Thoughts on 358/2 Days Part 1
For anyone who's watched or played or even just read about KH1 & 2, Days is the most bittersweet game ever. On one hand it's fleshing out all the Organisation characters, full of backstory and amazing interactions between Roxas and Axel. On the other hand, you know, dammit, know, that this isn't going to end well. It's fucking heart breaking, honestly to the point of tears.
Bearing that in mind, these will be pretty disjointed notes because I didn't watch it all the way through (I had the angst) and some thoughts are based on timydamonkey 's remarks.
I love the OP music for this, I need a download. If you find it, link me, because its awesome.
Of course you can't look inside Roxas, your ribcage gets in the way.
First off I love that the DS gives us Organisation Member descriptions! Hell, I just love the Organisation. I am a little worried that Xemnas is starting to look unnaturally attractive to me. Which lead to me deciding how the members would be in bed.
Xigbar is a pussy in bed. Probably has a pet name for his penis.
Marluxia is the one to look out for, that guy's into some freaky shit, knife play etc.
Lexaeus is amazingly underrated as a character and I bet he likes to cuddle.
Demyx expects you to do all the work, but that's okay because he does a post coital DANCEY DANCEY. Truly it is a sight to behold.
Luxord strokes his beard after sex and calls you "My dear." He's like Hugh Hefner. He thinks up the best sex games.
Larxene pretends to be totally badass in bed but she's really vanilla. Probably cries at climax. (This is in no way a slight on Larxene, she's awesome, but she has awful intimacy issues)
I can't imagine sleeping with Xion because a)She's too young and b)She's pretty much goth Kairi
Anyway, out of bed and out of the gutter.
timydamonkey and I were truly expecting to hate Xion, because I thought she'd be a Roxas Replica with tits and she was worried that the replication of Roxas' powers made Roxas seem weak. But to some extent Xion's actually more interesting than Roxas in this game. The gamemakers put a lot of effort into creating this sort of divide between those who think she's just a thing (eg. Saix calling her 'it' for the entire game) and those who think she's something more. Her evolution is amazing to watch, from a faceless zombie into an actual person. She has to make some serious decisions in her very short life and her struggle between wanting to live and her moral compass is really well done. I wouldn't be surprised to hear some outcry over her attempt to kill Roxas, but really, humans (and I find it hard to believe that Nobodies aren't human, despite the lack of heart) cling to life so much that anyone would at least contemplate it if they had to kill someone else to live. She is forced to mature so fast and her panic and pain are incredibly realistic, I can't fault her for that. Even knowing that her mere prescence is killing Roxas doesn't dull my sympathy for her in any way, just highlights the cruelty of Xemnas in his quest for Kingdom Hearts.
timydamonkey noted that a lot of people seemed to be losing respect for the Organisation in their comments on youtube but they really seem to be missing the point here. The Organisation members are killers. It's what they do, it's what they, it's what defines them and separates them from Sora. They're not fluffy nice people who donate to charity and work at the animal rescue centre on weekends. They are driven, they are hard and some of them are quite mad because they feel they lack something and would do anything to get it. On that point I feel I must clarify my thoughts on the whole "Nobodies don't have Hearts" issue. They're missing something, yes, and a Heart is a good stand-in or metaphor for what that is, but I deny that they're missing emotions. Kingdom Hearts wikia seems to feel that only special Nobodies, like Roxas and Namine can feel true emotions. Wrong.
One of the key characterisations of the Organisation members is their desire for a heart. Saix in particular is described as the "second in command who longs for the heart he does not have." Desire drives their goals, everything they do in the game world. They feel fear, watch Zexion's reaction to his near-death experience with Riku:
The most obvious example would be the friendship between Roxas, Axel and Xion. The bonding between these three form pretty much the basis of the game's story. And their emotions get kicked into overdrive. Regret, loss, betrayal, the need to protect, the need to belong.
2:30-4:08, my favourite scene in the whole game.
What I think they lack is complete understanding of their emotions, of their connection to the world. It's not a perfect explanation I know, but I buy it more than lack of heart = lack of emotion. That might be true for the Dusks and militia Nobodies, but it doesn't hold for the Organisation. They don't understand what they feel, so they fear it and try to shut it away whilst they buy into Xemnas' conspiracy that they need a Heart.
More in part 2 when I've had more coffee and time to think. I gots a lotta thoughts and they're pretty disorganised.
Bearing that in mind, these will be pretty disjointed notes because I didn't watch it all the way through (I had the angst) and some thoughts are based on timydamonkey 's remarks.
I love the OP music for this, I need a download. If you find it, link me, because its awesome.
Click to viewOf course you can't look inside Roxas, your ribcage gets in the way.
First off I love that the DS gives us Organisation Member descriptions! Hell, I just love the Organisation. I am a little worried that Xemnas is starting to look unnaturally attractive to me. Which lead to me deciding how the members would be in bed.
Xigbar is a pussy in bed. Probably has a pet name for his penis.
Marluxia is the one to look out for, that guy's into some freaky shit, knife play etc.
Lexaeus is amazingly underrated as a character and I bet he likes to cuddle.
Demyx expects you to do all the work, but that's okay because he does a post coital DANCEY DANCEY. Truly it is a sight to behold.
Luxord strokes his beard after sex and calls you "My dear." He's like Hugh Hefner. He thinks up the best sex games.
Larxene pretends to be totally badass in bed but she's really vanilla. Probably cries at climax. (This is in no way a slight on Larxene, she's awesome, but she has awful intimacy issues)
I can't imagine sleeping with Xion because a)She's too young and b)She's pretty much goth Kairi
Anyway, out of bed and out of the gutter.
timydamonkey and I were truly expecting to hate Xion, because I thought she'd be a Roxas Replica with tits and she was worried that the replication of Roxas' powers made Roxas seem weak. But to some extent Xion's actually more interesting than Roxas in this game. The gamemakers put a lot of effort into creating this sort of divide between those who think she's just a thing (eg. Saix calling her 'it' for the entire game) and those who think she's something more. Her evolution is amazing to watch, from a faceless zombie into an actual person. She has to make some serious decisions in her very short life and her struggle between wanting to live and her moral compass is really well done. I wouldn't be surprised to hear some outcry over her attempt to kill Roxas, but really, humans (and I find it hard to believe that Nobodies aren't human, despite the lack of heart) cling to life so much that anyone would at least contemplate it if they had to kill someone else to live. She is forced to mature so fast and her panic and pain are incredibly realistic, I can't fault her for that. Even knowing that her mere prescence is killing Roxas doesn't dull my sympathy for her in any way, just highlights the cruelty of Xemnas in his quest for Kingdom Hearts.
timydamonkey noted that a lot of people seemed to be losing respect for the Organisation in their comments on youtube but they really seem to be missing the point here. The Organisation members are killers. It's what they do, it's what they, it's what defines them and separates them from Sora. They're not fluffy nice people who donate to charity and work at the animal rescue centre on weekends. They are driven, they are hard and some of them are quite mad because they feel they lack something and would do anything to get it. On that point I feel I must clarify my thoughts on the whole "Nobodies don't have Hearts" issue. They're missing something, yes, and a Heart is a good stand-in or metaphor for what that is, but I deny that they're missing emotions. Kingdom Hearts wikia seems to feel that only special Nobodies, like Roxas and Namine can feel true emotions. Wrong.
One of the key characterisations of the Organisation members is their desire for a heart. Saix in particular is described as the "second in command who longs for the heart he does not have." Desire drives their goals, everything they do in the game world. They feel fear, watch Zexion's reaction to his near-death experience with Riku:
The most obvious example would be the friendship between Roxas, Axel and Xion. The bonding between these three form pretty much the basis of the game's story. And their emotions get kicked into overdrive. Regret, loss, betrayal, the need to protect, the need to belong.
2:30-4:08, my favourite scene in the whole game.
What I think they lack is complete understanding of their emotions, of their connection to the world. It's not a perfect explanation I know, but I buy it more than lack of heart = lack of emotion. That might be true for the Dusks and militia Nobodies, but it doesn't hold for the Organisation. They don't understand what they feel, so they fear it and try to shut it away whilst they buy into Xemnas' conspiracy that they need a Heart.
More in part 2 when I've had more coffee and time to think. I gots a lotta thoughts and they're pretty disorganised.