Kairi's Oath: An Analysis on Chikai
by afternoon
It would be simple to interpret that the Kingdom Hearts III's Japanese ending theme Chikai (「誓い」lit. oath) by Utada Hikaru depicts Sora’s newfound determination to vow his life to Kairi. But in actuality, Chikai has many references that indicate that the song is from Kairi’s perspective. In general, half of the song makes references to the papou scene while the other half makes references the ending scene. Furthermore, Chikai has more poetic and flowery language usage than Don’t Think Twice, which alludes to Kairi’s tendency to write poetically in her letters. In this essay, Chikai will be analyzed thematically under the interpretation that the lyrics are from the point of view of Kairi. I will look into how Chikai narrates Kairi’s thoughts, motivations, and perspective on the events of KH3.
Table of Contents
♡ Essay Series Intro
♡ Maybe
♡ Waiting Isn't Good Enough
♡ Let Me Keep You Safe
♡ A Perfect Day
♡ See You Soon
♡ Conclusion
♡ References
Notes: Since I do not understand Japanese, I used three different translations of Chikai to get a general understanding of the lyrics [1]. This essay has KH3 spoilers since there will be a lot of paraphrasing here when connecting the lyrics with the events of KH. Also this is my own personal interpretation of Chikai with regards to KH3. This song analysis will be very sokai centric, so be forewarned. Songs evoke many emotions and can be associated with a variety of things. This is only one interpretation of many, so do not take it as the concrete truth.
Chikai tells a story that indicates a progression in Kairi’s mindset, from someone who is insecure and dishonest with her feelings, into someone who is certain of her love for her beloved, Sora. In the second half of the first verse, Kairi reflects on her past, from a time when she was uncertain about whether she was enough for Sora:
This is a reference to Kairi’s growth throughout the series. In KH1, right after Sora and Kairi’s hearts are restored, the two of them have a conversation in the Secret Waterway in Traverse Town. Before Sora goes off to seal the keyhole in Hollow Bastion, Kairi insists on accompanying him, only to be rejected by Sora. Despite her frustration, Kairi accepts Sora’s wishes. In contrast, by KH3, Sora can see that Kairi is capable of defending herself. Despite his usual desire to protect her, Sora knows that with her keyblade training complete, Kairi is capable of fighting beside him in the final battle.
In addition, let’s look at the lyrics that talk about being a “liar” from the choruses:
These lyrics indicate that Kairi has a history of dishonesty. In KH1, the few scenes we have with Kairi paint her as a bit of an enigmatic character. This is partly because the audience sees Kairi from Sora’s perspective. For example, in Destiny Islands on the evening before their departure, Kairi jokingly said that she and Sora should take the raft without Riku, to which Sora, confused by Kairi’s behavior, states that she has changed. Kairi responds with a somber “Maybe”, hinting that Kairi was aware of her romantic feelings for Sora, but was unwilling to confess. Despite this, Kairi asked for Sora to “never change”, indicating that she was not ready for their relationship to change. Thus, Kairi was lying to herself and to Sora about her developing romantic feelings for him.
Even though Sora and Kairi were both romantically interested in each other in the beginning of KH1, they were both still a bit immature and were not ready to develop their friendship into a romance. However by KH3, Sora and Kairi have both changed, and the nature of their relationship has changed as well. While still cheerful yet reserved, Kairi has matured, and the moments she spent with and away from Sora have made her fonder. The year she spent before KH2 forgetting Sora’s name and face pushed her to find him. And the time she spent together with Sora post-KH2 helped her become more comfortable with her love for him. Now, Kairi is ready to honestly express her feelings to Sora. Even if she may be a bit unconfident in her ability to fight alongside Sora, she can no longer go back to being the liar she used to be. And when she decides to make an oath to Sora, it will be a day free of lies.
Now that we understand Kairi’s introspection on her relationship with Sora leading up to KH3, let’s look at her motivations for initiating the paopu scene. Continuing from where we left off in the previous section, the first half of the second verse shows a side of Kairi that is more honest with her herself about what she really wants:
Here we see that Kairi simply wishes to live in peace with Sora. Yet Kairi understands that she and Sora have an obligation to protect the worlds as guardians of light. As such, Kairi knows that her wish can’t be fulfilled, because her duty comes first. It’s selfish, so Kairi can’t help but feel frustrated.
Moving on, another motivation of Kairi can be seen in the second half of the bridge:
The “light through the door” mentioned here refers to the Door to Light from the ending of KH2. It’s important to note that the Door to Light was called out by the light in Sora’s heart, which in turn was brought out when Sora read Kairi’s letter. Taking Kairi’s letter into consideration, we can understand Kairi’s motivations in more depth. Kairi wrote the letter as a way to cope with her guilt for forgetting Sora for a year, and served as a way for her to reach out to Sora. The letter has aspects that indicate her wish is to be with Sora, such as the line “hope that our hearts will blend”. The fact that Kairi has wished for this even when she forgot Sora’s name and face signifies important he is to her, so much so that there really was no other choice for her but Sora.
Kairi has shown a much more active role as the series progressed, from the girl who relented to waiting for Sora into a partner who can fight alongside him in battle. Kairi may have changed, but her love for Sora has never faded, and in her mind there is no doubt about this. She wants to send her feelings across to Sora loud and clearly, which brings us to the paopu scene.
In KH3, the lucky charm is nowhere to be seen at all. It is interesting to note that Kairi’s lucky charm is referred to as a yakusoku no mamori (約束の守り lit. promise charm) in Japanese [2].
Chikai directly references the promise charm in the second half of the second verse:
Up until KH3, Kairi for the most part has had to stay behind while Sora and Riku go off on their adventures. Since Kairi will be a guardian of light, she no longer has to wait back at Destiny Islands. This means that the lucky charm that Kairi gave to Sora is not needed. Kairi will no longer make any promises to wait for Sora at home, because she’ll go back home with him. Even though they’ll be together, fighting side by side, Kairi wants to seek out more from their relationship, and she is ready for this. Kairi is ready to make an oath.
This all leads up to what is arguably, the most resonating lyric of Chikai:
The word chikai (誓い lit. oath), has divine connotations, in which a vow is made under a divine witness [3]. In context with the paopu scene, it is a direct reference to the moment when Kairi hands a paopu fruit to Sora and says,
“I want to be a part of your life no matter what. That’s all.”
To better understand how much weight this lyric and the word chikai have to the song, let’s also look at the Japanese dialogue as well. For the same line in Japanese, Kairi says,
「もう離ればなれにならないように おまじない」
Tr: “This charm will make sure we won’t be separated (again)” [2].
Here, Kairi uses the word omajinai (おまじない) when referring to the paopu fruit as a charm. As noted by Phoenix Downer, this is different from the omamori, or the lucky charm she gives to Sora in KH1 because “an omajinai can, among other things, be used as a prayer to ward off disaster or misfortune and to bring about good luck” [2].When Kairi decides to use the paopu fruit as an omajinai with Sora to ensure that they won’t get separated again, she’s depending on the divine magic of the paopu fruit to intertwine their destinies. Furthermore, sharing a paopu fruit has shown to have romantic implications, as mentioned by Selphie in KH1. This romantic tone of Kairi’s gesture is more explicit with the English dialogue, which suggests that Kairi is also confessing her love to him.
There is so much gravitas to the lyric "not a promise, but an oath," because not only is it a direct reference to one of the most vital romantic scenes in the series, it symbolizes the culmination of Kairi's growth. The girl who only hinted at her crush through jokes and lucky charms can now seek out Sora upfront, and be honest with what she really wants. Both Kairi and her love for Sora have matured, and she is ready to face the ends of the world with him. She wants their relationship to evolve. So by sharing the paopu fruit with Sora, Kairi will make this oath, because she loves him, she wants to be with him, and she wants to keep him safe, no matter what.
With Kairi’s motivations and intentions for the paopu scene analyzed with the context of Chikai now complete, it’s time to analyze the parts of the song that clearly emote and illustrate the scene: the choruses. Here are the general lines of the chorus, minus the lyrics that have been previously analyzed. Note that the lyrics from the different choruses that generally express the same thing are grouped together. Utada here does a wonderful job of emulating the scene of a perfect day. She doesn’t use any specific imagery to describe the setting or to set the tone. Instead she weaves it in through dialogue.
First, we have the lines:
Which indicate that all the aspects that make up a wonderful day like the weather and the setting are just right for the momentous occasion that Sora and Kairi are about to partake in: sharing the paopu fruit. Next, the line:
establishes the intimate atmosphere and solemnity of the moment: the only people needed here are Sora and Kairi. There’s no need for formalities, just two people and the oath they will share. After this, the lines:
have several connotations on the mood, the setting, and the kind of oath that Sora and Kairi are about to make. The rings here refer to wedding rings, which are usually worn between couples as a vow of lifelong commitment between each other, suggesting a romantic tone to the song. In the context of KH, these rings represent the paopu fruit. Furthermore, choosing rings the color of dawn suggests the picturesque setting of the scene (in KH3 the paopu scene occurs during sunset), and alludes that this oath will mark a new chapter in their lives. Which finally leads us to the lines:
For Kairi, this is something she’s never done before, and the fact that she’s asking for something so significant as this from Sora shows how much Kairi values him.
Overall, the choruses illustrate this. In Kairi’s perspective, this is the perfect day. The timing is just right for the sun to paint the sea and sky a canvas of oranges and pinks. There’s no one else here but Sora and herself - this moment is between them and them alone. This may be a new development in their relationship, but it is one that they can handle. This is her chance, Kairi will ask Sora to share a paopu fruit with her.
And she does. Once the ritual is complete, Sora and Kairi take a moment to just lovingly gaze into each other.
The post-chorus:
does a wonderful job of expressing the intense emotion of this moment. This is also a nice shout out to the “hearts will blend” line in Kairi’s letter, and indicates that their destinies are now intertwined from sharing the paopu fruit. In the paopu scene, we spend a good 15 seconds just watching Sora and Kairi content, and appreciating the immense amount of love they have for each other. Everything is now in the open. They’ve made their oaths to one another. And they’re celebrating the fact that they’re alive, here and now. It’s as simple as that.
Now that we’ve analyzed the lyrics in accordance with the paopu scene in full, it’s time to delve into the lyrics that associate with the ending scene of KH3. At a glance, Chikai seems to just narrate the events of the paopu scene, but there are tinges of sadness amongst a song that generally feels very hopeful and endearing. These parts of the song feel like they directly illustrate the complex emotions Kairi feels at the ending.
She’s back in the Destiny Islands with Sora, but she knows that this will only be for a brief moment. In the first verse:
fate is quite explicitly mentioned. While Kairi may not understand fate, she understands that it exists. The use of “can’t help but acknowledge” connotes a feeling of defeat, as if Kairi is facing an aspect of destiny that she would rather not bear. Therefore, the fate mentioned here refers to Sora’s fate to fade away. From this, we can conclude these lyrics depict the moment in the ending when Kairi must accept that Sora will leave her, and all of the difficult emotions that come with this fact.
Another part of Chikai that connects to the ending scene is the first half of the bridge:
The only time we see Kairi cry in KH3 is at the ending, right before Sora fades away. Combining these lyrics with what we see at the ending, we can infer Kairi’s thought process during this scene. Sora and Kairi have a few moments to themselves before Sora faces his fate. When Sora and Kairi return to Destiny Islands, they sit side by side on the paopu tree, fingers laced together. At first they only gaze at the sunset. They spend the time in silence, enjoying each other’s company. Sora turns to Kairi, which prompts Kairi to face him. He moves his grip a bit, slips it deeper into Kairi’s to check that she’s really there, next to him. When Kairi looks at him, she sees Sora smiling his radiant smile, content that she’s there. Kairi’s upset. When she looks at Sora, she thinks of all the times they’ve spent together, how much she loves him, and how even though they’ve made their oath, he’s leaving her again. Looking at him causes a swirl of thoughts and emotions to burst inside her. She can’t help but cry. But this is Kairi, and she still cares about Sora, so she smiles back at him in reassurance. She’s right here.
Even so, there’s still hope. Here, the last lines of the outro:
reminds us that Sora and Kairi made an oath. The outro explicitly illustrates the scene where Sora and Kairi sit together and watch the sunset (albeit it’s a sunrise in the song in accordance with the theme of new beginnings). This is to indicate that before Sora departs, they’re reiterating their oath. Their destinies are intertwined, so this is not the end of their story. Kairi will see Sora again soon.
Chikai is a song that is both endearing yet melancholic at the same time. Kairi is a lovely character with so much emotion and depth in her that is wonderfully explored through the lyrics of Chikai. Despite the mixed emotions of shock, anguish, and disbelief at how KH3 ended, there is still hope. When we watch the ending scene play out, Chikai echoes in the back to remind us of the oath the two shared, to live together as one.
- - - - - - - - - -
That’s all for now! Have any comments? New insights? Comment below or on tumblr! Wondering why we didn’t write about the “Kiss me once, twice, three times” lyrics? Don’t worry! This is part 1 of 3 essays! Next up in part 2, lazy will analyze how Don’t Think Twice is from Sora’s perspective, and finally in part 3 we’ll compare Chikai and Don’t Think Twice. Thank you for reading and we hope we see you again soon!
[4] Cutscene screenshot sources: KH1, KH2, & KH3
It would be simple to interpret that the Kingdom Hearts III's Japanese ending theme Chikai (「誓い」lit. oath) by Utada Hikaru depicts Sora’s newfound determination to vow his life to Kairi. But in actuality, Chikai has many references that indicate that the song is from Kairi’s perspective. In general, half of the song makes references to the papou scene while the other half makes references the ending scene. Furthermore, Chikai has more poetic and flowery language usage than Don’t Think Twice, which alludes to Kairi’s tendency to write poetically in her letters. In this essay, Chikai will be analyzed thematically under the interpretation that the lyrics are from the point of view of Kairi. I will look into how Chikai narrates Kairi’s thoughts, motivations, and perspective on the events of KH3.
Table of Contents
♡ Essay Series Intro
♡ Maybe
♡ Waiting Isn't Good Enough
♡ Let Me Keep You Safe
♡ A Perfect Day
♡ See You Soon
♡ Conclusion
♡ References
Notes: Since I do not understand Japanese, I used three different translations of Chikai to get a general understanding of the lyrics [1]. This essay has KH3 spoilers since there will be a lot of paraphrasing here when connecting the lyrics with the events of KH. Also this is my own personal interpretation of Chikai with regards to KH3. This song analysis will be very sokai centric, so be forewarned. Songs evoke many emotions and can be associated with a variety of things. This is only one interpretation of many, so do not take it as the concrete truth.
Maybe
| 本当にこんな私でもいいの ねえいいの あんまり期待させないでほしい | Are you really okay with someone like me? Really, really? I don’t want you to get my hopes up |
This is a reference to Kairi’s growth throughout the series. In KH1, right after Sora and Kairi’s hearts are restored, the two of them have a conversation in the Secret Waterway in Traverse Town. Before Sora goes off to seal the keyhole in Hollow Bastion, Kairi insists on accompanying him, only to be rejected by Sora. Despite her frustration, Kairi accepts Sora’s wishes. In contrast, by KH3, Sora can see that Kairi is capable of defending herself. Despite his usual desire to protect her, Sora knows that with her keyblade training complete, Kairi is capable of fighting beside him in the final battle.
In addition, let’s look at the lyrics that talk about being a “liar” from the choruses:
| 今日という日は嘘偽りのない / 嘘つきだった僕には戻れない | This is a day free of lies and falsehood / I can’t go back to the liar I used to be |
These lyrics indicate that Kairi has a history of dishonesty. In KH1, the few scenes we have with Kairi paint her as a bit of an enigmatic character. This is partly because the audience sees Kairi from Sora’s perspective. For example, in Destiny Islands on the evening before their departure, Kairi jokingly said that she and Sora should take the raft without Riku, to which Sora, confused by Kairi’s behavior, states that she has changed. Kairi responds with a somber “Maybe”, hinting that Kairi was aware of her romantic feelings for Sora, but was unwilling to confess. Despite this, Kairi asked for Sora to “never change”, indicating that she was not ready for their relationship to change. Thus, Kairi was lying to herself and to Sora about her developing romantic feelings for him.
Even though Sora and Kairi were both romantically interested in each other in the beginning of KH1, they were both still a bit immature and were not ready to develop their friendship into a romance. However by KH3, Sora and Kairi have both changed, and the nature of their relationship has changed as well. While still cheerful yet reserved, Kairi has matured, and the moments she spent with and away from Sora have made her fonder. The year she spent before KH2 forgetting Sora’s name and face pushed her to find him. And the time she spent together with Sora post-KH2 helped her become more comfortable with her love for him. Now, Kairi is ready to honestly express her feelings to Sora. Even if she may be a bit unconfident in her ability to fight alongside Sora, she can no longer go back to being the liar she used to be. And when she decides to make an oath to Sora, it will be a day free of lies.
Waiting Isn’t Good Enough
| 悔しくて仕方がない ダサいくらいしがみついたまま 眠りたい 毎日 | I can’t help but be frustrated But I want to fall asleep holding you every day No matter how lame that is |
Here we see that Kairi simply wishes to live in peace with Sora. Yet Kairi understands that she and Sora have an obligation to protect the worlds as guardians of light. As such, Kairi knows that her wish can’t be fulfilled, because her duty comes first. It’s selfish, so Kairi can’t help but feel frustrated.
Moving on, another motivation of Kairi can be seen in the second half of the bridge:
| 開かれたドアから差し込む光 これからもずっと側にいたい 選択肢なんてもうとっくにない | Light flows in through the wide-open door I want to stay by your side, now and forever Since long ago, there’s been no other choice for me |
The “light through the door” mentioned here refers to the Door to Light from the ending of KH2. It’s important to note that the Door to Light was called out by the light in Sora’s heart, which in turn was brought out when Sora read Kairi’s letter. Taking Kairi’s letter into consideration, we can understand Kairi’s motivations in more depth. Kairi wrote the letter as a way to cope with her guilt for forgetting Sora for a year, and served as a way for her to reach out to Sora. The letter has aspects that indicate her wish is to be with Sora, such as the line “hope that our hearts will blend”. The fact that Kairi has wished for this even when she forgot Sora’s name and face signifies important he is to her, so much so that there really was no other choice for her but Sora.
Kairi has shown a much more active role as the series progressed, from the girl who relented to waiting for Sora into a partner who can fight alongside him in battle. Kairi may have changed, but her love for Sora has never faded, and in her mind there is no doubt about this. She wants to send her feelings across to Sora loud and clearly, which brings us to the paopu scene.
Let Me Keep You Safe
Chikai directly references the promise charm in the second half of the second verse:
| 約束はもうしない そんなの誰かを喜ばすためのもの | I won’t make any more promises Promises are for making others happy |
Up until KH3, Kairi for the most part has had to stay behind while Sora and Riku go off on their adventures. Since Kairi will be a guardian of light, she no longer has to wait back at Destiny Islands. This means that the lucky charm that Kairi gave to Sora is not needed. Kairi will no longer make any promises to wait for Sora at home, because she’ll go back home with him. Even though they’ll be together, fighting side by side, Kairi wants to seek out more from their relationship, and she is ready for this. Kairi is ready to make an oath.
This all leads up to what is arguably, the most resonating lyric of Chikai:
| 約束でもない 誓いだよ | This is not a promise, but an oath |
The word chikai (誓い lit. oath), has divine connotations, in which a vow is made under a divine witness [3]. In context with the paopu scene, it is a direct reference to the moment when Kairi hands a paopu fruit to Sora and says,
“I want to be a part of your life no matter what. That’s all.”
To better understand how much weight this lyric and the word chikai have to the song, let’s also look at the Japanese dialogue as well. For the same line in Japanese, Kairi says,
「もう離ればなれにならないように おまじない」
Tr: “This charm will make sure we won’t be separated (again)” [2].
Here, Kairi uses the word omajinai (おまじない) when referring to the paopu fruit as a charm. As noted by Phoenix Downer, this is different from the omamori, or the lucky charm she gives to Sora in KH1 because “an omajinai can, among other things, be used as a prayer to ward off disaster or misfortune and to bring about good luck” [2].When Kairi decides to use the paopu fruit as an omajinai with Sora to ensure that they won’t get separated again, she’s depending on the divine magic of the paopu fruit to intertwine their destinies. Furthermore, sharing a paopu fruit has shown to have romantic implications, as mentioned by Selphie in KH1. This romantic tone of Kairi’s gesture is more explicit with the English dialogue, which suggests that Kairi is also confessing her love to him.
There is so much gravitas to the lyric "not a promise, but an oath," because not only is it a direct reference to one of the most vital romantic scenes in the series, it symbolizes the culmination of Kairi's growth. The girl who only hinted at her crush through jokes and lucky charms can now seek out Sora upfront, and be honest with what she really wants. Both Kairi and her love for Sora have matured, and she is ready to face the ends of the world with him. She wants their relationship to evolve. So by sharing the paopu fruit with Sora, Kairi will make this oath, because she loves him, she wants to be with him, and she wants to keep him safe, no matter what.
A Perfect Day
First, we have the lines:
| 永遠の誓い日和だよ / 僕たちの誓い日和だよ | A perfect day for eternal oaths / A perfect day for our oaths |
Which indicate that all the aspects that make up a wonderful day like the weather and the setting are just right for the momentous occasion that Sora and Kairi are about to partake in: sharing the paopu fruit. Next, the line:
| 綺麗な花も証人もいらない | I don’t need pretty flowers, or witnesses |
establishes the intimate atmosphere and solemnity of the moment: the only people needed here are Sora and Kairi. There’s no need for formalities, just two people and the oath they will share. After this, the lines:
| 同じ色の指輪をしよう / 朝日色の指輪にしよう | Let’s just wear rings of the same color / Let’s just choose rings the color of dawn |
have several connotations on the mood, the setting, and the kind of oath that Sora and Kairi are about to make. The rings here refer to wedding rings, which are usually worn between couples as a vow of lifelong commitment between each other, suggesting a romantic tone to the song. In the context of KH, these rings represent the paopu fruit. Furthermore, choosing rings the color of dawn suggests the picturesque setting of the scene (in KH3 the paopu scene occurs during sunset), and alludes that this oath will mark a new chapter in their lives. Which finally leads us to the lines:
| 今言うことは受け売りなんかじゃない / 今日という日は過去前例のない | What I’m saying now doesn’t come second-hand / This is a day without precedent |
For Kairi, this is something she’s never done before, and the fact that she’s asking for something so significant as this from Sora shows how much Kairi values him.
Overall, the choruses illustrate this. In Kairi’s perspective, this is the perfect day. The timing is just right for the sun to paint the sea and sky a canvas of oranges and pinks. There’s no one else here but Sora and herself - this moment is between them and them alone. This may be a new development in their relationship, but it is one that they can handle. This is her chance, Kairi will ask Sora to share a paopu fruit with her.
And she does. Once the ritual is complete, Sora and Kairi take a moment to just lovingly gaze into each other.
 |
How do you describe this scene? You can’t. You just watch. And cry. |
The post-chorus:
| 胸の高鳴りを重ねて踊ろうよ 今を生きることを祝おうよ | Let's press our thundering hearts together and dance Let's celebrate the fact that we are alive here and now |
does a wonderful job of expressing the intense emotion of this moment. This is also a nice shout out to the “hearts will blend” line in Kairi’s letter, and indicates that their destinies are now intertwined from sharing the paopu fruit. In the paopu scene, we spend a good 15 seconds just watching Sora and Kairi content, and appreciating the immense amount of love they have for each other. Everything is now in the open. They’ve made their oaths to one another. And they’re celebrating the fact that they’re alive, here and now. It’s as simple as that.
See You Soon
She’s back in the Destiny Islands with Sora, but she knows that this will only be for a brief moment. In the first verse:
| 運命なんて知らない けどこの際 存在を認めざるを得ない | I don’t know a thing about fate But in this moment I can’t help but acknowledge its existence |
fate is quite explicitly mentioned. While Kairi may not understand fate, she understands that it exists. The use of “can’t help but acknowledge” connotes a feeling of defeat, as if Kairi is facing an aspect of destiny that she would rather not bear. Therefore, the fate mentioned here refers to Sora’s fate to fade away. From this, we can conclude these lyrics depict the moment in the ending when Kairi must accept that Sora will leave her, and all of the difficult emotions that come with this fact.
Another part of Chikai that connects to the ending scene is the first half of the bridge:
| たまに堪えられなくなる涙に これと言って深い意味はない ただ昔を突然思い出し (ああ泣きたい) | Sometimes I can’t hold back my tears, But there’s no deep meaning in it It’s just that I suddenly think of the past (oh, I want to cry) |
The only time we see Kairi cry in KH3 is at the ending, right before Sora fades away. Combining these lyrics with what we see at the ending, we can infer Kairi’s thought process during this scene. Sora and Kairi have a few moments to themselves before Sora faces his fate. When Sora and Kairi return to Destiny Islands, they sit side by side on the paopu tree, fingers laced together. At first they only gaze at the sunset. They spend the time in silence, enjoying each other’s company. Sora turns to Kairi, which prompts Kairi to face him. He moves his grip a bit, slips it deeper into Kairi’s to check that she’s really there, next to him. When Kairi looks at him, she sees Sora smiling his radiant smile, content that she’s there. Kairi’s upset. When she looks at Sora, she thinks of all the times they’ve spent together, how much she loves him, and how even though they’ve made their oath, he’s leaving her again. Looking at him causes a swirl of thoughts and emotions to burst inside her. She can’t help but cry. But this is Kairi, and she still cares about Sora, so she smiles back at him in reassurance. She’s right here.
 |
| I watched the ending scene frame by frame to write this. My heart hurts. |
Even so, there’s still hope. Here, the last lines of the outro:
| 日の昇る音を肩並べて聞こうよ 共に生きることを誓おうよ | Let’s sit shoulder to shoulder and listen to the sound of the rising sun Let’s swear an oath to always live as one |
reminds us that Sora and Kairi made an oath. The outro explicitly illustrates the scene where Sora and Kairi sit together and watch the sunset (albeit it’s a sunrise in the song in accordance with the theme of new beginnings). This is to indicate that before Sora departs, they’re reiterating their oath. Their destinies are intertwined, so this is not the end of their story. Kairi will see Sora again soon.
Conclusion
- - - - - - - - - -
That’s all for now! Have any comments? New insights? Comment below or on tumblr! Wondering why we didn’t write about the “Kiss me once, twice, three times” lyrics? Don’t worry! This is part 1 of 3 essays! Next up in part 2, lazy will analyze how Don’t Think Twice is from Sora’s perspective, and finally in part 3 we’ll compare Chikai and Don’t Think Twice. Thank you for reading and we hope we see you again soon!
References
[2] Phoenix Downer did a wonderful translation & frame by frame analysis for the paopu scene. They inspired some of the analysis for this essay too so go check them out!
[4] Cutscene screenshot sources: KH1, KH2, & KH3
Love your analysis!
ReplyDelete