The Definition of "Handsome"

[BaconBits]

Everyone keeps picking either pretty boys or rugged men, but I'm over here thinking, "¿Por qué no los dos?"

Big brain time.

[HeyMcFly]

They all lack anything really defining as people usually have defining features (freckles, moles, unique lip shape, cheekbones, nose shapes etc) These characters lack those defining features & if it weren't for their outfits or writing, would be forgettable visually- they just have VERY slender faces. Like anime faces brought to life- if we saw someone like that irl, they'd look feaky
I can't get over how ugly the protagonist is in the new FF game & his hair looks like a toupee
There is nothing mannish about any of these characters- just boyish.

thancred imo is "handsome" but he has defined realistic features albeit a tad generic, But he doesn't have the strange alien head these characters do.

[hagare]

The closest would be I don't find boyish/feminine men attractive, but that has more to do with me being an adult.

and that's your standard as an adult.
Something you use as a base to find whether something is attractive or not.
And that's fine.
Just as fine as other people who think otherwise.
As I said, it takes all kinds.

[Heavenchild]

I wondered if this is a male or female character because I saw both in it. But then the Npcs spoke of 'her'. And so my conclusion was, that it seems to be a girl.

[Nyxs]

I knew it was a female from the start. Look at the face its feminine. I don’t really see her as genderless at all.

Its like how the faeries are obviously women to. But the writers went weird with it.

[SieyaM]

Opposed to what? With that many adjectives, you're not leaving much else. Unless you find boyish/girly men attractive?

Look what I find or don't find attractive isn't of anyone's concern, but this thread seems to indicate that more feminine or even just anything that is not bearded and scarred to hell and back is not a man and not attractive in any way. That is what I take issue with. SE can put whatever kind of men they want in the game and being more or less feminine does not make them less or more of a man. Also, pretty sure this is a troll thread that you took way too seriously.

[Iyrnthota]

I knew it was a female from the start. Look at the face its feminine. I don’t really see her as genderless at all.

Its like how the faeries are obviously women to. But the writers went weird with it.

Honestly, I found the fairies to be distinctly androgynous. Certainly far more than Zero.

[Melorie]

Honestly, I found the fairies to be distinctly androgynous. Certainly far more than Zero.

Yeah, the faeries gave me a somewhat David Bowie vibe as well.
Besides a feminine face doesn't tell me much imo. I wouldn't be surprised if someone thought it was more genderless.

[Burmecia]

While this is probably true, japanese artists also codified an entire genre of hyper-masculine art. (mostly geared towards gay men) So it's not entirely black and white.

Yeah, true. I'm BL enjoyer and occasional bara enjoyer [-- mainly because western interwebs puts it all in the same basket like: "oh, it got males loving and sexing males? gay, it's all just gay!"].

I just guess the design choices come to and from marketability. You want to give the posterpeople of the big media thing a good looking face -- buuut not too unique. Hurts the mass market appeal.

WEST vs JP

I have no good suggestions to this problem, since I don't really feel at all that something would be horribly wrong in current state of things.
My formative years were saturated with JP media so I am not too shy to admit that I prefer the JP beauty standards more than not when it comes to video games and animations and nerdy things generally.

[Boblawblah]

"oh, it got males loving and sexing males? gay, it's all just gay!"

If I was a /r/subredditdrama person, this could be a decent flair.