BladeBlur

You know what game series I have a massive like/dislike relationship with? Dead or Alive. This might end up being a thread, so fair warning.

I played DOA2 on Dreamcast when I was like, 10. And I loved it, it was different and fast and of course I mained Ayane. It wasn't until I was much older did I discover the seedy underbelly of the series, we'll say?

Now I look at DOA, and while I still adore a bunch of the characters and like playing them, I feel dirty about it. I can't get over Marie Rose, or Honoka for that matter. I think Honoka's design stings more because I WAS that girl in middle/high school tbh?

I've been well-endowed/heavy-chested since I was 13, and have dealt with dirty looks for years because of it. A girl who's clearly no older that 14-15 with a huge bust (let's be fucking honest here, people), even in a fictional realm, should not be viewed in a sexual light.

Marie Rose is a clear fetish given form: blonde, blue eyes, completely illegal jailbait. I wouldn't say it's an easier pill to swallow seeing it, but it's unfortunately familiar territory all the same. It's Honoka that gets under my skin in a more personal way.

DOA is a bunch of perfect Barbie and Ken doll fighters, yet the males in the roster are nowhere near husbando-tier level as much as the woman are in their waifu statuses. And half of them are barely legal, at that. I recognize its flaws, despite it being a fun fighter.