04 December 2008

The Rising Sun's Reflection in the Mirror's Edge.

***Before I begin, please set your Irony Detectors to 'ON'.***


Apparently, the Japanese are none too fond of Mirror's Edge protagonist, Faith. So much so, in fact, that Japanese Kotaku reader Torokun reworked her (pictured right):

Don't forget the nipple show-through!

The mammary augmenter himself puts up a decent case for a character model re-design:




Torokun posted:

"There is always a huge complaint from Asian gamers whenever Western developers design Asian female characters. This is mainly because many Westerners' definition of what is considered as 'Asian' beauty is very different from what Asians consider beautiful."


Fair enough, though I would argue that everyone loves big eyes (see Mickey Mouse, Mario) and large breasts (see Pamela Anderson, Dead or Alive).

Anyway, so Kotaku post the image, Japanese game site Game*Spark go to the trouble of translating the comments and quoting them, and we now have what appears to be an Intercontinental Flame War [I've always wanted to say that!] on our hands. Check out the Japanese responses to the original Faith design:
"There's no way Japanese would accept a face like that."

"That woman is extremely homely."

"Not sure if moe-style is necessary, but that original face is awful."

"She's totally flat."

"I kinda like the character. I don't think Asian equals ugly."

"**** off Asian beauty!"

"Man, the Mirror's Edge protagonist is way creepy... It's like some Asian female stereotype."

"The eyes are way too Asian."

"Everyone knows Western female game characters are ugly."

"That face makes her look 40 years old."

"For Westerners, there's not much difference between the faces that eat kimchi and the faces that eat soy sauce."

"The original is better looking."

"Slant eyes for Asians is the same as big lips for black people."

"If you really sit and think about it, in America, Lucy Liu is an angel, right?"

"Who cares about this one game person's opinion."

"But foreigners think slant eyes are sexy."

"Americans like aggressive faces?"

"Well, Japanese people have the stereotype that Americans are fat, bald and clumsy. It's the same."

So apparently Westerners like Asians that look like...Asians, and Asians like Asians that look like Westerners...

...

...

***You may now return your Irony Detectors to the 'OFF' position.***

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