Sometimes women *are* sexualized, and defending that should use it as a jumping off point [Planetronika, Gameoverse]
If you've been on the internet this past week, discussion of these two shows, Planetronika and Gameoverse, has been inescapable. Subs like r/hatethissmug have reached r/BatmanArkham levels of insanity over these two indie pilots. Not because of plot, or characterization, or animation quality, but because of the age-old debate that is by no means beating a dead horse and that you guys are not tired of:
"Is this show goonbait?"
You're already probably typing up a response. You're ready to tell me about how these shows are directly pandering to the male gaze and objectify the women in them, or how they're not sexualized at all and how every one of us needs to stop being so puritanical. You've seen all these arguments. You've probably lost brain cells reading them. You hate this discussion, like any of us.
So I'm taking this discussion in a different direction.
For the r/mendrawingwomen crowd, the ones who complain about gooners ruining the internet, etc., you guys are absolutely, completely correct about one thing. The designs of these women *are* sexualized. When a camera focuses on a woman's round and defined ass, or when a woman is shown in a bikini with lingering shots on her body, I don't know what else to say other than, that is definitely sexualization. It was drawn and shot with the express purpose of being hot and fanservicey. I know the response is "Yeah but it's a callback to childhood crush characters from the 2000's," okay well guess what those characters were trying to do. They were sexualized too. I think trying to deny that is only sending this discourse in circles, and I think the anti-puritan argument needs to at least acknowledge this truth.
Now, I'm a Nikke fan. So you probably know which side of the debate I fall on.
Which is that I see this sexualization, this fanservice, and my immediate thought is, "Hell yeah." I don't know why I'd oppose it. I like looking at sexy women, and I think everyone who's in support of this sort of thing does too. No, I don't think there needs to be a reason for fanservice scenes. I don't think it needs to justify itself. If it isn't clashing with the tone, or used to strip agency and characterization from somebody, I couldn't really care less. Nikke is largely known for women with huge backsides sticking their butts in your direction so you can watch the generous jiggle physics. And guess what, it has one of my all time favorite stories, in any piece of media. I see the fanservice as the cherry on top.
I want to emphasize, you are allowed to be uncomfortable with sexualization as a whole. And some aspects receiving criticism I think should be touched upon. I think we do need more sexualized men and more fanservice aimed at women, actually. I'm bisexual so I love that shit. I do actually think it's missed potential when every woman has the exact same body type and men get these diverse body shapes. What can I say, I think a talented artist should be able to draw varying body shapes.
As for the other side, yeah I completely get being defensive when people call a show or game or whatnot "goonbait". That's just a very extreme word that starts more discourse than it ends. Trust me, I'm a Nikke fan. I know what goonbait is. People are allowed to like media for reasons other than the TnA, and if that's all you're talking about... Aren't you objectifying the characters too? Like. There's so much to discuss when it comes to the writing, the characterization, the animation. When all we discuss is whether a bikini scene is goonbait, I think a lot is lost in the discussion.
TL;DR This goonbait drama is so damn tiring and I just wish we could acknowledge that maybe this situation isn't as black and white as it sounds. Sexualization does happen in media, and IMO, it's not really that much of a problem, at least theoretically.
EDIT: Okay nobody take this essay seriously. I used the word "preface" in the middle of it like a fucking idiot.