Full disclosure: I’m pretty sure I’m on record --
maybe even here on this blog -- saying something along the lines of “I hate Mortal Kombat” or “I’ve never like Mortal Kombat”. So yeah, I can’t exactly claim that I’m fair
and unbiased here; that said, the latest Mortal
Kombat installment is out, I played it, and…yeah, it’s all right. Neither its story nor its gameplay are
mind-blowing, but it’s still serviceable.
And I’d bet that it IS mind-blowing for the true fans. I’ll try and get a post uploaded explaining
my thoughts, but only after I’ve
spent more time with it.
Until then, there’s other stuff worth talking
about. Stuff
that I really don’t want to wait to get into, seeing as how it’s been fresh on
my mind, and it’s a pretty important
subject. For those unaware: MKX’s story mode brings us newcomer Kung
Jin, who was recently confirmed to be the canon’s first gay character. In typical internet fashion, it caused quite
a stir, with harsh words thrown from both sides.
So.
Assuming that I have the tact for it, what do you say we have a little
discussion on it?
For context’s sake, it goes something like this:
Kung Jin heads to a Shaolin temple to steal an artifact -- which is pretty
normal for a thief on the ropes. Raiden
intercepts him, and after a brief fight the elder god tells Jin to join the
Shaolin monks, like series mainstay Kung Lao.
Jin’s not very receptive of the idea and voices his concerns -- fears
that he won’t be accepted. Raiden’s
response? “They only care what your
heart desires, not whom it desires.”
That’s pretty much the only line that tells us Jin’s
orientation -- and to be honest, it went over my head. (And others’ heads as well, which makes me
feel like less of an idiot.) I mean, the
events of that chapter are less about “whom his heart desires” and more about
Jin’s relationship with thievery. When
he talks to Raiden, it’s in the middle of a flashback; the events in the
present have him stopping an execution to save a thief, even if it means
jeopardizing the mission and risking a breakdown of interdimensional
relations. I think it makes more sense
to read the line that way, but I can
understand why the devs did it the way they did.
So what’s the problem, then?
Kung Jin’s sexuality doesn’t have much of a
bearing on the story or the canon at large.
It’s pretty much just a detail (though I acknowledge that there are subtleties
worth appreciating). My biggest takeaway
from the character is that he’s a cocky asshole who puts his team in dire
straits on more than one occasion, because…well, he’s a cocky asshole. And a stupid one, arguably -- always a
winning combination. Beyond that, MKX has no time or concern for
relationships besides the “this male character and this female character are in
love with each other after one conversation” bit from every bad action movie
ever. It’s very much about the Special
Forces coming together to fight demonic invaders, sorcerers, and evil gods.
All things considered, Jin’s sexuality is pretty
much nothing but a minor detail. But the
question is: should it be a minor
detail?
If nothing else, no one can accuse MKX’s story of being a slog; it moves
pretty rapidly from one fight and one scene to another fighting scene and
another scenic fight. Is the story
weaker for not taking time out to have Jin confess to his comrades that he’s
got a certain set of tastes? No. If anything, you could argue that doing it
would have the opposite effect. “Yeah,
there’s some evil god about to break out of his prison and wreak havoc on
reality itself, but first? Let’s talk
about who’s got a crush on who.”
So on one hand, the guys at NetherRealm did the
right thing by not making it a big
part of the story or making it the
sole defining trait of Kung Jin…buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut
this whole situation leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The story as-is leaves no room for
relationships or deeper characterizations, but that begs the question of why
the story had to play out that way in the first place. The first two BlazBlue games are a good example; instead of cramming everyone
into one story and hoping for the best, you could just play as the characters
you wanted to play, and take them through individual, personal stories. If you want to learn more about Hakumen, all
you have to do is load up
the right cutscene. If you want to
learn more about Kung Jin? I dunno. Buy the comic, maybe? Scour the wiki?
Speaking pragmatically, it’s a missed
opportunity. If you have an aspect for a
character, then make use of that aspect.
Get the most out of it, instead of doing nothing. And sure, the revelation of Jin’s sexuality
puts bits of his character and history in a different light, but seeing even a
little bit more of that in the story proper might have done wonders. The idea that homosexuality has to be either
hidden or set to full blast with nothing in between is kind of a problem, I
think.
But based on the reactions I’ve seen? As usual, there’s no right answer. Both sides have their strong points. Speaking personally, I can see the appeal of
both -- and of course, I’d like to think that we can live in a world where
fictional characters (let alone those that bash the skulls of ice-spewing
ninjas) are allowed to express every facet of themselves if/when they feel
comfortable with it. On top of that, a
sufficiently-skilled creator should be able to put out whatever characters they
want; as I’ve said before, it’s all about giving people something they never
knew they wanted, not just giving them what they want ad nauseum. Are some people going to have negative
reactions to a homosexual character?
Yeah, unfortunately. But here’s
the thing: some people will lash out,
but not all people. Doing it for them is worth the risk -- not to
mention doing it for people who would adore
seeing it in a big production.
That said, there’s something related to this situation
that’s been on my mind for a while. Yes,
we should be at a point in the world of fiction -- in every medium in every
place -- where having a character representative of ANY classification is
normal. But right now? I wonder if drawing attention to deviations
is the right choice. In the case of MKX, it was a reveal made in response to
questioning on Twitter (the most enlightened platform and forum for
discussion); not too long ago, it seemed as if Blizzard
patted itself on the back for having a female character in Overwatch that defied the usual 36-24-36
proportions you see in video game ladies. That storm has already passed, but for
me? I legitimately wondered if that was
something worth
celebrating.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing; again,
we should be at a point where reasonably-minded creators can put out anything
without fear of backlash (and on top of that, they should be able to follow
their creative vision without suited overlords shutting them down). And diversity is an issue that can be tackled
in any number of ways in any number of places.
My go-to example is the world of computer animated movies; Monsters vs. Aliens has the majority of
its male cast as either unrepentant caricatures or puke-inducing creatures, while
its key female character is (size aside) just thin with a slightly-larger head
and eyes. Imposing limits does a
disservice to characters and products alike, and that’s where lines can get
crossed pretty easily.
But the counter to that -- to Kung Jin’s sexuality
and Zarya’s body diversity -- is twofold.
First off, if you’re going to have characters that are outside the
comfort zone (yours or anyone else’s), then you’d damn well better make sure
you do a good job of it. When it comes
to Kung Jin, it feels like I’m left wanting, and his orientation is only a
covert layer instead of an overt one. It’s
treated like a detail, and has so little impact on the story that those who say
“it doesn’t matter” have every right to argue as much. (Plus, even if he’s MK’s first gay character, he’s FAR from the first in the genre.) Meanwhile, Zarya may be “striking a blow” for
female characters, but as others pointed out, Blizzard just subbed in one
stereotype for another -- to say nothing of the fact that Overwatch still has no shortage of unreasonably-beautiful women.
Well, baby steps, I suppose. It could’ve been a hell of a lot worse.
But here’s the thing I keep coming back to: should
you announce that your character is different from what’s expected? Is it a good idea to reveal that this
character is gay, or that character is heavyset? Well, the latter’s easier to spot than the
former, but the point stands. Handled
poorly -- especially in the context of the gaming medium, where there are strained
relations between developers, journalists, and players -- it could just seem
like a cheap attempt to be progressive…and on top of that, failing to do
anything meaningful or respectful besides just throwing something out and
waiting for success. And beyond
that? How is diversity supposed to be
treated as normal when trumpeting “THIS CHARACTER IS DIFFERENT!” is anything
but?
To be fair, it’s not as if NetherRealm or Blizzard
went that far. (In the former’s case, I
just figured that it got dragged out and the media went wild with it.) But still, you can’t help but wonder what the
proper decorum is for something like this -- and no, I’m not just talking about
ousts or revelations or announcements or any of that stuff. I honestly think that (correcting for bigotry
and small-mindedness) if Kung Jin was a better character in MKX, there wouldn’t be as big a
problem. But as I said, he’s a cocky
asshole in a franchise and medium and
cultural
climate that isn’t wanting for cocky assholes -- least of all one who
nearly gets his team killed on multiple occasions. Would incorporating his orientation to the
story more overtly make him better?
Maybe. Maybe not. But the bigger question is just how you’re
supposed to handle that double act.
I mean, just imagine the thought process that has
to go on. So you’ve made your character
gay. All right, so what next? Well, obviously,
you have to make that homosexuality relevant to the story. Except you shouldn’t do that, because it’s dangerously close to being an
insult to a category of people who just want to live freely. But you should kinda do that, right? If not
for representation’s sake, then at least to get a little more out of your
character? NO, YOU IDIOT! In fact, don’t even mention it! Let people come to their own conclusions and
do your own thing! But don’t be afraid
to announce it if prompted! Except you
won’t have to do that, because you never did it in the first place for fear of
screwing up…only you did it anyway, because you believe in diversity for the
sake of good stories and identifiable characters.
Brilliant!
If it seems like I’m projecting a little, it’s
because I am (by which I mean I’m projecting a lot). Part of the reason I made this post isn’t
just because there’s no right answer; it’s because I don’t have a right answer, and it’s an issue I might have to deal
with someday. I can think of several of
my imagined characters who are of a different persuasion right now. It’s too early to say for sure, but if I had
to guess? Their preferences are going to
play a part -- for some characters more than others, granted, but it’s an issue
I’ve got to tackle at some point.
Preferably with a bit of class.
Oh God, no. Not like that.
I doubt that the guys behind Kung Jin expected the
controversy that’s popped up or the
debates over a facet that should be accepted in a matter of seconds. I know it’s easy to assume the worst of
gamers -- the potential audience for MKX well
among them -- but not all of us are a bunch of screeching ninnies. Even so, it’s a real eye-opener to what even
the best of intentions can bring about.
They handled Kung Jin as best they could, and for what it’s worth? The fact that they even have something to show off besides lovingly-rendered guts is worth
some serious praise.
But what lessons can be learned? What can you take from this? What can I
take from this? Well, if the gaming
culture and the internet that feeds it is any indication, we’ll be having a
conversation like this in the next three months (E3 is coming up, after
all). But my personal stance is this: if
I’m you’re going to do something unexpected with a character, go all
in. Be able to own up to it by pushing a
character that’s worth it on multiple levels -- not just because of detail X or
quality Y. Kung Jin isn’t defined solely
by his orientation, which is good; unfortunately, he’s not defined by much else. That’s a problem. And it’s a solution that can be overcome with
both skill and savvy.
And that’s about all I’m going to say on
that. Now to go back to shitting all
over Final Fantasy.
Oh, you’ll
get yours.