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[The Last One]

I usually keep up with FF XV threads and I never knew this was a thing.

 

[L Thammy]

I was wondering how other gaffers felt about this, cause this could lead to another interesting discussion about just how little Japanese games feature characters that are actually based on people of Eastern descent, (which is more than possible to accomplish with modern day tech).

Well, I think part of the appeal of fantasy is that it takes place in a different world, so it makes sense to have people who seem to be foreign there. But beyond that, it's pretty common to have characters in anime and manga not look Japanese even when they're specifically supposed to be Japanese. I think it's in large part because the art styles tend to be simple, so if you have a bunch of characters who all have black hair (as would be realistic for most of Asia, really) they can end up looking samey.

 

[Uzukii]

I'm not going to call this whitewashing, but I definitely prefer Luna's in-game model to her CGI version in Kingsglaive. If them looking different wasn't bad enough they had to use different voice actors too for double the dissonance.

 

[Owari]

I'm almost positive no one actually cares about
This.

 

[Kamina]

I see what you mean, but they dont look that much different either.

Ummm?

Look up 'beyonce whitewashing' on google.

I'm not going to call this whitewashing, but I definitely prefer Luna's in-game model to her CGI version in Kingsglaive. If them looking different wasn't bad enough they had to use different voice actors too for double the dissonance.

Thats supposed to be the same character? They look completely different.
The left could go through as standard japanese RPG type female, while the right looks real life european.

 

[cws]

FFXV has a bunch of issues - Whitewashing certainly isnt one of them.

 

[notaskwid]

It's not the game, it's the movie.

 

[Perfect Blue]

Prompto looks even more high in the second design, all the way down to the red eyes.

 

[Mailbox]

Sounds like OP is reaching a LOT. But, much like others in this thread, I'd like OP to post examples of these greviences, because it seems not a single one of us here have heard of this being an issue (especially since the character design changes aren't exactly new)

 

[Kyzer]

Iis there even a such thing as Japan in FFXV?

 

[kennyamr]

I'm almost positive no one actually cares about
This.

I second this.
This is a Japanese game, if they don't care about it, I think no one should.
Reverse-racism is getting too common these days.

 

[Lights and Waves]

Tell me about it. It's the same crap that happened with Tracer's booty in Overwatch. One dude got mad about animated buttcheeks and inflamed hundreds of people across the globe about nothing of significance.

It's just so... pathetic.

Your bitching contributes literally nothing to this conversation or thread. If you're unbothered, then don't post on this topic.

 

[LeleSocho]

FFXV and the Whitewashing Accusations

They're dumb.
I challenge anyone to find me a person that says that those are not particularly japanese/asian designs.

 

[Crossing Eden]

Can you find an example of people actually expressing concern about this? I have never heard this.

The height of it was in a closed Kingsglaive thread but I recently saw it being brought up again in one of the Great Wall threads.

I see what you mean, but they dont look that much different either.


Look up 'beyonce whitewashing' on google.

Thats supposed to be the same character? They look completely different.
The left could go through as standard japanese RPG type female, while the right looks real life european.

The one on the right is a digital double of an actual person.

 

[Lights and Waves]

I'm not going to call this whitewashing, but I definitely prefer Luna's in-game model to her CGI version in Kingsglaive. If them looking different wasn't bad enough they had to use different voice actors too for double the dissonance.

The version on the right looks like a heroin addict. This is no bueno.

 

[Whompa02]

Can you find an example of people actually expressing concern about this? I have never heard this.

This...this thread is basically attempting to spark a non issue.

 

[notaskwid]

It's the movie that some people take issues with.

 

[Sesha]

Prompto certainly does. Imho besides digital Jon Campling Prompto is probably the most realistic look character out of the whole cast which would actually explain the constant uncanny valley I get from his mannerisms.

No kidding. Prompto is one of the ugliest main characters I've seen in a massive AAA game.

 

[Nirolak]

¯\_(&#12484_/¯

 

[Kamina]

The one on the right is a digital double of an actual person.

Ah, okay, thats why she looks so lifelike. But whats the point of having so vastly different appearences for the supposedly same character?

 

[Darkangel]

A lot of Final Fantasy (Nomura) characters have an anime Eurasian look going on. If I was put on the spot I would say most characters in the series look closer to white people than Asian people. If Kingsalive and Agnis Philosophy are anythin to go by, then it seems like Square is transitioning towards a western visual style.

I know VIII and Tactics (Ivalice) had characters that were specifically designed to look European.

 

[Crossing Eden]

It's a few things:

A) The cultural factors that have resulted in many Americans demanding that the racial makeup of popular media such as games and movies match the racial makeup of the population doesn't exist in Japan. A monoracial culture just isn't going to look at race through the same lens as a place like America, which has sizable populations of every skin color in God's crayon box, most of which have various histories of being treated unfairly. Nobody in Japan is going to give a shit if a game or movie or whatever made in Japan doesn't have anybody who looks Japanese, because they're obviously not going to see it as an offense to their race or culture.

B) Unlike modern American games which tend to have their roots in live-action movies/shows (Uncharted,) history (Assassin's Creed,) the present day (GTA,) and occasionally novels (basically every WRPG,) Japanese games usually have their roots in manga and anime, and even games that go for relatively realistic styles like modern Final Fantasies aren't going to shake off that influence entirely.

C) For this game in particular, the setting is very clearly based on western culture, so characters that look more European than Asian makes sense.

All good points, I'd still really like to see it attempted, if a project did that and was really successful, it could cause a small shift and inspire more devs to do the same. Wishful thinking ofc, but it'd be interesting to see.

Ah, okay, thats why she looks so lifelike. But whats the point of having so vastly different appearences for the supposedly same character?

The one of the right is the result of performance capture for a film and digital scanning the actress's lightness. The left is the result of the literal opposite. They haven't shown what that character looks like in the actual game's CGI scenes.

 

[- J - D -]

It's more of an thing with Kingsglaive. Game Luna looks vaguely Eurasian, Kingsglaive Luna is straight up caucasian.

FFXV's characters look like Japanese host club handsome guys. They possess features that are generally associated as appealing and (ideal) western but are still recognizably Asian.

 

[Lights and Waves]

A lot of Final Fantasy (Nomura) characters have an anime Eurasian look going on. If I was put on the spot I would say most characters in the series look closer to white people than Asian people. If Kingsalive and Agnis Philosophy are anythin to go by, then it seems like Square is transitioning towards a western visual style.

I know VIII and Tactics (Ivalice) had characters that were specifically designed to look European.

 

[APZonerunner]

What really actually disappoints me about FF15 is that FF has a pretty strong history of diverse main casts, but because of FF15's fairly tight plot focus we haven't got a major non-white/asian role other than the background character (who might not appear in the main game) that's Regis' buddy with the guns when they were younger, some NPCs, and a non-major member of the Glaive in Kingsglaive.

That and of course I hope that Luna, Iris etc are great in their screen-time to make up for no women in the core party, too.

This whole thing about relatively minor art changes is when most of the cast still have that asian 'realistic anime' flair doesn't stick to me. The game seems less diverse in other ways, though, but it's hard to judge until we see and play the full thing.

 

[RedZaraki]

Ah, okay, thats why she looks so lifelike. But whats the point of having so vastly different appearences for the supposedly same character?

I imagine a different team of animators did the movie.

 

[Nirolak]

 

[notaskwid]

 

[JJD]

How can you whitewash...a white guy?

 

[Fbh]

Can't say I'm really seeing it. Though I liked the less boy bandish look of old Noctis better

I'm not going to call this whitewashing, but I definitely prefer Luna's in-game model to her CGI version in Kingsglaive. If them looking different wasn't bad enough they had to use different voice actors too for double the dissonance.

Wow... not only do they look nothing alike. But the one on the right looks easily 10 years older than the one on the left (teen versus mid 20's) ... in a movie that if I'm not mistaken takes place before the actual game

 

[Logash]

The game is clearly inspired by European culture so it's not really a big deal that they look white... That being said, I wouldn't say they don't look like typical Japanese styled characters either.

 

[Crossing Eden]

I'd be all for him looking like the dude on the bottom. But alas:

 

[- J - D -]

It's makes me wonder how much the hairstyles affect our perception of ethnicity in this case. XV's hair screams jpop.

 

[Izuna]

It's makes me wonder how much the hairstyles affect our perception of ethnicity in this case. XV's hair screams jpop.

That hair screams "host" to me.

 

[BumblebeeCody]

I wouldn't call this white washing.

 

[Crossing Eden]

Wow... not only do they look nothing alike. But the one on the right looks easily 10 years older than the one on the left (teen versus mid 20's) ... in a movie that if I'm not mistaken takes place before the actual game

She's actually supposed to be 24 in both the game and the film.

 

[Nirolak]

It's makes me wonder how much the hairstyles affect our perception of ethnicity in this case. XV's hair screams jpop.

I think part of the issue is that lighter skinned white people and lighter skinned Japanese people don't actually look all that different.

This is why this kind of opinion is actually quite common:

Every character in JRPG's always look white to me. I never saw Asian like people say.

In Western animated media, usually there are huge exaggerations to show someone is Japanese since it's not always an obvious distinction. If we go to Japan, we can actually seem the same to indicate someone is white:

 

[Aters]

But what about the Japanese boyband accusation? I wouldn't say there is whitewash in the game. The movie though, that's a different story.

 

[Crossing Eden]

The linked post doesn't seem to actually be about whitewashing.

The entire thread generally turned into a discussion about whitewashing after that point. I meant to link a page not a post. There were other instances in other threads.

 

[Atheosuede]

Your bitching contributes literally nothing to this conversation or thread. If you're unbothered, then don't post on this topic.

Of all the folks who are unbothered by it in this thread, why did you choose me to rage on when I'm comparing this same mentality across the spectrum of gaming? I really don't understand.

I'm not saying the thread shouldn't have been posted or attention shouldn't be brought to the issue. I'm saying that the fact people are bothered by it is nonsensical.

Furthermore, bitching about someone "bitching" is a direct non-contribution, so I don't know what to tell you, man. Good luck to you in all your endeavors, I guess.

 

[God Dayumm]

Is it whitewashing, or is Square culturally appropriating white people into their games? This is a tremendous find, thanks OP

 

[NoctisVsStar]

Ehh it's more with kingsglaive that some have an issue with not the game... Ultimately, we agree to disagree and I'll leave it at that.

For instance, Gladio's father

 

[Ran rp]

Ehh it's more with kingsglaive that some have an issue with not the game... Ultimately, we agree to disagree and I'll leave it at that.

For instance, Gladio's father

i still can't believe it...

 

[Death Penalty]

Ehh it's more with kingsglaive that some have an issue with not the game... Ultimately, we agree to disagree and I'll leave it at that.

For instance, Gladio's father

I'd just like to point out that we don't have confirmation that the character with the long hair was Glad's father.

Mostly it's just disappointing to me how bad a lot of the designs have gotten since 2013... I'm in the camp that vastly preferred Regis back then, and the whole Yakuza art style that since has vanished into thin air. Prompto is a pretty decent improvement, though.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

The version on the right looks like a heroin addict. This is no bueno.

Wow. Or...she looks more like a real person...

Heroin addict...lol

 

[T.Slothrop]

Japanese white wash themselves. Anime is itself a kind of white washing. Don't know why Westerners are suddenly getting confused about it.

 

[Hag]

Holy shit at gladios father x_x

 

[BocoDragon]

Japanese white wash themselves. Anime is itself a kind of white washing. Don't know why Westerners are suddenly getting confused about it.

Oh here we go....

Every anime thread there's always one.

 

[Paracelsus]

I would've played the whole game with Hans Gruber in the party, his new look is a massive downgrade, and the same goes for

Spoiler

Meth

a, I mean Luna.

 

[Space Medafighter X]

I do perfer the old designs, but they still look super Asian to me.