There is a fundamental fact about storytelling that appears has never been found, nevermind documented, based on my knowledge.
It's this simple truth: Fairy Tale re-tellings are a conceptual failure.
At BEST, they are a flawed analogy to convey the themes of a story. For example, a story re-telling the tale of the beauty and the beast to talk about the dichotomy between carnal desires and reason.
At WORST, they are stuck inside the past glories of these tales, incapable of telling anything themselves beyond the border of the fairy tale they chose to replicate. They have nothing new to say. For example, the mindlessly boring first hours of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, in which nothing is said and everything is merely a re-telling of something humanity has already seen before: Fairy Tales that everybody knows.
The story has nothing new to add, no insight whatsoever; the protagonist serves as a passive observer that has no particular thoughts whatsoever on the events that happen in front of him.
When, in addition, I was forced to walk through the same superficial landscapes with nothing interesting inside them over and over and over again, I soon grew too impatient and gave up on the whole thing.
The main plot of the first game is nothing special: "The Chosen One" is used as an anology for people born with higher intelligence who are capable of changing the world. He then learns about the different parts of it through exploring the different fairy tales. Then he defeats stagnation/the darkness/nihilism/the heartless. Nobody cares.
It's utterly baffling how this series is considered one of the greatest artistic achievements in the medium. But perhaps that is prove that nobody seems to have ever bothered to think about the inherent nature of fairy tale re-tellings? It's all so bizarre.
The awesome cover art and great main theme really fooled me into thinking this would be special.
Nobody should bother with it.
It's this simple truth: Fairy Tale re-tellings are a conceptual failure.
At BEST, they are a flawed analogy to convey the themes of a story. For example, a story re-telling the tale of the beauty and the beast to talk about the dichotomy between carnal desires and reason.
At WORST, they are stuck inside the past glories of these tales, incapable of telling anything themselves beyond the border of the fairy tale they chose to replicate. They have nothing new to say. For example, the mindlessly boring first hours of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, in which nothing is said and everything is merely a re-telling of something humanity has already seen before: Fairy Tales that everybody knows.
The story has nothing new to add, no insight whatsoever; the protagonist serves as a passive observer that has no particular thoughts whatsoever on the events that happen in front of him.
When, in addition, I was forced to walk through the same superficial landscapes with nothing interesting inside them over and over and over again, I soon grew too impatient and gave up on the whole thing.
The main plot of the first game is nothing special: "The Chosen One" is used as an anology for people born with higher intelligence who are capable of changing the world. He then learns about the different parts of it through exploring the different fairy tales. Then he defeats stagnation/the darkness/nihilism/the heartless. Nobody cares.
It's utterly baffling how this series is considered one of the greatest artistic achievements in the medium. But perhaps that is prove that nobody seems to have ever bothered to think about the inherent nature of fairy tale re-tellings? It's all so bizarre.
The awesome cover art and great main theme really fooled me into thinking this would be special.
Nobody should bother with it.
2 Comments
"You can arrive at many different interpretations that don't have to do with fairy tale retellings being in the game"
What do you mean by that? How do you interpret Disney movies being in the game as not existing? They're right there.
Plus, of course, I am aware the series will have a huge story to tell beyond "hero kills evil." However, the framework the story works under - that is, retelling fairy tales that we already know - is such a conceptual failure that I have no interest in continuing.
What do you mean by that? How do you interpret Disney movies being in the game as not existing? They're right there.
Plus, of course, I am aware the series will have a huge story to tell beyond "hero kills evil." However, the framework the story works under - that is, retelling fairy tales that we already know - is such a conceptual failure that I have no interest in continuing.
drinkrust
9 months ago
KH is a series that heavily explores the interaction between the audience of a fairy tale, the tale itself, and it's own unique cast of characters that have their agencies toyed with by the story. taking it at more than face value (or a standard interpretation like "the chosen one against all evil"), you can arrive at many different interpretations that don't have to do with fairy tale retellings being in the game. that's especially considering the other aspects that make the metanarrative of the series, like the final fantasy influence and characters themselves that get all-new backgrounds for their KH appearances and help frame Sora's adventure in a different light.
just thought i'd give my two cents about your take, no hard feelings. that's the first time i've come across this kind of criticism of the series so it interested me. i'm also not a fan of chosen one narratives by themselves, but that's very far from the reasons i enjoy Kingdom Hearts.