Yes, but I'm obviously arguing in favor of a strong character as well. There's no reason I can't have my cake and eat it, too.
I think the question as to what the writers are or aren't obligated to do is beside the point. I'm just here to share my desires and hopes for the installment, just like anyone else.
There's never been any indication that Kairi didn't participate in the fights and races and such on DI other than the fact that we didn't fight her or race her in the short period we spent on the Islands, because she was busy with the raft, unlike the lazy boys with an attention deficit. And in any case, I raise the "Nomura can retcon anything" card! x'DFair enough, Sora did spend a good chunk of his time snoozing. BUT! I raise the "about a decade of competitive fighting with Riku" card again!
Eh, I was just throwing it out there as a possibility. As with anything else, it's just as likely as not and vice versa.
To be honest, the notion that Kingdom Hearts hasn't sufficiently tempered your suspension of disbelief astounds me. Haha.
Really, though, it's just a matter of different perspectives like you said. As I've suggested, I think Nomura's written himself all kinds of loopholes out of this particular dilemma, and I'm certain he intends to implement all of them in order to get Lea out on the field as a full-fledged GoL. As I see it, it wouldn't come off as any less believable if he did the same for Kairi, but that's just my opinion.
I mean, maybe. But then why train her at all. Everyone who would be coming after her is Xehanort or Xehanort or Xehanort, at this point.
Yeah, but again, she's the only character who has to learn this. Sora doesn't wait for sh&t, Riku doesn't either. And when Riku was impatient, he destroyed a whole freaking World. But still, he doesn't learn to be passive and accept things as they come; he becomes more active in making decisions for himself and not allowing his emotions to be swayed by envy and negative feelings towards others. Kairi has really never done anything wrong aside from being incredibly unfortunate, and yet she's expected to hang back and let the rest of the world take care of things. I don't know. I think she waited with incredible patience for over a year for Sora to find her again; and when Sora was fighting Ansem SoD, she waited then, too; and she waited again when he and Riku were lost in the Realm of Darkness. I think she has that part down. But at the beginning of KH, she was the one kicking the boys' butts into gear to build that raft so they could all go rashly and stupidly sailing off into the middle of the ocean; and she was the one who excitedly and rather sweetly suggested to Sora that they take off together, JUST THE TWO OF THEM! *GIGGLE GIGGLE JUST KIDDING*; and she was the one who jumped into a swarm of Heartless (uselessly, yes, but still) just to be reunited with her friend. The girl's got drive, and while she has been used as a plot device and has been given nowhere near the attention you would expect her to be entitled to as a member of the main trio, the potential has always been there and remains there still. It's not as if there's nothing to build upon, at least not in my opinion. And they have a whole game to do it. It doesn't have to be exclusive, it shouldn't be. But to make her wait AGAIN? I guess that's where they would break MY suspension of disbelief.
I'll just reiterate: I don't believe there is such a thing as "out of harm's way" in this case. They're dealing with an Army of Xehanorts, which we as the audience have been led to believe is basically the greatest threat to the universe, ever. It would pretty much diminish that threat if we're also asked to believe they would have anything like a difficult time breaking into Yen Sid's tower and kidnapping a character who we have established is distinctly susceptible to being taken hostage. Maleficent has already done both of those things without hassle, albeit on separate occasions.
I just think giving her a weapon and a purpose of her own would probably suffice. And I really think this is still a matter of singling out Kairi's role in the story. Sora is technically only importantly because he's a Keyblade wielder with random and unpredictable connections to characters who weren't even a part of the original story. Riku's only technically important because he's a bishonen tragic hero who keeps the fangirls invested. I'm being facetious now, but the point is if they can create compelling characters out of the archetypes they have going, they can do so for anyone, even the running Damsel in Distress. And really, how much time does it take for them to give Kairi a scene where she expresses that Sora (and maybe Riku if she remembers he exists) are important to her and she knows she needs to get stronger, for them and for herself, and then DOES IT? I don't know, I just think it wouldn't be anything difficult or time-consuming.
I've really enjoyed discussing this with you by the way. Seeing as I think we're bound to run in circles, though, I don't think I have much else to say. I totally respect your opinion and I think it's a valid one. :3
