Is the Sexualization of the Heroine in Stellar Blade a Cause for Concern?

Stellar Blade is the next PS5 exclusive which is expected at the end of the month. A promising video game, as Jinxeb indicates in our preview, evoking nervous combat “that few titles can boast of”, intuitive gameplay, and an intriguing storyline. Everything suggests that this video game experience will be more surprising than expected, with unexpected elements for a brilliant adventure. However, this title makes people cringe for one specific element: the physique of its main character. From now on, as soon as we hear about this title, it is mainly to talk about the woman named Eve and the way in which the developers have chosen to highlight her.

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What are the controversies surrounding Stellar Blade?

From the first images of Stellar Blade, Internet users were able to discover its female character. While this exclusivity could have intrigued via its dynamic gameplay or its story which is imbued with religious connotations and issues linked to AI according to the director's words, all eyes are riveted on the plasticity of Eve, modeled in 3D with the model Shin Jae-eun. This is not the first time that a video game character has advantageous plasticity, the most essential example is of course Lara Croft who fantasized an entire generation or even Bayonetta. However, the controversy also lies in the fact that the developers fully assume this choice and highlight it. They spoke of the “back” or his back, since that is where all the players' eyes are. Director Hyung-Tae Kim has already spoken out on the subject, which has not calmed the controversies, on the contrary.

When it comes to design, we paid special attention to the back of the character, as the player always faces the back of the character when playing. That's what he sees the most, so we thought it was very important.

From a certain point of view, his answer seems most logical. It is true that third-person video game players mainly see this specific part of the body, and it is not particularly shocking to want to take care of this aspect. However, the heroine's physique raises eyebrows among certain Internet users, relaunching a debate on the hypersexualization of female characters. Everything is unfortunately corroborated by a myriad of lecherous Internet users who do not hold back from commenting on Eve. In fact, Stellar Blade bears the label of “sexist” game

Unfortunately, the controversy does not end there. In this context of debate on the physique of this outstanding fighter, another scandal resurfaces. According to Internet users on X (formerly known as Twitter), two employees were fired from Shift Up for making feminist remarks. The latter criticized their company for the fan service aspect, emphasizing the character's physique too much. This is not a unique case, since another employee was allegedly harassed after publishing a Twitter message with a feminist hashtag linked to the Megalia movement.

In short, with a very sexualized character, which is 100% assumed by the developers, and old controversies linked to female employees, the ground could not be more fertile to hit the headlines in the video game sphere. How can we explain this phenomenon which is gaining more and more momentum with the imminent release of this title? The culture of beauty in South Korea is one of the most obvious answers.

Beauty, feminism and South Korea

It's no secret that Korean culture places a huge emphasis on appearance. Beauty criteria are extremely precise and the use of cosmetic surgery is abundant. K-pop stars, or k-drama actors are adored, in addition to their talents, for their beauty which perfectly matches the standards. With this context in mind, it is therefore not particularly surprising that South Korean productions attach great importance to the plasticity of the characters in their video games.. This is what Hyung-Tae Kim added when he spoke about Eve's appearance.

Honestly, when I play, I would like to see someone prettier than me. That's what I want. I don't want to see something normal, I want to see something more ideal. I think that's very important as a form of entertainment. This is, after all, a hobby for adults.

According to him, it is important to see someone beautiful in video games. An answer which is not devoid of meaning, but which is all the more interesting by situating it in the prism of a Korean society obsessed with appearance. You may have already played MMORPGs from the Land of Morning Calm, where women wear armor that does little to protect their bodies. Although there are Korean studios that have created heroines that are far from being ultra-sexualized, it is still common to see them.

What's more, feminist is not viewed well at all in South Korea. For example, k-pop singer and dancer Ireneleader of the group Red Velvetsuffered mass harassment with former fans filming themselves
burning photos of her… All this, only because she said she read a feminist book (“Kim Ji-young, Born 1982”). There are so many situations like this. Feminism is almost systematically associated with misandry, and some South Koreans believe that these kinds of ideas are the cause of the demographic collapse they are experiencing. In short, between nuisance and taboo, South Korea is generally not particularly keen on feminism.

We can conclude this article by answering the following question: Why is Stellar Blade so shocking? The times in which we live see many battles taking place to promote the image of women. So, when a new video game arrives with an uninhibited vision of the sexualization of its female character, also taking root in a society where beauty is essential and feminist values ​​are frowned upon, it causes a shock for the Western public.

“Should I buy Stellar Blade?”

Whether this situation is problematic depends on your point of view. On the one hand, it is true that playing an ordinary person in a video game is not particularly attractive, and that is what the developers wanted to bet on. However, it is a shame to focus on this aspect, reducing this undoubtedly interesting character to his appearance. “It is, after all, a hobby for adults,” said the South Korean director, implying that this title is aimed at people who appreciate voluptuous shapes. Whether we like it or not, this audience always responds. Proof of this: Stellar Blade is already selling very well, placing itself in first place in current pre-orders on the PlayStation Store. In short, if this subject poses a moral problem for you, it is obvious that you will not be comfortable playing it. Otherwise, it would be a shame to miss out on this PS5 exclusive which seems to benefit from dynamic gameplay and a gripping storyline.

Time and time again, this debate will always come up in one way or another. In any case, if this title interests you despite its controversies, it is the April 26 that you can get it. As a reminder, it is exclusively reserved for owners of a PlayStation 5.