Living up to the label, “THE BIGGEST LITTLE CON YOU’LL ATTEND ALL YEAR!”, Omni Fandom Expo once again dazzled attendees with a wonderful weekend (3/9 – 3/11) of delightful diversions and engaging entertainment. This fun-fueled festival recently finished its fifth year in Orlando, FL.
In addition to a first-ever U.S. convention concert by Japanese recording artist Sawa (“Final Fantasy”) and voice talents Derek Stephen Price (“Digimon”), Joshua Seth (“Digimon”) and Paul St. Peter (“Digimon,” “Kingdom Hearts”), Omni Fandom paid tribute to popular Disney-based game phenomenon “Kingdom Hearts,” celebrating the anticipated arrival of the franchise’s forthcoming fantasy: “Kingdom Hearts III.”
Showcasing the well-trained talents from students of the Shinobi School and members of CRH (Crazy Random Happenstance), “Kingdom Hearts: Treasured Memories Aerials and Movement Show” picked up on the premise that Namine’ and Roxas reunite and reminisce.
“All Nobodies were doomed to fade into the darkness, to be alone. But they were different. They did not fade into darkness, and now they had each other. But, while Namine remembered everything, there was so much Roxas did not know. So much he wanted to know. And so, she told a story about who he was before.” – Omni Fandom Expo website
Amazing aerial acrobatics and clever choreography added to the well-timed tribute during the magical 90-minute performance.
Square Enix’s Disney-based role-playing adventure, “Kingdom Hearts,” arrived for PlayStation 2 in 2002. Original characters and Disney icons (Donald Duck, Goofy, and Mickey Mouse) find adventure as gameplay progresses within several Disney-inspired environments.
With the success of the first fantasy in the franchise, several additional titles were released for the Disney-centric sensation (“Chain of Memories,” Kingdom Hearts II,” “Re: Chain of Memories,” “Coded,” 258/2 Days,” Birth by Sleep,” “Re; coded,” “Dream Drop Distance,” “1.5 Remix,” “X,” “2.5 Remix,” “Unchained X,” and “2.8 Final Chapter Prologue”). The new chapter, “Kingdom Hearts III” is due later this year.
The tribute at Omni Fandom Expo was a perfect prelude to excite fans for the new “Kingdom Hearts III” release. Recapping relationships and adventures of the game’s 16 year history put Kingdom Heart’s “Treasured Memories” center stage and left fans ready to revisit their game controllers.
Do you enjoy the “Kingdom Hearts” collection of role-playing adventures? If so, what is your favorite gameplay experience or environment? Please share your treasured memories in the comments below.
On a personal note, all of the performances and experiences (especially “Suicide Karaoke” and the Voice Actor Script reading) at Omni Fandom Expo were an absolute delight. The show, still in its infancy at only 5 years old, was well attended by passionate fans and offered a range of engaging events and parties, including two club style dances.
I’m not personally a follower of Japanese Anime, and while the main track of Omni Fandom Expo was based on this beloved genre, I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in the weekend’s events. I cannot wait to watch this wonderful weekend event grow into a major fan-fed festival. Based on the enjoyment of those in attendance, this is something certain to become a reality.
Source and image: Omni Fandom Expo Website, Wikipedia, YouTube, Michael Gavin
Images from the 2018 Omni Fandom Expo:
