Disney Games: the anime is "the first step" of an ecosystem

4Gamer sat down with Nana Gadd, Director of Games at Walt Disney Japan's Disney & Pixar Games, during D23 and asked two questions: what went into the Coco reveal, and where Kingdom Hearts now sits inside Disney. Her answers sketch a franchise getting a bigger plan than a single game.

On the reveal, Gadd said the Square Enix team really put their heads together on how to present it seamlessly, pulling the shock that made people say "it was actually a game." The reaction to the Heartless swarming out of Coco's world was very much the point:

The roar of excitement from the audience when the Heartless suddenly swarmed out was incredible, and I am truly happy as that reaction was exactly what we had hoped for.

Nana Gadd - 4Gamer, D23

On where the series sits, she credits the fans for the franchise's value, and the partnership itself for how the game pieces work together with Nomura's storytelling. She was also planning to go hunt down reaction videos of the announcement herself, which is a fair instinct.

I definitely think it holds a truly unique position at Disney Games.

Nana Gadd - 4Gamer

Asked about the anime, Gadd laid out the direction:

While it is a game at its core, there are concerts and merchandise, so fans can enjoy it in various ways.

Nana Gadd - 4Gamer

The animation series is where that multiplies:

I see the announcement of this animation series as the first step in that direction.

Nana Gadd - 4Gamer on the Kingdom Hearts anime becoming an ecosystem

She calls the whole thing an ecosystem, and says the more media success stories Disney has, the more options open up for the franchise.

And the main game anchors the next few years: Kingdom Hearts IV arrives in the second half of 2027, which she called "a major milestone to start with."