daylighteclipsed
There’s a whole world out there
Gi. 26. Sometimes writer. Lots of stuff going on here.
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Truly I think I can count on a single hand the number of sorikus I’ve encountered that actually “hate Kairi because she gets in the way of the ship”. It’s an extremely uncharitable accusation that gets slung around at every soriku that doesn’t just absolutely love her though. I mean I understand wanting people to like the character you like, because maybe they have traits you relate to- so that when people dislike or just don’t care about them it can feel personal. But especially for a character who is almost universally agreed to have been written disappointingly, no one is obligated to love or enjoy them (and I think even if Kairi’s lack of development was intentional the execution has never been very good- that is a problem with writing).
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love that you're not a kairi anti. so many sorikus out there that blatantly dismiss her or dislike her (just bc she's 'in the way' of the ship) and don't even try to hide it, it's insane. we stan kairi AND soriku
Nah I don’t hate Kairi. I think she’s a character with wasted potential. I even relate to her in some ways. I wouldn’t say I stan her, but I do care about how she’s treated and get angry on her behalf.
What’s hard is that… it almost feels like the writers want you to find her annoying or not take her seriously or not expect much from her — especially by KH3. It’s uncomfortable.
I really try to be conscious of my biases. Is it the shipping goggles? Is it just me? I mean, the writers literally, physically put her “in the way” of Sora and Riku connecting. The writers constantly pit Kairi and Riku against each other and ask Sora to choose, and as he is the much more developed character, it’s hard not to root for Riku. It’s hard not to care about him more and take both him and his relationship with Sora more seriously. I don’t think it’s just me.
But I don’t blame Kairi for that. Just like I don’t blame a curtain for covering a window. Someone put the curtain up. Nomura has put her in this position. If anything, I’m frustrated with him and his writing.
#i have a lot of thoughts about her - whole meta i still need to finish from last year#ig I’ll tag this#kingdom hearts
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#at this point nomura’s basically shouting through a megaphone ‘THIS AINT ABOUT HER’#kingdom hearts#soriku#the number of times kairi is used to conceal or replace sora and riku in each other’s hearts/lives/memories#the number of times we’ve visually seen her block riku from view especially…#i do wish she was treated better. i do wish a little bit more was done with her character#but there is something extremely satisfying about finally seeing riku step in front of her#feels very symbolic#like we’re finally starting to see the truth
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I've grown a mouth so sharp and cruel
It's all that I can give to you, my dear
-Tongues & Teeth, The Crane Wives
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from that day on I was his
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shit my old lover is back
#me watching cuphead for like the fifth time#cuphead#i might make a side blog so i have somewhere to be fully insane about it lmao
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Okay, the side by side is pretty wild
#the way it almost looks like one person#with the lich reaching with the left hand and sora reaching with the right#kingdom hearts#you’ve also got purple and gold as complementary colors#(green and red too but there’s not a whole lot of red)#a hellish demon tide next to the more heavenly home of the gods#riku close vs far away#I’m not sure if it really means anything beyond the lich and sora foiling each other#but I’ve always been curious about the lich#where it came from and why we’ve never seen one before
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Somehow, deep inside what remained of who he was, he recognized that light...
#this reminds me of how the framing of the lich reaching for riku’s heart in kh3 mirrors when sora reaches for riku#kingdom hearts#soriku
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if you're wondering why THIS tiktok ban bill made it through the senate unlike last time...
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I LOVE HER…U should read my fourteenth vessel kairi meta 😏 the kh writers think they’re so sneaky!
Just sat down to take a look and omg…. I really think you might be onto something
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Kairi is Xehanort's 14th Darkness
Now before I go into this, I must deeply express I will not put up with any Kairi negativity in the tags. This is not meant to demonize her or put anyone else on a pedestal in her place. Literally everyone in this series has been manipulated by Xehanort to some extent and Kairi is not exempt from that. We need to get past all these preconceived notions of who Kairi is supposed to be and see her for the complex character that she truly is. And this is a part of that.
Now let's get started.
Xehanort's intentions from day one were to reenact the Keyblade War. In Dark Road, it's revealed that he's interested in the Darkness that survived by disguising itself as an ally of light. It's possible that he thinks Vanitas is this since he hid himself inside of Ventus but that's all...in the eyes of the beholder. It could be anyone. But Xehanort would take this information either way and use it in his reenactment.
But you may ask: Why would he have a fourteenth? Didn't he intend to use thirteen? That was very clear throughout the series. Well, you'll need to watch Dark Road if you still think this. He left out a little something in the other games when describing his plan.
He wanted ANOTHER vessel to experience the world afterwards. Yes, he's incredibly extra as always. We are used to this by now, I hope..
But why is that vessel Kairi?
(dude's literally telling her what role she's to play even if it probably wouldn't make any sense to someone her age lmao)
As far back as the first game, something never truly added up. Kairi isn't given the role to hold back the darkness with the other princesses. She's paralleled to Wendy who is very explicitly stated to NOT be one of the princesses. Her "power" is never utilized a single time after KH1 either...nor is it brought up until briefly in KH3.
And you know...remember that little thing about how the X tells Xehanort where you are at all times? X marks the spot, they say!
And Xehanort REALLY loved making the X wearers into his vessels, didn't he? Kairi had been wearing it as early as BBS.
Kairi was the one who finished this drawing.
Red flags...red flags, everywhere!
By the way, wasn't Kairi's meeting with Aqua a little...TOO perfect?
Why...it's almost like...it was staged!
Kairi already had the flowers she supposedly picked for her. But why would Xehanort want Kairi to meet Aqua and have her be fond of Kairi?
Two reasons as far as I can see.
1.) Aqua is well attuned to the fine art of spells.
Sound familiar?
2.) Receiving a Keyblade
When Kairi runs to Aqua, she touches her Keyblade. This has been compared to the passing of power like Terra with Riku. Personally, I have no idea if it's as simple as this without the whole ceremony but I don't think this would be shown without reason.
And with this, her role truly started. Kairi was to become the new darkness disguised as a guardian of light. She would befriend and become close with a Keyblade wielder and they would strive to keep her safe so she would survive for the world after.
But *record scratch* how is she a darkness already by the time of BBS and how is she able to hide? Before that, let's discuss the princess she took the place of in KH1. You know, the elephant in the room.
Ariel.
Part Two
#this is so interesting#and now I’m wondering if this is why when kairi searches her heart post-kh3 all she finds is xehanort#he doesn’t behave like the memories we see in mom - it’s like a part of him is really there#enough that sora (or his heart at least) actually shows up/sort of possesses kairi’s heart to fight him#and protect her#kingdom hearts
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Kairi is Xehanort's 14th Darkness Pt. 2
A lot of people have expressed confusion over the artwork on the top middle being used for "Kairi" on this Heart Station. And that's completely understandable considering...it's not actually Kairi!
It never was. It was Ariel.
She was always there in KH1 but her absence at Hollow Bastion is very apparent. There's only six POLs there holding the darkness back.
But why did they decide to have Kairi take Ariel's place? Well, no matter the reason...they sure made it easy to explain what's going on.
Kairi's necklace is the key. It's what holds the pure light and is what disguises her as just that.
However Xehanort managed to create or take away this power from another (and if so, from WHO) is up in the air but I'm leaning on the side of it being artificial. Kairi turns to crystal when she's killed much like Xion does and has been compared to a puppet.
Xehanort tried to create his own pure light and darkness.
It seems only natural he'd "plan for every eventuality".
Vanitas was darkness covered by Ven's light that was unable to be seen until Ventus was forced to face what happened with Strelitzia. Kairi similarly holds darkness within her but has been cloaked in light.
Both appear as the darkness within the light as compared to Riku appearing as the light within the darkness.
There's actually lore reasons that even if Kairi had been a POL in KH1...she wouldn't be one again in KH3.
Sora and Mickey Mouse are just making assumptions about Kairi that aren't based off any actual facts and it's really a giant case of paying attention to what's being said and not misconstruing it all. Don't be a Luxu, guys! If there's new POLs, there's NEW POLs.
Kye is pronounced like "Kai".
Ariel's fate with Eric was to be doomed once the sun set on the THIRD day if she failed to kiss him. And Ursula appears in human form while wearing the necklace carrying her light voice inside it to ensure that.
Sounds like Xehanort got his wish, if you ask me.
A part of him survived for the world after and it's inside Kairi.
Part One
#the ariel thing is blowing my mind omg… how did i miss that#i think all three of those are her - not just the top middle#the whole thing is reflecting how she has before the sun sets on the third day#and that’s why it’s pink - like her dress… om g#kingdom hearts#this theory would also explain why we never see kairi’s heart station#and why her heart looks so different from other hearts - a flower instead of a heart#i always figured xehanort meddled with it. this would explain why#also kairi actually turns to water not crystal when she’s killed right?#it’s the same thing the darkside is made of in the final world tutorial section#in kh characters are supposed to burst into little lights when they die#but kairi literally bursts into water - symbolically darkness
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I wonder if there's deep ugly feeling inside Sora that didn't want Riku to change for the better.
The Kingdom Key wasn't originally meant for Sora but it doesn't matter to him that he gained it fairly. It'd matter to him that it wasn't his. He almost fell to darkness in 3D. He was tricked but it doesn't matter that there are cruel adults willing to manipulate anyone and everyone. It matters that he was naive enough to get tricked. It doesn't matter that he survived this. It matters that he lost his powers. It doesn't heal his pride that he was able to save Kairi. He failed to survive it and "prove himself". And he's not completely happy Riku became a Keyblade Master because he didn't become one with him. If they can't be equal then he wants to be better. And if he can't be better, then a part of him wants to...I think ugly feelings like this would be what is brought to the surface if he fell to darkness and faced Riku in battle.
If Riku saves him, it'll be phenomenal narratively for HIM but what about Sora? What of his pride? Always needing to be saved? I want to see what created the part of Sora that challenged Riku over Kairi like she was a mere object to be won like that'd somehow make one of them better than the other. Was it not feelings of inferiority? He said he wanted to be like Riku originally but states he's fine with who he is now in KH2. I don't buy it, however, because he only says it after Riku admits that he wanted to be like Sora. So what happens then when he sees Riku happy being himself for the first time in a long time? Does the need to be stronger come back but he suppresses it and his other ugly feelings through his gained maturity? And does he lose that grasp on it when he falls to darkness? Because it's GOING to happen.
This boy needs genuine consoling and he needs it now.
#black rose arc energy#kingdom hearts#soriku#it probably is a slap in the face for sora to finally find something he’s better at than riku#only for riku to surpass him again#there can’t be a number one without a number two#a winner without a loser#and past riku did not hesitate to intentionally make sora feel inferior#to stroke his own ego#riku’s not like that anymore obviously but wounds like that stick around#especially when they aren’t really treated#i do think kh1 was important because it did shatter the perceived inequality between them#sora proved he could be just as good if not better than riku and riku was humbled#but every installment after that has served to challenge that confidence sora found in kh1#i don’t doubt that there’s a part of him — a part he cannot reconcile — that is bitter and does want to drag riku down#that’s probably mixed in with the general unprocessed pain riku has caused him#but sora would be so mad at himself if he admitted he has these angry or selfish thoughts/feelings#like. i love you and i resent you and i hate myself for it
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I’m not a mugman kinnie mugmans a me kinnie
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I feel it's important you all know this is the cat Astarion is based on.
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Thinking about redemption yesterday got me thinking about fallen heroes today, and how rare it is to see a character initially painted as a hero be driven to heinousness for legitimate reasons.
Often times, if a hero goes bad, it's because of an external force corrupting their mind. Or it's a misunderstanding and they were secretly still good all along. Or they were just having a rough day and they'll be good again in five minutes.
We rarely see get to see heroes go sour purely on their own merits. Maybe because their values weren't so benign as they'd seemed when pushed to a natural conclusion. Maybe because they expected too much of themselves or of others. Or maybe personal experience taught them to believe something else.
Whatever the case, as often as writers will attempt to examine the transformative power of better angels, we rarely get to see the transformative power of worse devils.
Which brings me to....
Sayaka Miki is a character that holds a special place in my heart, not for overcoming her flaws but for being consumed by them. She's a cautionary tale into the perils of righteousness.
I need to preface this by bringing up that the characters of Madoka Magica are children. They're irrational, judgmental, ignorant of risk, and quick to throw themselves into horrible mistakes with absolute confidence. Because they're children. That's how this works. The villain of the series is a psychological predator who feeds on the impulsivity and poor judgment of youth, grooming them into self-destruction.
The entire system of Magical Girls exists to give these children enough rope to hang themselves with and then to kick the ladder out from under them. That is the plot, with Sayaka being the primary means by which the show demonstrates the complete journey from rope to ladder.
I just. I need you to understand that even at her worst, Sayaka is a victim of predatory incentives and calculated coercions meant to cultivate her worst traits while stripping her of hopes and dreams. To drown her in mistakes she could never take back. She didn't have the life experience to know better. That's why her predator targets children.
Sayaka's rope is woven from virtuous self-image. It's not immediately apparent when we meet her, but Sayaka's fatal flaw is ego. Her moral compass is wound extremely tight, and it's only later that we realize it's wound around her neck.
Like many children, Sayaka is trying on an identity moreso than expressing her inner self. She wants to be altruistic. She wants to be selfless. She wants to be a true hero. She wants to live by nothing more than high-minded ideals, expecting no reward for her efforts (but receiving it all the same).
She wants to be the kind of person that Mami was.
But she has no idea who Mami was. She wasn't there to see Mami fracture. To see her break down in vulnerability and express the isolating misery she lives in.
Sayaka didn't see that. She only saw how cool Mami looked when she was killing Witches. So when she tries on an identity, she's specifically trying on the identity of Mami - blissfully unaware that her interpretation of Mami was nothing but a mask. She is emulating the behavior of a victim already consumed by the predatory incentives she's accepting.
Sayaka was doomed from the moment she made her wish.
Once again, the show does a brilliant job of concealing this at first. Right off the bat, it's easy for Sayaka to be the hero. She saves both her BFFs Madoka and Hitomi from a Witch in her debut adventure, before being immediately thrust into a moral argument that's super easy for her to win.
This is what a hero looks like! Should we stand by and let monsters eat people YES/NO
Sayaka says no. Sayaka says letting monsters eat people is bad. Solid Bioware-level moral dilemma she's got here. Sayaka won +10 Paragon points for the choices she picked out of this conversation tree, lemme tell you!
Moments like this work to disguise what's going on here with Sayaka. Obviously Sayaka's making good choices and doing the right thing when the alternative is Kyoko going "Want me to break your crush's limbs so he needs you for life support?" That's awful, so since Sayaka's against it then that means she must be right. Right?
Kyoko is the devil. Sayaka is the paragon.
But this is a story about nuanced and complex people. Sayaka isn't that person. Sayaka likes the idea of being that person. She's being dishonest - With herself, with others around her, and with the universe.
She's trying on an identity, not fully understanding who she really is or what her limitations are.
Incidentally, so is Kyoko, which is what makes their Yin and Yang dichotomy so potent. Having never been tested like this before, Sayaka is more selfish than she truly understands - While Kyoko, damaged by trauma, is more selfless than she wants to believe.
The thing Sayaka doesn't quite grasp is that, to an extent, it's okay to be selfish. It's okay to want things for yourself. Again, the identity she's trying to live up to was a lie to begin with. She only saw the mask; Never the humanity underneath. So she fails to recognize her own humanity; Her own needs and wants and desires.
She imprisons her own mind in a cage of altruism.
Sayaka is warned multiple times against spending her wish on another person. But she doesn't understand the perils of it. She lacks the necessary perspective to grasp the level of sacrifice she's making. (Because she is a child. I cannot stress this point enough.)
When she makes her wish, Sayaka wants her sacrifice reciprocated. She wants to be rewarded. But she doesn't want to want that. She wants to be the selfless hero for Kyosuke. To silently grant him a miracle because it's the right thing to do for her friend. But she expects, without consciously thinking about it, that the universe will deliver her nice things because she is good.
But life doesn't work like that. It doesn't give you things you aren't willing to reach for. Sayaka said she just wanted him to be happy. She just wanted to help people. She just wanted to dedicate her life to virtue and altruism, with no wants or needs or desires of her own.
Kyoko was being cruel and unfeeling when she suggested crippling Kyosuke; She was trying to express a mask of selfishness, the same way Sayaka's been trying to express a mask of selflessness. But she wasn't the only person telling Sayaka that it was a mistake to do this. She's just the only person who said it after the fact.
So the universe calls her bluff. While Sayaka waits for her sacrifices to be rewarded, fracturing more and more from learning what those sacrifices truly entail, someone else claims her prize. The work gets harder, not just physically but emotionally. And she only gets what she asked for. Nothing more.
This is what a hero looks like. She wanted to be Mami.
Remind me. What was Mami's reward for her sacrifices?
Oh. Yeah. That's right.
The thing of it is, there is a reward for a Magical Girl's sacrifices. There is a prize you're meant to receive for the unjust hardships and self-destruction that you're volunteering to undertake.
It's the fucking wish.
That she, in her righteousness, gave away.
Sayaka's rope is woven from virtuous self-image. Her fatal flaw is ego. She was undone by arrogance expressed in ignorance, not of glory the way we often think of egotistic people, but of righteousness. She held herself to a standard no reasonable person could ever live up to, and it crushed her as it came crashing down.
And yet, she was a victim all the same. Because she was walked, hand-in-hand, to that pier by a predator. Children are meant to learn from their mistakes. Not to die for them.
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don't you recognise me?
#if i ever stop thinking about this scene I’m dead#kingdom hearts#soriku#the way riku can see through all the illusions but THIS one trips him up#a home brewed nightmare from the depths of his unspoken fears#that he is irredeemable. that sora believes he’s irredeemable#that sora will never forgive him. they will never be friends again#which contrasts really well with sora’s side of the game and his fear that riku hates him and will never be his friend again#shown through repliku#but riku’s expression here never fails to wreck me#the horror. the devastation#and how he’s ready to just let ‘sora’ kill him#riku has been wrestling with his darkness and trying to make a change the entire game#but if sora says it’s too late he’s too far gone it must be true right#if sora believes he should be destroyed then maybe he should be#raaaaahhhh rattling the bars of my cage#so much of our identity comes from how others perceive us. especially the people we love most#this scene rattles riku so much it haunts him until the end of kh2#until the real sora makes it clear that he will always recognize riku as riku#he will always love him
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