Wanted to bring this up because so many people are in love with the idea of Sora and Kairi being a couple, but I honestly don't see it. At all.
And it's not because "KH isn't a romantic game (which it really isn't, but that's besides the point)", but because I cannot, for the life of me, see the two together. I think this is partially due to Kairi's lack of screen time and character development; as such, we really don't see much interaction between Sora and Kairi.
People kinda assume that the two would be a couple because "wow, main male character and main female character = madly in love couple", but that's not enough for me. The game never shows me explicitly why they should be good together. Sure, in KH1, Kairi saves Sora from submitting to the darkness. Unfortunately, much of that seen is bogged down by the fact that we don't know much about Kairi at all even up to that point in the game, so it's just kind of like...a random girl saves the main character. Now I'm not saying that's a bad scene or anything, but just think about how much more emotional it would've been IF the game had established a powerful relationship between the two at the beginning! If the game had shown me that they were excellent friends (and not just tell me; there's a difference) perhaps through increased interaction or character development as the story goes on, I would've cared more.
So that's the inherent problem I have with this "couple." They don't actually SHOW that they're good friends, so I can't see the two ever getting together. Kairi has basically no personality, even after all these games. She's barely gotten any screen time in comparison to the other main characters, and the most we've seen her interact with Sora is at the very beginning of KH1...which is not enough.
Although that being said, I can already see the arguments coming: "They show a lot of character! For example, ________"
The problem with that is that all of these scenes that you list is the game TELLING me, "Hey. These two are good friends.", and not SHOWING me that they're friends. Drawing on cave rocks? Telling me, not showing me. Sora's desperation to find her? That's sweet and all, but he gets sidetracked so often and forgets about his ultimate "goal" that it doesn't even seem that realistic. Kairi sending that letter in a bottle? That's the game pretty much telling me, "HEY IDIOT. THIS GIRL CARES ABOUT SORA. YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT."
How do you establish a strong friendship? You imply it through the way the characters interact, develop along with each other, and most of all, have a lot of screen time together. Especially with Kairi's little screen time and basically zero character development, I don't see them becoming a couple at all.
If KH3 wants to make them a couple, they better do some serious renovations on Kairi's character, or else it will turn out fake and unrealistic.
Discussion welcome
PS. No, I do not ship Sora and Riku, but honestly the two are more realistic as a couple than Sora and Kairi at this point.
Wanted to bring this up because so many people are in love with the idea of Sora and Kairi being a couple, but I honestly don't see it. At all.
And it's not because "KH isn't a romantic game (which it really isn't, but that's besides the point)", but because I cannot, for the life of me, see the two together. I think this is partially due to Kairi's lack of screen time and character development; as such, we really don't see much interaction between Sora and Kairi.
People kinda assume that the two would be a couple because "wow, main male character and main female character = madly in love couple", but that's not enough for me. The game never shows me explicitly why they should be good together. Sure, in KH1, Kairi saves Sora from submitting to the darkness. Unfortunately, much of that seen is bogged down by the fact that we don't know much about Kairi at all even up to that point in the game, so it's just kind of like...a random girl saves the main character. Now I'm not saying that's a bad scene or anything, but just think about how much more emotional it would've been IF the game had established a powerful relationship between the two at the beginning! If the game had shown me that they were excellent friends (and not just tell me; there's a difference) perhaps through increased interaction or character development as the story goes on, I would've cared more.
So that's the inherent problem I have with this "couple." They don't actually SHOW that they're good friends, so I can't see the two ever getting together. Kairi has basically no personality, even after all these games. She's barely gotten any screen time in comparison to the other main characters, and the most we've seen her interact with Sora is at the very beginning of KH1...which is not enough.
Although that being said, I can already see the arguments coming: "They show a lot of character! For example, ________"
The problem with that is that all of these scenes that you list is the game TELLING me, "Hey. These two are good friends.", and not SHOWING me that they're friends. Drawing on cave rocks? Telling me, not showing me. Sora's desperation to find her? That's sweet and all, but he gets sidetracked so often and forgets about his ultimate "goal" that it doesn't even seem that realistic. Kairi sending that letter in a bottle? That's the game pretty much telling me, "HEY IDIOT. THIS GIRL CARES ABOUT SORA. YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT."
How do you establish a strong friendship? You imply it through the way the characters interact, develop along with each other, and most of all, have a lot of screen time together. Especially with Kairi's little screen time and basically zero character development, I don't see them becoming a couple at all.
If KH3 wants to make them a couple, they better do some serious renovations on Kairi's character, or else it will turn out fake and unrealistic.
Discussion welcome
PS. No, I do not ship Sora and Riku, but honestly the two are more realistic as a couple than Sora and Kairi at this point.