There are so many examples across every form of media — TV shows, movies and video games — in which character design and customization are essential to identifying individuals and making them stand out. Think about the silhouette of Mickey Mouse. Even without being told anything else, you could pick him out in a lineup. This is the case for so many other characters like Sherlock Holmes, Link from the “Legend of Zelda” and any of the “Rugrats.” Not only do the silhouettes matter, but the colors, shape, language and style of the characters do, too. The issue lies within the huge differences between typical male and female compositions.
For decades, female characters have time and time again been designed with more skin showing and oversexualized features disproportionately to their male counterparts. Unfortunately, the age-old trope of battle armor being a full suit for men and a corset with a short skirt for women is still fully present throughout modern media. A classic example of this is the famous game “Mortal Kombat.” Nowadays, the women in the game are less revealing, opting for more full-body wraps and dresses with occasional high slits for movement and body armor protecting the torso and other various critical spots. But, when it was originally released and in most of the early games, characters such as Jade received clothes that barely covered them.
This is not just an issue with American games and media; Eastern developers struggle with the same issue. Japanese animation is notorious for its “fanservice,” as their female characters are typically in revealing attire that accentuates their form while male ones are made to look “cool,” usually in formal wear or very casual clothing. Super famous animes such as “One Piece” and “Cowboy Bebop” are available on Netflix and have main female leads such as Nami and Faye Valentine who are objectified far beyond their male counterparts.
Chinese media is just as guilty; games such as “Genshin Impact,” a role-playing fantasy game that focuses on exploration and its gambling system known as “Gacha,” received widespread popularity amongst audiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 due to forced isolation, consistently portraying their female characters in culturally inappropriate and sexualized outfits when placed alongside the properly designed male characters from the same region. Short skirts for priestesses and shoguns, skin-tight leather outfits and bodysuits with see-through material and cutouts are all front and center on female characters as the men are covered head-to-toe.
Luckily, there have been improvements made over time. Public outcry from women across the globe — whether they be actresses, directors, voice actresses and even those just watching at home — has been key to speaking out against the unfair treatment. Shows such as the famous “Game of Thrones” and “The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power,” movies like “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Alice in Wonderland 2010,” and games like “Elden Ring” and “Horizon Zero Dawn” have dedicated the time and effort to provide accurate and actually beneficial armor for their female characters. There are still issues in the media today stemming from the greed of profiting off potential “fan service” and oversexualization of women. The road is going to be long and arduous, but we must continue the fight so that sexism and its ugly injustices can be lessened and eventually defeated.