Maybe they thought the washed out plushie could be sell better to the japanese? I don't see the problem offering a modified product if that is what your consumer demands.
It's not even just Japan. It's East Asia in general views white skin is seen as the highest form of beauty. From what I read it's because white skin was associated with the upper class who didn't work in the field and thus didn't tan. People in Asia don't really see it as a race thing but it's still shitty.
It's not even really just japan, or Asia, or America. Across the majority of cultures and through history, darker skin is and has been less favored over more "fair" skin tones. It's a historical phenomenon that I lack the expertise to identify a source from and it's a deeply rooted part of racism worldwide.
And your solution is? Offer a plushie that will have less appeal to the consumer due its culture, sorry if from a business perspective it doesn't make sense.
It's fucking shitty but I think it's an honest mistake. The artstyle relies on soft pastel colours and they probably used some shit fabric. It shouldn't have been approved though.
I like the recent backlash to Nintendo about their treatment of black characters though, hopefully it'll spur them on to change. The Smash Bros roster is still disgusting to say it's the biggest fighting game roster.
Like I said, Sakurai didn't have many options back in December 2015, so I'm not sure if that's a valid point against Nintendo (the racial stereotyping with some of the spirits are, sure, but not a base roster finalized over 3 years ago).
Is there much of a twitter campaign from Japanese users complaining about this? Considering that is a plush that's only available in claw games in Japan, I'd assume that's the only way there would be an official response. Americans posting about it on Twitter probably doesn't even register with a Japanese toy company.
And your solution is? Offer a plushie that will have less appeal to the consumer due its culture, sorry if from a business perspective it doesn't make sense.
I didn't say they considered western people "high beauty" I said they considered white skin that.
Don't take "gaijin" so seriously, dude. Its not meant to be derogatory.
I'm not a dude and I'm convinced gaijin is used quite seriousely in Japan. I've lived there for months. It's like someone trying to pass the N or the F word as a joke, it's not. When you use a pejorative word to refer foreigners, you're racist. I don't call japanese students "foreigners" or something along those lines when I speak to them or about them.
And your solution is? Offer a plushie that will have less appeal to the consumer due its culture, sorry if from a business perspective it doesn't make sense.
I didn't say they considered western people "high beauty" I said they considered white skin that.
Don't take "gaijin" so seriously, dude. Its not meant to be derogatory.
And your solution is? Offer a plushie that will have less appeal to the consumer due its culture, sorry if from a business perspective it doesn't make sense.
Making marina white won't make her more desireable, she is designed to be black and the kids view her as black . When kids look at this toy they will just think "that doesn't look like marina" and choose to not buy and if the kid only likes white skin chracter they wouldn't like Marina in the first place
I'm not a dude and I'm convinced gaijin is used quite seriousely in Japan. I've lived there for months. It's like someone trying to pass the N or the F word as a joke, it's not. When you use a pejorative word to refer foreigners, you're racist. I don't call japanese students "foreigners" or something along those lines when I speak to them or about them.
It's a parallel to "I don't see race", something said by someone professing to not be racist but also ignoring the ways that racism exists and perpetuates, including from the speaker. There are multiple instances in the chat logs where Cuttlefish says that exact line reflexively after being called out for saying something racist about Octarians.
"Articulate" in that context has some serious cultural history, but essentially is a racist backhanded compliment that simultaneously damns by faint praise (the ability to speak coherently isn't a thing that's singled out for praise normally) and implies comparison with and the expectation of a racist stereotype.
Cuttlefish says some questionable things but that particular "articulate" line is out of context.
While Marina was away from chat, Cuttlefish reveals that he did some research and found out Marina was a high ranking Octarian weapons designer and worries she may be a double agent.
When Marina returns to the chat and they drop this bombshell on her she replies with "..." "um..." and "..." to which Cuttlefish sarcastically calls her articulate to get her to actually say something. It's more that she wasn't talking. If he had just dropped that line when she was talking normally then it'd be different.
Cuttlefish's racism is more nationalism than about the abilities of Octarians. He and Octavio were friends before the war, but now he's paranoid about Octarians invading. It's closer to fear over communists or Japan vs Korea/China.
Cuttlefish says some questionable things but that particular "articulate" line is out of context.
While Marina was away from chat, Cuttlefish reveals that he did some research and found out Marina was a high ranking Octarian weapons designer and worries she may be a double agent.
When Marina returns to the chat and they drop this bombshell on her she replies with "..." "um..." and "..." to which Cuttlefish sarcastically calls her articulate to get her to actually say something. It's more that she wasn't talking. If he had just dropped that line when she was talking normally then it'd be different.
Cuttlefish's racism is more nationalism than about the abilities of Octarians. He and Octavio were friends before the war, but now he's paranoid about Octarians invading. It's closer to fear over communists or Japan vs Korea/China.
And your solution is? Offer a plushie that will have less appeal to the consumer due its culture, sorry if from a business perspective it doesn't make sense.
She helped. Designed that giant car wash at the age of 10!
That said the entertaining thing with Cuttlefish was that he did start to suspect her, but pearl leaps in and threatens him. Like, she will cut a fish if he tried to splat Marina. Get it? Haha.
CraigCuttlefish > Marina Ida
MC.Princess > member of Flooder design team?
CraigCuttlefish > those flooders are ruthless splatting machines they did in Agent 3 more times than i can count
MC.Princess > WHAT. Nah, Marina would never design something like that
CraigCuttlefish > its right there in the file
MC.Princess > now that you mention it, Marina IS totally obsessed with machines. And she's definitely the hardest working person i know CraigCuttlefish > sounds exactly like the octos i fought in the war
MC.Princess > The battle stages she makes involve traps and stuff where you float, and you don't see things like that anywhere else...
CraigCuttlefish > only octarian military has that technology im telling you
MC.Princess > Huh, so Marina is involved with the Octarian military? I just...
MC.Princess > OH SNAP I remember her saying something about the Calamari Inkantation changing her life! and it's right there in the file!
CraigCuttlefish > that song has powers no one can explain no fan of that song is a foe of mine
MC.Princess > Right?! She might have some skeletons in her closet, but who doesn't am i right? Marina is one of the best people i know.
CraigCuttlefish > i guess shes okay for an octo
MC.Princess > I swear, cuttlefish. If you try to splat Marina I WILL CUT A FISH. U GOT THAT?
CraigCuttlefish > i um ok
MC.Princess > Good. Keep your head in the game, 8.
And your solution is? Offer a plushie that will have less appeal to the consumer due its culture, sorry if from a business perspective it doesn't make sense.
While the specifics are likely 100% NoA I do wonder how much the theme of facing racism is in the original text. The Splatoon leads are much younger devs than Nintendo's average so they might be trying to put these ideas in there even in Japan?
Pearl is unusually pale even for the white skinned characters in the game, they might be using regular white skin for Marina and super pale for Pearl.
The Splatoon leads which I guess you mean producer and director aren't that young. Nogami has more than 50 while the directors have above 35. That's normal for many and many franchises developed internally in Nintendo EPD (and before, EAD/SPD) for decades. This notion is very flawed when you look at the leads of the projects.
Less because they don't give a shit and more that the product is only sold in Japan and there's no backlash over it from there. And even in the west, I only saw this here. Companies won't change things without the public giving their feedback in a high number for them to perceive.
This looks great, hope they ditch fake Marina, was no reason for it to exist the characters are beloved as is was stupid to white wash hope that version flops.
Oh OK, that was the the first thing that I saw in my head. Also Splatoon being made by a Japanese company I just thought that was the image they were going for.
That doll is pretty fucked up of Sanrio regardless.