Kojima's awful character writing

[Rubitron 5001]

Why does Kojima always write characters that act like aliens. Their dialogue and interaction is so bizarre and unnatural they almost seem like aliens or robots that have no concept of how real humans interact. The world building and most of the plot seem to be well written but anytime anyone talks it is so jarring.

[Tin]

Escrito originalmente por Norootstomyname:

Kojima does write characters that fit into metaphors for his various ideas within his stories, I'm not saying he's a good character writer, but I also am aware that his writing isn't 'robotic'. it's sloppy at best, he cares more about his political message for sure.

You caught a lot of flack for this but I get what you were trying to point out; ideally leaving it with this would have been good. Here's the issue, the OP states clearly in the context that they are talking about fictional characters. There's no jab at any person or persons, however they do mention the characters having weird dialogue. I think that this is a fair point, as you pointed out he likes to use characters to express an archetype or something bigger than just a normal person. While this adds a unique flavor to the character it isn't for everyone. I felt similar to the OP when I first started the game. Some of the dialogue felt out of place with the sum of the world. As time went on I realized this was intentional and it no longer bothered me, since I wanted to experience this game for what it was intentionally trying to portray

I realize this was posted a long while back at this point but I hope that I can provide some amount of input that hasn't already been echoed throughout here!

[burning.phoneix]

I like it. It's why I play Kojimbo games. His characters are weird and talk weird and always have been. Besides, very few fictional works actually sound like real people. Characters in movies, stage plays and animes absolutely do not talk like real humans so I don't know why it matters they don't interact like real humans in Death Stranding.

[Rubitron 5001]

Because they don't communicate like in fiction either. It's like the script was written like it was bad fan fiction written by angsty teenagers.

[burning.phoneix]

There's only one type of fiction?

[Crowley42]

Escrito originalmente por Norootstomyname:

you might want to unpack how you perceive Japanese people, and the characters they write.

Calling Asian people "robotic" has a long history in anti-Asian racism [source: https://theconversation.com/calling-asians-robotic-is-a-racist-stereotype-with-a-long-troubled-history-177877].

I don't think your intention here is to be racist, but we often don't consider the ways we are made uncomfortable by foreign cultures. Most people like what they are comfortable with and dislike things that are different, this is definitely not a universal trait but it is a common one. some speculate this aversion to the new could be important for building and defending communities. but this attitude can also cause us problems.

Kojima does write characters that fit into metaphors for his various ideas within his stories, I'm not saying he's a good character writer, but I also am aware that his writing isn't 'robotic'. it's sloppy at best, he cares more about his political message for sure.

At the end of the day we can take the time to consider what kind of words we use to describe the way Asian people behave and write their characters to behave. "robotic" or even more blatantly "alien" has clear roots in racist attitudes, other words are available to describe Kojima's lazy character writing.

AHAHAHAHHAHAA

[JustKampi]

C'mon, i liked it when Deadman insisted to take a shower with us.

[Zaris]

Escrito originalmente por SnakeShifter:

Calling Asian people "robotic" has a long history in anti-Asian racism

It's also not true because why should they have suicide nets outside their office buildings if they are not overstressed humans but bots?

[Avsemsom]

you have to remember kojima is from a different culture than most of us, and that japanese sort of quirky "weirdness" shows in this game sometimes. i would never call it bad or wrong, just different. it might even be beautiful.

[Rubitron 5001]

Escrito originalmente por Avsemsom:

you have to remember kojima is from a different culture than most of us, and that japanese sort of quirky "weirdness" shows in this game sometimes. i would never call it bad or wrong, just different. it might even be beautiful.

Nah, he's just a bad writer.

[Cruna]

Escrito originalmente por Rubitron 5001:

Escrito originalmente por Avsemsom:

you have to remember kojima is from a different culture than most of us, and that japanese sort of quirky "weirdness" shows in this game sometimes. i would never call it bad or wrong, just different. it might even be beautiful.

Nah, he's just a bad writer.

Yes pretty much. He's just a ridiculously bad writer. Shame though. The games are usually good and polished, just someone should keep Kojima away from being the writer of the characters and story.

It's not a "culture" thing. People should admit that he's just an awful writer, who tries to do some sort of 90's Hollywood blockbuster thing with his characters and fails miserably. It's like he was learning from the worse B grade American action movies to write a story

[Chashmodai]

Lots of cringes were had while playing this game. The writing is almost universally bad.

Escrito originalmente por Norootstomyname:

absolutely incomprehensible rant

That's legitimately hilarious. Sure, it's racism. If you don't like this game, you're a blithering racist.

[TommyEV]

Escrito originalmente por ᛁᚾᛏᛁᛘᚬᚱᛁᚾᛁ:

Lots of cringes were had while playing this game. The writing is almost universally bad.

Escrito originalmente por Norootstomyname:

absolutely incomprehensible rant

That's legitimately hilarious. Sure, it's racism. If you don't like this game, you're a blithering racist.

Why do you bother writing those huge reviews when they are so terrible? I doubt anybody reads until te end lmao

[Chashmodai]

Escrito originalmente por TommyEV:

Escrito originalmente por ᛁᚾᛏᛁᛘᚬᚱᛁᚾᛁ:

Lots of cringes were had while playing this game. The writing is almost universally bad.


That's legitimately hilarious. Sure, it's racism. If you don't like this game, you're a blithering racist.

Why do you bother writing those huge reviews when they are so terrible? I doubt anybody reads until te end lmao

It is worth it when they trigger fanboys like you

[Crowley42]

How can you badmouth kojimbo... dishonorabu... :(

[everett]

Every time I see one of these Kojima-sucks threads get necro'd I still think the same thing I always do: the man must have gotten quite a few things right if people feel compelled to complain and complain about his work for months on end. Nobody talks about garbage.