Kingdom Hearts (キングダムハーツ Kingudamu Hātsu) is a Japanese-American anime television series and sequel of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, based on the video game series of the same name by Square Enix. It was animated and produced by Madhouse and Tatsunoko Pro.
It was first broadcasted in the U.S. on July 12, 2015, by Freeform. Official English dubbed episodes can be found on Hulu though only available within the United States thus far.
The series took on more radical changes for the character designs ditching the style animation always used previously in favor of more traditional animation similar to On the Way to a Smile -Episode: Denzel- Final Fantasy VII and Marvel Anime.
Also, according to this series' composer, Tetsuya Takahashi, this series was to take in a wider age group and was aimed to teenagers. This is why the characters are much older (ranging from early teen to adult), the story is much darker.
Plot synopsis[]
In the year 2003, it is the last day of school before the summer break, Sora and his two best friends, Riku and Kairi seek to leave their homes to explore new worlds and have prepared a raft for this purpose. One night, the islands are attacked by darkness and shadow creatures.
Sora seeks out his friends, finding Riku first; Riku disappears into darkness, curious about what it contains. Soon after, Sora obtains a mysterious weapon, the Keyblade, to defend himself. Using it to fend off the creatures, he heads for a secret cave, where he finds Kairi near a door. She turns to him, saying his name as the door behind her blows open. The ensuing blast of darkness sends Sora and Kairi both out of the cave. The islands are soon destroyed, and Sora is left adrift, Riku and Kairi's whereabouts unknown.
Meanwhile, King Mickey has left his world to deal with the increasing power of darkness and left instructions for mage Donald Duck and knight Goofy to find the "key". Donald and Goofy use a Gummi Ship to travel to a parallel universe, where it happens Sora has also drifted to. Sora encounters the creatures again in Shibuya, Tokyo, and eventually meets Leon, a mysterious swordsman who explains they are Heartless, creatures that consume hearts, and that the Keyblade is the only weapon capable of defeating them and Commander Folsom who also explains a team called the Ultimate Avengers about a rogue dragon called Naga was tempted and decided to take the red and blue core and 6 Infinity Stones to rule of both Vestroia and the Earth alongside with Bega.
The king of Leon's homeworld, a man named Ansem, is said to have studied the Heartless. Donald and Goofy are approached by Aerith, who also tells them what they may be looking for. Soon after, Sora meets the Avengers, Donald, and Goofy rather hastily, and they take down a large Heartless, members of A.I.M. and Dr. Drakken but he got away. From there, they decide to work together: the Ultimate Avengers to find the Infinity Stones and the blue core in order to defeat Bega, Donald and Goofy to find Mickey, and Sora to find Kairi and Riku.
Three years later; Sora, Donald, and Goofy have been asleep in order to regain their memories. When Sora awakens, he eventually arrives in Twilight Town, the place where a mysterious boy, Roxas, lived before he suddenly left.
Gaining new clothes and powers, Sora continues his quest by unlocking paths to new worlds, learning of Nobodies and fighting the Heartless, as well as facing the remaining members of the mysterious Organization XIII. Meanwhile, the mysterious disappearance of Finn Winston makes a 17-year old Theodore Detweiler restore his powers, as well as forcing him to search and locate Deka. At the same time, he must enlist the help of the Inhuman kids and repel attacks from a new enemy, the Highbreed.
In an effort to undermine Xehanort’s plot, Sora, Donald and Goofy search for seven guardians of light and the “Key to Return Hearts,” while King Mickey and Riku search for previous Keyblade wielders. Not only that, but some creep called Wiseman has appeared with ancient Bakugan called the Nonets.
List of Characters[]
Main Heroes[]
Ultimate Avengers/Champions[]
- Ace (Sora)
- Donald Duck
- Goofy
- Shadow (Riku)
- King Mickey
- Kairi
- Lea
- Aqua
- Ventus
- Terra
- Roxas
- Xion
- Osmosis Jones (Marcus Simpson)
- Dragonoid (Drago)
- Kiba (Thomas "Tom" Weasley)
- Skyress
- Tomoe (Yumi Aizawa)
- Dranzer (Theodore "T.J." Detweiler)
- Vincenzo (Vincent "Vince" LaSalle)
- Madame Fist (Ashley "Ash" Spinelli)
- Tigrerra
- Rescue (Gretchen Grundler)
- Gorem
- Nebulator (Gustav "Gus" Griswald)
- Wade
- Preyas
- Angelo/Diablo
- Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan)
- Snow Girl (Celia Yamamoto)
- Sparrow (Jenny Nocturne)
- Clare
- Homura (Laura Kinney)
- Ironheart (Riri Williams)
- Daichi (Ren Takachiho)
- Shun (Ray Lo)
- Mai Chen
- Dexter Riley
- Bridget Verdant
- Joey Lee
- Wavern
- Spider-Man (Miles Morales)
- Sam Alexander
- Vivian
- Brawn (Amadeus Cho)
- Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green)
Avengers/Supervisors[]
- Capitan America (Steve Rogers)
- Iron Man (Tony Stark)
- Hawkeye (Clint Barton)
- Hulk (Bruce Banner)
- Thor Odinson
- Falcon (Samuel Wilson)
- Black Widow (Natasha Romanova)
- Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)
- Yen Sid
- Zadavia
- The Kingdom Avengers
- Stan Yushima
Main Villains []
Bega/Organization XIII[]
- Naga
- Hal-G
- Kurata Akihiro
- Xehanort
- Masquerade (formerly)
- Hydranoid (formerly)
- Maleficent
- Pete
- The Highbreed
- Nomad Mechtogans
- The Nonets
- Wiseman
Cast[]
Some members from the original cast of Square Enix, Disney and Marvel Anime returned to reprise their roles; a name in italics indicates a returning actor.
Japanese[]
| Voice Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Tasuku Hatanaka | Sora |
| Mayu Obata | Kairi |
| Tsuyoshi Hayashi | Riku, Riku Replica, Drak Riku |
| Takashi Aoyagi | Mickey Mouse |
| Kōichi Yamadera | Donald Duck |
| Yū Shimaka | Goofy |
| Ryōhei Kimura | Marcus Simpson |
| Keiji Fujiwara | Dragonoid (Drago), Iron Man (Tony Stark), Kurama |
| Shota Sometani | Thomas "Tom" Weasley |
| Chiharu Suzuka | Skyress |
| Yumi Kakazu | Yumi Aizawa |
| Kenichi Suzumura | Theodore Detweiler, Demyx |
| Yasunori Matsumoto | Vince LaSalle |
| Arisa Ogasawara | Ashley "Ash" Spinelli, Misha Verdant |
| Ryoko Shiraishi | Tigrerra |
| Yuka Hirasawa | Gretchen Grundler |
| Hiroki Yasumoto | Gorem |
| Kenji Fukuda | Gustav "Gus" Griswald |
| Yūsuke Kuwahata | Wade |
| Eiji Miyashita | Preyas |
| Takayuki Kondō | Angelo Preyas |
| Shintarō Ōhata | Diablo Preyas |
| Rie Kugimiya | Celia Yamamoto |
| Akira Kito | Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) |
| Misato Fukuen | Jenny Nocturne |
| Mayu Obata | Clare |
| Mayumi Asano | Laura Kinney |
| Aoi Miyazaki | Ren Takachiho |
| Yūichi Iguchi | Ray Lo |
| Akio Suyama | Dexter Riley
Ventus |
| Toshihiko Seki | Axel/Lea |
| Kōki Uchiyama | Roxas |
| Mikako Komatsu | Joey Lee |
| Jizodo Takedai | Spider-Man (Miles Morales) |
| Kozo Tachioka | Sam Alexander |
| Yukari Tamura | Vivian |
| Masakazu Morita | Amadeus Cho (Brawn) |
| Romi Park | Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green) |
| Nao Takamori | Wavern |
| Daisuke Namikawa | Kevin Bishop |
| Miyuki Sawashiro | Mai Chen |
| Kazuhiro Nakaya | Capitan America (Steve Rogers) |
| Miyuki Sawashiro | Black Widow (Natasha Romanova) |
| Kenichirou Matsuda | Hulk (Bruce Banner) |
| Katsunuma Noriyoshi | Hawkeye (Clint Barton) |
| Takuya Eguchi | Falcon (Samuel Wilson) |
| Eriko Hirata | Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) |
| Kase Yasuyuki | Thor Odinson |
| Junko Noda | Zadavia |
| Maaya Sakamoto | Makoto |
| Tetsu Inada | Phillip Folsom |
| Atsushi Gotō | Merlin |
| Atsushi Ii | Stan Lee |
| Kaho Kōda | Aqua |
| Hiroaki Iwanaga | Terra |
| Akio Ōtsuka | Master Xehanort |
| Takanori Okuda | Young Xehanort |
| Shinya Owada | Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, Xemnas, Terra-Xehanort |
| Hōchū Ōtsuka | Xigbar |
| Masato Hagiwara | Saïx |
| Haruhiko Jō | Luxord |
| Hideyuki Tanaka | Marluxia |
| Hitomi Nabatame | Larxene |
| Noriaki Sugiyama | Vanitas, Wiseman |
| Hideyuki Umezu | Naga, Nomad Mechtogans |
| Masami Kikuchi | Kurata Akihiro |
| Sōichirō Hoshi | Masquerade |
| Izō Oikawa | Hydranoid |
| Toshiko Sawada | Maleficent |
| Katsuhiro Kitagawa | Pete |
| Tesshō Genda, Masaki Aizawa, Hiroki Yasumoto, Hiroshi Iwasaki, Shigenori Sōya | The Nonets |
English[]
| Voice Actor | Character |
|---|---|
|
Gage Knox |
Sora |
|
Shannon Perreault |
Kairi, Xion |
|
David Reale |
Riku |
| Bret Iwan | Mickey Mouse |
| Tony Anselmo | Donald Duck |
| Bill Farmer | Goofy |
| Bryce Papenbrook | Marcus Simpson |
| Jason Deline | Dragonoid (Drago), Kurama |
| Thomas "Tom" Weasley | |
| Barbara Budd | Skyress |
| Jessica Calvello | Yumi Aizawa |
| Jason Spisak | Theodore Detweiler |
| Rickey D'Shon Collins | Vince LaSalle |
| Ashley "Ash" Spinelli | |
| Stevie Vallance | Tigrerra |
| Ashley Johnson | Gretchen Grundler |
| Stephen R. Hart | Gorem |
| Courtland Mead | Gustav "Gus" Griswald |
| Corey Padnos | Wade |
| Cherami Leigh | Clare |
| Shaun Meunier | Preyas, Angelo/Diablo Preyas |
| Tia Ballard | Celia Yamamoto |
| Kathreen Khavari | Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) |
| Brina Palencia | Jenny Nocturne |
| Britt Irvin | Laura Kinney |
| Kim Mai Guest | Songbird (Melissa Gold), Makoto |
| Luci Christian | Ren Takachiho |
| Daniel DeSanto | Ray Lo |
| Jamie Marchi | Aqua |
| Joshua Seth | Dexter Riley |
| Jack DeSena | Ventus |
| Marc Diraison | Terra |
| Kyle McCarley | Axel/Lea |
| Jesse McCartney | Roxas |
| Bella Hudson | Misha Verdant |
| James Arnold Taylor | Joey Lee |
| Deann Degruijter | Wavern |
| Greg Cipes | Kevin Bishop, Wiseman |
| Nadji Jeter | Spider-Man (Miles Morales) |
| Logan Miller | Sam Alexander |
| Taissa Farmiga | Vivian |
| Eric Bauza | Amadeus Cho (Brawn) |
| Ursula Taherian | Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green) |
| Taylor Hannah | Mai Chen |
| Roger Craig Smith | Capitan America (Steve Rogers) |
| Mick Wingert | Iron Man (Tony Stark) |
| Fred Tatasciore | Hulk (Bruce Banner) |
| Laura Bailey | Black Widow (Natasha Romanova) |
| Troy Baker | Hawkeye (Clint Barton) |
| Travis Willingham | Thor Odinson |
| Bumper Robinson | Falcon (Samuel Wilson) |
| Grey DeLisle | Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) |
| John Tui | Phillip Folsom |
| Rob Rackstraw | Merlin |
| Debi Mae West | Zadavia |
| Himself | Stan Lee |
| Master Xehanort | |
| Benjamin Diskin | Young Xehanort |
| Dorian Harewood | Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, Xemnas, Terra-Xehanort |
| James Patrick Stuart | Xigbar |
| Vic Mignogna | Kurata Akihiro
Vexen |
| Crispin Freeman | Saïx |
| Ryan O'Donohue | Demyx |
| Robin Atkin Downes | Luxord |
| Keith Ferguson | Marluxia |
| Brittney Karbowski | Larxene |
| Yuri Lowenthal | Vanitas |
| Michael Sinterniklaas | Riku Replica |
| John Stocker | Naga |
| Ron Pardo | Hal-G |
| Lyon Smith | Masquerade |
| Craig Marshall | Hydranoid |
| Maleficent | |
| Jim Cummings | Pete |
| Tyrone Savage, Andrew Jackson, Ron Rubin, Hadley Kay | Nomad Mechtogans |
| Rob Tinkler, Brad Adamson, Carman Melville, Andrew Jackson, Ron Rubin, Donald Burda | The Nonets |
Episodes[]
Main article: List of Kingdom Hearts episodes
Music[]
Japanese Opening Themes[]
| # | Title | Performer | Episodes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Run on the plate !!!! (皿に走れ!!!!, Sara ni hashire! ! ! !) | "DISH//" | 1-66 | 4:22 |
| 2 | New World (新世界, Shin Sekai) | "Hello Sleepwalkers" | 67-111 | 3:38 |
| 3 | Butterfly effect (バタフライエフェクト, Batafuraiefekuto) | "SID" | 112-131 | 4:02 |
| 4 | Stay Hope | "Blue Encount" | 132-160 | 2:02 |
Japanese Ending Themes[]
| # | Title | Performer | Episodes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hikari | "Bentley Jones" | 1-28 | 5:03 |
| 2 | Good (いいの, Īno) | "Anly" | 29-56 | 4:22 |
| 3 | Stars in the rain | "Aimer" | 57-84 | 5:02 |
| 4 | If you become your lover (君の恋人になったら, Kimino Koibitoni Nattara) | "Back Number" | 85-111 | 4:04 |
| 5 | Unchanging Feelings (変わらぬ想い, Kawaranu Omoi) | "Miwa with Scott & Rivers" | 112-131 | 4:25 |
| 6 | Unacceptable (あっけない, Akkenai) | "Ami Sakaguchi" | 132-147 | 4:05 |
| 7 | Dialogue | "Asian Kung-Fu Generation" | 148-160 | 4:35 |
English Opening Themes[]
- Kingdom Hearts instrumental theme by Tetsuya Takahashi: episodes 1-160
English Ending Themes[]
- Kingdom Hearts instrumental theme ver 1 by Tom Erba: episodes 1-71
- Kingdom Hearts instrumental theme ver 2 by Kevin Manthei: episodes 72-160
Changes in the American version[]
The English staff had made changes to the episodes when it was aired internationally. The following are:
- Localization of names such as Masaru Shinpuson to Marcus Simpson and Phoenix to Skyress, among others so International Viewers can understand the Story.
- Replacing Japanese BGM (composed by Takayuki Negishi) with the English version, given out in the background for the characters in season 1-5, like flute is played in the background for Sora and rock is played in the background for Marcus. Musical background status have change for season 6-7, as they don't play separate for different characters.
- When the dubbed episodes 1-131 aired on Sundays, on Freeform, they were edited and censored for blood, language, violence, and references to death are removed until the airing on Hulu.
- Tetsuya Takahashi composed the score for the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts. Tom Erba (2015-17) and Kevin Manthei composed a new background score for the international release "for both artistic and commercial reasons."
Trivia[]
- The show has been moved to Hulu after the 131st episode.
- The English version episode 132 onwards now stream uncut on Hulu.
- This will be the second Anime collaboration between Square-Enix, Disney, and Marvel.
- Like the game series, most US Disney voices have reprised their roles.
- Most non-Disney characters have reprised for their roles with some exceptions (for example being both Miyu Irino and Haley Joel Osment due to their busy schedules).
- These series are rated: TV-PG; later TV-PG-LV
- The show shares the same animation style with On the Way to a Smile -Episode: Denzel- Final Fantasy VII.