Passion (aka Japanese Sanctuary)

The song always seemed to flow more naturally in Japanese than English. Utada Hikaru is clearly much more fluent in English than your average Japanese singer, but there are spots in Sanctuary where you can really tell she had to force the lyrics to fit the beat.

I always gave the main KH games a chance, because I'm still fascinated by this 'experiment'. The music by Yoko Shimomura and Utada Hikaru definitely was the best takeaway for me. I strongly agree with @zeik, that the English retranslations feel forced, so my choice is (technically) neither.

That being said: I think there is an innocence Hikari and melancholy to Passion.

The hooks on Hikari are shorter for an easier gratification (not counting the PlanitB remix, which I don't like). Perhaps a little too short before repetition.

Passion seems the longer burn and buildup. It seems like a more refined, experienced Utada HIkaru.

I'd go... Passion.

Never heard Sanctuary before but it sounds very messy without a real climax. Simple and Clean has a neat melody. That said, the 'it's hard to let it go' part sounds awkward too. I'd much rather had them extend the chorus with a 2nd part that's similar but slightly different. It just feels like the best thing about the song is not given enough airtime.

Something like

Simple & Clean, that's the way that you're making me feeeell.... ............

Kingdom Hearts back in town , everybody come and sit around ..............

And play the game!

What am i doing, time for bed.

"Simple and Clean" is just "Yeah. I get it. Kingdom Hearts" to me at this point. So I'll give it to "Sanctuary" because of a very Kamelot inspired power metal cover I've heard of it not too long ago. That, and I think I like II more than the first game; depends on my mood.

I still have a deep, semi-ironic appreciation for both songs and think they both perfectly exemplify how J-Pop all of Kingdom Hearts is. I think I might like Sanctuary a little more because I like Kingdom Hearts II more than the first, but yeah, they're both fiiiiine.

WHEN YOU WALK AWAY

I could watch Utada Hikaru do the dishes all day.

@zeik: Wow, I really need to get one of her albums...

You motherfucker.

Gotta go with Simple and Clean. There are parts of Sanctuary I really like, and I used to listen to it a whole lot more, but Simple and Clean is just so endearingly saccharine.

Simple and Clean is a classic and works for me in English and Japanese. I didn't know the other song was for KH2. I like the Japanese version but the English rendition doesn't sound good to me.

Hi I think this is my first forum post because it's the first time I've felt passionately enough about something to say something.

I really love the KH games, especially KH2. It was probably my favorite game up until the release of Nier Automata this year. I think the Sanctuary intro movie to KH2 is incredibly well-made, and I give that song a lot of credit.

That said, Simple & Clean is just too iconic to not vote for. It's just SO perfectly J-Pop, and so well-used within the game (the moment it comes in at the end of the game always destroys me).

I'll also make a special mention here that the orchestral version of it absolutely knocks it out of the park. Shoutouts to the flute trills throughout, and really the entire chorus in general.

Why do people joke about these terrible songs when Kingdom Hearts also gave us "Hikari" an actual, true-blue classic? :D

That track was always the theme of the first game to me, I must have erased Simple & Clean from my memory.

Shimomura is the boss of bosses.

It helps that it's just an orchestral version of Simple & Clean.

Sanctuary's version made for perfect trailer music.

@octaslash: This version of Sanctuary (passion?) is very strong. I have a hard time choosing but I think the orchestral version is my favourite.