Speak Up Monday

Tokyo Game Show 2011 sure gave us a lot of news to digest, such as the exciting announcement of the inclusion of Neku Sakuraba in Dream Drop Distance! For those who aren’t aware, Neku is the main protaganist from the famed and intriguing Nomura production, “World Ends With You.” Neku’s appearance in Kingdom Hearts is a surprise that we didn’t dare to expect or to hope for, yet fans did think much about the possibility, especially given Nomura’s significant role in both games. A little digging rewarded me with some history in our community forums dating as far back as 2008, when some of us had dreamed of Neku ending up in a future Kingdom Hearts title. For example, prior to the release of Birth by Sleep, one member suggested that for Birth by Sleep, Jesse David Corti (voice actor of Neku) should take up Ven’s role. In an interesting coincidence, I also discovered that Kouki Uchiyama (Japanese voice actor for Neku) acted as Roxas in Kingdom Hearts II and in 358/2 Days (you can read that interview by clicking on the link).

In this week’s Speak Up Monday, I want to hear your thoughts on Neku being in Kingdom Hearts! Did you see this coming somewhere down the line? Are you excited to see this character? How would you like Neku to contribute to Sora’s and Riku’s progress in Dream Drop Distance?