roles. Sound: 5/10 The English voice cast leaves much to be desired, feeling somewhat uninspired in their performances. The soundtrack, while serviceable, lacks standout moments and doesn’t capture the emotional weight that Final Fantasy VII is known for. There’s nothing particularly bad about it, but it’s also entirely forgettable. Animation: 7/10 The animation is decent, but nothing groundbreaking. The transition from Final Fantasy VII’s traditional style to a more anime-inspired aesthetic is an interesting choice, though it may not sit well with every fan. Compared to Advent Children, the fights lack the same level of polish and bombastic intensity. While the action scenes are fine, they don’t deliver the kind of spectacle that could have made this a more memorable experience. Enjoyment: 6/10 As a Final Fantasy VII fan, seeing this retelling was enjoyable on some level, but it ultimately felt like an empty experience. It doesn’t bring anything new to the table, and instead of feeling like a labor of love, it comes off as a nostalgia-driven cash grab. For those who want to revisit the Final Fantasy VII story from a slightly different angle, Last Order might hold some value. But for anyone looking for deeper storytelling, new insights, or a truly fresh take on Zack’s journey, this OVA doesn’t deliver.