All Our ______, Gone?
In taking breaks from revision for the overly-weighted Literature exam that looms like a great terrifying monster in front of the summer holidays (all these lectures on postmodernism and I swear I still don't know what it means), I have started a new game of Kingdom Hearts II. Here are some thoughts on replaying the ridiculously long introduction!
KINGDOM HEARTS II: WHAT DID YOU DO TO SETZER? I don't remember the 'Setzer is a stereotypical vain dishonourable silver-haired villain' part of Final Fantasy VI! I have no idea why I didn't complain about his portrayal the first time I played the game!
(I do have a certain fondness for Hip Young Seifer and his posse, though. The Seifer of Final Fantasy VIII would probably run the Kingdom Hearts development team through if he knew how he'd been portrayed, but he is just so ridiculous that I can't dislike him. And he keeps his Final Fantasy VIII battle stance! Also, Young Fujin is terribly cute.
Something to ponder: in the Kingdom Hearts universe, where did Leon and Hip Young Seifer's scars come from?)
Hip Young Seifer: Why does looking at you always tick me off?
Roxas: I don't know. Maybe it's destiny?
Roxas, are you - are you flirting with Hip Young Seifer? Because I think Hip Young Seifer has made it fairly clear that he would not be interested in a relationship with you.
Actually, I'm quite interested in the relationship between Team Roxas and Team Hip Young Seifer. They insult each other and grumble about each other and fight, and yet the two groups seem to have an odd sort of friendship, or at least a potential friendship. Perhaps it's just the way Seifer keeps turning up to say HEY, I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU GUYS but I just came over to say hi.
('That was undeniable proof that we totally owned you lamers' is still one of my favourite videogame lines ever. Oh, Hip Young Seifer.)
I am so, so charmed by the friendship between Roxas, Hayner, Pence and Olette. THEY ARE SO CUTE. They share everything! They fight and Roxas is upset and then they speak before the Struggle and Roxas realises that Hayner still loves him! Hayner catches Roxas' wrist to keep him from running onto the train tracks and says 'Um, you'll get hurt' and it is so adorable and so sad and oh, Roxas and his friends and my heart.
The introduction of Kingdom Hearts II takes even longer than I remembered, and I remember it taking a really freaking long time.
It is also much, much sadder than I remembered. Oh, Roxas! Roxas and his friends, who love him and whom he loves and who were never truly a part of his life! Roxas slowly losing his mind and his identity! It is so tragic!
And then, as if that's not enough, there's the story of Axel and Roxas. ROXAS IS ALREADY LOSING ONE SET OF FRIENDS, BUT DON'T THINK SQUARE IS GOING TO STOP THERE. And then there's the little 'Nobody would miss me.' 'That's not true. I would' flashback scene, and oh. Who says Nobodies can't feel emotions?
(I could barely cope when Sora woke up and saw Donald and Goofy and started happily gambolling around with them. SORA. A GUY JUST LOST HIS FRIENDS AND HIS IDENTITY AND HIS ENTIRE LIFE TO WAKE YOU UP. I KNOW YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT YOU SHOULDN'T BE SKIPPING HAPPILY AROUND.)
Something I didn't notice on my first playthrough: when you're running around in the white mansion room, the floor is so highly polished that everything in the room is reflected in it.
Except Roxas.
STOP BREAKING MY HEART, ROXAS.
KINGDOM HEARTS II: WHAT DID YOU DO TO SETZER? I don't remember the 'Setzer is a stereotypical vain dishonourable silver-haired villain' part of Final Fantasy VI! I have no idea why I didn't complain about his portrayal the first time I played the game!
(I do have a certain fondness for Hip Young Seifer and his posse, though. The Seifer of Final Fantasy VIII would probably run the Kingdom Hearts development team through if he knew how he'd been portrayed, but he is just so ridiculous that I can't dislike him. And he keeps his Final Fantasy VIII battle stance! Also, Young Fujin is terribly cute.
Something to ponder: in the Kingdom Hearts universe, where did Leon and Hip Young Seifer's scars come from?)
Hip Young Seifer: Why does looking at you always tick me off?
Roxas: I don't know. Maybe it's destiny?
Roxas, are you - are you flirting with Hip Young Seifer? Because I think Hip Young Seifer has made it fairly clear that he would not be interested in a relationship with you.
Actually, I'm quite interested in the relationship between Team Roxas and Team Hip Young Seifer. They insult each other and grumble about each other and fight, and yet the two groups seem to have an odd sort of friendship, or at least a potential friendship. Perhaps it's just the way Seifer keeps turning up to say HEY, I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU GUYS but I just came over to say hi.
('That was undeniable proof that we totally owned you lamers' is still one of my favourite videogame lines ever. Oh, Hip Young Seifer.)
I am so, so charmed by the friendship between Roxas, Hayner, Pence and Olette. THEY ARE SO CUTE. They share everything! They fight and Roxas is upset and then they speak before the Struggle and Roxas realises that Hayner still loves him! Hayner catches Roxas' wrist to keep him from running onto the train tracks and says 'Um, you'll get hurt' and it is so adorable and so sad and oh, Roxas and his friends and my heart.
The introduction of Kingdom Hearts II takes even longer than I remembered, and I remember it taking a really freaking long time.
It is also much, much sadder than I remembered. Oh, Roxas! Roxas and his friends, who love him and whom he loves and who were never truly a part of his life! Roxas slowly losing his mind and his identity! It is so tragic!
And then, as if that's not enough, there's the story of Axel and Roxas. ROXAS IS ALREADY LOSING ONE SET OF FRIENDS, BUT DON'T THINK SQUARE IS GOING TO STOP THERE. And then there's the little 'Nobody would miss me.' 'That's not true. I would' flashback scene, and oh. Who says Nobodies can't feel emotions?
(I could barely cope when Sora woke up and saw Donald and Goofy and started happily gambolling around with them. SORA. A GUY JUST LOST HIS FRIENDS AND HIS IDENTITY AND HIS ENTIRE LIFE TO WAKE YOU UP. I KNOW YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT YOU SHOULDN'T BE SKIPPING HAPPILY AROUND.)
Something I didn't notice on my first playthrough: when you're running around in the white mansion room, the floor is so highly polished that everything in the room is reflected in it.
Except Roxas.
STOP BREAKING MY HEART, ROXAS.