Buddies, the Ultimate Fantasy VII Rebirth hype prepare has left Midgar station and is barreling towards us at a fever pitch within the run-up to the RPG’s PlayStation 5 launch date of February 29, 2024. Y’all see that new trailer? When you haven’t, you’ve in all probability a minimum of heard followers squealing concerning the first take a look at Vincent Valentine, Zack not being lifeless like he’s purported to be, and a number of different cool moments. All that’s properly and good, however there’s one second within the trailer we aren’t speaking about sufficient. And we must be, as a result of one of the best character in all of Ultimate Fantasy VII is coming again in Rebirth: Andrea Rhodea, the king of the Honeybee Inn.
Andrea is likely one of the finest additions in Ultimate Fantasy VII Remake’s new spin on an outdated story. He’s the proprietor and lead dancer of the Honeybee Inn, which was a brothel within the unique 1997 Ultimate Fantasy VII. In Remake the Honeybee Inn is a lavish nightclub, full with extravagant dance routines, beautiful costumes based mostly on the titular bug, and a hunky pansexual king working the place.
The modifications labored on just a few fronts. It made the Honeybee Inn a extra memorable touchstone of Cloud and Aerith’s time within the Wall Market slightly than a bizarre, uncomfortable detour tinged with homosexual panic. Now it’s a celebratory second concerning the freedom of expression and breaking down gender norms. The up to date scene let Cloud costume in drag with out disgrace and felt like an actual queer area in a sport that was in any other case keen to imagine Cloud was concerned with a lady so long as they have been in one another’s proximity. Positive, Cloud and Aerith are simply passing by means of, nevertheless it was a significant second for Ultimate Fantasy VII’s bigger world to point out that queer individuals and locations exist.
Pre-order Fantasy VII Rebirth: Amazon | Greatest Purchase | GameStop
Whilst an individual who doesn’t love Ultimate Fantasy VII Remake for lots of causes we gained’t get into—don’t get me began on my lack of religion in Sq. to drag off an Evangelion-style meta-commentary after practically each prolonged universe it’s achieved in Ultimate Fantasy has undermined the supply materials in a roundabout way—the Honeybee Inn scene stays an all-time nice second for me within the sequence. It’s joyful to look at unfold, and Andrea is likely one of the most fascinating characters for as little screentime as he will get.
Provided that he’s a facet character and fairly tied to a particular location the occasion is departing on the finish of Ultimate Fantasy VII Remake, I didn’t suppose we’d see Andrea once more in Rebirth, or the third sport that may wrap up this revamped story. However it appears like we’re heading to the Gold Saucer in Rebirth, and Andrea is about to bop his ass off as soon as once more.
And take a look at this king fucking go. He was a charismatic dancer in Remake, even when saddled with a beginner dance companion like Cloud. Each time I heard a catchy pop music again in 2020 (say, something from Girl Gaga’s “Chromatica”) pictures of Andrea and Cloud dancing instantly entered my thoughts, like an outdated screensaver or music video. So I’m certain the brand new choreography he and his crew are engaged on in Rebirth will stamp itself onto any pop album I hearken to in 2024.
I actually cherished Dion and his homosexual relationship in Ultimate Fantasy XVI, however due to just a few disappointing selections Sq. Enix made with the character, I nonetheless left that sport a bit saddened by its obvious hesitance to showcase his love story with the identical confidence because it did his straight counterparts’. Recent off Remake’s Andrea, an extremely proud queer man within the Ultimate Fantasy universe, Dion’s therapy felt like two steps ahead and one step again. I don’t anticipate Andrea will play an enormous function in Rebirth, however I’m very glad to see he’s again, killing it on the stage, and searching high quality as hell in white.
Pre-order Fantasy VII Rebirth: Amazon | Greatest Purchase | GameStop
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