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Discussing why the Kingdom Hearts franchise, the mad mash up of Disney and Final Fantasy, isn't quite the mess it should be. In fact, it's pretty dope.
Why the first two hours of Kingdom Hearts were perfect: • The First Hours of Kin...
Clemp's Kingdom Hearts Retrospective: • Kingdom Hearts - Clemps - เกม
As amazing as Kingdom Hearts is as a franchise, it really wouldn't be the same without our goddess Yoko Shimomura.
Kaim Argonar did she pass away or is she just no longer involved?
@@nivek-1k782 Neither of those, we just love her a lot.
@@nivek-1k782 no. He mean, without Yoko Shimomura, Kingdom Hearts is incomplete. Until today, she's still stick with this franchises.
Zen The15 ok, thank you both for explaining
Very fucking true, Kingdom Hearts is the game that made me care about video game music.
Gotta admit, its strange seeing you cover a game that we both unanimously love for the exact same reason. But I'm living for it. Miss you buddy, hope to hang out again soon!
THANK you for keeping the torch alight, big man! Really glad we can share this, been on the cards for so long
@@BMask Love both of your work, fantastic vids guys. View count is criminally low.
My name is void and I approve this message
Clemps... I love you, man. Whenever I need to brighten my day, you're the address. AND you made me play Three Houses which is fantastic so far! (Even though I chose the Black Eagles)
Clemps brought me here last year, glad he did.
I know for a fact without a doubt that Kingdom Hearts IS AIGHT!
Ansem: Aight! But... but why?
Well played.
Dwight: It's more than "Aight." It's amAZING!
Keepers of Light nah its just aight
@@pokespartytv8086 don't play wit us bro, u have a xion picture, all this friendship n light shit makes us defensive irl😂😂
My problem with Kingdom Hearts recaps is the fact that they tell you everything, but you dont know what it truly means. You dont have time to think about this whole story. But this video? You complete capture the love and charm this game has brought to so many people. It makes so much sense as to why this franchise is so loved now. I've never felt so invested in these silly games before. Thank you!
Best way I've seen this put yet, and means a lot to hear! Thank you.
Remember that "good enough" summary for people who wanted to start the series at KHIII? And all the comments were like "thanks, now I don't need to waste my time every playing the games"
@@BMask Awww you're welcome!! I love your videos so much! Your Psychonauts video got me into the game and its now my favorite game ever! ♡♡♡
E.J.Smith Well to be fair the reason for that is that the story is kinda incomprehensible, I mean I’m pretty sure the creator of the series himself has admitted to writing the series as he goes on and it really shows. Theee are just a lot of moments in this series where the plot is just confusing at best and mind boggling at worst. Trying to understand the mechanics of things like Hearts, the Heartless, Nobodies, Worlds, Replicas and so on will likely give you a migraine. There’s a *reason* why there were Kingdom Hearts recaps made by numerous people, the plot is just impossible to wrap your head around. The whole story can easily be described as a mess with confusing elements, weird dialogue, random things that *might* be important in a future game and retcons, loads of retcons. And I’m speaking as someone who has followed the series for quite some time now.
Was just thinking about this myself the other day. There were so many videos made before KH3 came out that attempted to recap the series in as little time as possible, and so many comments from people who had never played any of the games, or only 1 and 2, were along the lines of, " Wow this is so dumb and makes no sense." I think those videos do a huge disservice to the series, partly for some of the reasons brought up in this video. KH's plot and characters were never made to be summed up to someone in 20 minutes or less. Rattling off plot points and condensing complicated character development down as much as possible can never be a substitute for experiencing the games firsthand, because so much of this series is something you FEEL. It's in the heartfelt (heh sorry) moments that make up the series and have given us something to return to as adults. When friends of mine who haven't ever played ask me what it's about, I give them something like, "Boy goes to other worlds looking for his friends and meets Disney and Final Fantasy characters", and then I tell them to just play the darn thing. Like, "Trust me, just play it." (Or maybe send them an opening cinematic or two as well, because who wouldn't be a little swayed by that?)
"358/2 days is really bad."
Thems fightin' words.
story is good, and I would say given the context of the story, the gameplay (which definitely at many points not fun) helps further the story in that this is the tedium that roxas goes throughout most of his life. I would unironically say if the gameplay were actually fun, it would not be as effective
@Danny Stuivenberg I mean, there probably is a way to make it fun and fit the story, but that how I feel in this case
yeah 358/2 days had a quite good story in between the tedius missions.
@Jacqueline Crone Story wise Re: Coded is garbage. Character development wise, also garbage, further more dialogue also utter trash. However I would argue that Re:Coded is the best of all the handheld devices when it comes to combat hands down.
A big thing that holds it back is the DS's horrible movement scheme of using a D-Pad which ruins the platforming section of the gameplay. Having played it on an emulator with a proper controller, it's gameplay is almost downright addicting in how well it plays, falling under kh2 in it's functionality, but with a very similar feel in it's speed, weight and balance.
But perhaps the biggest downside to the combat comes from the very repetitive nature of how it's 'dungeons' are designed. They all use the same textures the entire game, with a horribly in your face color scheme, and the same music used from beginning to end. If this games combat was put onto any of the other hand held games, it would honestly make them better games. With a little polish and a controller it could even almost pass for a mainline title quality in these aspects.
Days on the other hand is almost the polar opposite of Re:Coded, good story, fantastic character development, and most of the time decent dialogue. However it's combat and gameplay is an utter slog to playthrough, feels somehow even more repetitive then Days (largely due to how long it takes to finish the game), and has an even worse movement and platforming setup. It's panel inventory set up is hot garbage and is tedious as hell compared to Coded's chip system. Furthermore the game lacks any flavor beyond attack and simple magic, compared to Re:coded's extensive and diverse command ability list and cheat system that spices up combat by letting you do wacky things on the fly, like increase difficulty, strengthen heartless for more item drops, lower both sora's and the heartless's hp, even all the way to 1 hp for both enemies and sora, and even lowering XP gain to instead let you level up your command abilities faster.
I really wish they had remastered it for console and kept the multiplayer component. Who *wouldn't* want to play as Organization XIII members?
Kingdom Hearts had no right to come out of nowhere yet feel timeless, become a smash hit while feeling like a hidden gem, develop into a mainstream staple but still maintain a cult following, and resemble a convoluted hodgepodge that happens to be a masterclass in game design. It really shouldn't exist.
But it does, and the world of gaming is better for it.
Lol master class lol, kh is a mediocre action game, a bad RPG, the WORST story . The only thing of quality is the OST
@@finnmarr-heenan2397 wot
@@finnmarr-heenan2397 a yes, an action RPG so mediocre every action jrpg since has taken elements from its gameplay and none have managed to achieve the level of depth KH 2.5 has.
@@eldenlean5221 lol action rpg is a genere for scrubs, if u where skilled you play a character action game, and if u where smart youd play a real crpg.... also just because something influential dosnt mean its good, look at how many shitty 3rd person shooters came after gears of war.
@@finnmarr-heenan2397 no one cares about your hot take on action rpgs. You said it was mediocre for the genre, while its verifiably really good as an action jrpg.
Also the copy cats that gears of war inspired have literally no relevance to the quality of gears of war itself.
So would you say that KH's strengths lie in its... Heart?
... Yeah, I'll let myself out.
Boooo
It's true though.
I'm gonna give you a pat on the back for the attempt :3
No no he's got a point
As far as I can tell, Light represents simplicity. Everything is out in the open and understandable at a glance while Darkness represents complexity that, if unprepared, can wear on you and cause all kinds of problems. Both are necessary to live complete, fulfilled lives and the entire franchise is a window into that process through the eyes of a simple, big hearted boy.
That's it. You literally described the franchise. How did you do that?!
Replying to a near 3 year old comment, but having Light and Dark described this way puts the song "Simple & Clean" into perspective.
Watching KH out of context: lol silly emo Disney anime
With Context: *Singing while sobbing, tears streaming down your face* "...SIMPLE AND CLEAN AS THE WAY YOUR MAKING ME FEEL TONIGHT! 😭"
I replayed KH1 twice and I cried at the end both times
Yep, that's me. A grown ass adult crying over disney characters mumblin about light and darkness shit
10/10 would do it again
Still silly emo Disney anime even with context
But I like it that way
The fact that as soon as I hear Roxas' theme I can hear him saying "looks like my summer vacation is..over" and immediately understand the emotion and meaning of that line on both a surface and deeper level I think speaks to exactly the quality of those moments you are referring to.
The feeling of something ending, a sense of uncertainty, learning that everything you thought was real isn't. These are the sort of self reflection moments this series, in my opinion excels at. An excellently made video and a pleasure to watch all the way through. Now if you'll excuse me I think I'm going to replay the series.
One of the funniest thing about Kingdom Hearts 3 nobody talks about is that Sora is now an accomplice to actual murder. They completely obliterated Beckett's ship while he's on it like in Pirates of the Caribbean 3. But Beckett wasn't a heartless, just a regular dude. Now he's dead.
Sora has already killed prior to that. In KH2 he kills the cursed pirates that were apart of Barbosa's Crew
Meteornome He could argue self defence because they raised guns at him
At the same time, Beckett is an asshole. You also saw how he reacted when Davy Jones killed...uh...Orlando Bloom's character whose name I forget.
@@FerreTrip Will Turner
@@skulorao4143 He's had a body count as early as 1.
the “its time to leave the theme park” line gave me chills it was so well delivered. your script writing is amazing and i love the way you talk about things
Honestly I've loved Kingdom Hearts since the beginning and generally I'm not very confused about most of things this series tires to do. I've been on this wild ride for over 15 years now and I still can't wait for whats next. More lore in mobile games, Rhythm based games, and a 5+ year wait time until KH4, bring it on Nomura.
Dude, You have been following the series FROM THE BEGINNING, that's why you understand it. I am the same but i hate everything after BBS.
@@raulrojas9253 Doesn't has do to with being there since beginning.
A lot of people who are also there since beginning say they don't understand anything.
I played KH2 in 2007/8.
I remember that I wa often a little bit confused but I didn't play KH1 and was around 7 xD
In 2014 I got recommended the KH 2.5 trailer and finally got back and got both mixes.
And it really isn't that hard. Some scenes are a little bit confusing, but that's also because of the connections between all parts which make it so special. And it were a lot of information, obiously.
And because the game series often solves 2 mysteries, but asks 3 new questions.
Other than that, the game series isn't really that hard to follow. No need to be there since beginning. You just need the whole story.
You guys get so caught up on understanding the story but it's not any good at all. especially KH3 everything was unbearable and stilted. I'm surprised fans can actually slurp this shit up lmao
@@kristopher4557 Your opinion != Facts != Other opinions
@@kristopher4557 100 percent agree. The whole story is a stretch. You don't really realize it till you have to explain it to people watching you play. Like c'mon, a digital twilight town?!? That's reaching bro.
This is a great heartfelt and fun summation of why KH works so well! The Disneyland concept really makes sense-even Nomura treats the series as a playground for storytelling, planting seeds of concepts and connecting them in unexpected ways later, creating the joy of a never-ending puzzle.
Wait a minute you seaid you DONT like anime this is the most anime has ever animed
24:40
huehuehuehuehuehuehue
Its aways thrown me off cause in the Gem video he definitely references Jojo and I suppose its pretty surface level but at the time of the video Jojo wasn't as huge as it is currently outside of japan
Phillip Salvidor
Dude Jojo has been huge outside of Japan for a long time, waaaaay before his Gem video came out.
@@ImortalZeus13 I was under the impression that the Jem video came out a lot earlier than last year
this video about how Kingdom Hearts makes us misty-eyed by sheer force of heart made me misty-eyed
Kingdom hearts is the only series I know where ancient middle aged Chinese man can punch anime teenager in the face then he gets assaulted by Donald duck
eitherway, STAN KH1
STAN the first one, MAKE SWEET LOVE TO AND MARRY 2, APPRECIATE the added lore from the other games, IGNORE Dream Drop and 3 because I really didn't like what they did in those two, and GET HYPE for where the series is headed next because they're actually setting up plots and characters in proper mysterious fashion, the likes of which we haven't seen since the Deep Dive secret ending of Kingdom Hearts 1.
KH 1 and 2 are the only games in the series don’t @ me.
@@ImortalZeus13 I'm tempted to be with you on that one, ngl
I really like the simplicity and mystery of KH1 plot but it's combat system hasn't aged really well..
KH2FM, on the other hand, has the best combat system of the entire series (KH3ReMind being a close second) and the plot, while having some cool moments, it's definitely a downgrade from KH1 plot.
Everything after that (except KH3ReMind) is hot garbage in gameplay and story, especially KHDDD
@@luckybeast1234 1 combat still plays good, it just that doesn't play as good as 2 or later games since it was refined
it didn't "age" horriblely, it's the same as before except better games came later
I love this series honestly because of how fascinating it’s story and lore is, as well as it’s characters. It’s Easily my favorite cast of characters in a franchise.
Sure, it can be convoluted at times. But I also don’t think it’s nearly as confusing as people make it out to be. Definitely ain’t “simple” tho I’ll admit lol.
But I legit can’t wait for what the next saga brings to the table. Especially since some characters will more than likely get some much needed time in the spotlight. Such as Kairi, Saix (Isa) & Marluxia (Lauriam).
I wish his vessels were really treated like vessels, possessed and hollowed out. When Isa showed up in 3D I thought he was stripped of his personality and controlled, given his silence and dead eyes. But in 3, it feels like most of the darkness squad is there by choice and lacking in any influence by Xehanort besides having yellow eyes. Marluxia, Larxene, and Demyx act like they’re there because they have nothing better to do. It weakens what 3D set up
"Having Mickey riding Bahamut in to the sun" that was hilarious.
It's because Tetsuya Nomura is unapologetic in his art and has actual visions and themes in his work that he doesn't compromise on
As opposed to like every other franchise nowadays that feels like its run by a million different focus groups
But the writing, premise, dialogue, plot, everything is fucking awful. The music is the only worthy thing to come from kh
@@finnmarr-heenan2397 who
@@finnmarr-heenan2397 I think the story of the first game is actually good
But in the rest of the franchise is sometimes good...
But bullshit most of the time
@@finnmarr-heenan2397 did you watch the video?
Nomura also ruined Parasite Eve's third game and effectively killed the franchise. Kingdom Hearts is good. That doesn't make Nomura a genius.
"Old father time against young peppy chucklebums" is perhaps my favorite description of the main KH conflict.
This really made me rethink the KH Franchise in a positive way, I've always been a fan of KH but to look at it from this perspective was truly enlightening.
Kingdom Hearts is some of the silliest, over the top, b movie plot, should be schlock, ridiculousness game series I can think of.
But damn if it can’t be some of the most sincere, uplifting, tear jerking, heartwarming, mix of contradictions.
I'd agree for KH1, The game was so earnest and made with love, one of my favourite games ever
Thank you, you've explained it perfectly for me. Through this video, I was thinking why I like KH so much, apart from the story and investment. I see why now
And I wouldn't want it any other way!
Thank you for this video. I was really sad about the legacy of kingdom hearts, but this perspective gives me hope. I will finally give KH3 a shot using this lens while playing. Beautiful breakdown.
It’s the best in the series if you ask me. Have fun!
@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE well some people prefer the classic aspect of the first game or the feeling of the second game like with the combat and I really enjoyed the third game but once the dlc came out, the magic feeling kinda got lost for me
PayPayGoneCrayCray Dlc just made the game better to me. How’d it make it lose the magic for you? It’s simply additional content.
I like them all though.
@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE Because of how it's trying to repeat the aspects from KH2FM with the data fights and the fact the story was added on when it should have been done when the game was made the secret boss is okay though
PayPayGoneCrayCray I don’t think them repeating the data fights was a bad thing. Those were incredibly fun fights in KH2 after all. It made sense they’d continue it in KH3. Besides, I felt it was a good idea they would do that to give us the chance to have a REAL 1 on 1 fight with the organization. That’s just me tho.
I've never heard of a game series that constantly has to keep defending itself over the course of its existence. It's so exhausting. The fact that the series is like 15+ years old with multiple sequels and every once in a while we have to ask "what if kingdumb heart not dumb? What if kingdom heart....good?" is the most tiring argument. At the end of the day, it's just a matter of letting people like what they like. The game has tackled so many different themes that you can literally follow any part of the narrative and have it work.
I agree wholeheartedly, it is pretty sad when you take a step back and realize why these videos are made lol.
"I've never heard of a game series that constantly has to keep defending itself over the course of its existence."
Allow me to introduce myself, a Sonic fan ;-;
Final Fantasy fan here, reporting for duty!
The original trilogy (this includes chain of memories) is not something anyone needs to defend, people understand the appeal even if the storytelling isn't the best. The more bad games (in mechanics and story) got stacked on top of the good foundation the more people wondered if the franchise was worth saving.
@@9Godslayer Final Fantasy only needed "defense" after FF12, which is understandable cuz everything went downhill from that point
This was secretly a "Kingdom Hearts III was really good you guys" video, and I'm happy for it
It was!
It was certainly a lot better than this other video about KH3 I watched. It basically amounted to a whole lot of salt, and snide derision of detractors than "Hey, guys, lemme tell you why I think KH3 was awesome". I disagree with B-Mask here, but I admit that this is a rebuttal done right. I can actually see where he's coming from, at the very least.
Damn you, I want Keyblade-wielding Gilgamesh sooo badly now.
Oh oh Ea for a Ultima weapon?
Edit : ..... We are talking about different Gilgameshes arent we?
One might say Kingdom Hearts has a lot of heart to it.
THIS IS RIDICULOUS, i was just watching your Sly Cooper retrospective again YESTERDAY and was wondering how you felt about Kingdom Hearts. and here we are. i can’t wait to see what you have to say
Finally, someone who gets it.
Yes
Ye
Y
-Sey
Ness.
B-mask: I don't like anime
Also B-mask:
As a day one fan of the series who's played every game several times, I loved this video. You did a great job describing the way these games make me feel and what makes them so great. Thanks for that!
If the Masters of Masters really is Adult Sora like a lot of pepole are thinking, that's going to strengthen the themes of the series and Sora even more. If MOM is an Adult Sora who rejected his innocent and fell into darkness then it's going to make his fight against Sora to be really thematic.
LEGO movie 2
The fact that Sora was punished for pushing his shounen op-ness too far just makes this theory hurt more
Man I'd love that
@@BMask I mean even if it's just Demyx Master of Masters from what I've seen of the clips is just delightfully over the top and hilarious that he would be more of a joy to listen to then Xehanort.
It’d be a pretty cool parallel to Ventus and Vanitas for sure too
I think "The 100 Acre Wood"(for being the world that people dismiss most) is the world that most represents the themes of growing up in the series where Sora visits it and it's residents at 3 different points with different states of mind. The best example is in KH3 where Sora even feeling that its connection to Pooh and the others is weaker he still wants to hold on to this side of himself cause they are dear to him.
This is my fault for not completing 100 acre wood in 3 yet. What a wonderful detail.
Loved the video and did get misty eyed again
But bro you have to play 358/2 days again it has a lot more to say and it's a much more grounded character study than any other game in the franchise
Yess!! This! I agree on what you said about Days!!
The Heartless are perhaps one of my favorite monster enemies in any video game, just the nature of what they are and the fact that there are two versions of them, natural purebloods and artificial emblems variants further cements the ingenuity of them.
They also come with a unique origin backstory that's more fleshed out for a monster enemy than what many Final Fantasy games don't even bother with.
You just more or less described exactly how I feel about this series and why I love it so much; and why it’s story, characters and world mean so much to me despite the contrivances of its flaws. This was one of the most well constructed essay videos I’ve ever seen about this franchise. Thank you so much for this. You’ve earned a new subscriber and it was totally worth it! Thank you for this great video, I will try to show it to others that don’t understand why people like this series, and see if it makes them give it a shot. Thank you again my friend. From a new subscriber, “May your heart be your guiding key!”
Gotta admit, if it wasn't for Kingdom Hearts, I probably wouldn't have liked Playstation consoles as soon as I thought.
Each game’s story but it sounds like a dark fantasy
BBS: three young warriors fail to defeat the main villain Xehanort and suffer fates worse than death
1: a guy is going around annihilating worlds and a boy burdened with a powerful sword must join the king’s men on the mission to save the universe
Chain of Memories: a mysterious castle robs Sora of his memories with a nefarious group antagonizing him (when they’re not betraying each other)
Days: in the short time he’s been alive, a boy connected to Sora experiences and life of pain and anguish including watching his friend become her own person only to die in his arms
2: a devious organization of paradoxical non existence rises and reeks havoc on many worlds and the new main villain Xemnas clearly has ulterior motives that only a select few are in on
ReCoded: there’s nothing dark about this one. Skip
DDD: Sora and Riku’s exam for mastery is sabotaged when a young version of Xehanort ambushes the testing ground and almost assimilates Sora as a vessel for the main Xehanort. Riku must take action to rescue him from the new organization
Fragmentary Passage: Aqua’s gloomy and depressing time in the realm of darkness as she struggles to hold on to the light of her friends
3: Sora must not let Xehanort win the *war* he’s been orchestrating for decades
I think you explained Xehanort’s mission and what he’s doing at the core of it really well, actually- like, you said it very simply but explained enough of it to make it understandable.
Videos like these that explain KH so well and with feeling, using the game’s OSTs, always make me a bit emotion, ngl.
On a different note, I love that Castle Oblivion was so darn confusing and maze-like because Aqua made it that way on purpose. She used what was left of her home to made a safe place for Ventus to sleep until she could wake him up. It was so that, if anyone made their way to Castle Oblivion, they wouldn’t be able to find him and hurt him, because it’s such a weird and confusing building. And it worked. Literally no one knew where in Castle Oblivion Ventus’s sleeping form actually lay, except for Aqua. So cool.
(Whether Nomura actually planned that big all along from the beginning of making Chain of Memories, I dunno. But it’s a fun way to explain why Chain of Memories hurts my brain.)
"I wish I could say more about Kairi..."
OH her time is comin', dude. Seasoned KH players proved her gameplay style is quite potent and it seems she is the crux that will bring aid to Sora in the next few games. Girl has potential and it looks like Square finally wants to tap into that.
They taped into that in the means of a rythm game..... there are better ways to do that tho
Like they could have given us a phase of gameplay where we got to see Kairi training with Axel in Merlin dimension(wich could have been just the two of theme revisiting dream worlds like Sora did in DDD )
@@togucvinw7 Honestly, I really hope this MoM will serve as an intro for the REAL Kairi game. Like really, I don't think the next game will be KH IV, but I hope it will feature both Kairi and Riku playable in their search for Sora before he comes back as the main protagonist.
we don't even know if she's playable in her own backstory game
Idk man, Kairi has been getting shit on for a while now, I'm finding it hard to believe square is going to finally give the character something, a rhythm game is all were probably getting for her
Idk I thought they’d do that after KH3D’s secret ending but I got fooled again. As excited as I am about MOM, I’m also worried that’s all we’re gonna get for Kairi. Homegirl deserves so much better.
To me, Kingdom Hearts exemplifies what I like about anime and what many people dislike. Well, shounen anime at least. Sure, the plot is stupid and convoluted, the characters are all well-worn archetypes, the dialogue is overwrought, and the character designs are overblown... but if you can get past that, not worry so much about how overly serious it takes the often silly subject matter, and get down to what it's *really* about and what many of these concepts and outlandish designs represent, there's a lot of good there that is really hard to find in other things.
For real, nomura writes some charasmatic characters.
He just has them do some dumbass shit.
Really i think this series has so much missed potential. It makes me really sad to think how much time has been wasted on overexplaining a plot and not character interaction.
Kingdom hearts would be godlike if someone drafted nomuras scripts
This. No doubt, man.
Yeah Nomura is pressuring by Square Enix and Disney on uncomfortable look.
Like whenever they have the characters actually interact in a casual setting, it's some good shit right there. I wish we had more of that. So much of the series is the characters being divided from each other and I get that, but if we're going to invoke the bond of friendship so much show it to me god damn it!
I'm actually pretty excited for the mobile game stuff because of this. New characters with potentially interesting personalities? Yes please.
@@sirensong1794 Not really it another cash grab on Disney and Square Enix look at the mobile game how it starting all.
Yeah thats true. I guess I think all the interactions in KH3, for instance, are super freaking good but there wasn't as much as people wanted cuz the plot just kept rolling. I do wish it would give more chance to breath.
I guess on the flipside a lot of the Disney worlds really are just there for the characters to banter and hang out with Disney characters, but its only for the main playable cast of that particular game. Still, thats the aspect I see criticized most anymore, that its "filler". But yeah idk, I usually love seeing them chill with different characters. My only issue with Disney worlds is when they try to tell the exact same plot as their movie, cuz like, ive already seen that shit, gimme something new lol.
I may have discovered this channel late, but it doesn't bother me. I want to say that your work on your essays is absolutely beautiful. The amount of love and attention the subject receives shows in every tiny bit and detail. I wish you many years of thriving, but what you did so far is wonderful enough to keep your name afloat for years and years. Your videos are making me filled with good emotions, often leaving my eyes welling up with tears and it makes me feel alive. It makes me think that you fill your work with a generous amount of true emotion and passion. Thank you.
Really lovely message to get. Thank you so much.
Honestly, i'm glad Kingdom Hearts takes itself so seriously. Its premise is so out there and ridiculous and I love that it never stops to wink at the audience. Its part of what makes it so unique.
This is easily one of the best videos i've ever seen on the series. Definitely subscribing!
I think I'm over everything being filtered through the cynical or ironic lense; Sora is the hero of the story BECAUSE he wears his heart on his sleeve, and thus brings out the best of the characters surrounding him. The ones that try so hard to distance themselves from that kind of sincerity to prove how "grown up" they are, well, they end up like Riku and get consumed by the darkness and lose their hearts.
That's the basis of plenty of "retain your innocence" stories we've seen in other mediums, so I don't know why folks want to pick on KH as if it's some outlier.
I’ve seen a lot of Kingdom Hearts videos, but this video, in my opinion, best represents what Kingdom Hearts is, and why people love it so much. This was a really great video
I love how with KH 1, you show the original’s title screen. Most would just show the 1.5 version and call it a day. I’ve always preferred the og title screen.
I’m so glad that someone made this! There is no way I could have said this better. When I heard that people didn’t like part 3, I was a little discouraged from beating it, but when I finally did beat it, it became my second or third favorite in the franchise. As a longtime fan, given all of the story elements that still needed to be wrapped up, I couldn’t ask for a much better finale than KH3, I loved it ^__^
I was the same way honestly. But now that I've beaten it. I'm honestly going to try to Platinum the base game someday.
@@jackleveille9319 Good luck
20:32 "358/2 days is.... Really bad"
Thats some fighting words there
HOL UP The Musketeer movie is in Kingdom Hearts? I guess I really have to play this series to completion after all.
Yeah, it's one of the worlds in Dream Drop Distance.
i loved that movie as a wee child and i thought it was cool to have in kh, i just find it so unbelievable of all movies, THAT is the one that is drawing you deeper into the series, i've honestly never heard that one. but more power to you, fall deeper into the darkness.
darkness within darkness awaits you
@@kristenhicks2993 I'd rather have Muskehounds but that's not Disney
yeah, i didnt even realize it was a direct to video movie considering its in kh, but it is
@@mikotoh i swear i saw it on disney channel as a wee child
“Sora and Riku have the best story arcs” gonna do the salt ice cream trio dirty aren’t you?
i’ve watched this video like twice now, and my god i applaud you. you put into much better words what i’ve been thinking about this series being an allegory for childhood / growing up by way of its two properties and their effect on the main characters. while yes i do wish the execution on a dialogue / actual plot level was a bit more consistent, even then this series has its genuinely brilliant moments of writing (mostly early on) and conceptually is actually sick. as you’ve so beautifully illustrated here. well done video as always.
also, Sly Cooper, Better Call Saul AND Kingdom Hearts??? get out of my head please.
I can't lie. I literally just teared up as soon as you put the title screen for KH1 up. I really miss those days I spent, sitting in front of my silver PS2 that my mom had gotten me for a complete surprise birthday gift, along with my own CRT and some decent early '00s speakers. I think that PS2 probably gave me the most happiness of any 'toy' I was bought as a kid. Thank you for this video, and thanks to Square, Disney, and Tetsuya Nomura for a series which can bring me to tears with music and visuals, separate or together.
This is so interesting to me as a fan of KH, but not of the source media.
And, because of that I feel like I enjoy it for such a different reason: The way the plot is simultaneously extremely predictable and not one bit.
You always know that your heroes are going to "win" each situation, that the evil at the start will be dealt with. (the one exception to this is Birth By Sleep, but that game makes it pretty clear you're going to lose).
What makes it investing for me is "but what goes wrong?". Why isn't everything perfect after this game? And that is what makes it worth it to try to read the hints, to find out what's going on in the background
@Let Tice I don't think that's going to happen, now. Maybe there could be something like it in the "search for Sora" arc?
Thank you. People always underrated the franchise because of how big or confusing it is or how other yoytubers talk of it. Im glad someone made a good video properly explaing the games instead of shorting on the bad parts for jokes. It's not perfect but still quality games.
I feel like a bunch of what you say are good points (Xehanort's vessels playing into the old vs young narrative for instance) one has to purposefully not remember details of the plot to accept, because a lot of it doesn't hold up to 2 minutes scrutiny if you actually care about what the game takes time to say to you.
That's the problem with KH in a nutshell, it really is a series more about feelings than perfect narrative cohesion, more character than lore. But the fact that it keeps having loads of exposition to explain the newest mindless lore really undermines the mood it tries to establish.
Like, the series is really emotional and melodramatic at times, and that's where the seires is at its best moments. But it really sabotages itself when it keeps contradicting lore elements it took 20 minutes to explain just to make a character reveal more impactful. Like, if the story keeps contradicting itself every new game, there's no reason for me to invest into what a heart is, because it's always subject to be rendered moot by the next game. If it's the characters, the FEELINGS that matter, then a bunch of concepts and exposition isn't gonna make the story better, it just slows it down.
The things you say in the video, how the series plays with the player's experience, how its world choices and the roles its characters play (I is indisputed in this regard so hard it's not even a friendly competition), are true, and the series is at its best when it uses it well, but to me, the impression is that those moments are few and far between, and separated by long stretches of filler and dumb loredumps that don't make the series better. It always come off as potential the series CAN BE, but always end up falling short for having its head up its ass.
Loved the video anyway.
Agreed, up to a point. Personally, I feel the series' obsession with maintaining a strict internal logic is one of its greatest weaknesses, as it runs directly counter to its greatest strength: the powerful emotional storytelling that is natural to fairy tales. Fairy tale logic is essentially dream logic, and in a dream, there is very rarely a sense of internal logic. Things just...happen, that are reflective of your innermost thoughts. Nothing kills that atmosphere faster than elaborate labyrinthine overexplanation of strange things that happen. Did we REALLY need an answer on how Maleficent came back to life in KHII? I'd argue no, not really. But there's a whole chunk of a whole mobile game dedicated to explaining it.
The problem with KH's constant retconning / "work it out as we go along" style storytelling would be far more easily justified with fairy tale logic firmly embraced. Why is Ansem suddenly multiple different people? It's a dream. How is Maleficent alive again? It's a dream, stop asking questions and just roll with it. Why does Riku look like (one of the) Ansem(s)? Dream logic, baby! It's all symbolic, just like with fairy tales.
I truly firmly believe Kingdom Hearts would be better off if it firmly embraced the fairy tale / dream logic and just let things...happen. No elaborate explanations or justifications. No needlessly convoluted lore. What's the point of lore, when everything is a dream?
Which seems better to you, hypothetical commenter?
Option 1: Maleficent came back to life as a symbolic gesture of how darkness is never truly defeated. She knows about the Princesses and the black box because she's an ancient evil fairy, what more do you want? She just...knows.
*OR OPTION 2 (takes unnecessary deep breath)*
When her heart was unlocked at the end of KH1, she remembered what Master Xehanort told her about time travel, and sent her heart back in the past to rewrite history and gathering the seven princesses. However; the Master of Masters knew she'd do this and created a data replica of Enchanted Dominion to trap her in so she couldn't alter history, even going as far as to leave out Radiant Garden in the real world for good measure so she could never gather the princesses. She is told all this by...I GUESS an anthropomorphic representation of DARKNESS itself? I dunno. Anyway, with the help of this Darkness, Maleficent needs to go *Back To The Future* to her proper time. Along the way she beats up the Somebody version of Marluxia and escapes to the real world of the distant past, where presumably from here she'll learn about the black box before returning to her own time, thereby setting up her knowing of it in KH3.
I dunno, I kinda prefer the first choice. Even if the second one is more self-satisfying for Nomura as a writer since it's like an elaborate puzzle box.
@@traewilson5127 Do you know any games or stories like that? I've really been trying to read up on things like that lately.
@@traewilson5127 Yeah, I feel like SO MUCH cutscene time could've been cut from the whole series if they just used conceptual excuses and "it just works", instead of trying to explain everything by the letter. It's honestly one of the most distracting aspects of these games on replays and it just really doesn't pay off in KH3
Agree. I feel like most of my love for the series comes from standalone stories like KH1, Days, and CoM. These are standalone stories that focus more on character and conceptual themes than actual lore and the bigger scope narrative. You don't need to know much lore to get invested in the characters, and their suffering is really emotional.
I agree that, yes, conceptually Kingom Hearts is smart, but the execution fails in so many fronts, that it's hard to take its messages and themes seriously (never mind that most side-games have you tolerating the bad gameplay in order to progress the plot). KH3 feels like a major disappointment because it focused so much on lore and sequel-baiting than than on fleshing out (and concluding) these already established characters' arcs.
I wonder why I've waited so long before watching this video, especially since your Sly Trilogy retrospective was... phenomenal and struck me (and my childhood) in ways I didn't expect.
I cannot express well how much this video struck me too. I'll just link it to anyone who wants to know why KH is beautiful, or why they should board a train that... well, has been on a rocky journey for years, without a clear destination.
There are a lot of comments that explains my thoughts way better than I'm doing, but I still wanted to express my appreciation for this video and your works in general. Thanks you!
The two noises Donald makes in the infamous Goofy scene work so perfectly. His groan of sadness makes me want to laugh while still piercing my heart and making me tear up. Thinking his best friend was just murked right in front of him, he lets out a visceral scream that just makes me want to go beat ass. I’m 10 years old again every time I see this damn scene
This was an absolutely wonderful video B-Mask. Kingdom Hearts has been my favorite series ever since I was a kid. As I've transitioned into adulthood I've felt my fondness for the series change in a way I couldn't place before, but you've articulated it perfectly here. By the end of the video I was crying more than I'd like to admit. Great job man, I cannot wait to see what you have in store next!
This was brilliant. Really highlights the best parts of Kingdom Hearts and how the secret to the many layers that the series has created over the years always returns to simple ideas of friendship and love. Sick video man.
Sora: One who is many.
Xehanort: Many who is one
"Control mickey riding Bahamut into the sun" will stick with me for many years to come. Thank you.
the thing that's always gotten to me about kh is the sheer amount of earnedty and sincerity behind nearly every frame. every character is likable and the story is so enjoyable so that even when something really dumb is happening, it just sort of slides off your brain as you get swept up in the mayhem of it all. i love this series with all my heart and it means the world to me, and i'm so happy to see such a lovely breakdown of the series. i watched a bunch of your other videos, and they are just as good as this one, genuinely. love your stuff, keep up the good work! 💖
“Days is bad”
You mean the actual emotional rollercoaster of a boy having his entire world shattered not once but twice and having multiple existential crises because he’s not supposed to exist...is bad?
Nigga if you don’t-
No matter how many times I hear dearly beloved, it always hits me with the same impactful sorrow. Very great video mate
You, you have successfully contextualized a lot of feelings about what make Kingdom Hearts great and why people can't stop caring about it.
And you did so without keeping emotional distance between it and you.
I glad I'm not the only one who compares KH3's sailing the seas in a pirate ship to Sly 3
I've always stood behind kh as a legitimately amazing series but its something very difficult to defend do to both how dumb the concept is and that most people aren't willing to listen beyond "haha thats the one where goofy dies"
You really out here doing gods work
N-No, I don't have a tear in my eye from the final conclusion to this video...
I still love 356/2 days for its story. Literally the only redeeming quality
This I why I follow you B-Mask, unabashed love for something that may have been overlooked at first!
I like how the games go on the title theme "Dearly beloved" evolves with the series to how it is now with melody of memory.
This video embodies why I never laughed at the "Kingdom Hearts is so silly, right guys?" jokes while also adding so much more context I just didn't catch on.
Thank you for this, I never imagined I'd love my favorite video games series that much more.
I don't understand this series whatsoever. But I love the hell out of it.
Meaningless prose? I disagree.
Pretentious and overwritten to be vague? Hell yes
Lol vague because it's obviously made up as it goes along
@@kristopher4557 there are details in kh 1 that foreshadows the fortune tellers and the MoM, i think nomura always had an idea of where the story would go but sometimes he messes up the execution. but the phase 2 is going according to plans he said so himself let's hope that the development of phase 2 will be executed more efficiently it seems so for now
@@leonardocozzitorto2579 No way in hell Nomura thought of the Fortune Tellers or MoM during the first KH.
@@jayomega2717 yes there are actual details that foreshadowed the fortune tellers and the MOM in the library at hollow bastion not making it up dude nomura is actually really good at foreshadowing why is it hard to accept?
@@leonardocozzitorto2579 I doubt he had any idea where any of this was going to go, Simply because his games don’t flow into one another for it to make sense. The idea that there was foreshadowing to the four time tellers is a complete stretch, mainly because you can take vague statements from anything and claim that the story was always headed in that direction when it clearly wasn’t
You made me interested in the Fantastic 4 now your gonna get me into Kingdom Hearts?
YOU'RE TEARING ME APART B-MASK
something that i never really hear much about the music but i feel is just as important is that for something made for an original story, that takes elements of orchestra and really deepens the feeling of what scenes particular tracks are played in, it still feels like something out of a disney movie. like a lyricless track for the background that makes you feel as though youre really on a ship or flying through space, or that the villain is near. the kind of quality cant have been easy to replicate, but somehow yoko shimomura did it, and made it amazing.
This video brought me to tears. This summed up the ups and downs of the games, celebrating its unique spirit and its history. I would be happy to share this video essay to anyone wanting to know what KH is.
This is a game series that introduced me to Square and FF through the manga of KH 1, was an idle thought on rare occasion, a series I fell in love with, a fan base I dove into and now, for the past two years, has been one of my go-to game series to enjoy that but if childhood with Disney characters classic and modern to having that feeling of catharsis and escapism as an adult to play a game where I bonk shadow imps with giant keys alongside Disney characters.
...this series has always, in my heart, been about the Disney silliness, the gameplay and then the story to make you want to keep exploring.
So funny how I would often listen to your videos in the background while going around in KH2 and completing optional tasks, only to see you make one on this confusing game series itself! Great video man!
SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN BACK
FISH PEOPLE!!
@@TYTYdude6 I read this as it came up lmao
Jesus Christ man. Amazing script you wrote for this video. Great voice and editing. Normally don’t watch long videos like this but you gave me an exception.
pls you just summed up the meaning of childhood 🤧 time to replay every kh game I guess
Finally, me and Sticksham are now no longer the only ones who know Goofy’s true potential
36:14 - And that's the key here to KH's enduring strength as something people get kinda misty eyed over.
Me: *Had already been misty eyed for the last 5 minutes just watching the video*
This must be seen by everyone.You've done an amazing job portraying the real kingdom hearts concept, most of his fans don't even see it. Great job
Thanks so much! Just glad that people are connecting with this, great to see.
This video was fantastic. As a KH fan myself, you make excellent points I never thought about but definitely ring true with my journey throughout the series. Got me tearing up on some bits haha
I also think it's great how you addressed how easy KH has become a target for memes and such, and I get it can be funny as well, but sometimes people forget the focus of the series and how it has many strengths as well. So thank you for this, I loved it!
As someone who's only played Kingdom Hearts: CoM and 358/2 days, I think it's time I got back into Kingdom Hearts, to see what I've been missing out on.
I can see why you might have missed this but Kairi actually does have a story similar to that of fairytale protagonist and that is the fear of growing up, in the first game where she told Sora to never change, this could equate to fear of growing up, Kairi is afraid of Riku because he had "changed" in Kh1, she could sense a growing darkness in him and that's why she suggested that her and Sora take the raft and leave, when Sora points out that she was acting weird and insisting that she was the one who had " changed" she replays with a solemn "maybe". I think this post puts it better than I ever could - fandomoverflow.tumblr.com/post/188349046385/kairis-grand-adventure-an-analysis-of-kairis
TL;DR: Kairi has lagged behind Sora and Riku because her fear of change was holding her back from growing up and reaching her full potential, but by the end of Kingdom Hearts III she has finally overcome that obstacle. That's why I'm quite hyped for melody of memory seeing as it is going to expand more on her character as a whole, I can see why people might not pay attention to her but I still lole her as a character.
Her arc is quite subtle and not a lot of people notice it, I was a little bummed out when nothing about that was said in the video but it's still a great video nonetheless and I actually teared up a but, you've definitely earned my sub ❤👌
Great video. This series holds such a special place in my heart
This analysis of two of the largest media properties to exist was nothing short of a masterclass in appreciating a good story. Also, that Eurobeat Donald snipped was absolutely jarring.
As a long suffering Kingdom Hearts fan, I have to say thanks for all of this.
One thing I really liked about KH1's story looking back is how Maleficent is a subtle FF nod, playing the Edea to Riku's Seifer and tempting him to darkness to serve the main villain of the Disney baddies. Not that that's exclusive to FF8, but it works in tying FF to the story in ways beyond cameos. Hell, I almost saw a Cecil/Kain/Rosa parallel with Axel, Saix, and uhhhh Xion I guess?
It's why 3 kinda bugs me cuz while there are good ideas it represents the best and worst of what KH can be. Maybe now that the Xehanort Saga has finished they can start with a clean slate with the ideas they came up with to fit things more neatly together.
Sora, Riku, and Kairi are more like a nod to Cecil, Kain, and Rosa in KH1.
Kingdom Hearts is something that I remember enjoying a lot, and sort of getting into it on an emotional level, but never TOO attached.
It’s funny. For all the emotional and existential moments that the trilogy (and Chain of Memories) gave me, there was one that stood out to me the most.
During the End Credits of III, we’re presented with a series of “Where are they now?” clips of all the characters we’ve met on our journey, all of which are done without words. Among these were Sulley, Mike, and Boo from Monsters, Inc. , the closest film to my childhood that was visited in this game. The scene goes as such:
Mike is seen sneaking up behind Sulley, getting ready to scare him. Sulley slowly turns around and calmly shushes him, as the camera slowly pans down to reveal Boo sleeping in Sulley’s arms. He then turns to Boo’s door, ready to tuck her into bed once more.
That image of Sulley holding a sleeping Boo caught me off guard in the best way possible. It pulled me back into my childhood, and was the one thing in this series I remember making me shed a tear, or at least get watery-eyed. Because it re-captured the magic of a film from my youth.
Ironic, in a way, considering how the film that centers around a corporation, and the one that is mainly a verbal comedy where sound is literally the energy source, grabbed my heart in just a few seconds, with visuals alone.
There was actually a pretty big clue connecting the Organization members to the FF classes.
You see when an organization member appears in KH2 and 3, they will typically have one special advanced form of Nobody at there beck and call that seems connected to them (for example, the Nobodies that first appear when Saix reveals his face in Twilight Town are the ones that show up beside him when intercepting Kari in the Castle, and the ones that appear in his boss battle room if you go there after beating Saix), and they even have a similar fighting style and reaction commands as the Organization member themselves (once again, in Saix's case in both the fight against him and against those Nobodies, you can pick up there weapon and use it against them)..... Why is this a big hint? Well, those Nobodies, are NAMED after the FF class That they (and, by extension, the Organization member that calls them) are a parallel to.
Saix summons Beserkers, Xigbar summoned the Snipers, Luxord commands the Gamblers, ect.
I'm not crying, you're crying, well done!
LOOKIE HERE
358/2 DAYS IS A GOOD GAME AND KINGK EXPLAINS IT VERY WELL
In all seriousness tho the game is flawed but I wouldn't say it's bad it's made to make you feel like you're doing this boring day to day job and not to power through long sessions of it which is kinda fitting for the console it released on and kind of a drawback to try and make a summary of it since it's enjoyments comes from the little things that happen in this day to day job
I actually found it to be a fun checklist of things to do in the game. The bigger issue is that most enemies in the game are just plain shit designwise and one cannot skip certain dialogue in infogather missions.
358/2 Days is kinda an example on why Nomura should write the dialogue more.
"Roxas, that's a stick."
"Why, Roxas? Did you leave the toaster plugged in?"
"You kidding? I'd nap six times a day if they'd let me."
"Do you always have to stare at me like I just drowned your goldfish?"
"No, I made it all up. Go back to bed."
@@cillbipher2613 The goldfish one always gets a laugh out of me
@@ziongamer6905 I'm more of a fan of Xion pointing out the inherent flaw in Roxas using a stick in place of his Keyblade.
@@smashmaster521 I loved that entire section as a kid and can’t believe I forgot about the dialogue XD
16:30 Roxas theme always siezes my heart whenever I hear it. Someone could totally ruin any activity in my daily life by just blasting 3 seconds of that song from their phone.
I love all the Dearly Beloved, some more then others, but the nostalgia always hits and the first KH Dearly Beloved plays. My god, I was 10 years old, and it transports me to that age! Awesome.
Kingdom Hearts is dumb, but it's unreservedly, unapologetically, straightforwardly ITSELF. It knows what it is and revels in it, and it's one hell of a spectacle to see. It's dumb and I love it entirely, even despite the vast amount of criticism I can(and do) level towards it.
That's why I keep coming back to it too. I'm tired of so many other properties acting like they're ashamed of their own existence, and always have to wink at the audience to let them know "we're in on the joke too, you guys."
And that's s what is making these live action Disney remakes so exhausting, as if they're apologizing for movies that are going to hold up MUCH more than they are for having the audacity to be sincere. These games would suck if those versions of the movies were here instead.