Completed Aqua's story on Monday 4th October, quickly followed by the Final Episode the next day. Can I just say, before launching into my opinion of her arc, I am really not impressed with Aqua's VA. I appreciate the fact that voice-acting doesn't come naturally to some people and that this may be her first foray in the field, but she really didn't sound comfortable in her role. Especially when hearing Terra and Ventus sound so natural, and then to have her mumble her lines in that croaky fashion like she's trying to sound cool/keep her voice low for a YouTube video. Yes, a lot of people on YouTube sound like that when recording "How To's" and their own reviews and whatnot, and it's annoying; Croaky Voice DOES NOT = Cool.
I'm sorry, this has just been bothering me throughout the game and to sit through 11 hours of her arc plus the 1 hour for the Final Episode...ugh.
Anyway, apart from that minor gripe, her arc wasn't too bad, though again the pacing was off. For all three arcs, there seemed to be this disconnection from what the characters were doing, the development they were going through and the story that's trying to be told. It's interesting, however, how the origins of the more familiar characters has been told...though a few things could have warranted further thought. I just wish I knew whether Nomura either had this all planned from the beginning, or is throwing this all together as he goes because he never saw Kingdom Hearts I to be such a big hit. There was a magic in that flagship title that I haven't felt since, and rather than each successive title building on that magic (bar Chain of Memories), there seems to be a dynamic that he just won't give up. There are various elements that frustrate me about each new title...but this isn't the place for them, and nor is it the time.
Thinking about it, I'm having a hard time even figuring out what her arc was all about. I know it's to do with her duties as a Keyblade Master, i.e. make sure Terra doesn't stray and bring Ventus home at any cost. I suppose it's meant to be about the struggle she feels with her new duties/title while also maintaining her relationship with her friends. By the way, I seriously can't stop wondering if she and Terra ever 'experimented'...I have no basis for this apart from how they look at and talk to each other. Argh! Any excuse for my mind to wander into the nearest gutter.
Now, there's not much I can say about the Final Episode, but it was interesting and damn Sora is so gosh-darn cute...what happened to him in Kingdom Hearts II?! It's like he went to sleep and came back as someone else! While I have my own theories about certain things revealed in this chapter, I do have a few other questions, which I will address once completing the Reports for each characters and unlocking the hidden video.
Yes, I played the game on Standard Mode mainly for the added challenge and because I misunderstood the requirement for one of the Trinity Trophies. Specifically, the the Time one...everywhere I read at the time said the game had to be completed in under or around 80 hours - Proud Mode would have taken me ages, because I'd spend more time grinding...but now I know that's rubbish and really, it should be completed in 80 hours or more...or rather you have to play the game for that length of time, because really, each arc averages 10 hours with an added 2 for the Final Episode. What really eats up the time is completing all the various other things to complete each character's Report. That's what I tell myself at least...but hey, if I'm going to get Gold Mickey's in my Trinity Reports it's more worthwhile doing it this way as well, then I won't have to feel like I'm wasting my time...which is what I'm totally doing...
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