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While it has never been unheard of to have strong female protagonists in anime and video games, more often than not female characters were relegated to secondary or damsel in distress type roles or were hyper-sexualized aimed at the male audience.
Nowadays, video game developers are more aware that the landscape of gaming is more diverse—50 percent of gamers are women—and that we expect more out of our stories, characters, and themes. It’s still not perfect, in fact, only 8 percent of video games in 2018 featured a female protagonist, a number that will hopefully grow in the coming years, So, let’s celebrate some of the best Japanese video games in recent memory that have the most resilient female characters.
1. NieR Automata
What made "Nier Automata" such an overwhelming success is its post-apocalyptic theme and big philosophical questions about the nature of consciousness, love, purpose, and the soul. The game is set in a strange, post-apocalyptic Earth which was ruined in a war between humanity and an invasion of alien machines. You play as 2B and her male companion, 9S. 2B is a female android sent to Earth to continue the fight against the machines in order to clear a path for the human resistance.
2B is such a compelling protagonist because of her stoicism in the face of these questions. It is her male comrade, 9S, who shows greater signs of love and intimacy, while 2B solely puts greater focus on the mission. The dialogue between these two is gripping and flips the alpha male and meek female character tropes on their head.
Available on: PS4 exclusive
Where to purchase: Online
Click here to read more.
- External Link
- https://savvytokyo.com/
7 Comments
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Tawkeeo
Persona 5 is incredible. So much attention to detail it's ridiculous. I highly recommend the series, especially Persona 4 which is my all time favourite game.
Fox Sora Winters
I have Nier Automata but I haven't gotten around to playing it just yet, but I will do very soon. I've tried getting into the Metroid games as well without success. I'm somewhat okay with First Person Shooters, but the Metroid series is a little too eerie for my tastes, especially with the horrifying aliens and the jumpscares.
Jason
I read the title and I'm more interested in 'Best Japanese Video Games', not really the strong female character part, how sexist of me. I mean if its a well made good game, its going to be successful no matter who the main character is.
Matthew Gaia Safa Lintschinger
Like I always say: "Anime the least and most feminist art medium".
TL:DR a VERY long essay of nothing I just deleted, when you write women--sexy or role model or neither-- write a ton of them in the same story and don't be afraid for them to lose their function. If your Wonder Woman goes down a dark path, finish writing her story, then write a new one about a different Wonder Woman. If your Jessica Rabbit finds Jesus, finish her story and write another Jessica Rabbit finding heroine. If your Velma decides to keep a dark secret and become a victim of her own mind, finish her story and write a Velma who is a hopeless romantic and funny for it. AND WRITE THEM ALL WITH A TON OF FRIENDS.
In the end, my definition of feminism is "variety" and as artists we need to create that and promote that by every means possible. Never be safe. Push boundaries and push the boundaries of the people who think they are pushing boundaries and push the boundaries again of the people who want the boundaries to stay where they are and push the boundaries of people who say we can't reach backward to be avant garde neither.
lostrune2
And because of her luscious tush on the players' faces! Lol
No it's not. It's right there on the company's website (PS4, Steam, Xbox One):
https://www.platinumgames.com/games/nier-automata
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JJ Jetplane
I don’t know much about video games. But what I can say is, after watching that video, there is no such thing as a strong female lead. All these women seem as if they are created off a man’s sexualized image of them. Are women really thinking let me put on this dress and high heels to go fight?
Martha H Palmer
What about Jodie from Beyond: Two Souls and Ellie from The Last of us tho? They were badass.
Fireboy watergirl at hudgames.