The colorful and cartoonish aesthetic of Kingdom Hearts masks some deep tragedies - and perhaps none suffers underneath bright streaks of color more than Naminé. She’s a sketchbook-wielding "witch" with the power to change the hearts of those closest to Sora, born an anomaly among anomalies, imprisoned as the villains’ plaything, and convinced of some of the worst lies Nobodies tell themselves… because for her, in her unique situation, they might just be true. She’s also an icon for indoor kids everywhere, and her impact on the major players of the KH story is felt long after she leaves the board. Is she only ever meant to manipulate others, cursed to be a tool for evil or good but never for herself? Or can she find her way to a tranquil beach she’s never seen, but one that her heart still remembers?

Credits

- Created & hosted by: Mischa Stanton & Mayanna Berrin

- Music: “Sunset Dew” by Lupus Nocte

- A member of Multitude

- Support us on Patreon

About Us

Simple and Clean is a show where hosts Mischa Stanton and Mayanna Berrin (and friends) talk about Kingdom Hearts, a little video game franchise about really big feelings. We attempt to unravel how this deceptively expansive game series has touched an entire generation of deeply earnest weirdos - and along the way, we may realize that what we’re talking about might not be just a video game, but a whole lot more.

Never heard of Kingdom Hearts? That’s okay! We’re here to break it down for you, explain why we love it, and hopefully to convince you that this weird little story deserves a place in your heart. Join us as we discuss the plot, characters, world building, music, fashion, fanbase, and societal impact of a thing that by all means, probably shouldn’t even exist. New episodes every Sunday!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

While Sora struggles against the machinations of the Organization in the floors above, Riku climbs his way out of his own personal darkness in the basement of Castle Oblivion in Reverse/Rebirth, the secret second half of Chain of Memories. Where Sora’s journey is about the lies others tell him, Riku’s journey is more about the lies he tells himself. But luckily, in this game he’s got King Mickey by his side (and finally in a Kingdom Hearts game for realsies!), so not even whatever the hell the cryptic DiZ is up to can keep him from eventually finding the right path.

Sponsors

- Insert Coin - where you can get 10% off with code “SIMPLEANDCLEAN” at insertcoinclothing.com!

Credits

- Created & hosted by: Mischa Stanton & Mayanna Berrin

- Music: “Sunset Dew” by Lupus Nocte

- A member of Multitude

- Support us on Patreon

About Us

Simple and Clean is a show where hosts Mischa Stanton and Mayanna Berrin (and friends) talk about Kingdom Hearts, a little video game franchise about really big feelings. We attempt to unravel how this deceptively expansive game series has touched an entire generation of deeply earnest weirdos - and along the way, we may realize that what we’re talking about might not be just a video game, but a whole lot more.

Never heard of Kingdom Hearts? That’s okay! We’re here to break it down for you, explain why we love it, and hopefully to convince you that this weird little story deserves a place in your heart. Join us as we discuss the plot, characters, world building, music, fashion, fanbase, and societal impact of a thing that by all means, probably shouldn’t even exist. New episodes every Sunday!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

GAWRSH! The final pillar of the core Kingdom Hearts trinity, Goofy & his trusty shield are often the grounding force for Sora and Donald, the voice of reason and honest virtue to balance their impulsivity. But is that really in line with his characterization in wider Disney media? It may have more to do with his status as the only real fatherly presence among the core Disney cast… which is why we spend an inordinate amount of time in this episode talking about his relationship with his son, Max. A-hyuck!

Sponsors

- GFW Clothing, button-up shirts for all bodies. Use the code “SIMPLE12” for 12% off your first order!

Credits

- Created & hosted by: Mischa Stanton & Mayanna Berrin

- Music: “Sunset Dew” by Lupus Nocte

- A member of Multitude

- Support us on Patreon

About Us

Simple and Clean is a show where hosts Mischa Stanton and Mayanna Berrin (and friends) talk about Kingdom Hearts, a little video game franchise about really big feelings. We attempt to unravel how this deceptively expansive game series has touched an entire generation of deeply earnest weirdos - and along the way, we may realize that what we’re talking about might not be just a video game, but a whole lot more.

Never heard of Kingdom Hearts? That’s okay! We’re here to break it down for you, explain why we love it, and hopefully to convince you that this weird little story deserves a place in your heart. Join us as we discuss the plot, characters, world building, music, fashion, fanbase, and societal impact of a thing that by all means, probably shouldn’t even exist. New episodes every Sunday!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How could the distillation of every dark thought a person’s ever had be so… cute? The Heartless may be the manifestation of evil, but they’re also a part of the natural ecology of the Kingdom Hearts universe. The only problem, it seems, is when the hubris of man throws the natural ecology out of balance - sounding familiar? We’ll take a look at the different types of Heartless, where they come from, and why they do what they do, as well as calling out a few of our faves.

Sponsors

- Cornbread Hemp, USDA-certified organic CBD products grown in Kentucky. Use code “simpleandclean” for 25% off your order at cornbreadhemp.com

Credits

- Created & hosted by: Mischa Stanton & Mayanna Berrin

- Music: “Sunset Dew” by Lupus Nocte

- A member of Multitude

- Support us on Patreon

About Us

Simple and Clean is a show where hosts Mischa Stanton and Mayanna Berrin (and friends) talk about Kingdom Hearts, a little video game franchise about really big feelings. We attempt to unravel how this deceptively expansive game series has touched an entire generation of deeply earnest weirdos - and along the way, we may realize that what we’re talking about might not be just a video game, but a whole lot more.

Never heard of Kingdom Hearts? That’s okay! We’re here to break it down for you, explain why we love it, and hopefully to convince you that this weird little story deserves a place in your heart. Join us as we discuss the plot, characters, world building, music, fashion, fanbase, and societal impact of a thing that by all means, probably shouldn’t even exist. New episodes every Sunday!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We can show you the world: shining, shimmering, splendid… Today we’re covering that desert jewel, that diamond in the rough, the world of Agrabah from the movie Aladdin. Its vast rolling dunes hide deep and rare magical secrets… but is it enough to make the world feel full for the video game? Is Agrabah an entire Cave of Wonders, or merely a place that’s flat and immense, where the heat is intense? Either way, as long as Genie’s still hanging out there, count us in!

Sponsors

- Insert Coin - where you can get 10% off with code “SIMPLEANDCLEAN” at insertcoinclothing.com!

Credits

- Created & hosted by: Mischa Stanton & Mayanna Berrin

- Music: “Sunset Dew” by Lupus Nocte

- A member of Multitude

- Support us on Patreon

About Us

Simple and Clean is a show where hosts Mischa Stanton and Mayanna Berrin (and friends) talk about Kingdom Hearts, a little video game franchise about really big feelings. We attempt to unravel how this deceptively expansive game series has touched an entire generation of deeply earnest weirdos - and along the way, we may realize that what we’re talking about might not be just a video game, but a whole lot more.

Never heard of Kingdom Hearts? That’s okay! We’re here to break it down for you, explain why we love it, and hopefully to convince you that this weird little story deserves a place in your heart. Join us as we discuss the plot, characters, world building, music, fashion, fanbase, and societal impact of a thing that by all means, probably shouldn’t even exist. New episodes every Sunday!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Let’s get our feet wet! We’re talking about Donald Duck, that famously-hotheaded waterfowl from the core Disney cast. Because of his notable temper you might expect Donald to be placed in more of a melee-berserker role in the game… but as it turns out, Donald means much more to the makers of Kingdom Hearts than we may consider here in the West. Why does Donald get such a spotlight? Is there more to his contentious relationship with Sora than the games might imply? And where did a duck learn Zettaflare, one of the most powerful spells of the Square Enix Extended Universe?

Sponsors

- GFW Clothing, button-up shirts for all bodies. Use the code “SIMPLE12” for 12% off your first order!

Credits

- Created & hosted by: Mischa Stanton & Mayanna Berrin

- Music: “Sunset Dew” by Lupus Nocte

- A member of Multitude

- Support us on Patreon

About Us

Simple and Clean is a show where hosts Mischa Stanton and Mayanna Berrin (and friends) talk about Kingdom Hearts, a little video game franchise about really big feelings. We attempt to unravel how this deceptively expansive game series has touched an entire generation of deeply earnest weirdos - and along the way, we may realize that what we’re talking about might not be just a video game, but a whole lot more.

Never heard of Kingdom Hearts? That’s okay! We’re here to break it down for you, explain why we love it, and hopefully to convince you that this weird little story deserves a place in your heart. Join us as we discuss the plot, characters, world building, music, fashion, fanbase, and societal impact of a thing that by all means, probably shouldn’t even exist. New episodes every Sunday!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You’d be forgiven for thinking a game that came out on a handheld console in between numbered installments is just a simple side game, easily ignored. Unfortunately, you’d be dead wrong! Today we’re covering the plot of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, a deckbuilding action game for the Game Boy Advance, with one hell of an impact on the wider KH story. As Sora & friends climb the many floors of Castle Oblivion, their memories laying before them like an open book, a mysterious force known then only as “The Organization” rolls up the sleeves of their cool black coats and gets elbow-deep in there to mess things around - and along the way, introduces an absolute trove of characters, whose staying power in the series (much like Larxene’s sick-ass lightning attacks) may shock you.

Sponsors

- Dispatch, a superhero workplace comedy game where choices matter. Pick it up now for PC or PS5!

- Cornbread Hemp, USDA-certified organic CBD products grown in Kentucky. Use code “simpleandclean” for 25% off your order at cornbreadhemp.com

Credits

- Created & hosted by: Mischa Stanton & Mayanna Berrin

- Music: “Sunset Dew” by Lupus Nocte

- A member of Multitude

- Support us on Patreon

About Us

Simple and Clean is a show where hosts Mischa Stanton and Mayanna Berrin (and friends) talk about Kingdom Hearts, a little video game franchise about really big feelings. We attempt to unravel how this deceptively expansive game series has touched an entire generation of deeply earnest weirdos - and along the way, we may realize that what we’re talking about might not be just a video game, but a whole lot more.

Never heard of Kingdom Hearts? That’s okay! We’re here to break it down for you, explain why we love it, and hopefully to convince you that this weird little story deserves a place in your heart. Join us as we discuss the plot, characters, world building, music, fashion, fanbase, and societal impact of a thing that by all means, probably shouldn’t even exist. New episodes every Sunday!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We welcome filmmaker, podcaster & avid gamer David Tilstra back to the show to check back in on his KH progress! Some of the biggest twists, the baddest fights, and the best story beats happen in the back half of Kingdom Hearts 1 - how do they stack up against David’s expectations from Disney, other games, and storytelling in general? How many times did it take him to finally beat Riku? And what’s he looking forward to from the rest of the series?

Sponsors

- Dispatch, a superhero workplace comedy game where choices matter. Pick it up now for PC or PS5!

- Insert Coin - where you can get 10% off with code “SIMPLEANDCLEAN” at insertcoinclothing.com!

Credits

- Created & hosted by: Mischa Stanton & Mayanna Berrin

- Guest: David Tilstra

- Music: “Sunset Dew” by Lupus Nocte

- A member of Multitude

- Support us on Patreon

About Us

Simple and Clean is a show where hosts Mischa Stanton and Mayanna Berrin (and friends) talk about Kingdom Hearts, a little video game franchise about really big feelings. We attempt to unravel how this deceptively expansive game series has touched an entire generation of deeply earnest weirdos - and along the way, we may realize that what we’re talking about might not be just a video game, but a whole lot more.

Never heard of Kingdom Hearts? That’s okay! We’re here to break it down for you, explain why we love it, and hopefully to convince you that this weird little story deserves a place in your heart. Join us as we discuss the plot, characters, world building, music, fashion, fanbase, and societal impact of a thing that by all means, probably shouldn’t even exist. New episodes every Sunday!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.