The Final Fantasy “half” of Kingdom hearts

Hello again~ First one in a while since my tangent series. Nothing long this time either, I promise, I just wanted to bring up something I talked about with a friend the other day. The “Final Fantasy half” of Kingdom hearts.

Yes, I’m aware most know of the Square Enix portion of Disney. I’m sure most know that Disney outright owns the original aspects of the series as well. (ie Sora and co) Likewise, everyone knows Nomura heads the story and design.

Tbh I’d probably, technically, put KH in three portions. The Final Fantasy, the Disney and then the original quirk constructed by Nomura. Perhaps not the best written as it goes but fun if you enjoy it for what it is.

And I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you were thinking “I dont get your point, get to it. we all know the cameos are the FF half.” Which is true. The final fantasy, and seemingly TWEWY, characters are taken, redesigned, and thrown into KH with a new backstory.

Nomura literally fan fictions SE properties into KH’s world. They aren’t the versions from the games ya know, they’re KH versions. However, the SE aspects go further than that. It’s the story as a whole.



Just think about it. Anime boys aside, the KH series is full of dark undertone. One of my fave reactions to a newer fan is the realization of this. Disney does own the series after all, so many probably don’t put much thought into it other than;

The first world of KH1, Sora’s home, is destroyed before Sora’s eyes. We see a literal world disappear, it’s people likely made into heartless or lost to the KH space.

Then, through the combination of the Kh1 and Kh2 Ansem reports (in-game), plus what’s stated in optional dialogue, you get a clear picture of human experimentation, disregard for human or any life in general, and the widespread swarm of these heartless that, when you get blunt with it, is basically a shadow monster that RIPS OUT your soul. (well what equates to a “soul” in this series)

Doesn’t end there. In BBS, Xehanort literally stabs Eraqus, a childhood friend and Terra’s father figure, in the back, in front of Terra’s eyes. After manipulating Terra into fighting him in the first place.
Xehanort also rips Ven’s heart in half, steals Terra’s body and enforces his consciousness on 11 other vessels.

That’s just one variation too. The “Apprentice Ansem” version of Xehanort literally threw Kairi, a 4yr old child at the time, into space out of curiosity to find a keyblade wielder.
As Xemnas, he manipulated the hope of countless nobodies, conscious but emotionless beings, into following him under the promise of making them whole. Only to lie to them and then we got the ENTIRETY of the bullshit his schemes did to Roxas and Xion.

OH! If you want another nod to the dark stuff, just look at Roxas. He’s easily the must emotionally and mentally f*cked of anyone. I’m not a fan of him but no one deserves what he got.



And these are just to name a few. And no, anyone worried by the picture I painted, don’t be. These things happened but they aren’t shown to you. Not normally.

It’s what I mean by the “half” or what I’d call “underbelly” of the series. The Disney aspects of the universe and quirkiness of the original cast tend to bury these events. That’s the weird thing, it’s the cause of KH’s stigma as a “children’s game”.

A child can definitely play it but they’ll easily notice these things when they’re older and look closer. It’s so weird in retrospect. KH writing is a ball of cheesy, at times outright bad, but it’s lore is dark. And honestly I think that’s lovely.

It’s for this reason I think many underestimate Final Fantasy’s (rather Square Enix) play in the story. It’s not just cameos. They’re the ones that make these titles, Nomura and other writers do the plot, they’re adding that darker FF tone to it. It’s just a bit hidden at times.

--------------------------------------------------------

Also, I know I broke my promise. This is long, I’m sorry, I’ll stop now, enjoy. 8D

OG ver: http://derekscorner.tumblr.com/post/167577416817/the-final-fantasy-half-of-kingdom-hearts

 

I forgot to bring up just how dark older disney films were in this post. ;-;
It’s kinda funny really, the films Disney has made have been far darker and up front about it while Disney in KH kinda sugarcoats the series.

Granted, the newer the Disney film, the more likely it is to be less dark. The creepiest I can remember a newer film being was the hellish imagery at the end of Hunchback of Notre Dome.

Anywho, done for real now. xD

 

Nope, they own Sora as well. I think it's a bit of a complex partnership though, the owning Sora is just the simplistic truth. (like last time I checked, both parties have to agree to certain things depending)
I don't really have a way to elaborate since I"m not sure the full contract would exist for our public eyes.

Disney owns everything but what SE cameos are thrown in though. My friend showed me a link as well, seems Sora now even follows some Disney trend of his launch year being his official birthday.

Im not sure how much it matters in the long wrong since I think it's obvious Nomura has some say as the designer. I like think think of it as a comic team, in comics a writer and artist will both have a type of sway.

 

TuT I forgot to add the dark Disney stuff in the initial post.
I don't rule it out but given SE/Nomura's control of the story so far I always gave them more credit for the darker stuff so far. With Disney going back and forth with SE on KH3 though on some of the worlds I could see it getting more and more 50/50 as it goes. Well, at least Disney offering as much dark as they're willing to go in their current form.

Ugh the Tidus laugh....I mean you're right but that laugh. O-O
I think, of the ones I've played, my favorite goofy FF character was Zack. He was just so optimistic in comparison to his world haha, loved it. =]

Disney films do but it's always surprised me, and I think others, that a game series would. It's like those shows that do more than they need to. It's a welcome addition that they clearly had no obligation to add but it works.

 

Sadly I think about all of the newer ones are CGi except that Princess and the Frog one?
The 90s was great for things like that. Gargoyles, Lion King, it was always varied but shows back then got by with many things. I kinda miss it...

Heck in Gargoyles, yes I know that's technically a series, the pilot dealt with wiping out an entire clan and a curse. It was quite dark in retrospect.