кат“I wish for all the fans to hope to see Sora reappear in the future.”
~Secret of the title that only I know~
Nomura: The frames change quickly so it’s probably difficult to notice, but in the opening movie, we accidentally put Roxas’ ring on a finger on Ventus’ left hand.
BBS Ultimania Interview with Director Tetsuya Nomura
- Vanitas’ voice actor being the same Miyu Irino as Sora was of course because they have the same face, right?
Nomura: Yes. But, he’s nothing like Sora, is he? Mr. Irino had said before that he wanted to do a villain, so he performed with bells on. (Laughs)
The reason Zack was the only FF character to appear
- How did you decide which worlds could be visited in this story?
Nomura: First of all, it was decided from the very beginning that you would be able to visit the first three worlds with princesses. Though the princesses appeared in KH, their worlds didn’t make it into the game, so I wanted to write that someday. Story wise too, we were able to tell of how Maleficent first began to target the princesses, and so that was perfect. As for the other worlds, we chose places that looked interesting to write, or looked fun when we made the maps.
–There were also a few worlds that had appeared before, weren’t there.
Nomura: Olympus coliseum has appeared every time, but because this was a chance to tell the events of the past in particular, I wanted to include it no matter what. In the original movie there were scenes of young Hercules growing up, and so, using that, we made it possible to visit Olympus Coliseum this time, too.
- Zack appears at the Olympus coliseum, but was there a reason Final Fantasy characters other than him don’t appear in this title?
Nomura: I could have made Cid and the others appear in Radiant Garden, but if I had done that, the story would have gone off track. The main story for Birth by Sleep is very complicated, so we tried to just follow the main story and not branch out too much. The result was that with FF characters, only Zack appears. We chose him because this scenario is in KH’s past, and we wanted to use something similar if we were going to use anything at all. Zack was a character in the past in FFVII, and so he was perfect. The truth is, there were other FF characters I thought about putting in, but I decided not to use them this time so that they can appear in other titles. That title hasn’t been announced yet, so I can’t say who (laughs).
– This time a new enemy called the Unversed appeared. What are your thoughts on them?
Nomura: It was necessary to prepare an enemy based on something that didn’t appear in KH, which is a later story and would already have disappeared by the time of KH. At that, I decided to make them attached to Vanitas, so that all of them would disappear when he did. Their design concept became the theme of ‘emotion’, and we went with various motifs, such as a laughing face, angry face and crying face. The Unversed mark was also modeled on the heart from emotions.
- Speaking of enemies, this time’s hidden boss, Vanitas Sentiment, was very strong, wasn’t it?
Nomura: Because the hidden boss in KHIIFM, Lingering Sentiment, was fairly well received, I decided to make this one an equal match in strength. The fans were asking for a hidden boss with “demon-like strength”, you see. And so, once the debugger (person who checks the conditions of programs) found a way to capture it we adjusted it so that it wouldn’t get boring, and the result was that strength. During work I also went to Osaka and fought it as practice, but I couldn’t beat it. (Laughs) I knew that if I had been able to defeat it right away it would mean it wasn’t very strong, so it was ideal that I couldn’t defeat it.
Riddles hidden in the secret ending, hinting at the future of the series
– Secret movies are an established tradition for the series, and in this title, a secret scene titled “Blank Points” was included. Does that name refer to the blank points in the story?
Nomura: There is that meaning, but every secret title aims to be reminiscent of the contents of the next game. For example, the secret movie in Kingdom Hearts was titled “Another side, Another story”, which was hinting at Roxas. Then the secret movie in KHIIFM was “Birth by Sleep”, wasn’t it? Well, the title of the next game isn’t restricted to “Blank Points”, but it will fit that meaning.
- In the secret ending, who is the “other person’s heart Terra is harbouring in his own” that Xehanort refers to?
Nomura: I can’t answer that yet, but I intended to make the correct answer obvious. If you listen carefully to Xehanort’s line, and read the Xehanort reports, I think there’s someone who will come to mind.
- Ansem the Wise said to Aqua, “everything is born from sleep”, but what does this mean?
Nomura: Those calling “Sora” in that scene are all people who have already left this world. But there is no concept of death in the world of KH, and so the image is of sleeping in Sora’s heart for example. If they could be woken up, they should be able to be brought back into this world, and so that’s what “born from sleep” means. Ansem the Wise was speaking of this possibility. Aqua isn’t in the world of light either, so perhaps she too will come born from sleep.
- And so, is there a possibility that the characters that appeared in that scene will be brought back in the future?
Nomura: Yeah. The data that Ansem hid inside Sora is a secret related to their resurrection. When Ansem became DiZ and worked from the shadows, he did research on the heart and emotion, but he hid the conclusion of his particular findings inside Sora. There were many who thought that what was hidden was Kingdom Hearts Coded, but that’s not right. In the ending of Coded, Naminé’s words that DiZ did something to Sora are pointing to the data that Ansem hid. We are planning to make clear the nature of that data in a future title.
Designs for two games other than KHIII are in progress
- The three handheld console titles Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts Coded and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep have sold quite well, however what are your thoughts?
Nomura: It was very difficult, but it was also fun. I was able to challenge myself in various ways, and from that I found elements I can use from now on. In particular, thinking about the hardware in different consoles was a huge gain. For example, on the PSP, we could use the same controls as the original series, and so we were able to pursue an invigorating make. Then, because the Nintendo DS hasn’t got an analogue stick, rather than invigoration, we thought we’d better go with a system based around customizable play. On top of that, we also had a title not on a gaming console but on the mobile phone, which provided the challenge of making a simple title still feel completely like Kingdom Hearts. From those experiences, I think I’ve gained much I can use from now on.
“The characters who were calling to Sora have the possibility of being born through sleep”
- The overseas version of Birth by Sleep is currently being developed, are there parts in that will change from the original release?
Nomura: The scenarios won’t change particularly, except for various adjustments. Apart from Proud mode, there is the more difficult Critical mode. I had a hand in some of the event scenes that according to the circumstances weren’t able to be produced with my own intentions. More songs for the Rhythmic Ice Cream mini game were added and the number of Keyblades also increased. Furthermore the battle balance and play feeling of it were regulated.
- Like with Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, can we expect a Final Mix version of Birth by Sleep so Japanese fans can enjoy the perks of the overseas version?
Nomura: Well, if I answered “there aren’t plans right now”, it might be perceived as “not releasing one”, and so I can’t say anything. Though the voice work in the overseas version is fantastic, releasing a Final Mix version wouldn’t be bad… But when we released Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix we attached Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories with it, so I get the feeling everyone would expect something big with the Final Mix version of this. So even though I’d like to say that was the case, I don’t think that such a big accomplishment could be achieved twice! (Laughs)
– Now that Birth by Sleep is complete, we’re interested in the future titles to come in the Kingdom Hearts series…
Nomura: Kingdom Hearts III can’t be started if the goals for Final Fantasy Versus XIII are not concluded, however development of the next title(s) in the series has already begun. There’s one I plan to release within the year. After that, there’s another one I’m thinking I want to release from next year onwards, and I think there will be more than one main character again. By the way, the scene “Blank Points” in Birth by Sleep in which Sora ends up setting off on his journey is planned to connect to Kingdom Hearts III.
– It means that Kingdom Hearts III will wrap up the story so far, right?
Nomura: That’s right. I’ve heard that some fans suppose that the series will probably end with KHIII, but the developing Kingdom Hearts series is being made with the intent that everything up until KHIII, which is to come, is the first part of an even bigger series. Sora is the hero of Kingdom Hearts, but the first part of the series, unfolding now, is the Xehanort saga. Hasn’t Xehanort always been the enemy since KHI?
– I see. So then, KHIII will be the end of the Xehanort saga?
Nomura: If I had to, I’d say that’s the way to look at it. That’s why even if the Xehanort saga ends, there’s the possibility that a new adventure for Sora will begin.
– So, it’s not that “once Sora’s story is over the story of a new hero will begin”, but that the series will always have Sora as the hero, isn’t it?
Nomura: Yeah. One of the concepts of the series is that the hero Sora isn’t some special being, but a normal boy. Sure, his heart is connected to Ventus and the others, but other than that, he’s a normal kid that could have come from anywhere, that hasn’t inherited anything from anyone. I want to make Sora a character that will give the player the feeling that “even if I’m not some special being, I have the possibility buried inside of connecting with many others to accomplish things”. In Birth by Sleep, I wish for all the fans to hope to see that Sora reappears. The secret cutscene is what symbolizes this, and so please work your way there, and wait for Sora’s role in the future.
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Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
PLOT MYSTERIES
In this title, where our eyes are apt to be drawn to points that elucidate the mysteries of the past, it is by no means easy to grasp the full details of the story. As usual, we've gone after Mr. Nomura with the questions from the game that have been simmering away. (Interviewer: Yuuko Oono)
-- Considering the conversation between Sora and Ventus in the ending of the Last Episode, is this saying that the "just-born heart" that Ventus connects with in the opening is Sora's?
Nomura: Yes. At first we supposed that it could be Sora before he was born, but because of opinions from overseas that "the heart doesn't exist until after birth", we discarded that portrayal.
-- Ventus awakens with Sora's help, but at first his eyes are blank, and when he first meets Terra and Aqua he falls asleep under their barrage of questions.
Nomura: At that time, although Ventus has awakened, his heart is not fully formed. The imagery is the same as the first week after Roxas entered the organisation in "KH Days", when he was spacing out.
-- This time we saw a "rite of succession"* - is that a required condition for becoming a Keyblade user?
Nomura: That's essentially correct. In terms of the rite itself, the successee* just has to make the successor grasp their Keyblade - if this rite is performed by a Keyblade Master, and if they have suitable power, the Keyblade will choose that person as a Keyblade user, and appear before them. Terra, Ventus, all have passed this rite. Sora is the only exception.
-- The Keyblade succession can only be performed by a Keyblade Master, but we see Terra performing this rite with Riku - does this mean we can consider Terra a Keyblade Master?
Nomura: No. Terra was not awarded that title by his Master Eraqus, so no matter how Master Xehanort flatters him he is not a Keyblade Master. But that's just a matter of whether or not he's achieved the official title. Even Eraqus recognised that Terra possessed suitable power to be a Master, which is why he was able to perform the rite for Riku.
-- In Aqua's chapter, on the Destiny Islands, was Aqua originally intending to perform the Keyblade rite for Sora or Riku?
Nomura: Yes. When Aqua met Sora and Riku, she was on the point of realising that she may end up having to fight Terra. At that point she was going to perform the rite of succession for Sora, but realised that Terra had already performed the rite for Riku. Not wanting sora and Riku to end up fighting like she and Terra in the future, she didn't perform the rite for Sora. This is the meaning behind her murmurs that "One must not get too close to a chosen one," and "I must not make them walk the same path." When she tells Sora he must save Riku if he ends up walking the wrong path, she's projecting her own thoughts onto Sora.
-- By the time of "KHI", have Sora, Riku and Kairi forgotten about Terra and Aqua?
Nomura: That's right. In "KHI" Kairi herself says that she's lost all her previous memories, that she "doesn't remember anything before coming to the Destiny Islands", and it would be pretty easy for Sora to forget. After all, I think for a child of 4 or 5 years old to remember a person they met only once and exchanged just a few words with would be quite unnatural. Only Riku, who was told by Terra "Don't tell anything of today to anyone," may simply be keeping quiet.
-- If Terra wasn't the one who stole Aurora's heart in his chapter, who actually did steal it?
Nomura: It was Master Xehanort and Maleficent. In "KHI" it was shown that beings of darkness like Maleficent and the Heartless are able to steal people's hearts. The theory is that Terra, who has light residing in his heart, is not a being of darkness and therefore didn't steal Aurora's heart.
-- Who is the hero "similar to Terra" that Zack aspires to be like?
Nomura: As in the original game, it's Sephiroth. In "KHI FM" and "KHII" Sephiroth was portrayed as a being of darkness, but at the time of "KH BbS" we don't know whether or not he was a being of darkness.
-- What's the meaning behind the several puzzling images in Terra's chapter where we cross over into his mind?
Nomura: Firstly, when he hears the name of the masked boy from Master Xehanort at the mysterious wasteland, and we see an image of Aqua and Ventus defeated, that's a hint of the future. On the Destiny Islands, when he makes Riku his successor, he has a special view of him and catches a glimpse of his future. However, this isn't to say that Terra has the ability to see the future - it was a directive nuance intended to portray the future connection between Terra and Riku.
-- Was Master Xehanort the one who delivered the final blow to Master Eraqus?
Nomura: Because it was necessary to avoid showing such a cruel scene, it's difficult to tell from the presentation, but that's right. Terra saw this happen right in front of his eyes, so when he realised at the Keyblade Graveyard that Master Xehanort intends to harm Ventus and Aqua, this drives him to anger, saying, "Not only my father Eraqus..."* As an aside, although he says "my father", and we see from Eraqus' words that he thinks of Terra like a son, Terra and Eraqus are not actually father and son. Also, in his final moments Eraqus falls towards Terra - an important meaning is hidden in this scene.
-- In a memory scene in Ventus' chapter, we see Master Xehanort send Neoshadow Heartless after Ventus. But the Heartless only appeared in the world of light at the time Ansem Report 1 from "KHI" was written - were Ansem the Wise's student Xehanort's experiments with darkness not his first?
Nomura: As Yen Sid says in "KHII", the Heartless cannot be separated from the darkness in people's hearts, and have been around for a long time. Beings of darkness can draw out the darkness in the heart, so Master Xehanort could summon the Neoshadows with his own hands. In the same way, when Xehanort and Ansem the Wise's students begin to perform the first experiments on the darkness of the heart, artificial Heartless were created in large numbers.
-- In this title, the dark influence of the Heartless isn't breaking down the walls between worlds, so in this period before Gummi Ships, why are Donald and Goofy able to travel to the Mysterious Tower?
Nomura: You can think of it as being thanks to Yen Sid, and also because the Mysterious Tower is a loophole world in the first place, so it comes under slightly different rules than the ones that connect the other worlds. By the way, when Donald and Goofy visit the Mysterious Tower in "KHII", they say "Isn't this tower strange!" even though they know it from "KH BbS". This is because the floors are constructed differently to the previous time they visited, which is strange (laughs).
-- Are the Unversed of a similar nature to the Heartless?
Nomura: That's right. The Heartless are born from the darkness of the heart, and Unversed are born from negative emotions, so you can call them relatives (laughs). To make them fundamentally similar, we made the designs similar. However there's one difference in that the Heartless are seeking hearts, whereas the Unversed behave according to Vanitas' will, and emotionally. For example, the Flood portray feelings of irritation.
-- In "KHI" when Sora stabs the "Keyblade of people's hearts" into himself to release his heart and Kairi's, Sora's Heartless and Nobody were born. When Master Xehanort and Terra:Xehanort stab themselves with the Keyblade, were his and Terra's Nobodies not created?
Nomura: That is not yet clear. However I will say that the fixed sentiment that remained just after Master Xehanort stabbed himself with the Keyblade was not a Heartless.
-- When Vanitas calls Aqua a "spare", is he talking about raw materials for making a χ-blade?
Nomura: Yes. She was a "spare" prepared in case Ventus did not survive the fusion process with Vanitas. Aqua was recognised by Eraqus as a legitimate Keyblade Master who viewed light as absolute, and holds a strong heart of light. So if Ventus were to fail she could have been used as material for the χ-blade.
-- Comparing the Organisation members when they were human to when they were in the Organisation, apart from Xehanort, only Isa and Braig have differently-shaped ears and differently-coloured eyes - why is this?
Nomura: It's a question of whether or not they're deeply connected to Xehanort. In Braig's case, comparing the scene where he's injured in his battle with Terra and flares up at Xehanort, his appearance afterwards changes, which hints that something happened with Xehanort in between.
-- Roxas, the "Sora + Ventus" Nobody, was able to use a Keyblade. In contrast Xemnas, the "Terra + Master Xehanort" Nobody, wasn't able to use a Keyblade. Why is this?
Nomura: I'd rather that point remain a mystery. It's possible that he intentionally wasn't using one.
-- In "KHI", the robed man, Ansem the Wise's apprentice Xehanort's Heartless (the body of Xehanort's Heartless before he inhabited Riku's body), appeared on the Destiny Islands. Is this because it was Master Xehanort's homeworld?
Nomura: That may be one reason, but if he somehow had some of Terra's memories, we can consider that it might be because he had laid eyes on Riku previously. In terms of the elements of Terra and Master Xehanort, I think the questions of how their power is related and divided, as well as who has whose memories and heart, will become a key to the story* after this one.
-- Is that to say that there's a possibility that within Xehanort's Heartless, the darkness that sleeps in Riku's heart, there might remain something of Terra...?
Nomura: That's also a riddle connected to the next story,* so everyone please use your imagination.
* Refers to Terra's interaction with Riku on Destiny Islands.
* Yes, I know successee isn't a word. But the same word stem is used for the successor and the one-who-is-succeeded here in Japanese, and I wanted to convey that.
* The quote is unfinished in the Japanese text, but the way it's phrased makes it clear that he means something like, "So not only did you kill Eraqus, now you intend to do the same to my friends." Just thought I'd add a note in case it wasn't clear in English.
* Story or stories. Japanese doesn't generally distinguish singular and plural nouns.
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потом тезисно накидаю, что кого НЕ спойлерного. Тут много вкусностей.
@темы: "Kingdom Hearts"
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20.11.2010 в 10:38а мне вот интересно, если в КХ нет смерти, то как они планируют избавляться от Ксеанорта?)))
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20.11.2010 в 10:44*laugh Ванитасовым laugh'ом*
действительно... Каааааак?!
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20.11.2010 в 10:54будущая связь Терры, положившего глаз на Рику и самого Рику, который молчит об Терре в тряпочку, тоже порадовало)))
Ксеанорта либо перевоспитают, либо спать положат наверно, больше никаких вариантов мне в голову не приходит)))
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20.11.2010 в 12:29надеюсь тебе с фиком поможет))
Мой сегодня растолстел до пятидесяти восьми страниц и у меня паника
Ксеанорта либо перевоспитают
Нарутотерапию Номура вряд ли введёт. Скорее всего его рассеют и забудут.
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20.11.2010 в 12:37надеюсь тебе с фиком поможет))
я боюсь, что это поможет до такой степени, что все закончится Терра/Рику
Мой сегодня растолстел до пятидесяти восьми страниц и у меня паника
ммм, хоть кусочек для затравки выложи? интересно же!
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20.11.2010 в 12:45паадууумаешь.... XDDD
фандом не против))
ммм, хоть кусочек для затравки выложи?
ммммммм...
Вдохновение сегодняшнего дня - ужас завтрашнего(с). Я сейчас в целом накатаю, чтобы полный сценарий был и переписывать ничего не пришлось, потом проведу дополнение и выложу.
интересно же!
Да вряд ли интересно будет НАСТОЛЬКО, это взгляд Бога канона на жизнь Акселя во Вселенной КН. Хотя честно, руки чешутся то тут то там всякие намёки писать.
ЗЫ: нравится подпись :3
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20.11.2010 в 12:49паадууумаешь.... XDDD
фандом не против))
я против, у меня было честно запланировано Рику/Сора, а тут опять все в сторону уходит)))))))))
давай-давай выкладывай, не ломайся, я жду)))))
Хотя честно, руки чешутся то тут то там всякие намёки писать.
фандом не против))
ага, у нас с Джот одна на двоих))))
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20.11.2010 в 12:59диктатор проснулся?
Ну могу лично тебе кинуть кусок в закрытую запись. На сырость текста не жаловаться.
ага, у нас с Джот одна на двоих))))
вы мне с Джот на первой поре мозг вынесли своими никами. Только потом 1 заметила.
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20.11.2010 в 13:05диктатор проснулся?
а что, таки он засыпал?)))
Ну могу лично тебе кинуть кусок в закрытую запись. На сырость текста не жаловаться.
когда я жаловалась?
я сразу сапогом по ребрам))))))) кидай!вы мне с Джот на первой поре мозг вынесли своими никами
не только тебе
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20.11.2010 в 13:26как автарка-то в тему :3
я сразу сапогом по ребрам)))))))
чточточточто О_О
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20.11.2010 в 13:31ничего, ты этого не видела))))))))
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20.11.2010 в 13:39-
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20.11.2010 в 17:45пиши-пиши, не обращай внимания)))))))
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20.11.2010 в 20:21Эй! Так нечестно. Выкладывайся уже для всех
Aku1atrasax
я боюсь, что это поможет до такой степени, что все закончится Терра/Рику
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20.11.2010 в 20:39*напоминает* фандом не против)))))))))
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20.11.2010 в 20:47Но как же Рикусоры??
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20.11.2010 в 21:13Эй! Так нечестно. Выкладывайся уже для всех
ммммм.
Добавляю тебя в Белый список, сама напросилась)))...
погоди... ты у меня в Белом списке есть!
первый фик тут
www.diary.ru/~OtogiZoshi/p131252705.htm
второй тут
www.diary.ru/~OtogiZoshi/p134835560.htm