Hi folks! Welcome to my My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analysis blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are just meant to be my analyses. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries are meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies.
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And finally; If you haven't seen the films, beware of spoilers! And the funny lines aren't meant to be nothing than funny. So I hope you won't find them offensive. If so, I apologize
For
the first time I`m writing about a Videogame by Disney. But since this
property is such a crucial part of the company, I could give it a shot.
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| We wanted to oushine the hearts :) Don`t ask us why :) |
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| I don`t care if you`re many against me :) I`ll win anyways, since I`m a good guy :) |
If
there`s a part of Disney that is rarely mentioned, it`s their Video Game department. While Disney
have produced various of them, it`s remarkable how Disney is rarely
labeled for video games. Perhaps it`s not a strange staple, anyways. While Disney is often labeled for their sanitized, family-friendly staple and
for producing both Cartoons and Full-Length Movies, it`s often easy to
forget that Disney is after all a huge company. And
having many facets.  |
| Mickey couldn`t be with us this time :) And I wanted to be in the middle and outshine him :) |
They`ve often made consumer products to their
feature films or beloved cartoon
characters, which even have applied to games. However, regarding the
latter category, there have been a
couple of games that have managed to become their own properties. To
showcase various worlds within Disney`s Universe. But if we`re going to
talk about the first video game entity to even start that trend and to
even be a crossover of two different Universes, then it`s Kingdom Hearts. Which had it`s 20th
Anniversary the year this entry was written. Information and Reception
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| This is a collage to show what we do in our spare time :) |
Released in Japan on March 28,
2002 for PlayStation 2, Kingdom Hearts is a blend of two Universes. But first and
foremost it`s a blend between East and West, literally. Between Disney and Final Fantasy. Kingdom
Hearts (キングダム ハーツ, Hepburn: Kingudamu Hātsu in Japanese) is an action role-playing game by Square Enix (originally by Square) and Disney Interactive, directed by first-time director Tetsuya Nomura.  |
| Yes, my shield has a mouse logo on it :) To protect us from any rodents :) |
But despite it`s blend, it does somewhat create it`s own Universe, as it has original locations. Such a blend could always seem odd (no offense to the creators) and make some purists scrutinize (which it did).
Yet it`s still a concept that works. Which is the reason for why it has
appealed to people (besides being fun, enjoyable and tapping into
nostalgia). It centers on a cheerful teenager named Sora and his journey and experiences with various Disney and Pixar
characters. As well as some from other Square Enix properties, as The World Ends With You and Einhänder. Along with original
characters made for the games. The story is about Sora clashing with the
many incarnations of Xehanort, the main antagonist.
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| I`m a advanced Transformer ;) |
Sora must visit the Disney Worlds and interact with their characters to
protect them from enemies. Often, his actions woullosely follow the
storylines of the films. Still, the characters try not to interfere with
the other worlds, since it could affect the universe's order negatively. And
it has featured the universes of various Disney units, with a few
exception of the Dark Age periods (despite how some from the Golden
Ages, like Lady and the Tramp, The Jungle Book and perhaps not surprisingly, Pocahontas, have been dismissed. As for Jungle Book, the creator wanted to include it many times, but it`s always got dismissed). But as for Final Fantasy
characters in the games, among them are Moogles. Who are small
creatures who provide the player with a synthesis shop in order to
create and purchase items used. The World Ends With You`s cast appears in Dream Drop Distance. And Kingdom Hearts III has Schwarzgeist, a boss from Einhänder.  |
| I wanted to show that Iron gloves are better than Ice gloves :) Right, Elsa? :) |
Kingdom
Hearts was released in North America on September 2002 and
had content that wasn`t in the Japanese
version. Hearts has also received good reviews, as
the main games have scored a 36 out of 40 from the Japanese Gaming Magazine Famitsu
(known for its harsh grading). The same applies for the huge Fanbase
the Franchise has acquired (despite some criticism to the narrative). As
of November 2021, the series has shipped
more than 35 Million copies Worldwide. Merchandise has also been
released along with the games. While Hearts was released for Playstation first, it has been also made for Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Hearts has also an all-star voice cast and many of the Disney characters' official voice actors.The Story (Kingdom Hearts & Chains of Memories)
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| I`m so happy to have a golden key without burning myself :) |
As for the story of Kingdom Hearts, it runs between three games: The first one starts with 14-year-old Sora
being separated from his friends Riku and Kairi when their home Destiny
Islands is consumed in darkness. Then Sora obtains a weapon
called the Keyblade that allows him to fight the Heartless, creatures
from the Realm of Darkness. Before ending up in another
world, Traverse Town, where he meets Donald Duck and Goofy.  |
| I know that we`re small, but we can still protect a lady :) |
Two
agents from Disney Castle sent to find the Keyblade wielder from their missing king, Mickey Mouse. As the three travel together to save various worlds from the Heartless and searching for
their companions, they encounter a group of Disney villains
whose ability to control the Heartless was given by Maleficent. Who
enlists Riku's aid in seeking seven maidens called the Princesses of
Heart, whose power would open to Kingdom Hearts, the heart of
all worlds.  |
| Yes, despite that I`m small, I want to show that I can outbeat two guys :) |
While eventually defeating Maleficent and reunited
with Kairi after sacrificing himself to restore her heart to her body,
Sora learns that Maleficent was manipulated by a sentient Heartless who
possesses Riku and claims himself as the Heartless researcher Ansem. 
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| We`re proofs that different creatures than be taller than a human :) |
While Sora defeats Ansem, he is forced to trap Riku and Mickey in the
Realm of Darkness after sealing the door and resolute to find them while
Kairi remains at the Destiny Islands for their return. Sometime after
his first visit to Hollow Bastion, Sora meets and is challenged by a
powerful unknown figure (Xemnas). After winning the fight, the figure
disappears while Sora continues on his journey. The first game includes worlds as Olympus Coliseum (Hercules), Agrabah (Aladdin), Wonderland (Alice in Wonderland), Halloween Town (The Nightmare Before Christmas), Deep Jungle (Tarzan), Neverland (Peter Pan), 100 Acre Wood (Winnie the Pooh) and Atlantica (The Little Mermaid).
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| I`m so glad that a Whale- looking creature can be smaller than me :) Don`t ask me why :) |
In
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (released on Game Boy Advance, November 11, 2004), Sora's search for Riku and Mickey
leads his group to Castle Oblivion. Controlled by a
group of non-existent "Nobodies" called Organization XIII,
the castle's overseer Marluxia using the power of a girl named Naminé to
alter the group's memories for his agenda. After Marluxia's defeat, the
three are placed in a year-long sleep by Naminé to restore their
original memories while losing their experience in Castle Oblivion.  |
| It was a fan who drew me like this :) I didn`t wanted to be a turtle :) |
At
the same time, Sora ventured through Castle Oblivion, Riku ended up in the basement levels and ascends to the ground floor with Mickey's aid, while dealing with a Replica of himself that fought Sora. Finding the comatose Sora while joining forces with the mysterious DiZ, Riku helps Naminé keep his friend safe until he is awoken. In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, a snag in the plan over the year forces Riku to capture Roxa. Sora's Nobody and Organization XIII member that came into bein, when Sora briefly became a Heartless in the first game-after he was forced to defeat and absorb Xion. A Replica of Sora in Kairi's image.
Kingdom Hearts II
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| I know that I`m not a principal but I still have his authority :) |
In
Kingdom Hearts II 
(released December 22,
2005), after Roxas was integrated back into him, an
awakened Sora and his friends resume their search for Riku. And King
Mickey, the latter's mentor Yen Sid re-familiarizing the trio with the
Nobodies and Organization XIII's remaining members whom they deal
alongside Maleficent and her right hand Pete.
(released December 22,
2005), after Roxas was integrated back into him, an
awakened Sora and his friends resume their search for Riku. And King
Mickey, the latter's mentor Yen Sid re-familiarizing the trio with the
Nobodies and Organization XIII's remaining members whom they deal
alongside Maleficent and her right hand Pete.  |
| I know that I made my finger look delicious :) To try to make you like anything else than acorn :) |
The three reunite with
Mickey and encounter Organization XIII's leader Xemnas, him and the
Heartless Ansem revealed to the splintered halves of the real Ansem's
apprentice Xehanort. The Organization's plan is also revealed: Regaining their lost hearts by using Keyblade users to create an
artificial Kingdom Hearts from slain Emblem Heartless. Axel, a rogue
Organization member who`s Roxas' friend and first encountered Sora in
Castle Oblivion, abducts Kairi to see Roxas. But Axel's
action only give Saix, his former friend and Xemnas' enforcer, leverage
to force Sora into finishing what Roxas and Xion began.  |
| I know that I`m anti-Disney, but I was invited :) |
Axel sacrifices
himself to help Sora's group reach The World That Never Was (Organization XIII's headquarters). And, after defeating Xemnas's right hand Xigbar, reunite with Riku and Kairi.
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| Because nobody should be rude to the Emperor :) |
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| You better appreciate my outfit, cause it`s heavy to wear it :) |
receive a letter from King Mickey. The letter, written by Mickey during the events of Kingdom Hearts Coded, describes the parts of their past that Naminé learned while restoring Sora's memory.
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| Don`t ask us who we are :) |
As they read the letter, they
learn of Xehanort's true identity as a Keyblade Master who sought the
secrets of the Keyblade War which created their current reality and the
fates that befall the apprentices of his friend Eraqus during the events
of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep: Terra having ended up possessed by
Xehanort and made into the original being of Xehanort's Heartless and
Xemnas were split from; Ventus sacrificing his heart by fighting his
dark counterpart Vanitas while to prevent Xehanort from recreating the
legendary χ-blade which allows the user to control Kingdom Hearts and
hiding within four-year-old Sora's heart; and new Keyblade Master Aqua
trapped within the Realm of Darkness while an amnesic Xehanort ended up
Ansem's apprentice alongside his accomplice Braig (Xigbar's original
self).  |
| I`ve been influenced by Coldplay`s Yellow :) |
King Mickey also discovers that the destruction of "Ansem" and Xemnas has led to Xehanort's restoration. To combat the new
threat Xehanort poses, Sora and Riku take an exam to attain the Mark of
Mastery that will allow them to become Keyblade Masters themselves. The worlds in Kingdom Hearts II are Radiant Garden, Halloween Town, Olympus Coliseum, Beasts Castle (Beauty and the Beast), Pride Lands (The Lion King, where everyone changes into animals), Space Paranoids, Twilight Town, The Land of Dragons (Mulan) and even a live action property like the Caribbean (Pirates of the Caribbean).Kingdom Hearts III
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| We`re trying to dance the Gangnam Style :) Sort of :) |
With the success of the franchise, there`s no wonder why there`s been a lot expectations to Kingdom Hearts III. It was announced in 2013, but was delayed because of Final Fantasy XV. It didn`t see the light of the day until January 2019. The story begins during Xehanort's and Eraqus' childhood as they
remember a war between light and darkness. It then moves
on years later following Master Xehanort's revival. Yen Sid begins
preparing Keyblade wielders to counteract his Organization XIII's plan
to forge the χ-blade. Sora, accompanied by Donald Duck and Goofy,
resumes his travels across other worlds to regain his "power of waking",
the ability to restore lost hearts. Meanwhile, Riku and King Mickey
search the realm of darkness for Aqua, while Kairi and Lea train as
Keyblade wielders. They are antagonized by Organization XIII members who
want him to protect the seven princesses through their seven guardians
of light.  |
| I don`t want to give ya my glow :) |
During their travels, Sora and Riku are contacted by Ienzo, who discovers via Ansem the Wise's research data that Sora's body contains
the hearts of Roxas and two others, later identified as Ventus and Xion.
The Organization's time traveling members are using artificial human
replicas created by Vexen as vessels that allow them to exist in the
present, which inspires Sora to transfer Roxas's heart into a replica
body to restore him. Meanwhile, the Heartless Ansem enters the realm of
darkness and kidnaps Ansem the Wise, corrupting Aqua's heart in the
process. Vexen rescues Ansem the Wise, revealing himself to be a double
agent within the Organization. Riku and Mickey locate and battle the
corrupted Aqua in the realm of darkness with Sora coming to their aid
thanks to Eraqus' missing Keyblade. Aqua goes to Castle Oblivion where
Sora rediscovers his power of waking and revives Ventus, who fends the
attacking Vanitas off. |
| I wanted to be a female version of R. Kelly :) |
The seven Keyblade wielders depart for the Keyblade Graveyard to battle
the Organization, only to be consumed by a swarm of Heartless summoned
by the possessed Terra. Sora awakens in a limbo
realm called the Final World, where his heart is sustained by Kairi's
power, while a Chirithy guides him in restoring his fragmented body. He
then uses the power of waking to revive his friends and travel back in time
to the moment before their defeat, which is averted by the intervention
of Terra's armor. In the process, Terra regains control of his body and
reunites with Aqua and Ventus, while Lea reunites with Xion, and Roxas,
who regains his own heart to protect Lea and Xion.  |
| We were forced to make this collage to please the Millennials of social media :) |
Xehanort provokes Sora into attacking him by destroying Kairi's body,
allowing Xehanort to acquire the χ-blade and summon Kingdom Hearts.
Sora, Donald, and Goofy defeat Xehanort. Eraqus emerges from Terra as a
spirit and convinces Xehanort to surrender in his last moments. Sora
decides to use the power of waking to save Kairi despite warnings about
his fate. Afterwards, the cast gathers at the Destiny Islands, where a
revived Kairi stays beside Sora before he fades away. In a post-credits scene,
Xigbar is reveald as a Foretellers, originally named Luxu, as he begins
to recount his actions to the Foretellers. In a flashback to their
youth, Eraqus and Xehanort begin a new game of chess that predicts a
battle with Luxu and the Foretellers. The secret ending reveals that
Sora is in the real world.  |
| We`re sitting down in order to not disturb the waves :) |
The Worlds depicted in Kingdom Hearts III are Kingdom of Corona (Tangled), San Fransokyo (Big Hero 6), Toy Box (Toy Story), Monstopolis (Monsters Inc) and not surprisingly Arandelle (Frozen). While there have been some dismays for the inclusion of Disney characters (as neither Moana, Zootopia, Wreck-It-Ralph nor The Princess and the Frog are involved), it`s overall reception by critics has been positive. As well as the sales, becoming both the fastest- and best-selling game in the series.Behind the Scenes Information
The
idea for Kingdom Hearts began between Shinji
Hashimoto and Hironobu Sakaguchi about Super Mario 64. They were
planning a game with movement in three dimensions
like Mario 64, but knew that only characters as popular as
Disney's could rival Mario. Tetsuya Nomura overheard them and volunteered to lead the project. A random meeting between Hashimoto and a
Disney executive allowed Hashimoto to pitch it directly to Disney (Square and Disney had previously worked
in the same building in Japan).
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| Even I can be smitten by light of a star :) |
Development began in February 2000, where Nomura also was
the character designer. Originally the story focused on gameplay
with a simple plot to Disney's target age. But producer Hironobu Sakaguchi told Nomura that it wouldn`t work if it didn`t aim for the same level as Fantasy. Nomura named the game from Animal Kingdom from Disney Theme Park. But Nomura
couldn`t get the IP with just "Kingdom", so the team added "heart" as well, to combine the two words. Still, the collaboration and relationship between Disney and Square Enix has always been a good one.
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| I`m a blend of Kovu and a Ginger Lion :) |
There were some
obstacles to clear before a sequel. One was
the desire to show Mickey Mouse more. Nomura planned the sequel to take place a year after
the first game and having the events of that year be left
unexplained. To bridge the gap between them, Kingdom Hearts:
Chain of Memories was made. Despite how Nomura was hesitant about
releasing it on Game Boy Advance, fearing the 3D graphics
of the first game wouldn`t translate well to 2D. But changed his
position after hearing that children wanted to play Hearts on Advance.  |
| We were inspired by the hearts of Raya and the Last Dragon :) |
While
Disney gave Nomura freedom with Hearts, the staff tried to stay with the established roles and boundaries of the worlds. Still, Nomura said that it wasn`t challenging to make perky Disney characters dark and serious for the game. But managing and keeping multiple worlds
was more problematic. When deciding which worlds to have,
the staff took worlds that would be interesting. Which Final Fantasy character to include was based on both fans and staff. But also whether the character would fit to the storyline. Nomura also left some events and connections between characters unexplained until the release of future games. To give fans room to fans to speculate. 
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| I love to stand like this despite how it doesn`t look comfortable :) I`m serious :) |
In
the first two months, Kingdom
Hearts was among the top three most-selling video games. Several of the manga series were on USA Today's "Top 150 best sellers". The
first game received numerous year-end game awards, and achieved Sony "Greatest
Hits" status. Hearts became one of Square's most popular franchises, and also
considered by gaming publications to be one of the greatest video
games of all time. But for the future of the games, in
January 2020, Nomura said there would need "more time" before the
next entry. In September 2020, Nomura said that the
development team was "in the process of discussing future plans
within Square Enix and with Disney and nothing has been set in stone,
but I do have some concepts percolating in my head." And that
Yozora would "definitely be involved", in
an surprising way.
Epilogue
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| Well, not quite :) |
At the end, Kingdom Hearts has
been a nice treat for both gamers, animation lovers and everyone who`s
grown up with the game. And rightfully so. Since it`s a blend of two
Universes, it`s would be easy to scream blasphemy. Yet it`s nice
to see a blend of two Universes, anyways. After all, both Disney and
Pixar takes a lot from anime, anyways and vice versa. And while Disney
are rarely labeled for their video game venue, it`s still nice to see
that some of their games have managed to gain a life of their own. At the
end, there`s nothing left to wish Kingdom Hearts Happy Past 20th Anniversary and may you continue to have many more.  |
| I know that we look hostile :) But we`re really not ;) We`re just posing for the sake of the art ;) |
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