Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories Volume 1 (Kingdom Hearts (Graphic Novels)) Reviews

• The Beginning of a Great Kingdom Hearts Sequel

  
  By A3QJT3VQ5ZA8FB on 2007-03-21
  If you've just played the Kingdom Hearts games on the Playstation console, then you probably have no idea what this manga is about. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories connects the ending of the the first Kingdom Hearts game with the beginning events in the second Kingdom Hearts game.
  
  Now that the door has been closed (the end of the first game) Sora and his friends continue to hunt for those that they have lost. While wandering a countryside, Sora is met by a mysterious person dressed all in black. After a bit of a confrontation, the stranger tells Sora to go to Castle Oblivion, that is where he will be able to find his answers. When the gang gets to the castle, they are again confronted by another stranger (or maybe it's the same, it's hard to tell), but essentially the gang learns a little bit about the castle. As the gang travels through the castle they begin to lose memories of their times in the first game and of their friends. With the help of special "Memory Cards" the gang travels from world to world trying to find their friends, but even the friends they made in each world don't seem to be able to remember Sora, Donald, and Goofy.
  
  Essentially that's the premise of the story, in the first book, the gang travels to Traverse Town to meet the gang from the Final Fantasy World, and they even travel to Agrabah to meet up with Aladdin and Genie.
  
  This series does show more promise than the last set of books (though I loved the first series, they were a wee bit on the thin side for a good Manga). There's plenty of comedy, lots of action, and some great adventures, this first book even has it's own little cliffhanger ending. I just hope that this time they travel to Halloween Town, that's the one thing I wished that they would've done in the first series. Anyway, it's a great read, go out and buy it if your a KH fan or even if you're a noobie to the franchise and thinks it looks like a cute read.
  
  

• pleasantly suprised

  
  By A38DJWPUAWD0GB on 2006-11-02
  yay, 1st review! it gets a 4, since i reserve 5 stars for things that are *amazing* but it gets a ^high^ 4.
  
  i flipped through it and saw, halfway through, that AXEL had quite a bit of airtime. and he is captured wonderfully. the expressions want for nothing, and display his personality as well as the game does. there is also a shounen-ai/bl flavor to it for those that are into that (yes!). but it is not overwhelming, for those that aren't.
  
  sora is adorable. (oh, and riku does get airtime as well!) the disney characters... are tolerable. i, personally, do not like the disney characters. but they are better in the manga then in the game. (i think that donald and goofy are almost potrayed gaily. and this makes me bust out laughing every time. i wouldn't put it past Amano *snerk*) the illustration is Great. there are plenty of things to make you laugh. and organization 13 rocks. (read the little character summary in the 2nd pg of the book.) one of the big bad evil guys loves... flowers?! LOL and another loves to cook!! (he's more adorable than sora)
  
  even though the pacing is sometimes wonky (Amano seems to encounter issues when working in some of the disney characters from other lands), it's a totally enjoyable read.
  
  

• Short, Sweet, and Amusing!

  
  By A145SHER8FQNLO on 2006-12-29
  If you are a devoted fan of Kingdom Hearts (beat the game twice, amazed by the story, music, and graphics, played CoM and KHII) as well as a *manga* fan, then KH: CoM the manga is an excellent choice for you!
  
  [ The first 4-volume set of manga for Kingdom Hearts, I must admit, was a bit of a disappointment. Not only are were books shorter than standard manga, it seems they changed my interpretation of the game's story and characters as well. ]
  
  The story in this book put the video game, Chain of Memories for the GBA, in a clearer light, making me love CoM even more. It was also pretty amusing. :] It's a much different perspective than the game by far, so if you're expecting a cut-and-dry interpretation, then be prepared to be surprised. It seems to take the most interesting details of the game for placement into the manga, skipping over most of the repetition that appeared in the game (the parts I liked least to begin with). In other words, it gets you straight to the places where things are new, fast-paced, and interesting - with a little manga-styled twist.
  
  For those that have never played the CoM game: this vol 1 may turn out a bit too fast paced for you, depending on what you were looking for by reading it. If you want the whole, lengthy unabridged story with nice visual details, this is definitely not the solution. It can't replace the game, which I'm sure was not its purpose since the story was altered from that of the game. For instance, the game presents 2 sides of a story (the 2nd side is only obtained by beating the first side) whereas the book just blends the two right from the beginning (you'd have to have played the game to know what I mean by this). However, as a stand-alone, I still believe you'll truly love the manga's story - those extra details aren't really necessary if you're just reading it for its manga side anyhow. :] It really does shine as a manga, so don't be afraid to make your purchase and enjoy it!
  
  

• Kingdom Hearts... the comic.

  
  By A2D9Z55CE4Q47S on 2006-11-27
  The 4 manga set is priced pretty darn good, compared to the books sold as singles, so thats a good point.
  
  However, don't expect too much from it, if you haven't already checked it out. The stories don't give you more than what you've seen from the game. The mangas are thin... about one-fourth of a regular comic. The artwork is a bit plain, but do have funny facial emotions. Soo... if you're a die-hard fan, or an 'art collector' like me, then go ahead and enjoy your purchase.
  
  

• I Have One Word For This... HILARIOUS!!!!!

  
  By A8FUSA3T90SN1 on 2006-12-02
  Hey, if you are a hard-core Kingdom Hearts fan like me, you should definitely buy this manga!!!! I will admit that I have not read this entire book, but I did get up to chapter 3. However, this book has quite a few parts that aren't in the game, and a good percentage of them make the story very funny. I found myself laughing out loud as I read this in school today! One word of warning: If you're going to read this to get the full scoop on Chain of Memories because you don't have access to the game on GBA, know that this story is told in a way that is quite different from the game, but that is why I like it so much, because I'm not getting the exact same story all over again. So, like I said before, if you are absolutely OBSESSED with Kingdom Hearts, or you love manga, or you can find some other reason, BUY THIS MANGA!!!!!
  
  

• Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories 2
• Kingdom Hearts, Vol. 4
• Kingdom Hearts II Volume 1 (Kingdom Hearts (Graphic Novels))
• Kingdom Hearts, Vol. 3
• Kingdom Hearts, Vol. 1