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Kingdom Hearts openings: English or Japanese?

S

Seraphis Cain

bad gameplay lol
Myself, I've always preferred Japanese for KH1 (Hikari/Simple and Clean) and English for KH2 (Passion/Sanctuary). I know this is apparently not the case, but to me at least, Passion always felt like it was written in English first. The Japanese version never sounded "right" to me (again, I know this isn't the case, it was written in Japanese first). KH1's theme has always sounded better in Japanese to me, though.

And between all four, Sanctuary wins by a mile, btw. Love that song.

Just curious to see what GAF prefers!
 
M

Mesoian

Member
Themes? Japanese. Simple and Clean is better than Hikari though. Passion is dramatically better than Sanctuary though.I feel like Sanctuary is a textbook case of why you shouldn't try to translate music.
 
P

purseowner

Member
They're great in both languages, and that's testament to Utada's impressive lyrical command of each of them.

That said, Simple and Clean (English), Passion (Japanese).
 
A

AlexFlame116

Member
Prefer Sanctuary by far. Honestly kinda sick of hearing Simple and Clean/Hikari in almost every place. Sanctuary/Passion needs love too!
 
C

Crossing Eden

Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
Ratrat said:
The original Japanese for both songs. The English lyrics just sound like complete nonsense.
Click to expand...
And you think they don't in Japanese? Do you actually understand Japanese? To answer the question, the one in the language that I understand, (English),
 
R

Ratrat

Member
Crossing Eden said:
And you think they don't in Japanese? Do you actually understand Japanese? To answer the question, the one in the language that I understand, (English),
Click to expand...
Yes. She is probably one of the best lyricists in the country. But nice try.

She wrote the song but couldn't translate it right while still having it fit the music. Its a warbled mess.
 
M

Matt Attack

Member
I find Hikari to be better than Simple and Clean, and Sanctuary to be better than Passion. All four are amazing though, of course.
 
V

Verelios

Member
I don't know what the fuck Simple and Clean meant in context to KH but it's a defining part of my 2000's, while Sanctuary was just hype as all hell.

So, English
 
M

Marmaladefire

Member
English for Simple and Clean/Hikari, even though it's a lyrical mess, Passion and Sanctuary are tied for me. I hope Disney gives her the $$$$$$ she deserves to do the theme for KH3
 
Wulfric

Wulfric

Member
I prefer Hikari due to listening to Hikki's Deep River album so many times over the years.

However, I prefer Sanctuary ~after the battle~ over Passion.

I just pray SE/Disney can license a song from Fantome for KH III and call it a day. Michi would be a good one to use.
 
H

HeartlessNobody213

Member
Hard to choose. I love Sanctuary except for the "my hearts a battle ground line". I think Passion has the edge over it in that regard.

I think for me it may be Simple/Clean and Passion. I may be a bit biased since I heard Passion so many times before I heard Sanctuary.
 
C

Crossing Eden

Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
Ratrat said:
Yes. She is probably one of the best lyricists in the country. But nice try.

She wrote the song but couldn't translate it right while still having it fit the music. Its a warbled mess.
Click to expand...
What are the lyrics in Japanese?
 
P

Phreakuency

Banned
Simple and Clean is laughable in English.

For someone that is actually fluent in English, Utada has some of the worst abc,123 type lyrics in English.
 
L

Lukemon

Member
I ADORE the KH2 opening in Japanese (imported it back in the day, finished it and no, I didn't speak a word of Japanese then) and hate the localisation as a result. Cadence and scan are both so much better than when trying to translate it. I'd rather listen to good music with lyrics in a language I barely understand than awkward music in one I do. Also, the orchestral version of Passion is too good, but luckily that's universally the case.
 
E

Edzi

Member
I've got a nostalgic connection to the English songs, but nowadays I vastly prefer the originals. The English lyrics just sound really forced, and I think Utada herself has mentioned how much she dislikes translating songs over.
 
D

D.Va

Neo Member
Simple and Clean sounds better than Hikari. S&C builds up in the chorus, while Hikari just starts off at the top and... stays at the top.

Sanctuary > Passion, only because I've listened to Sanctuary a thousand times and Passion only like twice.
 
I

Inuhanyou

Believes Dragon Quest is a franchise managed by Sony
Simple and Clean > Hikari

Sanctuary <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Passion

Seriously, i was SHOCKED to hear Sanctuary after almost a year of listening to Passion before the english version of the game came out. It was like she completely phoned it in for cash grabs. Lazy lyrics and horrible tonal shifts and large holds just to mask the lack of actual words being said "my sanctuary, my SANCTUAREEEYUH", the complete lack of backround chorus and backround instruments, I don't believe her for a second when she says she came up with Sanctuary first. Not for a single second.
 
Y

Yabberwocky

Member
I'm also in the Simple and Clean > Hikari, and Passion > Sanctuary category. I love Sanctuary's lyrics in English, but feel like they don't blend with the melody quite as well as Passion does. As people have said, it's a bit ironic considering it was written first.

Like everyone else, still desperately hoping that Utada will do the KH3 opening. Fantôme was fantastic, too.
 
Z

ZombiePlatypus

Member
Simple and Clean and Hikari are totally on par for me. Sanctuary I like, but I prefer Passion. Sanctuary's missing some of the background vocals in the song for whatever reason.
 
P

Primethius

Banned
I like both but slightly prefer the Japanese versions. They are by far and away my favorite parts of the Kingdom Hearts games.
 
I

Inuhanyou

Believes Dragon Quest is a franchise managed by Sony
404Ender said:
Nope, not Passion/Sancutary. Check the wiki page (I'd link and quote but I'm on mobile)
Click to expand...

i still say that's not the whole story, it can't be considering how lazy it is compared to passion. And she released passion as both a single and on an album in Japan, for some reason, i doubt all that effort went into a song she originally wrote for english speakers just for a game, that has never been promoted anywhere else outside of that opening and KH

sanctuary isn't even copyrighted, Passion was for a long time
 
A

Andamo

Neo Member
purseowner said:
They're great in both languages, and that's testament to Utada's impressive lyrical command of each of them.

That said, Simple and Clean (English), Passion (Japanese).
Click to expand...

The correct answer. Simple and Clean is the best of all four, but both Simple and Clean and Hikari are better than either of the KH2 songs.

Passion is better than Sanctuary, but I really love "I watch you fast asleep / all I fear means nothing" from Sanctuary.

Any of you hear Peabo Bryson's cover of Sanctuary from the Utada Hikaru cover album?
 
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