Why So Much Rape in Stormblood

[JunseiKei]

It's interesting this was upvoted so much because clearly, the point was not understood. I too found this very cliche. The pretty and dumb girl gets sold and abused so she seeks revenge, and now she's evil and ruthless. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone forgives her because 'Oh, she had a sad past. And she's cute'.

She didn't say she had a problem with it, was merely discussing the character's background and motives.

They can talk about rape all they want in this game (it won't help the cause though, because people irl won't do shit about it, less someone sitting on a chair playing some videogames), but this particular character for me is super cliche.

Had their argument been, "This is a trope," then most people arguing against it would probably respond with a, "Yeah, so is most stuff in fiction and in this game." However, that wasn't strictly what their complaint was. They posted conveying their sensitivities, asking for people with similiar sensitivities to concur with them and a lot of people disagreed. When the end result is that the story is written how it's going to be written, the only sense one could make from complaining about it in this nature is that it should be different. Telling someone creating something, be it fiction or art or video games, what content they should exclude is stifling. A lot of people like FFXIV because it has a lot of variety of subject matters. When someone focuses on such a minor aspect of the story, to the point that it affects their enjoyment of the game, then it's not the story's fault.

[PharisHanasaki]

When someone focuses on such a minor aspect of the story, to the point that it affects their enjoyment of the game, then it\\'s not the story\\'s fault.

But I don't understand. Where did the OP says this impars her experience of the game? Or that this is a sensitive topic that should be avoided in this game? She said this was cliche. And I agree.

I know Japan experienced(and still does) this a lot. Women are abused everywhere. But Yutsuyu became evil because she was married to a rich man, physically and sexually abused, then sold off to pay his husband debts? She did all she did out of revenge but was not prepared for the consecuences? That moment where she cries to make everyone feel sorry for her... Idk.

[HyoMinPark]

But I don't understand. Where did the OP says this impars her experience of the game? Or that this is a sensitive topic that should be avoided in this game? She said this was cliche. And I agree.

She said in the opening post that it ruins the “escapist fantasy” of FFXIV, implying that it’s impacting her immersion. Like others have said, the fact that rape is present, especially in a country currently at war, only serves to make the game more immersive. Because what war isn’t without terrible war crimes? Certainly not a “real” one.

OP also mentioned that rape should be something discussed with tact and care, and not just “tacked on to a woman’s storyline to make her seem more tragic,” which also somewhat implies it should be avoided being discussed in this game’s writing at all, since the OP also attacked SB’s writing.

[Niqote]

There are plenty of tragedies in this game, focusing on only one violent theme while the other violent themes are so much more abundant seems like you are the one choosing to focus on it.

Personally, I like having shocking events here and there in XIV. It evokes emotion and a break from what can be monotonous character development.

[MaloraYuki]

Personally I like the story as is. I understand maybe the story has sensitive topics for people based on different events but I don’t think violence against women is the only thing. Like I alway say if you don’t like the game don’t play. The game is not targeting you because of being a woman the game is not saying anything bad towards you and if you think it is you have a problem. That’s like saying GTA inforces the behaviors shown in that game. Get over it or don’t play.

[hellmach]

Because Eorzea is a shitty world and they're letting you know just how shitty it is. See GoT for another example. There's also a lot of death, poverty, hunger, racism, corruption, greed... the list goes on.

[Okamimaru]

I wonder what exactly would be the acceptable alternatives? They killed "insert npc" parents? They enslaved "insert npc" family/children? They stole "insert npc" land/inheritance? What isn't a trope or cliche? What exactly can they put in the place of the occasional sexual assault of a npc? Vaguely offensive musical numbers?

[PharisHanasaki]

Well, I can understand it to some extent. If you lost your arm to a chainsaw and saw people getting they extremities cut off by a chainsaw in game you'd feel anxious and/or be constantly reminded of the real event.

Men are also raped irl, but I see nothing like that in here. Kids are raped too if we want to be realistic. Should we depict that too to make it even more immersive?

'This male NPC was abused by his family. Sold into slavery, and raped and abused so he's now an evil commander of the Empire'. Still seems weak to me.

I really, really hope Yutsuyu won't be forgiven for a silly reason. Zenos was a great character. Yutsuyu was simply annoying throughout the road.

[BillyKaplan]

Men are also raped irl, but I see nothing like that in here. Kids are raped too if we want to be realistic. Should we depict that too to make it even more immersive?

I said it before earlier in the thread, but the answer to that is absolutely yes. If they're already going there, they shouldn't keep it as a woman-exclusive trope for that precise reason, that it's a false depiction of reality. And like before, you using that example as though to make us look ridiculous is ridiculous in and of itself. Raubahn would actually be an interesting case if they went there. Show corruption within any of the Grand Companies or the Garlean army that went there. Lord knows Ul'dah's rotten to the core that it'd make sense there.

'This male NPC was abused by his family. Sold into slavery, and raped and abused so he's now an evil commander of the Empire'. Still seems weak to me.

And while it's your right to find faults with the trope itself, I dislike it when people praise or bash a trope based on genders. It's a weak trope to you, fine, it's a different matter. But sadly because it's seen so little, that sort of thing would actually be groundbreaking if they went there and applied it to a man, admitting that men can be victims of such abuse as well. As it stands, if we don't hear about it from the women themselves, we hear about it from a man related to them while they're still the victims, as is the case with Arenvald and his mother.

I really, really hope Yutsuyu won't be forgiven for a silly reason.

I'm guessing she has amnesia going by the end of 4.1 and that will be the groundwork for her redemption as she's effectively a different person, but still has to deal with the evils she did while she had her memories.

[ThunderGodThor]

But sadly because it's seen so little, that sort of thing would actually be groundbreaking if they went there and applied it to a man, admitting that men can be victims of such abuse as well.

I have to agree with you. We often see the disastrous affects that rape has on female victims in the media, but not so with men. FFXIV could really make an impact if it went ahead with portraying such a story with a male victim. Raubahn may make sense for this- he's a traditional masculine male, and male victims often feel very emasculated when they go through that sort of trauma. I don't know, I just think it may help people see and understand what some men have been through, and do go through, rather than just being an edgy prison joke.