AnHeiressofaSOLDIER

Wait... you can already preorder it? I was looking to see if you could, but I couldn't find a link to it. If you could, do you mind telling me the URL to where you can preorder? I'd really appreciate it:) Thanks a bunch! And I don't think either of us will probably be on kh13 on that day (especially since we're both getting the collectors' edition). LOL. And Mami is, indeed, awesome. I always love getting to see more of her, like in the PSP games, The Different Story, Oriko Magica, Rebellion, etc. Though Homura and Madoka are still my favorites. Mami is third for me I think, though. I also really love Kyoko. And I do like Sayaka, but she's probably my least favorite out of the bunch. Still love her, though. Madoka Magica has such great characters! Though I kind of wish we got to see more of Nagisa in Rebellion (sorry if that's a minor spoiler), but with a possible second season looming on the horizon, maybe we'll get to know her better then:) I also wouldn't mind if Yuma showed up in something other than the Oriko manga someday, and things like that:D

I get that completely. Thanks anyway, though:) Here's hoping you can see the movie when it comes out on DVD April 8th, and be able to enjoy it. Madoka ftw! -Shanna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L4JQCiiPeY SPOILERS An amv I made about the Rebellion story, and how Homura's betrayed Madoka. Unfortunately, though, it has some glitches because I guess the files were corrupt? But hopefully you guys can look past, that and enjoy this vid. Were it not for the glitches, this would be my best work, I think. And I put so much work into this vid, too; it sucks that it's now wonky:(

SoraxKairi RoxasxXion TerraxAqua RikuxNaminé I especially wish that Namiku got more love. Those two make so much sense, I think.

The original magical girl, Sailor Moon, of course. I love that series so much and I wouldn't be where I am today without it. After that, it was Tenchi (Muyo, Universe, and Tokyo), Cardcaptor Sakura, Pokémon etc. Oh, those great years I spent growing up with Toonami...

Actually, that was a misconception. According to someone who read the novel--and can speak both English and Japanese--people were mistaking Yuna's being coy and playful as her being mean. Anyway...

I saw this theory on KHInsider, as well, and I personally could see it. I mean, Kairi very well could have given Sora a new heart when she restored him in KH1. Plus, I could see this as a plot twist that Nomura could pull. It'd be like the, "you were with me all along, and our hearts are connected" thing again (especially since I also theorize that Sora might be connected to Kingdom Hearts somehow). And she was the first person that we ever knew of to go into Sora's heart, so... (She was also aware during that time, unlike Ven, Xion, and even Roxas, for the most part.) There's also the fact that she's a Princess of Heart--a piece that makes up the new Kingdom Hearts itself--to consider. But going even further than that, we all know that Kairi is special. She's a PoH and a GoL, which is unheard of. Who knows what powers she might possess? Especially since there's a chance she could even have something like Naminé's powers, has somewhat shown latent psychic abilities before, etc. She could also recognize Sora and Riku through the Darkness... Another thing to consider is how the glass case that was meant to hold her in HB was away from all the others'. And it always sort of made me wonder just how Maleficent and ASoD suddenly stumbled upon the, "It must be her" idea, when they realized they were missing a PoH. Was her power that strong that they sensed it? Actually... Mickey, Aqua, and Xehanort sensed Kairi's power easily, too, which is why Aqua put that spell on her necklace, and why Xehanort cast her into the Lanes Between to test his theory. Also... we all know that the "key" sometimes pronounced "kye" err... "kai" thing is going to come up again... And Nomura has been mum about what Kairi's role in III is going to be. I've suspected for a while that he could be planning something with her, so maybe this is it. Anywho, I really hope this is true. I think it could be cool, as well as make sense. Plus, it could finally give Kairi the character development and role that she deserves. I just hope that if they do go this route, they develop her as a person, as well as a new plot device. Though I do like this direction for her--and it's more Kairi, and pays homage to her PoH status--as opposed to her just being a warrior princess now. Here's hoping something like this happens...

It makes me sad, because I always interpreted how it was meant to be/understood it. He's just like a little kid... And I think the saddest thing in the world is seeing children suffer--who can't even understand what's happening--so it makes me terribly sad:(

"I am so, so sorry for the terrible audio drama and novella that's ruined everything", it'll say (I'm kidding... mostly).

This is too hard a question. Don't make me choose! If I have to, though, probably Roxas' theme and/or Xion's. Apparently I just love the songs that make me want to rip my heart out in despair...

A bit of both two and four for me. Also, Lie Ren, I love your signature. Mami Tomoe and Madoka Magica ftw!

I'm still sad they didn't use the Aqua and Coco (from TWEWY Live Remix) outfits... I might just have to buy some of these, though:)

I really like the idea about a villain targeting Keyblade wielders, because they think they've caused too much turmoil in the world. Honestly, there are way too many wielders--and characters--to juggle effectively now, and this would be an epic way to solve that problem (whether that means they're killed, or just lose their ability to wield, is still up in the air, though.). Plus, it could tie into what King Triton was once talking about and whatnot.

Yeah, if I recall correctly, the original director of FFXII had to leave halfway through due to health issues. Then another team had to pick up the pieces (which is why Penelo's backstory fell to the wayside, though some of it was inserted into RW). What's happened to them since then, though, I have no idea. Here's hoping some of them are still around working on various things:) Despite the hate it gets, and some of the issues it had, I actually liked XII. I thought it was a good direction for Square to go in, in a lot of ways.

I'm still not sure that they're not. It wouldn't be the first time Square's blatantly lied about something. And you know they didn't just make the novella and audio drama for kicks. Personally, I (and a lot of fans), think they might be making a movie. I mean, wasn't Toriyama recently asked about a movie, whilst promoting the X/X-2 HD collection? But anyway, it really seems like they're going the Advent Children route to me here. Release a novella that takes place between the source material and a future installment? Check. Bring back the main antagonist from the previous game to be in the new movie? Check.

Lightning has not been in more things. She's been in the three XIII games, Duodecim, FFXIV, All the Bravest, and Theatrhythym (and possibly other things I'm forgetting). Cloud has been in Before Crisis, Crisis Core, FFVII, Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus, both Dissidia games, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy Tactics, Kingdom Hearts, Chain of Memories, KHII, Re:Coded, All the Bravest, Theatrhythym, Last Order, Case of Denzel, Ehrgeiz, Itdaki Street Portable, and was a "virus" in Parasite Eve, etc. And I don't think it's fair you won't include all of the Cloud things in your argument, but are including XIII-2, when you didn't "play as that character" in it. And once again, Cloud was in FFIX, so Lightning wasn't the first to be in another main series game.

I think the last bit was Toriyama (I think it was Toriyama) just saying there was a possibility for more Lightning. I don't think there's anything concrete yet, though. And IDK. I still think Cloud's been in more things, but I get what you mean. Still... I think they just got burnt out on FFVII and needed a break from it. I'm sure "Eternal Crisis", will come out eventually. But in all honesty, I think Square needs to stop shoving Lightning in our faces and start showing more of XV or something (and I even like FFXIII and Light). But there's no denying that these games have been very controversial, so if Square wants to recover from last generation, they need to give the people what they want. Which at the moment is no more Lightning.

Sora's always had faith in Kairi, I think. ("You guys, me, Riku and the King. With the five of us--I mean, the six of us--there's nothing we can't handle, right?" And I think that he'd be glad that: A) She'll be able to defend herself now. B) Won't be kidnapped by being left alone again or something. And C) That she'll finally get to see the worlds, too. Also, there's a chance that Sora's even the one who told Yen Sid that Kairi could wield a Keyblade, as Yen Sid said to Kairi, "It has come to my attention that you, too, can wield a Keyblade." See? He didn't know before someone brought it to his attention. Now, we know from the secret ending by Riku, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy's shock that it wasn't them. Lea didn't even know Kairi can wield, so it has to have been Sora that told him, right? I mean, in this line in KHII, Sora seems to recognize that Kairi can stand on her own somewhat. "You are different, Kairi, but I'm just glad you're here," which is his response to seeing her fight some Heartless and Saïx's, "She doesn't need you anymore," line. And even in KH1, you know that Sora wanted to take Kairi with him to save Riku, but at that time thought she was too inexperienced. I don't think that's the case now. Especially since he knows how much danger she'll be in from Xehanort, I can easily see Sora--after learning that the Princesses will be targeted again--telling Yen Sid that they should bring Kairi in to train. But that's just my opinion:) I do think he'll be reluctant to hurt her, though, should they spar. And I definitely don't think he'll want her on the frontlines (and get very protective of her, and vicious, should someone try to hurt her), but still.

If they did, I'd only want it between Sora and Kairi, seeing as how it's been hinted at so much. However, KH has never been big on the romance and I don't think that should change. However, I don't want the Sora/Kairi subplot to be completely scrapped (and I do want the characters to grow, mature, seem more realistic, and for Sora and Kairi to not be awkward around each other, via the dance they've been doing for so long now), and I think a happy medium could be found. Have Kairi give Sora a favor of hers to wear into battle or something. That way, the romance isn't the main focus, but at the same time it isn't being completely ignored. Plus, if someone's deadest against buying into the KH romances, they could choose to see such a thing as friendship, if they wanted to (even though most people know that: in medieval times girls, gave favors to champions they liked, and if the guy took it that was a confirmation that he felt the same way). But this way, everyone wins:)

Actually, I prefer Hayden as Xion (there was some awkward delivery in Days, but I think a lot of it was intentional?), and I really don't want to have to go through another switch. It's been confusing enough as is, as well as with some of the other VA switches in the series. Plus, as Xion's becoming her own person, it's probably best that she has her own voice. I wonder if that means Roxas might get a new voice or appearance after III (Naminé could also get a new appearance). But then again... I don't think so, given all the "I see myself the way you remember me, and you see yourself the way I remember you"/It's when other people look at us and see someone, that we each really start to exist" stuff the series promotes. It's all about who they are in their heart that will determine what they'll be as their own people.

Hayden also voiced Xion in Birth by Sleep. And technically, Kairi and Xion are supposed to have the same voice actress, as they do in Japanese. But I do prefer Hayden as Kairi and Alyson as Xion. And I suppose since Xion's going to become her own person, it's probably best that she has her own voice. Anyway, I don't know how to feel about this Heroes thing. As a general rule, I don't like when things get brought back like this. And the writing got pretty bad by the end of it... It was a good show at first, though. And I guess I'll definitely be keeping an eye open for this.

That's your opinion, though, like me liking all the characters is mine. I think the characters are amazing. Lightning goes from someone very angry and closed off (who just wanted to get back at the Sanctum), to someone who completely thawed out, but still retained who she was. She became quite caring, and the leader of the gang who tried to save the world, despite the fact it hated them (and L'cie had been her enemies when she'd been part of the Guardian Corps). Plus, under her front, she's actually very vulnerable. She blames herself for Serah's fate, and lashes out at Snow when she really is ashamed of herself, which is something very realistic: needing to hold someone else responsible. But she and Snow come to a really neat place. And that scene, when they're on Cocoon talking about Serah, has to be my favorite one in the game. Lightning is a very real character. And personally, I found her character to be much more relatable than Cloud's or Squall's, because she literally had no reason to hope for anything good to happen after she became a L'cie. Snow is pretty much Sora. He puts on an act of hope and kindness, when really he's deluding himself and hurting inside for not being able to save Serah (as even said in the game). And when he learns that they were created to destroy Cocoon (and that Serah became a crystal, because she'd "gathered the tools to aid in the destruction"), he loses it and becomes a broken man. But he's able to find a new way to go about things, that's hopeful but not naïve. The fact he's always willing to help others, though (once again: it's a world that hates them), and tries to explain their case to them, is also very admirable. And the way he handles things with Lightning, and Hope--who freaking tries to kill him--is also something to behold. Vanille lies through her teeth all the time, and is always smiling, but deep down she's terrified and always has been. She and Fang were tasked with destroying Cocoon before, and she hates herself for that and what she's doing now. And she hates herself for pushing it all onto Fang, and for always running and leaving things up to the others. And though she is from Pulse, which is Cocoon's enemy, she's one of the first to declare that they have to save Cocoon, even though it would be at the cost of herself. And it's really because of her that they do (as she becomes the crystal pillar, and even before that, was trying to stop Fang from listening to the Fal'cie after the others disappeared during the final battle). She also carries a heavy burden in being responsible for both Serah and Dajh becoming L'cie. Fang is simply amazing, because she doesn't fall into any one stereotype (something the translation staff and Fang's English VA enjoyed talking about). She can be antagonistic at times in the game, but she never really wants to do the bad things, and reverts back into being a protagonist. She's loyal to Vanille to a fault, and is her main focus, but she also loves her new family and will do right by them (even though they're supposed to be her enemies). She's obviously very strong and masculine, but she has an air of femininity to her, too. She's also definitely the "dark chick" of the group, yet is also known for having some of the best wry humor in said group. Fang is an awesome character because she is a character. You can't put her into a box, as she is a lot of different things. Hope is... Hope is probably my favorite character in this game. And I hate the way people treat him. Hope is a fifteen-year-old kid, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And when vacationing somewhere with his mother, he got taken in by the Purge, had his mother die right before his eyes, and becomes a L'cie, which is pretty much a fate worse than death. And he has to deal with all of this amongst total strangers, and the person he blames for his mother's death, of whom he wants revenge against. (Now, it obviously wasn't Snow's fault, but Hope has just been through hell and back, is traumatized as frick, and has the right to not be okay at first). And it doesn't help that Snow's always saying how he's a "hero and going to save the day", which just adds salt to Hope's wounds. But eventually, he realizes it isn't Snow's fault, and he bands with the others to try and save Cocoon. And in a lot of ways, Hope becomes the heart and soul of the group, as they battle for their lives. He was also instrumental in Snow and Lighting's character development. And in XIII-2 and on he's just amazing. And easily one of the smartest and capable people in the series. Also, Hope is the only one who never gets his lost loved one back. But he never resents this, and moves on with his new take on life. Sazh's son was turned into a L'cie (something it's hinted that Sazh might have been prejudiced about before), and he wasn't able to save him. (Something he can't forgive himself for.) He then gets pulled into the Purge and becomes a L'cie himself. For a while he goes around aimlessly without hope: trying to enjoy the last of his days alongside Vanille. Only to realize that Vanille was responsible for his son becoming a L'cie. Eventually he and Vanille overcome this, though (after he seems to almost commit suicide and whatnot), and they join together to save Cocoon, and to hopefully see Dajh and Serah again. Sazh also becomes the father figure of the group, and also probably the most realistic (and also one of the most realistic SE characters ever, and most likely the most accurate way they've ever characterized someone that's African American). Also, all the characters learn they've been being lied to all their lives, and are really just the Fal'cie's pets, that they now want to manipulate and destroy. And that they need to find a way to move on from their brainwashing, and be able to allow humanity to be in charge of its own destiny, and to take care of themselves. (As the people of Cocoon counted on the Fal'cie for EVERYTHING. Even their artificial air, water, etc.) As for the other characters, I'll get to them if/when I talk about XIII-2 and LR.

So, I'm going to edit this post tomorrow when I have the time, and give a full in-depth reason about why I love these games. But as of now, I'd definitely say buy the series. Honestly, the flack that this series has gotten is completely ridiculous in my opinion (but that's the Internet for you). And a lot of the hate has been taken to ridiculous portions, when a lot of the stuff can be justified. The reason there are no towns in the first game is because your characters are enemies of the entire world they're on. If they went into town, they would be being hunted all the time, and they're smart enough not to do that. And it happens a few times in the game, anyway. But the character development in the first game is extraordinary. Most people hate on these characters, because they judge them for who they were before character development set in. And, you know, hate them for being human, realistic, and having flaws because this is the Internet. (And on a side note, I think the XIII characters are some of the most believable characters from any of the Square games). But the way FFXIII developed these characters, who even had reason to hate each other, into a family at the end (and having it feel legitimate) is an amazing feat, that I've seen a ton of things not be able to pull off as well as this game did. Just how they handled having six leads, with equal importance to the story, was also commendable. And just the themes of defying destiny, and creating your own miracles, is really something to write home about. Especially since they pretty much screwed themselves over to save a world that hated and feared them, when they could have sacrificed the others to save themselves. The entire world of the Fabula Nova Chrystallis series is also fascinating, and reminds me a lot of the Greek and Roman god myths. So, yes. I think XIII is an amazing series, that you should honestly give a chance.

Edit: I should also really get into Hetalia... LOL. I figured that probably wasn't what you were going for (as ES's pretty obscure), but that game actually has Fredric Chopin as a main/playable character. The game is actually loosely about his life, and a dream he's having whilst dying (the entire game is his dream), which sounds really weird and depressing, but it's actually not. Anyway, for obvious reasons the game is littered with Chopin's music, which is why I immediately jumped to that thought. LOL. But if you want, I'd definitely suggest checking out ES. It's a cute and fun game, with some pretty deep meanings to it. The graphics, scenery, and music are also gorgeous. And the gameplay is also pretty nice:) (I think it's by the company that makes the Tales games). But a word of caution: if you're going to play the game, I recommend the PS3 version, as it added a lot of cool new scenes, more playable characters, etc. There's also a manga for the game. Anywho, here's a video that sort of tells what ES is about (though it has massive spoils for the whole game). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcP6niffmJs And there's also this scene, if you want to check it out, which is arguably the best scene in the game, imo. Anyway, here's hoping I've been of some help to you:) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyeJmVhRBE4

Eternal Sonata?