Kingdom Hearts series (manga)

Kingdom Hearts is Shiro Amano's manga adaptation of the Kingdom Hearts series.

Kingdom Hearts
The first series was based on Kingdom Hearts. It was released in 4 separate books and was translated to English by TOKYOPOP. It, unlike the other mangas, was made to be read left to right, while the others were right to left.

Differences
Many people have noticed the differences between the games and the manga. Such of these are listed below:


 * The prologue shows how Sora first meets Kairi after she washes up on the Destiny Islands.


 * The story immediately starts off on Destiny Islands when Sora, the main protagonist, wakes up from his "dream" and also that Tidus, Selphie and Wakka were not shown.


 * The characters eventually start uttering swearwords (although the translated edition is 'clean').


 * King's letter is written differently.


 * We actually get to see a small scene on the balcony of Riku's house.


 * The cloaked man's lines are slightly different.


 * Sora seems to get all of his boss strategies from quotes out of various martial arts books.


 * The Leon-Yuffie encounter is a lot shorter in the game compared to the Cid encounter (which in retrospect is very humorous).
 * The Dalmatians were not shown except on a Page Cover.


 * Sora meets up with Riku a lot earlier than in the game.


 * Rather than tossing the Keyblade back to Sora like in the game, Riku made it appear in front of Sora.


 * The plot tells a bit more about the events of when the Radiant Garden was over run by Heartless nine years prior to the events of Kingdom Hearts, including a small flashback of Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith as kids.


 * Aladdin uses his first wish to save Sora and co. from a pit of quicksand here, rather than wish for the Heartless to be gone. In fact, there were no Heartless attacking in the manga adaption.


 * The Pot Centipede is absent and Maleficent is the one who kidnapped Jasmine.


 * In Agrabah, Aladdin uses the second wish to save Goofy, not Jasmine (which brought several readers to believe that Aladdin could wish for Jasmine back and the last to free Genie).


 * No summons (including the Fairy Godmother) were shown excluding Genie although he was summoned only during an Omake to help Sora open up a jar.


 * The worlds Deep Jungle and Halloween Town are absent in the story.


 * In Atlantica, the Crystal Trident was never found and destroyed and the Sunken Ship was only visited once.


 * The story shows that Riku ended up in Hollow Bastion after he left the Destiny Islands, just as it was shown in Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix.


 * Riku was not in his Dark Form in the battle against Sora after he regained control of the Keyblade.


 * Neither the Maleficent nor the dragon Maleficent battle ever happened. Rather, Riku possessed by Ansem destroyed Maleficent instead of turning her into her dragon form.


 * The story shows that Riku ended up on the other side of the door to Kingdom Hearts after Ansem possessed him. Like the previous scene, this scene was also created as an extra cutscene in Kingdom Hearts Final Mix.


 * The Lost Boys make their first KH appearance here in this manga.


 * Unlike in usual manga swordfighter stories, the KH manga contains little actual fight scenes. Rather, fights between Sora and his party against enemies such as Heartless are implied with starting combat, mini fight scenes and/or end shots of a fight.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
The second series was based on Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. It was released in 2 chapters and translated to English by TOKYOPOP.

The Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories Manga has a much lighter tone than that of the game, as evidenced by many things, including the following:

Differences
Unlike the Kingdom Hearts manga, it read right to left per reader request (like an actual Japanese manga).
 * When Axel first arrives to test Sora, he had his hood up.
 * Sora's first confrontation with Axel is a farce (as seen when Sora crashed to the wall with Donald and Goofy).
 * Marluxia always has flowers around him.
 * Marluxia and Larxene have a small party, where they drink soda and eat chicken wings.
 * Vexen is more of a hothead as he works with Zexion and Lexaeus.
 * Zexion usually cooks (despite the job originally being Lexaeus'), and Lexaeus is seen doing many things, such as working mind benders and reading manga.
 * Traverse Town, Agrabah, Twilight Town, and the Destiny Islands memory cards are the only ones shown to be given to Sora.
 * The Hollow Bastion and Destiny Islands memory cards are the only ones shown to be given to Riku.
 * Rather than the Riku Replica, the real Riku killed Zexion.
 * Riku never killed the Riku Replica, much less meet him in the story.
 * Jiminy never wrote 'Thank Naminé' in his journal.
 * Unlike the game, Sora remembered who Aladdin is despite some difficulties at first.
 * Sora, Donald and Goofy try to save Jasmine by pretending to be genies. After Jafar makes an impossible wish for them to grant (for Princess Jasmine to fall desperately in love with him, stating that a sultan has need for a princess), Aladdin springs in to action, while Sora and co. follow suit.
 * Instead of setting Genie free with the last/3rd wish, Genie was freed with the 2nd one though he still insisted he would grant the 3rd wish (but he can grant more than three since he was freed). This breaks the canon for both the original version of CoM, Kingdom Hearts, even the original version of the film Aladdin.
 * Genie played along in granting wishes (which logically ended up as just 1, by making him Sultan of Agrabah) for Jafar especially tricking him into turning into a Genie himself.
 * Before Sora fights Marluxia, he uses thorns to hold Naminé in a similar fashion to being crucified. Donald and Goofy save and heal her from this painful method of imprisonment. It is shown that this seems to have left her unconscious, possibly due to the pain.
 * Tidus, Selphie and Wakka did not appear again because they didn't appear in the manga adaption of the first Kingdom Hearts.
 * Small TV's were shown in Naminé's room. The TV Brand name was Nomura, the last name of Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura. Marluxia is also seen eating Nomura-Brand chicken.
 * Rather than the Destiny Islands card being transformed into the Riku Replica's fake good luck charm, Axel gives the card to Sora right after he kills Vexen in the Twilight Town floor.
 * Instead of being incinerated, Vexen died by being slashed from Axel's chakrams.
 * Larxene died by being sprinkled with water and exploding instead of fading in the dark.
 * While going towards the final floor, Sora, Donald and Goofy came across a vending machine of warm potions and elixir. Goofy buys an elixir, won a free drink.
 * Marluxia said "In this place, to find is to lose and to lose is to find" four times.
 * Vexen thought that Xemnas and Riku wears the same cologne that's why his scent is very familiar to Xemnas'

Kingdom Hearts II
The third series was based on Kingdom Hearts II. This series will be told in 5 chapters. (Only volume one and two have been translated so far with a third volume being released soon.) Kingdom Hearts II seems to take a more serious tone than Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, but still has some humorous scenes.

Differences

 * Before fighting Seifer in the game, you are given the choice to choose from a Struggle Sword, Hammer and Wand. In the manga adaption, Seifer tosses a Struggle Sword (the well balanced one) at Roxas' feet, giving him no other option but to use this.


 * When Roxas first encounters the Dusk Nobodies, they form a sort of cage around Roxas and carry him towards a portal. Just before they reach the portal, the Keyblade appears.


 * The photo is with Roxas and his friends at the beach instead of in front of the gate by the Haunted Mansion.


 * Dusks and Assassins are seen floating around, giving Axel (who is standing on the roof of the Haunted Mansion in the "real" Twilight Town) a picture of Roxas. He then burns the picture and wonders where "the real thing is hiding."


 * It is explained that the lesser Nobodies cannot tell the real thing (Roxas) from a photo, hence stealing the pictures from around Twilight Town.


 * Roxas does not choose the Dream Sword, Shield or Staff here, but skips right to the battle with the Twilight Thorn.


 * Roxas and the gang do only the Poster job with Roxas being mentioned not doing so by Olette after losing the first set of 5000 munny.
 * Riku was never asked by DiZ to reveal his name (which he would answer Ansem when asked) and also that he had to do some chores like mopping around.
 * It was never mentioned that Hayner in the game got another set of 5000 munny from his relatives.


 * The battle with Twilight Thorn is depressingly short, as it immediately falls on Roxas as it does after being beaten in the game, instead of actually fighting.


 * Axel pins Roxas to the ground while telling him his place in Organization XIII.


 * Roxas falls off the Bell Tower while trying to catch his ice-cream that was sliding off of the stick (which usually says Winner! on it.)


 * In the Struggle tournament, contestants wear suits with the orbs attached to them.
 * The battle between Vivi and Seifer as well as Roxas and Setzer were not shown at all but both ended up being winners respectively.


 * Instead of on the train, the gang admire their crystals in The Usual Spot. Roxas realizes that his is missing while digging through his clothes, in his room.


 * Roxas and his friends only check out the haunted mansion, instead of all seven wonders.


 * DiZ mentions something about disposing of Naminé. DiZ wanted Riku to erase Naminé after her job was completed.


 * The scene where Axel appears to Roxas and tells him of the orders to eliminate him is changed. Instead, Axel appears to Roxas bringing with him snacks and offers some to Roxas; then he tells him of his orders.


 * After Roxas and Axel's fight, Axel says the same thing says up to Roxas saying "Yeah, I'll be waiting." Instead of Axel giving a remark to Roxas that he'd be in the next life, Axel just says that he'd be waiting as well.


 * Roxas only strikes DiZ's digital projection once here. DiZ's digital projection only appears once to him at this time, not twice.


 * When Sora awakens in the manga adaption, he goes to sleep again, only to be yelled at in the ear by Donald to wake up. Sora also does not jump out of the pod and embrace Donald and Goofy here, but only stretches, yawns and asks where they are.
 * When they enter town, the end of Summer holidays festival is on and they decide to look around. Sora ends-up telling Hayner and Seifer to stop fighting. Seifer tries to beat Sora up but Sora uses his prizes to beat him.
 * Before Sora and his companions get their tickets, some Nobodies appeared as well as King Mickey which were all witnessed by Hayner, Pence and Olette.
 * Sora was shown being bored when he and his comrades did not reach Yen Sid's Tower yet.
 * Goofy was seen playing a Crossword puzzle and there was simply no other words than "king" filled in as well as it not fitting the spaces.


 * Yen Sid personally ended up in combat against Pete and the Heartless instead of having Sora take care of them.
 * Sora, Donald and Goofy were seen having Tea Time with Yen Sid when in the game, it was serious business (which the fairies being Flora, Fauna and Merryweather were also seen having their own Tea Time).
 * Sora's new outfit was not turn into a Princess's and an unknown outfit in the game before getting to the intended one by the fairies.
 * Yen Sid gave Sora a hand knitted 'Keyblade Cozy' resembling the face of King Mickey before he leaves.
 * Sora was not shown to wield two Keyblades unlike in the game when with the fairies.
 * Goofy was seen reading a Manga as well as the Gummi Ship running out of gas and also Sora and especially Donald were forced to smile no matter what happens which leads to one another twitching here and vexing there as they go for Hollow Bastion (soon to be Radiant Garden).


 * Maleficent is resurrected at the Villains' Vale rather than in Yen Sid's Tower.


 * There is a scene involving Yuffie and Leon disposing of Heartless (which some shows themselves threatening to behead Leon with his own Gunblade), they are then given rice balls by one of the people in town after Yuffie stated that they would have to pay for their services given. They are then shown having a conversation before Sora arrives in Hollow Bastion.
 * Pete was doing some chores which Maleficent even commented and we learn that Pete would feel sick going through the corridor of darkness.
 * Unlike in the game, Leon and the others apparently did not forget Sora while his memories were being restored.
 * Sora was seen still smiling with force, no thanks to the side effects of face staying in a certain fix after some time.
 * Aerith got the habit of putting in things like milk into Leon's soda in an Omake and sugar into Cid's barley tea before Yuffie shows up with her fellow allies.
 * Merlin mistook Cid's words of Heartless as Cockroaches, suggesting for their plan to dispose of the Heartless to be putting a poison-injected dumpling for the Heartless to take back and then consume, and they would trump the creatures in one fell swoop.
 * Leon did not act like himself in the game, Cid said a different line and Aerith did not state they missed Sora and his companions and Merlin did not need to re-teach Sora Magic again as well as Leon taking Sora and gang to see the 1000 Heartless instead of going off by himself first plus the fact that Leon did not point to the Nobodies like he did in the game.


 * Sora's first encounter with Organization XIII is interrupted by Xigbar being blasted by a Claymore.
 * Donald and Goofy were not away but were with Sora and Leon who all fought together with Sora remain standing but the other three all wiped out.
 * Leon weakly returned to Cid after the battle with the Nobodies.


 * The Organization is shown having a meeting very similar to the ones shown in Final Mix.


 * Axel and Naminé are shown together at The Clocktower. Naminé attempted to use the corridor of darkness with limited success.


 * Sora, Donald, Goofy, Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, Cid and Merlin are all shown together having dinner. Yuffie apparently says something to get on Cid's nerves.


 * Instead of visiting each world twice, the events of both visits are merged together.


 * Xaldin is fought and defeated as soon as Beast regains control of himself. He then retreats to The World That Never Was where a Replica of Vexen (from the end of Chain of Memories's manga adaption) kills him.


 * Xigbar is the one responsible for Shan-Yu's army of Heartless.


 * When Mushu encounters Sora he wonders why Sora doesn't recognize him. He then quickly reads through the Kingdom Hearts manga and expresses his anger about his scenes being cut.


 * Shan-Yu uses the Storm Rider to attack the palace.


 * Sora fights Shan-Yu on the roof of the palace and makes short work of him; after Shan-Yu's defeat, Xigbar kills him.


 * Sora, Donald and Goofy don't land in The Underworld and instead land in the Coliseum entrance where they hear Meg's cries for help and rush down to The Underworld to save her.


 * The Hydra is an opponent Sora faces in a tournament who he defeats by ring out.


 * Kairi throws her message in a bottle to Sora with much force, instead of lowering it into the water.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
The fourth series is based on Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. So far only the prelude, first, second, third, and fourth chapters have been translated.

Differences

 * Axel is the one who teaches Roxas to fight rather than Marluxia.
 * Xion reveals her face to Roxas before they leave for their mission on Day 25. In the game, she revealed her face just after they arrived in Twilight Town.
 * In Roxas's dream with Xemnas, he hears Sora's name the first time in the dream.
 * On the seventh day, before Roxas wakes up, three Dusks attempt to play a prank on Roxas by sticking a clothes pin on his nose; Axel comes in and stops them.
 * Zexion never goes on a mission with Roxas, he just introduces himself and gives Roxas some fish he made.
 * Sora, Donald, and Goofy make a brief physical appearance just as they're about to fight Marluxia in Castle Oblivion. This was never seen in the game since Sora and the others never make a physical appearance.