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Tetsuya Nomura Doesn't Think Kingdom Hearts' Story Is Convoluted
posted on by Ken Iikura-Gross
If there is one thing fandoms tend to do it's overthinking the canon of their favorite stories, such as the Kingdom Hearts franchise. With three mainline games and far too many spinoffs and remakes, keeping track of everything can be a hassle. However, in a recent interview with Shueisha's Young Jump magazine, Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura said he doesn't think the story is as complicated as people think.
The interview ran in this year's 42nd ssue of the magazine on Thursday, and the magazine's website also posted the interview.
#ヤングジャンプ 42号（9/19[木]発売）の
— 週刊ヤングジャンプ編集部 (@young_jump) September 18, 2024
【YJ45周年スペシャルインタビュー】にて、
ゲーム界の革命家・野村哲也氏が登場✨🎮
『FF7』リメイクプロジェクトから、その創作観まで深掘りした、野村氏が「初めて話すことも多い」と語る必見の内容です！… pic.twitter.com/5hO6Ak4L6d
Revolutionary game creator Tetsuya Nomura
appears in the "YJ 45th anniversary special interview"
in Young Jump issue 42 (on sale Thursday, September 19)✨🎮
This is a must-read that delves deep into everything from the FF7 remake project to his creative philosophy, with Nomura saying "there are many things I'm talking about for the first time"!
In addition, on the prize page, one lucky winner will receive an original FF7R Amazon gift card autographed by Tetsuya Nomura🎁
Look at the second cover page👀
Don't miss this valuable opportunityビックリマーク❣️
Much of the Young Jump interview focused on Nomura's involvement with the Final Fantasy 7 Remake project. Yet, near the end of the interview (the third page for the online version), the topic shifted to Kingdom Hearts. The section opened with how Nomura can keep the story concise, at least for him. The game designer noted he maintains a notebook with plot points, characters, and other important information regarding the games' story. However, he further elaborated he doesn't share the notes unless (roughly translated), “if something is necessary, I will write a setting explanation in the middle of the scenario so the staff can understand it.”
When pressed on how Nomura keeps track of things within the Kingdom Hearts franchise, he stated in conjunction with his notes he has his staff memorize information or he'll go to YouTube videos covering the topic. It's a bit odd the franchise creator watches YouTube videos about Kingdom Hearts lore, but notes he finds the videos interesting. On top of this Nomura said he sometimes thinks, “[The story is] not as complicated as you think” and “I'm impressed you look that deep” while watching the videos.
Although Nomura didn't name any specific videos, some people likely won't help but wonder if he has seen the Angry Video Game Nerd episode “Kingdom Hearts Timeline – Chronologically Confused” from 2019.
The Young Jump interview concluded with Nomura's thoughts regarding Kingdom Hearts and its future.
Sources: Young Jump's X/Twitter source name, account, Young Jump's website, Culture Crave's X/Twitter account, Cinemassacre's YouTube channel
