While this idea does (at least superficially) align with certain Scientological beliefs, Sakaguchi himself has said in a number of interviews that he himself is an atheist.ĥ9 Developers, 20 Questions – 1985 Interview Special - BEEP! Magazine. Like the spirits of the title, though, its hidden deep within. Hironobu Sakaguchi - Final Fantasty: The Spirits Within: BBC Interview Love story, but if the audience can pick up on these philosophical When my mother passed away, I began thinking about thisĪnd that's where the idea originated. People who see the energy as just that, and those who see the energyĪs a spirit. Hironobu Sakaguchi: It's not a religious idea, but we are looking at spirits - an energy force. Could you explain the religious principles behind 'Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within' - the idea of the Spirits? Ghosts + aliens + crazy infection wiping out mankind.īut is this more than a coincidence? Did those wonderful Scientology people have anything to do with the movie?Īccording to the film's creator, the idea was to portray spirits as a vital energy force (one that could transcend death in a very real and measurable way) rather than a religious and supernatural force. spirits in battle Another reason we chose these jobs is partly. In both versions the spirits/body thetans are doing harm not because of evil intent, but because they are 'confused'.įrom a strictly sci-fi point of view, it's a cool idea, I guess. Fujiwara: Within the Final Fantasy series. In both versions, the alien 'ghosts' were forcefully 'ghostified', and were beings of ordinary flesh before. Hironobu Sakaguchi (, Sakaguchi Hironobu, born November 25, 1962) is a Japanese game designer, director, producer, and writer.Originally working for Square (later Square Enix) from 1983 to 2003, he departed the company and founded independent studio Mistwalker in 2004. OT3: A war on alien planets causes that alien spirits come to earth (against their will). The Japanese game designer, director, and producer is responsible for creating a handful of the most. Movie plot: A war on an alien planet causes alien spirits to land on earth (against their will). In the world of video games, Hironobu Sakaguchi is a legend. I think it's noteworthy to mention that the story of the movie is almost a retelling of Hubbards OT3 material. The movie's Wikipedia talk page even has a section titled ' Scientological themes': As Frontline Gaming Japan reports, the newest issue of Weekly Famitsu has an interview with Sugiura. (That's the movie's plot and also an actual religion.) There was a film before that: Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, and boy did it bomb badly. If you know the basic idea behind Scientology, it's hard to watch FF: The Spirits Within without being reminded of it.īasically, the ghosts of aliens land on Earth and infect us with their ghostliness.

Final fantasy spirits within interview