Pokemonfans both in and outside Japan are discussingScarlet and Violet, and an interesting debate on the protagonists has been making waves.
Nintendo, The Pokemon Company, and Game Freak revealedPokemon Scarlet and Violet, Gen 9. The reveal trailer, included below, most notably featured the two protagonists of the game, and several fans have been discussing their character design, and their faces in particular.
Why Pokemon Fans are unhappy with the Scarlet and Violet protagonists' faces
Ever sincePokemon Scarlet and Violetwas announced onthe Pokemon Day showcase, the words “主人公の顔/ the protagonists' faces” have been trending on Twitter, with many fans in Japan saying their faces “don’t feel likePokemon”. You can find several tweets with thousands of likes and retweets if you look up these keywords.
Several fans on the English side of Twitter made similar remarks as well, which in turnhas been picked upby Japanese players, mentioning “even overseas fans dislike it”.
Moreover, some of fanbase also pointed out that the 2D artwork style has changed inScarlet and Violet. Until now, human characters inPokemonalways had oval-shaped eyes, keeping the style of original character designer Ken Sugimori.
However, the protagonists ofScarlet and Violethave round-shaped eyes both on their 2D artwork and in their 3D models in-game. I translated some of the fans' reactions below.
Fans on Twitter react to the protagonists' faces in Scarlet and Violet
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will launch in late 2022 on Nintendo Switch
Needless to say,Pokemon Scarlet and Violetis still in development, so the 3D models will be improved by the time the game releases. Last but not least keep in mind that Twitter isn’t necessarily an accurate reflection of reality, and it’s not like every singlePokemonfan is hating on the protagonists' faces.
What did you think of the new character design inPokemon Scarlet and Violet, be it in 2D or the 3D models? Let me know in the comments below!
