So many people are missing the entire point of why fans are at this point begging for RGG to say or do something. This isn’t just solely about Kagawa. This isn’t just because people don’t like the likeness character aspect, so they’re finding ‘a way’ to get him removed. This is about how Japan (like many countries) shows leniency to men who commit sexual assault, especially those who are seen in high regard, and especially when the woman is a hostess (which reminder, is not the same as a sex worker, but that shouldn’t matter, they’re still people). The fact that this studio has pumped out games that 1) try to highlight hostesses as people deserving respect, 2) have scenes of men who assault hostesses getting mocked or beaten, and 3) have protagonists who champion being kind to those who deserve it, makes hiring Kagawa feel like a slap across the face. In Japan alone, 40% of the fanbase is female. Most game franchises don’t get that close to a 50/50 split, so 40% is incredibly significant. The studio has known they’ve had a sizable female fanbase
for years, as seen when most of the votes for the original Ishin cast in 2014 were from female voters. People want to see a change not solely because they don’t want to see Kagawa, but because they want SA against women to be treated more seriously. There are Japanese fans who are speaking up and thanking the Western fans for using their voices because they feel like they can’t. We are causing ‘a fuss’ in an attempt to bring to light that these actions should have real consequences. At this point, if you are telling fans that this is stupid, or “Japan already handled this” (they really didn’t), I’m going to assume YOU are a fake fan. You lack the simplest levels of media literacy if you believe that a character like Kiryu or Ichiban would forgive men who commit SA against women, especially women who are already societally treated as ‘lower’ than others. And no, before you try to say, “they believe in second chances,” that is not what this is and
you know it. You know very well that both characters have limits and know when someone is irredeemable OR they want proper atonement before a second chance. Hagawa did not atone. He gave a half-assed apology to one woman, and then didn’t perform for a period of time. That was not taking accountability, that was performative and treated as ‘enough’ to allow him back. If you as a ‘fan’ cannot understand why this issue of hiring Kagawa needs to be addressed, I will have to assume you do not care about women in the slightest. A man sexually assaulted a woman at her place of work, and got away with a slap on the wrist, and is now welcomed with open arms? One of the women developed PTSD from the incident. Why are you playing a series that has championed for the outcasts of society, only to allow for a sex-pest with no remorse to play a part in said series? This is why fans are mad. We as the fans who felt seen or uplifted by
the messages in this series, feel like our trust has been broken. No, we never expected perfectly political correctness or for the games to not have an ounce of sexism, but whenever an outcast in Japanese society was portrayed, the protagonists were kind, empathetic, and stood up for those people. The message to us was clear, but the studio is now telling us those things don’t matter. The hostesses regardless of their occupation, are still women. The studio is telling us that the safety and rights of 40% of their fans don’t matter. This is why this movement and these voices need to be seen and heard. This is why we are begging for a statement. This is much bigger than a Kabuki actor vs Hostess, or bigger than the games industry. We want women as a whole to feel safer that those who commit assault against them are properly punished. That perhaps men will think twice if the consequences are more severe than simply staying out of the public eye for a time.
#REMOVEKAGAWA I think this is bigger than asking for a recast. I think real fans of the series know this contradicts the messages in the games, and I think if you are arguing or dismissing those who are fighting for change, you shouldn’t be in this fandom.
But that’s just me.
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