Calling Tifa manipulative, let's look at Aerith real quick.

(A thread)

-Booby traps her hallways so she can hear if Cloud tries to leave.

-Forces him back into his room, calling him a jerk and saying "I thought I told you to stay in your room."

-Sneaks on ahead so he absolutely will not be able to continue without her.

-Takes him through a long and dangerous route just because SHE wants to spend more time with him (You think this isn't true? In the playground when Cloud asks if she'll be ok getting home she says she has a backup route for emergencies that's safer)

-Forces Cloud to learn how to operate a crane to move her across, even though she knows of a safer and more straight forward route.

-Wants to stop and relight a campfire to have a break just to draw out their time together.

-When finally at the door to sector 7 she says "more importantly, how about a break" and ignores his protests.

-Cloud has no choice but to do what she wants because he doesn't know the way back on his own.

-She ignores Cloud's protests and saying he needs to get back, essentially holds him hostage just because she wants to spend more time with him, only let's him leave when she's ready to let him leave.

These are all things that she objectively does and the reason why she does it, because SHE wanted to. She knew he wanted to get back, takes him through a long and dangerous route despite having a safer alternative and ignores what he wants.

Don't start spouting off about how Tifa is selfish and manipulative for doing nothing but existing when Aerith did all this.