Things I forgot about until I played Kingdom Hearts again

Sora is random.

Tidus looks so cute as a kid ^_^

Goofy goes through potions like water.

Dodge Roll is your best friend.

Sora can't jump very high in the beginning.

All the different trinity marks!

The post cards in Traverse Town.

One of my favorite places in Kingdom Hearts is the Lady and the Tramp fountain ^_^

The good mushroom heartless ^_^

The Gummi Launch site was featured in Disney Town in Birth by Sleep

The weird faucet in the bizarre room in Wonderland

The barrel trials at Olympus Colosseum >_<

Cerberus is the first really difficult boss fight -_-

You don't get warp drive until way later in the game :(

From the Gummi Ship Space kind of looks like the inside of Monstro o_0

The fairy godmother from Cinderella is in this game!

The slide of Hollow Bastion.

The first key blade you can get is Jungle King from Deep Jungle

Clayton's creepy expressions.

The pretty underground cave in Traverse Town.

All the Ansem Reports!

The moving rocks in front of Merlin's cottage.

The spooky bell in Traverse Town.

When fighting heartless in high places, it is very easy to fall off the tree, building or random platform.

I am not looking forward to winning the Hades cup again.

The road to dawn

In Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, Riku is forced to deal with the darkness inside him, as Ansem demands to control him through darkness. Throughout the game, Riku is asked the same questions: "Will you go toward light? Or will you give in to the darkness?"

One of Riku's best lines in the whole game, in my opinion, is in Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance, where he is once again questioned about light and darkness. He made this decision when Diz stood at the crossroads and told Riku to choose between light and darkness. Riku came up with his own answer, and learned to accept both light and darkness. His choice is more than a choice of magic. Riku chose to accept the past and look toward the future. He has decided to use what he has in order to get to where he wants to be. His quote is a powerful statement that confirms he is in balance and he won't be pressured by darkness anymore. Riku's quote is both powerful and hopeful. His decision is brave and his alone. 

Thinking of you, wherever you are

If you love Kingdom Hearts . . .

This video will make you smile :)

Heartsong of the week: Book of Days by Enya

I picture myself at a crossroads, and the episode from Avatar the Last Airbender called "The Crossroads of Destiny." comes to mind. This crossroads has more than four paths, in fact it's all over the place. I know I have to pick a path, but I'm terrified that I'll regret my choice.
This fear is apparently part of the quarterlife crisis, where you feel every decision you make will have huge consequences in the future (good or bad). This song puts me there, and describes everything going through my head.

FF 30 day challenge day 9: Favorite cheerful girl

Yuffie

I've only seen her in Kingdom Hearts and the Final Fantasy Advent Children movie, but she wasn't as annoying as Rikku or Vanille. While she works with Leon in Kingdom Hearts, I enjoyed the contrast between her personality and his. She was bubbly and friendly while Leon was stand offish and awkward. She also had a few fun lines in the Advent Children movie that lightened the moment. Compared to Rikku and Vanille, Yuffie knew when to stop being annoying and she would actually be serious for a while.

Writing Prompt 47: What is your meaning of life?

42. Just kidding.

I find that a quote from Fruits Basket answers this question. Although in my opinion, living is the meaning of life. It's the great roller coaster, the ups and downs. Making mistakes, taking falls, but getting back up anyway. Appreciating what you have, and doing what you can. Believing in yourself. Growing and changing. Learning and teaching. So many elements come together during life. Change, loss, happiness, memories, moments you'll never replace. People you can't replace. Everyone has different reasons that they pursue their dreams, and they can only find that reason through the process of living.


 "We're all searching for a meaning to our lives. Everyone. We have to. Because ... no matter who you are ... I don't think anyone's born knowing the reason they're alive. It's just something you have to find as you go along. And it's different for everyone. There are as many reasons to live as there are people in the world. Maybe even more. So the reason for you being born, the reason you were put here in the world, I think it's something we have to find for ourselves. So we search within our hopes and dreams, our work, the people in our lives, in everything we do. And even if the reason you find is hazy or unclear, even if it's so tiny that you can hardly see it, the important thing is, is that you always have one. As long as I'm alive, that's what I want--to have a reason to go on. And you know, you can always find one, if you know where to look. The people in my life give me a reason for living ... I wanna live my life for the people that I care about. And someday, I hope I find someone who wants to live their life for me. So even when things are tough and it's hard to go on, it makes me want to try harder. Because, I'm not just living for me. I'm living for them, too."
~Tohru
          Fruits Basket

Kingdom Hearts Challenge Day 30: What Kingdom Hearts means to you

Kingdom Hearts is one of the first games I got for Play Station 2. I actually started the series by playing Chain of Memories, and even without understanding what was going on, the game was fascinating to me. There are so many conflicts: Dark vs Light, Brain vs Heart, Courage vs Fear. It's a complex story that goes deeper into the meaning and reason for emotions. What does a heart mean? Is the brain always in conflict with the heart? And so on.
Kingdom Hearts means a lot to me. Not just because it is an amazing story, but it takes you through Disney worlds and brings back childhood memories while introducing characters that you know from other Final Fantasy games. The main characters are very well created, with realistic inner conflicts and responses to philosophical tests and questions. Sora is a character who focuses on the heart, always there for others when they need him. Riku is a character of the mind, focusing on plans and questioning the world. Kairi is a mix between the two. She is a character of support and hope, always there when Sora and Riku need her. Roxas is an interesting character, curious, pensive and also brave. Namine is quiet but clever, finding ways out of the trap she's in and rescuing others from nonexistence.
The story that started it all, Birth by Sleep was a tragedy between three wanderers. Aqua, the responsible, brave and loyal keyblade master. Terra, the rebellious and brave warrior. Ventus the incomplete but kind and curious drifter. When Terra falls to darkness, the tone of the game changes. This is different than when Riku fell to darkness, allowing Maleficent to teach him how to be evil. Terra makes an active decision, even after witnessing what darkness does, and betrays his master, Erauqs, and his friends. Ventus's story is the opposite, he must confront darkness and subdue it with light. Ventus faces Vanitus, his shadow and fights to regain control of his body. Aqua must face the rift and mend it, using what strength she has left after battling Terra and protecting Ventus. All three wanderers were separated and lost the ultimate battle to darkness.
Each Kingdom Hearts story is a clever allegory about the human condition. Roxas asks the very common, "Who am I?" and "What is my purpose?". Sora looks for hope, wherever he can find it, even with his world destroyed and friends scattered. Ventus must battle his shadow, common in the hero's quest and many other stories.
Kingdom Hearts is a powerful collection of epic and human stories. It is the infinite battle of Good versus Evil, and the human condition of purpose and meaning. It is a philosophical story disguised as an epic journey, involving the characters from childhood memories and the warriors of Final Fantasy stories today. It's a story that means a lot to me, and with each new game, I discover something new about fears and dreams.

Kingdom Hearts Challenge: Day 29: Least Favorite Voice

Jack Sparrow

It wasn't Johnny Depp's voice, but the voice actor did imitate it.

Kingdom Hearts Challenge Day 28: Favorite Voice

Roxas/ Jesse McCartney


I really can't imagine Roxas or Ventus with any other voice. It suits both characters and has become a signature to define the exact opposite of Sora. Roxas is calm and Ventus is curious, both of these characters are voiced very well, and their voice actor is the same person, but these characters do not sound the same.

Kingdom Hearts Challenge Day 27: Favorite fan art

Shattered Mirror by mandi-chan

http://mandi-chan.deviantart.com/art/Shattered-Mirror-57443731

Does this fanart need words? It's just amazing!

Kingdom Hearts Day 26: Favorite Official Art

I love how epic this picture is. Roxas and Sora look like true heroes.

I love how elegant and detailed this stained glass is.

Kingdom Hearts Challenge Day 25: Favorite system to play Kingdom Hearts on

Don't have one.


I enjoy all the games on their different consoles and with all their different game play. Each game is another epic story and another adventure to learn from.

picture by GeekTruth64

Kingdom Hearts Challenge Day 24: Favorite Keyblade

Oathkeeper

This keyblade has a story behind it, and symbolizes the promise Sora and Kairi made to return to eachother. This keyblade was also given to Sora the same time Roxas was created (Which is why Roxas also weilds this keyblade)

Divine Rose

This keyblade also has a story behind it, and symbolizes Beast's love and devotion for Belle when he follows her to Maleficent's castle in Hollow Bastion. It forms random rose petals that fall whenever the keyblade is swung.  

Kingdom Hearts Challenge Day 23: The scene that made you the saddest

When Xion died.

This was sad for many reasons. One, that Xion never considered herself an actual person and only Roxas believed she was a character of her own. Two, Xion dies from an unstoppable fate and once she discovers who or what she is, she pushes everyone away. Three, Roxas is the only one who believed Xion is a person of her own, but in the end, he is the person who must defeat her. Four, Roxas forgets all that happened, including Xion, and it is never clear if he ever regains those memories.

Kingdom Hearts Day 22: The scene that made you happiest

When Sora returns home in Kingdom Hearts II. That moment was not only a resolution for all the characters, but a breath of fresh air that promised new beginnings and a sanctuary after all they had been through. Of course my favorite part of that moment is when we see Roxas and Namine again, as proof they really do get to exist despite being nobodies. But I also love when Mickey, Donald and Goofy visit their world and they have a cheerful reunion. The ending song is nice and peaceful, while the credits role to show what became of the Disney characters. (Belle and the Prince Dancing).

Kingdom Hearts Challenge Day 21: Organization member you would get rid of

Xaldin

Not only was his boss fight really annoying, he was one of the rudest co-workers that Roxas had to deal with in 368/2 days. His real character Dilan was never very friendly in Birth by Sleep either.

Belle won this fight more than I could.

Kingdom Hearts Challenge Day 20: Character you would cosplay as

Fairy Yuna from Kingdom Hearts II.
The outfit is really cute and looks simple to make. I love the wings on the ponytail and the cute zigzag pattern of the shirt and skirt.

Kingdom Hearts Challenge Day 19: A picture of a Kingdom Hearts cosplay

I've seen many really well done cosplay pictures. I don't really have a favorite Kingdom Hearts, but I can pick a few I like. Most of the cosplay pictures I do like capture the characters' personalities and compliment them in pose and style. I feel like cosplay is an underappreciated art that requires acting, modeling and photography all at once. All of these are RokuNami.

http://browse.deviantart.com/photography/?order=9&q=Roxas+Namine&offset=432#/d5m99ha

http://swucosplay.tumblr.com/post/3165084051/namine-and-roxas-kigdom-hearts-ii

http://orgxiii-namine.deviantart.com/art/Namine-and-Roxas-II-99417134

Kingdom Hearts Day 18: Favorite pairing

RokuNami- Roxas and Namine

I know that they don't have a lot of scenes in the original story, but their personalities compliment each other. Namine is quiet and wise, but she is also daring. Roxas is curious and brave, but he is also clever. He faces many risks in order to look for adventure. I love their stories. Namine becoming a hero to save Sora, Donald and Goofy and Roxas discovering his purpose and breaking away from the evil plot of the Organization to save his friend Xion. Both Roxas and Namine were told that they were mistakes who didn't belong, but both of them were determined to be somebody, and they become important to each other.