Returning to print this month courtesy of Panini is a new edition of the manga adapting the classic first entry in the Kingdom Hearts video game series. When a strange storm hits his island home, 14-year-old Sora is separated from his friends and swept into a mysterious new land. There he meets court wizard Donald and Captain Goofy, who are on a mission to find their king, Mickey, and return him to his throne at Disney Castle. When the three learn of the Heartless, ominous creatures who feed off the darkness in the hearts of others, they join forces to recover Sora’s friends, return the king to his rightful position and save the universe from the Heartless!
For the uninitiated, the Kingdom Hearts series sees characters from classic Square Enix video games crossing over with the world of Disney. All this is anchored by Sora – a cheerful teen who seeks to find his friends and protect the various Disney inspired world he encounters from both the Heartless and classic Disney/Square Enix villains. The games were a huge success and resulted in a very loyal fanbase along with a huge line of merchandise and spinoff material.
The acclaimed manga adaptations from Shiro Amano have been a consistent gateway for new fans of the series and this new edition once again opens that door. Kingdom Hearts has always had a deep lore and world that can take newcomers off guard, but Amano manages to give the narrative a quick pace without detracting from the story at hand. The story’s transition from video game to manga comes off very smoothly as a result. It helps that he has a lot of strong material to work with. Sora has always stood out as an engaging protagonist and his interplay with Donald and Goofy never fails to entertain.
Visually, Amano takes a slightly more cartoony approach, but his depictions are still faithful to what can be seen in the game. He is obviously under very strict guidelines when it comes to depicting both Square Enix and Disney characters that go beyond staying faithful to the source material, so it is impressive that he manages to give some of his unique styling to these iconic characters whilst under strict guidelines. Donald Duck and Goofy in particular are right on target.
Longtime Kingdom Hearts fans will be thrilled that this classic adaptation is back in print and it is a perfect entry point for newcomers of the franchise. An easy manga to recommend for fans of all ages!
Kingdom Hearts Volume 1 is out 07 October from Panini Manga (9781804913314, p/b, £9.99)
Or support your local bookstore.
Want regular updates and weekly reviews on the latest in graphic novels and manga? Follow us on Twitter @turnaroundcomix.
