Kiryn Liveblogs the KH 2.5 Re:coded Movie; Part 1 [First Trip Through the Worlds]
First of all, EXPECT SPOILERS EVEN BEYOND THIS FIRST SENTENCE. Got that? Okay, onwards.
I have no idea how many posts this is going to end up taking (maybe 3? As I think the game is split into 3 sections, Sora's first trip through the Disney worlds, Riku's datascape, then all the stuff in Castle Oblivion), but I've watched that movie through 3 times now, and I have tons of comments on it, and this is the most organized way I can think of talking about it all: through a liveblog. So, here I am, about to embark upon watching this for a fourth time, and transcribing my explosion of feels here in the following post(s) for all the world to see. Hell, I may even end up posting a link for these LJ pages to my tumblr, but we'll see.
Anyway. Here's a brief backstory about my relationship to this game, and what to expect beyond the cut, which is when the liveblog will begin.
So. Back when Re:coded became available for international audiences, I bought it and played it. I know that a lot of people had very negative reactions to it, but I personally loved it for a variety of reasons. Sure, the Disney worlds aren't brand new, but I think there was a new enough story there to make it interesting to me, plus I had tons of feels explosions for Namine, SoNami, SoRiku, Maleficent, Data Sora in general, the best relationship between Sora, Donald, and Goofy yet in the series, and then all the stuff that went down in the Castle Oblivion portion of the game did me in, and made my Roxas, AkuRokuShi, and AkuRoku fangirl heart die, and then die a further death when Terra, Aqua, and Ven were shown. I also rather enjoyed the interactions that Sora had in the Disney worlds, with Alice in particular.
Sure, there were some things that annoyed me (like the inexplicable lack of Kairi in this game, WHAT THE FUCK YOU GUYS, SQUARE, STOP DOING THIS TO HER DAMN IT, SHE NEEDS M O R E SCREEN TIME, GIVE IT TO HER ALREADY; also at least Data Riku had an excuse to not be on Destiny Islands, but they never even bothered to try to explain Kairi's absence, and excepting the opening and ending, she was only brought up once for Data Riku to use to make a point to Data Sora, and as you might be able to tell, this rather infuriates me. Excuse my ranting, but seriously, it's like they only ever want Kairi around sometimes to shove SoKai into my face, but then they maddeningly seem to not care about her otherwise, or even to properly develop the SoKai relationship in the first place, and it's like, I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT, SQUARE, BUT YOU JUST WON'T, AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY. I honestly would not have the problems that I do with SoKai as a romantic relationship if they would just give her the proper development that she deserves already, damn them. >.>), but for the most part, I loved the game. As far as the gameplay itself, I thought it took advantage of the unique platforming opportunities that the premise of the game offered, and for the most part, I don't mind the gameplay at all. (I've even been replaying it recently, and it's a lot of fun, especially now that I've figured out how the Stat Matrix really works XD)
The first time I saw the Re:coded movie on the 2.5 Remix, I was absolutely blown away. The added content, the way they handled the battling and the Disney worlds....you could tell that they took what worked from the Days movie, and then completely improved on all of the drawbacks, and the end result is stunning. Sure, there are a couple of lines that I missed from the game (like Data Sora's glorious, "Riku, shut up," line; I seriously died forever XD XD XD But I do understand why this line in particular was cut, even if I do love it, because it didn't fit with the tone they ended up going for in the movie, which I loved a lot, so whatever), but for the most part, I love this movie to pieces, and it's made me love the game all the more too.
So now, I'm gonna be watching this movie for a 4th time, and recording my impressions of it here. Obviously, this isn't going to be like my KH3D liveblogging that I did, as I already know what to expect from this movie, but the format and such will probably be similar.
So then. Onwards we go! As a word of warning though, apart from spoilers (of which there will be plenty), beyond the cut is going to contain copious amounts of squee and crying for the following: the characters of Namine/Data Namine, Data Sora, Roxas/Data Roxas, Maleficent, and probably others; the friendship between Sora, Donald, and Goofy (I am not even kidding when I say that this is my favorite game for highlighting their bond XD); and for the ships of Sora/Namine, Sora/Riku, Axel/Roxas/Xion, and a tiny bit of Roxas/Axel. I know that there are some people who frequent my LJ who have problems with some of those pairings in particular, at least the romantic interpretation, but...well, I'm not sorry, but I DO like those listed pairings as romance (well. I'm mostly talking about SoRiku here, as AkuRokuShi is still mostly platonic for me, but hey, I just love their relationship so much that, so long as it's celebrating that bond, I don't care if it's romantic or not, I just...love them all being together with each other, and I don't really care how XD), so I'm not going to censor my genuine reactions in that regard. So....be warned, because I do ship queer pairings, and I won't really appreciate any bashing or queerphobia in the comments. :)
Okay? We're all clear and cool and understand? Alright, if you still wish to, NOW you may proceed. XP
- Seeing as this game opens with this SOUL CRUSHING SoNami scene from Re:CoM, and being as huge of a SoNami shipper as I am, and so thirsty for more interaction between them in the series, upon watching this whole thing opening like this, then and now, I knew that I would love this game and never be able to hate it. XD
- seriously, ALL MY FEELS FOR THIS DAMN SHIP, SO HELP ME GOD NOMURA, YOU CLEARLY REMEMBER THIS EMOTIONAL PAYOFF YOU PROMISED TO THE AUDIENCE, SO YOU HAD BETTER DELIVER IT TO ME AT LAST IN KH3, OR ELSE I. WILL. BE. SO. FUCKING. MAD. >:(
- I think hearing Namine's voice immediately when the game started when I played it for the first time nearly gave me a heart attack, and then I started crying when I realized what scene this was (I'm tearing up now as I type this), because the game we got before this (in internal chronology, anyway...I'm talking about KH2, fyi XD) had seemed to almost completely gloss over Namine and SoNami (and instead was apparently focused on shoving RokuNami down my throat >.>), and so to have them here unexpectedly was....overwhelming. XD Anyway.
- "Goodbye." / "No, not goobye! When I wake up, I'll find you. And then there will be no lies. We're gonna be friends for real. Promise me, Namine." And then it shows them pinky-swearing, and I SERIOUSLY CANNOT DEAL WITH THIS SCENE DAMN IT ALL. SORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, OH HOW I FUCKING WISH YOU COULD FIND NAMINE AND BE FRIENDS AND MAYBE MORE (M A K E THIS H A P P E N NOMURA, YOU'RE KILLING ME HERE). I just...dipping back into Re:CoM, just before this, Namine was convinced that Sora choosing to get his old memories back meant that she wasn't truly important to him despite everything, and that he was rejecting her and didn't want her to be a part of his life anymore, but then with the above words he just turned all of those assumptions on their head, and shows her that that's not what he means to do at all, that he's not just going to let her fade into the shadows of his heart, that he DOES want to see her again and for her to be a part of his life, that just because he cares about all of his other friends and wants them back, it doesn't mean that he doesn't want her any less, and I just....I CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN'T. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
- Also, I love this opening theme, and those flashes of Terra, Ven, and Aqua ARE NOT OKAY ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
- Also also, I find the way those flashes of Terra, Ven, and Aqua are arranged, with the scenes from KH1, to be very interesting. Like, Terra's Lingering Will is shown just before a scene showing Riku falling into Darkness, with Sora trying desperately to reach out for him, Ven's body is shown sitting in Castle Oblivion, and then Kairi's heart disappearing into Sora's body is shown, then Aqua crying on that beach in the Realm of Darkness, and then Sora getting blasted off into the Darkness swallowing Destiny Islands. It's...very cleverly done, how those scenes all fit together, showing the parallels between the characters (Terra fell into Darkness despite a friend's best attempts to reach him, Ven's heart is sheltered inside of Sora like Kairi's was, and Aqua ended up swallowed by the Darkness).
- I also think it's clever, the way those pixels start off smaller and more unobtrusive, but then, as it goes on towards the scenes with Castle Oblivion, they get bigger and start dominating the screen more until you can barely make out the scenes themselves, and then the screen becomes clear again during the KH2 flashes; it's very much invokes the feel of how Sora's memories of KH1 were messed with, then how he can't remember CoM, but then his memories of KH2 are perfectly fine. It's just a nice touch.
- Those flashes of AkuRokuShi from Days are also NOT OKAY ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
- Neither is that flash of Axel dying :((((( THANKS SO MUCH GAME, FOR REMINDING ME OF ALL THE TRAGEDY THIS SERIES HAS BESTOWED UPON ME.
- I really love the way they have Kairi flash into Namine...and not even in just this opening, but KH3D's too, I think? It's just...a nice effect. And helps establish how important Namine is in the series, but how it's not in a way that most people recognize. And seeing as she's the last thing you see in this opening, it also establishes that she's going to be important in this game (in case if the way they opened the game with that SoNami scene, and reminding the audience of their promises, wasn't enough to give you that hint XD). And....I just really, really love Namine. ;A;
- I also like that Jiminy plays a more important role in this game, as he hadn't really gotten much chance to shine in the series, except for Re:CoM, really.
- also....Jiminy, are you SURE that you've put all the lost hearts back where they belong? Really really sure?
- it's honestly such a good thing that Namine ends up meddling so much, because otherwise, these people would never get anywhere. I mean, if Namine hadn't found Ven's heart and memories inside of Sora's heart, who knows when or if anyone else would have?
- "But...who exactly is this "Namine"?" Someone awesome, that's who, and someone who YOU NEED TO THANK FOR ALL THAT SHE DID FOR YOU. ;;;
- The emphasis when Mickey says, "A mysterious message" just...doesn't sound right to me, no matter how many times I watch this XD
- "And you know I never once let the journal out of my sight." Well....I mean, there was that time when you were asleep for a whole year, Jiminy, so uh...I think that counts. XD XD XD
- "I don't know when anybody woulda had a chance to..." Again, there was probably ample opportunity WHEN YOU WERE ASLEEP FOR A WHOLE YEAR, WHICH YOU DID IN FACT FIND OUT ABOUT IN KH2. ...Just sayin' :P
- "All the other pages are completely blank." ...Except for that note that says "Thank Namine"...blank except for that....
- The only thing that could make Goofy's idea on how to repair the data even better is if he had mentioned Tron. XD
- I kind of miss the exchange that Mickey and Jiminy exchange in the game at this point, where Mickey starts reciting the message, and Jiminy's like, "No, that can't be right!", and Mickey's all confused and like, "No, I'm pretty sure that's what it said, Jiminy", but Jiminy just talking about Data Roxas being on the screen with Data Sora. XD
- Speaking of, hi there, Data Roxas! Thanks for all the heartbreak you're going to be giving me later on! ;;;;;
- I really, really love that they actually show Sora fighting battles in this movie. :D It works way better than the awkward fade outs in the Days movie.
- I think the reason that I love Data Sora so much, and why I love this version of Sora best, is that he has all of the best qualities of Sora, and yet, Data Sora actually works better as a stand in for the player/audience, because he questions things, and points out the inherent absurdity in the events (I think the game version of this convo between him and Mickey is my favorite, where he's all, "I guess that makes sense...wait, no it doesn't, this doesn't make any sense!", but I also like his lines here in the movie: "So, we've never met before, but you know who I am, and we're friends, is that it? ....I don't understand." I think it's the way that Haley delivers that last bit that sells it XD), but because he's Sora, he still goes along with it anyway. Idk...I guess Data Sora's reactions just feels more real to me? (Which is rather ironic, all things considered....)
- About Mickey being there to guide Data Sora: lol, in other words, please let this sink in for you faster than it did for Riku. XP (I mean, that's basically what Mickey spent his entire time in Reverse/Rebirth doing, trying to hammer it into Riku's head that he was not alone...)
- And even though the majority of the worlds also get cut and condensed down into text boxes, like in Days, I do like that they're narrated this time. That's a nice touch as well.
- *points at the drawing on the wall of the Secret Place, the one that Sora and Kairi were shown drawing of each other in KH1* oh look, that's the most evidence you'll get of Kairi actually existing on the Islands in this game. >.> (Nice attention to detail, though.)
- And here we see Data Riku(/Jiminy's Journal) doing his best Billy Zane impression. XD (I loved Billy Zane's more simple performance, so I really do appreciate DR/JJ's VA is trying to aim for that as well. ^^)
- Mickey: Sora, what do you see? & Did he say anything to ya? Me: Uh....can't you see everything that DS sees, guys? What, were you just not paying attention??
- I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE TIMING OF THIS SCENE WITH RIKU AND XEHANORT'S HEARTLESS. Like...I thought that Riku was gone from the Islands already by this point? Didn't he get swept off before Sora did, and never even saw the Islands destroyed like that until Zexion showed him the consequences of his actions in Re:CoM?? So....????
- Logically, though, there SHOULD be a data version of every person that Jiminy catalogued into this journal, so...I would say that the answer to that question, Goofy, would be, "yes". Speaking of Pluto, though...HAS he come back to Disney Castle? He just sort of...pops up into some scenes, and then disappears, and is hardly referenced again. :/
- I find it interesting that most of the Keyholes are in different places here than they actually were in KH1. I wonder if it's possible that DR/JJ sort of...hacked the Keyhole into appearing elsewhere?
- "It's another new entry!" *shows the previous message* Me: *sighs* No...no, it's really not. I have no idea why they kept these lines, they've never made sense. And if y'all had to keep them, then....couldn't you have just actually had added a new message?
- So, no, Mickey, a new message does NOT get added every time you repair a world in the journal, and that the writers/creators of this movie didn't take the opportunity to fix this continuity error...well, bugs me. XP (lol, get it? 'cause they're fighting bugs in the journal? eh? XD)
- ...Well, at least they TRIED to explain what happened to Pluto...even if they really didn't explain enough. XD Like, so now we know how he got out of Traverse Town. But...who opened that portal? How did Pluto get to Castle Oblivion? How did he get onto Destiny Islands? Where did he go after Namine freed Kairi from her cell in TWTNW? HAS HE COME BACK TO DISNEY CASTLE YET? HOW DID HE GET A NOTE FROM KING MICKEY AT THE END OF KH1? WHY DIDN'T HE GIVE IT TO THEM? HOW DID THEY END UP LOSING HIM? WHAT DID THAT NOTE SAY? ANSWERS, I NEEDS THEM! So...one plot hole answered, and a bunch more that still need filling. :/
- "I hate to say this, but we're trapped." Gee, it's too bad that we don't have SOMEBODY HERE, who can wield a REAL KEYBLADE, which can OPEN ANY LOCK. >.>
- (Like, seriously, Mickey? Srsly???)
- (See, didn't I say that these people would totally be hopeless without help? *sighs*)
- ....So, could Heartless potentially be attacking data versions of Queen Minnie and Daisy?? Would it even kill them or turn them into Heartless, since they'd just be data? Okay, I'm gonna stop over-thinking this now. XD
- I kinda like the line that Sora had in the game at this point, where, upon contemplating always getting blasted off into the unknown and new worlds again, he says something along the lines of, "Well, I always did want to travel and see new worlds!" Idk, it's like a callback to the Sora we got to see in KH1 on Destiny Islands. Continuity, I love it a lot! XD
- I really loved Sora's interactions with Alice in the game, so I REALLY REALLY LOVE that so much time was devoted to their scenes in the movie too. ^^ Also, the VA for Alice does a very good job.
- Which is kind of funny, because I HATE Alice in the Disney movie (and...the movie in general DX), but I love her here with Sora...idk, I think it's because she actually shows genuine care and concern for him, and a little later, she's unwilling to abandon him to danger, and it's...nice. I like that she really does seem to appreciate him and what he does for her. So, just this once, Alice, I don't hate you. XD
- Also, it mildly amuses me that fake versions of Wonderland always seem to have a problem with memories. Like, there was an emphasis on memories in all of the worlds in Castle Oblivion, but Wonderland got slammed with a very similar memory problem that it had then, and now it's here in Re:coded too. So...heh. XD
- "True memories", eh, DR/JJ? And just when I was thinking about Re:CoM, too. XD XD XD
- "It wasn't our fault! It was the bugs!" / "So, that's how you did it, is that it? You, and an army of insects!" Lol, I really like this exchange. XD
- Again, Alice's concern for Sora, and how unwilling she was to leave him in danger alone, is adorable. <3
- God damn it, NO, IT'S NOT A NEW MESSAGE, IT'S THE SAME ONE YET AGAIN! *headdesk*
- And now, we see DR/JJ continuing on with his Billy Zane impression. "This world has been connected" indeed. XP
- Lucky for you guys that DR/JJ was polite enough to hold open the portal long enough for DS to jump in after him, and that he'd decided it was time to reveal himself anyway XD
- ...Uh, I don't think Chip and Dale are big enough to bang on the door like that, Goofy. :P
- As far as Data Riku being chosen as the vessel to protect the journal's data, and "shield them from corruption", this actually makes a ton of sense in light of KH3D, where it's stated that Riku can no longer be corrupted by the Darkness. I guess Namine knew that, and that's why she picked Riku, so...good choice, Namine. ^^
- LOL OMG, DATA SORA LOOKS ALMOST LIKE HE'S FALLING ASLEEP IN THE BACKGROUND WHEN DATA RIKU IS EXPLAINING SHIT TO MICKEY AND COMPANY, THIS IS SO HILARIOUS TO ME, POOR KID, HE'S SO CONFUSED AND CAN'T FOLLOW THIS CONVERSATION AT ALL XD XD XD
- "Sora, that's another one we owe ya!" / "Who says we're keeping score? We're all friends, right?" OKAY SORA, I FORGIVE YOU FOR FALLING ASLEEP DURING RIKU'S SUPER IMPORTANT LECTURE, I LOVE YOU, KID. <3
- THAT LITTLE SMILE ON RIKU'S FACE AT THAT LAST DECLARATION FROM SORA, THAT EXPRESSION THAT SAYS, "YEAH, THAT'S THE SORA I KNOW AND LOVE, ALRIGHT", SOMEONE SLAY ME NOW ;;;;;;
- I just noticed that this KH1/Re:coded!Cloud also has Vincent's gauntlet, in addition to Vincent's cape. Huh. Seriously, Cloud, did you rob Vincent of all his clothes? (Maybe that's the real reason that Vincent hasn't appeared in the KH series: he has no clothes, because Cloud stole them. :P)
- What we do get of the fight between Hercules and Cloud is actually really, really well done. ^^
- ...I still don't get why Cloud has the Buster sword wrapped in bandages. :/
- "My name's Cloud. No friend of heroes." As much as I'm frustrated with the way Cloud is usually treated in the KH series, this line is still really sad for me, because I love Cloud a lot in the FFVII Compilation, and....my bby needs a hug. :( (It's also very ironic, of course. XD)
- You know, I just remembered, that in KH1, Cloud said that he was "looking for someone", apparently in the Olympus Coliseum, and that Hades promised to help. At the end of KH1, it's implied that he meant Aerith, and KH2 also offers up the possiblity that it was Tifa, though to me, it seems less likely that it was her, as Tifa is looking for HIM, and Cloud is apparently running away from her. Given BBS, though...now I wonder if Cloud meant that he was looking for ZACK in Olympus, as that was the world Zack was apparently last seen in, given what the ending of BBS implies between Zack and Sephiroth....hmm. And who better to help you search for someone you believe is dead, than the Lord of the Dead himself? Idk, but it's interesting to think about. XD
- "Hey, what did we ever do to you?" Oh, Sora, you dear thing, you. XD
- Wanting to keep this as his fight or not, I do like that, in the game, Hercules points out to Cloud that, even though he doesn't believe himself to be a hero, his first instinct is to protect others. ;;;
- "Oh, please. This stopped being about you ages ago." And thus, Hades summarizes the main problem with the way Cloud is treated in the KH series. XD (Nomura keeps making Cloud out (and Sephiroth, too) as being more important than he is or should be, but then Nomura shoots himself in the foot by not devoting any time to developing the epicness that he keeps hinting at...so, in the end, we get flashes of this titantic story, but without any emotional weight to it, as it's so very far removed from Sora's story. We get shown that this grandeur exists, but Nomura never fully gives it to us. And so, this is why Cloud feels so out of place to me in KH...if only he was just dialed back down to being on the same level importance as Leon and the others, and I wouldn't have such a problem with this. Hell, Auron's an even better example at hinting at his backstory from X, but also not having him take over Sora's story. So why the writers have such a hard time integrating Cloud (and Seph) when they do just fine with the other FF characters, continues to baffle me. Anyway, okay, tangent over. XD)
- "So long, Spike. Go find a bucket, and kick it." Hades does amuse me so very much. I think it's the stellar voice acting from James Woods, as always. XP
- "Nice guy." I think I like KH2!Sora's reaction to Maleficent better ("What a hag." I would have died if he'd said something similar about Hades, but I guess that KH1/Re:coded!Sora is still more understatedly sassy and sarcastic than as blunt as he later becomes. XD)
- "What's his problem?" / "I guess he's just another victim of Hades's schemes." / "That doesn't explain why his attitude stinks." SORA. I'M DYING HERE. XD XD XD
- I gotta say, though, Hercules is SO TALL compared to Sora. XD
- I do wish the movie showed us more of Sora, Hercules, and Cloud teaming up. :/
- Hercules is also taller than Cloud, too. XD
- It's a little disconcerting, that PETE is apparently a competent hacker. o.O
- At least Data Sora is being smarter about utilizing the Genie's powers than anyone else in the series has managed. :/
- Is it me, or does the Genie seem very nervous about Sora being unsatisfied with his...performance, for lack of a better word? I don't think I remember him as being nervous about what his "Masters" thought of him in the movie, and Aladdin had to trick a freebie out of the Genie. Hmm.
- "We know that [Pete] didn't have access to this device, so that must prove there's another way for somebody to get inside the datascape." Well, I know Pete got in the same way they did, but as for Maleficent and her getting inside differently...Jiminy, she's just awesome like that. :3
- MALEFICENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS <333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333
- "Must you always be so exasperating, my dear child?" MY DEAR CHILD. DEAR CHILD. DEAR. AWWWW, MALEFICENT, I KNOW DEEP DOWN, YOU DO LIKE SORA AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT. I mean, Data Sora doesn't know you or the team ups the two of you had in KH2, BUT YOU REMEMBER, AND I REMEMBER, AND I LOVE THIS. <333333333
- Ahhhh, I do love her in this game. <33333333333 Also, judging by her lines, at least Maleficent knew that what she just destroyed wasn't a real keyblade, so at least she's not really boastful about that. And her actions here are what result in some of my favorite parts of this game/movie, so...I'm really grateful to her for facilitating that? XP
- I love that it's Riku who asks if Sora is okay. :3
- Riku, I know that you probably couldn't stop yourself from going to Sora's rescue, but, uh....maybe you should have remembered how important you are now?
- Though, given the relationship that Riku and Maleficent had in KH1, I suppose it is appropriate that she take control of Data Riku in a similar way. I mean, when you think about it, she kind of "corrupted" him then too, but psychologically, and not as...directly, as happens to Data Riku here.
- ....For real, though, Mickey, there was...an awful lot of time just then when you could have made at least an attempt to save Riku. :/
- "Riku! He's gone..." Soraaaaaaaaaa, the look on your face hurts me. :(
Okay! So, that's Part 1 done, then! I'll post this and continue to record my liveblogging in additional posts!
I have no idea how many posts this is going to end up taking (maybe 3? As I think the game is split into 3 sections, Sora's first trip through the Disney worlds, Riku's datascape, then all the stuff in Castle Oblivion), but I've watched that movie through 3 times now, and I have tons of comments on it, and this is the most organized way I can think of talking about it all: through a liveblog. So, here I am, about to embark upon watching this for a fourth time, and transcribing my explosion of feels here in the following post(s) for all the world to see. Hell, I may even end up posting a link for these LJ pages to my tumblr, but we'll see.
Anyway. Here's a brief backstory about my relationship to this game, and what to expect beyond the cut, which is when the liveblog will begin.
So. Back when Re:coded became available for international audiences, I bought it and played it. I know that a lot of people had very negative reactions to it, but I personally loved it for a variety of reasons. Sure, the Disney worlds aren't brand new, but I think there was a new enough story there to make it interesting to me, plus I had tons of feels explosions for Namine, SoNami, SoRiku, Maleficent, Data Sora in general, the best relationship between Sora, Donald, and Goofy yet in the series, and then all the stuff that went down in the Castle Oblivion portion of the game did me in, and made my Roxas, AkuRokuShi, and AkuRoku fangirl heart die, and then die a further death when Terra, Aqua, and Ven were shown. I also rather enjoyed the interactions that Sora had in the Disney worlds, with Alice in particular.
Sure, there were some things that annoyed me (like the inexplicable lack of Kairi in this game, WHAT THE FUCK YOU GUYS, SQUARE, STOP DOING THIS TO HER DAMN IT, SHE NEEDS M O R E SCREEN TIME, GIVE IT TO HER ALREADY; also at least Data Riku had an excuse to not be on Destiny Islands, but they never even bothered to try to explain Kairi's absence, and excepting the opening and ending, she was only brought up once for Data Riku to use to make a point to Data Sora, and as you might be able to tell, this rather infuriates me. Excuse my ranting, but seriously, it's like they only ever want Kairi around sometimes to shove SoKai into my face, but then they maddeningly seem to not care about her otherwise, or even to properly develop the SoKai relationship in the first place, and it's like, I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT, SQUARE, BUT YOU JUST WON'T, AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY. I honestly would not have the problems that I do with SoKai as a romantic relationship if they would just give her the proper development that she deserves already, damn them. >.>), but for the most part, I loved the game. As far as the gameplay itself, I thought it took advantage of the unique platforming opportunities that the premise of the game offered, and for the most part, I don't mind the gameplay at all. (I've even been replaying it recently, and it's a lot of fun, especially now that I've figured out how the Stat Matrix really works XD)
The first time I saw the Re:coded movie on the 2.5 Remix, I was absolutely blown away. The added content, the way they handled the battling and the Disney worlds....you could tell that they took what worked from the Days movie, and then completely improved on all of the drawbacks, and the end result is stunning. Sure, there are a couple of lines that I missed from the game (like Data Sora's glorious, "Riku, shut up," line; I seriously died forever XD XD XD But I do understand why this line in particular was cut, even if I do love it, because it didn't fit with the tone they ended up going for in the movie, which I loved a lot, so whatever), but for the most part, I love this movie to pieces, and it's made me love the game all the more too.
So now, I'm gonna be watching this movie for a 4th time, and recording my impressions of it here. Obviously, this isn't going to be like my KH3D liveblogging that I did, as I already know what to expect from this movie, but the format and such will probably be similar.
So then. Onwards we go! As a word of warning though, apart from spoilers (of which there will be plenty), beyond the cut is going to contain copious amounts of squee and crying for the following: the characters of Namine/Data Namine, Data Sora, Roxas/Data Roxas, Maleficent, and probably others; the friendship between Sora, Donald, and Goofy (I am not even kidding when I say that this is my favorite game for highlighting their bond XD); and for the ships of Sora/Namine, Sora/Riku, Axel/Roxas/Xion, and a tiny bit of Roxas/Axel. I know that there are some people who frequent my LJ who have problems with some of those pairings in particular, at least the romantic interpretation, but...well, I'm not sorry, but I DO like those listed pairings as romance (well. I'm mostly talking about SoRiku here, as AkuRokuShi is still mostly platonic for me, but hey, I just love their relationship so much that, so long as it's celebrating that bond, I don't care if it's romantic or not, I just...love them all being together with each other, and I don't really care how XD), so I'm not going to censor my genuine reactions in that regard. So....be warned, because I do ship queer pairings, and I won't really appreciate any bashing or queerphobia in the comments. :)
Okay? We're all clear and cool and understand? Alright, if you still wish to, NOW you may proceed. XP
- Seeing as this game opens with this SOUL CRUSHING SoNami scene from Re:CoM, and being as huge of a SoNami shipper as I am, and so thirsty for more interaction between them in the series, upon watching this whole thing opening like this, then and now, I knew that I would love this game and never be able to hate it. XD
- seriously, ALL MY FEELS FOR THIS DAMN SHIP, SO HELP ME GOD NOMURA, YOU CLEARLY REMEMBER THIS EMOTIONAL PAYOFF YOU PROMISED TO THE AUDIENCE, SO YOU HAD BETTER DELIVER IT TO ME AT LAST IN KH3, OR ELSE I. WILL. BE. SO. FUCKING. MAD. >:(
- I think hearing Namine's voice immediately when the game started when I played it for the first time nearly gave me a heart attack, and then I started crying when I realized what scene this was (I'm tearing up now as I type this), because the game we got before this (in internal chronology, anyway...I'm talking about KH2, fyi XD) had seemed to almost completely gloss over Namine and SoNami (and instead was apparently focused on shoving RokuNami down my throat >.>), and so to have them here unexpectedly was....overwhelming. XD Anyway.
- "Goodbye." / "No, not goobye! When I wake up, I'll find you. And then there will be no lies. We're gonna be friends for real. Promise me, Namine." And then it shows them pinky-swearing, and I SERIOUSLY CANNOT DEAL WITH THIS SCENE DAMN IT ALL. SORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, OH HOW I FUCKING WISH YOU COULD FIND NAMINE AND BE FRIENDS AND MAYBE MORE (M A K E THIS H A P P E N NOMURA, YOU'RE KILLING ME HERE). I just...dipping back into Re:CoM, just before this, Namine was convinced that Sora choosing to get his old memories back meant that she wasn't truly important to him despite everything, and that he was rejecting her and didn't want her to be a part of his life anymore, but then with the above words he just turned all of those assumptions on their head, and shows her that that's not what he means to do at all, that he's not just going to let her fade into the shadows of his heart, that he DOES want to see her again and for her to be a part of his life, that just because he cares about all of his other friends and wants them back, it doesn't mean that he doesn't want her any less, and I just....I CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN'T. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
- Also, I love this opening theme, and those flashes of Terra, Ven, and Aqua ARE NOT OKAY ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
- Also also, I find the way those flashes of Terra, Ven, and Aqua are arranged, with the scenes from KH1, to be very interesting. Like, Terra's Lingering Will is shown just before a scene showing Riku falling into Darkness, with Sora trying desperately to reach out for him, Ven's body is shown sitting in Castle Oblivion, and then Kairi's heart disappearing into Sora's body is shown, then Aqua crying on that beach in the Realm of Darkness, and then Sora getting blasted off into the Darkness swallowing Destiny Islands. It's...very cleverly done, how those scenes all fit together, showing the parallels between the characters (Terra fell into Darkness despite a friend's best attempts to reach him, Ven's heart is sheltered inside of Sora like Kairi's was, and Aqua ended up swallowed by the Darkness).
- I also think it's clever, the way those pixels start off smaller and more unobtrusive, but then, as it goes on towards the scenes with Castle Oblivion, they get bigger and start dominating the screen more until you can barely make out the scenes themselves, and then the screen becomes clear again during the KH2 flashes; it's very much invokes the feel of how Sora's memories of KH1 were messed with, then how he can't remember CoM, but then his memories of KH2 are perfectly fine. It's just a nice touch.
- Those flashes of AkuRokuShi from Days are also NOT OKAY ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
- Neither is that flash of Axel dying :((((( THANKS SO MUCH GAME, FOR REMINDING ME OF ALL THE TRAGEDY THIS SERIES HAS BESTOWED UPON ME.
- I really love the way they have Kairi flash into Namine...and not even in just this opening, but KH3D's too, I think? It's just...a nice effect. And helps establish how important Namine is in the series, but how it's not in a way that most people recognize. And seeing as she's the last thing you see in this opening, it also establishes that she's going to be important in this game (in case if the way they opened the game with that SoNami scene, and reminding the audience of their promises, wasn't enough to give you that hint XD). And....I just really, really love Namine. ;A;
- I also like that Jiminy plays a more important role in this game, as he hadn't really gotten much chance to shine in the series, except for Re:CoM, really.
- also....Jiminy, are you SURE that you've put all the lost hearts back where they belong? Really really sure?
- it's honestly such a good thing that Namine ends up meddling so much, because otherwise, these people would never get anywhere. I mean, if Namine hadn't found Ven's heart and memories inside of Sora's heart, who knows when or if anyone else would have?
- "But...who exactly is this "Namine"?" Someone awesome, that's who, and someone who YOU NEED TO THANK FOR ALL THAT SHE DID FOR YOU. ;;;
- The emphasis when Mickey says, "A mysterious message" just...doesn't sound right to me, no matter how many times I watch this XD
- "And you know I never once let the journal out of my sight." Well....I mean, there was that time when you were asleep for a whole year, Jiminy, so uh...I think that counts. XD XD XD
- "I don't know when anybody woulda had a chance to..." Again, there was probably ample opportunity WHEN YOU WERE ASLEEP FOR A WHOLE YEAR, WHICH YOU DID IN FACT FIND OUT ABOUT IN KH2. ...Just sayin' :P
- "All the other pages are completely blank." ...Except for that note that says "Thank Namine"...blank except for that....
- The only thing that could make Goofy's idea on how to repair the data even better is if he had mentioned Tron. XD
- I kind of miss the exchange that Mickey and Jiminy exchange in the game at this point, where Mickey starts reciting the message, and Jiminy's like, "No, that can't be right!", and Mickey's all confused and like, "No, I'm pretty sure that's what it said, Jiminy", but Jiminy just talking about Data Roxas being on the screen with Data Sora. XD
- Speaking of, hi there, Data Roxas! Thanks for all the heartbreak you're going to be giving me later on! ;;;;;
- I really, really love that they actually show Sora fighting battles in this movie. :D It works way better than the awkward fade outs in the Days movie.
- I think the reason that I love Data Sora so much, and why I love this version of Sora best, is that he has all of the best qualities of Sora, and yet, Data Sora actually works better as a stand in for the player/audience, because he questions things, and points out the inherent absurdity in the events (I think the game version of this convo between him and Mickey is my favorite, where he's all, "I guess that makes sense...wait, no it doesn't, this doesn't make any sense!", but I also like his lines here in the movie: "So, we've never met before, but you know who I am, and we're friends, is that it? ....I don't understand." I think it's the way that Haley delivers that last bit that sells it XD), but because he's Sora, he still goes along with it anyway. Idk...I guess Data Sora's reactions just feels more real to me? (Which is rather ironic, all things considered....)
- About Mickey being there to guide Data Sora: lol, in other words, please let this sink in for you faster than it did for Riku. XP (I mean, that's basically what Mickey spent his entire time in Reverse/Rebirth doing, trying to hammer it into Riku's head that he was not alone...)
- And even though the majority of the worlds also get cut and condensed down into text boxes, like in Days, I do like that they're narrated this time. That's a nice touch as well.
- *points at the drawing on the wall of the Secret Place, the one that Sora and Kairi were shown drawing of each other in KH1* oh look, that's the most evidence you'll get of Kairi actually existing on the Islands in this game. >.> (Nice attention to detail, though.)
- And here we see Data Riku(/Jiminy's Journal) doing his best Billy Zane impression. XD (I loved Billy Zane's more simple performance, so I really do appreciate DR/JJ's VA is trying to aim for that as well. ^^)
- Mickey: Sora, what do you see? & Did he say anything to ya? Me: Uh....can't you see everything that DS sees, guys? What, were you just not paying attention??
- I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE TIMING OF THIS SCENE WITH RIKU AND XEHANORT'S HEARTLESS. Like...I thought that Riku was gone from the Islands already by this point? Didn't he get swept off before Sora did, and never even saw the Islands destroyed like that until Zexion showed him the consequences of his actions in Re:CoM?? So....????
- Logically, though, there SHOULD be a data version of every person that Jiminy catalogued into this journal, so...I would say that the answer to that question, Goofy, would be, "yes". Speaking of Pluto, though...HAS he come back to Disney Castle? He just sort of...pops up into some scenes, and then disappears, and is hardly referenced again. :/
- I find it interesting that most of the Keyholes are in different places here than they actually were in KH1. I wonder if it's possible that DR/JJ sort of...hacked the Keyhole into appearing elsewhere?
- "It's another new entry!" *shows the previous message* Me: *sighs* No...no, it's really not. I have no idea why they kept these lines, they've never made sense. And if y'all had to keep them, then....couldn't you have just actually had added a new message?
- So, no, Mickey, a new message does NOT get added every time you repair a world in the journal, and that the writers/creators of this movie didn't take the opportunity to fix this continuity error...well, bugs me. XP (lol, get it? 'cause they're fighting bugs in the journal? eh? XD)
- ...Well, at least they TRIED to explain what happened to Pluto...even if they really didn't explain enough. XD Like, so now we know how he got out of Traverse Town. But...who opened that portal? How did Pluto get to Castle Oblivion? How did he get onto Destiny Islands? Where did he go after Namine freed Kairi from her cell in TWTNW? HAS HE COME BACK TO DISNEY CASTLE YET? HOW DID HE GET A NOTE FROM KING MICKEY AT THE END OF KH1? WHY DIDN'T HE GIVE IT TO THEM? HOW DID THEY END UP LOSING HIM? WHAT DID THAT NOTE SAY? ANSWERS, I NEEDS THEM! So...one plot hole answered, and a bunch more that still need filling. :/
- "I hate to say this, but we're trapped." Gee, it's too bad that we don't have SOMEBODY HERE, who can wield a REAL KEYBLADE, which can OPEN ANY LOCK. >.>
- (Like, seriously, Mickey? Srsly???)
- (See, didn't I say that these people would totally be hopeless without help? *sighs*)
- ....So, could Heartless potentially be attacking data versions of Queen Minnie and Daisy?? Would it even kill them or turn them into Heartless, since they'd just be data? Okay, I'm gonna stop over-thinking this now. XD
- I kinda like the line that Sora had in the game at this point, where, upon contemplating always getting blasted off into the unknown and new worlds again, he says something along the lines of, "Well, I always did want to travel and see new worlds!" Idk, it's like a callback to the Sora we got to see in KH1 on Destiny Islands. Continuity, I love it a lot! XD
- I really loved Sora's interactions with Alice in the game, so I REALLY REALLY LOVE that so much time was devoted to their scenes in the movie too. ^^ Also, the VA for Alice does a very good job.
- Which is kind of funny, because I HATE Alice in the Disney movie (and...the movie in general DX), but I love her here with Sora...idk, I think it's because she actually shows genuine care and concern for him, and a little later, she's unwilling to abandon him to danger, and it's...nice. I like that she really does seem to appreciate him and what he does for her. So, just this once, Alice, I don't hate you. XD
- Also, it mildly amuses me that fake versions of Wonderland always seem to have a problem with memories. Like, there was an emphasis on memories in all of the worlds in Castle Oblivion, but Wonderland got slammed with a very similar memory problem that it had then, and now it's here in Re:coded too. So...heh. XD
- "True memories", eh, DR/JJ? And just when I was thinking about Re:CoM, too. XD XD XD
- "It wasn't our fault! It was the bugs!" / "So, that's how you did it, is that it? You, and an army of insects!" Lol, I really like this exchange. XD
- Again, Alice's concern for Sora, and how unwilling she was to leave him in danger alone, is adorable. <3
- God damn it, NO, IT'S NOT A NEW MESSAGE, IT'S THE SAME ONE YET AGAIN! *headdesk*
- And now, we see DR/JJ continuing on with his Billy Zane impression. "This world has been connected" indeed. XP
- Lucky for you guys that DR/JJ was polite enough to hold open the portal long enough for DS to jump in after him, and that he'd decided it was time to reveal himself anyway XD
- ...Uh, I don't think Chip and Dale are big enough to bang on the door like that, Goofy. :P
- As far as Data Riku being chosen as the vessel to protect the journal's data, and "shield them from corruption", this actually makes a ton of sense in light of KH3D, where it's stated that Riku can no longer be corrupted by the Darkness. I guess Namine knew that, and that's why she picked Riku, so...good choice, Namine. ^^
- LOL OMG, DATA SORA LOOKS ALMOST LIKE HE'S FALLING ASLEEP IN THE BACKGROUND WHEN DATA RIKU IS EXPLAINING SHIT TO MICKEY AND COMPANY, THIS IS SO HILARIOUS TO ME, POOR KID, HE'S SO CONFUSED AND CAN'T FOLLOW THIS CONVERSATION AT ALL XD XD XD
- "Sora, that's another one we owe ya!" / "Who says we're keeping score? We're all friends, right?" OKAY SORA, I FORGIVE YOU FOR FALLING ASLEEP DURING RIKU'S SUPER IMPORTANT LECTURE, I LOVE YOU, KID. <3
- THAT LITTLE SMILE ON RIKU'S FACE AT THAT LAST DECLARATION FROM SORA, THAT EXPRESSION THAT SAYS, "YEAH, THAT'S THE SORA I KNOW AND LOVE, ALRIGHT", SOMEONE SLAY ME NOW ;;;;;;
- I just noticed that this KH1/Re:coded!Cloud also has Vincent's gauntlet, in addition to Vincent's cape. Huh. Seriously, Cloud, did you rob Vincent of all his clothes? (Maybe that's the real reason that Vincent hasn't appeared in the KH series: he has no clothes, because Cloud stole them. :P)
- What we do get of the fight between Hercules and Cloud is actually really, really well done. ^^
- ...I still don't get why Cloud has the Buster sword wrapped in bandages. :/
- "My name's Cloud. No friend of heroes." As much as I'm frustrated with the way Cloud is usually treated in the KH series, this line is still really sad for me, because I love Cloud a lot in the FFVII Compilation, and....my bby needs a hug. :( (It's also very ironic, of course. XD)
- You know, I just remembered, that in KH1, Cloud said that he was "looking for someone", apparently in the Olympus Coliseum, and that Hades promised to help. At the end of KH1, it's implied that he meant Aerith, and KH2 also offers up the possiblity that it was Tifa, though to me, it seems less likely that it was her, as Tifa is looking for HIM, and Cloud is apparently running away from her. Given BBS, though...now I wonder if Cloud meant that he was looking for ZACK in Olympus, as that was the world Zack was apparently last seen in, given what the ending of BBS implies between Zack and Sephiroth....hmm. And who better to help you search for someone you believe is dead, than the Lord of the Dead himself? Idk, but it's interesting to think about. XD
- "Hey, what did we ever do to you?" Oh, Sora, you dear thing, you. XD
- Wanting to keep this as his fight or not, I do like that, in the game, Hercules points out to Cloud that, even though he doesn't believe himself to be a hero, his first instinct is to protect others. ;;;
- "Oh, please. This stopped being about you ages ago." And thus, Hades summarizes the main problem with the way Cloud is treated in the KH series. XD (Nomura keeps making Cloud out (and Sephiroth, too) as being more important than he is or should be, but then Nomura shoots himself in the foot by not devoting any time to developing the epicness that he keeps hinting at...so, in the end, we get flashes of this titantic story, but without any emotional weight to it, as it's so very far removed from Sora's story. We get shown that this grandeur exists, but Nomura never fully gives it to us. And so, this is why Cloud feels so out of place to me in KH...if only he was just dialed back down to being on the same level importance as Leon and the others, and I wouldn't have such a problem with this. Hell, Auron's an even better example at hinting at his backstory from X, but also not having him take over Sora's story. So why the writers have such a hard time integrating Cloud (and Seph) when they do just fine with the other FF characters, continues to baffle me. Anyway, okay, tangent over. XD)
- "So long, Spike. Go find a bucket, and kick it." Hades does amuse me so very much. I think it's the stellar voice acting from James Woods, as always. XP
- "Nice guy." I think I like KH2!Sora's reaction to Maleficent better ("What a hag." I would have died if he'd said something similar about Hades, but I guess that KH1/Re:coded!Sora is still more understatedly sassy and sarcastic than as blunt as he later becomes. XD)
- "What's his problem?" / "I guess he's just another victim of Hades's schemes." / "That doesn't explain why his attitude stinks." SORA. I'M DYING HERE. XD XD XD
- I gotta say, though, Hercules is SO TALL compared to Sora. XD
- I do wish the movie showed us more of Sora, Hercules, and Cloud teaming up. :/
- Hercules is also taller than Cloud, too. XD
- It's a little disconcerting, that PETE is apparently a competent hacker. o.O
- At least Data Sora is being smarter about utilizing the Genie's powers than anyone else in the series has managed. :/
- Is it me, or does the Genie seem very nervous about Sora being unsatisfied with his...performance, for lack of a better word? I don't think I remember him as being nervous about what his "Masters" thought of him in the movie, and Aladdin had to trick a freebie out of the Genie. Hmm.
- "We know that [Pete] didn't have access to this device, so that must prove there's another way for somebody to get inside the datascape." Well, I know Pete got in the same way they did, but as for Maleficent and her getting inside differently...Jiminy, she's just awesome like that. :3
- MALEFICENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS <333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333
- "Must you always be so exasperating, my dear child?" MY DEAR CHILD. DEAR CHILD. DEAR. AWWWW, MALEFICENT, I KNOW DEEP DOWN, YOU DO LIKE SORA AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT. I mean, Data Sora doesn't know you or the team ups the two of you had in KH2, BUT YOU REMEMBER, AND I REMEMBER, AND I LOVE THIS. <333333333
- Ahhhh, I do love her in this game. <33333333333 Also, judging by her lines, at least Maleficent knew that what she just destroyed wasn't a real keyblade, so at least she's not really boastful about that. And her actions here are what result in some of my favorite parts of this game/movie, so...I'm really grateful to her for facilitating that? XP
- I love that it's Riku who asks if Sora is okay. :3
- Riku, I know that you probably couldn't stop yourself from going to Sora's rescue, but, uh....maybe you should have remembered how important you are now?
- Though, given the relationship that Riku and Maleficent had in KH1, I suppose it is appropriate that she take control of Data Riku in a similar way. I mean, when you think about it, she kind of "corrupted" him then too, but psychologically, and not as...directly, as happens to Data Riku here.
- ....For real, though, Mickey, there was...an awful lot of time just then when you could have made at least an attempt to save Riku. :/
- "Riku! He's gone..." Soraaaaaaaaaa, the look on your face hurts me. :(
Okay! So, that's Part 1 done, then! I'll post this and continue to record my liveblogging in additional posts!