it really sucks... The sad part is, there *are* Klonoa fans out there, possibly more than ever! But a lot of those fans are people who are new to Klonoa, and find Discord more convenient I suppose. There is a thriving community in KMC I will admit, almost all Klonoa fans as far as I know are there. And that's not a bad thing to me. But, I do miss the old forum so, so much. I miss the people I first met a decade or so ago. But, even then, I never knew them too well. I wish I spend just a bit of time here more and never had this weird fit where I left and changed my account because I couldn't finish a Secret Santa gift
It's silly I know, but it's amazing to me how I can laugh at that, when it caused me so much unnecessary guilt in my teen years, which it obviously shouldn't have. I, need to get better at having a level head.
It's like in that short amount of time I left and came back (or so it felt), almost everyone was gone the moment I came back. There were still some of course, definitely more than now. Even the Klonoa Fan Magazine was having its last issue I believe, correct me if I'm wrong. but with the movie, the one thing that I believe gave people hope about the series, and subsequently crushed it as it got cancelled, I believe is one big factor that got people to just realize that it was an uphill climb.. on Mount Everest. During an avalanche. And decided to move on with their lives from Klonoa, and from this forum. But don't forget the factor that life goes on, and people get jobs or school, maybe spouses, family, friends irl and have no time for internet forums anymore. Or maybe they were just getting out of fashion, and platforms like Twitter and Tumblr were much less of a commitment.
And then, yeeeeears later, something happens that no one EVER could have seen coming.... Klonoa Encore, that darned leaked trademark. A mere few years after the cancellation of the movie, and then another good long amount of years (long enough for kids to graduate from high school), until we finally get... a shoddy remake of Klonoa Wii and 2. i can see how even if that would have caused excitement in many diehard fans, I could also see how that would turn people off, with how cheap it clearly is, how much of the charm of the original game (specifically DtP), and how long we waiting compared to the payoff. It could be met with either apathy or anger...
honestly, I was one of the people who, over the course of four-ish years, waited. waited for Klonoa encore to become real. I thought of so many darned things they could do to make a special potentially last hurrah for the franchise. They could make the main hub look like the table with the Klonoa book, candle and ring, where you choose between different books to play different games, which could have included ports or remakes of the GBA games, and even a little animated storybook based off Moonlight Museum so as to not slogg with the original gameplay but still get the charm of the story.
I thought of secret levels to be unlocked through 100% completion though DtP, LV and Heroes, all which would reveal just enough new lore to both raise a thousand more questions, and to answer a few of the most prevalent issues plaguing the series, like how each Klonoa game seems to follow a different timeline but with extremely similar elements, or what exactly is Klonoa, and especially, what could come next for our dream traveler?
But alas, twas not to be.
However...
I have reason to believe that there is, without a shadow of a doubt, a future for Klonoa. Beyond PRS.
Merch has been extremely successful. Scratch card lotteries and nendroid figures that all sold out quite quickly, going all out with art decos, shirts, acrylic stands, etc. Increased tweets about the damn thing on Namco's twitter account. A remake of the original Klonoa DTP commercial jingle for the collection! And not to mention how Steam literally CRASHED because of Klonoa's release! Twitter fan campaigns, hashtags, etc. The funny thing to note is, Namco did the bare minimum of marketing, and then all of a sudden after a certain influx of interest, they decided to go all ham with it all! Klonoa art on two Namco calendars within separate years, and releases of new Klonoa art from the crew, as well as tweets...
Klonoa is alive.
and yet, it's completely understandable to feel a sense of fear despite it. What has happened since all that ended? Nothing to report yet aside from the stray Klonoa tweet that have seemed to get much fewer recently. And now We Love Katamari seems to be the current focus of the Encore/Reverie(?) series of remakes and revivals for classic Namco IPs. They even switched from Klonoa to katamari on their encore twitter account.
But, but BUT. Never forget that, an interview from Klonoa PRS producer Ryo Ishida stated that IF the Encore collection is successful, they will continue, to expand the Klonoa IP and increase awareness of it, including further remasters.
I think this last part is understated.
In my opinion, I think by "expansion" I don't believe it's limited to re-releases. Expansion sounds to me like, more games. That's what the word sounds to me.
I'm going on a degenerate nerd ramble, forgive me. I think i'm loosing the thread of the plot lol
But, back to these forums...
The truth is, forums in general are dying. Although I do still love the format and i do think that someday soon people will miss the old format of the internet before it became a cesspool of ignorance and instant gratification (okay it was always like that mostly but it was way less, evil, before than now). people are already getting sick of the constant brain draining speed of modern social media and will crave a slower pace. Who knows, maybe some folks out there may stumble upon this website as a fan of Klonoa. maybe they won't.
and if that's the case, then Rupurudu is right, we have to accept it. We can definitely tell people we know about it, just don't be annoying about it. But, we can't force people to come. if they want to go elsewhere than fine by me.
At this point, I'm kind of treating this website as, a history museum, of a time where Klonoa was new(ish lol). I don't want to call it a better time, just, a different time. But that doesn't mean things can't get better now.
Klonoa is back baby! And even if no one else from before is, that's ok. At least I'm learning to accept it. I'm ok.
I'll stick around of course, I OWE it to myself to see this through. Maybe they'll be a sudden burst of fans who join for nostalgia's sake or who just want an understanding of KLonoa from the past, or just find a Klonoa forum interesting. Who knows. But there are, so many Klonoa fans out there.
I think, if all else fails I may move on. But either way, I'm going to focus on my life, and look here fondly at the memories I built. And maybe I, or someone can bring a bit of the past into our present day. I think we all need it. Maybe Klonoa 3.5 2/4 and Knuckles, the Wreckening of Ralph 2 will do the trick. XD
One more thing: Thank you, Untamed Heart Klonoa Forums, now Untamed Heart Klonoa Network. You've been a part of my heart for a countless nine years. I will never forget you. And in the words of AJR: "I won't forget you, but I may forget your name." There are users I had fond times with, some closer than others, most of them not for very long, and I will admit there are some usernames I have already forgotten a long time ago. But the way you made me feel, I will always keep that in my heart. Untamed, or tranquil, sorrowful or joyful, I believe Klonoa fans will never really be apart. Klonoa in a way, is a tie that keeps them together in one aspect. And even if they don't become fans anymore, the good and bad memories and feelings shared between people will always keep them together, no matter how far apart they get. Remember the feeling.
And if there weren't any feelings, that's fine too! If there are feelings before that are long gone, if those bonds break, then that's ok too. But one thing is shared among all of us:
klonoa was for your phantomile...
