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phoenix-downer · 3 months

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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.

JP 自分が望む結末ではなかったと絶望するのならー

EN If this isn't the ending you desired—if it brings you despair—

TR If (this) wasn't the ending you hoped for—if (you) feel despair—

Notes: Sigurd is apparently the character saying these next few lines.

The word for "ending" here, ketsumatsu, is an interesting word choice. It is often used in the context of stories (though it also has other uses), which fits really well with how KH4 will play around with the concept of reality vs. unreality. So on a meta level it's like, "If you didn't like how KH3 ended, if you didn't like how Sora ended up, then help him escape Quadratum."

Also, the word the official English version translates as "desired," nozomu, can mean "desire, want, wish for, hope for," and it's an antonym of zetsubō, the word translated "despair." So there's this nice poetic contrast going on between hope and despair in this bit in the Japanese version.

JP 他の世界に退場すればいい

EN then leave this world for another

TR —(then you) should leave for another world.

Notes: This particular word for "leave," taijō, can be used for leaving venues, stadiums, parking lots, rooms, sports games, etc. It can also be used for actors exiting the stage. Take a look at definition #1, which translated states, "Leaving venues, stadiums etc." and #2, which translated states, "Actors etc. leaving the stage" (Source):

I thought that was really interesting, because using a word with these specific connotations makes me wonder if this is more of that meta commentary, this time about how we should direct Sora the character to leave Quadratum if we so desire. Sure, the general sense of "leave" or "exit" is the main meaning here, but I always get so intrigued by word choice and all the connotations a word has.

Also, the phrasing isn't exactly the same, but there is a euphemism in Japanese for the place your soul goes when you die, takai, that uses the same kanji as hoka no sekai that we see in "another world" here, it just uses the onyomi pronunciation instead of the kunyomi pronunciation for "another" hoka/tai and has no no particle.

Googling hoka no sekai brought up a lot of images about parallel worlds and the isekai genre, so that's probably the most accurate connotation given Sora's world traveling adventures thus far, but I still thought that was an interesting tidbit, even if it's a complete reach on my end. Like sure Sora can go to other worlds, but he's still dead, so he's still going to more places where he's dead and can't go home where he'd be fully alive.

JP 選択肢は無限にあるはずだー

EN Your options are endless.

TR (Your) options/choices should be endless/limitless—

Notes: I really like how the English version contrasts "ending" with "endless." You don't like the ending Sora got in KH3? Your options for taking him to other worlds are "endless." The Japanese version has this interesting tidbit too where the speaker conveys an expectation. He says hazu, which means "expected," "should be," "must be." So he expects Sora's options are endless, but it has a slightly different nuance than if he'd just said they are endless.

JP 心は魂に宿り　魂は運命によって在るべき場所へ導かれる

EN The heart resides within the soul which in turn is guided by fate to its rightful place

TR (The) heart dwells in (the) soul, (and the) soul is guided by fate to its rightful place (lit. the place it should be).

Notes: There's not really any difference between the official English version and my translation. It's just interesting to break it down. For whatever reason the "rightful place" of the soul has the verb of existence for inanimate objects (aru) instead of the one for animate objects (iru). Not sure if that's a set phrase or if the soul in this context would be considered an inanimate object (time to go down a rabbithole about animacy in Japanese).

This bit also kinda reminded me of how Xehanort talked in KH3 when he was recounting the cycle of light and darkness. The language has a very "mythological"/storytelling feel to me, which makes sense given whoever is saying these lines is talking about fate, destiny, the nature of the universe, etc. And then the floating text in the darkness also reminds me of the Dive into the Heart sequences with the disembodied voice as well, so it could also be a reference to that.

JP 選択は再び委ねられる

EN The choice is yours once more.

TR (The) choice is left (to you) once more./(The) choice is entrusted (to you) once more.

Notes: Once again, this bit of text seems very meta. It feels like it's addressed to the fans, given how we're the ones who will be controlling Sora in KH4. And of course the image shows his chess piece with his crown symbol on it, so the implication is that Sora's heart will be the one guiding him once more, and his heart will be guided by fate.

JP あなたはこの世界に来て7日間　ずっと眠っていたの

EN You've been asleep since you arrived in this world seven days ago.

TR You came to this world seven days ago (and you)'ve been sleeping (the) whole time.

Notes: I don't love my translation because nanokakan more literally means "a period of seven days," but yeah I think I get the gist across.

Strelitzia refers to Sora as anata here when the norm is to refer to other people by their names in Japanese, even when addressing them directly, so either she doesn't know his name yet or she's being very polite, almost distant. She also ends her declaration with no, likely to indicate she's offering more of an explanation (it also makes her sound pretty cute and feminine).

Also, as I'm going through this trailer again, I'm reminded that Sora doesn't talk at all. He has the battle grunts during his fight against the Darkside, but he doesn't have any dialogue. I just thought that was interesting, because Xehanort commented on Sora not having a voice in Melody of Memory as well. Somehow that also told Xehanort where Sora's heart is located (foreshadowing for this game I suppose). I wonder if Sora will be similarly voiceless at first in KH4 or if he just is for this trailer for dramatic effect because Nomura knows everyone wants to hear him speak.

And then of course I have to mention the significance of Sora being asleep in Quadratum for seven days. Seven has a lot of significance in the KH universe, given how there are seven guardians of light. Seven is also the length of a week, and it's a number that has connotations of wholeness and completion in certain cultures.

JP ここはクァッドラトゥムー

EN This is Quadratum—

TR (This is) Quadratum—

Notes: Not really anything to note here other than the gorgeous graphics, how Sora doesn't look at all like his usual cheerful self (no smile to be found), and the colors in Quadratum seem very warm/brown/earth tones/"real" and not super bright and colorful like in the "main" KH universe.

JP 生者の世界ではあるけれどー

EN It's a world full of life—

TR (It's) a world of living people/the living but—

Notes: Seija is translated as "full of life" in the official English version, but it more literally means "living people" or "the living." So Strelitzia is pointing out that all around them are living people and yet, for her and Sora, it's still a world of death because she and Sora should be dead.

JP 私たちにとっては“死の世界”ってことになるみたい

EN but for you and I, it's similar to an "afterworld," I suppose.

TR —for us, (it) seems like it's "a world of death."

Notes: This is where I wish the English version was closer to the Japanese version. "World of death" or "world of the dead" would've been a closer translation, and I'm not sure why it wasn't used (perhaps to avoid mentioning the dreaded "d" word). I do like the pun-like quality of "afterworld," combining "afterlife" and the oft-used-in-the-KH-universe "world," and since the translators have access to information I don't about the game's lore, I can't say whether crucial lore has been lost in translation, but I wanted to point out the difference here.

Also, the grammar pattern Strelitzia uses here, koto ni naru, indicates something that's outside of her and Sora's control. This being an afterlife of sorts for the two of them was decided by factors beyond their control, in other words. She also uses mitai to indicate her speculation/observation.

JP だがー

EN However—

TR However—

Notes: This is back to Sigurd speaking, and very ominously so.

JP 一度退場すれば元の世界に戻れると思うなー

EN if you do leave this world behind, don't expect to return to the one from which you came—

TR —once (you) leave, don't think (you) can go back to (your) original world—

Notes: This ends on a rather ominous note. Again the word taijō is used here for "leave" much like earlier in the trailer. I remember this dialogue when I first watched this trailer because it was such a wham line. What do you mean Sora can't go home? He can go to other worlds but he can't go home? What will it take to bring him home then? Something pretty drastic from the sounds of it.

Also, I like the formal wording of the official English version. Sigurd sounds like he's from a different time.

Then of course this next bit cuts to Donald and Goofy, searching for ways to find Sora presumably:

JP どこにいるんだろう？

EN I wonder where he is.

TR (I) wonder where (he) is.

Notes: Nothing really to talk about, just that the "I" and "he" is implied in Japanese (Japanese tends to drop pronouns in places they would be required in English because there's enough info provided by context, verb conjugations, etc. to figure out who the speaker is talking about).

JP 手がかり見つかるといいね

EN I don't know, but I sure hope he can help.

TR I hope (we) can find (a) clue.

Notes: A bit of a difference here, Goofy is focused more on finding a clue in Japanese whereas in English he's hoping "he" (Hades, presumably) can help.

JP おい

EN Hey!

TR Hey!

Notes: Hades' Japanese VA has a very distinctive voice, and so right from this word you know it's him a;lsdkjf and he's as snarky and blunt as ever lol.

JP どこへ行くんだ

EN Just where do you think you're going?

TR (Just) where (do you think you)'re going?

Notes: I love the sass and snark of the English translation, and it captures the vibes of the Japanese version well (Hades uses ~nda at the end of the sentence to indicate he wants more information out of them). They found Hades, but now they'll actually have to deal with Hades...

And that's what I have for now! I am curious about what promo material will be released next and what new tidbits we'll have to speculate on. Fingers crossed we get more info around the anniversary this year!

The Japanese trailer is here.

The English trailer is here.

#kingdom hearts #kh #kh4 #kingdom hearts 4 #sora #strelitzia #kh sora #sigurd #hades #donald #donald duck #goofy #kh analysis #phoenix translates #phoenix-downer #kh4 spoilers #kingdom hearts 4 spoilers #long post

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kurokmask · 1 year

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*aqua voice* TERRAHHH

there is no greater pain that being unable to draw ur fav. terra for whatever reason has just been SOOO hard for me to draw. n i finally after over a yr have made something i think i actually like YAY

terra baby i love you so much

#kingdom hearts #terra kh #birth by sleep #kh bbs #kh terra #TEWWA BAYBEEE IM SORRY #its been a tough balance between a lot of things. 1 trying to translate the square enix style into my own. HARD. especially the hair #2 trying to inject my hcs. i like to interpret terra as a bit boxier than in canon but ive been having diffuculty keeping it *terra*#for a long time i think i went too sharp n too masculine trying to emphasize the darker more hostile part of his character #but then it just. didnt look like him.#so i went softer this time more rounded shapes more subtle shading #n i think finally that has worked #and lastly. 3 #i think bc i loved him SO much i overthought it. i wanted every detail to be right instead of focusing on the bigger picture.#so it never looked 'right' to me. i was so concerned in maknig it perfect it actually. SUCKED #anyways ya #hopefully this isnt a fluke n ive finally cracked drawing him. finally #also no pauldron bc i want NOTTTT drawing that #LOL #consider this a companion piece to the aqua one #peep the eyes HEHE

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generatedreflection · 1 year

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So I'm back on my Kingdom Hearts bullshit for at least a little while, and I started a new full series playthrough for the first time since KH3 came out.

And as I am fighting Riku on the Destiny Islands, he does his "don’t tell me you're giving up already" bait move.

And I'm.

End of KH1: "Giving up already? Come on, Sora, I thought you were stronger than that."

KH3: "I believe in you. You won't give up."

*dragging my hands down my face* how did i not see the connection to the keyblade graveyard line until now

#kh #kingdom hearts #riku #this mf almost beat me because i was busy YELLING #riku encouraging sora not to give up has been a Thing since the very very beginning #but the kbg line is the first time he isn't teasing or coy about expressing what's behind it and says directly that he believes in him #up until now the indirect translation never bugged me that much but this is kind of a big missing piece!!#riku has always believed in sora but he's never said it so clearly until then #i need to go for a walk #soriku

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firestorm09890 · 6 months

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okay here's something that's been plaguing my thoughts since I made the "did Ienzo help with the gummiphone" poll

I'm sure Ienzo could have made some educated guesses about the involvement of the replicas in the Keyblade Graveyard but how the hell did he manage to guess one might be left empty there? Why wasn't it Vexen who tipped Demyx off about something like this? And the way Demyx says this makes it sound less like Ienzo just went "well I'm not really sure because I never saw the original replicas perish but maybe there could be one available on the battlefield" and more like Demyx is coyly referring to a credible source and was waiting for an event he knew would happen. which is. peculiar.

so peculiar, in fact, that I felt the need to go check the Japanese version (because you know how the localization gets sometimes) but uh. I don’t know colloquialisms in that language (and Demyx is very colloquial) so it wasn’t that helpful when it came to parsing the tone. The meaning is roughly the same- “they need another replica, Ienzo told me I might be able to find one here, so I’m waiting”- HOWEVER, there’s an indication that Ienzo is merely the named representative of a larger group, which I do know is a thing that happens that often gets translated into English oddly.

that actually solves a few things questioned above. how did they know something would happen to one of the organization members that would leave a replica available? well that one’s still a mystery. probably not a relevant one. the when and where’s of it? from Vexen. why didn’t Demyx mention Vexen then? because Riku knows Ienzo better and Demyx likes Ienzo better and the writers wanted to get in another “Zex- er, Ienzo” in. simple as that. though Ienzo being considered the “leader” of the RG crew even after Ansem TW came back is a great sign for Ienzo fans and Ansem haters alike

hope you enjoyed this net zero information post 👍

#kingdom hearts #kh3 #ienzo #demyx #an amateur's attempts at translation #it’s pretty obvious that i started writing this and then left it in my drafts for a while and then came back to it later #it’s full on rambling #me post #kh script writers love saying specifically zexion/ienzo’s name so often #makes me wonder if he’s their blorbo too

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oveliagirlhaditright · 3 months

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youtube

I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone in the community talking about this. (Or maybe they have been, and I've somehow just missed it. ^_^')

All the kudos to OP for figuring this out.

@bluerosesburnblue @palizinhas @disneydreamlights

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kicktwine · 4 months

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I have done my yearly "look through Kick's stuff and fall in love with the Knight Ven promising Way Too Much to Sora" comic, and mmmmmmmmm, the implications that Sora just GETS and the subtle horror as he knows that Ventus is Extremely Serious about "anything"

anon sorry it took me a month but I have been just looking at this in my inbox and kicking my feet like :3<-< like hehehe… you’re right. You’re right! Keep talking I don’t have anything to say let me kick my feet some more. im very slowly pulling the kintsugi heart out of my bag would you like to stay for lunch

#vens a goofy kid #except for when he’s being strange and offputtingly serious (AFFECTIONATE)#im glad my comic wedged itself in your brain its wedged in MY brain I know where I was while drawing it lol. Airplane #SIGHS WISTFULLY!!! knight disciple wayfinders I love youuuuuu #I love you paladins I love you strange oaths of loyalty I love you wether you like it or not my life is yours to use #and I love you Only You (terrifying)#ask #anon #kh #heavens. u know when they translated the wayfinders group as ‘disciples’ at that showcase I had to catch my breath a little

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aitsuheart · 4 months

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i'm quite curious about the original kingdom hearts chain of memories on the Gameboy advance

but specifically the japanese version

i want to see certain text that are different but sadly

i can't find any playthroughs or any images of the specific scene online

maybe I could try emulating a japanese version

also to be clear the main scene I want to see is after Sora beats Riku Repliku in a battle and he mentions how he wormed his way into his heart along with various other times Sora thinks about Riku or uses Aitsu

#ah kh translations #i don't own gba #maybe i could try emulating a japanese version though #i need to see more than aitsu #soriku #my gay children #riku #my gay son #sora #my other gay son #i am on a mission to reveal their true feelings #kingdom Hearts #aitsu heart thoughts #late night thoughts #chain of memories #chain of memories gba

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mythicalartistx · 4 months

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I know now without a doubt Kingdom Hearts is L—

No actually I think Kingdom Hearts is honestly purposely censored.

I used to be like well I don't think it's inherently the translators faults, Japanese is a tough language for people to know what it's referring to and likes to Americanized certain things like adding heteronormativity and romanizing things. People like romanticizing thingz so I can't exactly blame them it's part of westerners.

Like when you think of relationships most think of straight relationships so that probably what they thought of it's probably about even though the relationship doesn't really develop that much.

A lot of Action movies have the same problem when there is a male main character, there is always a forced romance with some side girl character when it's not a developed or good relationship it's just there to mark of the love interest category.

But now realizing how much Kingdom Hearts censors things, maybe they had an idea.

Some lines are WAY off from the original made to romanticized so much when the original wasn't even anything remotely like that or about a character in that way. And some scenes take out movements and edit it.

They change the entire meaning to censor things for American Audiences.

Nobody knows why.

And all I can think of is to make it have things that American Audiences would rather enjoy having romance in places unnecessarily or censoring things to be "safe"

I made a post about the Dream Drop Distance scene which gotten a crazy amount of attention only on the first few days it's at 300+notes, but the post was essentially about how when Sora was sleeping he tells Donald and Goofy it's his job to keep him on his toes and he puts his arm down in a fist. Then Riku moved his arm slightly to the left and put it in a fist again?

But the scene actually had Riku telling Donald and Goofy how he slapped Sora awake whenever he fell asleep on the beach and it shows Riku moving his hand in a slapping motion, not whatever that awkward motion was.

The thing is DDD was one of the side games and I thought they didn't pay much attention to the censoring in those. And given how gay DDD is and it wasn't as censoring their dynamic.

However, it got censored and it's like why? Did they think Audiences couldn't handle it?

Like it just seems like a silly thing he would do. It's kinda like how some people would pour water on someone to wake them up.

Like a teasing thing which he does A LOT and it probably wasn't that hard.

And other times I heard about how the language had some swearing or words that could be translated that way but of course since it's Disney the western version had to censor that.

The novels and manga actually still have more language in it.

And I think the main problem is Disney. They censor things a lot now.

They used to be more open to this kind of thing, but now they are soft and never take risks. I also heard how their team would edit things that would be in their original movie to tone it down for KH players.

It's kinda sad because there is definitely a lot of meaning to KH that is lost in translation. The battle with Vanitas is one in particular I had realized it's meaning is a bit more than the western version. The western version also simplifies things and tries to condense aspects as well. Xehanort's reason for everything is also worded very differently in the western version.

One of the reasons I look at fan translations is because it gives more meaning to certain events, not only because of dynamics and possible ships that are lost, but also explanations that are no longer there.

I'm so grateful for everyone who tries to retranslate things accurately and sometimes I use a site for certain things I'm curious but by no means do I speak their language and I get translation is hard, I really hope their future installments don't do this especially with KH4 and ML coming up in the next several years.

#soriku #kingdom hearts #translations #kh translations #kh censorship #the censorship is honestly real #Disney is probably the main team trying to censor things #but didney doesn't care about KH unless it does something with their properties #if they did care they would show it more #dream Drop Distance #kh3 #chain of memories #heteronormativity #this plays a huge factor as well #Sora #Riku #kh Riku #kh Sora #I hope kh4 censorship won't do this

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thetwilightroadtonightfall · 1 year

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I’m curious to know what everyone thinks so feel free to add tags regardless of your response!

#khux #kh #ephemer #I would put ‘you’re all terrible’ as a bonus option but I wanna know genuine answers #plus it’s not the official translation anyway (though I think it /should/ be bc it’s funny)#my posts #timeless child

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miralyk · 2 years

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AU where rinzler / tron survives the sea of simulation as a mermaid And gets to sing and dance in atlantica as he deserves

#tron #tronblr #tron uprising #kh #kingdom hearts #beck #sora #my art #fun fact this literally happened bc i was trying to figure out how to draw uprising stuff in my art style #but just Really wanted to avoid the beanpole legs during the translation process LOL #really fun to figure out how to combine 1982/kh2's tron face and hair w the super stretched uprising versions too!#and. yeah. flounder and beck kind of have the same hair hu

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r0semultiverse · 3 months

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Cursing & other wild things said/done in the Kingdom Hearts 1 manga that weren't in the game.

#it's just wild to me that these characters said some of this stuff #I'm over here reading everything in the character voices & then they start swearing 😂#I said in my other post I'd make a cursing compilation so here it is lol #kingdom hearts characters are so much fun in the manga #I know 'hell' isn't technically a curse word but in the west it's often considered one & there's no way they'd let them say that in kh1 #back in like 2007 or whatever lmao #please go read the final mix manga; it's such a gem!#donald leaving a lasting impression on sora & teaching him curse words on accident lmao love that #again this could all be a translator error but i find it absolutely hilarious if they curse in manga canon #I feel like Riku will drop an f bomb before Sora does; place your bets! lol I'll be making cursing compilations for the other kh manga too #kingdom hearts #mine #op

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phoenix-downer · 1 year

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Thanks for answering in such a timely manner and I completely understand that! I know you did great work post KH3 when people were making a fuss about the localizations and you don’t have a bias in your translations so I thought you were the best person to reach out to! There was a few bits in Riku’s telling of KH3 talking about how the guardians were saved that had me questioning a few things.

Here Riku is talking about the defeat and revival of the guardians and I was wondering if in this sentence he confirms that it was specifically only Sora and Kairi that were responsible for restoring them? Many have speculated Riku played a part in the process but to me it seems even Riku himself refutes the idea in this sentence if that makes sense?

And the other line I wanted to ask about was the last line of the page. The rough translation I got was this was the beginning of sora and kairi who were separated’s story.

I have rough translations of both but I was wondering how to translate them more naturally? Thanks in advance for your time I really do appreciate it! I had planned on making a tweet on the manner but I will respect your rules 100% and just keep the information here in the asks! ✨

Sure, thanks for the ask! Here's a transcription of the Japanese version, then the Romaji version followed by a rather literal English version and then a more naturalistic version.

Excerpt 1:

JP: そしてキーブレード墓場で、俺たちはマスターゼアノートの戦いに挑むが、敗北した…はずだった。

ソラとカイリの思いが俺たちを引き戻す。

Romaji: Soshite kīburēdo hakaba de, oretachi wa masutā zeanōto no tatakai ni tanomu ga, haiboku shita... hazudatta.

Sora to kairi no omoi ga oretachi o hikimodosu.

EN: And at (the) Keyblade Graveyard, we challenge Master Xehanort to (a) battle, but (we) were defeated... (or at least that's what) was supposed to happen.

Sora and Kairi's thoughts/feelings bring us back.

More naturalistic version: And at the Keyblade Graveyard, we challenged Master Xehanort to a battle, but we were defeated... or at least that's what should've happened.

Sora and Kairi's feelings brought us back.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To answer your question, based on Riku's words here and the grammatical structures he uses, it's clear he gives Sora and Kairi credit for restoring everyone to life. He doesn't take credit at all but groups himself in with the people who were brought back by using oretachi, "us/we," as the direct object of hikimodosu, "restore/bring back," which is indicated by the direct object marker o. And just to make things really clear, the subject in this sentence is Sora to Kairi no omoi, "Sora and Kairi's thoughts/feelings," which is marked by the ga subject marker particle and indicates that Sora and Kairi's thoughts/feelings are what brought "us" (Riku included) back.

And just to be fair, the start of this section is a quote from Riku to Sora at the Keyblade Graveyard:

JP ソラ　俺は信じてる

EN Sora, you don’t believe that.

TR Sora, I believe (in you).

JP おまえはあきらめない

EN I know you don’t.

TR You won’t give up/You haven’t given up.

I could see Riku's quote being... creatively interpreted into giving him credit for helping rescue everyone as well, given how he encouraged Sora not to give up, but Sora kinda gave up anyway once Riku died, and (granted I haven't played KH3 in a while so I'm going off of memory here, so take my interpretation with a grain of salt), it wasn't really till Sora heard from Chirithy in The Final World that Kairi was fighting with all her heart to keep him alive that he really regained his drive.

Plus, taking credit for rescuing everyone is not at all the sense I get from Riku's words here. If anything, he places all the credit with Sora and Kairi for reviving everyone and doesn't try to take it for himself. The inclusion of his quote at the top almost gives me the vibe that he's thinking, see, I knew Sora wouldn't give up, I believed in him, and he's proven me right with how he and Kairi brought everyone back. In the next sentence he does talk about how he defeated Ansem and how the others defeated the various Xehanort vessels, which tracks exactly with what we see in the game, but he does not take credit for everyone being revived; that was Sora and Kairi's doing. He's come a long way from how arrogant he was in KH1, and this excerpt really shows his growth and his admiration for his friends.

Additional Notes: A few interesting grammar points: I was doing some quick research, and 戦いに挑む with its use of the ni particle gives the impression that the battle was already scheduled or planned (which makes sense, given the themes of fate in KH3 and Xehanort's machinations).

Hazudatta means something like "should've happened" or "was expected to happen." In other words, Riku is making it clear that they should've lost the battle and would have if it weren't for Sora and Kairi.

The word I translated as "thoughts/feelings," omoi, can mean a variety of things; here's the full definition from jisho.org to give you an idea of the nuance here:

And then the compound verb, hikimodosu, is interesting because if you look at the kanji it literally means "pull + return," and together the meaning is exactly what you'd think: to bring back, to restore, to return, to reinstate. There's this image inherently built into the meaning of the verb of the subject pulling the object back to itself (and in this case Sora and Kairi's feelings are pulling their friends out of the abyss and back to them, back to life).

Riku uses a different verb, hikimodosu, than Sora uses in Blank Points to talk about wanting to rescue his friends, but I thought it was interesting all the same because it's another -modosu compound verb, torimodoshi. Sora is the one wanting to "take back" his friends, and Riku is speaking of the same act but as being on the receiving end of it ("we were pulled/brought back" by "Sora and Kairi's thoughts/feelings" vs. Sora telling Kairi in Blank Points he "has to go and take back/recover all that is connected to him" aka his friends). Not anything huge or groundbreaking, I just thought it was kinda neat.

Excerpt 2:

JP: そして俺たちは見知らぬ世界でマスター・ゼアノートと戦い勝利する。だがそれはソラとカイリ、ふたりが離れ離れになる物語の始まりだった。

Romaji: Soshite oretachi wa misharanu sekai de masutā zeanōto to tatakai shōri suru. Daga sore wa sora to kairi, futari ga hanarebanare ni naru monogatari no hajimari datta.

EN: And in a strange/unfamiliar world, we fight with Master Xehanort and win. But for Sora and Kairi, that was the start of the story of the two of them becoming separated.

More naturalistic translation: And in a strange world, we fought Master Xehanort and won. But for Sora and Kairi, it was the start of the story of their separation from each other.

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I find it really interesting how Riku frames this, like the next arc of Sora's story is centered on his separation from Kairi. He contrasts the victory against Xehanort with the separation of Sora and Kairi and speaks of that separation in terms of it being the beginning of a story. Also, the quote at the beginning of this section in gold is one of Sora's lines at the end of KH3...

JP ううん　俺はこのまま行くよ

EN No, I know what to do.

TR No. I’ll go on from here.

...which is what Sora says right before he goes after Kairi. One story ends as another begins. I think a big part of Sora's next story arc will be his reunion with Kairi, just going off of how everything has been set up and how Riku refers to his separation from Kairi here.

Additional Notes: This is just linguistic nerdery so feel free to skip it lol but in case anyone wants to read more about Japanese linguistics:

Mishiranu strikes me as a set expression that originated in an older form of the language but continues to be used today, as it preserves the older form of the negative verb conjugation shiranu instead of using the more modern shiranai. It's something I want to do more research on to see if my hunch is correct or completely off, so off I go lol.

Hanarebanare is a word that exhibits the rendaku phenomenon where a word repeats in Japanese, and in its repeated second form the voiceless obstruent consonant that starts the word becomes voiced ("h" used to be pronounced as "p" in Japanese, and "b" is said in the exact same position of the mouth/lips as "p," only with voicing, so I wonder if this word was originally panarebanare and then the "p" became "h" over time after the rendaku occurred, and now I've found another rabbit hole to look into lol).

Anyway, thank you for the ask Star! Hope that helped with your questions ❤️

(Ninja edit: I realized I inserted a particle where there wasn't one in the second excerpt and updated my translation slightly to account for it--no major changes to the meaning, just wanted to more accurately reflect the grammatical structures).

#kingdom hearts #sokai #sora #kairi #kh translation #kh analysis #phoenix translates #phoenix-downer #unchained-star #long post

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