Metroid

Being a huge fan of Japanese culture (unlike Erioroguez), I do kind of wonder how the Japanese took to the characterization in Other M. From what I've gathered, it wasn't all that positive either, though not to the same level of hostility in the West. Considering that Japan has created some of the strongest female characters in all of fiction, it is surprising that they went in this direction for Samus.

Maybe Sakamoto just failed to realize how iconic of a character Samus is. I also don't think he was aware that what he was writing could be seen as sexist. Really, I think he was trying to portray someone being put through some of the harshest trials she has ever experienced, and trying her best to overcome them, so as to make her victory seem that much more powerful. Unfortunately, the way he executed it made it come across as more demeaning than triumphant.

On another note, check out this article for a more in-depth look and Japan and gender roles, as well as this one to see how their views on gender is slowly beginning to change.

edited 23rd Jul '14 11:48:31 AM by LDragon2

Apparently, a lot of Japanese fans had issues with the game, too...

I'll just copypasta what I wrote in the Japanese Culture Thread:

Japan's culture is heavily Confucian. Meaning that they obey a strict social hierarchy, and part of that hierarchy is that Men Are Better Than Women. Japan, in fact, is considered "the most Confucian" country in the world—even over China, where the doctrine originated.

Unique to Japan, however, is that they view self-sacrifice as the highest virtue one can aspire to. This was also true to a degree in other Confucian countries such as China, but Japan reeeeeeally took it to the extreme. In Japanese philosophy, suffering and sacrificing for the sake of another is considered the height of purity and goodness. It's why the country has been called a "Martyrdom Culture" in the past. For example, if a woman's husband beats her, has an affair, or tells her to do something terrible, her foremost job is to obey to her utmost ability. If the husband's actions were immoral or wrong, it was customary for her to consider what sort of deep problems, inner suffering or burdens this must be placing on him. Her job was to always think earnestly of him, and how she might make things better for him, no matter what.

Of course, reality tends to differ from the ideal. What we know about Japanese history and philosophy is written from the perspective of the rich and powerful (peasants seldom were literate, and women were even less so). It's hard to get a realistic picture of ancient Japan that doesn't cross into Great Man History territory, but it's probable that there were a LOT of non-conformists, particularly amongst the poor.

In general, though, this was/is the cultural zeitgeist of traditional Japanese virtues.

Interesting. Considering that nowadays that mentality is slowly starting to fade away in Japan, it'll be interesting to see how their country progresses. And seeing how many female characters from Japanese media are also starting to break away from this mold, by being independent and able to fend for themselves, while still maintaining loyalty and devotion to the ones they care about (Yamato Nadeshiko is starting to evolve here), I have hopes for the next generation of Japan.

Interesting that

Also that. Knew some of it, but not all of some of it.

edited 23rd Jul '14 12:48:10 PM by Bocaj

Basically Japan still has a long way to go when it comes to women. Even Nintendo, for all the improvement they've been been showing lately.

I forgot, why was Samus made a woman in the first place?

Because, no jok, someone at the board meeting for NES Metroid asked "Wouldn't it be cool if we made this mysterious tough bounty hunter a girl?"

@L Dragon. Thanks for the perspective, sometimes people are just genuinely convinced that what they've wrote is a masterpiece. In that sense, I can sympathize.

So, is there any word or indication of another Metroid instalment?

Because even if Fusion (and possibly Zero Mission, can't recall) is the only game I've played and beaten, it was kickass and I'd like to see what happened next.

It was mentioned at an event relatively recently. Probably E3. Anyway, I think Miyamoto said something along the lines of being due for a new one.

No word on any actual development, a team, or anything concrete really.

Well, I guess that's still better than nothing. Shows that somebody up top is at least thinking about it.

Miyamoto said they were considering both 2D and Prime style Metroid games at E3. So they do have plans for the franchise, though I doubt they've started any development on them. Even if they didn't there's no way they'd pull an F-Zero and regulate it to Smash and stuff like Nintendoland. It's still got a large fanbase, and Other M didn't bomb that badly.

Countercurrents to both collectivism and patriarchy exist in Japan. (The second one starts out about Frozen but then covers more wider ground.) I think what we're seeing with Metroid is that, much as in the US, entertainment tends to be kind of retrograde...

Though yeah, some of the stuff in the second article goes to show that there are still huge problems. I guess I just didn't want us to forget that there are people there pushing back.

edited 23rd Jul '14 3:11:11 PM by Durazno

Personally, I would like to see a Metroid game succeed in doing what Other M failed to do. Which is to have the main heroine go through so much intensity, only to emerge as a stronger person.

Honestly, I kinda took Fusion as doing something like that.

Fusion doesn't really have Samus go under a lot of stress though.

I think the time to do that would be in the Zero Missiony sort of time frame or something set before that.

Even though it was her Zero Mission (surely not?) after that she's pretty honed and just keeps on Samusing.

I mean: "Hey Samus, do you mind going to SR388 without an ice beam and seeing what happened to that research team that went to see if Metroids were still around?"
"Yeah sure. Could be fun."

And then Super Metroid was basically Metroid but Superer. So Samus is like "Been there. Done that. Got the T-Shirt. Ripped it when I tried to put it on over the Varia. Gonna do it again but BIG AND LOUD."

And the Primes definitely have Samus as an old hat at this. Except the hat too does not work over a varia suit and blew away.

Remaking the first metroid for the third time seems a bit much though.

I wouldn't mind them making a prequel to Zero Mission where she's still working for the Federation.

Her last mission as a Feddie? Could be interesting!

We already saw that though. It doesn't look like she fought anyone. It was just a rescue mission that resulted in Adam's brother dying. One of her last missions would be cool though.

edited 23rd Jul '14 5:54:17 PM by Kostya

You could do a thing where its all kinds of linear a la Fusion or Other M when you are under orders but maybe she quits near the end and the world opens up or something.

Dunnae.

I feel that the armament should definitely be somewhat different so as not to step on her powering up in Metroid. On the other hand, Short Beam. Hm.

I assumed we were ignoring that though.

edited 23rd Jul '14 5:54:08 PM by Bocaj

The problem is, what is it that Samus should struggle to overcome? And not something physical, since we all know that just ends with a space station or planet exploding.

PTSD from her parents' deaths and Space Pirates? Possible, except we got that and it was dumb. Struggle to fight old friends from the Federation? They're not supposed to be evil, so it'd just end up making one side or the other look dickish. A feeling that everyone she cares about gets killed? Well she's already dealt with her colony, the Chozo, the baby, and Adam dieing, so there aren't too many options left there. You have to find something that makes her struggle without degrading her, and for Samus that's a very tall order.

edited 23rd Jul '14 5:54:50 PM by Sterok

Having to adapt to a more social and vocal culture than the one she was raised in?

You'd need a mass effecty kind of thing to have that be a thing she goes through, I think.

There's not much there to challenge Samus on a visible level. Not without wrapping the whole game around it. That's just the nature of the games she's in and the result of te way she's been presented until M:OM.

EDIT:
Most dialogue trees with Samus should read as
- ...
- (use missile)
- (use super missile)

edited 23rd Jul '14 7:04:42 PM by zeromaeus