People Want to Censor and/or Ban Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson in the West

By: Brandon Orselli On March 12, 2015, 5:29 pm EDT @brandonorselli

Well, that didn’t take long. Only two days ago, Marvelous Europe and XSEED Games (also known as Marvelous USA) confirmed to Niche Gamer that Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson was making its way to both North Americans and Europeans. Now, we’re already seeing the outcry from puritans who simply don’t want the game to exist, or at least not in its current form.

First we have Swedish game critic Kerstin Alex who is reportedly critical to “game developers who make entertainment out of objectification,” most especially when “there are no obvious elements of parody, satire, or a deeper message.” It gets interesting when Kerstin says that it’s “very unfashionable to make games that mostly focus on bumping female breasts.” Finally, Kerstin closes with a plea against both Sony and Nintendo approving the Senran Kagura games to both the Playstation Network, and the Nintendo eShop, making a point in Senran Kagura: Bon Appetit! being released only a few months ago. Kerstin puts a focus on the bonus scenes in the game, which feature naked women lying about, covered in chocolate sauce, etc. Kerstin says that it’s regrettable that both developers want to make this kind of game, and that console giants accept it and, finally, that people buy it. It’s worth mentioning that Kerstin says, “Nintendo has a responsibility to stop products of this kind.”

Next up, we have a poster over on the Marvelous USA forums, who seems to be a lot more critical of the series and its content. “Sexualizing Of Children, Objectification Of Women Etc In Senran Kagura,” reads the thread title. “You think it’s OK to do anything in fiction? Would you think it would be OK to make a racist game? No? Then why is it OK to make a sexist game? Why do you think it’s OK to treat women like this?” writes forum user SaraKollin. “Also, sexualization of children. We all know very well that most of the cast in Senran Kagura are underaged girls. I know XSEED removed their ages […] but we can still plainly see how old they are in the Japanese version which is identical otherwise. And while I don’t won’t look up the very worst the series has to offer, just look at this (she links an image of Mirai wearing nothing but a bra and panties).”

She goes on to again ask if fans of the Senran Kagura games would be okay with a “racist” game, and finishes off her strawman by saying she’s “not calling people here sexists and pedophiles, but I’m saying the series do attract those kind of people on purpose.”

Stepping aside from these completely insane, regressive thoughts, let me pour some reason into your head. We’ve talked about censorship and controversial source material here a lot on Niche Gamer. You could say our website is very anti-censorship, but is there a line? At what point do we keep allowing things which tip-toe on the edge of what is socially acceptable? It seems like pedophilia, pubescent teens, rape, and baseless murder are where our Western cultures draw the line. It’s a very hard thing to pin-point and find a stance that everyone, if not at least the majority of cultures, might agree on.

We could have a long discussion here about the difference of beauty standards in the west vs. the east, the tolerance of violence and sexuality in different cultures (which you can read more about here), but ultimately I think we can all sit down and agree on one universal truth: creators, in this case a team of creators, are enabled to create what they wish, as we mostly live in societies that embrace freedom of speech, and therefore freedom of expression. The issue here, is whatever they create is not exempt from criticism, and this is where we butt heads.

I’ve written quite a bit about how I grow tired of games that get a pass simply because they embrace hyper violence over sexuality, love, and empathy, or how gameplay mechanics are almost universally centered around the art of killing, both cute and savage. I like to think I’m more on the side of wanting more games that show human sensuality, empathy, and sexuality—as these are things we can at least (in my opinion) feel a real connection with. Seeing people ask for games like Senran Kagura to not only be censored but to not exist is an insult to my intelligence.

If you’ve actually played the Senran Kagura games, you would have found that each of the girls are not only written pretty well, the story itself is quite fun to follow. The hilarious irony is that passersby will simply see giant flopping tits attached to doe-eyed anime girls, while fans of the series will learn what makes each girl tick, both the good and the bad. I’ll be honest, I went into the series with that exact same assumption, but I was proven wrong very quickly because I gave the games a chance.

If we start censoring or banning one particular thing to make one particular person or group of people happy, it opens the path for anything else to be censored or banned. The beauty of living in a free society like the United States is that we can buy things like Senran Kagura, Hitler’s Mein Kampf, or any of the books by L. Ron Hubbard off Amazon, without fear of them being censored or unavailable to us due to cultural laws. There’s also another debate over games being the subject to harsh criticism due to being a newer form of media, but that’s grounds for another editorial.

The people who want to stop games like Senran Kagura from existing, or in their current form, are the ones who simply wish for the United States to be like North Korea or China, where every piece of media has to be approved by a cultural committee, lest it gets banned in the country and the only way to get it is via smuggling or the black market. We have rating boards that can help the uneducated parents get themselves quickly informed of a games content, while also keeping content sold in stores (digital and retail) somewhat in check, although sadly most parents still buy their pre-pubescent child a copy of Grand Theft Auto V.

All I’m asking for is some understanding, and hopefully some tolerance, from these people. Please, before you go screaming about how this game offends you, how you want it to be censored or banned, try to understand why people might like it?

Stop the ignorance, stop the misinformation, the public smearing of a series that makes a lot of people happy. Stop bringing us closer and closer to having games banned in stores nationwide, simply because of a petition saying you don’t like it.

Find more stories about: Marvelous, senran kagura, senran kagura 2: deep crimson, xseed games | EDITORIALS on niche gamer

About Brandon Orselli

Founder & Editor-in-Chief at Niche Gamer. Italian, but I love Asian culture. I also write about music, comedy, noodles and beer.

Got a news tip? Email us via [email protected]

patyos

DAmn all the ones who want Censor & or Ban Senran Kagura , those anti strong ninja women >_>

Why they gotta be jerks
MeteorMess

These people should find a hobby instead of trying to ruin other people ones…
Nin

>Sweden
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Oh, and an SJW has asked me before if I would be okay with a racist or child murdering game. I said yes, and they short circuited.
Uranus

Would it be okay to make a racist game? Yes?

NIGGA I WANT BLAXPLOITATION GAMES.
JackDandy

As long as Tom is with Xseed, all will be well. Let SJWs bitch and moan all they like.
blarghonk25

Because here in North America (and Europe too) exploding heads and dismemberment meh, but something like Senran Kagura HOLY SHIT this is bad ban it
inquisitormcsagington

Sweden Delenda est.

Seriously why can’t these people fuck off and harass another hobby? They aren’t going to buy the fucking thing (as is their right) but will whine about others enjoying something and supporting it by handing over monies?

SJW’s preach a creed of such banal homogeneity that Pod people would seem more individualistic.
inquisitormcsagington

WHO THE FUCK IS INTERRUPTING MY KUNG-FU?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96Y24a0cyCE
Sergio Nacher Fernández

Their hobby is ruining other people’s hobbies. They enjoy not letting others enjoy anything. Puritans are professional calumniators of joy, and the most immoral people that could ever exist on planet Earth.
Sergio Nacher Fernández

Sheila Broflovski said it best: Horrific, deplorable violence is okay as long as people don’t say any naughty words. Except, in this case, it’s also naughty images.
No Excuses VTW

Ceterum censeo, Sweden is going to wake up one day and notice that the rest of the world has stopped seeing them as “progressive” and merely sees them as “where freedom and individual rights go to die”. Or at least I sincerely hope so.
Landale

What other hobby is there left for them to crush?
Game Guy

this is why sjws are the scum of the industry. When they say they dont want to take away your games in favor of their’s, its such a lie I’m amazed Satan doesnt come up then and there just to punish them for lying. they need desperately to leato learn that if they dont like a game, to just ignore it, like the gaming community is doing to Evolve. they fact they STILL so vocally attack sk is very tellig they know how insignificant they are in all this
Kuso Miso

It’s just a Video Game for fucks sake.
inquisitormcsagington

Fly fishing is full of misogynist CIS Males!

Bottle ship builders are anti-LGTBQCIAKGBZZIRADARPA!

Actually I identify as a Bonsai tree and your trimming oppresses me shit-lord.
Game Guy

praise be unto Tom. when Akiba’s Trip was under fire, he asked the sjws if they even bought the game, and if so if they could post pics. watching them all go apeshit at such a simple btfo was a thing of beauty
Sean Oldman

I’ve always been shocked by and hated Puritans. In fact, when I was little, I heard about the horrible things they did to each other and those outside their circles, like witch hunting, witch tests, etc. during the early colonization of North America. They want to somehow become “purer” by constantly limiting themselves and persecuting others in what they can do, while making themselves ever closer to the demons they think exist all around them.
inquisitormcsagington

I just wish XSeed were the translators on more games as opposed to NISA-Who seem to be the go to in Europe.
Sergio Nacher Fernández

One philosopher I admire very much, Fernando Savater, said, many years before this debacle, that puritanism is the thing most contrary to ethics that could ever be. That should give everyone an idea.
JackDandy

HEAR YE, HEAR YE

COME WITNESS THE SPLENDOR OF A FAN WITH A TRUE MAN’S PASSION

A BURNING WILL TO KEEP THE GAMES TRUE TO THE SOURCE

http://imgur.com/a/yKxL1

Tom Lipschultz is the Blazing Localizer, and he’s sticking up for YOU.
Landale

Shift the work load, shift the workers. You run the risk of turning XSeed into NISA
Game Guy

america got so fed up with nisa they ran to europe with overpriced censored games. thankfully europe seems to hate them even more than we do
Sergio Nacher Fernández

Holy shit, what I’m reading here is pure, undilluted awesome the level of voratun ore.

Madokami bless this man. He’s a savior.
Ms_Fortune

“You think it’s OK to do anything in fiction? Would you think it would be OK to make a racist game?”

Yes and yes.

These are works of FICTION, no actual human beings where hurt during the production of said titles, furthermore people keep saying on how games are art and shit, yet according to this idiot we can’t tackle a subject like racism?

Fucking swedes.
Domhnall

I’ve never understood the idea of “protecting” virtual children from being sexualized when every first world country I know of freely sells lingerie and skimpy swimwear to children. There’s more skin covered in Bon Appetit than in some of the bikinis I’ve seen teens (and younger!) wearing at the public fucking beaches.

Go on and try to create legislation that women must be covered from head to toe so as not to be “sexualized.” Where I come from, we call that sexist.
NuclearCherries

Let them cry. Their tears are delicious, and actually make me want to buy the game.
Censorship is wrong. If games are pieces of art, as they so claim, then is it right to censor art?
Of course not. So why do they fight? What are they fighting for?
Simple. The destruction of our beloved hobby. The death of video games.
33

“It seems like pedophilia, pubescent teens, rape, and baseless murder are where our Western cultures draw the line.”
You say that but people were rightly upset with Drakengard’s censorship and it had all of those things and more.
Mr0303

The real tragedy is that the only possible victims are smaller games like this or Hatred. These ideologues can scream all they want about GTA and COD, but these games are too big and pretty much untouchable.

Art should be free and no topic should be banned. Look at Lolita – it gives us the story of a pedophile that rapes an underage girl. You can choose to be offended at this point or actually read the book and see why it is considered one of literature’s most highly regarded works.

Seeing SJW’s stupidity constantly is depressing. I think I’ll play Bon Apetit for a while to lighten my mood.
pepsi

When people complained about the first Sk I was mad, now I’m just happy.
The series is successful, this is the 3rd SK being released in the west with probably a 4th in the near future and there’s nothing they can do about it. The game is getting released, it’s not getting censored or unboobed and I going to enjoy playing it while they wallow in impotent rage.
Bring on the “this is like raping me” articles, bring on the twitter whining there’s only happiness on this side.
Nonscpo

It makes as much sense as Peta going after Pokemon for promoting real life violence against animals 😀
Nonscpo

I was hoping somebody would write about this, thanks Brandon 😉
Philip Weigel

There was another Senran Kagura game beyond the PSVita and the 3DS ones?! *Goes to buy*
Keinart

>Sweden

YES
Michael Richardson

There is no use in trying to reason with people like this. Social marxists are some of the most intolerant, fundamentally unreasonable people in the world, and the most appropriate response, should they still be a little known quantity, is to regard them with polite disgust and do nothing to give them more attention than they already have attracted.
Dammage

You guys ever get the PR thing sorted out with XSEED?
Fenrir007

Of course it’s Sweden! They are like a military base for SanFran in Europe.

Dear yuropoors, please build an isolation cordon around Sweden.

Thanks,

Rest of the world.
Domhnall

As much as I dislike PETA and find most of their crusades to be nothing short of moronic, I do at least have to give them credit in that they actually programmed games to get their idiotic message across. They showed at least a passing understanding of Pokemon and its battle system.

I might not be so disgusted by the morons listed in the article if they had shown that barest amount of (moronic) sincerity. I’d still be disgusted, mind you, just possibly not as much.
Ellen J Miller

I’ve already written to Nintendo of Europe, letting them know that I’m excited for SK2:DC and looking forwards to its release. If some are going to exercise their right to complain, I’ll exercise my right to say “This is awesome and here’s why! I can’t wait to play it!”
http://www.nichegamer.com Brandon Orselli

We were debating on it internally, as we don’t like to keep beating the dead horse so to speak. When I saw the post on the Marvelous forums I was like “alright, I’m gonna write about it”
Sevuz

I don’t play this kind of games, but they have every right to be sold like any other game. If people don’t like they don’t buy it. This is the same kind of people that do not like the thought of porno.
http://www.nichegamer.com Brandon Orselli

I’m definitely not for censorship of any kind – I was trying to establish some kind of line that most people seem to draw when it comes to these sort of things. I wasn’t happy with Drakengard’s censorship either :
http://www.nichegamer.com Brandon Orselli

Can’t really talk about it. Working on it.. here’s hoping!
Dammage

Good luck ^^ You guys can’t remain tsundere for long
FirstLine

Far left = extreme right. Same values.
Landale

You’d think, especially among the “games don’t need to be fun” types, that making a racist game would be the ideal.
Coming to all platforms soon: Supremacy. Be Mr. Smith, the self proclaimed perfect white man, and go about your days ruining the lives of everyone not pure white because those inferior creatures dared to breathe your air. Maybe even kill a few of them if you think you could get away with it.

Almost anyone’s skin would crawl trying to play something like that, mine did a bit just thinking of something like that. Not fun and gets the message across that racists have something deeply wrong with them.
Sentsuizan_93

Oi! Sweden, like it or not, I’m gonna pre-order my copy of Senran Kagura 2 and laugh at your outburst! Leave the vidya alone ya sad dopes… :V
Alistair

Hmm it’s really good to see that SJWs still persists of what they’ve good at constant drivel of shit-ness.

Really “You think it’s OK to do anything in fiction? Would you think it would be OK to make a racist game? No?”

That a flaw, why? Havnt we got racist in our games under the banner of “extreme violence” in games if boobs in games are sexiest then what is extreme violence & murders in games by killing computer graphics characters non-existing at best.

Ahh well SJWs cant see the difference between what is fiction & what is reality.

I think these people REALLY need help.

Anybody that thinks cartoon characters are like real person then they a dam fool.
Alistair

Well funny thing that, what you said about NISA running to europe & spoiling our fun by censoreing our games.

I found it ironic though that NIS had a europe branch called NISE (NIS Europe) & never been seen since. I wonder what NISE be like with CG lol
CDan

The only way to fix this, is with a delicious Mirai-only game.
And close NISA while we’re at it.
Alistair

If a game contains nothing more then cute loving things that makes you smile boring story easy to finish, with easy tasks to complete.

Then the SJWs are the biggest fools then I thought.
Erthwjim

The odd thing is, they’ll attack games like this, yet defend people like Roman Polanski.
http://www.trueachievements.com/VixyNyan.htm Rebecca “VixyNyan” Loveheart

I tried as best I could to defend the series I so happen to like, by commenting over at the swedish article, it is pretty lengthy, but it could be easily google translated for those who want to read. I collect these games and I enjoyed them all, very cute and adorable characters and it’s fun simple action. ^^
https://www.facebook.com/VixyNyan/activity/904531082900633
Ninjagai

Loved the Vita game, it may be repetitive, but it’s a classic in fanservice.
Landale

Lashing out at NISA is a stupid and pointless endeavor. The people involved will still exist, they will move on into other companies. You’re suggesting attacking a symptom, not the illness.
Remove the pressure to censor and they’ll have no reason to do so.
Anonymous

We’ve gone from people asking for more rating regulation and stores to lock mature games away from the public and children to keep it safe for them into all out demanding that the games cease to exist because it offends them.
At least the angry parents had a purpose and a reason, they wanted to keep kids safe.
But these SJW are just asking for things to be banned because they’re salty.

I wouldn’t even dignify any of the nonsense they are spouting, giving into their argument about what’s offensive or not is already losing the big point, there’s freedom of speech, it’s a free medium, anyone can do anything that does not contradict the law

Why is game burning any different from book burning?

One of the best recent moments for the industry was when Gaben had Hatred back in greenlight, yes it looks like a terrible mediocre game but it is a game none the less and does not violate any of the rules of steam or any law, so only because one group of people get salty it does not equal that the game should be banned, the medium is open, and an open medium is better than a closed censored medium.
Anonymous

A videogame like this would be awesome.
Alistair

What the hell I didn’t know that was censored too.

If I know that I wouldn’t have buy it, I found that strange they did censored that.

As it’s not a ecchi game & haven’t got cartoon lolis but extreme violence of overage girls that is bad arse. When they fight each other.

Maybe they couldn’t make up their minds to censored it or not. lol
Anonymous

SJW are just modern book burners.
Replace “offensive” with “sinful” and “game” with “book”, and “ban” with “burn” and there you go.
The way they use social media is similar to an angry mob tearing a city down, taking all the books and demanding they be burned at a stake for the sinful words within.
Anonymous

Amen brother. Both extremes lose all semblance of logic or common sense once they stop being open to dialogue and start thinking that their opinions = facts and anyone who disagrees is plain wrong.
MaidKillua

While personally I can’t stand this kind of thing in any capacity, if I ever start trying to stop other people from having it, please shoot me for being a dick
undub lover

Based Niche Gamer is based.
ReaperX30

Excellent piece. I personally enjoy the Seran Kagura games and I’m looking forward to the new one. I like fanservice and really don’t mind sexuality in games since it’s a beautiful part of life. Of course it always depends on how it’s done. On the other hand I’m not really fond of ultra violent games where it’s gratuitious violence with no real purpose. The thing is we always have a choice. I get the games I like and stay away from the ones I don’t want. I wrote here earlier that I’d rather see the bouncing boobs and ripping clothes of Seran Kagura then the violence of Mortal Kombat. I won’t get Mortal Kombat since it’s not my thing but I understand that some people might like it. No one forces you to buy games, books or movies that you don’t want. Don’t want it then stay away but don’t try to prevent others from accessing it because it doesn’t fall into your good category.
http://undeadreloaded.tumblr.com/ miiyukichan

It’s funny because one of the localisers is a woman and she’s openly stated that if you think the Senran Kagura girls are objectified, then you’re being the objectifier. And she’s right. Murakumo hits home with me because she wears a mask for the same reason I wear a rather large hoodie, and I have the very same reaction she does to her mask being taken in Shinovi Versus when someone tries to take my hoodie or tells me to take it off.

These girls have reasonably real personalities. While there are laughs at Murakumo’s expense (even to me, as someone with social anxiety and body flaws I fixate on) you’re supposed to feel empathy for her and I think they did well in making that hit home. (Same with Tomoko in Watamote)
Game Guy

really? I never knew NISE existed
Kelly Maxwell

SWEDEN YES!
well, the good news is, they arent going to stop anyone from making any current games – But they will continue trying to manipulate people, so make sure you help to innoculate the minds of those who are close to you. Entertainment is about Freedom of Imagination. these people really need to find a new way to make a living.
dsadsada

I’m going to buy it because I want to. The games are legitimately good.
Fenrir7

I don’t understand why they wouldn’t be ok with that – they are the most racist assholes on the planet.
Anonymous

Many already do.
Fenrir7

Didn’t some SJWs try to get SK Burst removed before it was localized in the west? It didn’t exactly work out did it?
Random45

What purpose does this article serve other than to rile people up? There are always going to be people against games, regardless of the content, and posting about it is not going to change anything. You’re only preaching to the choir here, no one will disagree with you, and this will breed no insightful or useful discussion here. maybe posting this on one of the other sites that supports the people you’re discussing can promote some sort of conversation, but even that’s a stretch.

And I can’t freaking BELIEVE the amount of people here using the word Social Justice Warrior – are you guys twelve? It’s a word people use just to try and undermine an argument without pointing out anything of substance.
Landale

Probably. The question is, why do you seem surprised that they’d do something that defines insane?
These people are Zapp Brannigan, minus being amusing: They throw themselves and, more often, their minions against whatever they’re targeting until something gives and they can’t not attack neutrals. That’s all they know.
PenguinPlayer

Everything about this probably has already been said, but let me add my voice to the mix:

Censorship sucks. Don’t be a dick just because you dislike something. It’s just a game, you should really relax. It’s your right to express your opinion but I would be thankful if don’t send the wrong message to localization companies and stop our chances of getting more fun games just because you personally dislike them, like for example, by starting a petition to ban it on your current location of residence.

Did I miss something? I think I covered everything.
Misogynerd

Generic counterarguments:-Don’t the girls fit the age of consent in most countries?
-The characters have bodies a child molester wouldn’t be likely attracted to.
-Japan uses a lot of artistic ages. Utena characters looks 18 and mature but are for the most part 13. Same with series like Eyeshield 21 which basically have Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star as a supposed high school student.
-The game has no negative consequences for society. It won’t warp people’s mind and even if there was a Senran Kagura killer, the person was likely crazy and would’ve been triggered by anything random.
-I watched the anime and the girls actually have backstories and motivations, who would’ve thought?
-The anime at least had parody elements, what with the sensei eating the long sushi thing as suggestively as the girls.
-I see nothing wrong with a game like Zog Nightmare, it may make me partially ashamed of being a human being, but at the same time, the fact we allow such horrendous crap to exist speaks better for us than against us.
-I like hack n slash/beat em up games and the Senran Kagura seem OK. Sure a fan of SK could be a warning sign of a weird or unconventional people, but I’m sure a “normal person” played it and liked it.
33

I see what you mean. My misunderstanding. Though I think had some of its themes been more explicit then quite a lot of the people who enjoyed the game would have turned away.
Kris Åsard

It’s worth mentioning that Kerstin does NOT say, “Nintendo has a responsibility to stop products of this kind.” Those are actually not even her words, but a pointed question from the journo.

There, fixed that for you. You need to check your translator’s credentials.
Landale

You do see the bit right up at the top right? The thing for sharing the article? Yes, it’s posted here, but there’s plenty of ways to spread it. The internet is only an echochamber when a person forces it to be. Hell, it’s clearly not an echochamber since you seem rather upset about this.
And are you really suggesting that people just fucking roll over and take it because there will always be opposition? Sure, a post alone won’t change anything but it’s not the post alone. It can be spread, it is being spread, and it can be talked about.
Fenrir7

I’m not surprised at all lol. I don’t even get angry anymore, I just laugh at them.
Misogynerd

They want to tackle it like the racism in Bioshock infinite, just say: “RACISM IS BAD MMKAY” without showing things like:
-The word “nigger” or whatever the disparaging term was being used.
-No lynching.
-No slaves being beaten for not doing a good enough job.
-No slave being raped by their master.
-No lighter colored black people being shown preferences.
-People who were 1/4 or 1/8 black being seen as inferior.
-Much, if any segregation.

They want the laziest, coziest art that wanks their ego. This is why the “art crowd” didn’t much care for Hotline Miami since that rejected story and pandering in favor of gameplay and poking fun at them.
Misogynerd

Monster trucks?
Figmas?
Gunplas?
Warhammer 40K?
Paint Dry Watching?
Competitive eating?
Masturbation?
Pogs?
leingod

Well, those people deserve to die.
Landale

Seriously?
No. Just, no.
Tyrannikos

WHAT? Please see a therapist.
Tyrannikos

DELETE YOUR COMMENT. DON’T GIVE THEM IDEAS OF SOMEHOW RUINING MY PRECIOUS GUNPLA.

“That Zaku F2000 CLEARLY has spike tits! Misogyny! Miss Sazabi is clearly wearing a backpack in the shape of a bow! What, only girls can wear bows? MISOGYNY! GUNTANK. PATRIARCHY.”
Tyrannikos

I don’t know why people are so against games that push their personal boundaries. I guess they just don’t want to be challenged in life?
Tyrannikos

I don’t see it as beating a dead horse. I see it more as constantly reminding us of what’s out there beyond our community.

When nobody speaks up, everybody loses.
Misogynerd

“No Zaku Boy! No Zaku!”
Is a Cissexist, transphobic and misogynist statement.
Rafael

This is why 3D is so pig disgusting.
https://twitter.com/officerjeffrey OfficerJeffrey

I really fucking hate these people. They really need to just get laid already and stop ruining the fun for others.
Tyrannikos

I love you so much.
sanic

Reminds me of the south park season 7 episode 13 “butt out”, Rob Reiner comes to south park and tries to enforce all these anti smoking bans and cartman is a huge fan of him and says “Smoking gives a lot of people just a little bit of joy, and this guy just takes it away, isn’t that awesome?”

Eats me up inside that people think they have any right to deny others something for an unknown proclaimed greater good.
TheCynicalReaper

>hoping for tolerance
>from SJWs
You’re a good man, mate, but you might as well hope for a black hole to suddenly siphon this sociopolitical rot from humanity
TheCynicalReaper

These same types of people verbally assaulted XSEED because they properly translated a bit of flavor text in an optional faux-twitter aspect of Akiba’s Trip which had a single mention of the word “trap”

SCREW the ideologues.

Senran Kagura is my shit, as it is many others’. Both heterosexual men and homosexual women love the fan service (especially since most of the cast is homosexual) just like they did with Beyonetta and will love Onechanbara.

We’re getting ninja titty fun and samurai titty fun. Keep crying, babies.
TheCynicalReaper

You forgot to mention that Bioshock Infinite didn’t even mention how African slaves were bought and sold by other Africans to America and amidst Africa.

But that doesn’t matter. The evil American white founders were evil all on their own. Good thing that doesn’t happen anymore now that they’re dead!

–Meanwhile, in parts of Europe, American government contractor DynCorp, in Islam (throughout the UK and Middle East), “billionaire” rapist Jeffery Epstein, parts of Africa…
TheCynicalReaper

A proper game about racism would have to basically be like “American History X” but with a vaguely GTA-level of sandbox openness to its gameplay.
The Wind Rises

You’re absolutely right, passersby will judge the game by the size of their busts, not the content of their character. It’s really pathetic how sex negative zealots go on these campaigns to shun and dismiss certain character body-types, because their prudish sensibilities can’t handle the idea their existence. Here’s an idea, if you don’t like the game, don’t buy it! I don’t care for Call of Duty. I don’t petition for it to be removed, I just don’t play it.

Here’s where I get extremely frustrated with gender punditry and politics. These people treat video-games, media, and society as a zero sum game, as if the existence of Senran Kagura is an affront to women and somehow takes away women’s rights. No, it is the policing of controversial (though, I dare say that scantily clad women is hardly controversial) content that is an affront to fundamental values such as freedom of expression.

These are the people who talk about equality and equanimity, but really they are not that much different from the moral authoritarians on the right. All I can think of is book burnings and prohibition-era spirits dumping. Except, there is a great irony in destroying female characters in order to protect women. It’s probably lost on them though.
Dewey Defeats Truman

I played some of the first game and I didn’t even like it that much but I mean holy christ, it has a right to exist. I really don’t understand why people think they can play thought police. There’s a lot of games I don’t like or have no interest in. For example, I thought Criminal Girls looked like a really awful, boring game that would only sell based on pandering to people wanting fanservice when I saw it. That doesn’t mean those people shouldn’t be allowed to enjoy it though. I guess NISA doesn’t agree on that matter however, since anybody who might have been interested had to put up with a censored version if they couldn’t/wouldn’t import it.

Postal 2 came out over a decade ago. Hatred is coming out this year. They both have pretty similar goals. It’s just kinda sad that things do not change.
TheCynicalReaper

I LOVE YOU TOM-SAMA
ArcKazuki

Well now. So much for not trying to take games away.
Dewey Defeats Truman

Also on that note can I just say that it seems pretty sexist to me to write off a character solely because they have large breasts? I mean, it doesn’t matter how well written they are. If you aren’t even going to give them a chance, if you’re gonna say it’s a problem because of how it’s designed, that’s just assuming the worst for no reason other than your own prejudices.
The Wind Rises

Funny enough, many puritans weren’t as puritanical as you’d think. One practice some puritans had was drinking of health to absent persons. Now, that doesn’t seem so bad. Maybe wish your grandma good health and have a sip from the old pint, but it essentially became a drinking game. Wish health to the king, the queen, John in Massachusetts, etc.

My funny point is to bring up the fact that these neo-puritans aren’t so pure. Why, you’ve got some of those twitter anti-harassment campaigners being extremely vocal, toxic harassers themselves. Men like Arthur Gies at Polygon had a Suicide Girls account for years (I should mention that SG’s contracts are rather unfair to the models). Furthermore, a huge majority of men consume or have consumed pornography (which many of these people find objectionable). I am reminded of staunch anti-gay Evangelical pastors with these people, the loudest speakers for change are probably guilty of the very crimes the condemn. Which is to say, these people probably don’t value women very much if they think a Japanese video game is an affront to women.
Nonscpo

The 3DS game was pretty good too, just mindless fun!
kurosan9712

Well, some posts are pretty STRANGE.
Like “Would you think it would be OK to make a racist game?”
I actually think YES, and…they do exist. Tales of Rebirth has a VERY heavy theme of racism between Huma and Gajuma, but yep, west doesn’t know.

And what’s more…SK isn’t a sexist game, just they are blind.

Anyways I had a good laugh from this stupidity of humans. Love Japan, because they don’t give a fuck. If something happens in the west, they’ll just have to keep it within the country, and I’m fine with that, since I import anyways.
buddyluv324

Wow the SJWs are going full force this time around.They’re really mad thirsty for the SJW points. Even if you give them characters like Zarya from Overwatch or games like Gone Home, these clowns are never pleased. I guess the best thing about the sudden outcry is that Xseed is getting free publicity for SK2. You’d thik the SJWs would learn by now.
Zanard Bell

Make a racist game? Yes.
Make a game about murder? Yes.
Make a game about rape? Yes.

In fact, let’s be honest. Fiction has led us to reexamine ourselves, especially when it isn’t afraid to delve into the darker concepts of humanity. The novel ‘Lolita’, from which the term lolicon came from, only came into prominence (or notoriety) because someone had the audacity to ‘sexualize children’. Would we, as a society, have learned to put some limitations onto child sexualization if the novel was never written? No, and I’m pretty sure we could see worse things had we never had the guts to read that novel.

We allow these ‘horrible’ fiction to come about because we want to keep them on a gilded cage where we can examine the blackest depths of the human soul, just as we do when we see something good in fiction. That is what freedom of speech is. And that is what the SJWs will never understand.
Zanard Bell

As long as there’s a bumbling Causcasian or Asian sidekick, yes.

And the enemy is either a fat woman or a middle eastern guy.
Tromboner

That thread on the Marvelous forum almost gave me an aneurysm. What the hell is wrong with people that they think they can dictate what sort of fiction others can consume?
Tromboner

The more I read the madder I get. This Sara person cannot distinguish between what is and is not pornography and Tom is a saint for even having the patience to talk with them at all.
kurosan9712

The novel itself, however, is pretty hard to read because of the way it’s written.
Took me no less than 2 months to finish it.
And it’s actually pretty good.
Ice2021

Just another case of “Sweden YES!”
landlock

Wait until they see Onechanbara Z2 and the Banana suit.
MeteorD

It’s Aftonbladet, literally nobody takes them seriously even here
Sylveria Shini

Would it be okay to make a racist game? Yes. Would I buy it? No. But Im not going to say it cant be made.
Sylveria Shini

Almost every Tales gave has very racist under and overtones, Legendia, Xillia and Xillia 2, Eternia (fake Destiny 2). There’s a lot of games that examine racism, but 1. These SJWS have never played them cause they don’t play anything except big AAA titles, if they play anything at all and 2. They only care about very specific kinds of “racism”
kurosan9712

If I get your idea, then it’s not called racism normally…
Milewde

Not even themselves… I hope.

I truly hope they are just taking the piss.
JazzyMan123

Yep, the moment he or she started calling the game ‘pornography’, it became clear he/she didn’t play the game(s) at all and made me think it’s just trolling.

I wonder if this is what Insane Troll Logic is? Lol.
Milewde

It’s ONE newspaper saying this, not the entire country.

Actually, there are probably several newspapers saying this. Swedish media is painfully one-sided. Not the entirety of Sweden, though!
Kiryu

Who are they to decide for me what is morally acceptable and what is not?Always the same with these people,violence is absolutely ok but put in tits and people lose their shit.Agree with the author,if they like censorship and no freedoms so much then they should move to North Korea and leave us alone.
Kain Yusanagi

Appropriate. http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2008/12/why-defend-freedom-of-icky-speech.html
Kain Yusanagi

A pedophile that rapes a little girl, or a little girl overly mature for her age that purposefully lured him into her trap? That is part of why it is so highly regarded- because it entirely depends on frame of reference. 😉
Kain Yusanagi

Why would he when they’re doing his work? 😛
Mr0303

Every work of fiction can be analysed from multiple viewpoints. There is no right or wrong way of perceiving things.
magicalfollower

First Hotline Miami 2 ban on Australia, now this? *sigh*
George Williams

Incoming Streisand effect!
George Williams

Lolol, GL at them trying to attack the WH40k universe, Slaanesh will devour them.
Sergio Nacher Fernández

And more that will come. These whiteknights all think the same: “I don’t like these toys so I don’t want anybody to play with them!”
Himanshu Talwar

Beautifully written peace and I wholly agree with your stance.
Kiryu

That’s exactly how it is.If i don’t like it nobody has the right to like it,that’s how these people think.
Wrathful

Honestly I’m not into this game but it’s getting tiring of this faux outrage caused by bunch of Helen Lovejoys.
Kiryu

These people are scary totalitarians.They managed to ban GTA V from Target in Australia so imagine what the world will look like if we don’t stop them.
TWE

As expected of Sweden. Still not as silly as Turkey banning Minecraft for violence.
Kiryu

Who takes Sweden seriously anyway nowadays?The country that wants men to sit down to piss and force men to close their legs on public transport.
Raziel Barkrai

Oh good. Morons getting upset over a game they have no knowledge of that has an anime art style to it.
Kiryu

These people would feel at home in 1930’s Germany.
Mike Nieto

Must be pretty hard for that retarded SJW to be forced to buy and play Senran Kagura every day huh¿ because that’s what her situation must be like if she’s seriously asking for the game to be censored or banned. I’m honestly tired of this god damned SJW bullshit all over the internet. Leave us alone to enjoy what we like. It’s just a fucking video game with hot girls fighting each other.

Like Brandon said, this is an insult to the intelligence of both the consumers and the creators. It’s hypocrite because I’m 100% sure that stupid chick is perfectly fine with Mortal Kombat’s fatalities and Grand Theft Auto’s killing of civilians.

Now I’ll preorder that Double D edition of SK2 and support XSeed and Marvelous all the way with both this game and Estival Versus.
Kuroneko

Fucking top lel
Nonscpo

Lol!
Carl B.

I think these pro-censorship goons need to get their dicks wet.
Paganator

In the old Fallout 1 and 2 games, you could actually kill the children. I remember helping a group of settlers being attacked by raiders, but critically missing with my attack, hitting a kid in the eye instead and instantly disintegrating him. For the rest of the game, everybody hated my character for what was a genuine accident. It was a very memorable bit of gameplay that couldn’t exist today.
Mike Nieto

What¿ I didn’t know about this. Care to explain more¿ sounds like a massive pwnage
Viredae

“*very unfashionable* to make games that mostly focus on bumping female breasts.”

Lady, this isn’t a fashion statement, for fuck’s sake!
Guest

didn’t they already have female or gay space muhreens?
leingod

Seriously “Seriously”? Of course not, come on.
leingod

Me? Nah. Maybe you’re the one in need, if you’re taking internet comments at face value.
http://nichegamer.net/ bf313

This type of controversy makes me even happier to buy it on release day!
http://ryuz4ki57.wordpress.com/ Ryuzaki57

Well said, friend! I happen to have theorized the same thing one year ago on the MonMon debate

https://ryuz4ki57inenglish.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/business-and-values-the-fleeting-frontier/

Those guys should be more worried about the 35m GTAV in homes
Nonscpo

Interesting article you got there by the way.
Audie Bakerson

Assuming that because the girls are attractive they are portrayed as inferior is a pretty sexist belief all things considered…
ivanchu77

Prudes are getting really annoying nowadays
George Williams

Sisters of battle.
I actually like them as they make some sense in terms of the lore.
That said, WH40k isn’t exactly super friendly to any group and can be considered very unpc 😛
AsatorPrime

Well said
Hexodious

Well, that didn’t take long. I’ll buy 20 copies, one for myself and sending the rest to Sweden. Ain’t I generous?
DEADBEEF

Interesting to see where the outrage originates from. How did you all find out?
Luna Kazemaru

> The same author that complained about SKB2 also said lego games were sexist for not using gender neutral legos,

#BTFO
Tabitha

>Sweden

Opinion discarded.
DarkAngelRafael

I would die of laughter if game developers actually give SJW folks the option to blur/censor cleavage! XD
Shippoyasha

Maybe this can mean purists and people who like sexual content to not have the content censored as well. Like an uncensor option.

But seriously, with such thin skin, I can’t believe people who diss these games will suddenly be massive fans suddenly. It’s like going to an action movie and not wanting to see violence.
Shippoyasha

Oh you have no idea how people RAGE when they are pointed out that it actually seems the girl raped the man instead. Which is actually the point of the book.
Mr0303

I can imagine. I bet those people haven’t even read the book.
lpchaim

Oh hell, this kind of thing makes my blood boil. As long as nobody is being actively hurt by production of a piece of media, why should it be banned? Because it hurts your moral principles? Fuck off.
It’s just a silly franchise about busty anime girls! Who are actually surprisingly well-written. Who star in actually very fun and enjoyable games. Games which don’t really take themselves seriously most of the time.
Nothing should be off-limits to fiction. Nothing. Even, no, especially the things I consider bad. Yes, I’d actually be fine with a game which explored racist themes being made. Wheter I’d really want it to exist or to play it should be completely isolated questions. Let the market decide what succeds and what falls into obscurity, as it has always been.
Budgiecat

what if the game really wasnt about racism in a serious manner like you’re saying, but made to openly just slander and demonize minorites and make fun of them? Like if actual Neo Nazi’s developed the game?
What if someone made a game where you literally rape newborns?
If you want to a lay the moral code to the wayside to be on fair ground, just be prepared for anything..
TheCynicalReaper

I agree, though those works would have no substance, so while they could exist it’s not like they’d be worth anything except for possible edgy laughs.

However, it should be noted that this isn’t an “all or nothing” thing nor is it purely for “morality”. Just like it’s illegal to incite a riot, works and ideologies that deliberately promote chaos or preach division should be handled differently than others.

We should never have allowed a school to be built which espoused the teachings of Marxism (in an anti-capitalist, anti-white, anti-religious light) and we should never have allowed Sharia Law (no matter how limited for now) to come to Texas.

Some would argue that disallowing or banning something like that would be censorship, yet here we are: the West endures the faux-academic politics of Political Correction and England sees first-hand the result of allowing a religiopolitical ideology to thrive without guidance.

tl;dr Yes, all works of art and speech should be allowed, barring those which espouse blatantly detrimental views and actions which will only harm society in the end.

That is to say, let it be free, but don’t let it run rampant
kao

Lol, I was indifferent to the SK series at first but after seeing all of these sjw’s rilling up and demanding censorship against this game, it just makes me want to support the series even more, in fact I’ll pick up shinobi verses on my next stop to the game store.

Thanks for the publicity SJW’s!
Nonscpo

Thru Twitter, at least until “they” censor it 😀
buddyluv324

I’ve said this before , but ill say it again: NOTHING you do will make these SJW clowns happy. Censoring or even banning a game wont much good for them. They’ll just move on and bitch over to the next game they’ve clearly had no interest in buying to begin with. If you guys dont believe me read up the comments on Overwatch’s reveal on Zarah.
http://undeadreloaded.tumblr.com/ miiyukichan

Heterosexual women and homosexual men can also love fanservice.
Especially if it’s just drawn well like Hyperdimension Neptunia’s art by the amazing Tsunako.
Budgiecat

what I’m saying is you cant control things like that if you allow it to be ‘free’ and promote it like that. Thats why theres an ESRB
In fact I think there is a PC game being made by Neo Nazis sympathizers; you play as a bitter psychopath killing anyone in your way. And even thats considered tame to what potentially could be made.
Game Guy

They were attacking xseed’s twitter back when Tom ran it over the use of the word trap in Akiba’s Trip. Tom got fed up and so he asked how many of them bought it, andnif they could show proof. They all started screaming even louder but couldnt present anything
TsukuyomiMagi99

“WE’RE NOT TRYING TO TAKE YOUR GAMES AWAY!”

Sure you aren’t you fucking sociopaths! I swear I am gonna be pissed if XSeed cowtows to these people. I swear these people ruin everything they touch. Please XSeed, DO NOT LISTEN to these people! they were never going to buy this game anyway. WE Gamers are the ones who help pay your bills.

God I fucking hate these people.
TsukuyomiMagi99

Okay I apologize for my previous response since I was angry. But now that I’ve had time to cool off. I am a firm believer that people should enjoy whatever they want as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone. When you take away somebody’s right to enjoy something just because you personally don’t enjoy it or that it conflicts with your beliefs is wrong. The best thing you can do if you don’t like something is to sort it with a mutal agreement between parties. But SJW’s live in an echo chamber not allowing anyone to challenge their world views or to come to a mutal deal that benefits everyone. Then they Iimply that if you don’t see things their way then you hate women or a racist. That’s very haughty and arrogant. And up until now I’ve done my best to ignore them but now they are coming into the last place that a lot of people find solidarity in and are trying to poison it with their belief structure. It’s arrogant at best and tyrannical at worst.

So yeah, I am sorry for my previous statement which could have more productive than rawwr! But please SJW’s please leave us gamers alone we haven’t done anything wrong to you.
theshrodingersoldat

they want to ban this but they let there 6 year old kids play cod and gta. really?
tccboss

Is it too much to ask to simply have a lewd game where ninja girls don’t do ninja things fucking christ!
Michael Anon

There are games like that. There’s once called Ethnic Cleansing, it’s a VERY crude first person shooter where the goal is to kill black people (or maybe Mexicans, I can’t remember) and nothing else.

And games about raping kids exist, at least one, it’s called Rapelay. You are a guy who gropes women on the subway, but one day you get caught. When you get out of prison you must take revenge, so you rape the woman and her two kids, a teenager and a girl who is about 10 or so. If you get it wrong one of them will eventually kill you, but if you play your cards right you end up having an orgy with all three of them.

I will defend the right of both those games to exist with my dying breath.
Budgiecat

Rapelay isnt about babies though so I dont think any game has gone that far yet. And no Rapelay didnt have 10 year olds. The youngest girl in the game seemed to be of at least 16 yrs old afaik.

Never even heard of Ethnic Cleansing so I had to look it up on good o’l Youtube and apparently its a third person shooter, not FPS, and yeah…looks pretty shit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy-rJWDcuEM

dunno why you would go so far to defend these pos games with your life lol since apparently you’re not even that well versed in them.

Because anti-censorship? Kay…..but still not worth dying over a couple of shitty games lmao

If you’re just saying that metaphorically speaking..well kay but lets not get over dramatic here.
The world would not and has not missed these games haha
Thanatos2k

Don’t like it, don’t buy it.
Thanatos2k

I’m actually sick of the fact that devs never let you kill kids in games. Like in Assassin’s Creed, where the kids on the street are utterly obnoxious because the devs knew they wouldn’t let you kill them.

SOMETIMES KIDS DESERVE IT JUST AS MUCH.
Nonscpo

But that’s using common sense, were not allowed to use that……said no one ever.
Nonscpo

Yeah I didn’t find anything wrong with the previous comment 😉
TheCynicalReaper

I see what you mean, too.
Wait, you mean “Hatred”? While it clearly has no substance beyond the reveling in carnage (which, fine), that’s not exactly what I was talking about in terms of what should be disallowed.

Hatred is just dumb shooting, like going mad in a GTA game.

I mean titles which are clearly intended to be subversive and destructive to the culture of a country, like a realistic ISIS simulator, or a title that promotes ISIS/Al Queda/Boko Haram in positive lights to be lauded and joined.
TheCynicalReaper

Oh, good choice!
I also really like the Disgaea artist’s work.
Michael Anon

Learn how to read. I said I would defend them with my dying breath, not that I would defend them with my life. If you don’t defend free speech for things you dislike you have NO right to demand free speech when they come for something you do like.
Colton K

I feel the need to go buy Bon Appetit now just to spite these people.
Budgiecat

I’m all for free speech as long as it’s intelligent speech lol
and not breeding ground for cultivating hate crimes
Budgiecat

GTA is one thing because its a mock parody; making fun of the idiocy of American culture at times. Most intelligent people can figure that out.
When its actual propaganda to spread things like hate crimes thats another story; egging on the very same idiots who do have ideas of shooting up people in public because of racial or cultural/religious hate
EroBotan

Obama should start sending these complainers to China, North Korea, or moslem countries so they can fulfill their dreams of dictactorian censorship.

This way everyone wins!
Holyfox25

You know, I would love to play a Dolemite game, but only if you can summon a boom mic operator to help you 😛
Holyfox25

Oh no, a fan-service game is going to be released! This will have serious repercussions on society like the many times it has happened before… oh wait..

Seriously, is it a new trend to spread moral panic and exacerbate a situation over the silliest stuff these days? Also, what is with the claim that these games will turn people into pedophiles or are played by pedophiles? Has there ever been a single scientific study on that? So far, it as been all assertion and no evidence.
Nonscpo

What’s to be surprised? don’t you remember a year or so ago when that one gaming journalist claimed that “Dragon’s Crown” for the VITA was porn for that said demographic? It seems that the moral panics aren’t going away, there only going to be getting worse from here on out
Holyfox25

I hope it doesn’t get worse. Gamers defeated the “Video games causes violence” crowd, I hope they can defeat the “Video games causes sexism/misogyny” crowd as well. Different wing of politics, but same tactics.

The more things change, the more things stay the same.
http://undeadreloaded.tumblr.com/ miiyukichan

Same here
Kain Yusanagi

One could argue that always perceiving everyone as out to get you is a rather wrong way to perceive things… :>
J_Joestar

does it have to even be a real world race?
that would probably put a lot of games in the racist/borderline-racist category with depictions and treatment of many fantasy or alien races.
reaxxionrj

Idiots
Ms_Fortune

It could be anything as long as its depicting the issue of racism if it feels like it, not everything needs to be ultra realistic and the plight of minorities or whatever, just give the issue some light if people are inclined.

Videogames are a story telling medium like any other and the market is big enough for it, if people like it you will find an audience for it.
Pyrotechnic Moose IV

None of this will stop me from getting every collector’s edition version for every one of the games plus other senran merch..Makes me happy I’m givin’ MAQL & XSEED so much money.
chizwoz

It’s official. ‘Sexist’ means absolutely anything you want it to. This would only be sexist if they wouldn’t allow a male equivalent to be sold on their platforms. Which I’m sure they would.
Sillybillys

Cause they believe it causes a certain type of behaviour that effects everyone in the end. Which may not be seen to be true by many but it’s what they believe.
andrea piro

These people should be burned alive..
If a game like this sells for example 1 milion copies, if you take off the censorship the game will sell 10 milions probably, so the only things people do with this idiotic criticism, on VIDEOGAME when in GTA you can beat people to death, and is fine for them… you only reduce the game developer money income, and the people who want to buy the game.
These people should just die in pain, everyone has the right to buy whatever they want. it’s easy to make a game downloadable only by over 18, so i don’t see any problems, and for racism and sexism.. LOL let’s say MARIO is the first enemy of greenpiece because he kills turtles…
how idiot people can be, there no bound to it..