When 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Kingdom Hearts was first released in 2002, few people knew how massive the Square Enix collaboration with Disney would become. With 13 games spanning multiple systems and console generations, the series has gained immense popularity worldwide. Tꩵhe first Kingdom Hearts game is a classic, and it still holdsဣ a special place in fans' hearts.
It's a reminder of simpler times, before 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the plot became incredibly complex, numerous spin-offs that a🦩lso had a big influence on the story were released and the cast of cha𝄹racters tripled. But there are many things fans might not know about the game's introductory cutscene, from its hidden connections to later games to the origin of Simple and Clean.
8 Tetsuya Nomura Always Wanted Hikaru Utada To S📖ing The Opening Song ༒
According to an interview in the Kingdom Hearts Ultimania book from , direct꧂or Tetsuya Nomura knew he wanted🍸 singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada to perform a song for Kingdom Hearts from the beginning.
After a short negotiation with Utada and her team, she agreed to work with them. Her now-famous single, Hikari (better known as Simple And Clean to English-speaking audiences) ✅has been praised for its distinct melody and mꦍeaningful lyrics. Utada came back to sing Sanctuary for Kingdom Hearts II.
7 Utada Didn't Write Simple And Clean Fo🗹r Kingdom Hearts
For many Ki⛎ngdom Hearts fans, Simple and Clean is a defining song of the series. Even people who haven't played the games recognize it and its association with the iconic franchise.
In reality, Hikaru Utada never intended for the song to be used in the game. She had already written the single when she was approached by Nomura's team, and Nomura was moved by the deep meaning of the song (as explained in Kingfom Hearts Ultimania). Utada is more than a Kingdom Hearts singer too, being a very๊ popular artist in recent Japanese music history.
6 ﷽ Simple And Clean And Hikari Have Totally Different Lyrics
The lyrics 🦩for Simple and Clean are iconic, but very different than the original's. In a 2009 interview with magazine , Utada explained that the process of creating Englis♛h lyrics for the song was challenging.
She explained, "when you change the language you're singing in, the same melodies don't work," which led to her slightly altering the melody of Hikari to fit Simple and Clean. Nomura is a huge fan of Hi🍨kari's lyrics, stating in his Ultimania interview that "the lyrics fit so perfectly that whenඣ I first heard it, I trembled and couldn't speak."
5 The Version Of Simple And Clean Heard In The Intro I🧜sn't The Original 🐼
Despite the association of Simple and Clean with the first Kingdom Hearts installment, the version you hear in the opening isn💛't quite the original. It's actually a remix by PLANTIb, a successful producer from the UK. This ex🐟plains why the opening song feels more like an upbeat dance tune, as opposed to a slower ballad.
Other official remixes have been released since, including the Hikari Ray of 🥀Hope remix Utada released in 2017. It appeared alongside the launch of Kingdom Hearts HD II.8 Final Chapter Prologue.
4 ဣ ♓ Sora's Opening Line Is Echoed In Another Kingdom Hearts Game
At the very beginning of Kingdom Hearts' opening cutscene, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the snappily-dressed Sora says "I've been having these weird thoughts lately. Like, is any of this real or not?" Fans have speculated about the meaning of these words for years, and they may have finally gotten an answer in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Kingdom Hearts III: Re Mind.
The game ends with the protagonist of the game Verum Rex, Yozora, repeating those same lines Sora once spoke. Dreams and reality are central themes in the series, and this line implies that players will be falling into a new dream൩.
3 There's A Hidden Meaning I🌠n The Title
Kingdom Hearts has a lot of connections with the number thirte▨en, from Organization XIII to the thirteen worlds Sora visits in the first game. Not to mention the fact that th✱e series' very name, Kingdom Hearts, is thirteen letters long.
As such, it doe🥃sn't seem like a coincidence that at the very start of the opening sequence, when the words "Kingdom Hearts" appear on the screen, the camera zooms in on the "M" as it shines. What is the connection? M just so happens to be the thirteenth letter of the alphabet.
2 The Falling ꦏStars Represent The Falling Kingdoms 💦
In the opening, there is a moment where Kairi smiles at Sora and then glances ꧃up at the sky. Sora follows suit𓆉, and the two watch as stars fall from the sky. In addition to making a stunning visual, these stars represent the falling kingdoms that Sora will go on to save.
These are the same stars that King Mickey leaves to investigate at the start of the game, setting the plot of the series in motion. Stars are an important symbol in Kingdom Hearts🌳, as the star-shaped Paopu fruit nati꧒ve to Destiny Islands is said to entwine destinies.
1 🌼 Sora's Fall Foreshadows The Ending
Falling is a common ꦉoccurrence in Kingdom Hearts, and it has been since the first game. It's a running joke among fans at this point that Sora is constantly falling (both physically and into or out of darkness).
This motif foreshadowed the ending of Xehanort's arc in Kingdom Hearts III: Re Mind, which culminates with Sora disappearing from the world (another sad development in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:K🐬ingdom Hearts' surprisingly dark narrative). He 'falls' into a different world, awaking in a version of Shibuya very similar to the Shibuya of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The World Ends With You (another Square Enix series).