Characters in a remake of a Dragon Quest role-playing video game are genderless, drawing both cheers and jeers from fans of the popular series.

Approvers have said the change gives due consideration to diversity, while opponents argue the modification shows a lack of respect for the original product in the name of political correctness.

“Dragon Quest III HD-2D,” which was released on Nov. 14, is a remake of “Dragon Quest III,” a 1988 game for the Family Computer console. The protagonist and allies were designated as either “male” or “female” in the original game.

Those labels are renamed “appearance A” and “appearance B” in the remake, according to the official website of the game.

Some available “personalities” and “equipment” options were previously gender-specific, but these options are available to all characters in the remake.

The specification change follows the global trend for promoting diversity since the 2010s.

Gender was also removed from earlier products in the Dragon Quest franchise, including “Dragon Quest X” of 2012 and “Dragon Quest Walk,” a smartphone game released in 2019.

Other popular video game series, including “Pokemon,” have eliminated gender designations.

The public relations office of Square Enix Co., the developer of the Dragon Quest series, declined requests for an interview from The Asahi Shimbun.

HARSH CRITICISM

Video game players have argued both for and against the change in “Dragon Quest III HD-2D.”

“Many games these days don’t ask players to choose a gender for the characters,” one approver said. “Time-honored games should also change to take account of gender diversity.”

However, opposition has been fierce.

“The change makes too many allowances for political correctness and is destroying the image of the original game,” one opponent said.

One prominent critic of the change is Yuji Horii, the video game designer described as the “father” of Dragon Quest.

“Who’s even complaining about this ‘male’ and ‘female’ thing?” he asked during a discussion session at the Tokyo Game Show in late September. “I just don’t get it.”

Part of the video of the talks was spread on X (formerly Twitter), with unofficial English subtitles.

X owner Elon Musk quote posted the video, triggering a flurry of discriminatory comments against transgender people.

AFFECTING GENDER BIAS

Video game makers in recent years have increasingly taken into account viewpoints about the diversity of gamers.

GLAAD, a U.S. advocacy group for sexual minorities, released survey results in February that said 17 percent of active gamers in the United States between 13 and 55 identify as sexual minorities.

The survey also showed that sexual minority gamers are 1.4 times more likely than others to buy or play games that allow them to choose characters that match their own sexual orientation and gender identity.

Soshi Matsuoka, head director of Fair, a Japanese general incorporated association that supports sexual minorities, cited two major problems concerning the current gender framework in video games.

One is that some people find it difficult to project themselves as either male or female, the typical choices in video games, he said. These include transgender people, who identify with the opposite of their biological sex, and nonbinary people, whose gender identity doesn’t fit in with the male-female dichotomy.

“Leaving gender diversity of the real world unreflected in video games is tantamount to pretending not to see it,” Matsuoka said.

The other problem, he said, is that having to choose between being male or female in video games could heighten gender bias.

Matsuoka referred to gender-specific character settings in certain video games, including the original “Dragon Quest III.”

“That has far-reaching influences because those games are played by people of broad ages. I wish there were more diverse character options,” he said.

Matsuoka also commented on the angry reactions against the latest change.

“(‘Dragon Quest III’) is a popular video game with a time-honored history,” he said. “So, I can understand, to a certain extent, why some fans feel embarrassed by the change without fully realizing the intentions.”

He continued: “I have the impression that these embittered reactions stem from the failure of the video game publisher and other parties to explain the background of the modification or their stance on the matter. So, the change has developed a life of its own, without its intentions ever understood.”

TRANSGENDER FAN’S VIEWPOINT

Nevertheless, many gamers, transgender or not, appreciate the change.

“The male-female choice was first introduced in the original ‘Dragon Quest III,’” said Robin, a YouTuber who streams Dragon Quest play scenes. “I do have mixed feelings because I will no longer be able to enjoy the game the same way I did with the original edition, but that does not make Dragon Quest any less fun.”

Nayuta Miki, a transgender woman who is a lecturer of the philosophy of language at the Osaka University graduate school, professes to be a Dragon Quest fan.

She said as a player, she has been fascinated by the game’s profound worldview, but she has also been embarrassed by its “male and female characters with excessively idealized body shapes.”

“I am female in my life and in my family registry, but I am also characteristically tall and have this low voice,” Miki said. “Even when I choose to be ‘female’ in a video game, I have felt suffocated every time I encounter overemphasized femininity, as if I were being told that I am not a woman in her own right.”

She said she will be happy when gender labeling disappears, which will lessen her psychological burden and make it easier for her to empathize.

Miki said that ever since she was young, video games have been a “safe haven” when she finds society stifling.

“Some people talk as if sexual minorities suddenly emerged only recently and began influencing video games, but that’s not true,” she said. “We have always loved video games. And that’s gradually beginning to gain visibility. That’s all there is to it.”

She also referred to the “Dragon Quest III HD-2D” remake, saying she hopes more video games will take account of the feelings of diverse people.

“I hope there will be broader and broader options in the next and following product releases, with due respect paid to Dragon Quest’s image,”