Rather than getting into long-winded explanations, I will make two statements:

1. By appeals to NA I mean the averaged assumed player, which would be representative of the potential playerbase of the NA region, which comes with the cultural values of that region.

2. Height Restriction debate and the loli symbol art debates. The narrative of height censorship is no longer valid considering the height of Megumim, whom won't be able to be replicated by NA players. Secondly the narrative that NA laws prevent the open sexualization of what appears to be children. Again, Megumin is the reference.

If this collab led otherwise unknowing NA individuals to watch the anime, they may be in for a bit of cultural shock, lol.

Really think the anime collaborations (especially the first first one) should have been one with more broad popularity in the NA region as a whole.

Surely you're aware this is recycled content from a JP collab. So seeing this isn't surprising. Would have preferred the King of Fighters collab personally, but all this collab means is we can look forward to more of the JP collab scratches in the future, which is a good thing. I can't be bothered how much this appeals to "NA players" or not. This is a Japanese game anyway. They should know what they are in for. It's a good sign regardless.

@GrizzlyTrollton yes, I am aware and personally not impacted by it, but regardless of personal feelings we have to account for the reception of what has been considered borderline by members of the community.

Ways that Megumin is perceived in parts of the anime are relevant to those discussions and I think that there were certainly safer choices for the first anime collaboration.

Doesn't matter if it is a Japanese game originally, it is being marketed in the NA (and eventually globally), so the global perspective has to be considered, not just the Japanese perspective.

@MoldyAsp33874 said in First anime Collaboration choice isn't one that appeals to NA.:

@John-Paul-RAGE said in First anime Collaboration choice isn't one that appeals to NA.: Secondly the narrative that NA laws prevent the kpen sexualization of what appears to be children.

Worth noting that this is a narrative.. There is no actual NA laws that apply to fiction in this way. The law regarding this is for real life instances. And does not even include digitally editted 3d photographs. To be punished under the CP law- you must possess something that is indistinguishable from a real minor. People only believe there are stricter laws in the NA because people with that narrative agenda complain loudly.

Also you're implying the west- especially the west that plays a game like PSO2... is going to be culturally shocked by anime?
Seriously?.. You're surrounded by huge weebs here. Trust me on that. There is hardly going to be a polarizing anime collab- let alone of a very popular series like Konosuba.

I'll agree that Konosuba is a very much an odd collaboration to start off with on PSO 2's many anime collabs. While I personally enjoyed Konosuba as an anime, I know for a fact that it's not very well known when you consider it's popularity compared to other anime collabs.

Frankly I would have suggested Attack on Titan which was big even for those who weren't your usual anime watchers, or even the Evangelion which was aired quite a long time ago on TV thanks to Toonami. Something that people could recognize rather than mostly "I don't know what anime that is".

Buuuuut... too be fair I can also see why they'd choose something like Konosuba. Opinions may vary, but I feel that the Konosuba collab items, Konosuba itself, and the lack of depth in the collab for an actual event makes for a great filler until more platforms are released. I have no doubt that high profile collabs will also be great income for SEGA when they're release. So they could be saving those big titles for when they have more platforms to profit on, since the current audience of the game is limited.

DISCLAIMER FOR DEVS: No, I'm not trying to say don't bring us these collabs even if they aren't well known to your NA audience. I personally want and expect to see every known collab to make it's way here and I'll welcome each one we get. It's the order that you release them in that is a bit funky or questionable, but that doesn't mean I don't want them. I want to make that part of my post perfectly clear because I've seen regional specific stuff cut from other games because they felt it didn't conform to their localization. Keep all the collabs coming, even the strange ones.

@Saiyer I can agree that I want these collabs as well and don't want them nerfed in any kind of way, but my primary concern was it as the choice for the first collab when there are other licensed choices much more popular. That paired with the sensitive subject of the portrayal of minors (specifically Megumin's bath scene) is another contributor of why I think this could have waited until after Episode 4's story at least.

@MoldyAsp33874 anime, no. A character that is modeled to a prepubescent girl being nude? Yes.

Thanks for that disclaimer. I don't want Devs to get the wrong idea and believe NA is against these collabs which are licensed collabs not too many people believed we would even get in the first place. It's great that we get some at all. I want as much of the JP content to come over as possible and I don't think any NA player would logically want less content... just maybe disagree on the order of things.

I don't want to believe people who would play a free game made by passionate devs would tell them to remove content they don't like- exist- and are not trolls just trying to bait reactions for a bad take. Especially considering this dev team is a JP(I heard? It would explain a bit why we don't hear from them..) team and a lot of irony and sarcasm is completely lost in translation and can end up coming off as incredibly rude.

Please give us more content- not less. And bring back content otherwise removed due to cultural differences or perceived sensibilities in the NA community- give us the JP content in as close in its entirety as possible. That means- sega officially designed cosmetics.. There's no reason we shouldn't see them.

@MoldyAsp33874 anime, no. A character that is modeled to a prepubescent girl being nude? Yes.

Lol- there's literally a block on every server (you can probably guess which one) where lewd symbol arts and nude fashion goes to thrive. You're playing the WRONG game if you are offended by skin. Did the story not give you that idea? Did the sudsy outfit not tip you off? Just wait until Wet Bath Towel F comes to NA... Yeah if you're offended by that- you might as well quit now. I'll take your meseta and wish you on your way if you're on Ship3 Thanks.

Also you're blaming an anime- something completely unrelated to PSO2 and how it's managed for why it's a bad idea to bring a collab to it. Megumin isn't going to be appearing in PSO2. Just her outfits- think of the characters as cosplayers of her because that's what they are. Naked Megumin just isn't going to be a thing. Don't worry

@MoldyAsp33874 I never claimed that I was offended (or anyone was offended for that matter) and was referencing the timing of this collaboration as the first one and pairing it with evidence you can find within these forums to substantiate those concerns.

Your approach to this suggestion and conversation is not constructive nor is it warranted. There is no need to make accusations of anyone, especially when there is no evidence to support those accusations.

@John-Paul-RAGE said in First anime Collaboration choice isn't one that appeals to NA.:

@MoldyAsp33874 I never claimed that I was offended (or anyone was offended for that matter) and was referencing the timing of this collaboration as the first one and pairing it with evidence you can find within these forums to substantiate those concerns.

Your approach to this suggestion and conversation is not constructive nor is it warranted. There is no need to make accusations of anyone, especially when there is no evidence to support those accusations.

My approach is logical though. To go against it.... doesn't make any sense.. Explain why a community full of people playing a MMO thriving on fashion and especially lewd fashion would be culturally shocked over an anime collab that comes over- not because of the anime but because one of the characters whose outfits appear is underage and in their anime(outside and unrelated to PSO2) appears naked.

That's like saying- Guts collabs sword comes by but everyones offended because Berserk is a violent anime with rape and even though it's just a sword- people want it out of the game.

Also worth noting if the problem is with underage characters- many of the characters you see wearing revealing outfits are underage in the story. For instance- Matoi in 238- before the timeskip. Is 15. Yet you can see a good part of her breasts and full abdomen. And that is just a light example relative to others. It just doesn't hold up as an argument to make for this game.

@John-Paul-RAGE said in First anime Collaboration choice isn't one that appeals to NA.:

If this collab led otherwise unknowing NA individuals to watch the anime, they may be in for a bit of cultural shock, lol

@MoldyAsp33874 Fully reading the logic of a statement before challenging the logic of a statement is generally a good practice to follow.

Collaborations are called collaborarions because they are collaborative in nature. That means the game gets to use the likeness belonging to the anime in exchange for promoting the anime. (Anime can be substituted with video game).

Saying that there is no relation between PSO2 and the content they are promoting is no accurate or logical.

And yet you have people saying it would be safer to bring AoT (hard R rated anime) instead of konosuba (PG-13).

Gotta love NA mentality. Dismemberments are A-OK!!.. But god forbid you have an anime where the cast goes to the beach and wears swimsuits.

@MoldyAsp33874 are you implying that a female dressing for the beach is the same as taking a bath with the opposite sex in a scenario that has sexual innuendos and implications by design?

Besides, you are intentionally detracting from the point that was bring referenced, which is the image of Megumin in that particular scenario.

If you can't make a logical argument based on presenting a female who appears prepubescent in an ecchi situation and why NA as a region will not have an issue with it, then you are participating in a different conversation than I am.

@John-Paul-RAGE said in First anime Collaboration choice isn't one that appeals to NA.:

@MoldyAsp33874 are you implying that a female dressing for the beach is the same as taking a bath with the opposite sex in a scenario that has sexual innuendos and implications by design?

Besides, you are intentionally detracting from the point that was bring referenced, which is the image of Megumin in that particular scenario.

If you can't make a logical argument based on presenting a female who appears prepubescent in an ecchi situation and why NA as a region will not have an issue with it, then you are participating in a different conversation than I am.

PSO2 literally has an anime and sequels of that anime- guess what?... There's bath scenes with naked girls!... That's right!... PSO2 story literally has cutscenes of... that's right... Naked Girls..

You're playing a game- that is M rated in Japan- will be M rated in NA when future episodes come out- has an anime with nudity- has nudity in it's cutscenes ingame- and you're saying a collab shouldn't come over because the anime it's advertising has nudity.

I fail to see the logic here.

And before you say- well Megumin is underage!!! Yes- those in the PSO cutscenes and animes are too.

@John-Paul-RAGE said in First anime Collaboration choice isn't one that appeals to NA.:

Really think the anime collaborations (especially the first first one) should have been one with more broad popularity in the NA region as a whole.

Konosuba is hugely popular amongst Western anime fans, what rock are you living under