Kingdom Hearts ain't so Dumb | Beyond Pictures

[@KaimArgonarEyyyy]

As amazing as Kingdom Hearts is as a franchise, it really wouldn't be the same without our goddess Yoko Shimomura.

[@nivek-1k782]

Kaim Argonar did she pass away or is she just no longer involved?

[@kyellebantog7720]

@@nivek-1k782 Neither of those, we just love her a lot.

[@mikashi1593]

@@nivek-1k782 no. He mean, without Yoko Shimomura, Kingdom Hearts is incomplete. Until today, she's still stick with this franchises.

[@nivek-1k782]

Zen The15 ok, thank you both for explaining

[@LazyPeanut01]

Very fucking true, Kingdom Hearts is the game that made me care about video game music.

[@JP-1990]

Kingdom Hearts had no right to come out of nowhere yet feel timeless, become a smash hit while feeling like a hidden gem, develop into a mainstream staple but still maintain a cult following, and resemble a convoluted hodgepodge that happens to be a masterclass in game design. It really shouldn't exist. But it does, and the world of gaming is better for it.

[@finnmarr-heenan2397]

Lol master class lol, kh is a mediocre action game, a bad RPG, the WORST story . The only thing of quality is the OST

[@Azure9577]

@@finnmarr-heenan2397 wot

[@eldenlean5221]

@@finnmarr-heenan2397 a yes, an action RPG so mediocre every action jrpg since has taken elements from its gameplay and none have managed to achieve the level of depth KH 2.5 has.

[@finnmarr-heenan2397]

@@eldenlean5221 lol action rpg is a genere for scrubs, if u where skilled you play a character action game, and if u where smart youd play a real crpg.... also just because something influential dosnt mean its good, look at how many shitty 3rd person shooters came after gears of war.

[@eldenlean5221]

@@finnmarr-heenan2397 no one cares about your hot take on action rpgs. You said it was mediocre for the genre, while its verifiably really good as an action jrpg. Also the copy cats that gears of war inspired have literally no relevance to the quality of gears of war itself.

[@SpicyChickenGodAJ]

I know for a fact without a doubt that Kingdom Hearts IS AIGHT!

[@cliffturbo2146]

Ansem: Aight! But... but why?

[@chuckb8514]

Well played.

[@izdatbOi]

Dwight: It's more than "Aight." It's amAZING!

[@pokespartytv8086]

Keepers of Light nah its just aight

[@marlonromero4181]

@@pokespartytv8086 don't play wit us bro, u have a xion picture, all this friendship n light shit makes us defensive irl😂😂

[@DBraeges]

"358/2 days is really bad." Thems fightin' words.

[@spencerc4252]

story is good, and I would say given the context of the story, the gameplay (which definitely at many points not fun) helps further the story in that this is the tedium that roxas goes throughout most of his life. I would unironically say if the gameplay were actually fun, it would not be as effective

[@spencerc4252]

@Danny Stuivenberg I mean, there probably is a way to make it fun and fit the story, but that how I feel in this case

[@j0kerclash289]

yeah 358/2 days had a quite good story in between the tedius missions.

[@t_g_gamerftw5075]

@Jacqueline Crone Story wise Re: Coded is garbage. Character development wise, also garbage, further more dialogue also utter trash. However I would argue that Re:Coded is the best of all the handheld devices when it comes to combat hands down. A big thing that holds it back is the DS's horrible movement scheme of using a D-Pad which ruins the platforming section of the gameplay. Having played it on an emulator with a proper controller, it's gameplay is almost downright addicting in how well it plays, falling under kh2 in it's functionality, but with a very similar feel in it's speed, weight and balance. But perhaps the biggest downside to the combat comes from the very repetitive nature of how it's 'dungeons' are designed. They all use the same textures the entire game, with a horribly in your face color scheme, and the same music used from beginning to end. If this games combat was put onto any of the other hand held games, it would honestly make them better games. With a little polish and a controller it could even almost pass for a mainline title quality in these aspects. Days on the other hand is almost the polar opposite of Re:Coded, good story, fantastic character development, and most of the time decent dialogue. However it's combat and gameplay is an utter slog to playthrough, feels somehow even more repetitive then Days (largely due to how long it takes to finish the game), and has an even worse movement and platforming setup. It's panel inventory set up is hot garbage and is tedious as hell compared to Coded's chip system. Furthermore the game lacks any flavor beyond attack and simple magic, compared to Re:coded's extensive and diverse command ability list and cheat system that spices up combat by letting you do wacky things on the fly, like increase difficulty, strengthen heartless for more item drops, lower both sora's and the heartless's hp, even all the way to 1 hp for both enemies and sora, and even lowering XP gain to instead let you level up your command abilities faster.

[@ashlynnhannas9169]

I really wish they had remastered it for console and kept the multiplayer component. Who *wouldn't* want to play as Organization XIII members?

[@EJSmith145]

My problem with Kingdom Hearts recaps is the fact that they tell you everything, but you dont know what it truly means. You dont have time to think about this whole story. But this video? You complete capture the love and charm this game has brought to so many people. It makes so much sense as to why this franchise is so loved now. I've never felt so invested in these silly games before. Thank you!

[@BMask]

Best way I've seen this put yet, and means a lot to hear! Thank you.

[@yemmohater2796]

Remember that "good enough" summary for people who wanted to start the series at KHIII? And all the comments were like "thanks, now I don't need to waste my time every playing the games"

[@EJSmith145]

@@BMask Awww you're welcome!! I love your videos so much! Your Psychonauts video got me into the game and its now my favorite game ever! ♡♡♡

[@ryancarson6962]

E.J.Smith Well to be fair the reason for that is that the story is kinda incomprehensible, I mean I’m pretty sure the creator of the series himself has admitted to writing the series as he goes on and it really shows. Theee are just a lot of moments in this series where the plot is just confusing at best and mind boggling at worst. Trying to understand the mechanics of things like Hearts, the Heartless, Nobodies, Worlds, Replicas and so on will likely give you a migraine. There’s a *reason* why there were Kingdom Hearts recaps made by numerous people, the plot is just impossible to wrap your head around. The whole story can easily be described as a mess with confusing elements, weird dialogue, random things that *might* be important in a future game and retcons, loads of retcons. And I’m speaking as someone who has followed the series for quite some time now.

[@blueserenity7]

Was just thinking about this myself the other day. There were so many videos made before KH3 came out that attempted to recap the series in as little time as possible, and so many comments from people who had never played any of the games, or only 1 and 2, were along the lines of, " Wow this is so dumb and makes no sense." I think those videos do a huge disservice to the series, partly for some of the reasons brought up in this video. KH's plot and characters were never made to be summed up to someone in 20 minutes or less. Rattling off plot points and condensing complicated character development down as much as possible can never be a substitute for experiencing the games firsthand, because so much of this series is something you FEEL. It's in the heartfelt (heh sorry) moments that make up the series and have given us something to return to as adults. When friends of mine who haven't ever played ask me what it's about, I give them something like, "Boy goes to other worlds looking for his friends and meets Disney and Final Fantasy characters", and then I tell them to just play the darn thing. Like, "Trust me, just play it." (Or maybe send them an opening cinematic or two as well, because who wouldn't be a little swayed by that?)

[@Clemps]

Gotta admit, its strange seeing you cover a game that we both unanimously love for the exact same reason. But I'm living for it. Miss you buddy, hope to hang out again soon!

[@BMask]

THANK you for keeping the torch alight, big man! Really glad we can share this, been on the cards for so long

[@trigger2768]

@@BMask Love both of your work, fantastic vids guys. View count is criminally low.

[@void151]

My name is void and I approve this message

[@EpiKerCovers]

Clemps... I love you, man. Whenever I need to brighten my day, you're the address. AND you made me play Three Houses which is fantastic so far! (Even though I chose the Black Eagles)

[@Canadish]

Clemps brought me here last year, glad he did.

[@EionBlue]

So would you say that KH's strengths lie in its... Heart? ... Yeah, I'll let myself out.

[@StevenoftheDead]

Boooo

[@julia-techberg]

It's true though.

[@DrifterXiii-0]

I'm gonna give you a pat on the back for the attempt :3

[@vexteck6412]

No no he's got a point

[@latieraeve]

Watching KH out of context: lol silly emo Disney anime With Context: *Singing while sobbing, tears streaming down your face* "...SIMPLE AND CLEAN AS THE WAY YOUR MAKING ME FEEL TONIGHT! 😭"

[@vergil_6707]

I replayed KH1 twice and I cried at the end both times

[@wassabvinix]

Yep, that's me. A grown ass adult crying over disney characters mumblin about light and darkness shit 10/10 would do it again

[@Ne-ne7qo]

Still silly emo Disney anime even with context But I like it that way

[@FarronMoon]

As far as I can tell, Light represents simplicity. Everything is out in the open and understandable at a glance while Darkness represents complexity that, if unprepared, can wear on you and cause all kinds of problems. Both are necessary to live complete, fulfilled lives and the entire franchise is a window into that process through the eyes of a simple, big hearted boy.

[@AluminumFusion22]

That's it. You literally described the franchise. How did you do that?!

[@iveli_alpaca]

Replying to a near 3 year old comment, but having Light and Dark described this way puts the song "Simple & Clean" into perspective.

[@LowkeyTrickster]

One of the funniest thing about Kingdom Hearts 3 nobody talks about is that Sora is now an accomplice to actual murder. They completely obliterated Beckett's ship while he's on it like in Pirates of the Caribbean 3. But Beckett wasn't a heartless, just a regular dude. Now he's dead.

[@meteornome2556]

Sora has already killed prior to that. In KH2 he kills the cursed pirates that were apart of Barbosa's Crew

[@skulorao4143]

Meteornome He could argue self defence because they raised guns at him

[@FerreTrip]

At the same time, Beckett is an asshole. You also saw how he reacted when Davy Jones killed...uh...Orlando Bloom's character whose name I forget.

[@jondoe7036]

@@FerreTrip Will Turner

[@laststrike4411]

@@skulorao4143 He's had a body count as early as 1.

[@Stormrider881]

The fact that as soon as I hear Roxas' theme I can hear him saying "looks like my summer vacation is..over" and immediately understand the emotion and meaning of that line on both a surface and deeper level I think speaks to exactly the quality of those moments you are referring to. The feeling of something ending, a sense of uncertainty, learning that everything you thought was real isn't. These are the sort of self reflection moments this series, in my opinion excels at. An excellently made video and a pleasure to watch all the way through. Now if you'll excuse me I think I'm going to replay the series.

[@justinarney3050]

Honestly I've loved Kingdom Hearts since the beginning and generally I'm not very confused about most of things this series tires to do. I've been on this wild ride for over 15 years now and I still can't wait for whats next. More lore in mobile games, Rhythm based games, and a 5+ year wait time until KH4, bring it on Nomura.

[@raulrojas9253]

Dude, You have been following the series FROM THE BEGINNING, that's why you understand it. I am the same but i hate everything after BBS.

[@teufelsschnitzel8708]

@@raulrojas9253 Doesn't has do to with being there since beginning. A lot of people who are also there since beginning say they don't understand anything. I played KH2 in 2007/8. I remember that I wa often a little bit confused but I didn't play KH1 and was around 7 xD In 2014 I got recommended the KH 2.5 trailer and finally got back and got both mixes. And it really isn't that hard. Some scenes are a little bit confusing, but that's also because of the connections between all parts which make it so special. And it were a lot of information, obiously. And because the game series often solves 2 mysteries, but asks 3 new questions. Other than that, the game series isn't really that hard to follow. No need to be there since beginning. You just need the whole story.

[@kristopher4557]

You guys get so caught up on understanding the story but it's not any good at all. especially KH3 everything was unbearable and stilted. I'm surprised fans can actually slurp this shit up lmao

[@teufelsschnitzel8708]

@@kristopher4557 Your opinion != Facts != Other opinions

[@DistanTThunder2]

@@kristopher4557 100 percent agree. The whole story is a stretch. You don't really realize it till you have to explain it to people watching you play. Like c'mon, a digital twilight town?!? That's reaching bro.

[@turtleclements7548]

the “its time to leave the theme park” line gave me chills it was so well delivered. your script writing is amazing and i love the way you talk about things

[@heyitsjoshmusic]

This is a great heartfelt and fun summation of why KH works so well! The Disneyland concept really makes sense-even Nomura treats the series as a playground for storytelling, planting seeds of concepts and connecting them in unexpected ways later, creating the joy of a never-ending puzzle.

[@mistergremm735]

Kingdom hearts is the only series I know where ancient middle aged Chinese man can punch anime teenager in the face then he gets assaulted by Donald duck eitherway, STAN KH1

[@theinimitablejora522]

STAN the first one, MAKE SWEET LOVE TO AND MARRY 2, APPRECIATE the added lore from the other games, IGNORE Dream Drop and 3 because I really didn't like what they did in those two, and GET HYPE for where the series is headed next because they're actually setting up plots and characters in proper mysterious fashion, the likes of which we haven't seen since the Deep Dive secret ending of Kingdom Hearts 1.

[@ImortalZeus13]

KH 1 and 2 are the only games in the series don’t @ me.

[@theinimitablejora522]

@@ImortalZeus13 I'm tempted to be with you on that one, ngl

[@luckybeast1234]

I really like the simplicity and mystery of KH1 plot but it's combat system hasn't aged really well.. KH2FM, on the other hand, has the best combat system of the entire series (KH3ReMind being a close second) and the plot, while having some cool moments, it's definitely a downgrade from KH1 plot. Everything after that (except KH3ReMind) is hot garbage in gameplay and story, especially KHDDD

[@mistergremm735]

@@luckybeast1234 1 combat still plays good, it just that doesn't play as good as 2 or later games since it was refined it didn't "age" horriblely, it's the same as before except better games came later

[@hollowman7168]

Wait a minute you seaid you DONT like anime this is the most anime has ever animed

[@robertrivera5569]

24:40

[@BMask]

huehuehuehuehuehuehue

[@lissy_love64]

Its aways thrown me off cause in the Gem video he definitely references Jojo and I suppose its pretty surface level but at the time of the video Jojo wasn't as huge as it is currently outside of japan

[@ImortalZeus13]

Phillip Salvidor Dude Jojo has been huge outside of Japan for a long time, waaaaay before his Gem video came out.

[@lissy_love64]

@@ImortalZeus13 I was under the impression that the Jem video came out a lot earlier than last year

[@HeiSebastian]

this video about how Kingdom Hearts makes us misty-eyed by sheer force of heart made me misty-eyed

[@sofaris576]

"Having Mickey riding Bahamut in to the sun" that was hilarious.

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

I love this series honestly because of how fascinating it’s story and lore is, as well as it’s characters. It’s Easily my favorite cast of characters in a franchise. Sure, it can be convoluted at times. But I also don’t think it’s nearly as confusing as people make it out to be. Definitely ain’t “simple” tho I’ll admit lol. But I legit can’t wait for what the next saga brings to the table. Especially since some characters will more than likely get some much needed time in the spotlight. Such as Kairi, Saix (Isa) & Marluxia (Lauriam).

[@weasley0094]

"Old father time against young peppy chucklebums" is perhaps my favorite description of the main KH conflict.

[@SoraMotto]

I've never heard of a game series that constantly has to keep defending itself over the course of its existence. It's so exhausting. The fact that the series is like 15+ years old with multiple sequels and every once in a while we have to ask "what if kingdumb heart not dumb? What if kingdom heart....good?" is the most tiring argument. At the end of the day, it's just a matter of letting people like what they like. The game has tackled so many different themes that you can literally follow any part of the narrative and have it work.

[@howl5351]

I agree wholeheartedly, it is pretty sad when you take a step back and realize why these videos are made lol.

[@2bitbyte]

"I've never heard of a game series that constantly has to keep defending itself over the course of its existence." Allow me to introduce myself, a Sonic fan ;-;

[@9Godslayer]

Final Fantasy fan here, reporting for duty!

[@CrapMyHat]

The original trilogy (this includes chain of memories) is not something anyone needs to defend, people understand the appeal even if the storytelling isn't the best. The more bad games (in mechanics and story) got stacked on top of the good foundation the more people wondered if the franchise was worth saving.

[@yagokain4189]

@@9Godslayer Final Fantasy only needed "defense" after FF12, which is understandable cuz everything went downhill from that point

[@RamixTheRed]

It's because Tetsuya Nomura is unapologetic in his art and has actual visions and themes in his work that he doesn't compromise on As opposed to like every other franchise nowadays that feels like its run by a million different focus groups

[@finnmarr-heenan2397]

But the writing, premise, dialogue, plot, everything is fucking awful. The music is the only worthy thing to come from kh

[@RealTrachta]

@@finnmarr-heenan2397 who

[@Ne-ne7qo]

@@finnmarr-heenan2397 I think the story of the first game is actually good But in the rest of the franchise is sometimes good... But bullshit most of the time

[@judecaroff6635]

@@finnmarr-heenan2397 did you watch the video?

[@CallsignRogue]

Nomura also ruined Parasite Eve's third game and effectively killed the franchise. Kingdom Hearts is good. That doesn't make Nomura a genius.

[@TheOneTrueOtaku1]

Kingdom Hearts is some of the silliest, over the top, b movie plot, should be schlock, ridiculousness game series I can think of. But damn if it can’t be some of the most sincere, uplifting, tear jerking, heartwarming, mix of contradictions.

[@kristopher4557]

I'd agree for KH1, The game was so earnest and made with love, one of my favourite games ever

[@ggs27]

Thank you, you've explained it perfectly for me. Through this video, I was thinking why I like KH so much, apart from the story and investment. I see why now

[@curegear9650]

And I wouldn't want it any other way!

[@Shoulderpads-mcgee]

I wish his vessels were really treated like vessels, possessed and hollowed out. When Isa showed up in 3D I thought he was stripped of his personality and controlled, given his silence and dead eyes. But in 3, it feels like most of the darkness squad is there by choice and lacking in any influence by Xehanort besides having yellow eyes. Marluxia, Larxene, and Demyx act like they’re there because they have nothing better to do. It weakens what 3D set up

[@FlippySuper]

This was secretly a "Kingdom Hearts III was really good you guys" video, and I'm happy for it

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

It was!

[@MrNickPresley]

It was certainly a lot better than this other video about KH3 I watched. It basically amounted to a whole lot of salt, and snide derision of detractors than "Hey, guys, lemme tell you why I think KH3 was awesome". I disagree with B-Mask here, but I admit that this is a rebuttal done right. I can actually see where he's coming from, at the very least.

[@theheavenlyfb4071]

This really made me rethink the KH Franchise in a positive way, I've always been a fan of KH but to look at it from this perspective was truly enlightening.

[@godawful5600]

THIS IS RIDICULOUS, i was just watching your Sly Cooper retrospective again YESTERDAY and was wondering how you felt about Kingdom Hearts. and here we are. i can’t wait to see what you have to say

[@Jabrils]

Thank you for this video. I was really sad about the legacy of kingdom hearts, but this perspective gives me hope. I will finally give KH3 a shot using this lens while playing. Beautiful breakdown.

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

It’s the best in the series if you ask me. Have fun!

[@PayPayGoneCrayCray]

@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE well some people prefer the classic aspect of the first game or the feeling of the second game like with the combat and I really enjoyed the third game but once the dlc came out, the magic feeling kinda got lost for me

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

PayPayGoneCrayCray Dlc just made the game better to me. How’d it make it lose the magic for you? It’s simply additional content. I like them all though.

[@PayPayGoneCrayCray]

@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE Because of how it's trying to repeat the aspects from KH2FM with the data fights and the fact the story was added on when it should have been done when the game was made the secret boss is okay though

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

PayPayGoneCrayCray I don’t think them repeating the data fights was a bad thing. Those were incredibly fun fights in KH2 after all. It made sense they’d continue it in KH3. Besides, I felt it was a good idea they would do that to give us the chance to have a REAL 1 on 1 fight with the organization. That’s just me tho.

[@rougeblackborn]

Damn you, I want Keyblade-wielding Gilgamesh sooo badly now.

[@local_hotpotato]

Oh oh Ea for a Ultima weapon? Edit : ..... We are talking about different Gilgameshes arent we?

[@SithLordMalco]

If the Masters of Masters really is Adult Sora like a lot of pepole are thinking, that's going to strengthen the themes of the series and Sora even more. If MOM is an Adult Sora who rejected his innocent and fell into darkness then it's going to make his fight against Sora to be really thematic.

[@robitussinbrohan718]

LEGO movie 2

[@giboi03]

The fact that Sora was punished for pushing his shounen op-ness too far just makes this theory hurt more

[@BMask]

Man I'd love that

[@JMandJJ7797]

@@BMask I mean even if it's just Demyx Master of Masters from what I've seen of the clips is just delightfully over the top and hilarious that he would be more of a joy to listen to then Xehanort.

[@ziongamer6905]

It’d be a pretty cool parallel to Ventus and Vanitas for sure too

[@callowguru2611]

Finally, someone who gets it.

[@xblade149]

Yes

[@Crash_2099]

Ye

[@kristopher4557]

Y

[@yes.6892]

-Sey

[@infinityheart_tm9270]

Ness.

[@sidorak26]

Loved the video and did get misty eyed again But bro you have to play 358/2 days again it has a lot more to say and it's a much more grounded character study than any other game in the franchise

[@connie3011]

Yess!! This! I agree on what you said about Days!!

[@nickymaatman7529]

As a day one fan of the series who's played every game several times, I loved this video. You did a great job describing the way these games make me feel and what makes them so great. Thanks for that!

[@ElectricBarrier]

To me, Kingdom Hearts exemplifies what I like about anime and what many people dislike. Well, shounen anime at least. Sure, the plot is stupid and convoluted, the characters are all well-worn archetypes, the dialogue is overwrought, and the character designs are overblown... but if you can get past that, not worry so much about how overly serious it takes the often silly subject matter, and get down to what it's *really* about and what many of these concepts and outlandish designs represent, there's a lot of good there that is really hard to find in other things.

[@Erikthedood]

You just more or less described exactly how I feel about this series and why I love it so much; and why it’s story, characters and world mean so much to me despite the contrivances of its flaws. This was one of the most well constructed essay videos I’ve ever seen about this franchise. Thank you so much for this. You’ve earned a new subscriber and it was totally worth it! Thank you for this great video, I will try to show it to others that don’t understand why people like this series, and see if it makes them give it a shot. Thank you again my friend. From a new subscriber, “May your heart be your guiding key!”

[@kaelmic7476]

For real, nomura writes some charasmatic characters. He just has them do some dumbass shit. Really i think this series has so much missed potential. It makes me really sad to think how much time has been wasted on overexplaining a plot and not character interaction. Kingdom hearts would be godlike if someone drafted nomuras scripts

[@tophfb]

This. No doubt, man.

[@Twilight17Petkoton]

Yeah Nomura is pressuring by Square Enix and Disney on uncomfortable look.

[@sirensong1794]

Like whenever they have the characters actually interact in a casual setting, it's some good shit right there. I wish we had more of that. So much of the series is the characters being divided from each other and I get that, but if we're going to invoke the bond of friendship so much show it to me god damn it! I'm actually pretty excited for the mobile game stuff because of this. New characters with potentially interesting personalities? Yes please.

[@Twilight17Petkoton]

@@sirensong1794 Not really it another cash grab on Disney and Square Enix look at the mobile game how it starting all.

[@Sora2016]

Yeah thats true. I guess I think all the interactions in KH3, for instance, are super freaking good but there wasn't as much as people wanted cuz the plot just kept rolling. I do wish it would give more chance to breath. I guess on the flipside a lot of the Disney worlds really are just there for the characters to banter and hang out with Disney characters, but its only for the main playable cast of that particular game. Still, thats the aspect I see criticized most anymore, that its "filler". But yeah idk, I usually love seeing them chill with different characters. My only issue with Disney worlds is when they try to tell the exact same plot as their movie, cuz like, ive already seen that shit, gimme something new lol.

[@Lonestarz95]

Gotta admit, if it wasn't for Kingdom Hearts, I probably wouldn't have liked Playstation consoles as soon as I thought.

[@StarMechV]

B-mask: I don't like anime Also B-mask:

[@benpage11]

“Sora and Riku have the best story arcs” gonna do the salt ice cream trio dirty aren’t you?

[@Nintendofan4000]

"I wish I could say more about Kairi..." OH her time is comin', dude. Seasoned KH players proved her gameplay style is quite potent and it seems she is the crux that will bring aid to Sora in the next few games. Girl has potential and it looks like Square finally wants to tap into that.

[@togucvinw7]

They taped into that in the means of a rythm game..... there are better ways to do that tho Like they could have given us a phase of gameplay where we got to see Kairi training with Axel in Merlin dimension(wich could have been just the two of theme revisiting dream worlds like Sora did in DDD )

[@SoraKingdom3]

@@togucvinw7 Honestly, I really hope this MoM will serve as an intro for the REAL Kairi game. Like really, I don't think the next game will be KH IV, but I hope it will feature both Kairi and Riku playable in their search for Sora before he comes back as the main protagonist.

[@Dreq458]

we don't even know if she's playable in her own backstory game

[@TheMainAntagonist]

Idk man, Kairi has been getting shit on for a while now, I'm finding it hard to believe square is going to finally give the character something, a rhythm game is all were probably getting for her

[@Caterfree10]

Idk I thought they’d do that after KH3D’s secret ending but I got fooled again. As excited as I am about MOM, I’m also worried that’s all we’re gonna get for Kairi. Homegirl deserves so much better.

[@citizenchris2455]

One might say Kingdom Hearts has a lot of heart to it.

[@synovelle]

I think you explained Xehanort’s mission and what he’s doing at the core of it really well, actually- like, you said it very simply but explained enough of it to make it understandable. Videos like these that explain KH so well and with feeling, using the game’s OSTs, always make me a bit emotion, ngl. On a different note, I love that Castle Oblivion was so darn confusing and maze-like because Aqua made it that way on purpose. She used what was left of her home to made a safe place for Ventus to sleep until she could wake him up. It was so that, if anyone made their way to Castle Oblivion, they wouldn’t be able to find him and hurt him, because it’s such a weird and confusing building. And it worked. Literally no one knew where in Castle Oblivion Ventus’s sleeping form actually lay, except for Aqua. So cool. (Whether Nomura actually planned that big all along from the beginning of making Chain of Memories, I dunno. But it’s a fun way to explain why Chain of Memories hurts my brain.)

[@SUPERPIXELPLANET]

I’m so glad that someone made this! There is no way I could have said this better. When I heard that people didn’t like part 3, I was a little discouraged from beating it, but when I finally did beat it, it became my second or third favorite in the franchise. As a longtime fan, given all of the story elements that still needed to be wrapped up, I couldn’t ask for a much better finale than KH3, I loved it ^__^

[@jackleveille9319]

I was the same way honestly. But now that I've beaten it. I'm honestly going to try to Platinum the base game someday.

[@ggs27]

@@jackleveille9319 Good luck

[@SonicFan2525]

Honestly, i'm glad Kingdom Hearts takes itself so seriously. Its premise is so out there and ridiculous and I love that it never stops to wink at the audience. Its part of what makes it so unique. This is easily one of the best videos i've ever seen on the series. Definitely subscribing!

[@ktownshutdown21]

I think I'm over everything being filtered through the cynical or ironic lense; Sora is the hero of the story BECAUSE he wears his heart on his sleeve, and thus brings out the best of the characters surrounding him. The ones that try so hard to distance themselves from that kind of sincerity to prove how "grown up" they are, well, they end up like Riku and get consumed by the darkness and lose their hearts. That's the basis of plenty of "retain your innocence" stories we've seen in other mediums, so I don't know why folks want to pick on KH as if it's some outlier.

[@sorakekevii]

I’ve seen a lot of Kingdom Hearts videos, but this video, in my opinion, best represents what Kingdom Hearts is, and why people love it so much. This was a really great video

[@notproductiveproductions3504]

Each game’s story but it sounds like a dark fantasy BBS: three young warriors fail to defeat the main villain Xehanort and suffer fates worse than death 1: a guy is going around annihilating worlds and a boy burdened with a powerful sword must join the king’s men on the mission to save the universe Chain of Memories: a mysterious castle robs Sora of his memories with a nefarious group antagonizing him (when they’re not betraying each other) Days: in the short time he’s been alive, a boy connected to Sora experiences and life of pain and anguish including watching his friend become her own person only to die in his arms 2: a devious organization of paradoxical non existence rises and reeks havoc on many worlds and the new main villain Xemnas clearly has ulterior motives that only a select few are in on ReCoded: there’s nothing dark about this one. Skip DDD: Sora and Riku’s exam for mastery is sabotaged when a young version of Xehanort ambushes the testing ground and almost assimilates Sora as a vessel for the main Xehanort. Riku must take action to rescue him from the new organization Fragmentary Passage: Aqua’s gloomy and depressing time in the realm of darkness as she struggles to hold on to the light of her friends 3: Sora must not let Xehanort win the *war* he’s been orchestrating for decades

[@romajimamulo]

This is so interesting to me as a fan of KH, but not of the source media. And, because of that I feel like I enjoy it for such a different reason: The way the plot is simultaneously extremely predictable and not one bit. You always know that your heroes are going to "win" each situation, that the evil at the start will be dealt with. (the one exception to this is Birth By Sleep, but that game makes it pretty clear you're going to lose). What makes it investing for me is "but what goes wrong?". Why isn't everything perfect after this game? And that is what makes it worth it to try to read the hints, to find out what's going on in the background

[@romajimamulo]

@Let Tice I don't think that's going to happen, now. Maybe there could be something like it in the "search for Sora" arc?

[@henriquebarreto4552]

I think "The 100 Acre Wood"(for being the world that people dismiss most) is the world that most represents the themes of growing up in the series where Sora visits it and it's residents at 3 different points with different states of mind. The best example is in KH3 where Sora even feeling that its connection to Pooh and the others is weaker he still wants to hold on to this side of himself cause they are dear to him.

[@BMask]

This is my fault for not completing 100 acre wood in 3 yet. What a wonderful detail.

[@BackPalSA]

I can't lie. I literally just teared up as soon as you put the title screen for KH1 up. I really miss those days I spent, sitting in front of my silver PS2 that my mom had gotten me for a complete surprise birthday gift, along with my own CRT and some decent early '00s speakers. I think that PS2 probably gave me the most happiness of any 'toy' I was bought as a kid. Thank you for this video, and thanks to Square, Disney, and Tetsuya Nomura for a series which can bring me to tears with music and visuals, separate or together.

[@godawful5600]

i’ve watched this video like twice now, and my god i applaud you. you put into much better words what i’ve been thinking about this series being an allegory for childhood / growing up by way of its two properties and their effect on the main characters. while yes i do wish the execution on a dialogue / actual plot level was a bit more consistent, even then this series has its genuinely brilliant moments of writing (mostly early on) and conceptually is actually sick. as you’ve so beautifully illustrated here. well done video as always. also, Sly Cooper, Better Call Saul AND Kingdom Hearts??? get out of my head please.

[@JarJarBinks4ever]

HOL UP The Musketeer movie is in Kingdom Hearts? I guess I really have to play this series to completion after all.

[@jondoe7036]

Yeah, it's one of the worlds in Dream Drop Distance.

[@kristenhicks2993]

i loved that movie as a wee child and i thought it was cool to have in kh, i just find it so unbelievable of all movies, THAT is the one that is drawing you deeper into the series, i've honestly never heard that one. but more power to you, fall deeper into the darkness. darkness within darkness awaits you

[@JarJarBinks4ever]

@@kristenhicks2993 I'd rather have Muskehounds but that's not Disney

[@mikotoh]

yeah, i didnt even realize it was a direct to video movie considering its in kh, but it is

[@kristenhicks2993]

@@mikotoh i swear i saw it on disney channel as a wee child

[@meteornome2556]

The Heartless are perhaps one of my favorite monster enemies in any video game, just the nature of what they are and the fact that there are two versions of them, natural purebloods and artificial emblems variants further cements the ingenuity of them. They also come with a unique origin backstory that's more fleshed out for a monster enemy than what many Final Fantasy games don't even bother with.

[@0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0]

I feel like a bunch of what you say are good points (Xehanort's vessels playing into the old vs young narrative for instance) one has to purposefully not remember details of the plot to accept, because a lot of it doesn't hold up to 2 minutes scrutiny if you actually care about what the game takes time to say to you. That's the problem with KH in a nutshell, it really is a series more about feelings than perfect narrative cohesion, more character than lore. But the fact that it keeps having loads of exposition to explain the newest mindless lore really undermines the mood it tries to establish. Like, the series is really emotional and melodramatic at times, and that's where the seires is at its best moments. But it really sabotages itself when it keeps contradicting lore elements it took 20 minutes to explain just to make a character reveal more impactful. Like, if the story keeps contradicting itself every new game, there's no reason for me to invest into what a heart is, because it's always subject to be rendered moot by the next game. If it's the characters, the FEELINGS that matter, then a bunch of concepts and exposition isn't gonna make the story better, it just slows it down. The things you say in the video, how the series plays with the player's experience, how its world choices and the roles its characters play (I is indisputed in this regard so hard it's not even a friendly competition), are true, and the series is at its best when it uses it well, but to me, the impression is that those moments are few and far between, and separated by long stretches of filler and dumb loredumps that don't make the series better. It always come off as potential the series CAN BE, but always end up falling short for having its head up its ass. Loved the video anyway.

[@traewilson5127]

Agreed, up to a point. Personally, I feel the series' obsession with maintaining a strict internal logic is one of its greatest weaknesses, as it runs directly counter to its greatest strength: the powerful emotional storytelling that is natural to fairy tales. Fairy tale logic is essentially dream logic, and in a dream, there is very rarely a sense of internal logic. Things just...happen, that are reflective of your innermost thoughts. Nothing kills that atmosphere faster than elaborate labyrinthine overexplanation of strange things that happen. Did we REALLY need an answer on how Maleficent came back to life in KHII? I'd argue no, not really. But there's a whole chunk of a whole mobile game dedicated to explaining it. The problem with KH's constant retconning / "work it out as we go along" style storytelling would be far more easily justified with fairy tale logic firmly embraced. Why is Ansem suddenly multiple different people? It's a dream. How is Maleficent alive again? It's a dream, stop asking questions and just roll with it. Why does Riku look like (one of the) Ansem(s)? Dream logic, baby! It's all symbolic, just like with fairy tales. I truly firmly believe Kingdom Hearts would be better off if it firmly embraced the fairy tale / dream logic and just let things...happen. No elaborate explanations or justifications. No needlessly convoluted lore. What's the point of lore, when everything is a dream? Which seems better to you, hypothetical commenter? Option 1: Maleficent came back to life as a symbolic gesture of how darkness is never truly defeated. She knows about the Princesses and the black box because she's an ancient evil fairy, what more do you want? She just...knows. *OR OPTION 2 (takes unnecessary deep breath)* When her heart was unlocked at the end of KH1, she remembered what Master Xehanort told her about time travel, and sent her heart back in the past to rewrite history and gathering the seven princesses. However; the Master of Masters knew she'd do this and created a data replica of Enchanted Dominion to trap her in so she couldn't alter history, even going as far as to leave out Radiant Garden in the real world for good measure so she could never gather the princesses. She is told all this by...I GUESS an anthropomorphic representation of DARKNESS itself? I dunno. Anyway, with the help of this Darkness, Maleficent needs to go *Back To The Future* to her proper time. Along the way she beats up the Somebody version of Marluxia and escapes to the real world of the distant past, where presumably from here she'll learn about the black box before returning to her own time, thereby setting up her knowing of it in KH3. I dunno, I kinda prefer the first choice. Even if the second one is more self-satisfying for Nomura as a writer since it's like an elaborate puzzle box.

[@laststrike4411]

@@traewilson5127 Do you know any games or stories like that? I've really been trying to read up on things like that lately.

[@victorteste5325]

@@traewilson5127 Yeah, I feel like SO MUCH cutscene time could've been cut from the whole series if they just used conceptual excuses and "it just works", instead of trying to explain everything by the letter. It's honestly one of the most distracting aspects of these games on replays and it just really doesn't pay off in KH3

[@victorteste5325]

Agree. I feel like most of my love for the series comes from standalone stories like KH1, Days, and CoM. These are standalone stories that focus more on character and conceptual themes than actual lore and the bigger scope narrative. You don't need to know much lore to get invested in the characters, and their suffering is really emotional. I agree that, yes, conceptually Kingom Hearts is smart, but the execution fails in so many fronts, that it's hard to take its messages and themes seriously (never mind that most side-games have you tolerating the bad gameplay in order to progress the plot). KH3 feels like a major disappointment because it focused so much on lore and sequel-baiting than than on fleshing out (and concluding) these already established characters' arcs.

[@watermelonslime2971]

I've always stood behind kh as a legitimately amazing series but its something very difficult to defend do to both how dumb the concept is and that most people aren't willing to listen beyond "haha thats the one where goofy dies" You really out here doing gods work

[@C_Ranked]

As someone who’s been through a rollercoaster of deciding whether or not I love or hate this series, I’m glad this video put into words why I got into the series since the first game. I hate the dialogue and the constant retcon just to make the plot of the later titles convenient, but the feeling of nostalgia of running through classic Disney movies I loved as a kid, while also sporting the edge of Nomura’s goofy storytelling, combines together to make a really charming story, like you said, about growing up and learning to deal with the shitty parts of growing older. All of it being symbolized by two kids whacking eachother with sticks in a parking lot, it’s beautiful. Anyways I doubt you’ll read this whole ramble but either way, fantastic vid good sir. Keep up the good shit ya stinky fish man ❤️❤️❤️

[@BMask]

I read every comment, and this is a lovely one that I totally agree with, thank you!

[@Sora2016]

See I have mostly embraced the dialogue, its really just KH2 that has the cringiest dialogue imo, it just didn't age well in that regard. Like power of friendship speeches are always hammy, but idk, I feel as the series is going its dialogue is getting more nuanced? Maybe its just me. I was kinda impressed with 0.2 and KH3's dialogue script overall. Like, not the pacing of the latter lol, but the script itself.

[@andrewkos5560]

@@Sora2016 I will say that KH3 does have honest to goodness funny dialogue. The town banter your hear throughout is generally entertaining and the scene where Sully shreds Vanitas's door is legit fantastic.

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

I honestly don’t think there’s as many retcons as you think lol. There’s a couple here and there sure tho.

[@Yujinni0]

@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE its actually wild to see just how many plot lines have been set up in advanced that you only really realise on 2nd playthroughs and or going back and reading journals and what not who knows just how much of the story has already been written in advance and whats been added at this point lol

[@devidance6534]

"Control mickey riding Bahamut into the sun" will stick with me for many years to come. Thank you.

[@vacantsix1586]

20:32 "358/2 days is.... Really bad" Thats some fighting words there

[@TheGrandeNero]

I wonder why I've waited so long before watching this video, especially since your Sly Trilogy retrospective was... phenomenal and struck me (and my childhood) in ways I didn't expect. I cannot express well how much this video struck me too. I'll just link it to anyone who wants to know why KH is beautiful, or why they should board a train that... well, has been on a rocky journey for years, without a clear destination. There are a lot of comments that explains my thoughts way better than I'm doing, but I still wanted to express my appreciation for this video and your works in general. Thanks you!

[@Danielf4044]

This was an absolutely wonderful video B-Mask. Kingdom Hearts has been my favorite series ever since I was a kid. As I've transitioned into adulthood I've felt my fondness for the series change in a way I couldn't place before, but you've articulated it perfectly here. By the end of the video I was crying more than I'd like to admit. Great job man, I cannot wait to see what you have in store next!

[@KingdomHeartsFan-mu9cf]

I love how with KH 1, you show the original’s title screen. Most would just show the 1.5 version and call it a day. I’ve always preferred the og title screen.

[@krazyk5993]

Thank you. People always underrated the franchise because of how big or confusing it is or how other yoytubers talk of it. Im glad someone made a good video properly explaing the games instead of shorting on the bad parts for jokes. It's not perfect but still quality games.

[@Sorarox1000]

This was brilliant. Really highlights the best parts of Kingdom Hearts and how the secret to the many layers that the series has created over the years always returns to simple ideas of friendship and love. Sick video man.

[@screenwatcher949]

This I why I follow you B-Mask, unabashed love for something that may have been overlooked at first!

[@U23Music]

You, you have successfully contextualized a lot of feelings about what make Kingdom Hearts great and why people can't stop caring about it. And you did so without keeping emotional distance between it and you.

[@tyronemccarter1907]

Sora: One who is many. Xehanort: Many who is one

[@koentje8415]

This video embodies why I never laughed at the "Kingdom Hearts is so silly, right guys?" jokes while also adding so much more context I just didn't catch on. Thank you for this, I never imagined I'd love my favorite video games series that much more.

[@kristoferkandle8747]

So funny how I would often listen to your videos in the background while going around in KH2 and completing optional tasks, only to see you make one on this confusing game series itself! Great video man!

[@adsventuresome7511]

Meaningless prose? I disagree. Pretentious and overwritten to be vague? Hell yes

[@kristopher4557]

Lol vague because it's obviously made up as it goes along

[@leonardspecialofficial]

@@kristopher4557 there are details in kh 1 that foreshadows the fortune tellers and the MoM, i think nomura always had an idea of where the story would go but sometimes he messes up the execution. but the phase 2 is going according to plans he said so himself let's hope that the development of phase 2 will be executed more efficiently it seems so for now

[@jayomega2717]

@@leonardspecialofficial No way in hell Nomura thought of the Fortune Tellers or MoM during the first KH.

[@leonardspecialofficial]

@@jayomega2717 yes there are actual details that foreshadowed the fortune tellers and the MOM in the library at hollow bastion not making it up dude nomura is actually really good at foreshadowing why is it hard to accept?

[@BabyGirlTiny]

@@leonardspecialofficial I doubt he had any idea where any of this was going to go, Simply because his games don’t flow into one another for it to make sense. The idea that there was foreshadowing to the four time tellers is a complete stretch, mainly because you can take vague statements from anything and claim that the story was always headed in that direction when it clearly wasn’t

[@trial_with_an_error9687]

“Days is bad” You mean the actual emotional rollercoaster of a boy having his entire world shattered not once but twice and having multiple existential crises because he’s not supposed to exist...is bad? Nigga if you don’t-

[@SixToon]

No matter how many times I hear dearly beloved, it always hits me with the same impactful sorrow. Very great video mate

[@tylercafe1260]

I freaking die laughing everytime Donald and Goofy do anything. Especially their dialogue. "Ain't Sephiroth supposed to be the dark half of Cloud's Heart?" 💀 It's not just that the Organization Members represent classes within the games but also parallel Magic known throughout the FF series Xigbar uses Gravity, Larxene Thunder, Luxord Time, Xaldin Wind, Roxas Holy, and Marluxia being a twist on Cure.

[@Penkeychain]

N-No, I don't have a tear in my eye from the final conclusion to this video...

[@blackbeltgamer98fire-spitt96]

This video brought me to tears. This summed up the ups and downs of the games, celebrating its unique spirit and its history. I would be happy to share this video essay to anyone wanting to know what KH is. This is a game series that introduced me to Square and FF through the manga of KH 1, was an idle thought on rare occasion, a series I fell in love with, a fan base I dove into and now, for the past two years, has been one of my go-to game series to enjoy that but if childhood with Disney characters classic and modern to having that feeling of catharsis and escapism as an adult to play a game where I bonk shadow imps with giant keys alongside Disney characters. ...this series has always, in my heart, been about the Disney silliness, the gameplay and then the story to make you want to keep exploring.

[@KirbyProductions]

Finally, me and Sticksham are now no longer the only ones who know Goofy’s true potential

[@spaceace9103]

You made me interested in the Fantastic 4 now your gonna get me into Kingdom Hearts? YOU'RE TEARING ME APART B-MASK

[@dougantelope5013]

Especially with kh3, I really felt like it was an allegory for growing up, especially when you look back in it. Personally I love kingdom hearts as a franchise, don’t care if some people hate on it. Anyway, great video!

[@xemnasxiii3992]

LOOKIE HERE 358/2 DAYS IS A GOOD GAME AND KINGK EXPLAINS IT VERY WELL In all seriousness tho the game is flawed but I wouldn't say it's bad it's made to make you feel like you're doing this boring day to day job and not to power through long sessions of it which is kinda fitting for the console it released on and kind of a drawback to try and make a summary of it since it's enjoyments comes from the little things that happen in this day to day job

[@lpfan4491]

I actually found it to be a fun checklist of things to do in the game. The bigger issue is that most enemies in the game are just plain shit designwise and one cannot skip certain dialogue in infogather missions.

[@cillbipher2613]

358/2 Days is kinda an example on why Nomura should write the dialogue more. "Roxas, that's a stick." "Why, Roxas? Did you leave the toaster plugged in?" "You kidding? I'd nap six times a day if they'd let me." "Do you always have to stare at me like I just drowned your goldfish?" "No, I made it all up. Go back to bed."

[@ziongamer6905]

@@cillbipher2613 The goldfish one always gets a laugh out of me

[@smashmaster521]

@@ziongamer6905 I'm more of a fan of Xion pointing out the inherent flaw in Roxas using a stick in place of his Keyblade.

[@ziongamer6905]

@@smashmaster521 I loved that entire section as a kid and can’t believe I forgot about the dialogue XD

[@Jw87563]

3:40 I just noticed Barret is firing a [BIG SHOT]. That clip aged like fine [hyperlink blocked].

[@omegacodiex]

Jesus Christ man. Amazing script you wrote for this video. Great voice and editing. Normally don’t watch long videos like this but you gave me an exception.

[@alinebermudez551]

This must be seen by everyone.You've done an amazing job portraying the real kingdom hearts concept, most of his fans don't even see it. Great job

[@BMask]

Thanks so much! Just glad that people are connecting with this, great to see.

[@TheBabbager]

Pretty decent video you got here, my man. Always happy to see someone willing to engage with KH on a deeper thematic level. But I will say there's some sticking points. 1- Dismissing 358 is a bad move since it's both a fan favorite and has some of the strongest character writing in the series. It doesn't specifically do much with the Disney aspect of it which is a valid critique but it's original content has the sense of adolescent discovery and losing people who ground you is at its strongest in the whole series. Prime purple feeling material. 2- The relative glossing over of the other 2 trios is a mistake, I feel. Both of them parallel the main cast and offer their own perspectives and theses on the childhood innocence/ adult disillusionment dichotomy. Ventus has Sora's innocence but instead of a strength his ignorance to the world is played as a weakness and highlights just how bad someone like Sora could easily be manipulated. Axel plays the part of Riku's older cooler shtick but instead of Riku's growth out of angst and pain- represents a slightly older wisdom that is nonetheless still clouded by young adult insecurity. A missed opportunity for more discussion, I feel. 3- I feel as if Ansem's death wasn't regretful like Xemnas's, he seemed more happy to let the new generation thrive and let the future continue as it will. It was a nice bit of foreshadowing towards the ending and implies that there was always a small part of Xehanort that was willing to let go. 4- You belabored the "KH kinda cringe" point more than you should have. For a video that's supposed to be about how it ain't so dumb you should have mitigated as much of that as possible to better illustrate your point. Who really needs to be reminded that the games can have overly heady dialogue? As a joke its beyond stale and as critique it's as old as the series itself. Belaboring the point that everyone already knows is just wasting time and makes you look rather insecure- like you have to separate yourself from the love of the series with enough detachment to not be seen as too into it. That might not be the intention- in fact that was almost certainly not the intention, but that's how it comes across and is the biggest mark against this video. Keep up the good work, always glad to see new videos from you!

[@TheBabbager]

ALSO I'm a dumbass and forgot to mention this- but a lot of what people call retcons or were just slapped on later are totally hinted at in previous games. Xehanort being multiple people or at least split up was hinted as far back as KH1 with Ansem's Heartless emblem. Some of them DEFINITELY are just taking bits and pieces and putting them together- but that's the same for any long running series.

[@lpfan4491]

@@TheBabbager Just because some people are just dumb and cannot accept that xemnas exists because he wasn't referenced until com and the fm version of KH1, that does not mean that there are no retcons. Actually, there are still quite a lot.

[@TheBabbager]

@@lpfan4491 That is literally what the second half of my comment said. "Some of them DEFINITELY are just taking bits and pieces and putting them together-" I even said "A lot" and not "All of them" to begin with.

[@lpfan4491]

@@TheBabbager I misread the comment to think it is specifically about everything regarding the true org being fine. And I could go on an entire worldtour saying why that is not fine. Though rereading it, the heartless emblem has nothing to do with anything. The best implication the series gives regarding that is that he gave it to himself somehow to signify that he is the leader of all heartless.

[@TheBabbager]

@@lpfan4491 Emblem Heartless are specifically heartless created through splitting someone's heart from their body. It's established in the first game, even. It's not really much of a stretch that while conceptualizing they could have been planting the seed of a greater villain who split themselves apart. This isn't much of a stretch, at all.

[@gamkht]

This video was fantastic. As a KH fan myself, you make excellent points I never thought about but definitely ring true with my journey throughout the series. Got me tearing up on some bits haha I also think it's great how you addressed how easy KH has become a target for memes and such, and I get it can be funny as well, but sometimes people forget the focus of the series and how it has many strengths as well. So thank you for this, I loved it!

[@wazzupyuwu]

the thing that's always gotten to me about kh is the sheer amount of earnedty and sincerity behind nearly every frame. every character is likable and the story is so enjoyable so that even when something really dumb is happening, it just sort of slides off your brain as you get swept up in the mayhem of it all. i love this series with all my heart and it means the world to me, and i'm so happy to see such a lovely breakdown of the series. i watched a bunch of your other videos, and they are just as good as this one, genuinely. love your stuff, keep up the good work! 💖

[@chrispat3638]

Thank you for this. My friends don't like these games as much as I do, and I was feeling lost on whether I should still like Kingdom Hearts or not. This clarified things in ways I didn't expect. Kudos, man.

[@Acorn_Anomaly]

Kingdom Hearts is dumb, but it's unreservedly, unapologetically, straightforwardly ITSELF. It knows what it is and revels in it, and it's one hell of a spectacle to see. It's dumb and I love it entirely, even despite the vast amount of criticism I can(and do) level towards it.

[@ktownshutdown21]

That's why I keep coming back to it too. I'm tired of so many other properties acting like they're ashamed of their own existence, and always have to wink at the audience to let them know "we're in on the joke too, you guys." And that's s what is making these live action Disney remakes so exhausting, as if they're apologizing for movies that are going to hold up MUCH more than they are for having the audacity to be sincere. These games would suck if those versions of the movies were here instead.

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

16:30 Roxas theme always siezes my heart whenever I hear it. Someone could totally ruin any activity in my daily life by just blasting 3 seconds of that song from their phone.

[@ElickFlash]

Is this a Kingdom Hearts video by B- Mask? Of course Imma Click it! Thoughts after I watch it. Finally someone else gets why Kh3 is good and the perfect end cap the series, glad it was you B. Still think you didn't give KH Days it's time of day, granted that is a tough pill to swallow even in context, but i view it as more as a highlight of the series, rather then a dark spot. As an avid keyblade warrior (Seriously I still do runs on all the games periodically, they are just that good. Also don't fall in to the KH2FM Randomizer rabbit hole, you will never leave.) It's honestly became my favorite game series of all time. This title once was beholden to Zelda, but with the more recent Zelda's Post Skyward Sword, going in a direction i despires, where it decides to shave down the edges to the point where it's no longer recognizable and refuses to really do anything fresh anymore and tends to go for more mainstream ideas, rather then keeping to it's own wheel house, Kingdom hearts has always tended to keep it's heart through it all. (Pun intended) Which is interesting, the Handheld titles tend to be where a lot of the experimentation in gameplay is, safe aspects of the story where they can try new things to improve the numbered titles, and making every spin off important to the plot (Aside from you Coded, go back in the trash where you belong) It forces a player who is following the series to try out something new in the process of getting that tasty tasty story. And yes, the story and cutscenes taken out of context always seem to be scribblings of a madman, and I shutter to think those who played Kingdom Hearts 3 first and got turned off due to all the madness. It's a series that taken as a whole in full context, (not you Coded) is an experience that is satisfying, and trying to few each piece separately and expecting it to stand on it's own merits will tend to provide dubious results. It's probably why they tend to try and package all the games in one easy to digest package. It's not like other game series. I always bring up the point that it's more like a shonen Anime. No stand alone episodes, each game is an arc in this long running Anime series that you just have to start from episode 1 and play it painstakingly to episode 358/2. Really curious on what is in store for us in the future as well. But still, Kingdom Hearts isn't dumb, it's never been dumb. People who just don't get it, hasn't played them all, and probably never will. It's something you have to experience from start to finish to understand, there is a reason why the fanbase flips out everytime we get a small story update on a fucking mobile game of all things. I don't think any other series can capture our hearts like that honestly ever. Square and Disney made something so unique that you can't get anywhere else, and I'm ready for where ever it leads next. Also, tell me if you also was hyped at the end of Kh3 when Sora was about to face the old man alone, and then showed Donald and Goofy just strolling up to join you. It just felt right.

[@smashmaster521]

Those burns toward Coded were so satisfying. Seriously, that game is easily my least favorite entry in the series of the ones I've played, yet some people think it's an improvement over Days (my favorite Kingdom Hearts entry so far)?

[@jadefire6231]

I haven't played the Zelda games, so I can't comment there, but this comment in regards to KH is extremely accurate, as is the video itself. Which is why I'm not going to reiterate any of it, cause I don't see a point in that. Instead, this is what I'll say: I actually really like Re:Coded, aside from the Eliminators (Re: version exclusive enemy only). The Eliminators can fuck off and go to the Fields of Punishment or something. Me and my anxiety hate them. I'll admit the story doesn't have a lot of meat to it; it feels like it's sorta just there to stop a plot hole. But I do love the gameplay. Re:Coded was one of the first KH games I ever got, alongside Days, and dammit I loved it. Days was actually more annoying for me - I never got that far because some of the challenges on the missions made me wanna tear my hair out. And I HAD to try the completionist challenges because OCD & perfectionism. It was annoying when I couldn't complete one without having to play further into the game to get an ability like high jump (looking at you, stupid purple blobs in Agrabah and other places). I still haven't finished either game, actually, mostly due to me rage quitting as a kid. Like imagine having to look up a guide to find the door in the 2D part of Re:Coded against Maleficent near the end of the game, and then running out of time while being A SECOND AWAY FROM THE DOOR. @_@ I eventually came back and restarted, and... yeah just fuck those Eliminators. Why couldn't the developers have put a limit on how often they can appear? They scare the shit out of me. Also this: "Also don't fall in to the KH2FM Randomizer rabbit hole, you will never leave." Just this. This is a mood. I don't have KH2FM at all, but I have seen people play the randomizer and I have a bunch of highlights from it bookmarked still. XD

[@WillTheGreatest]

Even being a fan and following the franchise since 2 Ive always been rather critical of the story and some elements but damn this really highlighted so many of the good things in this series and how much of the theme Ive really missed. So I gotta say thanks to you for shining a light onto that B- Mask.

[@tombaker3731]

Kingdom Hearts is a series I think I will never truly be able to get into. There's a ton about it that I find very appealing, yet at the same time there's so many creative choices I just do not like and am not willing to endure. It makes me wonder how others are able to get into it, and I'm usually not satisfied with the answers I get. This video is different though, I think you really did a good job at selling me on what these games have that I don't see. I still don't think I'll actually become a "fan" of the series at any point, but after this video I can at least say I am happy for what this series does provide to its fans.

[@BMask]

Honestly, that's exactly the kind of answer i'd hope to hear! Thank you.

[@benpage11]

I still love 356/2 days for its story. Literally the only redeeming quality

[@Marco_Onyxheart]

I don't understand this series whatsoever. But I love the hell out of it.

[@jgn]

don't forget about how the remind dlc genuinely has some of the best boss designs in years

[@faidou9954]

As someone who's only played Kingdom Hearts: CoM and 358/2 days, I think it's time I got back into Kingdom Hearts, to see what I've been missing out on.

[@BurningBaboon]

Great video. This series holds such a special place in my heart

[@philgaimz9847]

Wow, this video had a surprising number of hot KH takes in it. Love this series, and loved the video!

[@clayotic7029]

I've been playing Kingdom hearts since I was four with CoM and then KH2 when I was like 5 or 6. I've gone through phases of loving the series unabashedly, loving it ironically, and frowning on my time with it. I remember I played KH3 on release day after picking up a deluxe copy from Wal-Mart when I was still in college. My roommate drove me because my car battery was recently found out to be dead, and he knew how much it meant to me; he even let me play it on his PlayStation since mine wasn't in our dorm. I'm so glad someone put actual thoughts to words more so than I ever could. Excellent video man.

[@casym5921]

36:14 - And that's the key here to KH's enduring strength as something people get kinda misty eyed over. Me: *Had already been misty eyed for the last 5 minutes just watching the video*

[@kenmindraws7988]

tHIS IS AN AMAZING VIDEO ESSAY! GREAT JOB! :^D I first got into Kingdom Hearts when I saw the trailer for the 3rd game floating around in my KZbin recommendations lol. I was initially sooooo confused when I found out it was Disney/Final Fantasy, but I watched gameplay of the first game and even played my first KH game, Birth by Sleep, for myself. I had so much fun playing that game, and I had so much fun getting involved in the series and eventually playing KH3. This weird franchise has deeply touched my heart (he he ha ha) and I can only imagine what that feeling must be like for those who worked on this franchise and for those who took a liking to it since the beginning...

[@justinarney3050]

I glad I'm not the only one who compares KH3's sailing the seas in a pirate ship to Sly 3

[@TalysAlankil]

Beautifully made essay. I've been saying for a long time that we need to let go of the narrative that KH is dumb and that it's embarrassing to like it that is rampant throughout the fandom. Just one thing I'm bound to criticize at 25:30 : how did anyone miss the FF job connection, when each of the Organization members is associated with a regular Nobody named after that job? I need to know. also, gotta love the caption (Laughs in darkness) lmao

[@genyakozlov1316]

Well... This is the first time I've heard of that.

[@lunasperidot8760]

I don't care much for final fantasy. That's how I missed it

[@Powerman293]

Most people don't catch the nobody enemy type corresponding to certain Org members at all.