Why KAIRI is a BETTER Character Than You Think | Kingdom Hearts Commentary
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 พ.ย. 2022
- #kingdomHearts #KH4 #kh3
I have to say, I have always liked Kairi's character. Like most of you I am begging for Square Enix to gives us More of her in the upcoming games. But Honestly, I feel everyone's desire to see more of Kairi means that she already is a better character than we might think.
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Regardless of your opinion, I hope this video was able to shine a little light on Kairi's character. Thanks for tuning in! 🤙❤🍻
I couldn't agree more with this video and because of this video I realized that not only kairi is an important character to the overall series but the fact that she, Sora and maybe even Riku are reckless in their own individual way and as such Sora amongst the destiny trio may be the last that has yet to mature and develop as a character.
She single handedly managed to keep herself in tact while getting attacked by darkness and help sora to never fade away
I’ve always liked Kairi and do think she deserves her own game. Mainly because playing as her in Re:Mind was so much bloody fun that I want a whole game of it
I'd say need, too much potential with the character to do nothing with it. I'd be highly disappointed if there isn't a legit Kairi game.
It is also implied Kairi is wearing Sora in KH1, and that is bookends in Memory of Melody, where Kairi wears Sora like a Shell. Re mind implies Sora does something similar to the guardian of lights, jumping into their Heart. So Kairi could learn to do that.
Also, Kairi might have something to do with Radiant Garden being the way it is, and that is why The Master didn't create the Data version of that world. Maleficent cannot get to the Data version of her if the Master didn't create that world.
It's nice to see someone standing up for Kairi, I do enjoy her charachter too. I think what happened with 3 is that Nomura wanted her to play a bigger role in the game, but by the time he actually got to it he at some point realized there's no way she can believably take on enemy's like Xemnas or Ansem with just a few months of trainning and only a little bit of real life combat experience. So instead set things up to where Sora had to save her again, thus making her feel incredibly guilty and motivated her to train with an active Keyblade master. Both the remind dlc and melody of memories so far have gone exactly where I thought Nomura was trying to go with her and so what people wanted from her in 3 I have a good feeling their going to get it in 4.
Given how powerful Sora and Kairi are, I’m still wondering how powerful his mom and her grandma are.. lol
Sora's mother is still probably wondering why he hasn't come downstairs for dinner.
Part of the issue here is the fact that people forget that the out of game time between these games releasing is VERY different from the in universe time between games. Only a few years have passed between kh1 and kh3, and Sora and Riku at least had combat experience from their times fighting each other (and 3 characters from FF) on Destiny Islands. Meanwhile Kairi wasn't involved with that and has only been learning to fight since the very end of KH2. Comparing that to the BbS gang, who've had years of training and still had a really hard time with Xehanort (and effectively lost), I'd say she did pretty freaking well.
FIRST! Absolutely LOVE Kairi! Can't wait to see what the future holds for her under Master Aqua.
Really hoping we get some Aqua-Kairi training cutscenes in real time or via flashback!
👍👍👍
I genuinely AM glad she decided to train with Aqua, it was the most logical step and that’s why I had that happen in my story. Glad the games acknowledge it too😎
Landi showing respect to Kairi! This is the content we need!
LANDI LAYING OUT THE TRUTH!!! Absolutely loved this video homie. Kairi truly deserves way more credit than she gets. You absolutely crushed it. 🔥
The truth is what you see with your eyes not what you hear
I've always loved Kairi's character despite everyone writing her off as useless and "damsel in distress". There was always just something about her that I loved and I always wished they would do more with her. You summed up her character qualities and arc perfectly and now that you've kind of described her character arc as a "slow burn" I think I can kind of make sense of why she's always been in the background more so than the spotlight. But now that she IS in the spotlight more than before, I guess I'll just have to learn to be patient to see what they do with her from here on out :D
yeah the fact the first new chapter starts ith her is good build up
This! When she does show up, she really shines. XD she is regulated to the BG most of the time. I have yet to play remind and MoM. Still in middle of KH3.
Kairi's patience will definitely help her grow as a beautiful character,both as a heroine and partner. I do feel like her connections is correlate to the nameless star (Yozora potential partner?). Looking forward after KH4. My darling is gonna get a glow up for sure. Cause u know,she'll need it if she'll be the protagonist in KH5. Oh wouldn't that be great! 💖
oooh clicked on this because I'm tired of the Kairi hate. She has done a lot. She's been a giant support for Sora. That's incredibly important. Her latent power is insane.
Bring Kairi's sass back!! She is just discount Namine at this point...
Make her sassy again!
I don't think she lost her sass honestly there just weren't many moments in KH3 to express that side of her. She's sassy in 0.2 and that was being made at the same time as KH3.
@@marvelfantasy472 those are actual good news. Never played 0.2 but I really hope they bring it back. We don't need 2 Namines
I agree that Karie doesn't fit the whole the damsel in distress thing, but I just wish she got more love. MOM was okay, but I'd like her own game KH game, or at least let her and riku or her and aqua have a game.
Ideally, i would love a DDD style game but with Sora/Kairi
@@TheLandiLodge Although I do love seeing Kairi with Sora, imo I'd love to see her in a game with another character. A lot of her journey through the kh series revolves around Sora (both of them mutually rescuing each other and fighting together), to the point where people criticize her for not interacting with others. For example, Kairi doesn't really talk to to Riku in kh3 even though they're supposed to be childhood friends. So I think having a game with her and another character can really help Kairi feel like she's not JUST about Sora
I like Kairi. She was the reason Sora did not fall to the abyss, and the reason Riku did not isolate himself again, encouraging Sora to look beyond the Ansem skin...just like she was.
Some people theorized that her arc back at "KH 1" was to accept darkness as part of the world, even if she was a princess of the heart. The reason they believe that was because at the begining of the first game, she suggested running away with Sora from Riku. But later, she became determined to find both.
It's such a shame Nomura disrespects her. She's such a good character with the few writing she has. We all know with her age, we would hardly consider other points of view other than our own. And during the first game, it was established she was a headstrong person.
She's has been helped and been a helper. It's not the big flash shows of power that when the days. It's the small acts of faith that hold true to the maxim of Kingdom Hearts "Strength of the Heart".
This was a really neat video! As a longtime Kairi fan who's had some serious gripes with the way she was handled in KH3 and MoM, it was actually really interesting to hear a different perspective that's a bit more favorable. It certainly gave me a lot to think about in terms of her direction in the series. While I still do have some misgivings, I can see the points you've made and I do think that if they can stick the landing then this slow burn approach could certainly have good payoff.
Thank you, Honestly, I will admit while I did like her leading into Kingdom Hearts 3. Kairi wasn't a character I didn't think of that much [granted I still like the character just when you had like five characters who were lost and a Keyblade War coming also the only thing I hate about Kairi is I wish she had her Sass as she did in Kingdom Hearts 1. There were sass moments in 2,2.8 and 3 but I wish she just shows that more but I still like her ] However after KH 3, I apparated the Character more even though there were people who would Bash Kairi for being "Useless" when she pretty much did save everyone. Plus Remind made me like Kairi's character even more and then Melody of Memories made me like her even more than that and this video made me feel that way even more. Personally, if I can compare Kairi to a Dragon Ball Character I like to think of her as the Gohan of this Franchise [both Characters have great potential with Gohan being a Half Sayain hybrid and Kairi being a Princess of Heart and Keyblade Welder they just need that push to bring it outside note if anyone is thinking this no I don't think of Roxas as the Gohan of KH. I think of Roxas as the Future Trunks seeing as both of them get shit done ASAP] back to the Point I really like how in this video you brought up that Kairi's being smart and not wanting to rush into things and I look forward to seeing what a Powerhouse she well be after another Powerhouse In Aqua trains her.
I really hope they make a game where I can play as Kairi the whole game.
I have always thought that Kairi has a certain resistance to change that does not accept it in its entirety because unlike Sora with the adventures he was on, what he learned that changed is part of life and the relationships we have with the people around us. and I'm not saying that Sora avoids something like Kairi does when faced with change because at a psychological point Sora is afraid to show his pain because he came to realize that his pain is an obstacle, which makes him weak in front of his friends and a burden. What I'm trying to say is that Kairi is afraid of change and Sora is afraid of showing his pain. I saw this in a video about the psychology of both of them and in writing about them I find it interesting how deep these characters can be if you take the time to analyze them.
THANK YOU! Kairi became my favorite female character because of Kingdom Hearts 3 (even before the DLC of Re:Mind) and people were harping on her character like she's absolutely terribly written while apparently before KH3 she was "peak character" or something like that but this video you've made has said what I've been saying for a long while and you even made me realize things about her character I never did before, which has only made me like her even more. Thank you for your open-minded insight. You've just earned yourself a subscriber. :D
Welcome aboard! Thank you for the kind words
@@TheLandiLodge You're welcome. ^_^
I think KH is very unique in that so much of the character development happens between characters, IE who Roxas and Ventus are informs us about Sora. And I think more than any other character Kairi relys on this kind of development. Some great examples: Namine who views herself as "A witch who manipulates the hearts of others" really tells us something about Kairi's view of the events of KH1 and how she blames herself for the rift between Sora and Riku, but that eventually drives her to be the one that ultimately brings them back together in KH2.
Another great example is Aqua, specfically in 0.2 where at the very end she is left stranded in the Realm of Darkness on the beach at Destiny Islands and remarks to herself. "Terra, Ven... Just me again..." Drawing a paralell to where Kairi was after KH1. Sora left her behind with good intentions, as he had promised her it was somewhere she could always return to but not understanding that her true home wasn't Destiny Islands but with Sora and Riku.
I also really loved the bit more of her we did see in KH3 especially with Axel, like how a lot of Sora's combat strength and bravery is reflected in his Bond with Riku, we really see the same compassion and caring in Kairi.
I really think Kairi is possibly the most potentially powerful character in the franchise as both a Princess of Heart, which I view as essentially an Avatar of the Light of Kingdom Hearts itself, and a Keyblade Wielder. I mean her Nobody has the power to warp both memories and the fabric of reality itself! Plus she was able to take on Xehanort with Sora just like he had taken on Xemnas with Riku with just a little bit of training.
I really, really hope we get a lot more of her in the future and MoM was a nice step in the right direction but I would kill for a side game starring her. There's so much interesting stuff to do, especially since she is going to train with Aqua (Awesome!) and will almost certainly have to interact with Terra, the guy who looks like the person who traumitized her. It is such an interesting and obvious story arc for both characters it would be criminal if something wasn't done with it.
Thank you so much for this video. This even made me realize some things I never even noticed
I love this video so much and you articulated Kairi's charm very well! Thank you so much for setting matters straight!
I always hated it when people hated on Kairi like you can have an interesting character without them having to be the best fighter
Like her whole character arc is about being a better fighter and becoming more powerful so she can protect her friends like yes she still gets captured but her character arc isn’t finished yet and you’re absolutely right that people completely overlook everything she has accomplished and all the times she has saved Sora.
Yes.
Did you knew in the OG script Nomura wrote for 3 Sora says Translatet: I knew you wher Strong Kairi".
Thats why she blushed. She us suposed to learn to grow. All her decisions she made until MoM wher if others would like it. She even Trainer like Sora. Becaus she is aftaid of loosing them
Her arc is about loosing this fear and that its ok to be seperatet.
She doesnt even knew who she is right now.
English dub fucks her over though.
She was against the raft and only wentalpng to stay with Sora and Riku. In the Japanesse Version Sora also mostly thinks about Riku until people remind him of Kairi.
Nomura has plotet the framework of the Story out during the devolepment of 2 knews since 2004 what the last scene is and is building up to it.
One core thibg is learning what love is.
Romantic love seamingly.
True love will be the answear. The X blade also needs 2 people to wield it. And i honestly belive at the end Sora and Riku will rule Kingdom hearts together and mayby Kairi will help them
I love Kairi to death and I think she's an incredible and indispensable character. My sole criticism lies in how much more fun we have hanging out with Disney and Final Fantasy characters throughout the series than with her, and since the beginning of KH1 we haven't really seen the fun side of Kairi again. It's just been serious character development ever since the plot originally kicked off.
I don't really want more development out of her as I just want to hang out with her in the game. We even heckin hang out with the Twilight Town crew for an extended period of time in KH3. It makes sense story wise that she's separated from Sora, it's just frustrating to have it dangled in front of us every time the game ends, only to be yanked away yet again.
Running around Destiny Islands with her hanging around was fun, and my whole drive to finish KH1 was because I wanted to get back to that. That's why that game's ending is so heartbreaking. And then KH2's ending was so satisfying because we were finally back. Then DDD throws us in the deep end again, and we never got to hang out with Kairi again.
I have some thoughts about Kairi to add to her character being really important:
1. She's a mirror image contrast to Aqua and the Wayfinder trio.
Aqua was the strongest keyblade wielder of her trio of friends, and her friends were lost to darkness and eventually so was she. Contrary to that, Kairi is the weakest keyblade wielder of her trio, but her friends have both relied on her to guide them out of darkness. In that sense, Kairi is a statement that fighting isn't always the best way to defeat evil. She has always represented an image of peace and innocence, in a sense wiser than both Riku and Sora who were only initially thrust into the larger KH multiverse conflict because of their own reckless and petty rivalry.
2. Given what she represents, her eagerness to join the fight is a potential danger to the realm of light.
Xehanort is thematically a representation of wanting to seek power in order to gain control. We've now learned he had deeper and more valid reasons for this than we initially were led to imagine. If Xehanort is a sort of narrative foil as Kairi's lifelong nemesis, then he is a picture of what she might become if she can't overcome the same temptations Xehanort fell to. Aqua is the middle ground between that, having fallen to darkness herself in KH3.
So it appears as if Kairi is continuing to be reckless in trying to follow Sora and become stronger to be able to finally be at his side to protect him. Xehanort resigning to help her at the end of MoM is slightly unsettling when you think about why he would be moved to do so. Perhaps he thinks he can rely on her to realize his original vision, both heeding Sora's words to move on and leave it to somebody else, and getting to see the new world he wanted finally realized.
3. Her training under Aqua will be interesting.
I think learning from Aqua, who is essentially Kairi's reflection, could potentially be more interesting than we might think. Aqua is known to be cynical when it comes to confronting darkness, and only having freshly been rescued from the realm of darkness, we can't say if she'll be able to teach Kairi from her own mistakes or if she'll be afraid of the potential to squander the light that teaching Kairi might hold for the future.
I think of how the image of Kairi running behind Riku and Sora on the beach was foreshadowing her journey as a keyblade master, and that makes me look at the imagery of Aqua facing her reflection in the mirrors of the realm of darkness as foreshadowing of her training Kairi.
If Xehanort can somehow continue to have influence on Kairi during her training, Aqua might become paranoid and we might have an Eraqus vs Ventus situation on our hands, once again... a jaded master vs. their dangerous pupil of pure light. It'll probably predictably be Kairi inspiring Aqua to break the cycle, but the potential for it to go there should at least be cool to see unfold.
Also your comment on how Kairi always keeps Sora grounded and able to return reminds me heavily of the premise of the original KH1 opening. "I've been having these weird thoughts lately. Like is any of this for real? Or not?"
Her line “Wake up sleepy head.” She bonks him on the head. 😂 definitely grounded for sure
Keeping him from the power of waking early. :^)
13:00 My issue was that that wasn't actually Xehanort. He died a whole year prior. It was just her cognition of him, a tangible memory born from her heart. Triumph over Xehanort didn't require skill. It required *will;* grit, determination, discipline, etc. I would've been fine if she transformed *herself* into Sora because if that's who she believed she had to become or aspire to be to defeat Xehanort. However, it wasn't written that way at all. Somehow, Sora was able to hijack Kairi's dream and took control of her.
Can we add this?
She could have healed xehanort heart during her battle back in kh 3 remind? Which why we xehanort had a slight of change of her.
GREAT VIDEO,THANK YOU!
Of Course! Kairi is Awesome!
Thank you it's nice to see some kairi love. I know she hasn't had a stand out role and isn't the best fighter but she does help, and doesn't deserve the hate just because she's been sidelined
Funny, I find this a day after it is released. I thought it would have been a year old or so.
Anyway, you forgot the several times Kairi acted as a subtle guide to Sora while in his heart in KH1 (not saving, obviously, but it still adds to her role) and saved him before restoring him, too, crying out a warning before Riku-Ansem could strike him.
It still does not excuse the needless amount of times Rilu must save her in KHII, her exclusion at the final battle, and, most importantly, her massive subjection to the, as I call it, 'unconscious woman cliche'.
Xion suffers that 'trope' (well, there are many different versions) far too much as well.
At least, in Kairi's case, it is balanced out by what happens with Ventus, but even then, every time Sora has been the one asleep or unconscious, she has been absent.
It would have been so good to have had her and Riku team at in "Dream Drop Distance" to save Sora. She would have been brought along earlier to aid Riku even if not entirely in combat.
The "Melody of Memory" thing is still bullshit as Sora and Rilu fought and explored plenty as rookies and defeated very powerful opponents while doing to (KH1 and KH2's final bosses being the best examples). I really, really hope she is not sidelined AGAIN in KH4, but it seems that way...
Still, this video gave me a greater appreciation for Kairi.
Wow this is awesome. I never really thought about how big of a deal Kairi really was to the story.
Good choice of song at the beginning. Vector to the Heavens is the best
Kairi's character has been a slow build up. The reason people see her as "useless" is because her shortcomings are more memorable.
I believe she will have her signature moment in KH4.
Like Kairi or not, she's the reason why we even have Kingdom Hearts.
I like her. She was the reason Sora did not fall to the abyss, and the reason Riku did not isolate himself again, encouraging Sora to look beyond the Ansem skin...just like she was.
Some people theorized that her arc back at "KH 1" was to accept darkness as part of the world, even if she was a princess of the heart. The reason they believe that was because at the begining of the first game, she suggested running away with Sora from Riku. But later, she became determined to find both.
It's such a shame Nomura disrespects her. She's such a good character with the few writing she has. We all know with her age, we would hardly consider other points of view other than our own. And during the first game, it was established she was a headstrong person.
I feel the hate comes most from people that really wanted Kairi to be at a certain level in 3 and when that didn't happen they felt betrayal in her character. A lot of people say her power is plot convient, but you can say that about a lot of characters and events in Kingdom Hearts. A characters worth is determined more than how many battles they win
I just watched a short of a guy once again calling Kairi a “damsel in distress” while completing ignoring the points you made against that notion. Kairi is definitely one of my favorite characters, and I just wish people could see how much she does and she truly matters in the series.
I actually mostly agree with you. Kairi is a great character with a lot going for her. Though there are a few things I would argue with you about.
Is Kairi really joking about leaving Riku? If so that is a really mean joke, not that I think she was trying to be mean after all she is young. However Riku is really the only one of the three that actually wants to leave. Sora is mostly indifferent, having to be actively pushed into helping, and just giving an "I don't know" when asked about it. Kairi says that she is actually scared of leaving the islands and is only doing it because Sora is willing to help Riku in his dream of leaving the islands. There is really nothing that hints that Kairi wants to leave the islands in KH1, she is doing it to be with Sora, and only Sora as she makes that "joke" about leaving Riku behind. Despite Riku seeming to be the only reason they have for wanting to leave in the first place.
Now the fact that Kairi says that "Riku has changed" does maybe hint at something.
Kairi might have the power to see the Light and Darkness within people. Mostly because Riku does nothing before the heartless start appearing for anyone to think he was anything but a good friend. Maybe a bit of a jerk but in a way that is completely understandable for a teenage boy who is a little bit older then his closest friends. However if she can see the Light and Darkness within people she would have a reason to want to get away from Riku.
It likely isn't just Kairi that is holding Sora together which allows him to tear a rip in time and save everyone. I actually think that all the Princesses of Heart(at least the ones that know Sora), are together holding Sora together. This is why Sora feels when Anna gets a piece of ice in her heart, and why Sora gets visions of the Princesses of Heart before he and Kairi follow the Light out of the tunnel of death.
Note that Kairi can not be the light at the end of the tunnel in KH3 because she is also following that light home.
I do think that Xehanort didn't kill Kairi, he just made it look like he did. Kairi is way to important of a Mcgiffen to him for him to kill her. I think he turned her into crystal making it look like death so that Sora would give him the final clash he needed. And then stored her crystal somewhere. Which is why the keyhole Sora uses to get Kairi back is the one to open lanes between places within the Realm of Light rather then any other kind of keyhole. It would also explain why Riku seemed so sure that they could still find Kairi if they regrouped with Yen Sid.
Honestly I think that Kairi is a good character. In a story where every other main side characters are good Kairi being badly written just doesn't make sense which means that people that think she is a stereotype bland love interest for the main character are likely wrong. It just takes looking into her more to figure out what is going on.
I do have a difference in how a view Kairi with you. In that I don't really think Kairi's motivation for changing is healthy for her. Ever since KH2 every scene she is in she has made about Sora. She chooses to stop going to the play Islands something she loves because of Sora. She makes every conversion we see her in about Sora even when other characters don't understand how he connects. She chooses to be a fighter changing a big part of who she is because she wants to be able to keep up with Sora. She even symbolically loses her color(white) in KH3, and instead wears pink and black(Sora's colors being Red and Black).
She chooses to go into a coma for a year rather then actually trying to help Riku who clearly needs and wants her help. Honestly I am not surprised at all that Kairi and Riku are being awkward with each other. If Riku heard her "joke" which seems very likely given his rush to get off the island that night. And then Kairi's abandonment of him the moment he is ready to start allowing people to help him. And she does this all of the off chance that her heart might hold a clue for where Sora is. Sure she finds a clue, but that doesn't really stop the fact that she is being a poor friend, or that the clue wasn't even about Sora. It was a memory from before she even met him about a place she had heard about as a child.
This hyper focus of a crush is very unhealthy. And no other character in KH does it with their crushes. It is however a very understandable character flaw. Changing yourself into how you feel that your crush wants you to be, making everything about said crush, and losing who you are because of it is a common problem in young teenage girls. And if KH is really going to tackle this character flaw with Kairi then I think it could be very interesting.
Now on to where Kairi is going in the future. There are so many ways that Kairi can go that I will not list them all in this comment. Instead I will list the three that seem the most likely to me.
One. The hope we have for the character is going to be completely unfounded. She will never let go of her unhealthy obsession, and the characters will never even realize that it is unhealthy. She will continue being a very powerful mcgiffen and no one will care because she is so sweet. She will be a stereotype love interest, and sure she will learn how to win her fights. Maybe even being the one to stop Maleficent or something along those lines. However that only makes her a Mary Sue not a character.
Two. She grows as a character getting her own motivation and having dealing with her own problems. She finds a friend who isn't her crush or the childhood friend she has slowly been pushing out of her life(not sure if it's on purpose or on accident but wow she is has been awkward with Riku since KH1). Together she and her new friend grow, and understand their powers better. Kairi loses her crush on Sora, this doesn't mean that she doesn't end up with him by the end of the story. Just that she loses her childhood crush, allowing her to grow up. Maybe she will fall in love with him again latter but right now this crush is actively hurting her character development.
She becomes a hero in her own right as well as a great character who we love to see.
Three. Kairi joins the Foretellers not realizing that they are villains. As far as we know Kairi has never seen Braig's face, so she would not recognize Luxu as a bad person. As I actually think several characters are going to end up joining the Foretellers, as well as some characters becoming Darknesses, I am seeing at least four sides with five possibilities for the sides. MoM's side, Maleficent's side, Darknesses side, The People of Unrealities side, and the Balance side(Sora and Riku and those that side with them).
I could easily see Kairi think that MoM is in the right and join him in his quest whatever it ends up being. There really is a lot about Kairi that could turn into Eraqus' main character flaw. And I could easily see Kairi becoming the final boss of the whole story. She is more then powerful enough and if she gets the right motivation, even if it is feed by her crush on Sora, it could work very well. And Kairi is a character who has been with us since the first game so the rule about the final villain being around since the beginning of the story works if it is her more so then any other character...expect maybe the soundless voice that talks to Sora in the Station of Awakening.
As for what I actually think.
I think Option one is a fear that will likely be unfounded.
Option two, is the most likely, and would likely be very good and fun.
Option three is my favorite, but fairly unlikely.
THANK YOU. It's really tiring when the common concensus is Kairi's a useless plain girl character. There's something about Kairi that always struck me as a child. She was more than Sora's girl gal, she had the powers of a princess of light. I thought that made her so cool! A lot of her contribution is disregarded and only treated like a plot device instead of a part of her character and it's really sad. Though I do dislike how she's lost some of her sass from the older games. Her character can only improve from here on out and the training under Master Aqua is a great setup for that.
What about her role in 358 Days? It memories of Kairi that the organization wanted gone
I really want kairi to have her own game like not the melody of memory game like going to other worlds as kairi
Kingdom hearts 2 she fights heartless off screen with Riku, kingdom hearts 3 she fights Xion and. Saix, keeping her own while Sora's off fighting someone else, until Xemnas pops up and that whole thing, kingdom hearts remind she helps fight against... Xehanort? I need to replay that but she was playable and a beast as I recall, and of course in melody she fights memory Xehanort. These are examples of her fighting, things damsels in distress don't normally do, you can also point to how in 2 she repeatedly escaped her captors on her own, yes her own included Namine at one point but it still wasn't the player character who rescued her, only joined her for the final assault.
It's important to point out these scenes where she stands up and actually fights, because saving people via the power of love is actually a part of the damsel in distress trope, facilitating the heroes rescue doesn't make it any less of a rescue, except with Kairi it very rarely is, Sora doesn't rescue her he heals her in the First game, and she heals him, Sora doesn't rescue her in the second game she rescues herself and reunites Sora and Riku, Sora rescues everyone in the third game(until he doesn't) so that's not a fair place to point to, and then she gets fridges which is a bit of bad writing, but she gets better.
Power of believing I tell u.
Kairi can hold it's on against Master Xehanort (KH:remind and MoM) So it's really not bad.. but she got shafted more than once in the story so I can understand why some people are not really a fan of her.
Good video !
She's about to be SICKENING
Kairi should be the one to save Sora in KH4.
Who’s with me on this?
shes super cute and must be protected
Still not sure that she is the "light in the darkness" in kh3, Sora is the one that came to that conclusion after a... pretty strange moment, and Kairi herself said "I just believed in you, that's all" which is something that Riku did as well (in the japanese version) and is in fact a direct reference to his line of dialogue.
The beginning of Kh3 on Sora's heart station pretty clearly establishes RIKU as Sora's light though.
And there were VERY WEIRD things happening in castle oblivion.
But that's another theory.
Still, I have no problem with Kairi as a character, it's her and Sora's "love story" (which is pretty much confirmed by Nomura in interviews and the official japanese dialogues and voice actors to not be a love story at all) that annoys me.
Aside from that, I actually find her character growth pretty great.
Oh, so Riku and Sora are the "real" love story? No. Both of them loved her; and she gets to choose which she wants or neither.
@@blissinchainsNomura has stated Riku had no romantic feelings for Kairi or Naminé.
"The best animated fight cutscene in the whole Series" Bro is reaching hard
"What Might be The Best animated fight cutscene in the whole series."
If youre going to critique my opinion, at least quote me properly.
@@TheLandiLodge fair enough, but youre still reaching..
Every other point stands tho as she is not useless outside of "Fighting".
@@Veltee Well now I'm curious, what are some animaged fight scenes that stand out to you as some of the best?
My head right away goes to Aced Vs. Invi or Lingering Will vs. Terra in Remind
@@TheLandiLodge KH2 Secret Ending, but if you don't count pre-rendered it's still the Terra Aqua Ven vs Xehanort Vanitas.
They are both the same thing, yes..
Hi
So what you're saying is... Kairi's the best support class, but also isn't too bad at actually fighting hand to hand.
Okay, I'm going to go back to this video and point out a good reason as to why people don't give her that much credit. All those points that you brought up don't matter as much because they're not as standout.
There's a goddamn reason why a lot of these annoying "strong" female protagonists in Western media are usually doing these usually male-associated and it's because these actions speak much, much louder.
We've waited for a long-ass time for Kairi to have her time to shine and Nomura all blew it because he can't write female characters for shit. It's shit like this is the reason why Kairi is still considered a damsel-in-distress because these moments outshine what good she actually does.
Thinking about it, this is probably why there seems to be a distaste for "feminine" qualities in general. Because of past culture, most people can't help but associate femininity with helplessness, submissiveness, weakness, etc. Japan's traditional gender norms are also to blame and that fucking sucks.
If Kairi is going to be given the credit that she deserves, that Nomura is going to have to improve his writing or let actual writers help with his work and have it so that our Princess of Heart commit much louder actions. Actions speak louder than words and Kairi is going to have to turn up her volume to make it clear that she is not a goddamn damsel-in-distress.
People honestly blow the whole Kairi thing out of proportion. I mean, seriously, she was able to hold _Xemnas_ back to an extent where he had to cheat in order to beat her. Bear in mind that she was able to do this with absolutely no real combat experience or backup. That's something not even Sora can boast.
Yup. Sora and Riku struggled quite a bit against Xemnas at the end of KH2 together, and Riku left the fight pretty heavily injured. Kairi held her own against Saix, who was tough for Sora, in KH2, but she wouldn't stand a chance against Xemnas, especially since she was locked in a position where her arm would break if she tried to actually fight.
I've never criticized Kairi for her power level, nor will I ever. You know, unless she surpasses someone like Roxas for no reason. I criticize Kairi for not trying to save herself. She just took her kidnapping without any semblance of defiance or struggle; no sense of agency.
Kairi's character itself.... will probably always bore me. I've seen my fair share of characters like Kairi and she's really nothing special or unique. It's not her fault though. I've just been jaded for the better half of a decade towards her archetype.
Honestly, character's power level is not equal to character being interesting. Not even how "useful" character is within the context of story. Character might do something which moves plot forward but that still doesn't make character interesting. It is all in execution. Kairi might be the most important part for the plot, but she still might be just walking trope. Someone who is hard to get invested in. Mechanically important, impactfully nonexistent.
Giving Kairi keyblade and then putting her to fight Xehanort just felt like pity-badge than "doing character justice". Making character fight and survive can give characterization but only if the fight really establishes and uses something unique for the character. Heck, character can win or lose, but if the fight gives us something about the character and their unique aspects, then that is enough. Her fighting big bad with KB just seems mundane cause everyone has keyblade nowadays, it is not really that unique. If instead she had to find out and rely on those "princess powers" and use them actively, it had been perhaps more interesting take.
Perhaps instead of pity-badging Kairi to fight Xehanort she was forced to solo against Vanitas. Not only it would have caused her some psychological pressure but also believable "type-advantage" against pure darkness. There might even be some lore hints and it would force Kairi to come out on her own. Perhaps she gets "rage boost" for Vanitas smudging the image of Sora.
Problem is they never let her shine in combat, even a little. Melody of memories was supposed to be her game, yet she is not a playable character
The problem with the Xehanort fight is that Xehanort was just a phantom of her heart, not the real deal. It made it feel like everything she worked for was for nothing, because she had to forfeit her will to Sora to beat a illusion. Had they at least paired up, it wouldn't have felt as bad. And then insult to injury, she doesn't go with Riku, so again it feels like Nomura's purposely pushing Kairi back to cutscene hell. Which is the main reason why her character lacks depth. We don't get to fully develop that bond with her as with Sora, because we can't play as her and vicariously feel the combat through her. Ultimately that's the source of all the negativity.
We honestly need a Kairi game tbh, several to catch up to the same experience as with Sora. And even so, most of us are adults now, so there will be a lack of nostalgia. Too little too late. By the time we get a Kairi game we'll probably be in our 50s, etc with the millennial side that's kept onto this crazy series. By then it will be like meh.
Kairi has always been my favorite and it's such a shame toxic fan base berate her for being "damsel in distress" not realizing her character is forced in that direction due to incompetent storywriting. She has done so much beyond just being present. There were so many moments Sora could've perished without her. Too bad she won't ever be appreciated by toxic fans and even her own writers.
Now this is a hot take, but I really want her timeline to be completely rebooted. Instead of being pushed aside or being third-wheeled, they should make an entirely original KH game with her being main and having brand new characters. I feel like that's the only justice enough for her turbulent history.
Havent watched the video but no her credit score to high she don't need no more!
Somebody's gotta pay off that future mortgage and it sure as shit aint gonna be Sora
@TheLandiLodge wait your saying Sora's going to pull Goku? 😂
I just wish she was characterized differently in late kh2 and in kh3. Then again expecting anything exceptionally well done in kh is a bit high a expectation. Also peoples issues with KH1 and 2 kairi could be thrown to Riku since he fell to darkness 5 min into kh1. Also note on you mentioning not doing careless stuff, that would make her different than every big kh character actually since birth by sleep gang and 358/2 gang were reckless and dumb frequently.
Watch how the Kairi haters would ignore everything you said here and still spout their saltiness. (Most notably, the toxic sorkiu fans.)
Here's my take on Kairi from the same topic you put out.
*Damsel In Distress*
People just don't see how Kairi change and mature throughout the series. Like you put it, Kairi is maturing as we've seen in Melody of Memory where she wants to go, but knows she can't. This is her being mature and reasonable and learning about what happened last time she ventured headlong into danger.
*Power Level*
People will bring up the "She was training in the hyperbolic Time chamber! And she still lost!" point, and I'd say that it doesn't matter. She may know how to use and wield a Keyblade, but that doesn't mean she has battlefield experiences.
Let me put this in a way to where some people can understand. Let's say I'm a newbie at fighting games. After going through the tutorial, I head into practice mode. I can spend hours learning combos, framedata, and how to counter my opponents, but yet, it doesn't matter because once I head into Online mode to fight other players, I lost in the first match. Reason why I lost is because my opponent is a far more seasoned player than I am.
She is the one and only for Sora. Kairi WILL become stronger in time for the Lost Master Arc, count on it.
It must be sad for her to know that her friends are soulmates and now she's the third wheel.
Nobody's gay in KH, sweetie.
@@blissinchains
That's where you're wrong, kiddo.
The people complaining about Kairi being useless are just sexists and not worth even entertaining. The only female characters they like are the type that have been dominating western media arguably since the 80s if you factor in cartoons 90s if you go live action. The type who are just better at everything compared to the often moronic red-shirt male characters who spend most of the media being the butt monkey whilst the female character does everything flawlessly no matter how little sense it makes. What they wanted was Kairi to pick up a keyblade and instantly be the most powerful keyblade wielder in the series whilst Sora and Riku trip over their feet in awe of her majesty so they can post on Twitter screenshots of her in a battle pose going "YAAAASSS SLAY QEEN WAHMEN STRONK" Oh and her only allowed expression is >=I and her actress has to give the most wooden performance as possible because expressing any kind of emotion beside stoic patriarchy smashing is a sign of weakness and wahmen stonk.
Many people love Aqua,Why do people hate Kairi ??
@SKARLET 073 It mostly cause of idiot sexists cause how dare a woman be feminine and fragile but grow stronger same with a weak male protag... Plus I saw this bullshit happen in the Fairy Tail Fandom in regards to Lucy Heartfilia. A character's use is determined by how they handle their role and what they bring to the story not how many battles they win.
By that understanding, Lucy only got disserviced cause the plot didn't respect her or her magic one bit and just sooo happened to draw attention to a certain little Leech that was trying to steal her role as the heart of team natsu...
Same with Kairi. She was indispensable to the plot, and yet her and by extension Namine get their spotlight shafted by another useless parasite that should've never comeback...
@@PleromaticCipher I can say the same about kid Sakura she was famine a girl who has a crush on a boy but both Sakura and Kairi are my favorite characters in fiction (I’m a man by the way)
Do you mean Wendy and Xion as leeches?
Kairi is Sakura in a nutshell only got to shine after the near end of shippuden and boruto.
Sora and Kairi's relationship is badly written since they are life-long friends. Usually, childhood friends can be seen as family, and most aren't attracted to those who are seen as family.
The reason I hate this ship so much is because of how unrealistic it is. Sora and Kairi are childhood friends and they have a crush on each other. And people tend to view childhood friends as siblings and not love interests. So Sora and Kairi should be viewing each other as siblings and not loving each other romantically. I've never had a crush on any of my childhood friends ever (because I thought of them as siblings), and I've never knew anyone else that ever had a crush on any of their childhood friends (because they probably thought of them as siblings also). So the idea of them being together just sounds stupid and ridiculous because of the reasons I stated.
It's more common than you think. Yeah, sure, a lot of the time people may view that person as a sibling, but at the same time, a lot of people will instead view them as their first crush.
@@dexeronstarsurge Actually it's rare for best friends to develop romantic feelings for each other. Women are significantly less likely to be romantically attracted to their male friends.
There are several reasons why it might be rare for people to develop romantic feelings for their friends:
1. Familiarity and comfort: When you spend a lot of time with someone as a friend, you become comfortable with them and get to know them deeply. This familiarity can often lead to a lack of romantic attraction because the person becomes more like family or a sibling rather than a potential romantic partner.
2. Shared interests and values: Often, friendships are built on common interests, shared values, and mutual understanding. While these factors contribute to a strong bond, they may not necessarily create romantic chemistry. Having a similar worldview and enjoying each others company as friends doesn't guarantee romantic attraction.
3. Emotional boundaries: In many cases, people establish emotional boundaries within friendship to maintain the friendship itself. These boundaries can prevent the development of romantic feelings as both parties consciously or subconsciously prioritize the friendship over romantic involvement.
4. Compatibility and friendship dynamics: While friends may get along well, have a great time together, and enjoy each others company, romantic compatibility is an entirely different aspect. Romantic relationships require additional factors such as physical attraction, romantic chemistry, and a shared vision of a romantic future, which may not be present in a friendship.
5. Fear of ruining the friendship: People may hesitate to pursue romantic feelings for their friends out of fear of damaging or losing the friendship altogether. The potential risk of rejection, awkwardness, or the fear that a romantic relationship might not work out can deter individuals from expressing their romantic interest.
@@cks7548 Again. It's far more common than you think.
@@dexeronstarsurge Not really. Most people (including women) will avoid falling in love with their friends because they don't want to risk their friendship.
Oh, oh, let me guess: but only opposite sex friends will avoid that trap, right? Same-sex friends always fall in love and sleep together. Yeah, no.
Still: nobody, at all, is gay in KH. :')