You know, some characters are almost unisex. Add a pink bow and change the voice actor to a girls voice and Sponge Bob is a girl.
Would a warrior ware mascara? Maybe. but most likely not. How someone looks has to do with the story.
Change the back hair ties to pink or purple like the other girls hair clip and then change it to black for another character. And with two different voice actors you would have brother and sister using the same art work.
Animation is sometimes about finding cheats that work.
dueyftw wrote:You know, some characters are almost unisex. Add a pink bow and change the voice actor to a girls voice and Sponge Bob is a girl.
Would a warrior ware mascara? Maybe. but most likely not. How someone looks has to do with the story.
Change the back hair ties to pink or purple like the other girls hair clip and then change it to black for another character. And with two different voice actors you would have brother and sister using the same art work.
Animation is sometimes about finding cheats that work.
As long as it's not an important story point (ending in pregnancy or something like that) I don't care for a character's gender.
Animation in general has a problem of being stuck in old-fashioned stereotypes. Have a look at TV series, see how boys and girls are drawn, and which roles they assume: it's awfully heteronormative, and still stuck in the 1950's. Even positive examples with female leads (like Kim Possible) still suffer from storylines dealing with fashion, beauty, and boyfriends. And for animation Punk was just a fashion statement, as if Riot Grrls never existed.
So I welcome every character who doesn't care. It's not important. If you portrait a sword fighter, it should be a good fighter, concerned about avoiding fights. Make it a person instead of a stereotype, and I'll be interested.
As long as it's not an important story point (ending in pregnancy or something like that) I don't care for a character's gender.
Animation in general has a problem of being stuck in old-fashioned stereotypes. Have a look at TV series, see how boys and girls are drawn, and which roles they assume: it's awfully heteronormative, and still stuck in the 1950's. Even positive examples with female leads (like Kim Possible) still suffer from storylines dealing with fashion, beauty, and boyfriends. And for animation Punk was just a fashion statement, as if Riot Grrls never existed.
So I welcome every character who doesn't care. It's not important. If you portrait a sword fighter, it should be a good fighter, concerned about avoiding fights. Make it a person instead of a stereotype, and I'll be interested.
These are my sentiments basically- In the story its a woman who has gone through some horrible events in her past and ends up being a revenge driven sword-for-hire so beauty and getting married pregnancy are not on the radar at all- What matters is the character and motives in the story- not the way she happens to look
I just happened to show the character design to some folks who had trouble determining gender- then again once this character is voiced it should be blatantly obvious
But seriously folks, I think she looks feminine enough. Maybe a Lady Gaga T-Shirt would help to really drive the point home? No, but really, mascara wouldn't be appropriate, but if you're really worried about the gender question, just give her eyelashes. Bam: instant female character.
The images don't really show the hips, which should be more of a give away. Nothing wrong with a tomboy female warrior - actually a good character trait. A very subtle thing like the top eyelashes extending out just enough to notice might help.
sbtamu wrote:If I may add? The way the eyes and lips are drawn can be a way to determine the gender also.
There was a Disney movie about horse "cinomaron or something" like that, anyway I was impress that they use eyes and mouth to make a male and female horses.
