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Animal Crossing: New Horizons features Nintendo's first openly gay couple [UPDATE: False alarm. See threadmarks]

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Deleted member 26156

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Oct 30, 2017
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As people have spent more time playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons, CJ (the new host of the Fishing Tournament) has shown up wandering around a few player's towns. Within some of his dialogue he refers to Flick (the new host of the Bug Catching Tournament) his... partner.

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Now, someone's obviously going to come in and say "but what if they just mean business partner" but that makes no sense if you actually read the dialogue. Not to mention this game has another gay couple, albeit only mentioned in dialogue, as well as them structuring the character creation so "players didn't really have to think about gender". With this frankly unprecedented progressiveness from Nintendo, there's only one reasonable conclusion: they be gay.
 
BDS

BDS

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,845
I believe there are actually several characters who describe same-gender relationships in the game. It's a nice touch.
 
randomlee26

randomlee26

Member
Oct 27, 2017
696
I think NOA in particular has been going for more inclusivity. Of course now I can't think of why I think that. But I love it nonetheless
 
Speedlynx

Speedlynx

Member
Nov 22, 2017
827
Uh... you sure he doesn't mean business partner?

Also why couldn't the devs use the word "boyfriend" to erase all ambiguity? Too much huh.
 
Berordn

Berordn

One Winged Slayer
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Oct 26, 2017
9,745
NoVA
This wouldn't be the first time the localization has changed stuff around with Animal Crossing NPCs. Since they're already diverged I guess there's no harm in NoA being more inclusive.
 
PinguThePenguin

PinguThePenguin

Member
Nov 5, 2019
556
Speedlynx said:
Uh... you sure he doesn't mean business partner?

Also why couldn't the devs use the word "boyfriend" to erase all ambiguity? Too much huh.
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In some relationships, they like to refer to each other as partners. This accounts for those who align on different gender spectrums (like those who wish to be referred to as they/them).

A recent media example can be seen on Steven Universe Future.
 
TheDinoman

TheDinoman

Member
Oct 25, 2017
17,098
Yeah this is cool and all, but I knew instantly that all of this stuff isn't the original JP version and it's just NOA's doing lol
 
Murlin

Murlin

Member
Feb 12, 2019
1,049
That Princess romance comic is undeniable, but I don't really read his use of "partner" here as romantic. If one runs the fish contest and one runs the bug contest, they're partners in that endeavor of running wildlife-catching contests.
 
Kangi

Kangi

Profile Styler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,949
I mean Flick is...

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...definitely gay. He would have a boyfriend. I support them
 
Marcelo Guimaraes

Marcelo Guimaraes

Member
Mar 2, 2020
753
Brazil
GIMME MORE LGBTQIA+ COUPLES AND CHARACTERS NINTENDO PLEAAAAAASE!!
Hope the next Super Mario has some, like Birdo being a trans woman openly(I mean, she is, but sometimes they call her in the wrong pronouns or even talk about her story in a problematic way). I kind of wish that Rosalina is lesbian too, she reminds me of Elsa from Frozen.
I'm really happy to see how New Horizons is really opening new horizons for Nintendo, it's awesome to see this progressiveness in a Nintendo game that's not Fire Emblem.
 

lactatingduck

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
666
Based on those images this seems like you're reading into something that could be there but could equally not be that.
 

Deleted member 56266

Account closed at user request
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Apr 25, 2019
7,291
I might be missing something between the lines here but how exactly does him talking about his partner there imply a romantic relationship?
 

Avada Kedavra

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Jan 23, 2019
756
Being progressive isn't having ambiguous references that barely advance the discussion beyond what it already is. It's basically the strict minimum not get called out. Much like how Disney is pussy-footing around LGBT characters in their animated movies and Marvel movies. They're not getting wet at all here.
Being progressive is having your main female protagonist kiss another female in a trailer that's meant to sell your game. Or having a transgender protagonist.
 
lvl 99 Pixel

lvl 99 Pixel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
44,706
NoA does what Japan don't
I always thought AC was a great place for individuality and representing all kinds of life, but it seems like Japan aint ready
 
That1GoodHunter

That1GoodHunter

My ass legally belongs to Ted Price
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Oct 17, 2019
10,863
I'm thankful that NoA is trying with what they are given from Japan. Nintendo is far away from having two gay women making out in a trailer playing in front of a E3 crowd...but hey, baby steps
 
Poltergust

Poltergust

One Winged Slayer
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Oct 25, 2017
11,832
Orlando, FL
Avada Kedavra said:
Being progressive isn't having ambiguous references that barely advance the discussion beyond what it already is. It's basically the strict minimum not get called out. Much like how Disney is pussy-footing around LGBT characters in their animated movies and Marvel movies. They're not getting wet at all here.
Being progressive is having your main female protagonist kiss another female in a trailer that's meant to sell your game. Or having a transgender protagonist.
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Animal Crossing isn't at all about romance, though. The player character is supposed to be like 14 or something, despite all the responsibilities they have to manage. You actually only see relationships through the non-villager NPCs, and they're almost always familial (siblings like the Able Sisters and Isabelle and Digby, or parental like Nook and Timmy & Tommy or Kaitlin and Katie).

Like, before New Horizons, I'm almost positive the only married couple in the entirety of Animal Crossing is Reese and Cyrus. The pelicans who work in the mail office in previous games have a sort of love triangle going on, but it never really gets past that.

At the very least, the game definitely gives you the freedom to be whoever you want to be, with absolutely no restrictions on hair or clothing options.
 
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