KH4 First Trailer

This is the first KH4-related translation post I've done (nearly two years late ;lakjsdf my how the time flies), and hopefully there will be many more to come. I'll be focusing on the dialogue and text in the trailer and not so much on the camera angles, character expressions, etc. this time around just because I want to keep the focus on the translations.

Here’s a general key for the kind of analysis I like to do:

JP: Official Japanese Dialogue

EN: Official English Dialogue

TR: My Translation (usually more literal and thus more stilted than the official English version. I’m not using natural-sounding English in order to stick as close to the Japanese versions of the lines as possible for the purpose of analysis)

Notes: things I found interesting, grammatical points, extra thoughts, etc.

One last note: media doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Every work of art must be viewed through the cultural lens of the people who made it. Kingdom Hearts, for all its ties to Disney, is still very much a Japanese game, so it should be analyzed in light of that.

With that in mind, let’s continue.

Awww thank you for asking! I do have a few more story ideas for the AU that I want to write at some point: Keyblade training shenanigans with the kids where Haruto accidentally gets everyone but Kairi turned into a cat, and then a more angsty + fluffy piece involving Sora's Heartless form (since the kids have never seen it before). And then of course I want to do something for the youngest brother ❤️ He has a name, personality, appearance etc. I just want to figure out the perfect intro for him.

I'm really glad you like the kids so much. That's such a huge compliment, and I really appreciate you letting me know ❤️ I had a lot of fun creating them, and it's always fun revisiting the AU!

As for Miyu's romantic interest, I always thought it would be highly amusing if she started crushing on the son of one of Sora and Kairi's friends...who should it be is the question though 🤔 😉

Thank you for the ask!

Touch Cravings Chapter 2

~1320 words. Set post-KH3. Terraqua, Aqua and Ven friendship, and background Sora/Kairi. Grief, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Touch Starvation, Friendship, Romance.

Summary: Aqua is dealing with the effects of her time in the realm of darkness and then the grief of losing Sora. Thankfully, she has Ven and Terra to help her get through this chapter of her life.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

(Companion piece to Touch Hunger [Chapter 1 | Chapter 2]).

“Can I come in?” Terra asked. 

Aqua’s face was flushed with embarrassment, but she nodded. She had wanted to see him, after all, even if she would’ve preferred less awkward circumstances. 

Terra had to stoop a little to get through the door. Their rooms were in an old wing of the castle, which meant they were built back when people were shorter, and Terra was not a short man.

Aqua gulped as he drew closer. She was wearing baggy sleeping clothes and didn’t look very put together. Her bed had about five crumpled blankets on it too. These rooms got drafty at night, which was why fireplaces were in each of them. To distract herself, she quickly summoned her Keyblade and mumbled a quick Fire spell under her breath to light the fireplace. Now there was a warm, crackling fire in the corner, and its familiar sounds were relaxing and soothing.

Terra stood awkwardly by her bed. He likewise was dressed more comfortably than his usual attire: simple sweatpants and a t-shirt that still managed to be form-fitting because his muscles made it impossible not to be.

Her face flushed again, but for a much more pleasant reason this time. She patted the spot next to her, and Terra carefully sat down, making the bed creak.

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed their interactions! It was really sweet of you to send in an ask to let me know, too. I honestly really love their friendship and love writing about the two of them supporting each other. It had been a while since I'd done that though, so it was nice to revisit it.

Also I love your nicknames for them, lil chocobo and blueberry mother al;sdkfjdsf those are great nicknames lol.

I don't think anyone has asked me this before! Honestly it's so hard to choose because all of them are good a;lksdjf and happen at such important turning points for their relationship.

There's the KH1 hug where Kairi protects him and he regains his humanity and the first thing he does is embrace her and thank her:

Then there's the KH2 hug where he's feeling ashamed because he didn't accomplish what he'd promised, but Kairi doesn't care and gives him a hug anyway, and it takes him by surprise but then he closes his eyes and hugs her closely:

Then there's the KH3 hug which is like a reversal of the KH2 hug where this time he's the one catching her off guard. I also just really love how he's guarding her with his body because it's his last ditch effort to protect her no matter what:

And then this beautiful hug when they're reunited in ReMind and it's just so satisfying to see them embrace after everything he went through to find her:

I think, lining them all up like this, I'd have to pick the KH1 hug and the ReMind hug as my favorites? The moment in KH1 is just so iconic, and I love how he thanks her. And then the ReMind hug is just so beautiful and satisfying, and they're both so happy and content.

I am also really hoping for a beautiful reunion hug for KH4, so fingers crossed on that 🤞 I think I'm gonna be an emotional wreck the moment they reunite.

I'm curious though, what's everyone's favorite SoKai hug?

Thank you for the ask!

Touch Cravings Chapter 1

~1400 words. Set post-KH3. Terraqua, Aqua and Ven friendship, and background Sora/Kairi. Grief, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Touch Starvation, Friendship, Romance.

Summary: Aqua is dealing with the effects of her time in the realm of darkness and then the grief of losing Sora. Thankfully, she has Ven and Terra to help her get through this chapter of her life.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

(Companion piece to Touch Hunger [Chapter 1 | Chapter 2]).

The events of the Keyblade Graveyard haunted Aqua. When that Demon Tide had come after them, she had frozen up like a coward. Locked in the past, stuck in a memory. It was like all those Heartless were her phantom selves, taunting her, tormenting her, reminding her of all those years she’d been stuck alone in the realm of darkness and her inability to do anything about it.

They all should’ve died that day, but Sora and Kairi had come to the rescue. Kairi by stubbornly refusing to let go and lighting Sora’s way, and Sora by tracking down every single one of their hearts until he reached her. Together they’d brought everyone back. And then Terra had finally broken free of Xehanort not long after. Hugging him and Ven again had felt so wonderful that the harrowing experiences of that day faded slightly.

Until they’d lost Sora. The price he’d paid to rescue them, to rescue Kairi…to go against what fate had ordained…he’d settled the debt with his own life.

Aqua sighed and curled in on herself. That brave, kind boy, risking everything to save her and Terra and Ven…she sometimes asked herself why he’d done it. She could still see his big bright smile in her mind’s eye, still picture the hand he’d offered to lift her up out of the water, out of the darkness and into the realm of light again. It didn’t feel like he was really gone. It had happened so suddenly. One moment he was sitting on the paopu tree on Destiny Islands, real as can be. The next he’d simply vanished.