Why Do Japanese Games Handle Trans Characters so Differently?

Channel:

Moon Channel

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137,000

Published on June 28, 2023 9:00:17 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRrVkZoN93c

Game:

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004)

Duration: 24:47

817,288 views

61,333

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Why Do Japanese Games Handle Trans Characters so Differently?

Happy Pride Month! If you play a lot of Japanese games, or consume Japanese media, you might notice that there is quite an abundance of gender non-conforming, crossdressing, and trans characters... but not very many gay or lesbian characters, by comparison.

In the West, T acceptance has been much slower than LGB acceptance, but in the East, this trend is largely the opposite. Why is that? And what does this have to do with video games?

In this Pride Month special, we'll be looking at the history and development of characters like Birdo and Bridget to see what we can learn about cultural differences in the area of gender studies. Join me in this (I hope) politically neutral and interesting look into Trans Characters in Japanese Games.
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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
03:00 - Sponsored By Brilliant.org
04:02 - History and Cultural Context of Gender Non-Conformance in East Asia
06:29 - Birdo, Localization Error and the Nature of Symbols
08:34 - Poison, a Different Level of Acceptance of Trans Characters Between Cultures
11:39 - Bridget, Trans People and Cultural Conformity; Iran Example
17:35 - Vivian, Social Disruption and Degrees of Acceptability in Japan, Understanding the Limit of Catch-All Terms like "East" and "West."
21:13 - Conclusion, a Long Rainbow Road Ahead of Us
23:52 - Credits Gag [Paper Mario: Sticker Star]
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Track List:
Intro - Rainbow Falls, Kirby's Epic Yarn
Sponsor - You Are Smart, Katamari Damacy
History - First Steps, Celeste
[Cupcake Dog Joke] - One Winged Angel
Birdo - Paper Mario Color Splash Birdo's Theme Custom Loop [Link Below]
Poison - Poison Theme, Street Fighter V Championship Edition
Bridget - Simple Life [Bridget's Theme], Guilty Gear XX
Vivian - Boggly Woods, Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door
Conclusion - N64 Rainbow Road, Mario Kart 8
Credits Gag - Paper Mario Sticker Star [Link Below]
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Additional Reading:
Same Sex Marriage Around the World:
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/fact-sheet/gay-marriage-around-the-world/

Birdo is the Perfect Metaphor for Trans Representation:
https://www.thegamer.com/birdo-perfect-metaphor-trans-representation-super-mario/

Birdo is Not a Trans Icon:
https://alexhasopinions.medium.com/nintendos-birdo-is-not-a-trans-icon-326dd4c08f2c

Akira Yasuda Talks About Poison:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2018/02/03/street-fighter-character-designer-akira-yasuda-talks-about-his-career-in-new-interview/?sh=2197e7136e51

Daisuke Ishiwatari Says Bridget Always Trans:
https://www.gamerbraves.com/daisuke-ishiwatari-says-bridget-from-guilty-gear-was-always-trans/
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Attributions:
https://youtu.be/tGcBqXrecxs
[Poison Footage]

https://youtu.be/9-WR8fSYswM
[Dynasty Warriors 8 Footage]

https://youtu.be/o6ltUdRP-tI
[Birdo Musical Footage]

https://youtu.be/SeHjXBaJnyU
[Birdo Kissing Mario Footage]

https://youtu.be/4HSMcuOE07Y
[Persona 5 Footage]

https://youtu.be/H0CClpgmETQ
[Ace Attorney Dual Destinies Footage]

https://youtu.be/r8E6esyEbYM
[Guilty Gear X2 Bridget Footage]

https://youtu.be/_kpLDmWxsvc
[Vivian Footage]

https://youtu.be/eIEgqhMouOs
[Paper Mario Thousand Year Door Footage] ]

https://youtu.be/EHirl7QRers
[Level 3 Apology Footage]

https://youtu.be/xrLhAL0qjkc
[Credits Gag]

Other Statistics