It's Hard To Let It Go.

[rionaleonhart]

I've been introducing Tem to the Kingdom Hearts series. We've just finished the first game!

(The first game is called Kingdom Hearts, which is surprisingly intuitive for this series. The third game is called Kingdom Hearts II. Kingdom Hearts III is something like ten games in, coming after titles like Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance and Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-, the last of which is available only in the HD collection Kingdom Hearts HD II.8 Final Chapter Prologue. I swear I'm not making any of these up.)

Tem's only previous experience of Kingdom Hearts was a Let's Play of the first game that xe had not finished watching.

Riona: So you're at a point where things are still relatively straightforward. There's only one of each character.
Tem: Oh, God.

It never really occurred to me before, but the fact that they kept the original film voice actors for most of the Disney characters means that Kingdom Hearts has much better voice acting than many games of the PS2 era. Although, as Tem points out, it also has the disconcerting effect that the pointless filler bits (which include a lot of Disney characters) have noticeably better acting than the serious plot scenes (which tend to focus more on characters created for Kingdom Hearts).

Tem observed that the Hundred Acre Wood didn't quite fit the tone of the overarching plot. 'You need to save your friend who's lost her heart, and your other friend has turned against you, but you need to take breaks to make sure Tigger doesn't bounce twice on a carrot.'

When Riku stabbed his ally Maleficent with his Keyblade, Tem said 'Riku!' in such a mildly scolding tone that it cracked me up. Riku! Don't stab your allies in the heart; that's so rude!

'Light,' Ansem gasped as the light from Kingdom Hearts poured over him, apparently halfway between agony and ecstasy. 'He's like you when we watched Death Note: The Musical,' Tem commented, murdering me more efficiently than the Death Note ever could.

Tem absolutely lost it laughing when Mickey Mouse turned up. He does love to pop up out of nowhere in the middle of serious plot scenes; it's hard to brace yourself for him!

I still inevitably find tears in my eyes at the end of Kingdom Hearts. I've loved this stupid series since I was fourteen years old. It's such a weird mess! The plot is nonsense! But the feelings of the characters are so achingly sincere, even when everything happening around them is absolutely incomprehensible bullshit.

What an odd game. I'm glad it exists.

Comments

[necrophilia]

I can't wait until you reach Days.

[rionaleonhart]

Let's see how much I cry this time!

[vriddy]

I still marvel that this collaboration ever saw the light of day at all. What a delight :D A confusing delight.

[rionaleonhart]

It seems so unlikely that it was ever made! But I'm so glad it was. 'A confusing delight' really sums it up.

[wolfy_writing]

Riona: So you're at a point where things are still relatively straightforward. There's only one of each character.
Tem: Oh, God.

That made me crack up.

[rionaleonhart]

There are going to be so many of everyone! So many Ansems, not counting the Ansem who is not in fact one of the Ansems but is instead a different person who happens to be named Ansem.

[pauraque]

I have not played these games, but I watched a LP of the first one with my kid (their idea, not mine). I remember having to remind myself that it was an actual game and not an extremely weird and elaborate machinima.

[rionaleonhart]

It does seem a very unlikely thing! 'A teenage boy teams up with wizard Donald Duck and knight Goofy to track down Mickey Mouse, who is the king of the universe' is already an odd premise, and then everything just gets stranger.

[ryulynn]

There's a simplicity in Kingdom Hearts 1 that I miss in the later games. I know it makes sense for things to get more complicated, but I just love Riku so much I want him more present all the time (maybe that's my actual problem lol). I too am glad the series exists even if I didn't really get into it past 1. 2 was fine but it didn't really bring me into the deeper lore, and I did play 3 and had enough fun to finish it but honestly don't remember any of it, not helping that I didn't play the other games lol. I think of it as a series people just want to hate on other people having fun, and use it as a barometer if someone can tolerate other people having other opinions and likes lol. It wasn't meant for me and that's perfectly fine and valid!

[rionaleonhart]

I just love Riku so much I want him more present all the time

The correct attitude to take towards Kingdom Hearts! Riku's the best.

It makes sense that later Kingdom Hearts might not have clicked for you! It doesn't help that the series is very unforgiving if you haven't played all the games scattered across different consoles. Before Kingdom Hearts III came out, a friend of mine expressed the hope it would make sense to people who had only played the main games. I had to break the news that the cover art alone featured four characters who had only appeared in side games.

[shamanicshaymin]

Riona: So you're at a point where things are still relatively straightforward. There's only one of each character.
Tem: Oh, God.

lol xe is in for a trip.

I'll have to revisit this series some time. I only beat 1 and 2 (I got my ass kicked in Chain of Memories) though I am curious about 3 and Days. Everything I learned about Days breaks my heart in a good way. ;;

[rionaleonhart]

I hope you enjoy it, if you do revisit it! Days absolutely emotionally wrecked me.

[shamanicshaymin]

God, I just want Roxas and Axel and Xion to be together and happy eating seasalt ice cream and waaaaaaaaaah

[wyomingsmustache]

Kingdom Hearts is a special interest of Hayley my friend Hayley and they got me to watch playthroughs of the entire series a couple years ago (in exchange for watching a season of Digimon), and I rather predictably went right for Riku. My special boy.

[rionaleonhart]

Excellent taste! Riku appeals powerfully to my love of self-loathing characters who've made horrible mistakes and are desperately trying to atone.

[sonofgodzilla]

The first game is called Kingdom Hearts, which is surprisingly intuitive for this series.

This is the most honest thing I have read in 2023!

I still inevitably find tears in my eyes at the end of Kingdom Hearts.

This... this too. <3

Also:

Aeris/Leon forever!!

[rionaleonhart]

Aeris/Leon forever!!

I can see it! This pairing had never crossed my mind before, but I found myself thinking 'huh, Leon and Aerith and Yuffie spend a lot of time hanging out in a house that only has one bed, right?' just before receiving this comment. I already ship Squall/Yuna; I wonder how many other Squall/healer ships I can accumulate.

[sonofgodzilla]

I, likewise, am all about Aeris's canon relationships... but if this conversation ends in us running an Aeris/Leon winter ficfest event in 2024, I also will not protest.

Your comment about that single bed made me snort with glee!

[shanaqui]

Maaan, this makes me want to replay. I wish I could get it on PC, though. I'm much more a PC gamer these days.

[rionaleonhart]

It's a real pain when games aren't available on your preferred platform! If you do replay it, though, I hope you enjoy it. (Love your icon!)

[lokifan]

Light,' Ansem gasped as the light from Kingdom Hearts poured over him, apparently halfway between agony and ecstasy. 'He's like you when we watched Death Note: The Musical,' Tem commented, murdering me more efficiently than the Death Note ever could.

:collapses into giggles:

I've never interacted with Kingdom Hearts beyond fandom osmosis but I like that it exists! It's such a wild concept that it does, tbh. Like, Disney's so protective over its IP sometimes and sometimes it's just like, 'sure, have fun!'

[rionaleonhart]

I like that it exists! It's such a wild concept that it does, tbh.

Exactly! It's such a weird thing. I can't believe I spend a substantial proportion of this deeply heartfelt, tragic series of videogames hanging out with Donald Duck.