On Character development, plot-holes and crossovers.
Hello there!
I've just finished KH2. I loved the game (kicking and slicing buildings FTW!), but its plot left me wondering about some aspects which are rarely touched in most fanfics (or at least the ones in FF.net, though I admit I haven't surfed the KH section too much).
I've read both in this community and in
fanficrants several rants about how little love is there for Donald and Goofy. Many fics just ignore them and there are others than even replace them (without further explanation than "they're boring". Of course, I'm not talking about the stories that replace them because it is a plot point).
After playing KH2, I've reached the conclusion that maybe these characters are ignored because there's also little love for them in the game. I mean, in KH there were several scenes that showed some kind of character development for Donald and Goofy: There's the fight between Sora and Donald and the moment in which Donald and Goofy "betray" Sora to join Riku, because the King had asked them to stay with the Keyblade Master (and then how they chose their friendship with Sora instead of their duty). And in the final fight, I don't know if that happened to you, but I thought one of the aspects that made that battle awesome was the fact that you loose Donald and Goofy and then you "rescue" them. It was an emotional twist, at least IMO.
But KH2 is another story. I feel that Donald and Goofy were mostly ignored in this game, despite being in your team the whole time. I can only remember the Hollow Bastion scenes as ones that showed a little bit of character development for them. Not even in Disney Castle! Where's the backstory for these guys? How do they feel after being away from home for almost two years? What about their families? Their loved ones?. They are even ignored in the final scenes :(.
Anyway, that's why I believe that most people ignore them, because apparently there's little to "play with" in these characters. But you know what? I think that's what make them interesting to write! We all know their personalities, but there's so much we can write about them. I remember reading an awesome drabble that featured Max (Goofy's son) and how he felt about his father being away.
So to make this short: If the game didn't develop characters such as Donald and Goofy, make this the reason to write about them! The possibilities are endless! ^^
Besides Donald and Goofy, there are other two aspects that I didn't see developed in the games and that'd make awesome plots, IMO.
1. What happened to the "Thank Naminé" side-story? They only mentioned it at the beginning and then Sora completely forgot about it.
2. I've already read awesome stories about the main character's families (like this one that takes place after KH2), but what about Sora or Riku's feelings about their families during the games. I mean, I think they both knew that their world was destroyed during KH. Were they ever homesick? Guilty? (I know Riku felt guilty, but what about Sora?) What were they parents thinking during the time they were absent? What happened when the Destiny Islands were restored? How was it when Sora's family suddenly remembered him?
I'm sorry... I think I've babbled to much. What I mean with this rant is that the best part of plot-hole filled fandoms like KH is that they offer many interesting plot-bunnies. Don't be afraid to tackle them! :D
(Or at least, try to write something else than High-school AU's. I'm already bored with them and I've been in this fandom for a couple months).
And before I go, a quick technical question: I'm currently writing my first KH fanfic. I used to be a Digimon-freak back in the day, so my story is a short crossover between Adventure 02 and KH2 (Like a missing scene from the game) that involves the Dark Ocean episode (His Master's Voice in the dub) because I think I found it interesting the way it's similar to KH2's ending. Anyway, since it's a crossover between two huge fandoms... where should I post it in FF.net? In the Kingdom Hearts section? Or in the Misc. One? Thank you!
Man... I'm sorry for the huge rant. ^^;