Why Does That Train Have A Hat?

[rionaleonhart]

Tem and I are currently playing through Kingdom Hearts II! We've just left the Pirates of the Caribbean world. Tem was very unhappy about the effort to render photorealistic humans alongside cartoon characters in PS2 graphics.

Tem referred to Kingdom Hearts Fujin as 'girl Riku', and I'm struggling to process this.

Axel: You can't turn on the Organization! You get on their bad side and they'll destroy you!
Roxas: No one would miss me. (walks away)
Axel: That's not true! ...I would.
Tem: (cocking head to one side) ...do I ship this?

I'm pleased that Tem is shipping Axel/Roxas, because this will enhance xyr experience of 358/2 Days, or possibly make xyr experience of 358/2 Days considerably worse. Either way, I'm looking forward to it.

Roxas's story still breaks my heart. This poor kid. He just wants to spend time with his friends; he didn't ask for any of this!

Can't believe the imperial Chinese army will let a duck, a dog and a foreign teenager join up, but they draw the line at a woman.

That said, I think the most unrealistic thing about Kingdom Hearts is the fact that nobody ever responds to Donald with 'what the hell did you just say?'

Auron laughs quietly after Sora refuses his offer of guardianship. I wonder if Sora reminds him of Tidus.

To clarify, Auron is offering to guard Sora, in the Final Fantasy X sense of being a guardian. He is not offering to be Sora's legal guardian. But, now that I've accidentally put that thought into my own head, I want to read that fic.

I cannot handle Auron urgently calling Donald Duck's name while healing him. I just can't. This was never supposed to happen.

'I see what we're doing,' Tem commented, at the start of Atlantica. 'We're doing the plot of The Little Mermaid. Because that's what we're doing in this game: we're just going through the plot of Disney films, only truncated and worse, and also Donald Duck is there.'

Sora's a little awkward on encountering Ariel again. I think, now that he's fifteen, he's a bit selfconscious about having his nipples out in merman mode.

The animators do really impressive work making the Organization XIII members feel distinct even when they're dressed in identical face-obscuring coats. The animation in Kingdom Hearts is great all around, actually; it's really striking me on this playthrough!

For the benefit of anyone who's interested in videogame animation, incidentally, I'm really enjoying the New Frame Plus Animation of Final Fantasy series on YouTube, in which professional animator Dan Floyd takes a game-by-game look at how Final Fantasy's animation has changed and developed over the decades. He's up to Final Fantasy V, and I'm looking forward to future instalments!

Comments

[lassarina]

*wheezing* Donald really does add a certain something. but also subtracts some things, like comprehensibility.

AURON.

[ryulynn]

I'm continuing to enjoy your writeups on your Kingdom Hearts games playthroughs. And poor Roxas. Even though I only know like 10% of his story I was like, he does not deserve this.

I vaguely remember Sora being awkward due to going through some of puberty while unconscious iirc? Like suddenly new body shape what this? Puberty is weird enough, sucks when you don't even have enough time to adjust while it is happening.

The comment regarding Donald Duck made me laugh. I'm so dependent on subtitles it didn't occur to me, but yeah everyone just magically understands lol.

[seerofrage]

Oh man, that is such a great Axel/Roxas moment, love them. (':

When you get to Days, are you going to be watching the movie compilation? O:

[necrophilia]

Is this my opportunity to write you a manifesto on why Axel/Saix is, was, and will always be the superior pairing?

[aestivalis]

OH I DO HAVE ONE OTHER COMMENT, I am glad you are doing the series in release order instead of internal chronological order! This is 100% the correct way, Days should be experienced after KH2 regardless of anything else.

[samuraiter]

Sora can always use his giant hands to cover his nipples, along with most of the rest of his body (except his giant feet).

[trepkos]

So, is Disney involved in the production of Kingdom Hearts?

[operasteers]

That said, I think the most unrealistic thing about Kingdom Hearts is the fact that nobody ever responds to Donald with 'what the hell did you just say?'

i feel everyone is just to caught up in the talking duck picking a fight with them and their fists go flying before they can question him (or in belle's case, hug donald, because god he is just such a little plushie walking around and squawking at stuff)

Auron laughs quietly after Sora refuses his offer of guardianship. I wonder if Sora reminds him of Tidus.

i shout at the top of my lungs YES!!! because i strongly feel that too!! esp since the auron in kh2 is from some alternate universe where getting spirited away leads u to kingdom hearts with hades, because hades it cool like that... i wish so badly for auron to meet kh yuna and kh tidus... seeing them happy (or as happy as u can be when disney characters are beating ur ass)