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[Draugoth]

Persona 3 Reload is a mostly faithful recreation of the 2006 RPG. There are new social sim elements, new abilities, and a handful of quality-of-life changes, but by and large, it’s the same story about high schoolers killing monsters with the power of friendship. However, after playing through the remake, there’s one major change that feels like a proper modernizing of the story: the removal of an infamous, transphobic exchange between the game’s boy group and a character who appears to be a trans woman.

In the original Persona 3, there’s a scene where the party goes on a beach trip. Egged on by the class clown/horndog Junpei, the main character gets pulled into a scheme to pick up girls on the beach. After a few unsuccessful attempts, the boys meet a woman who propositions the group, and just as she’s about to leave with one of them, teammate Akihiko Sanada takes note of some stubble on her chin. The woman turns away and remarks that she “missed a spot,” and the game’s text window then puts a question mark at the end of her name “Beautiful lady?” in the English localization. Junpei then exclaims, “She’s a he,” and the boys run away in a trans panic.

Source

 

[Dr_Ifto]

 

[Tsaki]

"The woman turns away and remarks that she “missed a spot,” and the game’s text window then puts a question mark at the end of her name “Beautiful lady?” in the English localization. Junpei then exclaims, “She’s a he,” and the boys run away in a trans panic."

 

[JayK47]

Protected class.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Erasing the trans character feels like trans-genocide to me.

 

[graywolf323]

was this changed in the original Japanese version as well or is it another case of agenda driven localization teams?

IIRC there was an interview with the Like a Dragon producer talking about how they have their teams in America and Europe now review the scripts for things that wouldn’t be received well in the West (ignoring the fact that these teams have all been taken over by people who are actively instead pushing an agenda)

edit: found it

From Japan to the world: How to translate a game

TOKYO — Behind the global success of Japanese video games lies a delicate task: appealing to overseas players whose expectations on issues such as sexism are increasingly influencing the content of major titles.

www.todayonline.com

'NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE'​

A better understanding of Japanese culture among players means adaptations can be more subtle — the "Yakuza" series is now called "Like a Dragon", closer to the original Japanese.

LGBTQ caricatures and sexist cliches have also been axed.
"Many representations which were normal in Japan in the first 'Like a Dragon' games are no longer acceptable today," Mr Masayoshi Yokoyama, the series' executive producer, told AFP.

"We ask our teams in the United States and Europe to read the game's script, and they tell us if they see things that wouldn't be acceptable in their country," he said.

Changes often focus on "alcohol, politics or religion", Mr Froget said, while cultural reference points also differ.

 

[Ar¢tos]

Erasing the trans character feels like trans-genocide to me.

Era is gonna flip.

 

[STARSBarry]

"and the boys run away in a trans panic."

No that's just the normal reaction when a bunch of teenagers are faced with an adult who whips their dick out and their not gay.

 

[Thief1987]

Erasing the trans character feels like trans-genocide to me.

I'm literally shaking right now

 

[cormack12]

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

I don't mind them changing it, as it was awkward and dumb, but to claim it was "transphobic" is being a bit dramatic. Most people would respond strangely to unexpected odd situations.

 

[Dynasty8]

Of course this comes from Kotaku.

 

[Alebrije]

On another episode of "videogames serious bussiness".

 

[adamsapple]

It's a 3 second moment in an 100 hour RPG.

 

[Krathoon]

They should have kept it in, but we live in PC times.

That was totally a 90s joke.

 

[Fake]

Why gaming journalist so addicts to sexuallity?

 

[ssringo]

"the boys meet a woman who  propositions the group"

Sounds like the trans character is a sex predator. Far more egregious that the supposed "transphobia".

 

[MudoSkills]

Kotaku definitely knows their audience.

Consequence of this change: +/- 0 sales
Consequence of keeping the scene unchanged: +/- 0 sales

 

[Krathoon]

They may censor Persona 3, but they can't take away my Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

 

[STARSBarry]

"the boys meet a woman who  propositions the group"

Sounds like the trans character is a sex predator. Far more egregious that the supposed "transphobia".

In Japan their 16 so it would not be an issue (here in the UK too) but yes by American standards they would be a sex predator.

 

[Soltype]

"the boys meet a woman who  propositions the group"

How do they know if they identify as a woman or not, they could a man in drag. How do they know the person is not a sexual predator and that's how they trick people into encounters?

 

[poppabk]

"Changes often focus on "alcohol, politics or religion", Mr Froget said, while cultural reference points also differ."
Honestly this sounds worse than removing trans jokes.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

It's a 3 second moment in an 100 hour RPG.

Obviously people care a whole lot otherwise it wouldn't have been removed. Can you imagine going out of the way to make changes to a 3 second moment in a 100 hour RPG? Who gives a shit indeed.

 

[Nankatsu]

I thought trans people wished being represented.

 

[lughnasadh123]

There's three things at play here: first - yes, it's a joke at the expense of a trans character aka dude looks like a lady syndrome, but there's also the ethical question of honesty in how that character presents themself. The far more severe thing is what's already been mentioned of her(?) being a sexual predator soliciting minors. One is fine to make a joke about while the other isn't.

 

[Krathoon]

The funny thing about this is that, in Shin Megami Tensei, you fight penis monsters and vagina monsters.

So, considering how far they go, the joke did not need to be censored.

 

[Fbh]

"the boys meet a woman who  propositions the group"

Sounds like the trans character is a sex predator. Far more egregious that the supposed "transphobia".

Yup was just thinking that.
Kotaku finds it more offensive that the boys aren't into trans women than the fact that the trans woman is sort of being portrayed as a predator.

Tells you all you need to know about their priorities.

 

[adamsapple]

Obviously people care a whole lot otherwise it wouldn't have been removed. Can you imagine going out of the way to make changes to a 3 second moment in a 100 hour RPG? Who gives a shit indeed.

I meant who gives a shit if it's been removed. Having this removed does not change my perception of the game one bit. It's not a notable change in the games plot or any of the central characters.

 

[Lionel Richie]

We party rocking in the house tonight when Kotaku dies!

 

[ProtoByte]

"and the boys run away in a trans panic."

No that's just the normal reaction when a bunch of teenagers are faced with an adult who whips their dick out and their not gay.

They don't want it to be normal. It always will be, though.

 

[DaciaJC]

So apparently the problem here is that these boys are straight, not that a man pretending to be a woman is looking to hook up with adolescents.

Uh huh. Nice position, Kotaku.

 

[Hypereides]

Oh, Kotaku... never change.

Draugoth here's an archive link for you (link).

Great pick for a thread theme.

 

[Krathoon]

They removed it because American game journalist websites keep flipping out over this stuff.

 

[FoxMcChief]

The funny thing about this is that, in Shin Megami Tensei, you fight penis monsters and vagina monsters.

So, considering how far they go, the joke did not need to be censored.

But we don’t fight penis monsters that identify as vagina monsters. That would be wrong.

 

[IFireflyl]

I don't know where this goes, so enjoy (or don't).

 

[a multicultural team of v]

I meant who gives a shit if it's been removed. Having this removed does not change my perception of the game one bit. It's not a notable change in the games plot or any of the central characters.

The inverse is also true, keeping it doesn't change anything with the game either. Why is the energy to remove it valid but the energy to not want it removed invalid?

 

[adamsapple]

The inverse is also true, keeping it doesn't change anything with the game either. Why is the energy to remove it valid but the energy to not want it removed invalid?

The energy to make a fuss about an inconsequential thing is more invalid than either of the scenarios you've described.

 

[Brock2621]

Aw man... I saw a thread with Kotaku in the title and was hoping today was the day they went bankrupt and shut down.

Shucks---Maybe tomorrow then.

 

[Krathoon]

They have not censored Leisure Suit Larry 6. We are still safe.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

The energy to make a fuss about an inconsequential thing is more invalid than either of the scenarios you've described.

I probably worded my message very poorly. You said that the scene is inconsequential and has no impact on the game. If this was true, then they would have left the original translation as it was, because there is no point spending time to change something so pointless. However, somebody thought the scene is very consequential and very important, so important in fact that they went out of their way to change the translation to be different.

My question is if it is stupid to be upset that something pointless was changed, why is it not stupid to change it in the first place? Unless of course the scene actually is important, in which case complaining it was changed would be quite valid.

Every time these things are changed its always "oh its such a small part who cares" which is such a bogus and disingenuous argument. Obviously the scenes are extremely important otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation because they would have been translated faithfully like the rest of the game.

 

[Big Baller]

 

[adamsapple]

I probably worded my message very poorly. You said that the scene is inconsequential and has no impact on the game. If this was true, then they would have left the original translation as it was, because there is no point spending time to change something so pointless. However, somebody thought the scene is very consequential and very important, so important in fact that they went out of their way to change the translation to be different.

My question is if it is stupid to be upset that something pointless was changed, why is it not stupid to change it in the first place? Unless of course the scene actually is important, in which case complaining it was changed would be quite valid.

Every time these things are changed its always "oh its such a small part who cares" which is such a bogus and disingenuous argument. Obviously the scenes are extremely important otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation because they would have been translated faithfully like the rest of the game.

I'm going to assume you've never played Persona 3 before, if you have, feel free to correct me.

The line they've changed is a single line used in a throwaway scene in the game. I can assure you it has no bearing on the game.

As for "why" it was changed, the creators of the game changed it for whatever rationale they have, maybe they don't think the joke would land the same way. This isn't a change just for the English localization, the Japanese version of the game also makes the same change.

In an independent translation obtained by Kotaku, we have confirmed the Japanese audio presents the scene the same way. So this isn’t a Persona 5 Royal situation in which the localization alters scenes for the English version.

 

[Kerotan]

and the boys run away in a trans panic....

I think this would be my reaction too.

 

[sloppyjoe_gamer]

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

First post nails "it"

I see myself out

 

[StueyDuck]

Source

The article has a content warning for "trans violence" .

Like sure argue if the joke is funny or not but they flat out just make shit up and say it's violence

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

"....run away in a trans panic"

loool

 

[LordCBH]

The article has a content warning for "trans violence" .

Like sure argue if the joke is funny or not but they flat out just make shit up and say it's violence

Cause that’s basically all they have lol. That, and getting offended when people don’t want to play make believe with 0.02% of the population

 

[John Bilbo]

So how does the scene play out now or is it just removed?

Edit: third time reading the original post did the charm.

 

[Mister Wolf]

I'm actually glad they removed it. I can do without seeing any of that stuff in the media I enjoy even if it is used for comedic effect.