#yoroshiu rambles

[yoroshiu]

I know it's just a given with the programming of the AI for the party members but I just find it sweet and amusing when either Donald or Goofy will chase you around to give you a potion or a Cure (in our resident mage's case ofc).

Sora gets hit enough times and his cartoon dads are immediately like ANIME SON IS HURT and run over and are like "SORA!!!" and heal him.

And the same is for the other potential party members as well but it amuses me with those two in particular since they're pretty much with you the whole time.

It's funny though when I unintentionally run away from them and they have to literally chase Sora for like a couple seconds.

"Sora—Sora! Stop running, you're injured! SORA!!! LET ME HEAL YOU!!!! SORA—"

[yoroshiu]

Aqua training Kairi AND Lea arc

Aqua is hilariously extra strict with Lea and they bicker a lot but they end up connecting due to their specific similarity of trying their absolute hardest to keep their friend groups together and failing for a good while. It’s super therapeutic and now as a trio they get to go to Disney worlds and have iconic moments while also helping Kairi cope with her missing friends

[yoroshiu]

Thinking about Kingdom Hearts' narrative with communication.

As with a lot of conflicts in story and real life, much of the most heart wrenching stuff in this series stems from a lack of communication or a severe misunderstanding between characters.

The Foretellers fall apart due to mistrust that was bred in between them, as according to the Master of Master's plan, and a lot of their interactions are full of deceit and witholding information. In an effort for most of them to do what MoM says while simultaneously realizing that they could go against his word to save the world, it inevitably leads to war.

Baldr, in his grief, is kept separate from his friends, alone until the darkness overtakes him and he ends up being consumed by it. As a result, everyone is taken by surprise and there's already too many bodies piled up by the time he's dealt with. Even when Hoder appears before him, they are unable to meet in the middle and turn on each other. He ends up killing many friends and plants a seed into what Xehanort becomes.

The basis of the Wayfinders and Eraqus is that they constantly don't talk to each other properly, pushing each other away until their tragedy becomes inescapable. Eraqus not telling his students about anything Xehanort has done, for instilling such an unforgiving view of Light and Darkness, for not telling Ventus the truth until it was too late. Terra, Aqua, and Ventus not being able to talk or clear things up until Xehanort is already beyond knees deep into his plans, and despite having their love for each other go beyond any possible discord, it is not enough to prevent unfortunate fates that befall them.

The Destiny Trio, especially Riku earlier on, suffers from a lack of communication. While not as turbulent as the other trios, it's Riku's tendency to hide away and lash out that builds the conflict between him and Sora. For one reason or another, a quite literal and physical reason for Kairi, they were unable to talk which goes on and on until RIku gets possessed. And it his shame that pushes him to hide for such a long time in the second game as well. Sora has also picked up on not saying anything, deciding to perish without letting anyone know beforehand, and the full-on effects of that have yet to be explored.

The Sea Salt Trio was built on miscommunication. Secrets, unknowns, caring so much that you believe that it'd be much better to fade away without a word than to burden someone with the pain of truth and knowledge. It drives a wedge between Roxas, Axel, and Xion at multiple points. Axel, who was stuck between loyalties, kept information to himself and ended up driving Roxas and Xion away at one point and another. Xion, who found out the truth and also made big decisions without fully explaining to the other two, also inevitably leaves a grief that digs into them even when they don't remember her. And Roxas, who was the probably the biggest victim of not being told anything, ends up barrelling forward, trust broken up until the pieces finally fell in place and he had to accept his fate in tired resignation.

But it's when love overcomes the lies, clearing them away that these groups of friends can come together and start again.

A lot of the emotional turmoil that Kingdom Hearts displays often comes from the very human act of communication with others and how often we fail to do so. The fragility that comes with one kept secret, or one mispoken phrase. How badly people get torn apart when no one says anything. Yet, it also shows how it can potentially be overcome with enough love and determination to recover what was lost, and even if it's not the same as before, there's potential to make things better.

TLDR; Connections are the basis of Kingdom Hearts. Communication is a foundation of connection. The highs and lows of communication is something that Kingdom Hearts explores extensively in the stories of its characters, and that has resonated with me so heavily that I stay up thinking about it.

[yoroshiu]

Sometimes the Sora thoughts go to the KH2 ending, the quiet, almost to himself,

"You know...maybe the darkness has gotten to me, too."

From Japanese, it can be translated to:

"Somehow, I wonder if I've also gotten stained by the Realm of Darkness."

It's the way it's said and then not fully touched upon since Riku falls over. What it might mean for Sora in the grander scale of things. Going from "You gotta think positive!" not too long ago to this moment of vulnerability. Sora doesn't get too many moments where he gets to contemplate so long for his own state of being, and it's got me thinking a lot as always.

[yoroshiu]

A few months ago, I noticed that the photo album thing on my phone recognized Sora's face so I named the album Sora and checked what pictures it considered as "Sora" and this is what happened:

I CAN NOT MAKE THIS UP ToT

[yoroshiu]

Moments of Love in KH That Make Me Lose it Just a Little (Only Just a Little I'm so NORMAL About This I Promise) (In no particular order)

Player willing to act possessed by Darkness so they can sacrifice themselves because they KNEW Ephemer wouldn't attack them otherwise. To trap the rest of the Darknesses, they trapped themselves altogether until the end. THEY KNEW WHAT THIS WOULD MEAN FOR THEM.

RIKU DREAMEATER RIKU DREAMEATER RIKU DREAMEATER What do you mean that, EVEN WITHOUT KNOWING, this guy SENSED that Sora was in danger, DIVED into his dreams, and became HIS DREAMEATER, a being that PROTECTS SOMEONE from NIGHTMARES. And I must reiterate that Riku did NOT know until told.

So you're telling me that even though Xion was SUPPOSED to be completely wiped from people's memories, Axel/Lea's grief ran so deep that he still could vaguely recall her and shed tears at just the blurry sight of her. Roxas kinda makes sense since both he and Xion were inside Sora at this point (still hits me like a truck anyway), but something about this happening to Axel/Lea in KH3 makes me tear up a bit!!!

TERRA, through the SHEER WILLPOWER of wanting to protect his friends and make things right (+ Doom Slayer type rage), was able to leave a will that possessed his empty armor and beat THE CRAP out of Terra-Nort to the point of AMNESIA. Not only that, he was willing to destroy his own body if it meant if he could protect Aqua and Ven. Bro endured YEARS of being torn apart and spread to different people and places, but still was able to help others in those times of need (When Aqua fights Terra-nort (though you can defeat him without encountering the Terra thing), when Aqua was in the RoD, when the Guardians of Light were in Trouble, etc.))

And that's not even mentioning what Aqua and Ven did for the sake of the others in their trio. Aqua saving Terra and letting herself fall into the RoD, or Ven willing to completely shatter his heart for Terra and Aqua if it meant taking down Vanitas.

Riku Replica, even though he learned that his own existence and memories were farces, still cared for Naminé so genuinely that he fought to give her a body so she can go on living.

When everything went to crap and Sora and the others pretty much died, Kairi had managed to HOLD onto Sora so he could still remain in the world

Sora is so concerningly self-sacrifical that this guy can easily STAB himself AND break universal taboos that lead to him being wiped by the universe to save his loved ones (he should really stop doing that >.>)

Also Sora telling Roxas that he deserved to be his own person has me going FERAL, I am BITING and SCREAMING. The fact that through EVERYTHING, the reality of the existence of Nobodies hits him, and he takes away that Roxas is his OWN person (and this was right before Roxas dumped all his memories on him) and tells him as such word for word. I AM IN SHAMBLES.

And there's so many examples I could go on about! I've definitely missed a lot of big ones. I promise I'm normal about this series, I promise!!!!

[yoroshiu]

Sora and Ventus

Ven's expression here, and how worried he was this whole interaction, just gets me. People have already posted about this, so it's not like I'm saying anything new or mindblowing, but the way KH creates these intimate bonds and connections characters have with each other makes me love this series so much.

It's small things like that: Ven wanting to go with Sora, looking worried and distraught that he's going on his own. I've seen many amazing interpretations and implications different people have made from this. In an analysis of their relationship, this has me pointing and yelling over how neat it is. Just how much it says about two people who have literally shared a heart for over ten years. A history of healing and protecting, of a home and a sanctuary. The part in BBS's story summary where it says that Ven felt that he belonged in Sora's heart and that he was going home (at the end of the story) lives in my head rent-free. I love these two a lot v-v

[yoroshiu]

One of my favorite things I'd experienced from the KH series was the 2.8 credits which went through almost every moment in the games til that point where characters come into physical contact with each other with positive intentions.

Every handshake, handhold, hug—every little thing that connects people. Every friendship, every kindness, every love. There's an intimacy to it that I love.

[yoroshiu]

It feels uncanny thinking about how KH2's final boss is technically Terra's body while the secret boss is Terra's will

[yoroshiu]

Do you ever think of how hardcore it is that Xehanort killed Eraqus? Terra might have weakened him but it was Xehanort, by choice, who did the final blow. It already says a lot since we knew that they were classmates and friends in BBS, but when you have the full context of Dark Road, it hits in a eerily haunting way.

Imagine that younger Xehanort, who killed Baldr and lost his friends, learning that he will kill his best friend (legit, according to Baldr, his light). Considering that KH3/Re:Mind have it where Young Xehanort is the one that was going to take his Mark of Mastery (hence, after Dark Road events), I wonder what would have been his reaction to Eraqus being killed by his own hand. Realistically, I could imagine that he’d feel conflicted about it, maybe end up looking at his future self in a different way. But because he wouldn’t remember that when travelling back in time, nothing would change. There’s something so...brutal and a bit heart wrenching about that idea. 

[yoroshiu]

There's something so cruel about how Sora had to carry the weight of multiple people's feelings alongside his own.

We, as people, already struggle to handle our emotions but imagine feeling two, or three, or four or more people's emotions as well. Like in Dream Drop, imagine taking in Roxas's grief and trauma within a single moment. Or feeling Ventus's own urges to save his friends throughout KH3. It's not shown as much with Xion or Vanitas, but I'd like to imagine that he felt echoes of what they felt in waves. And heck, while we're at it, how about anyone who was in his heart for some time, like Kairi.

Even if Sora wasn't feeling all of those feelings constantly, could you imagine being just overfilled with others' memories and the emotions they felt directly as if it was you experiencing it?

I think about that moment with Roxas a lot and remain in awe that Sora could keep moving forward after that. That game had him getting hit with a barrage of people and emotions, and he still kept fighting until it literally broke his heart enough to make him susceptible to being possessed by darkness.

That one quote from Xigbar about putting too much power (or in this case, feelings) in one place might break it haunts me in my dreams.

[yoroshiu]

Sora Kingdom Hearts is a magical character, methinks.

The joy and tears he brings so many people—me very much included—that burrows itself so deeply into my skull when I read posts or watch reaction videos hits different every time I think about it.

He's outgoing and goofy and simple-minded but he hides the things that bother him and sacrifices himself without batting an eye. He easily changed gears when admitting that the darkness got to him the moment Riku fell over. He hid his hand away from Kairi when he noticed that he was starting to fade. He ran through each battle in the Keyblade Graveyard without rest. He saved and protected Ventus' heart twice. He housed multiple hearts and could literally feel their emotions. He broke taboos and let himself get erased from existence to bring back his loved ones.

He symbolizes the harmony in Dearly Beloved, and is so special and so normal in a way that he's the protagonist but he's also been thrown aside, gaslit, split apart, put together, nearly and actually killed despite him simply wanting to be with his friends and travel the worlds. His darkness and rage have gotten to a point where his heart bursts in an effort to protect himself—which is left unaddressed. He tends to shift the blame away from any pain given to him by his companions, whether they intended to hurt him or not. He loves his friends deeply. He fears losing his friends. He thought he didn't have any worth without them.

He gets excited over heroes, pirates, robots, and Santa Claus being real. He pecks his phone when he tries to text. His first response to computers is slamming the keyboard. He likes playing games and he sings and dances with princesses. He roots for his Classic Kingdom self. He gets spooked easily and he wears those silly glasses with the nose and mustache. He holds hands with Pooh Bear and picks up the Aliens from Toy Story so gently. He begs Hiro for a Baymax and whines a bit when he says no. He makes silly faces and likes making people smile. He gets angry quickly but he's even quicker to laugh—for better or for worse.

Watching so many people cry in happiness when Sora got into Smash really said something. To know that he was voted as the most wanted character on that poll. The devastation of players at the end of KH3 or the amount of love poured out through fan content. Of course, Sora's not alone in this treatment, but at least on a personal level, he feels so special. He's one of a kind and I love my boy dearly, your honor.

[yoroshiu]

I think I care about Dan Feng and Dan Heng being different people so much is because they're very Sora and Roxas-coded lol

Someone you resemble and might even come from fundamentally, but are different through individual experiences. And even if you can share feelings or memories with them, it still doesn't feel like your own personally. Their relationships are their relationships and your relationships are yours. The whole identity shebang.

[yoroshiu]

Things About JPN Sora (Kingdom Hearts)

When it comes to referring to others Sora has a few ways going about it. He often refers to others by their names.. You can only imagine the many more amount of times he’s said Riku or Kairi’s name in JPN lol

Or even just the amount of times Donald and Goofy is said by him 

Sora’s a very boyish kind of guy, like very casual but not intentionally rude, and also kind of impressionable which is reflected in his speech

Uses ‘ore’ when referring to himself normally but used ‘boku’ once in KH1 while talking to Kairi

He’s the king of comedic timing and deadpan (courtesy of Miyu Irino), his tone and inflection are on point. (i.e. in KH3 when the gang get flung off the mountain in Arendelle once again and Sora’s tired of it. Both Miyu Irino and Haley Joel Osment’s deliveries for Sora’s frustration are amazing)

I think a lot of the awkward pauses found in ENG KH dialogue stems from the fact that we don’t usually make the same noises for affirmations, reactions, and the like. This is more of a general note rather than Sora-specific but JPN Sora does tend to do this

In Re:Coded, Data Sora refers to Data Roxas as ‘omae’ but in 3D, Sora refers to Roxas by name and ‘kimi’. For Re:Coded, my guess is that it’s because Sora didn’t know who he was and Roxas was antagonizing him

Less of a fun fact and more of a fangirl point but, have you heard him asking for one Baymax in JPN??? The way he just says “Just 1, just 1″ in the softest and excited voice!! He’s my precious son frfr ToT

AND HE DOES STUFF LIKE THAT SO OFTEN!! HE’S VERY CUTE YOUR HONOR

When Sora gets excited and happy, his voice tends to get higher pitched (Miyu Irino’s range is actually wild) and...not sure if this is the word I’m looking for, but squishy? I feel like Miyu Irino makes Sora squishy in a very endearing way lol

[yoroshiu]

Today's brainrot is over how often Sora's theme appears throughout KH3's ost, both in direct and not-so-direct ways. Sora is so vital and fundamental to this series and the music shows that.

[yoroshiu]

MoM, coming in with roller skates to 90s Japanese City Pop: Hey Sora! You must be new around here!

Sora, who just wanted to have a normal vacation day: *Is very distressed again*