In Defense of X-2
Author's Note: The following entry is a discussion of Final Fantasy X-2 from a feminist perspective. Although I've attempted to make it accessible to general audiences, it does contain spoilers for FFX-2 as well as Final Fantasy X, and assumes a passing familiarity with both games. Open and honest discussion is more than welcome, including criticism of the games and of my analysis. But I do request that you avoid flaming the game in comments -- like many others in the community, I approach FFX-2 as an adoring fan, so if anyone comes out with the burning hatred, our conversation isn't going to get very far. Thanks.
Many moons ago, back in 2005, my gateway into fandom and fanfiction was Final Fantasy X-2. I had recently replayed the game and was bitten by a plot bunny, hard. I wrote the story, posted it, and then went forth to find other people who shared my love of the series and of the game. It didn't take me long to find friends and community in the FF fandom, and it's been a wonderful experience. But I was surprised and dismayed to discover that FFX-2 is one of the most-disliked entries in the series: for the skimpy outfits, for the "dress-up doll" battle system, for the backstory romance that jumpstarts the plot, for the lightness in tone as compared to Final Fantasy X. I think there are legitimate discussions to be had around every one of these issues, but it has always bothered me that they are treated as reasons to dismiss the game out of hand.
I've been thinking about writing an entry like this for a long time; bits and pieces of it have surfaced in posts and comments over the years, but it's been especially brewing since last summer, when![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
imadra_blue wrote a long, thoughtful entry about the role of women in the Final Fantasy series. It was a great essay, and for the most part I agree with her analysis -- but the post also dismissed FFX-2 and its all-female team as a representation of progress because the women were "reduced to cheesecake". Since imadra_blue hasn't played the game, I don't fault her at all for having held this impression. If your experience of FFX-2 comes from its marketing and the general buzz around the Internet, it's all too easy to come away with a conclusion along those lines. But it's a shallow reading at best, and one that pervades the fandom. The following points are my attempt at a rebuttal.
1. The women drive the action, as individuals and by the relationships they form with each other as a team. These are not passive characters, waiting for the plot to take them places. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all make their own choices, and have logical reasons for doing so. Yuna is the leader of the party: she calls most of the shots, including every decision that can change the outcome of the game. Rikku holds more of a supportive role, but she never hesitates to make her opinions known. Paine has her own agenda, but going along with the Gullwings suits that agenda, and contributes in a meaningful way to the overall plot. In a way, the roles of women and men in FFX-2 are swapped from the expected: the men of the Gullwings act as support staff, and the male supporting characters require rescue by the women at the end of the game. The women are the protagonists, and they are the heroes.
2. The "dress-up" aspect of the game is a key component of the battle action and gameplay. It might look like pretty-pretty-princess, but fundamentally it's a jobs system, which has a long history in the Final Fantasy series, going back to the very first game. We can certainly raise the question of why the creators of the game decided to make many of the character class outfits impractical and revealing -- bared midriffs, high heels, short skirts, etc. The implementation of the jobs system was undoubtedly motivated by fanservice. But the jobs system itself is not. In fact, I would argue that the choice of a changeable jobs system is a progressive one, because all of the women (and men, in other contexts) have equal opportunity to serve as fighters or as healers.
It's also worth noting that none of the women default to a mage or healer class. Rikku is a dagger-wielding thief, Yuna is a gunslinger, and Paine is a straight-up fighter, oversized sword and all. And the traditional mage classes don't even come into play until a few hours into the game. The team does start out with the Songstress dressphere, a spellcasting class unique to X-2 that's about as "girly" as it gets, but that particular sphere turns out to be an important element of the plot.
3. Spira, the setting of both FFX and FFX-2, is presented as a mostly egalitarian society. This is somewhat less true of FFX, since during its time frame the world is largely ruled by a repressive religious regime, and all of the officials we see are men. But women are well-represented almost everywhere else: in the military, as professional athletes, as summoners and guardians. It is not treated as remarkable that men and women play together in the blitz sphere, that an elite squadron of Crusaders is commanded by a woman (Lucil, captain of the Chocobo Knights, who later becomes second in command and de-facto leader of the Youth League), that two of the three summoners we meet out in the world are women. When we return to Spira in FFX-2, two years after Yevon's fall, these trends have continued, with women acting as leaders (Lucil, Nhadala, Dona), heroes (YRP), and villains (Leblanc).
4. Yuna's character progression between FFX and FFX-2 is a logical one. Some people claim that her change to a perky, bouncy teenager is a regression, but I challenge that view; she grew up with an expectation that she would not live to adulthood, that she would die for the good of Spira. It's only natural that being released from that fate might help her to cut loose in other ways. She didn't have the chance to be a teenager before -- and note that she is still only 19. Extend that feeling to all of Spira, a land that's been similarly oppressed for a thousand years, and no wonder if folks are a little acting a little giddy. Because of the changes that Yuna and her guardians brought to the world, the somber tone of FFX would have been out of place in FFX-2.
As for Yuna's story being driven by a wish to get her boyfriend back, I think that's a fair characterization of the start of her arc. But her goals become much broader long before the story is finished, and even if they didn't, what's wrong with that? How many male protagonists are driven by the desire to find or rescue the woman they love? It's a hero's trope, not a male or female one.
I would never try to claim that there are no issues around the women characters and the society presented in FFX-2, because there certainly are. Lulu being sidelined from the action by pregnancy and motherhood is, to me, the most problematic. I might also cite the portrayal of Leblanc as a cartoonish villain, made outrageous in gendered ways and held up for ridicule. Two of the mini-games revolve around romantic matchmaking, and speaking of mini-games, who can forget the massage mission? And of course, there are the aforementioned skimpy and impractical battle outfits, although skimpy and impractical battle outfits are as much a tradition of the Final Fantasy series as summons, crystals, and airship pilots named Cid, so it hardly seems fair to lay that charge on FFX-2 alone. We could make critiques along these lines for many of these games, and yet FFX-2 comes in for more and sharper criticism. As a result, some fans' contempt for and/or dismissal of FFX-2 comes off with an unfortunate "ewww, girls" tone. Shouldn't it be more troubling to us that the first game in the series with a female protagonist* and an all-female team comes in for this kind of criticism?
When thinking about FFX-2 and games like it, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that they are largely created by men for a male audience. It's inevitable that some sexism and sexist portrayals will slip in, especially given that male writers and producers were attempting to appeal to women gamers while not scaring off the young male demographic so important to the game industry (hence the fanservice-y outfits, designed with the male gaze in mind).** But especially given genre and audience constraints, it seems to me that FFX-2 did well at creating memorable female characters with agency, giving them strong connections that are built on something more than their relationships with men, and building a society where women and men can contribute on a more equal footing. And I am happy to celebrate this as real progress.
*Arguably. Sometimes Terra from FFVI is cited as the first female protagonist in the series, although I would say that she shares that role with Locke, who is referred to as the main character in some summaries of the game. There is also a good argument for Yuna as the protagonist of FFX's story, even though Tidus is the primary player character.
**There's also the fact that FFX-2 was created in Japan by a Japanese company and mostly Japanese people. I don't know enough about the Japanese fanbase, how the series plays to a Japanese audience, or the typical role of women in Japanese media to draw any intelligent conclusions, although I would love to learn more. And the game as played by English-speakers went through the translation and localization process, which adds a layer of complexity. If you have more insight and/or good references, I encourage you to comment!
Many moons ago, back in 2005, my gateway into fandom and fanfiction was Final Fantasy X-2. I had recently replayed the game and was bitten by a plot bunny, hard. I wrote the story, posted it, and then went forth to find other people who shared my love of the series and of the game. It didn't take me long to find friends and community in the FF fandom, and it's been a wonderful experience. But I was surprised and dismayed to discover that FFX-2 is one of the most-disliked entries in the series: for the skimpy outfits, for the "dress-up doll" battle system, for the backstory romance that jumpstarts the plot, for the lightness in tone as compared to Final Fantasy X. I think there are legitimate discussions to be had around every one of these issues, but it has always bothered me that they are treated as reasons to dismiss the game out of hand.
I've been thinking about writing an entry like this for a long time; bits and pieces of it have surfaced in posts and comments over the years, but it's been especially brewing since last summer, when
imadra_blue wrote a long, thoughtful entry about the role of women in the Final Fantasy series. It was a great essay, and for the most part I agree with her analysis -- but the post also dismissed FFX-2 and its all-female team as a representation of progress because the women were "reduced to cheesecake". Since imadra_blue hasn't played the game, I don't fault her at all for having held this impression. If your experience of FFX-2 comes from its marketing and the general buzz around the Internet, it's all too easy to come away with a conclusion along those lines. But it's a shallow reading at best, and one that pervades the fandom. The following points are my attempt at a rebuttal.1. The women drive the action, as individuals and by the relationships they form with each other as a team. These are not passive characters, waiting for the plot to take them places. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all make their own choices, and have logical reasons for doing so. Yuna is the leader of the party: she calls most of the shots, including every decision that can change the outcome of the game. Rikku holds more of a supportive role, but she never hesitates to make her opinions known. Paine has her own agenda, but going along with the Gullwings suits that agenda, and contributes in a meaningful way to the overall plot. In a way, the roles of women and men in FFX-2 are swapped from the expected: the men of the Gullwings act as support staff, and the male supporting characters require rescue by the women at the end of the game. The women are the protagonists, and they are the heroes.
2. The "dress-up" aspect of the game is a key component of the battle action and gameplay. It might look like pretty-pretty-princess, but fundamentally it's a jobs system, which has a long history in the Final Fantasy series, going back to the very first game. We can certainly raise the question of why the creators of the game decided to make many of the character class outfits impractical and revealing -- bared midriffs, high heels, short skirts, etc. The implementation of the jobs system was undoubtedly motivated by fanservice. But the jobs system itself is not. In fact, I would argue that the choice of a changeable jobs system is a progressive one, because all of the women (and men, in other contexts) have equal opportunity to serve as fighters or as healers.
It's also worth noting that none of the women default to a mage or healer class. Rikku is a dagger-wielding thief, Yuna is a gunslinger, and Paine is a straight-up fighter, oversized sword and all. And the traditional mage classes don't even come into play until a few hours into the game. The team does start out with the Songstress dressphere, a spellcasting class unique to X-2 that's about as "girly" as it gets, but that particular sphere turns out to be an important element of the plot.
3. Spira, the setting of both FFX and FFX-2, is presented as a mostly egalitarian society. This is somewhat less true of FFX, since during its time frame the world is largely ruled by a repressive religious regime, and all of the officials we see are men. But women are well-represented almost everywhere else: in the military, as professional athletes, as summoners and guardians. It is not treated as remarkable that men and women play together in the blitz sphere, that an elite squadron of Crusaders is commanded by a woman (Lucil, captain of the Chocobo Knights, who later becomes second in command and de-facto leader of the Youth League), that two of the three summoners we meet out in the world are women. When we return to Spira in FFX-2, two years after Yevon's fall, these trends have continued, with women acting as leaders (Lucil, Nhadala, Dona), heroes (YRP), and villains (Leblanc).
4. Yuna's character progression between FFX and FFX-2 is a logical one. Some people claim that her change to a perky, bouncy teenager is a regression, but I challenge that view; she grew up with an expectation that she would not live to adulthood, that she would die for the good of Spira. It's only natural that being released from that fate might help her to cut loose in other ways. She didn't have the chance to be a teenager before -- and note that she is still only 19. Extend that feeling to all of Spira, a land that's been similarly oppressed for a thousand years, and no wonder if folks are a little acting a little giddy. Because of the changes that Yuna and her guardians brought to the world, the somber tone of FFX would have been out of place in FFX-2.
As for Yuna's story being driven by a wish to get her boyfriend back, I think that's a fair characterization of the start of her arc. But her goals become much broader long before the story is finished, and even if they didn't, what's wrong with that? How many male protagonists are driven by the desire to find or rescue the woman they love? It's a hero's trope, not a male or female one.
I would never try to claim that there are no issues around the women characters and the society presented in FFX-2, because there certainly are. Lulu being sidelined from the action by pregnancy and motherhood is, to me, the most problematic. I might also cite the portrayal of Leblanc as a cartoonish villain, made outrageous in gendered ways and held up for ridicule. Two of the mini-games revolve around romantic matchmaking, and speaking of mini-games, who can forget the massage mission? And of course, there are the aforementioned skimpy and impractical battle outfits, although skimpy and impractical battle outfits are as much a tradition of the Final Fantasy series as summons, crystals, and airship pilots named Cid, so it hardly seems fair to lay that charge on FFX-2 alone. We could make critiques along these lines for many of these games, and yet FFX-2 comes in for more and sharper criticism. As a result, some fans' contempt for and/or dismissal of FFX-2 comes off with an unfortunate "ewww, girls" tone. Shouldn't it be more troubling to us that the first game in the series with a female protagonist* and an all-female team comes in for this kind of criticism?
When thinking about FFX-2 and games like it, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that they are largely created by men for a male audience. It's inevitable that some sexism and sexist portrayals will slip in, especially given that male writers and producers were attempting to appeal to women gamers while not scaring off the young male demographic so important to the game industry (hence the fanservice-y outfits, designed with the male gaze in mind).** But especially given genre and audience constraints, it seems to me that FFX-2 did well at creating memorable female characters with agency, giving them strong connections that are built on something more than their relationships with men, and building a society where women and men can contribute on a more equal footing. And I am happy to celebrate this as real progress.
*Arguably. Sometimes Terra from FFVI is cited as the first female protagonist in the series, although I would say that she shares that role with Locke, who is referred to as the main character in some summaries of the game. There is also a good argument for Yuna as the protagonist of FFX's story, even though Tidus is the primary player character.
**There's also the fact that FFX-2 was created in Japan by a Japanese company and mostly Japanese people. I don't know enough about the Japanese fanbase, how the series plays to a Japanese audience, or the typical role of women in Japanese media to draw any intelligent conclusions, although I would love to learn more. And the game as played by English-speakers went through the translation and localization process, which adds a layer of complexity. If you have more insight and/or good references, I encourage you to comment!
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Sometimes Terra from FFVI is cited as the first female protagonist in the series, although I would say that she shares that role with Locke, who is referred to as the main character in some summaries of the game.
It's difficult to designate an absolute protagonist in such an ensemble game (Terra, Celes, Edgar, and Locke are the most likely candidates and they share the burden) but the World of Balance revolves mostly around Terra, and Celes becomes your POV for Ruin. So, two ladies~ ♥
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Just some random thoughts:
One of the things I really like about X-2 is that at the end, Yuna basically has a choice of whether Tidus comes back or not, so even though she the plot starts out with Yuna wanting to find her romance, it ends in a place where romance is a choice, but not the choice. Even better, the normal ending doesn't really imply that Yuna is somehow unfulfilled or worse off for not choosing romance (if that's the case).
I have to admit I feel a lot of...if not like...then affection for Leblanc. A lot of the OTT-ness of her portrayal aside, she very much reminds me of my mother in the sense that yes she's a very silly person in some ways, but she's still there looking out for people, and keeping her organization running. It's obvious from some of the conversations that go on between Leblanc's goons that they actually admire her and look up to her. I admit it's not a flattering portrayal by any means, but I don't think it's a wholly negative one either.
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Yuna: "He's already with me."
Queue tears.
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(Anonymous) 2011-02-14 05:44 am (UTC)(link)Thank you for the thought :D
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IMO, that's how it should end.
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Yes! Definitely agree with this. I really like the implication of the ending that romance is a good thing, but it's not the only thing.
I have mixed feelings about Leblanc. You have a good point about her earning respect from her goons, and I kind of like her (in a "love to hate" kind of way) during the first two acts of the game: her take-charge attitude, how she charges toward her goals despite all the obstacles. But learning that that her prime motivator is her crush on Nooj (who isn't even shown to take a serious interest in her) colors her portrayal, for me.
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I fully admit that your reading is more accurate, and if Nooj is her only motivation for acting (as opposed to her simply crushing on him in addition to being a successful businesswoman), then she does get more icky.
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Seriously, the gaming community needs more entries like this! I've been defending FFX-2 for years, with very little progress. Many gamers can't seem to see past the glitter—there's an entire game under there, one that is every bit as complex and engrossing as its predecessor.
Also, thank you for pointing out that fanservice has always been an issue in this series. Rydia doesn't even wear pants!
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Seriously. There is at least one impractically-attired woman in each game, and sometimes more.
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One thing about the outfits, and I may be in the minority here: I thought they were pretty. I liked looking at them. In fact, I spent a lot of time changing through garment grids just so I COULD look at them. The clothes were fun and unique, and I really liked that feature for what it was.
I can understand people being put off by the skimpiness when you don't see that much skin from the men, but if they'd given an option to get Baralai, Nooj or Gippal shirtless and beefcake-y, I would have gone for that, too.
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I agree that some of the character class outfits were really pretty to look at. Whenever I play X-2, I keep the sphere change animations on so that I can watch them.
You'll get no argument from me on that point! ;)
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I don't think you can analyze it outside of that context. If we're just adding up the sum of the parts, then I would probably love FFX-2. But there's more to consider than that... Such as the fact that they completely changed a character who already had a lot of agency.
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I wasn't trying argue that Yuna didn't have agency in FFX; of course she did. But part of writing characters with agency is giving them room to grow, change, adapt to new situations, and as I said in #4, above, that's what I see happening to Yuna between the games. I know not everyone agrees with me here, and that's fine, but I think there's room for multiple interpretations on this point.
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Anyway, my journey with FFX-2 began by borrowing it off a friend after playing FFX (my first FF along with my first console in years). A few weeks in and I told my friends that I really liked this game, almost as much as FFX (which is incredibly deep and heavy to someone getting back on the gaming wagon, as beautiful as it is). You would NOT believe (or I suppose you would) the looks I got. I quickly learned how much the fandom didn't like this game. :c
I keep meaning to pick myself up a copy, because I knew this game was good underneath all the dislike. Now with this post, I definitely will. ♥
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If you do pick it back up, and you are game for more conversation, I'd love to hear what you think of the whole thing once you finish. :)
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The game is lighter than X by a long shot in terms of tone, but that seems only natural, and indeed appropriate, to me: FFX ended with you saving the world at enormous personal cost, and if, two years later, the world shows no sign of having been saved, then the original bittersweet ending looks a lot more bitter than sweet. The world has to be brighter, better, moving forward, because you have already sacrificed your main character to make it that way, and if it didn't work, why did the last game say you won? I like the tone, in that context.
Yuna's behavior kind of bothered me for a while, because it did seem like such a drastic increase in net perkiness for someone who was mourning, but then it occurred to me: this is Yuna. The whole world is still giddy with glee, and people want to see the High Summoner happy too, not obviously grieving. And if there's one thing Yuna does well, it's pretend to be happy if that will make other people happy. She hasn't stopped being a public figure, even if she doesn't have any official title or responsibilities, and keeping people's spirits up has always been a duty she took very seriously. There's genuine emotion there, too, real relief and desire for change, but I've always viewed a lot of Yuna's public enthusiasm as more smiling while feeling sad.
*ramble ramble* *ramble*
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
♥
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Oooh, yes! This, very much this. Do you mind if I link it up in the post as an eta?
That's an interesting interpretation, and not one I'd thought about much, consciously. But it fits with her character in some respects, especially considering the things she says about putting on a happy face for the world in FFX. On the other hand, she also learns some lessons in FFX about being able to put herself first sometimes, so I should hope that, as you say, it's not *all* an act.
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As someone who played the FF series from the ground up, basically (IV and VI (II and III) being the first to hit the US), I will say that I was more thrilled to see strong awesome butt-kicking female leads with agency and with guns and swords and knives! than I was put off by the flashy dress-up fanservice.
then again I also like boobs. So maybe my opinion is a little crooked there.
I found FFX-2 hard to get into mainly because I started playing it at a difficult time in my life and I found it a hard story to drop and then pick up three months later. It's very non-linear and that made it hard to follow for someone who didn't have continuous playing time. That's the only reason. I loved the other aspects of it.
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Not crooked at all. ;) Actually, it brings up a dimension that often gets lost in these discussions: there are plenty of women attracted to other women in the audience for these games, as well as men who are not attracted to women and/or are attracted to men. I wonder how much, if at all, that's factored into the fanservice. Which fans are they servicing? (So to speak...)
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And actually, it's interesting coming at the games as a fan who both enjoys and is - pinged by? - the fanservice in question. (It's hard to say video game fanservice bothers me; maybe because it's just so blatant, or maybe because these are fantasy worlds?) It's like I am the target audience and am not the target audience. An interesting halfway point.
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THAT BEING SAID, I did at least enjoy it enough to finish. And I love some of the newer characters who were introduced (Crimson Squad, etc.) Like Sev, too, I am partially target-audience and partially not: HEY LOOKIT BOOBS. ....ugh, objectification.
(I have the impression that neutrality is not the standard position for this game?)
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I think this is a fair statement. ;)
Interesting that the advertising sold it as more of an adventure game, when it's pretty solidly a JRPG. I didn't pay much attention to the previews, because I loved FFX so much that I would have played any sequel they gave me. >.> I can certainly understand disappointment from frustrated expectations.
I have this idea that we've talked about your issue with not being able to get completion points without a walkthrough before. I'm like you, I poke into nooks and crannies, and I think I got something like 75% the first time around, and I know there are some key things I missed. Have you ever replayed, or were you too frustrated by this weakness in gameplay?
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The advertising wasn't necessarily geared toward adventure, but a lot of the pre-release hype by the gaming sites was like "Hey look you can run around and explore more! The O has been remapped to a jump button!" and I thought, oh cool, I can run around on the Mi'ihen Highroad and stuff! (I mean, I would've bought it anyway.)
X-2 was actually one of the three deciding points in my resolution to Pay No Attention To Any Hype About An FF Game Ever (the other two being XII and X)--whatever I decide about an FF game from the hype is inevitably completely wrong and horrible--as an example I was convinced that "MMO-style" combat in XII was going to Ruin Everything Forever Oh My God--so I just stop paying attention, since I know I'll buy the damn game anyway. XD
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A number of folks have brought this up now, and I wonder if it's an issue worthy of further study, although I may not be the one to do it since I'm not usually attracted to women (I can, however, appreciate them on a purely aesthetic level). Fanservice that appeals to some women even though it's not "for" them and how that affects perceptions of the game -- it's an interesting question.
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