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Kairi: The Thread



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Oracle Spockanort

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Did I miss something?

Should be a thread about the treatment of female characters in the series or how they don't know what to do with non-fighters (both that began Kairi's issue and now Naminè's taking the dump), just saying.

We can have that too, but I think Kairi alone deserves her own topic where people can discuss their feelings about her development considering she’s a bit of an outlier. She is meant to be important and yet there is a lack of any meaningful presence on her end that would allow her the proper agency as a character to develop as an individual.

The Hayden voice thread had all of the signs of developing into another topic by how quickly the discussion was moving from the voice acting to Kairi’s role in the series.
 

Rydgea

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I'm only here to debate the important stuff: color theory and hair styles. Pink does look good on redheads (especially us natural, fiery-headed gingers), but Kairi's mop has an inorganic tint to it. It's some bizarre cross between auburn and.. purple. Her color palette on the surface seems to be analogous, but with KH2!Kairi specifically, you have a clash of horrors with her made up hair color, a coral pink dress and pastel purple shoes. It's her most offending look; I want to vomit. (I actually quite like her other designs.)

But yeah. That Kairi character, she.. is one of them..
 
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AdrianXXII

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Haha Kairi so divisive, she been exiled to her own thread.

It is probably a surprise to no one that seen my post, that i quite like Kairi Even if i have issues with how she was handled. I've always seen a lot of potential in her.

In the right hands she could have been a good protagonist in her own right. Instead she's often the third wheel or the love interest.

Personally I think they should have put more effort in developing her shortly after KH2, but instead they sidelined her hard. We should have gotten her backstory 10 years ago not just now.

In regards to her outfit, i personally always prefered her in white, purple and black, pink just never sat right with me as her primary color.
 

Audo

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Also, while I think the manner in which Kairi is fridged is ehhh, I do think it should be pointed out that all of the Guardians died and needed to be saved by Sora, it's just that Kairi was literally the only character to survive the Demon Storm and didn't need to be saved from the Lich so her Power of Waking saving moment was pushed back to the climax.

And, while not the point, I also think part of the reason we're getting her trauma backstory explored now instead of earlier is because of the Ark's increased importance as of late. I kinda fully believe that the result of MoM is Kairi believing that they need to find and use the Ark to attempt to reach Sora.
 

pastel.goblin

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Kairi is... fine? I do like her, though she's not one of my faves, but I think I like her potential and the fandom version more than what we actually get. I liked her most in KH1 (which is forever funny to me, the game which has her mostly unconscious is also the one where she has the most personality) and sort of KH2. KH3 Kairi was just... so bland to me, besides her Naminé speech which I agree is a high point for her, they've taken away any last trace of sass she used to have. She's just so tame now, and I'm not a fan of the voice direction, she sounded so much more mature in KH2. Getting to play as her finallly was great, I had a lot of fun with her but it does feel weird that it's only after all this time that we're finally getting more about a character that's meant to be so important. Also agree, put her back in purple and white, I'm still not even sure how I feel about her KH3 design lol

All that said, manga Kairi is best Kairi, and I still think not putting her as a third protag in DDD was a massive missed opportunity.
 

Audo

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they've taken away any last trace of sass she used to have
I do think her sass isn't as strong in KH3 as in past titles, but it's not totally absent in the game. She teases Axel a few times in the game (and Riku in 0.2 which used to be a part of KH3). And it's a small moment but I also liked her talking back to Aqua and Ven in the Keyblade Graveyard. I'd love it if her being a bit tamer was more about her being a little less confident as a new Keyblade wielder (you get this sense in her combat barks at least) but in future games she'll get back that confidence now that she's more familiar with it.

I'm kind of hoping that Nomura working on FF7R and seeing how dimensional and multi-faceted Aerith is again might make him bring some of that energy to Kairi going forward.

I really do think that the biggest thing she needs is a proper game. Getting to explore the Disney worlds as a character, like it just brings up so much more opportunities for characterization. Like, just thinking of all the great moments Sora had in KH3 in the Disney worlds and with DG in them, like, I want that for her. It would do so much. I also just really want to see her interacting with other PoH as another example. Kairi and Moana can be the new Sora and Ariel lol.

I know a lot of people are kind of at the point of "too little, too late" or "it's too late to start after downplaying her for so long" and like I get it, but like... I'd rather they work to fix it now than just dusting off their hands and never doing it. It should have happened sooner, but I'd definitely take having it start to be fixed now than not at all. With such a long running series, I wouldn't want to keep any character from not being able to grow and develop and get more depth just because they didn't have it earlier on, yknow?
 
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Face My Fears

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Did I miss something?

Should be a thread about the treatment of female characters in the series or how they don't know what to do with non-fighters (both that began Kairi's issue and now Naminè's taking the dump), just saying.
I actually hope Namine stays a non-fighter, but just find something for her to do! I always envisioned her like the Professor X of the team. She can psionically contact people across worlds and she's always at Radiant Garden/Twilight Town doing research and sometimes goes into the field for combat. But the whole inter-world communication thing got "fixed" with the Gummiphone.

In a series where everyone is a fighter, I think it would be unique for Namine to not be one. Amongst the other ones, like Ansem The Wise, Ienzo, and presumably Even, I think Namine is the one that should get the spotlight. If they ever need exposition from the Radiant Garden researchers, it should be Namine (or Namine and Ansem The Wise).
 

pastel.goblin

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and Riku in 0.2 which used to be a part of KH3
I actually adored her small part in this, her "WHAT?!" when finding out about Axel was great and the most like her original self. It got me excited to see what KH3 would do with her, but the majority was lacklustre for me. Here's hoping she gets better in future~
I actually hope Namine stays a non-fighter, but just find something for her to do! I always envisioned her like the Professor X of the team. She can psionically contact people across worlds and she's always at Radiant Garden/Twilight Town doing research and sometimes goes into the field for combat. But the whole inter-world communication thing got "fixed" with the Gummiphone.

In a series where everyone is a fighter, I think it would be unique for Namine to not be one. Amongst the other ones, like Ansem The Wise, Ienzo, and presumably Even, I think Namine is the one that should get the spotlight. If they ever need exposition from the Radiant Garden researchers, it should be Namine (or Namine and Ansem The Wise).
Ideally I'd prefer she not be a fighter, but the thing is I just don't know that Nomura is interested in giving the same amount of screen time and development to the supporting characters as the fighters, especially the female ones. Which totally sucks, since there's so much that could be done with her if they just gave it a tiny bit of thought. They've already had a few golden opportunities for her to be relevant but just... didn't. I want so bad for her to get a chance to shine again, but with the way the writing is these days part of me just wants them to give the poor girl a keyblade. I want her to get a chance to explore the Worlds, interact with Disney characters and have meaningful time with the rest of the cast but can't see that happening unless she gets a keyblade like everyone else :\ Or better yet make her a mage, give her a book or sketchpad to cast spells, idk. I miss the days when characters like the Org members had different weapons. I do like that she's unique, but that uniqueness has basically shut her off from everyone else.

The AtW stuff still irritates me though, like let's give a half-hearted redemption to one of the most vile characters in the series and give him a role again that could be taken up by Naminé who is far more deserving. Sorry, I swear I don't keep meaning to go on tangents 😅
 

Elysium

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Instead of wasting time saying the same things, I thought it'd be interesting to think about how I would've used the character if this was my story (assuming Kairi was a character I actually liked). I would've never squandered the female love interest like this.

KH1: I would've made her a party member in the Hollow Bastion return visit, who used her PoH powers for light offensive and curing magic. It's funny when you think about it, but Kairi and the other princesses never once interacted. I doubt Kairi even saw them as she ran out of HB with D&G. She could then be in the library with the FF characters post-world or up in the chapel with the other princesses aside from Belle. They could've paired her with Jasmine and Alice, and maybe give her some dialogue about how she recognized them because her heart had been inside Sora when he visited Agrabah and Wonderland.
KH2: Hmm...? I suppose I would've had her end up in Radiant Garden via one of the dark pools instead of kidnapped by the bad guys. Then she could be hanging out with Leon and co. when Sora returns for the 1000 Heartless battle. Perhaps she receives her Keyblade in the midst of the 1000 Heartless battle, in that it comes to her organically when she's in danger rather than being handed to her by someone else... She could have been RG's party member again (since Riku is the party member in TWTNW)--and it would have been fitting for her to be the party member there in KH1 and/or KH2 since it is her home world. Then she tag-alongs with Mickey to Twilight Town for the ending.
BbS: Show Xehanort's... I don't know what to call it, "release" of Kairi into the universe (which is how she ended up being drawn to Sora and Riku at Destiny Islands) in the ending or the secret movie that follows, since they showed so many other things.
3D: She should’ve played some role in rescuing Sora from the outside alongside Mickey, D&G, and Lea. Not one as in-depth as Riku’s, since Riku was his DE, but she could’ve at least teamed up with Lea in causing a distraction.
KH3: I guess mostly the same except she doesn't get murdered at the end? Perhaps give her a (minor or pivotal) role in rescuing Aqua since Aqua was the one of the BbS trio tied to Kairi. She could've been the party member at Twilight Town, and "talked" (via their hearts or...whatever) with Roxas again--something that mirrors the dialogue between them when he made contact with her in the KH2 prologue when he fell off the clocktower?
 

AdrianXXII

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I'm taking a page from @Tartarus' book and am going to try and write down what I'd have done with her character. Though I fear mine is a bit more fanfictiony, though I'm going to try and keep things mostly in line with how the Dark Seeker Saga unfolded.

KH1: Mostly unchanged. Small changes Including that she's an optional party member on Destiny Island, giving the player a feeling for having party members. Sora would drop the Kingdom Key in HB before picking up the Keyblade of Heart and Kairi would pick it up as she runs away from Ansem, this should be a minor hint at her being a wielder and she'd return to HB with the Restoration Committee seeing her staying alone in Traverse Town makes no sense. She'd also have optional dialog stating how the castle is kind of familiar and how there's a slight unease being there as well as dialog with her an the other POH.

CoM: Unchanged other that I'd have Kairi and Sora appear sporadically in Riku's memory versions of the worlds hinting at them always being there with him wherever he goes.

Days: Midway through Kairi would go off searching for Riku, seeing he hasn't returned home. She would also have her awakening and gain her keyblade in this time period. She'd travel via gates she creates with the Keyblade, but wouldn't have mastered it too well ending up in random worlds. Maybe arriving on worlds as Roxas and Co. leave, having them constantly miss each other.
Mostly off screen stuff, we'd mostly hear about "The Princess" being on the on the move and stuff like that. With the Org discussing ,if she'd be a problem.

KH2: I think Kairi might have been to a few worlds Sora visits, but have left before he arrived. Like the HPO, would know her and let Sora know in his first visit to their world that Kairi's out there looking for him.
I like @Tartarus' idea of Kairi being at the 1000 heartless battle in Radiant Garden, maybe as of that battle she'd tag along for the second world visits giving the player a feeling of progression, he was looking for two friends and has found one. Alternately in the climax of the battle of a 1000 heartless she could be whisked away eventually ending up a prisoner of the Organization.
I think she'd either be a party member in the world that never was
(along with Riku) for the whole thing or at least for parts of the battle against Xemnas.

BBS: Pretty much unchanged other than in the Secret Episode we'd get flashes to Radiant Garden showing us it's fall, how Cid took Leon, Yuffie and Aerith into his Gummiship and left and how Kairi was thrown into the Ocean between worlds and Aqua's magic saved her and took her to Sora and Riku. I like the idea of the two boys finding her after she washed ashore.

Coded: Part of me feels it'd be more logical for the Journal to take her form, with Data Kairi being incorruptible by Darkness. Data Riku would be working as her Guardian.

DDD: With how Kairi was developed as a Keyblade wielder now, it'd make no sense for her to sit out the Mark of Mastery. But with how DDD's story is set up it's hard to fit her in. I'd ideally want her to be a 3rd Player character, but the only way I could make that work is have her dive into Riku's dream, because she subconsciously thought he was after Riku again. I guess her Boss Nort would be Terranort?

KH3: Instead of training with Axel, I think we could have her and Axel look into alternative ways of getting Naminé and Roxas back. And they could be searching Castle Oblivion for the Chamber of Wakening, as a backup plan in case Aqua couldn't be found. They'd also be tasked with helping each other train. Maybe even looking for traces of Vexen's research.
 
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The AtW stuff still irritates me though, like let's give a half-hearted redemption to one of the most vile characters in the series and give him a role again that could be taken up by Naminé who is far more deserving. Sorry, I swear I don't keep meaning to go on tangents 😅
Okay I can't be the only one who thinks AtW is just unnecessarily vilified by the fanbase, right?
 

The_Echo

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Well he did do some pretty bad things in his pursuit of revenge. Though you could say the same for characters like Riku, Axel, and Isa, ha.
Even Sora shares Ansem's perception of Nobodies for a bulk of KHII's narrative. He taunts them, believes anything they say or feel is a fabrication, and cuts them down with no remorse.

Ansem's out here working his ass off to apologize for... keeping Naminé and Roxas holed up for a while?
Sora hasn't once apologized for being on a merciless crusade to kill all Nobodies
 
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Even Sora shares Ansem's perception of Nobodies for a bulk of KHII's narrative. He taunts them, believes anything they say or feel is a fabrication, and cuts them down with no remorse.

Ansem's out here working his ass off to apologize for... keeping Naminé and Roxas holed up for a while?
Sora hasn't once apologized for being on a merciless crusade to kill all Nobodies
I mean, this is SDG. Donald and Goofy even thought Ienzo was on Xehanort's side simply because Ienzo brought up that Xehanort deceived them.
 

Cumguardian69

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Kairi is worthless just kill her off. She offers nothing to the franchise. Her glassing was anticlimactic as fuck. She has no relationships with anyone in the franchise hahaha
 

pastel.goblin

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Okay I can't be the only one who thinks AtW is just unnecessarily vilified by the fanbase, right?
I think my main issue with AtW coming back fully redeemed is that it's yet another example of Nomura bringing back a (pretty much always male) villain character to entirely sweep aside all the bad things they'd done, while the "heroes" (pretty much all the female characters) get no development or real presence.

Ansem's out here working his ass off to apologize for... keeping Naminé and Roxas holed up for a while?
Sora hasn't once apologized for being on a merciless crusade to kill all Nobodies
I mean, that's kind of an understatement. As far as Ansem knew Roxas would never be coming back and he ordered Naminé to be killed the moment he couldn't use her any more. Not to mention all the human experimentation and keeping people in cages while he was in power in Radiant Garden.
I agree on the Sora point though lol

I recognise that he's a complex character, but it irks me that he's getting a focus again when there are lots of "main" characters that need it more imo.
 

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Kairi is worthless just kill her off. She offers nothing to the franchise. Her glassing was anticlimactic as fuck. She has no relationships with anyone in the franchise hahaha
she kinda is literally the most important Girl and played a part in Kh1 without it being forced, compared to the other Girls at least.
 
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