Ep 19: Childhood Favorites - The Lion King & Final Fantasy VII

In this episode of Parallel Fiction, Heather and Jeff breathe life into Childhood Favorites from their own youth. The stories covered today were very impactful on the duo, and stay with them to this day in their own special way. Listen as Jeff and Heather discuss how two seemingly different pieces of work fit together through the scope of a pair of maturing adults, and how holding on to some things from their childhoods help them grow into the people they are today.

Jeff starts off the outline portion of the show by presenting the Squaresoft (now Square Enix) mega hit Final Fantasy VII, which was released in the US in 1997. Jeff compresses a 40+ hour experience into an easily digestible summary, taking us through protagonist Cloud’s struggle to find his place in a work being slowly destroyed by big corporations and genetic anomalies. Jeff explains how he used to stay up late at night and play through this game, often losing track of time at the sheer mass of this world. A completely immersive experience, Final Fantasy VII was a powerhouse of a video game in the 90’s and one that Jeff will always remember fondly, especially for a genre defining masterpiece scene.

Did you know? FFVII was originally developed for the N64, but file storage restrictions made the game impossible to squeeze onto 1 cartridge, hence why the 3 CD game was released for Playstation 1.

Heather picks up part two of the presentation portion with her movie pick of the week, Disney’s 1994 masterpiece The Lion King. Heather explains that even from an early age, she was obsessed with this film in a way that most people can relate to. Heather’s enthusiasm for this movie shines through her outline, with storybook retellings of key scenes (complete with some fine acting skills). Heather tries to explain just how much The Lion King means to her, but it is so massively influential that it’s hard to even put into words. She really does speak of this film with the wonder of a child.

Freaky Fact! Some reddit users have theorized that the skull that Scar is playing with while Zazu is singing to him towards the end of the film is actually Mufasa’s skull! Gross.

Following these reviews, Heather and Jeff dive into commonalities between the two works such as then vs now, obsession, comfort, sound/visuals, and lasting impact.

Listen in to hear Jeff and Heather’s candid thoughts on the masterpiece scenes of each story, how The Lion King and Final Fantasy VII compare, and how Jeff and Heather relate the two. Share this episode with anyone who loves 90’s nostalgia and childhood memories as much as we do!

Heather’s rating for The Lion King: Super Amazing Nice – A new rating above all else. The Lion King is a sewn into the fabric of society and a can’t miss animated movie for all ages, that will likely live on forever.

Jeff’s rating for Final Fantasy Vii: Very Nice – While the visuals don’t hold up today, there is still a special charm about this game. The music is 10/10 and the story was so impactful that it is the measuring stick of the franchise, and has built a community that will live as long as video games do.

Watch The Lion King here: www.disneyplus.com

Play Final Fantasy VII here for Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/final-fantasy-vii/id1021566244

And here for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.square_enix.android_googleplay.FFVII&hl=en_US&gl=US

About Parallel Fiction:

Parallel Fiction is the perfect supplemental companion to all of the stories you consume. We will be covering movies, television, books, graphic novels, video games, and music whenever it applies. Learn more about things you love, and get to know us a little bit better as we give you a peak into our lives and opinions.

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