Nomura talks HD 2.5 ReMIX, BBSV2, KHχ being canon & Secret Movies in new interview-- fully translated

Today, with the release of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX in Japan, Famitsu Weekly have included a special commemorative article in their October 2, 2014 issue. This article contains a detailed summary of the game, teases both of the new Secret Movies included with Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, and also contains a special interview with the director of the Kingdom Hearts series, Tetsuya Nomura.

Here, Nomura shares his feelings about the game being released and each of the titles in the collection, touches on where Birth by Sleep -Volume 2- currently stands, and shares some details about the new Secret Movies included with Kingdom Hearts Re:coded (you've been warned, if you're trying to avoid all comments about these clips-- but Nomura is light on the details, so it should be fine).

KH13 translator SkyKeybladeHero has created a full translation of this interview (with scans provided by us-- which we regrettably can't share with you due to copyright reasons), and thanks to him, this can be read below.

Comments from the father of the KH series, Tetsuya Nomura

 

—What are the highlights of KHIIFM HD?

 

Nomura: KHII's map and production have much more density than KH, and the characters are more numerous as well. In HD, you can see well even the expressions of characters that are in the background and understand the circumstances with more ease. Since KHII has much more information, I think it greatly benefits from the HD remaster.

 

—Among everything that was included in the FInal Mix version, what would you recommend?

 

Nomura: The battle against the Lingering Will. Among all the series' titles, it stands for 1^st or 2^nd most famous battle. It's quite hard to defeat it, but even if you don't, I want everyone to taste its power. Depending on whether you fought it or not, I think your feelings for BbS will change. In 2.5, BbS is also included, so I'd recommend playing KHII and fighting the Lingering Will first, before going on to play BbS.

 

—What are the highlights of KH BbS FM HD?

 

Nomura: Comparing to KHIIFM, which we could almost leave as it was, the production of BBS HD was much more major, since it was originally designed for a handheld. The amazing part is feeling it in a way you've never seen before, I guess. Story-wise, it has 3 characters and many shocking scenes, so you can't just squeeze it in one story. I daresay the Secret Movie is one of those shocking scenes. Among the whole series, I think it's one of the most touching, so I hope you enjoy watching it in HD.

 

—Among everything that was included in the FInal Mix version, what would you recommend?

 

Nomura: The Secret Episode. It's an evolution of all the Secret Movies I've put in the games so far, because it's playable. You can feel the pace of the story and the battle, so I'm glad I made it like that. By the way, the indication for Birth By Sleep -Volume 2- is still there. It shows the existence of Aqua's story in the Realm of Darkness. It means that she didn't just wander about in the Darkness for ten years, but that she passed through many experiences. However, it is a "Fragmentary Passage", as the same suggests-- that story was severed and wasn't told. I hope I can tell it when given the opportunity.

 

—What are the highlights of KH Re:coded HD?

 

Nomura: Everything! The original text dialogues were changed to fit being voiced, and the feel you get from it has changed a lot. For example, in Alice's world, the texts that ended in "right?" were changed to "riiiight?" in the voice acting. We used the production of original anime as basis for this. And it is a title full of discoveries. Also, I tried to make it a feature film that links the story very well when adding the Disney Worlds, battle scenes and narrations.

 

 

—Tell us more about the new scenes.

 

Nomura: I've added 2 brand new scenes. One of them contains the word "Tome of Prophecy" which is related to KHχ as well. Currently, there are many people that seem to think KHχ isn't canon, so I intended to make people realize that indeed there is a connection, by adding some elements from KHχ in 2.5. The other scene is from KH3D, before Axel (Lea) and the others wake up. If I tell too much about it, I think many doubts will come forth, so I'll leave it to your imagination.