[ SECRET POST #1754 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #1754 ⌋


Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 10 pages, 248 secrets from Secret Submission Post #251.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 2 - not!secrets ], [ 1 - not!fandom ], [ 1 2 3 - too big ], [ 0 - hit/ship/spiration ], [ 0 - omgiknowthem ], [ 0 - take it to comments ], [ 1 - repeats ]
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, see, I was like "But Yorda wasn't frail because she's a girl, she's frail because she's supposed to be a frail character!" and I had a friend that was all "But why was it the GIRL who had to be frail and weak?" Which would be a valid enough point, except that there are really only two characters in the game, and female main characters were even more rare 10 years ago than now - so if they'd made the physically weak character NOT a girl just to avoid stereotyping, we'd almost certainly have ended up with two male protagonists with varied abilities and personalities, and the lone female would be the fairly two-dimensional villain. That's not what I'd call an improvement. (And you already pointed out why there DID have to be a physically weak character instead of two physically tough characters.)

I've played through the game three times since the PS3 rerelease, and the bridge scene and the ending get me every time. And I love Yorda even more now that I've seen what she said during the scene where she opens the main gate, when Ico asks if she's okay.

[tamchronic.livejournal.com]

"Yorda wasn't frail because she's a girl, she's frail because she's supposed to be a frail character!"

You hit the nail on the head right there. As to the question of why the female character is the frail one, instead of vice-versa? Well, let's be honest, here: the type of gentle, fragile femininity in Yorda's design and behaviour instintively inspires a desire to protect and shield her (I'm female, but I imagine this would be particularly relevant for male gamers). It's not sexism, it's our automatic emotional response. Maybe it's culturally constructed, maybe it's not. It still happens, though, and the game chose to capitalise on that. Sure, a vulnerable young boy could have done the same thing, if he were designed right, but Team Ico designed the characters of Yorda and Ico they way they envisioned them, and it turned out to be perfect.

And anybody criticising the game should remember that a portrayal of a character that fits into feminine stereotypes isn't necessarily trying to send the message that ALL women are like that. It's just one character. I understand the desire to see the stereotype broken, but considering the beauty and excellence with which Ico was designed, I think we can forgive this one.

The bridge scene is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant storytelling moments in gaming. I could write a whole essay on it, but I'll just say that the fact that the game developed the instinct to protect Yorda so strongly in the player that the goal of escape is overriden by this instinct is unlike anything else I've seen. And yes, the emotion in the game definitely made me cry.

[sophiesenoo.livejournal.com]

You know I could buy this, if Team Ico hadn't show us how sexist they actually are:

http://borderhouseblog.com/?p=2855

So, you can like Yorda's character, but that doesn't change the intention of the developers.