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Squeenix Fail
Here's the thing, about the recent announcements regarding Lightning Returns.
You all know that I'm a huge FFX-2 fan, so it's not like fanservice or character redesigns or playing dress-up dolls are deal-breakers for me. I might have rolled my eyes a little bit at Lightning Returns and her five million outfits, and I think it's more than fair to ask if a Final Fantasy game with a male protagonist would have ever included such an aspect, but it doesn't bother me really.
This thing with the breast enlargement bothers me. Not just the fact of it, but the way it was presented, the tee-hee-nudge-wink grossness of it, the idea that whether Lightning's breasts jiggle is the most important thing about the game, the fact that it's Lightning being sexualized in this particular way. In her original characterization, Lightning broke out of many of the female character stereotypes that have plagued Final Fantasy games in the past, so to see this change is really frustrating.
Take this news and combine it with the lack of female playable characters in FFXV (which hasn't been officially confirmed but seems highly likely) and the redesign of Stella from this to this, my faith in Squeenix is pretty much shot.
I will still probably buy and play Final Fantasy XV; I will still probably not get Lightning Returns unless I ever manage to finish FFXIII-2, so nothing has changed for me, really. But it's all very disappointing, and getting worse.
You all know that I'm a huge FFX-2 fan, so it's not like fanservice or character redesigns or playing dress-up dolls are deal-breakers for me. I might have rolled my eyes a little bit at Lightning Returns and her five million outfits, and I think it's more than fair to ask if a Final Fantasy game with a male protagonist would have ever included such an aspect, but it doesn't bother me really.
This thing with the breast enlargement bothers me. Not just the fact of it, but the way it was presented, the tee-hee-nudge-wink grossness of it, the idea that whether Lightning's breasts jiggle is the most important thing about the game, the fact that it's Lightning being sexualized in this particular way. In her original characterization, Lightning broke out of many of the female character stereotypes that have plagued Final Fantasy games in the past, so to see this change is really frustrating.
Take this news and combine it with the lack of female playable characters in FFXV (which hasn't been officially confirmed but seems highly likely) and the redesign of Stella from this to this, my faith in Squeenix is pretty much shot.
I will still probably buy and play Final Fantasy XV; I will still probably not get Lightning Returns unless I ever manage to finish FFXIII-2, so nothing has changed for me, really. But it's all very disappointing, and getting worse.
Re: tl;dr: complex stuff is complex. :|
In my experience in fandom and in the university classroom, these important discussions about media's representations of sexuality, relationships, fantasy, human bodies, and human experience seem to work best when everyone agrees to some set of ground rules on subject-object relations, separating what is being discussed from everything else that people also bring to the table. An agreement sort of like "this piece of media and this media event are objects we will dissect; the personal feelings you experienced when interacting with this piece of media are valid subjects of discussion but are unlikely to be universally held, therefore let us all respect that each person's feelings are internally valid and stem from a reaction to the media(and how the media provokes a reaction is something we can dissect) rather than treating those feelings as objects for us to judge." Or something like that. It's a difficult headspace for people to stay in.
I like having these kinds of discussions. They're interesting, valuable, and they allow me to make use of a whole bunch of hardcore knowledge I explored for my masters degree ... and almost never get to use anymore. :( But wow, half of these media theory discussions on the internet feel like pissing into the wind or, worse, fans feel like the discussants are pissing on them. Even when the issue feels really clear cut in how capital-P Problematic it is, there's usually some sort of nuance that becomes all but hopelessly lost or flattened in fandom discussions. The internet tends to amplify sound bites that state clear cut answers. :/
This whole matter of sexualized characters taps into powerful and sometimes contradictory feelings. So, getting back to the original issue, as much as I am grumpily side-eyeing Squeenix's locker-room level announcement of Lightning's enhanced breasts, I also want to see non-gratuitous uses of algorithms that give bodies a more natural, realistic appearance rather than having game characters look like wooden manikins. And then there is this other issue: does the player want to imagine themselves as being Lightning, or as hanging out with Lightning, or as having sex with Lightning? Is Lightning something for them to control or someone they picture as embodying real feelings worthy of respect? None of those "or"s are necessarily exclusive. Also, if player imagines themselves being Lightning or any other female character, part of that fantasy may involve being someone who attracts the heterosexual male gaze and/or who embodies certain aspects of female beauty. How often have we seen screenshots of custom-made hollywood-gorgeous female Wardens whose hair, makeup, and attire are completely out of character for the mud and toil of raising an army during the blight? Some female players might find a costume-play!sexy!Lightning more a more appealing and more empowering fantasy because Lightning is simultaneously ass-kicking powerful, has an interesting story, and has a sexually acknowledged side too.
In the end, is the FFXIII series or any other piece of media acting as a person's vehicle for a pleasant, mindless escape or as an object to be critically consumed? And at what point do we trust media consumers to acknowledge and internalize problematic elements while also letting them create a space to just enjoy for the sake of enjoyment?
Although you'd never know it based on where my fandom participation is focused, I enjoy the Metal Gear series and find it a giant parade of VERY HOT CHARACTERS (although, as my icon says, I really *do* play for gameplay challenges and for storyline). By hot, I mean distractingly hot. (...uh, wait, what were we talking about? oh, right, sexualization and objectification and the differences and overlaps between male and female gaze. complexity...) I have absolutely no idea whose gaze and whose fantasies the creators of that series were designing for given that Metal Gear emphasizes a specific brand of hyper-masculinity while nonetheless having notable queer subtext (and text). I'm vaguely aware of fans getting into major debates about how sexuality is handled in Metal Gear and whether or not it is problematical regarding women and problematic the regarding the LGBTQ community. And despite how much you might think I have to say on the matter, for years all I have done is shrug and say "Metal Gear is a parade of distracting hot characters that also has good gameplay and an entertaining story." My preference has been to remain completely detached from Metal Gear fandom. Zero interest in discussing canon or headcanon. Zero interest in reading or writing fanfic or meta. It's my occasional mode of entertainment, and I prefer it as a mindless escape and nothing more.
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But, all of that said, my tl;dr response to this entire discussion is: I am Highly Unamused with Squeenix's handling of Lightning's digital boob job but I am hesitant to judge the sexualization of an interesting, well-written female lead character. At least, not until I see more of how the new FFXIII presents Lightning and how other female players receive her.