Kingdom Hearts: A Crisis of Faith

[Billy193 3]

I'm not here to start fights. I don't want to argue anymore about whether KH3 was good or not. I just want to see if anyone feels the same as I do. In the year before KH3's release, my passion for the series was unparalleled. Keep in mind I never looked up any opinions on the internet regarding KH. My perception on KH was shaped by my own experience with the games and my brief discussions with friends who were also fans. My perception was that it was a charming, memorable series with an almost sacred-like aura behind it. Then I began to take part in the fandom online and it elevated my love for the series. The community was one of the most passionate and kindest I've ever seen and it was wild seeing everyone's reactions to new KH3 trailers. At this time, the community helped me recognize the flaws and memes of KH (odd dialogue choices, combat flaws, derp faces, etc). This didnt make me love the series any less, just look at it in a more fun, humorous light. 

Then KH3 happened. I kept off the internet the entire time I played it. I won't tell anyone whether I loved it or hated it, I'm not looking to start arguments here. I will say that when I discovered how it split the KH community, I was heartbroken. Each side argued their points religiously, and from their criticisms I began to see that the flaws of the series were more apparent than I thought. In addition, I began to be exposed to the general populace' perception of KH (outside the fandom, from just normal gamers). I learned the truth that many saw KH as a joke. With half the fandom criticizing KH, and the general online populace making fun of everything all around, I began to feel self conscious about KH. I still loved KH, but now I felt it was something to hide away. I admit, now that its flaws are more apparent to me, I enjoy it slightly less because now I cringe at scenes where KH is at its most meme-able. All in all, although I am still a fervent fan to the series, I now feel embarrassed about sharing that to others. Has anyone else felt this crisis of faith?  

[syngatesthe2nd 7]

I think there's a couple of things at play here. As far as Kingdom Hearts III and the divide:

On one hand, the expectations for Kingdom Hearts III were so sky high, but more importantly, so varied that it was going to be nearly impossible to measure up. There were players who had played the entire series, players who'd willing ignored important entries, etc. In my opinion, there are legitimate criticisms of the game. Whether or not these overshadow the many positives is subjective to the individual player. Unfortunately, living in 2020 is a double-edged sword for art; there's never been more places to find people who share your enthusiasm, just as there's never been more criticism and hatred of the things you enjoy shoved in your face. My point is, whatever opinion you're looking to have backed up online, there's likely a place you can find it. For this reason, you should probably try not to be bothered so much by the seeming fanbase divide. I doubt it's as drastic as it seems on the internet where everything is either the greatest thing ever or the most disappointing. For what it's worth, KH2 split the fanbase just as much at the time of its release. It took time for people to level out and judge it with some semblance of nuance. I suspect the same will happen for KH3 and on some level it already has.

As for the overall attitude of gaming toward the Kingdom Hearts series, it's a similar thing. Who really cares what anyone else thinks of the things you like? It's very interesting how a majority of people that dislike or dismiss the series are very cynical, or uninterested in levity. Kingdom Hearts can be cheesy, and maybe stupid, or childish. But these are honestly some of the reasons I like it so much, it's a source of much needed basic good vs. evil story that makes me feel good. That doesn't mean I don't also like stories that are morally gray, complex, etc. I think the things Kingdom Hearts does well, it does very well and that's why it still has such a large fanbase today and keeps appealing to new people, nostalgia aside.

All in all I'd just say you do and like whatever you want to as long as it's not hurting anyone else. People who are going to bother you about it aren't worth remembering anyway.

[Billy193 3]

Your comment really speaks to me my friend. Thank you

[syngatesthe2nd 7]

No problem, man. Glad there's so many people I can connect with who share my enthusiasm for the series.

[NotAnAn0n 1]

Apologies for the thread necromancy, but this topic really speaks to me. My first encounter with Kingdom Hearts was when I walked in on a friend playing KH2. He was at The World That Never Was, right when you fight Saïx. I think this was in '07-'08? Something about that grasped me and hasn't let go of me since. From there, I watched an LP of KH2, started binge-reading fanfiction, and convinced my parents to get me a PSP for Birth by Sleep. Eventually, I got 1.5, 2.5, and 0.2 for the PS4. I think I still have them, but we've been through two moves in the past few years and I don't know where I put them, lol. Anyway, I remember being ecstatic when KH3 was announced. I hopped right on the hype train. I remember being in shock when I saw the Anti-Aqua reveal trailer. Eventually, KH3 was released, but I wasn't able to get it. We were going through the second move and I didn't want to be a burden to my mother. Since then, I've been more exposed to the extra-fandom perception of KH, and honestly? I think a lot of people who bad-talk the series are full of it. They dismiss the series because it's an easy target or because they don't care to give the series a fair shake. Bad faith criticism and unconstructive mockery abound when it comes to KH. Of course, there are legitimate criticisms to be made of Kingdom Hearts. My fanboyism doesn't blind me to that. Lord knows that I have some bones to pick with some of the narrative choices after BBS.  Even so, it just seems like the majority of critiques leveled at this series by the mainsteam aren't from places of respect or fairness.