I got into Kingdom Hearts last year specifically because you can't find another game that plays and feels like it and it really wasn't hard at all. They're just good games!
The thing about Kingdom Hearts is that if you didn't get on the train in the 00's, then you simply are left behind. It is too corny to work without the context of operating in a world of myspace-era truthisms, and its thrills can be found in other franchises with less homework.