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Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days #1-3
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
It's only been seven days since Roxas was told by the Organization to look after a new Nobody. Though this newcomer's face and body are hidden by a hood, Roxas spends many meaningful days with this mysterious stranger...
393 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 13, 2018
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256 people want to read
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October 12, 2019Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days: The Novel (light novel) by Tomoco Kanemaki is in my opinion a four out of five stars for a few main reasons.
Reason number one the book is faithful adaptation of the game into a novel form. One great thing about this novel is that it does not subtract from the original games story it actually adds to it in a few ways. The first way that this book adds to the original source is that it allows us to see into the thinking of multiple different characters such as Axel and Riku who only had dialogue with Roxas (the protagonist) in the original game. The other way that the novel improves on the original source is that it is better paced, in the original game you would have to go through a good amount of missions (which could take hours) before you got to the real story. In the book you get to the story right away while they summarize most mission and they describe the important missions in detail. The book is also more descriptive than the game since the game was on the weak DS console which could not display that much detail, while the book describes locations with a lot of detail. Finally the book has more dialogue and character specific moments, for example it fleshes out Axel and Saix’s friendship which is left vague in the 358/2 days game.
The second reason for why I rated the book four out of five stars, is the book has great character development. In the book many characters are very fleshed out, for example Roxas starts out as a character that can barely form sentences who can not make choices for him self in the beginning, but in the end he chooses to betray the organization and do what is right. He goes through this through out the book for example in the middle he starts to think about if the organization is doing the right thing which evolves throughout the book leading to his betrayal of the organization 13. Another character that gets development is Axel who starts out as not liking Roxas at first thinking that he is worthless, and at the end he really cares about Roxas as a friend leading to him sacrificing his life to save him. The book helps develops the characters by letting us see more than just what Roxas is thinking. Another character that is developed in the book is the antagonist Xemnas, Xamnas’ goal is stated to be to create his own kingdom hearts to give all nobodys (beings without hearts) hearts, but is actual goal is to use kingdom hearts to obtain unlimited power. He wants this because he is the nobody of Xahanort who is the main antagonist of the series who’s goal is to get kingdom hearts so that he can stop the “false light” which caused a war in the past. In conclusion the books character development gives it one of his stars.
The third reason for why this book is a four out of five is, the books themes. The themes of the book involve a few things and one of them is the pros and cons of friendship. The book shows this theme in a few ways, the first way it shows this is with Axel, Roxas and Xion who are great friends and they always have each others backs and get their meaning of life from them. On the downside of this theme there is the idea that being to dependent on your friends is bad, for example when Xion disappears Axel and Roxas start acting irrational causing bad things to happen tp both of them. Another theme that is shown in the book is the theme of accepting your fate. This theme is shown in Xion who is actually a replica made out of memories who has to return to the main protagonist of the series Sora, who is sleeping until is memories are repaired. The problem is Xion does not want to leave her friends since she will disappear from everyones memories since she is made out of memories. She then talks to Namine who makes her realize that it is the right thing to do but before she disappear she tells Roxas to free the hearts from kingdom hearts which allows her to accept her fate.
The forth and final star comes from the books amazing plot which is good for a few reasons. The first reason is that it expands on the previously established lore of the kingdom hearts series. It does this by introducing new things like new heartless and nobodys along with fleshing out previous characters. An example of this is Saix who is revealed to be friends with Axel in the past but they are no longer friends. Another example of this is when they reveal Xemnas’ true motive which is to become the worlds new ruler. The book also add more information about replicas which are important to kingdom hearts 3 specifically. The book shows the evolution of the replica program starting with no. 1 also known as Xion who is made out of memories but is flawed since it has to take energy from Roxas to power up. The next replica is Repliku (replica Riku) who is close to the real person with an artificial heart but is uncontrollable but it is still a huge leap in the program. The final way that it expands on the lore is that it explains the difference between the three different kingdom hearts. First of all Xemnas’ kingdom hearts is made out of hearts of humanity and is artificial, the second kingdom hearts is made from the hearts of worlds and is also artificial, while the original is made out of both types of hearts, it is natural and it is the most powerful.
Last of all, there is a few reasons for why I took off one stare. The first reason is that the book can be confusing when it switches perspective since sometimes it will not give any big clues. Another reason is that it leaves out a few important events including the Roxas and Riku fight (which is very important) which is only summarized in a paragraph. The book also leaves out Roxas waking up in the digital Twilight Town which connected 358/2 days to Kingdom Hearts 2, since that is when Kingdom Hearts 2 starts. Another reason for why it received its rating is that it does not feature the journal and secret journal entrées from the game which explained some side characters motives like Demyx’s motive which is to become a muscian.
In conclusion Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days: The Novel (light novel) by Tomoco Kanemaki is in my opinion a four out of five stars because it of its addition to game, the amazing plot, character development, the book’s themes and its faults.
Reason number one the book is faithful adaptation of the game into a novel form. One great thing about this novel is that it does not subtract from the original games story it actually adds to it in a few ways. The first way that this book adds to the original source is that it allows us to see into the thinking of multiple different characters such as Axel and Riku who only had dialogue with Roxas (the protagonist) in the original game. The other way that the novel improves on the original source is that it is better paced, in the original game you would have to go through a good amount of missions (which could take hours) before you got to the real story. In the book you get to the story right away while they summarize most mission and they describe the important missions in detail. The book is also more descriptive than the game since the game was on the weak DS console which could not display that much detail, while the book describes locations with a lot of detail. Finally the book has more dialogue and character specific moments, for example it fleshes out Axel and Saix’s friendship which is left vague in the 358/2 days game.
The second reason for why I rated the book four out of five stars, is the book has great character development. In the book many characters are very fleshed out, for example Roxas starts out as a character that can barely form sentences who can not make choices for him self in the beginning, but in the end he chooses to betray the organization and do what is right. He goes through this through out the book for example in the middle he starts to think about if the organization is doing the right thing which evolves throughout the book leading to his betrayal of the organization 13. Another character that gets development is Axel who starts out as not liking Roxas at first thinking that he is worthless, and at the end he really cares about Roxas as a friend leading to him sacrificing his life to save him. The book helps develops the characters by letting us see more than just what Roxas is thinking. Another character that is developed in the book is the antagonist Xemnas, Xamnas’ goal is stated to be to create his own kingdom hearts to give all nobodys (beings without hearts) hearts, but is actual goal is to use kingdom hearts to obtain unlimited power. He wants this because he is the nobody of Xahanort who is the main antagonist of the series who’s goal is to get kingdom hearts so that he can stop the “false light” which caused a war in the past. In conclusion the books character development gives it one of his stars.
The third reason for why this book is a four out of five is, the books themes. The themes of the book involve a few things and one of them is the pros and cons of friendship. The book shows this theme in a few ways, the first way it shows this is with Axel, Roxas and Xion who are great friends and they always have each others backs and get their meaning of life from them. On the downside of this theme there is the idea that being to dependent on your friends is bad, for example when Xion disappears Axel and Roxas start acting irrational causing bad things to happen tp both of them. Another theme that is shown in the book is the theme of accepting your fate. This theme is shown in Xion who is actually a replica made out of memories who has to return to the main protagonist of the series Sora, who is sleeping until is memories are repaired. The problem is Xion does not want to leave her friends since she will disappear from everyones memories since she is made out of memories. She then talks to Namine who makes her realize that it is the right thing to do but before she disappear she tells Roxas to free the hearts from kingdom hearts which allows her to accept her fate.
The forth and final star comes from the books amazing plot which is good for a few reasons. The first reason is that it expands on the previously established lore of the kingdom hearts series. It does this by introducing new things like new heartless and nobodys along with fleshing out previous characters. An example of this is Saix who is revealed to be friends with Axel in the past but they are no longer friends. Another example of this is when they reveal Xemnas’ true motive which is to become the worlds new ruler. The book also add more information about replicas which are important to kingdom hearts 3 specifically. The book shows the evolution of the replica program starting with no. 1 also known as Xion who is made out of memories but is flawed since it has to take energy from Roxas to power up. The next replica is Repliku (replica Riku) who is close to the real person with an artificial heart but is uncontrollable but it is still a huge leap in the program. The final way that it expands on the lore is that it explains the difference between the three different kingdom hearts. First of all Xemnas’ kingdom hearts is made out of hearts of humanity and is artificial, the second kingdom hearts is made from the hearts of worlds and is also artificial, while the original is made out of both types of hearts, it is natural and it is the most powerful.
Last of all, there is a few reasons for why I took off one stare. The first reason is that the book can be confusing when it switches perspective since sometimes it will not give any big clues. Another reason is that it leaves out a few important events including the Roxas and Riku fight (which is very important) which is only summarized in a paragraph. The book also leaves out Roxas waking up in the digital Twilight Town which connected 358/2 days to Kingdom Hearts 2, since that is when Kingdom Hearts 2 starts. Another reason for why it received its rating is that it does not feature the journal and secret journal entrées from the game which explained some side characters motives like Demyx’s motive which is to become a muscian.
In conclusion Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days: The Novel (light novel) by Tomoco Kanemaki is in my opinion a four out of five stars because it of its addition to game, the amazing plot, character development, the book’s themes and its faults.
February 15, 2024
Anyone who has only ever watched the YouTube cutscenes should read this book. It goes more in depth about the characters and their thought patterns and it’s just genuinely more heart wrenching. The author did a wonderful job at desolating the tragedy of 358/2 days.
February 11, 2019
I really loved Kingdom Hearts the game, and I thought this book would help answer some questions in the story line. But honestly the story seems kind of rushed and not as detailed as I had hoped. But over all it was still a good read.
March 20, 2020
A good 4.5/5 read.
This seemed like a better read than the other books in the series by comparison. From the afterword by the author, I imagine it had something to do with her input in the actual game and that of Xion's character herself.
While the game will always be the staple of the story, the novelization of it, in particular, succeeds in adapting the game's plot into a great story. There wasn't much focus on all of the missions Roxas and the others had to go on (mostly, anyway), and focused more on the friendship between the three main characters and their confusion and experiences while learning to/breaking away from the idea that they are "simply Nobodies". The settings were great, characterizations just as great, and the author could really give some in-depth perception of the characters through POV. It switches around a lot, and sometimes I got confused as to who was who, but overall, it was vastly enjoyable.
Once again, I recommend this to longtime Kingdom Hearts fans and any newer ones either unable to play the games or wishing to see it through a different medium. And this has the thumbs-up from me, parents.
This seemed like a better read than the other books in the series by comparison. From the afterword by the author, I imagine it had something to do with her input in the actual game and that of Xion's character herself.
While the game will always be the staple of the story, the novelization of it, in particular, succeeds in adapting the game's plot into a great story. There wasn't much focus on all of the missions Roxas and the others had to go on (mostly, anyway), and focused more on the friendship between the three main characters and their confusion and experiences while learning to/breaking away from the idea that they are "simply Nobodies". The settings were great, characterizations just as great, and the author could really give some in-depth perception of the characters through POV. It switches around a lot, and sometimes I got confused as to who was who, but overall, it was vastly enjoyable.
Once again, I recommend this to longtime Kingdom Hearts fans and any newer ones either unable to play the games or wishing to see it through a different medium. And this has the thumbs-up from me, parents.
February 13, 2023
One of my favorite stories in the series. Mostly because it actually flows and makes sense.
The writing in this book was very simple to read, which is just fine! I do wish there were more details in the more important scenes and that if they needed to sacrifice some of the small stuff they would have.
The ice cream stuff is so wildly corny, but I think it’s sweet (and salty). I think they play on that so much because they think that’s what friends are supposed to do.
Finally, Axel’s probably my favorite KH character, so part of why I enjoy this story so much is because of his involvement in the plot.
The writing in this book was very simple to read, which is just fine! I do wish there were more details in the more important scenes and that if they needed to sacrifice some of the small stuff they would have.
The ice cream stuff is so wildly corny, but I think it’s sweet (and salty). I think they play on that so much because they think that’s what friends are supposed to do.
Finally, Axel’s probably my favorite KH character, so part of why I enjoy this story so much is because of his involvement in the plot.
January 6, 2025
Felt a wave of nostalgia for the Kingdom Hearts series and realized I had the Days novel on my shelf without having actually read it. Time to fix that!
Kanemaki makes the world of Kingdom Hearts feel real and lived in while also having a poetic, fantastical quality. Even writing in simple prose (accessible to ages ten and up), she describes the fear and alienation of working in a hostile and degrading environment very well. Axel and Saix's divorce is also palpable.
Great stuff for a middle grade novel! Reminded me of the halcyon days in the fandom before KH3 released.
Kanemaki makes the world of Kingdom Hearts feel real and lived in while also having a poetic, fantastical quality. Even writing in simple prose (accessible to ages ten and up), she describes the fear and alienation of working in a hostile and degrading environment very well. Axel and Saix's divorce is also palpable.
Great stuff for a middle grade novel! Reminded me of the halcyon days in the fandom before KH3 released.
January 1, 2019
Only read this book if you have played all the kingdom hearts games. I must stress this. I love kingdom hearts it's such a beautiful series of games so when I heard there was a novel of the sea salt trio. I just had to get it. It was full of such geeky goodness. I love the manga style illustrations throughout. It captures the iconic series very well.
January 21, 2019
Has there ever been a KH novel that wasn't devastating? I managed to make it almost to the end without breaking down this time, even knowing what was to come.
these kids, though. THESE KIDS.
"If only things could stay like this. The three of us together. That's my wish, too. That's what I want."
these kids, though. THESE KIDS.
"If only things could stay like this. The three of us together. That's my wish, too. That's what I want."
May 29, 2021
So sis finished Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory a while ago & I'm trying to refresh my memories about the KH lore and fill in the blanks about what the PS4 collection left out.
Well, reading this novelization made me even sadder about the fact that we didn't get the game on PS4 & were just left with the movie 💔
Well, reading this novelization made me even sadder about the fact that we didn't get the game on PS4 & were just left with the movie 💔
June 3, 2023
This story will always
ALWAYS
A L W A Y S
HURT ME AND DESTROY MY HEART LIKE OH MY GOD THE SEA SALT TRIO IS SO TRAGIC AND IT JUST KILLS ME ON THE INSIDE SEEING THEM GO THROUGH ALL THIS
This took me so long to read lol but honestly I enjoyed every second of it minus the pain (or maybe I do enjoy it cuz I’m a masochist when it comes to angst lmaooo)
ALWAYS
A L W A Y S
HURT ME AND DESTROY MY HEART LIKE OH MY GOD THE SEA SALT TRIO IS SO TRAGIC AND IT JUST KILLS ME ON THE INSIDE SEEING THEM GO THROUGH ALL THIS
This took me so long to read lol but honestly I enjoyed every second of it minus the pain (or maybe I do enjoy it cuz I’m a masochist when it comes to angst lmaooo)
May 8, 2019
never got to play the game, but ive seen the cutscene movie. and boy was this a perfect novelization of it. can't wait to read more in the series and get a whole other perspective on the games.
7 days till my summer vacation is over
7 days till my summer vacation is over
April 29, 2019
Days has always been one of my favorite Kingdom Hearts games, and I love how much deeper the story goes in this novel. I especially loved seeing inside, Riku, Axel, and Xion’s heads.
December 11, 2019
This book really made me hate Sora lol. I honestly wouldn’t care if Sora never came back.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2020
Absolutely fantastic! I'm so glad this was my first read of the year.
April 15, 2022
I think that this is the most wholesome friendship out of the 3 groups. Axel and Roxas have a bond to die for. Xion was essential to understanding Replicas feelings in Chain of Memories.
May 28, 2024
Yeah this was worth $40
December 18, 2024
🎶I watch yoooou🎶
🎶Fast asleeeeeep🎶
🎶All I feaaaaar🎶
🎶Means nothiiiiiiing🎶
🎶Fast asleeeeeep🎶
🎶All I feaaaaar🎶
🎶Means nothiiiiiiing🎶
April 9, 2025
with every entry in this series I become more and more convinced that the necklace theory is real lol
November 26, 2025
Felt super bad for Axel, but some problems could’ve been resolved by just fudging reports and sneaking off. Also retcons with Riku vs Roxas?
January 7, 2026
4 stars. I would read this again if I’m in the right mood.
February 5, 2019
I was not emotionally prepared for this book, even knowing the events from playing the original title. If you enjoyed the story of 358/2 Days, this novel captures everything that made the game's story great and adds new information that either didn't make it into the game or was not explained very well.
5/5 Stars and my intent to read again in the future.
5/5 Stars and my intent to read again in the future.
July 5, 2024
All Roxas knows is that Organization XIII needs him to collect hearts with his Keyblade - but as he begins to form a friendship with Axel and the new fourteenth member, Xion, all three ponder what it truly means to be a Nobody, and whether Kingdom Hearts can save them from Master Xemnas' plans. Kanemaki and Amano bring fans another engaging adaptation of the titular series, quick-paced yet detailed in its emotional moments and lore. Where have Roxas and Xion come from, and what secrets will their fates uncover for the organization?
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