In the fifth episode of Meaningful Play, we discuss Ann Takamaki from Persona 5 (2017), a character we feel is hypersexualized and objectified, and in conjunction with both audio-visual elements and mechanics, highly contradictory in her depiction. As is well documented in games studies, female representation in video games has been highly controversial, with female characters having a long history of being constructed as sexualized, passive, and Lynch et al. (2016) note, secondary. We discuss Ann in relation to player identification, cultural relativism, and media effects. We ask whether we can identify or relate with Ann, how the world of Persona 5 impacts the framing of Ann’s character, and what other female characters in games we have potentially struggled to identify with.

Games:
Final Fantasy X, NieR: Automata, Persona 5, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, The Last Door, Tomb Raider (series)

References:

Behm-Morawitz, E & Mastro, D 2009, ‘The effects of the sexualization of female video game characters on gender stereotyping and female self-concept’, Sex Roles, vol. 61, no. 11/12, pp. 808–823.

Lynch, T, Tompkins, JE, van Driel, II & Fritz, N 2016, ‘Sexy, strong, and secondary: A content analysis of female characters in video games across 31 years’, Journal of Communication, vol. 66, no. 4, pp. 564–584.

Summers, A & Miller, M 2014, ‘From damsels in distress to sexy superheroes: How the portrayal of sexism in video game magazines has changed in the last twenty years’, Feminist Media Studies, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 1028–1040.

Credits: 
Artwork created by Amber Collins.
Music created with Per Nyblom’s Abundant Music