With its seven-day prologue, Kingdom Hearts II perfectly captures the atmosphere of the end of summer vacation.
The prologue in question concerns Roxas, a young boy trying his best to enjoy his last few days of summer vacation. Unfortunately for Roxas, as his summer break trickles away, so does everything else that matters to him.
This is where Roxas’ story became deeply relatable to me.
Looking back, I can recall the exact summer my childhood friends and I knew everything was coming to an end. I was moving away to university, they were making their own plans, and despite our desperation to focus on enjoying ourselves, we knew it would be our last summer together as a group. This feeling of slowly losing everything you hold dear is precisely what Kingdom Hearts II’s intro delivers perfectly.
From planning a beach trip, to taking part in a sword tournament, and solving mysteries across town, one thing is clear. Roxas is trying his hardest to fit as much as possible into what little time he has left.
“Well, looks like my summer vacation is over,” says Roxas at the end of the prologue. And after seeing everything he’s lost, it’s hard not to tear up at the deep meaning these words carry.
As the title fades into view, Kingdom Hearts II’s intro reminds me of a truth I often ignore. When my last childhood summer ended, so did a part of me.
