“Smartphone video game fans”Blue Archive” have been involved once again in a sea of criticism and disappointment when discovering that The Chinese version of the game has censored much of the franchise’s waifu designs.. Japanese Internet users were already aware of this new update in China, but they did not expect such obvious censorship.
The game, which combines elements of strategy and RPG with a “waifus” aesthetic – a type of anime or manga girl – is very popular in several countries., including Japan and the West. Her female characters are designed with details that highlight their curves, physical attributes, and facial features. However, China, a country that has very strict regulations on violence, sexuality and “sensitive” content, has imposed severe censorship on the “Blue Archive” girls.
Images from the Chinese version of the game show waifus with hidden cleavage, reduced thighs and smaller breasts. Fans of the franchise have made it clear that this is not acceptable and have complained on social media about the lack of respect for the developers’ creativity and artistic freedom. On the left are the designs in China, while on the right is the original design:
- Izumimoto Eimishe added clothing to hide her breasts.
- Ichinose Asunaher breast size was reduced and her cleavage was hidden.
- Sunohara Shunthe size of her breasts was reduced and her cleavage was hidden.
- Shizuyama Mashirothey hid her thighs by making her wear underwear.
- Kasuga Tsubakithe size of her breasts was reduced and her side cleavage was hidden.
- Kenzaki Tsurugithe blood was removed from his halo.
- Kenzaki Tsurugi (Swimsuit Ver.)the blood was removed from her halo.
- Asahina Pinashe hid her cleavage.
- Toyomi Kotorishe hid her cleavage.
- Ushimaki Jurithe size of her breasts was reduced.
- Kakudate Karinthe size of her breasts was reduced.
- Otohana Sumirethey raised their leggings to show less abdomen.
This is not the first time we have talked about this type of censorship in China. Many video game and animation franchises have suffered from this same problem, including “Kantai Collection” and “Azur Lane.” Despite consumer complaints, companies often comply with regulations and censor designs to adapt to the Chinese market, which represents a huge revenue opportunity for companies.
Fortunately, the censored designs are reportedly limited to only the China version of the game and do not affect the rest of the world. However, fans worry that the development company will eventually not be able to maintain a server dedicated to a single country and will have to distribute its game globally, meaning that censorship would move to the global server.
Meanwhile, “Blue Archive” fans will continue to enjoy the full version of the game and continue to criticize censorship in Chinademanding respect for artistic freedom and the wishes of consumers.
Fountain: Otakomu
