Goofy joins the fight! Bandai’s Tamashii Nations has provided an update on their Kingdom Hearts II Goofy S.H.Figuarts figure with a release date of April 21, 2018! Retail cost of the figure will be ¥5,940 (55.30 USD). The set will included various facial expressions, additional hand poses, and Goofy's iconic Knight's Shield! Goofy joins Sora, Donald, and King Mickey in the S.H.Figuarts collection!
You can pre-order Goofy S.H. Figuarts figure at AmiAmi!
Yen Press has delayed the English release of the Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days novel to November 13, 2018. The novel was originally reported to come out on June 19, 2018.
The novel is still available for per-order for the paperback from Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, IndieBound for $20.00 USD and Indigo for $23.14 USD. Digital copies will be sold as well by Amazon and Barnes & Nobles for $10.00 USD, and Indigo for $12.99 USD. Both versions will be released on the same date.
The novel, which was announced back in 2016, will be an omnibus containing the three original volumes. The description reads as follows:
You can also view the potential cover for the novel below:
Will you buy this novel? Let us know in the comments below!
Update [July 26, 2018]: The paperback novel is now also available for pre-order from AAA Anime, Books A Million, and Indigo. E-book pre-orders are also available from iTunes and Indigo.
Classic FM has revealed their 2018 Hall of Fame list over the Easter weekend. Kingdom Hearts, including "The Other Promise" composed by Yoko Shimomura, ranked #188 out of 300. You can check out the summary of her entry below.
This is the 4th straight year that Yoko has made an appearance on the Classic FM Hall of Fame. In 2015, she placed 30th while in 2016 she placed 31st. In 2017, she finished 119th.
Other musical compositions that have been showcased in the Kingdom Hearts series have also made it into the top 300 list for Hall of Fame 2018, including the following:
"A Night on the Bare Mountain" ranked at no. 274
"Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl" ranked at no. 201
"Final Fantasy Series (including One-Winged Angel)" ranked at no. 99
"Nutcracker" ranked at no. 13
"Symphony no. 6 in F Major Op.68 (Pastoral)" ranked at no. 7
Congratulations to Yoko Shimomura and her success in making Classic FM's Hall of Fame list for the 4th straight year! We wish her the best of luck as she continues working hard on the Kingdom Hearts III soundtrack and preparing for the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra World Tour -Encore- this summer!
The Japanese Kingdom Hearts Portal Site has been updated with a new layout and features. The site now includes information such as merch news and new trailers, the line up of Kingdom Hearts games, and a timeline of the events within Kingdom Hearts. The portal site will be updated periodically.
You can check out the tweet from the Japanese Kingdom Hearts Twitter below. Translations for the tweet are listed below as well. (Thanks to KH13 staff member Mio-Chan for the translations!)
What do you think about this update? Do you hope the English Kingdom Hearts Portal Site will be updated as well? Let us know in the comments below!
New Kingdom Hearts merchandise has been made available for purchase on Belle Maison Japan’s Disney Fantasy Shop! Included in the new wares are iPhone cases, mobile chargers, phone rings, and a clock and wall decal featuring Sora's Dive into the Heart stained glass!
You can buy them here:
Sora Stained Glass Clock: 5,469 yen (52.12 USD)
Sora Stained Glass Window Decal: 2,980 yen (28.40 USD)
Portable Phone Charger (Pink/Blue): 3,240 yen (30.88 USD)
Phone Ring (Mickey Monogram/Stained Glass): 1,490 yen (14.90 USD)
Notebook-style Phone Case (White/Stained Glass): 5/5s/SE/6/6s/7/8: 3,500 yen (33.36 USD) 6 Plus/6s Plus: 3200 yen (30.50 USD)
James Woods confirmed on Twitter that he is working on Kingdom Hearts III! You can view the tweet below.
Previously, the only news we had on voice work for Kingdom Hearts III was the Japanese dub given to us in previous trailers from the 2015 E3 trailer up to the last ones revealed at D23 Expo 2018.
Which other Kingdom Hearts voice actors do you think will be next to reveal their work for the latest installment? Let us know in the comments below!
Memo Aponte Mille, the voice actor for Hiro Hamada in the Spanish dub of Big Hero 6, had recently published a video on his Instagram teasing his involvement in dubbing a role for an upcoming new game along with co-star Alan Prieto, who voiced Baymax. The video seems not to be on Instagram anymore, but KHInsider reports that it was published on March 7, 2018. In the video, the actors say that they can't say what the game is about - so we cannot confirm if they are talking about Kingdom Hearts III - but hope that we will hear about it soon.
You can watch the video below.
There are still no concrete news about the voice acting for Kingdom Hearts III apart from the Japanese dub, which can be heard throughout all the trailers released since
up until the most recent ones at D23 Expo 2018 Japan, and which was talked about in recent interviews. With the game releasing this year, fans have been speculating on the development progress of the game, including its timeline for voice recording and the potential appearance of Disney characters' original voice actors. A year ago, Scott Adsit, the original English voice actor for Baymax, even expressed his interest in reprising his role if the opportunity arises in the future. Zachary Levi, the original voice actor for Flynn Rider in Tangled, tweeted on February that he hadn't been approached yet about reprising his role in Kingdom Hearts III.
While the newer Kingdom Hearts games did not receive dubs in languages other than Japanese and English, both Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II - the main games in the series so far - included Spanish, French, and German dubs. Last year, we helped our friends at Disney Central collect signatures for a petition to Square Enix requesting that these European dubs return for the long awaited Kingdom Hearts III.
While this news does not confirm that there will be Spanish (or French or German) voice acting in Kingdom Hearts III, we can only hope that there is a full localization in these languages to enable a wider fanbase to enjoy the last instalment of the Xehanort saga.
YouTuber ElectricDragon505 posted a video on his channel where he received a letter from writer, director, and storyboard artist Seth Kearsley that included a special piece of animation memorabilia. He revealed a storyboard of Sora from the canceled Kingdom Hearts TV show Kearsley pitched to Disney back in 2002. The panel, signed by Kearsley, appears to be a never-before-seen sketch.
You can see the video below. [storyboard reveal begins at 10:04]
You can check out KH13’s exclusive interview with Seth Kearsley about the canceled Kingdom Hearts animated series here.
A whole host of Kingdom Hearts merchandise has been revealed in the past two weeks. You can view them in the gallery below.
The first item comes from BoxLunch, who have released a Kingdom Hearts stone bracelet with the symbol of the Heartless on it. It’s available to buy now for $12.90.
Spencer’s have released two pairs of Kingdom Hearts themed socks for $9.99 each. One pair has the Heartless symbol adorned on it, whilst the other has the Kingdom Key, a heart and Sora’s pendant on it.
In addition to that, Spencer’s have also released a Kingdom Hearts seatbelt belt for $29.99. They have also released a snapback cap for $26.99 and a zipper wallet for $24.99, both featuring the Heartless emblem.
Hot Topic have also released an online exclusive wall art of Sora, Donald and Goofy. It costs $15.12 and is available now.
Finally, Hot Topic have released some Kingdom Hearts male pajama pants for $19.90, available exclusively online.
Will you be buying any of the new products? Let us know in the comments below.
Square Enix has updated the Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] site with new information for the Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] fan event next month at the House of Blues Anaheim in Anaheim, California.
You can view the update below.
Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross]: Dandelion Meeting will be on April 15th. Tickets for the event are sold out. Kingdom Hearts Director Tetsuya Nomura along with Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] Producer Hironori Okayama and several other development game members will be in attendance.
UPDATE (March 9, 2018): Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] producer Hironori Okayama has recorded a greeting for fans, which can be viewed on the official Square Enix USA Twitter!
Hot Topic recently streamed on their Twitter a Periscope, featuring the unboxing by HT Nerdette of never before seen Funko Pop! and other exclusive figures. The unboxing video also reveals the possibility of a new exclusive Kingdom Hearts Funko Pop:
Funko Pop is also known for releasing a great number of Kingdom Hearts figures, with the most recent one being Hooded King Mickey, released to public the November 27th 2017.
Do you think a new collection of Kingdom Hearts Funko is being planned, and if so, which characters will they feature this time? Let us know in the comment section below!
U-TREASURE, a collection of custom-made jewelry from the Japanese brand K.uno, already known for releasing Kingdom Hearts-themed accessories, has now announced the release of special customizable rings, necklaces, bangle and other jewelry. Those accessories can be created and engraved by buyers themselves, through the avaiable metal workshop in the store, and the help of some metalworkers. The engravings include specific symbols and silhouettes from the Kingdom Hearts series. Those goods will be avaiable in Shinjuku's K.uno stores for a limited time only, specifically from March 16th to May 8th.
The production time will take 2 hours, and the store which produced the jewelry will deliver it after 2 weeks. The silver made ring will cost 20,520 yen (K18 Yellow, pink, White gold, and platinum), the silver made necklace will cost 21,600 yen, while the silver made bangle will cost 23,760 yen.
You can find pictures of the products below.
What do you think about engraving a Kingdom Hearts jewel by yourself? Let us know in the comment section below!