To the Gamers of Gender Critical, What do you think of the character Bayonetta?

submitted by Kai_Decadence from (self.GenderCritical)

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[–]lefterfield 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

I'm really not sure. The design is more than a little ridiculous, and I've heard the game is also a bit ridiculous(in various ways), but I've never played it. The character design doesn't make me want to play the game. But I'd want more context about the character's personality, and how much the blatant sexuality is used within the game, in what ways, etc, before I'd say that she's a bad/anti-feminist character. If the player is expected to be invested in her relationship with at least one other female character(as you mention), sounds like it can't be all bad. And that there are some positive aspects of the representation.

So I guess where I come down on it is that ultra-feminine characters are not necessarily bad, and that story, personality, and player empathy for the character is a better way to evaluate it.

[–]Kai_Decadence[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

Well it's a little tricky. I'll be honest that the story is VERY out there, much to the point where I don't remember much of the plot from the first game. That said, in the first game the gist of what she's doing is trying to regain her memory of her past life before she was sealed away into a deep slumber for 500 years and awakens in the modern time. In this game, the way things are done are so over the top and ridiculous including Bayonetta doing flirtatious and suggestive poses. Lots of Male gaze stuff for sure but despite all this, the character herself seems to be in full control. She's very confident and oozes flamboyant charisma with some snark. When she regains her memory back, she becomes a little softer and this aspect of her character gets explored more in the sequel when her best friend Jeanne gets her soul captured from a powerful demon that results in her being put into a slumber. You get to see how much Bayonetta really cherishes her as a friend (though some fans think it's implied their feelings go deeper than that).

The game is not really to be taken serious though because the game is just full-on campy and tone, more so the first game than the second but yeah.

[–]lefterfield 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Hmm, so it sounds like the exaggerated femininity is part of the gimmick of the game. In which case... I think it's probably fine. She apparently has flaws, a personality, goals, and actual character development, which puts her ahead the vast majority of female video game/movie characters, including many "feminist" ones. I get that she's designed to appeal to the male gaze, and maybe some would take issue with that - but it's also good to have female characters that males are encouraged to empathize with. And maybe especially if they're females the men are attracted to.

[–]Kai_Decadence[S] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

The cool thing about Bayonetta is that at least as commentary goes, the guys who talk about her don't oogle her. They actually cite how fun the character is and how they enjoy how much of a bad ass she is. They don't really dote on the fact that she goes temporarily nude during her magic spells and they pretty much like her the way they like Dante from the Devil May Cry games which makes sense since Hideki Kamiya was the one who created both series. She's just so theatrical, flamobyant, and posh but ambitious and compassionate to those she cares about.

[–]lefterfield 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

That's good :)

[–]TheOnyxGoddess 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Funny thing, my older brother feels put off by her, he loves his lesbian porn by the way. He feels the same way about Ivy Valentine (he told me this when I fangirl about those women). Women who can go dominatrix scare him (he told me he doesn't like dominatrixes because he doesn't like being hurt, which is true, he hates anything that can hurt him and is scared of needles for this reason), I suspect it's the whip and their love of sadism.

[–]Kai_Decadence[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

That's understandable lol. I was gonna think maybe it's because he's turned off by women who could do some physical damage to someone haha. But no, I get it.