Female plussize characters in Anime and Video Games

In one of my previous blog posts I talked about how plussize cosplayers are often bullied or critisized for their bodies. Often, people also ask: “Why don’t you cosplay characters who fit your body type?” Well, the problem is, what choices do I really have as a female? Can anyone name a plussize female anime character from any popular show? And Im talking real plussize here, not the Robyn Lawley kind.

Weight has been mentioned in several Anime really. In the first Season of Sailor Moon, Usagi Tsukino often complained about her weight. At least in the German dub, which I saw during my childhood. Yet oddly enough, she was portrayed as having the same perfect body type as all her fellow soldiers. Another character, who was once described on the slightly bigger side, and the emphasis here really is on slightly for me, is Miaka Yuuki from Fushigi Yuugi. She was even drawn as slightly bigger than her friend Yui, but even she was far from anything plussize. And honestly, I cannot think of any plussize Anime females, who are part of the main cast.

The gaming universe is a little kinder in that regard. Big game titles do contain ladies with curves, however, most of them are older women. You don’t really see any young plussize main characters. Well, at least almost. Thanks to a friend’s tumblr, I managed to stumble over this character:

I was surprised and delighted at th same time! This young girl is a MAIN character for a dating sim game! And no, she does not undergo any magical transformations and is completely true to herself! The other element that really had me researching into this game twice, is that Hachi Koi is an actual dating sim game, a genre which usually features only girls with perfect features. Basically females, which guys playing these games would find desirable and would dream of dating. Unfortunately I couldnt find any statistics on how popular Kurumi is within the game, compared to the other available characters, but the sheer fact that a plussize character exists in this genre already makes me happy!

Still, looking at the scene overall, there is a great lack of young female plussize characters out there. It doesnt really bother me per se, because I enjoy the series for the plots and animation, no matter what body size the characters have, but I just want people on the internet to be aware of the fact that plussize cosplayers cannot necessary just stick to characters their size, for the simple reason that there almost arent any.

And while I said that I essentially enjoy Anime for the plot, I would be over the moon if one day there was a short slice of life animation series with a plussize female as the main character, just following her through her every day life. I think it would find an audience out there, as well as maybe portray some of the struggles and prejudices the plussize scene faces. Of course, taking into account Japan’s attitude on bigger bodies, this is never going to happen. But a girl can always dream, right?

More Asian Dramas in Western TV

 

Being a fan of both US as well as many Asian dramas and series, I have often wondered about why Europe is so full of the first, but utterly void of the latter. Naturally, America’s influence over European pop culture is much larger than that of Asia (if you don’t take Anime/Manga into account), but why exatly is that? Political and historical ties as well as language probably play a lot into this, but sometimes I wonder whether it is also a question of content and, in this regard, culture.

Are TV stations afraid that a European audience won’t be able to appreciate or understand Asian dramas due to cultural differences? Why is there apparently no space for Korean or Japanese television shows or dramas on our TV screen here? Not even movies make it regularly across the continent unless they are Anime or receive a Hollywood remake!

And I find this a shame, for I feel that Asian series have something to offer, which is currently lacking in the European TV scene, which seems to be flooded with reality TV, casting shows and big budget US series. There is an honesty and simpleness about Asian drama that I often find missing in current western pop culture. Often times the plots are unrealistic, exaggerated and maybe a litte rushed, but there is just something about the dramas that make you keep watching. You get drawn to the characters, no matter how stereotypical they may be and although often simple, the Asian dramas often come across as more emotional to me. They are not afraid to tell stories with no special effects or excessive comedy and simply allow the viewers to get in touch with the content on an emotional level. Of course, I cannot speak for all dramas equally, for there are genre differences and exceptions everywhere, but what I am trying to get to is the point, that I havent found many western shows who work like this. We are seemingly following a trend of bigger, more epic and more expensive, such as with the popular HBO franchises, or moving towards the exact opposite end of the spectrum into the territory of cheap, mindless trash TV.

I feel that Asian drama offer a nice of entertainment, which is still wide open here on European television. And I do not think that cultural barriers would ban people from engaging with the shows. There are enough series, where culture doesnt matter and where it can actually be used as an interesting selling point. In fact, I wish to propose a short list of dramas, which I personally think would work well in the European television landscape and quickly also give my reasoning for the choice.

1. City Hunter

The story of MIT-graduate Lee Yoon Sung, who plans revenge on five politicians who caused his father’s death, working under the name “City Hunter”. With all the action series on TV, I feel that this one would fit very nicely between all the justice, criminal investigation and generall big action names out there. It would be a fresh breeze into the genre, showing that it isnt always just the USA doing some amazing kick-ass stuff.

2. 1 Litre of Tears

The heartbreaking story of a girl who is diagnosed with an incurable degenerative disease at 15, keeping a diary about the slow ending of her life for 10 years. I have never ever seen such an emotional show on European TV before. Its like the TV stations are scared of shows that could potentially make the viewers cry all the time. Its ok with movies, but not with TV series for some reason. Yet I think this is exactly what makes this one stand out. It would be something new and I feel that many people would be able to bond emotionally with the plot, especially seeing as it is based on a true story. Then again, I can also see a western remake of this being done in the big Hollywood factory…

3. Dream High

Drama focusing on six students at a Music school, who work to achieve their dreams of becoming stars in the Korean music industry. Now maybe I put this in here, because it is one of my personal favourites, but I also think that it would work great in Europe. Call it the Korean Glee, if you will. It has interesting characters, nice, if not at times predictable, plot elements and very catchy music. Another reason for putting this drama on the list, is the fact that Korea would be able to export both their dramas as well as their music at the same time. With Psy’s success in the past and more and more Kpop concerts happening in Europe, it is perhaps safe to say that there really is an audience for such content. And a show packed with big Korean music stars, offering new renditions of popular Kpop songs is definitely a nice selling point. Also, Psy is somewhere in there as a guest star.

Before I go overboard and end up creating a List of the Top 25 Asian dramas that I think would work in Europe, Im just gonna stop here and repeat my main point: I think European TV should give Asian Dramas a chance. In a media and entertainment environment, which is becoming less and less versatile it would be a much welcomed fresh breeze. And yes, not all Asian drama are exportable to a western audience, but there are plenty, which are. And I personally would be delighted to see at least one or two Asian TV dramas gracing the european screen, giving the audiences a glimpse of other forms and genres of television entertainment.

Otome Games – A little critique of video games just for women

The gaming industry has always been associated more with a male public, where female players are the odd exception rather than the norm. Even today female gamers are still regarded as a phenomenon rather than a normal occurrence. I consider this weird, seeing as there is an entire gaming market specifically aimed at a female audience. In the west it is made popular through games revolving around fashion, animals and cooking, with titles such as “Dogz” and the “Imagine” series coming to mind. Japan on the other hand has created an entire genre for females, namely Otome games. The very word “Otome”, meaning young girl, already indicates the desired audience for said games. But what makes Otome games so special and where are their flaws? I would suggest that the answer lies in the content.

 

Let’s look at the Tokimeki Series as an example. Spanning three games, Tokimeki Girl’s Side, presents an Otome dating game, which follows the exact same pattern throughout all releases. The female gamer takes on the role of the heroine, who is beginning her first year in high school. Throughout the plot, the heroine encounters several male characters, as well as choices on what she wishes to do with her school life. The goal of the game is of course to win the heart of the male character most appealing to the player and to finish high school with a happy end. In terms of game mechanics, the gamer gets chances to interact with all characters, while at the same time choosing weekly activities, which influence the players stats, which include intelligence, fitness, style and charm. Each male protagonist of course requires a variation of stats in order to fall in love with the heroine. Furthermore, the player has to go on regular dates with the guy of choice, dressing accordingly and choosing the right options to please the man. Now what appears very simple in terms of actual content and gaming mechanics, actually reflects very particular values, which are often attributed to young girls and their expectations of school life and dating, as well as what is considered attractive.

Of course, literally comparing an Otome game to reality is impossible and should never be attempted. However, video games are often inspired by existing social norms and expectations and in return, feed those notions themselves. So even though gamers know that reality is much more complex than any game and that Otome games are simply there for entertainment and to perhaps play on some fantasies, they may be slightly influenced by the content, which will be looked into now.

All the guys within Tokimeki Girl’s Side fall into stereotypical distinctions, allowing them to cater to a wide range of possible audiences. You have the typical cool, but cold guy, who gradually warms up, the jock, the artist, the nerdy one, the cheeky guy and, in the case of Tokimeki, a teacher as well as several other options. Essentially, there is something for everyone. These preferences for a specific type can actually be translated into the real world. While such typecasts can never exist in such a pure and rigid form as they do in games, our society does contain a group system, especially in high school, where people can be categorized as belonging mostly to one particular circle, such as jocks, geeks and so on. But now comes the part, which bothers me about Otome games and that is the rigid way you have to go in order to get the guy of your choice.

In order to please the man of your dreams, you have to adapt the style of clothing, which he likes most, as well as his characteristics. If he is the geeky type, you need to get your intelligence stats up as high as possible, while being allowed to ignore others. Essentially, the game doesn’t require you to be a well-rounded character at all. To me, it also seems to send the message “Be the girl, the guy wants you to be, otherwise you don’t stand a chance”. Again, while such behavior can never be as extreme in real life, it does support the notion, that girls need to become a certain type to please guys of a certain group, instead of just being themselves.

Furthermore, the game dynamics seem to create an image of what the perfect high school experience should be. You meet a ton of guys, of which one is the perfect one, you make female rivals, who happen to like the same guy, you join clubs, become the best at school and possibly work a part time job. Perhaps it’s just me, but after a while of playing these addictive and highly entertaining games, I started comparing them to my high school experience and found that I never ever would have been able to handle such a busy schedule. Dating (at time several guys!), studying to get the best grades, hanging with friends, school activities and part time work, all look so easy in the game, but when translated into real life, the heroine surely wouldn’t have been so happy and chipper. Now don’t get me wrong, Im not saying that handling this is impossible in real life. Surely there are people out there who do that, but it really isn’t for everyone. I guess my point of critique is, that it makes such a life look desirable and easy, which it definitely is not.

My last point of dissatisfaction is that Otome games feed the belief that all female gamers require in a video game is romance. That for females, the ultimate goal and prize is a man. While I am not ashamed to admit that I adore romance elements, I am also a big fan of games which have none of it at all. And as a single woman, I also don’t regard a man as the ultimate achievement in life, but rather see this as an old-fashioned and outdated notion, as many females would probably agree.

So why are these games still so attractive to women and why do I still play them? Well, for the same reason that some games are attractive to male gamers. They allow you to live out a fantasy for a while, where things are easier than in real life and where goals are monothematic and straightforward. And while the content of the games may not always provide good messages about society and life, the majority of gamers is very aware of that. Besides, video games aren’t any worse at feeding certain social values to audiences than any other type of media. And Otome games have actually created a video game market for an audience, which is too often ignored or unappreciated by what is still regarded as a very male-dominated domain of entertainment. So while there are a lot of points to criticize about Otome games, there are also a lot of positive arguments to be made for this particular genre. And I am not ashamed to admit that I love playing them.