Thursday, March 29, 2007

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, v. 1

Adapted by Shiro Amano
Released in the US by TokyoPop




Slugline: Wanting better stories than this is what got me to
stop watching Disney movies.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is a follow-up to the best-selling Kingdom Hearts, which incorporates Disney characters into a manga story. Sora, an original character, leads a rescue party of Jiminy Cricket, Goofy and Donald Duck to find King Mickey. I wish the story explained the title's popularity, but after reading it, I am afraid that I am going to ascribe its popularity to having Disney characters and being based on a video game.

This title is a continuation of the original Kingdom Hearts,
drawing directly from the previous series often and without clear explanations, meaning that despite this being the first volume, it still would be better to read Kingdom Hearts first. And if the reader has watched Disney movies before, scenes from the movies are repeated rather than expanding on them.

The title earns a low ranking because while it is
technically well executed, if you are not a young Disney fan or looking for a gift for someone who is, there is very little to draw one in. This is rated all ages, but in this case it really means it is best suited for only its target ages, 9-12.



Kingdom Hears: Chain of Memories vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

- Ferdinand

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