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[Holundrian]

For what it's worth, I thought it was fine in Trails in the Sky while it creeps me the hell out in Cold Steel. Estelle's a great character.

Agreed so eye rolling. Srsly one of the worst anime adopted tropes x_X.

 

[Phediuk]

Any and all "loli who's really a 1000-year-old dragon"-type characters.

 

[broncobuster]

Enemy taunts and conversations when playing as Catwoman in Arkham City.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

The whole relationship is strange and then your man Hal randomly drops a "I smashed your mom multiple times"

 

[Inuhanyou]

I always saw that one as more of a Yosuke and Kanji are dumb teenagers who aren't being mature about the whole thing, but Japan isn't great with the whole gay thing so it could be either one.

id say Japan in general as more progressive about gay stuff than most other countries considering the normalcy of shoujou ai and shounen ai in the media, but there's definitely a very notable element of Japan that is regressive.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Enemy taunts and conversations when playing as Catwoman in Arkham City.

Over one million uses of the word 'bitch'.

 

[PSqueak]

id say Japan in general as more progressive about gay stuff than most other countries considering the normalcy of shoujou ai and shounen ai in the media, but there's definitely a very notable element of Japan that is regressive.

I don't think "portrayal of homosexual couples for the titillation of the opposite gender shown" would be considered progressive anywhere in the world.

 

[Inuhanyou]

Any and all "loli who's really a 1000-year-old dragon"-type characters.

Hey come on, they are technically above age >

Spoiler

>

I don't think "portrayal of homosexual couples for the titillation of the opposite gender shown" would be considered progressive anywhere in the world.

Is that all it is though? Considering how they aren't burning down television stations for daring to show that in front of children, i'd say its a fairly complex mindset

 

[Phediuk]

Also, I find it embarrassing when female characters' combat voice clips are all orgasmic-sounding moans, as if the voice director said to the actress, "could you do that again, but sexier?"

 

[pashmilla]

This is really what bothers me, and they do it again in P5. It's terrible.

Ughhh, seriously? Could you explain how a bit (without spoilers)?

 

[Opa-Pa]

That thing in the OP is the one reason I haven't played the Trails games lol.

But the first thing I thought of was Other M, ew. Also almost everything regarding Quiet in MGSV... I respect Kojima and he's a great game designer, but damn he can be a fucking creep sometimes.

And reading that DmC thing... I'm still in no rush to give that game a chance.

and i forgot about Persona 4's sickening treatment of gay people. Just no. Yosuke, no, its not funny.

Yeah, I love Persona 4 but everything regarding sexual orientation and sometimes gender identity was tasteless as hell.

This is really what bothers me, and they do it again in P5. It's terrible.

Oh fucking hell, why.

The whole relationship is strange and then your man Hal randomly drops a "I smashed your mom multiple times"

Holy shit haha.

 

[Kthulhu]

I think I see a tend here. Most of these games are Japanese.

 

[Inuhanyou]

I think I see a tend here. Most of these games are Japanese.

Well it makes sense, Japanese media is weird as hell to westerners.

But they would probably look at the American mainstream obsession with guns and over the top militaristic or visceral violence as weird and out there as well. And make generalizations about our culture to boot.

 

[Lord of Ostia]

Okay, Fire Emblem, I'm aware that Nowi is a thousand year old dragon person, but she looks and (and this is the important part) acts like a child. That shit makes the fact that she has a fucking kid with one of the other infinitely more adult-seeming members of my army deeply, horrendously creepy. And then her kid looks and acts older than she does, and you make me feel even more weird about the whole thing. Not cool. Also, Pokemon protagonist ages are clearly bullshit, but that's less creepy cause they don't fuck anyone in-game.

The biggest issue with Nowi is that while the 'little girl who is secretly a 1000 year old dragon' trope is a staple in the series, but up until Awakening they were treated like actual children and never sexualized in appearance or the writing. Honestly that's the biggest problem I have with modern FE, the writing has gotten much worse and there is way too much fanservice/pandering.

 

[PtM]

Did the thought you might of outsmarted Simon excite you?

Is this really how they spelt it?

 

[Azzanadra]

That MGS2 one, haha.

Also, everything in Ground Zeroes. Kojima's really straddling the line between plain bad taste and misguided shock value there.

 

[HashtagLapsed]

Some of the stuff with the 'twins' in Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines was pretty fucked up.

 

[Back-In-Black]

Mass Effect 3's ending, I felt sick after playing through it the first time.

 

[Burbeting]

This is really what bothers me, and they do it again in P5. It's terrible.

My interest in P5 just dropped considerably :x. It was bearable in P4 due to my thinking Yosuke would change his mindset thanks to character development, but that never happened.

---

In topic, there's two types of uncomfortable writing. Intentional and unintentional uncomfortableness. For intentional, Umineko no naku koro ni made me feel uncomfortable at some spots due to the writing having that effect.

For unintentional, lot of games with really blatant fanservice for no reason. FF15 Cindy is the newest example, but she isn't even the most blatant. Lot of japanese games suffer from this.

 

[Creaking]

Borrowing this from the Kingdom Hearts thread.

 

[IDKAboutThat]

Over one million uses of the word 'bitch'.

Roman Reigns pulls out a notepad and begins taking notes

The biggest issue with Nowi is that while the 'little girl who is secretly a 1000 year old dragon' trope is a staple in the series, but up until Awakening they were treated like actual children and never sexualized in appearance or the writing. Honestly that's the biggest problem I have with modern FE, the writing has gotten much worse and there is way too much fanservice/pandering.

I'd be way more okay with the whole concept if she acted like an adult, but she acts like a child and that makes it creepy. Also yes. I do not want to rub women. I play this game to be a tactician, not a perverted masseuse.

Well it makes sense, Japanese media is weird as hell to westerners.

But they would probably look at the American mainstream obsession with guns and over the top militaristic or visceral violence as weird and out there as well. And make generalizations about our culture to boot.

And oh boy is it. Nudity in any and all forms is less acceptable to American culture than dismemberment. That's unsettling no matter who you are.

 

[dragonlife]

This is really what bothers me, and they do it again in P5. It's terrible.

This really sucks to hear.

 

[Kthulhu]

Well it makes sense, Japanese media is weird as hell to westerners.

But they would probably look at the American mainstream obsession with guns and over the top militaristic or visceral violence as weird and out there as well. And make generalizations about our culture to boot.

I'll take that over the 1,000 year old lolis. Plus they're are a ton of violent japanese games out there.

 

[AudioEppa]

• No writing in the game at all.

• Games with basic dialogue just so they can say there's a 'story' in order for you to play their game. There's been quite a few games over the years that have done this but I can't remember any exact names, I just remember the feeling in the moment when I learn more about the game and I'm like yeah you're full of shit.

• A game with most of the writing in another platform that you have to consume before you play the damn game.

 

[Modest Mauser]

The scene where Otacon explains EE's fear of water in MGS2 made me uncomfortable.

Such a weird and upsetting sequence out of goddamn nowhere, what a bizzare game.

 

[Wollan]

Not "uncomfortable" but definitely grinning a bit on how absurd it is:

How nonchalant the FFXV boys are in slaughtering and killing these magnificent beasts that are just minding their own business. Joking, high-fiving over the corpse and doing it all as part of a picnic haha.

Killed a huge Mammoth and they said that meat was back on the menu that night. Are they just leaving the remanding 99.9% ?

 

[Inuhanyou]

I'll take that over the 1,000 year old lolis. Plus they're are a ton of violent japanese games out there.

Not in the same way, and Japan actually censors violent games now, they are either rated Z, severely edited or not allowed to be sold.

And i understand what you would take, i'm just offering a different perspective

 

[chillybright]

Saya No Uta the thread.

Well we are done here

 

[Taruranto]

Surprisingly, I can't think of anything. Even when I play Survival Horrors "uncomfortable" is not world I'd use to describe what I feel.

 

[Kthulhu]

Not in the same way, and Japan actually censors violent games now, they are either rated Z, severely edited or not allowed to be sold.

And i understand what you would take, i'm just offering a different perspective

I wasn't really trying being that serious about it. I get your point though.

 

[Thud]

Nooooooooo!!! Damn it Falcom, WHY?!

And you will be cheering.

Freedom Planet made me uncomfortable. Furries and then those cringeworthy lines and voice acting.

 

[IDKAboutThat]

I actually reacted a bit on how nonchalant the FFXV boys are in slaughtering and killing these magnificent beasts that are just minding their own business. Joking, high-fiving over the corpse and doing it all as part of a picnic haha.

I'm more concerned with the fact that every animal in the whole world apparently attacks humans on sight. Humans in FFXVland clearly care about nature, cause every bounty animal you go after is wanted for habitat destruction, so it can't be an instinctual fear of humans. They must just all be incredibly, naturally violent. How did we even survive to build cars and have disappointing stories?

 

[Holundrian]

Ughhh, seriously? Could you explain how a bit (without spoilers)?

Spoiler

They have 2 flamboyant men "predating/making unwanted advances" on Ryuji played for a joke. Tasteless to us. But it's hard to really comment/discuss when people don't have a full understanding of the Japanese social climate and can only reference to their own.

I certainly could have done without that. It just didn't serve any purpose beside trying to be funny. It's not like with Yosuke being pretty dumb at times showcasing his immaturity.

 

[FoxSpirit]

Any and all "loli who's really a 1000-year-old dragon"-type characters.

You are talking Nowi. From all I heard that was shittacular writing.
If you want it right, look at Rachel from BlazBlue.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Spoiler

They have 2 flamboyant men "predating/making unwanted advances" on Ryuji played for a joke. Tasteless to us. But it's hard to really comment/discuss when people don't have a full understanding of the Japanese social climate and can only reference to their own.

I certainly could have done without that. It just didn't serve any purpose beside trying to be funny. It's not like with Yosuke being pretty dumb at times showcasing his immaturity.

That's such a shame. I wonder how much of the criticism of P4 Atlus saw.

 

[HStallion]

That's such a shame. I wonder how much of the criticism of P4 Atlus saw.

Its whether they gave a shit about said criticism. Remember this is a heavily Japanese RPG from a Japanese team.

 

[Fahzgoolin]

Yeah OP...besides the slow start, the constant sexual tension is just obnoxious...

 

[Holundrian]

That's such a shame. I wonder how much of the criticism of P4 Atlus saw.

I don't think they saw anything. Like I said different social climate etc.
I'm going to say based on the last 3 persona games played, I think the team cares about issues like that they just don't have the same social frame to reference to.

Really the best we can hope is that maybe the US office will at least bring it up in a discussion during the localization(cause I'm sure those guys know that stuff like this doesn't necessarily land well). I don't think they can really change that minor scene but maybe it coming up in a talk at least gives the JP guys more awareness of that stuff.

 

[Clov]

This is really what bothers me, and they do it again in P5. It's terrible.

Ugh, this is so disappointing. I was really hoping that they would have made some progress in this area.

 

[Nyoro SF]

Eh, they aren't related, and they are also in their early teens when they first meet. Joshua calls Cassius his dad out of respect for taking him in and providing for him, but they aren't don't really have a father-son relationship, it's more of a ward-mentor one. Also Estelle seeing him as family doesn't mean she sees him as her brother. You also see your significant other as family. I can see why it would rub people the wrong way but it's no different than like...taking in a kid from your friends family at 12 because their parents die and then your own daughter has the hots for them in 3 years. That's not really incest.

Yeah, it's pretty clear cut from chapter 1 that Joshua is essentially taken under guardianship, and while there's familial respect, that Estelle and Joshua have a different kind of relationship with one another from the very beginning due to the fact that Joshua is more or less a stranger when it comes to his past and his past family, and that has never left him.

The relationship between the two has zero relation to nasty VN or crappy Japanese stories that seek to titillate viewers with paper-thin excuses to show forbidden relationships. The nuance of it is especially driven home when you learn more about Joshua's family... but that's a spoiler.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Yeah, it's pretty clear cut from chapter 1 that Joshua is essentially taken under guardianship, and while there's familial respect, that Estelle and Joshua have a different kind of relationship with one another from the very beginning due to the fact that Joshua is more or less a stranger when it comes to his past and his past family, and that has never left him.

The relationship between the two has zero relation to nasty VN or crappy Japanese stories that seek to titillate viewers with paper-thin excuses to show forbidden relationships. The nuance of it is especially driven home when you learn more about Joshua's family... but that's a spoiler.

So it is more nuanced than it is initially portrayed then? That's encouraging at least.

 

[Yasumi]

Thought this thread was going to be about enjoyably uncomfortable writing, rather than just plain distaste. Of the former, I really loved Albedo's speech in Xenosaga 1.

"Such tears. What beauty they hold, these tears of sorrow. Surely they are the most precious substance in the world. But, are you worthy to shed such tears? The act of mourning the dead belongs to the realm of humans. Ah, my beautiful little Kirschwasser. But still... Can you really call this a corpse? Frailty, thy name is woman. No, that's not right. You little Realians weren't even born from a woman's womb."

"The human race, fearful in its weakness, built this world in a futile attempt to elude the abyss they call mortality. Culture... civilization... all delusions created by a powerless race, and of little use, like a barren woman. But amidst all this, you continue to exist as an unfettered soul, free from the shackles of flesh and blood. A completely pure consciousness... an eternal spiral, undefiled by impurities. A fusion of fire, breath, and spirit. What can we call you... but angels? New, unadulterated psyches. But what you lack is reality. And that is what I shall provide you with! BOO!"

"Ahahahahahahahahahaha!" (Albedo slices his head off with a knife)

"Ah, ma belle pêche... there's no need to tremble like that. Else you'll make me feel like a péché myself..."

"Do you know what he said while he coughed up his lifeblood? "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone." Wheat, eh? There's enough of it, we can afford to waste as much as we want. Like my head, you see? HAHAHA! What do you think, my beloved pêche? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

 

[StrawberryJam]

Thought this thread was going to be about enjoyably uncomfortable writing, rather than just plain distaste.

Hey, it can be any kind of uncomfortable! Ain't no limits here.

 

[ethanny2]

Didn't understand it at the time, thought it was some faulty localization. Turns out it means when it rains during the day, who knew?

 

[CrichtonKicks]

Playing Steins;Gate and can't decide if the Lukako stuff is inciteful or horribly offensive.

 

[Ferrio]

Didn't understand it at the time, thought it was some faulty localization. Turns out it means when it rains during the day, who knew?

When it rains while the sun is shining instead of overcast. I think it's a southern saying only. I never heard it said anywhere outside of Texas, and rarely heard it then even.

 

[perorist]

So I just started playing the first Trails In The Sky game and, while I'm enjoying the rest of the game, (mild beginning spoilers here)

Spoiler

the game keeps pushing a romance between Estelle and Joshua and it legit disturbs me. I know they're not related by blood, but Joshua keeps calling Cassius his dad and Estelle even says she looks at him as family. I do not like this thread, not one bit.

Sounds like you're going to have a great time with the sequel

 

[Zolo]

When it rains while the sun is shining instead of overcast. I think it's a southern saying only.

Pretty sure it's an old-school one too.

 

[Plumpbiscuit]

"In my restless dreams,
I see that town.

Silent Hill.

You promised me you'd take me
there again someday.
But you never did.

Well, I'm alone there now...
In our 'special place'...
Waiting for you...

Waiting for you to
come to see me.

But you never do.

And so I wait, wrapped in my
cocoon of pain and loneliness.

I know I've done a terrible
thing to you. Something you'll
never forgive me for.

I wish I could change
that, but I can't.

I feel so pathetic and ugly
laying here, waiting for you...

Every day I stare up at the cracks
in the ceiling and all I can think
about is how unfair it all is...

The doctor came today.
He told me I could go
home for a short stay.

It’s not that I'm getting better.
It’s just that this may be
my last chance...

I think you know what I mean...

Even so, I'm glad to be coming
home. I've missed you terribly.

But I'm afraid, James.
I'm afraid you don't really
want me to come home.

Whenever you come see me,
I can tell how hard it is on you...

I don't know if you
hate me or pity me...
Or maybe I just disgust you...

I'm sorry about that.

When I first learned that
I was going to die, I just
didn't want to accept it.

I was so angry all the time and I
struck out at everyone I loved most.
Especially you, James.

That's why I understand
if you do hate me.

But I want you to
know this, James.

I'll always love you.

Even though our life together had
to end like this, I still wouldn't
trade it for the world. We had
some wonderful years together.

Well, this letter has gone on
too long, so I'll say goodbye.

I told the nurse to give
this to you after I'm gone.

That means that as you read
this, I'm already dead.

I can't tell you to remember me,
but I can't bear for you to
forget me.

These last few years since I
became ill... I'm so sorry for
what I did to you, did to us...

You've given me so much and
I haven't been able to return
a single thing.

That's why I want you to live
for yourself now.
Do what's best for you, James.

James...

You made me happy.

Doesn't matter how many times I hear this, it always brings a tear to my eye, especially the latter half of it. Incredible, goosebumps skin-crawling writing from the beloved Silent Hill 2.

 

[Falchion]

Cortana and Master Chief on Halo 4.

It feels so forced, unnatural, and cheezy. I am either laughing at it or cringing.

THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT TOGETHER DAMN IT! Free pass.