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 was right to left.

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


 * The story immediately starts off on Destiny Islands when Sora, the main protagonist, wakes up from his "dream".


 * The characters eventually start saying swear words.(Although the translated edition is 'clean'.)


 * King Mickey'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).


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


 * 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.


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

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: Unlike the Kingdom Hearts Manga, it read right to left per reader request.
 * Sora's first confrantation 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.
 * Vexen is a hotheaded buffoon working with Zexion and Lexaeus.
 * Zexion usually cooks, and Lexaus is seen doing many things, such as working mind benders and reading manga.

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.) Kingdom Hearts II seems to take a more serious tone than KH:COM, but still has some humorous scenes.

Differences

 * 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."


 * The battle with Twilight Thorn is depressingly short.


 * 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.)


 * 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.


 * DiZ mentions something about disposing of Namine.


 * There is a scene involving Yuffie and Leon disposing of Heartless, they are then given a gift by one of the people in town. They are then shown having a conversation before Sora arives in Hollow Bastion.


 * Soras first encounter with Organization XIII is interrupted by Xigbar being blasted by a Claymore.


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


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


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


 * 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 were a Replica of Vexen 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 quikly reads through the Kingdom Hearts manga and expresses his anger about his scenes being cut.


 * Shan-Yu uses The Stormrider 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 were 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.