Ranting About Kingdom Hearts
Time for something new on my blog. This time, it's no informative post or something fun about being an author. This is me ranting about a series I really love. That's what the LFTM series was initially for, but now, I can be totally unrestrained by the obligation to be smart. Here, I can yell to my heart's content.
Major spoilers throughout. Most of my ramblings will not be based on facts, but merely my own, biased opinion on it. I may add some random writing fact, but don't get your hopes up. Take this as a recommendation to fill your creative well, if anything. Or an excuse to see me geeking out like a normal person.
Anyway. *deep breath*
Let me tell you all about a series I fell in love with around half a year ago. It's a highly acclaimed video game that first debuted in 2002 and is still going. It is the amazing, the spectacular, the heartwarming. Okay, I'll drop the suspense now. It's in the title and seeing as you clicked on it, you know what it is.
How I got into the series
Once upon a time, I was on YouTube listening to some music. I was probably procrastinating prepping to write a blog post. I found this piece by Lizz Robinett. I loved it so much I listened to it over and over and over. The other songs I didn't like as much, but I listened to them on repeat too.
Eventually, curiosity overcame me and I had to figure out who this Terra person was and why they were so doomed. (Thanks comment section!) Thus began my journey.
My uneducated self started KH 1 looking for Terra. Mate, I thought Leon from FF was Terra in disguise. Finished that, started KH 2. Any educated person would know this is a no-no. I was so confused I risked some spoilers (or, some more spoilers) and researched. Went back to COM and watched in release date order.
To prove I'm totally qualified to talk about KH, I am now an educated fan even if I don't have a PS4. I've watched all the games including UX/DR and did some research on gaming easter eggs. Obviously, I don't know everything, but I *clap* am *clap* totally *clap* qualified! *hairflip*
Now to the geeking out.
Story
KH is famous for its convoluted plot et cetera, et cetera. Personally, I don't think it's confusing, only that it's a lot to remember. So I'm not really sure how I'm going to write this part, so I'll just talk about it in the order I recommend watching it. (For the sake of simplicity, I'm going to be talking about the final mix version where applicable.)
KH1: At first, I thought this was a happy series with Disney characters. Even though I'm past the age where Disney is considered "appropriate", I thought the Disney villain gang was cool. Sorry Endgame, but it was like the ultimate crossover!
The Disney worlds were boring, but the other plot was interesting, even if it did confuse me. The ending was extra confusing. When Sora stabbed himself with the keyblade, that one Avatar meme (did Jet just die?) immediately came to my head. I was extra extra confused when Kairi gave Heartless Sora a hug and he came back to life.
And WHY didn't Donald let Riku join the Gummyship. *massive sigh*
COM (Part Sora): Agro Sora agroed me. It felt kinda jarring compared to happy Sora in KH1. Also not a huge fan of the whole Namine thing. I felt like she didn't get enough payback for what she did. And yes, I am aware she was a victim and that she apologised. It's funny that Sora is technically killing a bunch of people in a Disney game. They died too soon.
COM (Part Riku): Definitely much better than the Sora part. Riku's story of getting over the darkness has way more emotional impact than Namine. Repliku was a little cringy, to be honest. (I'm talking about this moment: "I'm you" "No I'm me" "I'm me he says".)
Overall, I still think the villains died too soon. I was particularly shooketh by Vexen's and Zexion's death. But I loved the extra edge it gave the Disney-esque story. Axel was definitely intriguing throughout both parts.
Days: Most of it was Axel, Xion and Roxas eating ice cream and talking about being friends. It was slow. Xion and Roxas would take turns being sick until the end where they were all angsty and stuff. But I really felt the connection between the three and by the end, I was close to sobbing. They all deserved better. Riku was a cool character, forcing a trio of friends that mirrored his own group to break apart just to save Sora. And Sora was taking a nap.
KH2: I watched this one straight after KH1. Everything was confusing. But I rewatched it after COM so it's all good. The beginning was super angsty and I loved it. I enjoyed seeing the other members of Org 13, especially Demyx, the goofball amongst anime haircuts and emoness. I didn't enjoy watching the Disney parts or the Sora plot, unless it related to Roxas's plot.
Coded: *sigh* *mushes head into pillow* I have nothing to say about this one. Except that I finally found Terra.
BBS: And I finally got to the game that made me want to watch this escalating mess of a story. Definitely my favourite so far. This is the only game where I felt that the Disney worlds had some relevance to the plot. I'm surprised I'm saying this, but the sad ending was refreshing. Woman tears were shed there. It was nice to see the Org members that were killed in COM cameo here. #TerraDidNoWrong
DDD: The intro is my favourite out of them all. I cried a little and gasped in certain places. As for the story, it's not particularly memorable to me. Sora took another nap and Riku did all the work. Kairi did absolutely nothing. This is also the game that introduced time travel.
UX Back Cover: The graphics took a serious step up here. Everything was so pretty! Seeing the relationship between the Foretellers and their eventual demise was fascinating. I enjoyed the mystery and how no one was strictly good or bad, like in previous games.
UX: The chibi art style in this game is adorable! Everyone here is adorable. Especially Chirithy. The plot, while it started slow, is building speed and I am hyped up for the conclusion of all my precious beans. Seeing the history behind old faces and meeting new ones was exciting. The characters here had the best communication out of all our trios/septets. Calling it now, they're all doomed. I can't wait! I only wish it could update faster, but I understand why it's not entirely possible.
BBS 0.2: In which we find out why Micky was shirtless in KH1. I was really feeling the intro and all the angst. I was holding my breath as my favourite trio fought each other. Until Mickey showed up. He ruined the angst.
Story wise, it felt more like a ps-this-happened than an actual story. I liked seeing Aqua suffer (as an author, not a sadist). The one memorable scene was when Aqua and Terra had a little chat but was interrupted by Xehanort. So heart wrenching. And it looks like Kairi is finally going to do something?
KH3: Thankfully, I came to the series late so there were no massive cliffhangers or building expectations coming to the finale everyone's been waiting for. The graphics took another step up and everything is even prettier.
By this stage, I considered myself to be experienced in Kingdom Hearts cutscenes and skimmed through the Disney/Pixar scenes. The only parts I watched was when one of the KH original baddies showed up.
Seeing old characters come back was a massive joy for me. I have the unfortunate taste in liking side characters more than main characters so the expanded roles given to certain characters made me happy. The reunions were an emotional rollercoaster, totally epic and totally worth the long wait and hours of Disney worlds. But that secret ending!
KH3 ReMind: Again, this was more of a ps-this-happened story. It did explain the story a little more but there were many reused cutscenes. I loved the scene where all the characters fought together. It's the one of two gaming clips I watched, knowing what it was. And the FF characters returned! As well as the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella, but she's not that important. The ending raised so many questions. Is that Luxord?
DR: Like UX, it's a mobile game so the characters are in chibi form and adorable. It's only got two updates so far, so I can't say much about it. But it looks promising. I hope it does not disappoint.
Characters
Destiny Trio
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| Source: Gfycat |
Of the lot, this is my least favourite trio. While Sora was interesting in the beginning, he became overly cheerful for my taste. Riku was a jerk in KH1, but I grew to like him by COM. His journey overcoming darkness was compelling. Until DDD where he became boring. Kairi is...Kairi. She had so much potential! But alas, she is just another damsel in distress. Their chemistry as a whole felt weak, so let's move on.
Seasalt Trio
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| Source: Gfycat |
I feel like this is most people's favourite, but I don't understand why people like Roxas and Xion as much as they do. Don't get me wrong, they're way cool, but I felt that they didn't do much. Roxas is an angsty little boi and I love him for that. His wielding two keyblades is awesome. I find it amusing how he goes from a blank mind to full on Hulk planning to kill his ex-teammates within 365 days.
Xion. Oh poor Xion. I feel so sorry for her. She was such an innocent bean, looking after Roxas when he was sick and being generally nice. When Riku approached her, she kept all her problems to herself to not bother others. This is something I'm a sucker for in stories, if it's done right. Her farewell to Axel and Roxas had all the feels, especially with Axel's anger. That last scene where Axel brought Xion back and collapsed gave me chills.
Axel is boss. He's such a cool character throughout the whole series. I feel that many fans ignore his not-so-moral beginnings and that irks me. It's because of that and his turn to the light that makes me love him. Even if it was only for selfish reasons, he turned out alright. His edginess in COM to being comedic humour in later entries was something I think could've been done better, but I love nonetheless.
Although not technically part of the trio, it's mostly accepted he is. Go figure. Saix/Isa is a fascinating character. The thing that doesn't make sense is how he keeps changing sides.
Wayfinder Trio
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| Source: Gifer |
My absolute favourite trio. They felt most like a trio, despite their various misunderstandings and miscommunication. Aqua I liked because she can kick butt just as well as Ven and Terra. She's by far the most developed of the female characters. But I think fans give her way too much credit and think she's perfect. No no no. I think she has her flaws, same as everyone else. That's what makes me like her.
Oh Terra. You poor baby. He gets the most hate out of all the trios. Sure, I might be biased, considering that it's because of him I got into the series. But I have facts. Terra is gullible, I'll admit, but he is smart. He was manipulated by Xehanort when Eraqus, his supposed father figure, and his extremist views showed disappointment rather than help Terra. Terra also was secluded in location for most of his life, so of course his naive little self would help the first person he meets. Remember, Riku did the exact same thing. Only, Riku's consequences were a lot less dire than Terra's. Might I point out how ridiculously strong Terra is? His will animated his armour, for goodness sake. His comeback in KH3 was probably the comeback I've been most excited for.
Ven is an innocent bean. He's the best of Sora and Roxas, with the perfect amount of angst and cheerfulness. I love the scene in BBS where Scrooge McDuck gives him a ticket to Disneyland and two more for his parents. I'm looking forward to seeing more of his past in UX. Things are getting pretty hot down there.
Lost Trio
Technically, they're (Namine, Repliku and Vanitas) not a trio, but it's widely accepted that they are, so let's just stick to that for simplicity.
Namine had so much potential. I stand by the Lingering Will looking after Namine headcanon. Other than that, I don't really have any other feels for Namine. Repliku is basically another version of Riku, except he's more of a jerk. Yeah, he too was manipulated, etc., but yeah. He's Riku Junior. Vanitas is popular amongst many fans. I don't see why. He was always meh to me. I enjoy his edginess, but I'm not disappointed to see him go. (Let's face it, he'll probably be back, knowing Nomura-san.)
Ansem and his apprentices
I have a love-hate relationship with Ansem TW/DiZ. Sometimes I love his character but other times, I just want to slap his face and make him see sense. He better apologise to everyone in a much more satisfying way.
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| Source: Kingdom Hearts Wiki |
Braig is the weird uncle. Moving on.
Vexen/Even was kinda creepy in COM. That face he made whenever he's about to attack someone reminds me of a frog. In BBS, his status as an adoptive dad gave a new perspective to his character. I hope to see more of it in future instalments. But he's always given me mad scientist vibes so his betrayal to the dark side in KH3 out of character.
Zexion/Ienzo is actually one of my favourite characters. He was so edgy in COM. I think a lot of people underestimate his strength, but he could've defeated Riku if it weren't for Namine. But it's mostly BBS that first made me love his character. He's a baby! And he has baby emo bangs! Unlike COM, he didn't speak, which contrasted with his sassy COM self. His return in KH3 gave his character a new dimension as a cinnamon roll, but he still has his sass. I feel that his role will expand in future titles, given his background. Definitely looking forward to it, but I hope he gets the well-roundedness he deserves.
Lexaeus/Aeleus and Xaldin/Dilan feel virtually the same. Lexy is a typical buff guy, except with a strange loyalty to Zexion. I like Xaldin's voice. It's slimy but smooth at the same time. Both their roles are small, so there's not much to comment on. #LetThemSpeak
Union X Gang
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| Source: Pinterest |
Ephemer is a cute bean. He's a good boy with a cheeky streak. A perfect leader for the next group of doomed individuals. Believe it or not, his hair isn't spiky. It's curly. Mind blowing, I know.
Skuld is a nice girl, complementing Ephemer wonderfully while still being able to be her own character. I hope to see more of these two cinnamon rolls. With the Subject X plot, my hopes are they'll come to consoles very soon.
Brain is another of my favourites, 100% deserving of his name. He's chill, he's smart and he has a fedora. It doesn't get much cooler than that. His design is more to my taste. It would be so cool if he had some connection to certain characters within the franchise. Seeing him lose his chill in the latest UX update (Darkness Makes a Move) sent a chill down my spine. Definitely want more of him in future games.
Marluxia/Lauriam is absolutely fascinating. Seeing Marly and his bad, villainy self versus Lauriam's cinnamon roll side is heartbreaking because we know what caused his downfall. Both he and Strelitzia are fab. Fab characters and fab design. Must have more. Larxene/Elrena is another interesting character. She used to be a sweet girl, but Larxene is a horrible human being. I'm interested in knowing what happened to her too.
Chirithy is Chirithy. He is the most adorably animated plushie ever. Change my mind.
MoM and the foretellers
The Master of Masters is the funniest character of them all. Yes, even beating Axel and Sora and whoever else you can think of. But he still is one big mystery. Is he the mastermind behind all our favourite character's sufferings? I'm sure we'll find out in another 20 years. Luxu too.
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| Source: KH Insider |
Ira is boring. He's supposed to lead, but he doesn't do anything to stop the conflict between the foretellers. You could even say he's the one who started it. I don't like Ira at all. Invi is similar to Ira, except she actually does things in the plot. I like how she is technically doing what MoM told her to, but not at the same time. I like this grey morality.
Ava is best girl. She's so sweet and kind. Such a cinnamon roll. But we also know that she's been breaking some rules, so we'll have to wait and see how it turns out. Most of all, I love her relationship with Gula. I love that it stayed even when the gang started breaking apart. Gula is as chill as Brain. The scene where he loses his chill and begs Ava to help him summon KH breaks my heart every time.
Aced has so much spirit and I love it. He's a little dense and jumps to conclusions too quickly, but that adds to his charm.
Xehanort
Old Nort was so evil it's hilarious. But then he turned out to be a sympathetic villain and, well, it wasn't very impactful. Ansem SOD is also eh. Xemnas had a cool deep voice but it made this volume 1/10 girl have to turn the volume way up. He is also a better eh than Ansem SOD. Young Nort is interesting, especially in DR. He seems like a good kid, if discontented. Looking forward to seeing more of him.
Other Random People
I love Demyx. He's hilarious, but he's still a mystery. If he turns out to be MoM, I don't know how'll I react, but I'll probably laugh.
Luxurd has the coolest accent and demeanour of them all. He's also still a mystery. Apparently, he's connected to Yozora? What?
Yozora, Noctis, Riku. I'm losing track of who's who.
If I'm forgetting anyone else, it's most likely because I don't like them. Sorry not sorry.
Music
The music in the series is beautiful. Thank you, Shimomura-san and Utada-san.
I'm not a huge fan of dub-step, but after listening to Hikari/Simple and Clean, Sanctuary/Passion and, Face My Fears a few times, how could I not fall to its charm?
My three favourite pieces from the series are the orchestral version of Simple and Clean, Destiny's Union and Lazy Afternoons. Those are the ones that make me feel like tearing up whenever I hear them.
I also like Chikai/Don't Think Twice.
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That's the end of this massive blog post. Wow, I didn't know I could rant for so long about a fandom. Thanks for reading and see you next time for a (hopefully) more informative and coherent blog post.If you haven't watched or played the series, GO DO IT NOW. Like, right now. As in, stop reading this and go watch it. I added links in the "Story" section. It's worth it.
Related: Two Storytelling Secrets From Kingdom Hearts
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