Embracing Femininity: How to Write Inspiring Female Characters

Femininity has always been depicted as villainous in society, and a big reason for that is the entertainment industry. Gaming, television, movies, film, and even news outlets create a vision of negativity surrounding feminine energy... but a daring, select few have chosen to break the mold, and offer wonderful examples of how embracing femininity can be one of the most powerful forms of expression in the world. Embracing Femininity: How to Write Inspiring Female Characters featuring Bayonetta, Regina George from Mean Girls, Wanda Maximoff the Scarlet Witch, Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, Xena Warrior Princess, Sher from Clueless, Jessica Jones, the Charmed Ones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Legend of Korra, Mary Jane from Spiderman, 2B from Nier Automata, Sharpay and Gabriella from High School Musical, The Bride from Kill Bill, Mizukage from Naruto, Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, Ripley from Alien, and more!
Writers tips, tips for writers, entertainment industry, gaming industry, problems with the industry, sagafra strike, industry strike, industry critique
Media Analysis created by Johto Jonny
#feminism #feminine #bayonetta #meangirls
Personal Experiences 00:00
Mary Jane is Bad 04:50
Lacks Individuality & Empathy 06:25
Lacks Individuality 07:55
Lacks Empathy 08:25
Lacks Power 08:38
Fluctuation of Character Flaws 10:15
Lacks None of These Character Flaws 11:10
Stemming into General Diversity 14:04
Properly Write Motherhood 14:28
Examples of Positive Femininity 16:00
Play Nier Automata 17:00
Credits:
Kirbynetta - CreativeHandle
Game Footage: Gamer’s Little Playground
Legend of Korra - Alex Papas
Spiderman - XHBunny
Mean Girls - Binge Society
Naruto Mizukage - Psycho AMV and TobitoTV
Charmed - theEnchantedArt
Jessica Jones - CBR Presents
Kill Bill , Alien - Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers
Hunger Games - Evelyn Jackson
Harry Potter - spellbooked
High School Musical - High School Musical
Xena Warrior Princess - Nostalgia NZ TV Archive
Cruella Deville - JuanDiva
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Angel - Angel Clips
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Kaouthar Darmoni speech: TEDX Talks
Emma Watson Speech: CNN
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[@johtojonny]

Let me know what you think are good examples of feminine characters down in the comments! Meanwhile, check out ANOTHER new video!: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIWmqndmadSUnLMsi=nhEJ6obXY5NdH1K_

[@UnderTheSameSun693]

There's a stigma towards strong women who own their sexuality AND femininity. That's why there's a push to masculinize strong women.

[@UnderTheSameSun693]

By the way... Women ARE cruel. It's not rare. Not as rare as you make it out to be.

[@syedarizvi7290]

I agree with everything you said and I am so happy to see male feminists like you who support women and lift them up and want to see them succeed. It honestly makes me really happy. Though, coming from the East, I feel a bit alienated by sexualising of female characters. I hope you will hear me from and let me explain. I agree that women are so much more than their bodies, their bodies do not make them who they are but their souls. We have our hopes, desires and dreams. Yes some women love being mothers and are fantastic for it, and some women do not wish to be mothers and that is perfectly ok. Some women love to be career orientated and some love home-making. Or they may be a mixture of both. Feminity comes in so many shapes and sizes. Some women prefer to live loud and proud but that does not discredit the importance of soft power. I mean to say that I may not flaunt my body but I let my actions do the talking. I can still be a great doctor (God Willing), I can still write my book, I can still stand up for myself and never let myself be oppressed (God forbid) and I can do all of that with my hijab (head scarf) on. I do not want men to see my body and sexualise me, I am a woman but I am so much more than my body, I have my own independent thoughts and motivations and it doesn't require me to undress myself. I will not judge or villainise women who wish to do so, it is their right and I won't judge them but they should also show consideration for women like me who do wish to cover up. Like I said, I can still reach my dreams God Willing. I do agree with a lot of what you said and it breaks my heart a little that being a feminist really is so difficult. Women really don't have a lot of power and autonomy over their lives. Women who don't fit a mold are very quickly outcasted and it does make me feel sad. But I still try my best and I tell myself that that is society's problem and not mine. God doesn't discriminate against me, the world does. I cover myself to please God, I don't do it because I want the approval of religious men or women, I couldn't care less. Religious people will always tell me to stay in my place and be happy about it, but I refuse. God gave me permission to live my life and I will do just that. I can't get along with everyone, not everyone will agree with me but I don't care. If I have around 10 people who can accept me as I am then that's great for me. One day I hope I can have the power and autonomy and happiness I want. God Willing.

[@petergostelow]

False framing: Men have always respected a feminine woman. Men avoid/hate conflict with women, but here we are showing women attacking men, when they in reality would almost never win, if men were expected to protect themselves. 'Feminism' masculates and sexualizes women which men hate. Feminism is the opposite of feminine. Feminism means 'to hate men and the patriarchy that protects women". What the entertainment industry has depicted as villainous in society is the married woman with three of four children. What it has promoted is gratuitous sex and violence by women as 'emancipating' Feminism. The woman's biology hasn't changed in 5 000 years, what has changed in 2000AD is society rejecting women's needs and imposing a false narrative they cannot achieve. The Gen-Z generation is destined to have 30 women out of every 100 die childless and the estimate is rising. Also, the suicide rate among 10-15 year old girls has risen 130% compared to the boys 3%. So Feminism has created a massive depression in a whole generation of women and a population disaster within 20 years. A feminine woman embraces the Patriarchy for her sanity and human survival, more important than any job or sex she can perform as a Feminist. Where are the games/films of women having kids and raising them, loving their husband and going on holiday adventures together? Not one, and yet children are the woman's power, not social, political, nor economic, but real, tangible, and productive (usually) flesh and blood power. Power to populate the world and beyond.

[@jorgiessss]

I am one for Princess Peach's femininity. The way she likes to dress up play sports and she's really kind to others really speaks to my heart overall really girly and really positive💗💗💗

[@johtojonny]

I'm really glad you find love and inspiration in her! Personally I'm not a huge peach fan but so many of my friends adore her I really think I'm missing something lol 😆

[@jorgiessss]

@@johtojonny she's been my girl since i was first introduced to her. Her iconic Pink Dress really did it for me when i was a child and the rest is herstory☺️⭐️✨

[@agent9149]

Take a good look at Sailor Moon, especially the manga. The female characters never once sacrifice their femininity and we get an assortment of different personality types. Sailor Moon herself is one of the most powerful characters, a mother, wife, and still retains her individuality and childhood aspirations while becoming mature.

[@johtojonny]

Great example! Most of the Sailor Scouts fit this bill

[@watashiwamosura]

This was such a great video! Bayonetta released when I was 17 and she really helped me to embrace my femininity and sexuality. It's always saddened me to see her misunderstood and degraded. Similarly, it's always rubbed me the wrong way to see 2B reduced to basically a walking s*x doll when the whole game is about gaining autonomy and questioning what makes us human.

[@johtojonny]

You have a great mind. Bayonetta helped me gain confidence and 2B/Nier Automata helped me gain a new perspective on life

[@ErenDenizMert]

Walking s*x doll is a bit far but i get what you are saying

[@maihongle110]

You're not going to convince anyone with that coomer design

[@TanCen8k]

@@maihongle110 is sad and pathetic how having a "c0omer design" is an excuse to belittle female characters regardless of the writing, and how that phenomena only happen (or mostly) with female characters

[@davidandre3719]

Who reduced 2B to a walking sex doll?

[@karisrahl4444]

Bayonetta is sexy, confident, feminine AND strong. I love her design.

[@johtojonny]

Literally a perfect design

[@embrasil]

You mean over sexualized to the male gaze

[@karisrahl4444]

@@embrasil In my opinion she's sexualized in a way that still retains her power. Besides, she's more popular with bi/gay people than she is with straight men.

[@embrasil]

@@karisrahl4444 Do you think she's more popular with gay men than straight men? I don't believe it, and besides, she's still the typical oversexualized female character who can only be accepted as strong if she's also wearing a swimsuit.

[@karisrahl4444]

@@embrasil She's not the BEST representation of what a confident, hot woman could be (that would probably go to characters like Lagertha/Sypha/Karlach/The Bride) but she's not striking me as a character specifically designed to appeal to the majority of men. It's hard to explain but I'm speaking from a female POV here and I just don't see the "pandering" as I'd call it, in her design, to be as prominent as that of characters like Ahri or 2B. I think of Bayonetta in the same way I think of Lady Dimitrescu. Sure, they're both very sexualized and widely thirsted after, but there's an essence of uniqueness and strength in their designs that still makes them respectable female characters. Does that make sense? I hope it does. My point is that sexualization isn't the issue at all, I'd take a fully naked character if it fits the story. It's mostly about shoehorning overly attractive same-face trash to appeal to the stupid masses.

[@feyernightblade2050]

People simply need to understand the concepts of agency and individuality and why the lack of those attributes is what causes so many female characters to be poorly written. Bayonetta and the Nier characters don't have that issue whatsoever

[@johtojonny]

My goodness you came in here with some facts and honestly I'm all here for it! Agency is an interesting attribute I didn't touch on in this so I'm happy you mentioned it. It really goes along with another person's comment about the term "femme fatale" which typically is a negative term because those characters, imo, lack agency and believability. Nice catch!

[@Amethyst_Witch3110]

While we’re talking about positive portrayals of feminine women, I’d like to give Resident Evil’s Claire Redfield a shoutout, she’s appears to be more of a tomboy at first glance, but like Bayonetta she usually finds herself looking after fellow survivors much younger than her and, rather than a maternal role, she takes on the role of a caring older sister, she has more tomboyish interests but also likes pink, is one of, if not the most caring and emotional Resident Evil characters, whether those emotions are sadness, anger or joy. This seamless blend of masculine and feminine characteristics is why she’s my favourite Resi character and one of my favourite female video game characters.

[@johtojonny]

See that's really cool how she constantly subverts expectations! That's how it should be when you write an interesting character imo

[@femalegays]

and she never ridicules more feminine women or puts down any traditionally feminine characteristics about herself. she just exists as herself, it's like almost a breath of fresh air given the bits of misogyny in the series. reminds me that giving decent writing to female characters has never been a modern thing, it just unfortunately was ignored so much before.

[@xLadyRaine]

she also slapped a politician for endangering a child in one of the cgi movies.

[@Amethyst_Witch3110]

I probably could have worded some things better in my original comment, but if it seemed like I was implying there was anything wrong with being a tomboy I promise that wasn’t my intention, tomboyish girls being insecure about their femininity or becoming more feminine and it being presented as them “fixing” themselves are tropes that I also hate. What I meant is that I thought that Claire could have been a character who played a lot of stereotypes straight but ends up subverting them, but these parts of her personality aren’t ever presented as clashing with each other or anything for her to be insecure about, where a lot of media would have made things like this into insecurities for her as a source of drama, I probably could have communicated it better though, sorry for any misunderstanding

[@fionaflop300]

Bayonetta is Not And Never will be a sl*t, she’s a badass hero and umbra witch that saved the very universe, she’s a mother, and a friend. And she does it all in heels and a KILLER fashion sense. She is a peak example of power In femininity! Thank you, for this video. The amount of times I have to defend this icon is far too much.

[@johtojonny]

If anyone gives you hell for it you can just send them this video 😆

[@Ramsey276one]

Book Cover Judgers are not too be taken seriously. I mean SERIOUSLY?! Bayonneta??

[@shizukagozen777]

You must not know Bayonetta outside of a few clips because she's NOT a mother. Currently, only one of her variants has been seen with a child.

[@fionaflop300]

@@shizukagozen777 girl and that variant is bayonetta…soooo what’s your point?

[@shizukagozen777]

@@fionaflop300 That's exactly what I said. 🙄 My point is that B1, B2 and B3 have no kids, and it's all that matters. I don't think it's too hard to understand...

[@AliceDevil7490]

It's funny just how much the raimi spiderman trilogy takes from the 90s cartoon specifically, yet Mary Jane in these movies has almost nothing from that shows version of her.

[@johtojonny]

I've noticed it as a trend with his works. Look at Dr Strange 2. He took a "romantic interest" that was hardly touched on in the first film and turned her into the mc's main motivation in 2. On top of that he, of course, made her a damsel for the sake of artificially raising the stakes. Unreal

[@jeremyknight9980]

The stigma that attractive women face simply for looking or acting feminine is one of the reasons why I want to write a series about attractive witches who desire to liberate humans who are oppressed. I create a lot of strong female characters who seem evil but their hearts are in the right place, I write them as audios for asmr.

[@johtojonny]

A great idea! So long as proper depth and realistic flaws are given to them I have no doubt it'll be a great write!

[@sugarzblossom8168]

That's like me but opposite. The hate I see around female characters not being attractive or feminine or male characters being more creative when it comes to alien/monstrous, creepy, disgusting, old and etc design is why I want to wrote books with characters like that or create comics where female characters will be unconventionally attractive and look different from a human woman if they were a monster or alien. But of course I am not going to make that the focus of all my works some won't be amd some will

[@johtojonny]

@@sugarzblossom8168 subverting expectations is a great way to go

[@sugarzblossom8168]

@@johtojonny thank you so much. It is nice to see some encouragement

[@johtojonny]

@@sugarzblossom8168 it really is a great idea!

[@quehay45]

The Bayonetta main trilogy's writing is fine for a series of games that are about over-the-top action and satire comedy with some hidden deep themes here and there. But I consider Bayonetta Origins the best-written game Kamiya and his pals have released since the first Nier and MGR (Been a fan of theirs since the original RE2). Although I'm cheating a bit by including Taro's works before he got to work with Platinum Games. Origins is a female empowerment title that gets often overlooked, despite having a really good narrative. In the end, I think most of us can agree that Bayonetta is among the action protagonists that best represents femininity in such a positive light. And across multiple games.

[@johtojonny]

Oh I agree wholeheartedly! She's always been an icon of female empowerment but Origins shows in so much detail how hard it was for her to get there. And we still don't even have her full story!

[@BondforgedSky]

This was a great video. As a queer person, I always have felt the most inspired and impowered by female characters, especially those who display femineity as a strength. Bayonetta, Wanda, basically every Disney princess, the women from Black Panther, Pyra/Mythra, The Golden Girls, and several anime waifus are among some of my role models and give me a lot of comfort. Showcasing the power of femineity ( regardless of one's gender identity ) is very important, and I'm glad we're seeing that idea become more popular with stuff like drag ( which doesn't always have to be feminine drag ) and the recent Barbie film.

[@johtojonny]

The Barbie film specifically I think has sparked or will spark a revitalization in feminine representation but time will tell! All your examples were great, too!

[@andreaguzman4885]

One thing I find interesting is women's relationship with femininity. I feel like unlike guys (I'm not one, so sorry if I'm wrong) Being masculine is seen as the goal, and being unmasculine is seen in society as a flaw or weakness. Meanwhile, for girls growing up, there's a fight they see in society between being taken seriously or being feminine. Since a lot of examples mentioned how women have to present themselves as men to fit in their world, which is frustrating if it means giving up a part of yourself. Meanwhile, those who embrace femininity usually ending up giving up being seen as anything other than girls, mothers, wives and such, giving up parts of themselves like ambition and such. I remember growing up and liking feminine things, loving them even. But since I grew up in a patriarchal society, along with movies that glorified tomboy or "not like other girls" characters and saw all feminine women as whinny, cruel and villains. There was a part of me that rejected being feminine and even at some point being a woman. Dressing as a boy, making fun of romantic or cute things, and such. And that also made me feel more taken seriously by my peers and the grown-ups. Which I so far have grown out of, and I feel comfortable wearing both skirts and liking overly cutesy things and romance. In my case, reconnecting with femininity made me feel empowered, but for my sister it was embracing her androgyny and not acting or being overly feminine, not being forced to be feminine just because she is a woman, and while she does like feminine things, she feels empowered by being more in between genders. Just something I thought while watching the video.

[@magmaspacer1967]

What exactly is being feminine? How do you define it? Because Bayonetta flaunting herself or being very visually expressive the way she is can be done by a male in some regards as well. I’m rather confused about the whole subject really

[@twolve156thethird]

Crazy you said that nier is also very philosophical because the other day i had a breakthrough with bayonetta while speaking to my brother. It has alot of deep undertones that talks about not only what it means to be human but also spirituality as a whole. So i definitely felt that when you said someone you know described her as sl*t. Yes bayonetta is flashy on the outside but even her flashiness shares a deeper meaning of trying to be comfortable in your own skin and be your own individual. Lmaoo i know this comment is getting long but i wanted to say as always thank you for the amazing content and the eye opening dialogue. I appreciate how deep you go into the videos you make and i cant wait for more. Many blessings and have a good day

[@johtojonny]

100%! A lot of people write things off ignorantly and (even worse) turn around and consume sub par content instead. So glad you enjoyed the video and could relate!

[@cadencek3576]

For myself, I like to make feminine characters who are competent in battle and are beautiful while battling. They are also often princesses. Though I like making androgynous characters as well. I used to think I had to make my characters less feminine to make them suit the environment they are in. Practical and effective you could say. But it is more fun to make my characters attractive and feminine if that’s what I want.

[@johtojonny]

I think that's wonderful

[@Novice9241]

….There are certain female characters I’ve seen who look the part of ”I got a lot of strength in this body”, and yet have feminine reactions to certain things. Those are fun too.

[@user-ct4oj3ic1g]

How could you forget about Lara Croft, Morrigan Aensland, Ellie Woods (Legally Blonde) and Azula.

[@johtojonny]

Perhaps they'd be too obvious 😛😉 jk jk

[@shizukagozen777]

Morrigan !!! 😍

[@magdieljmc]

I've always preferred female characters over male characters, having met Lara Croft back in the 00's and falling in love with how strong, capable, independent she was. I think that "if a female can be this awesome, why can't I as guy?" (that thought comes from a very self-concious, doubtful guy). Maybe because of the stigma women have endured over the decades it is more appealing (to me) to watch a female character develop and show off her strength to endure and overcome the obstacles they face during their journeys to reach the goal at hand or just become a better, stronger version of themselves. Would have been great to have you talking about Lara on this video, but I do appreciate all the mentions you made, specially Bayonetta 🤩 I was nervous about this (delicate) topic, but you made a great work with the script 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@johtojonny]

Wow thank you for the glowing words! I agree with everything you said. For Lara, I actually view her to be especially difficult to talk about so I'm glad you and a few others are mentioning her in the comments

[@shizukagozen777]

Yeah, but the OG Lara Croft, not that new abomination. Lol

[@antonyetta-]

Im huge fan of the femme fatale archetype, powerful figures that use they femininely as part of they power or to enhance they power. Bayonetta it's my favorite videogame character.

[@johtojonny]

Taste 😍👌

[@theghostofumarskoolishere.4632]

I like bayonetta too but all female characters are feminine men need to stop associate stern with masculine it’s very tiring. It seems like ppl only think it’s feminine if she’s doing something that society stereotypes as feminine

[@seanandwhatever]

*"She's sexy and she knows it! Strong and beautiful too, this gal isn't afraid to use her body to get what she wants!"* The femme fatale has always left me feeling mixed. I've liked the women in those roles. I just never liked how the role regards them. It's so ingrained in our culture, even being used to describe Bayonetta herself. A sentiment that I can't help but disagree with. Because do you ever think about what being that woman is like? She has needed to use everything to get by-to stay on top of the competition. What lessons did society teach her to get to this point? Are there any said women would need to unlearn? How does she see herself? She's sexy, she knows it. But how does she feel about it? Are there any regrets and sorrows in her eyes? If the trope's origins are anything to go by, we may never know. Unless if they're subverted in very specific examples. Because the big screen wasn't initially made with *her* story in mind. I guess it all traces back to how demonized hyperfemininity was in the past. I found your video very enlightening. These are all simply things I wanted to add. Thank you.

[@johtojonny]

Exactly. Imo, the term femme fatale is inherently negative because it already attaches the word feminine to a deathly connotation. Like you said, when this trope is made it seems like the creator doesn't think too hard of how that character could have gotten to that point. That's another reason Bayonetta is so positive, because as I mentioned in this video, she literally subverts the expectation that she's a femme fatale when they reveal she didn't kill Luka's father

[@johtojonny]

I also want to point out I don't think Bayonetta's DESIGN is inherently sexualized, it's her actions that are. And that's why it's so much easier to take her seriously than other examples of women in skin tight outfits

[@jiggerblayne]

i wish power wasn't nearly always tied to the physical, strong female characters don't have to get into a brawl to be strong. You can have a strong character that's confident, or very smart or just very charismatic and funny. I do like bad ass ladies too but its just all people seem to talk about then strong female characters get brought up.

[@johtojonny]

Very true! Even more of a brain exercise to think of female characters who don't fight on top of having power, empathy, and individuality

[@paularoth4915]

You left out one of the most important aspect, in my humble female opinion: The (over-) sexualisation. Yes, Media often portrays femininity as something bad. Totally agree. Feminine girls are portrayed as shallow, dumb, on the look for boyfriends. As evil, als rivals, as the bad example. Strong women are portayed as boyish and do not embrace their femininity at all, on the contrary: they are 'not like other girls', for example most YA fiction protagonists who don't care about clothing and make up and boys, but get a boyfriend in the end anyway. (Video rec: The Book Leo has a video about the "not like other girls" trope in YA novels) So, having strong female leads who are feminine AND strong, independent, yet empathetic and caring, etc., is incredibly important, and the way you make it sound, that video game character is a great example of that. (Especially with her becoming a mother and still being a bad bitch.) But the problem for me arises when female warriors are dressed in bikinis made of metal as armour, or are wearing highheels in battle, while their male counterparts get more realistic, actually protective armour. It just oversexualizes girls and everything we do all over again, and while showing femininity and body confidence, it puts it in a sexual context. Feminity is apparently only good, only interesting to the viewer, only strong if it is also sexual. Women fighting in literal bathing suits and high heels has ALWAYS disturbed the fuck out of me. Female characters should be allowed to be feminine and strong without being sexy and sexualized (maybe ever for being strong warriors). I just can't agree with a man talking about strong female characters and them embracing their femininity when he doesn't acknowlede the over-sexualisation of them AT ALL, the strong male gaze on all of these characters. Women should be allowed to be strong, feminine and yet not sexualized in media. Embracing femininity DOES NOT EQUAL being sexy and hot and lightly dressed and womens butts and panties being the focus of a fucking shot. PERIOD. (Edit: typos lol)

[@johtojonny]

Hi! Wow thank you for this detailed response! That's actually a SEPARATE video topic I'm working on! Don't worry I'm very aware of how some characters really are made impractically... er... h*rny looking 💀 and how and why those portrayals come off the way they do vs some other portrayals where a scantily clad woman actually doesn't come off as such

[@paularoth4915]

@@johtojonny Nice! I'll be excited to watch that when it comes out :D

[@johtojonny]

@@paularoth4915 awesome! 😁 so glad!

[@lukeskywalkerthe2nd773]

@paularoth4915 As I man myself I very much agree!

[@nocturnalis4885]

In my opinion, thinking Bayonetta as a mother is not looking at a traditional role women must stick to, but is one of the stages a woman can choose to go through, also referring to the figue of Goddess Hekate, Maiden, Mother, Crone. And as mentioned in the video, being a mother doesn't mean erasing yourself for another living being, but keeping your own individuality, which is by a mile more encouraging then not mentioning it at all, as it is spreading a message of positive motherhood

[@johtojonny]

And I absolutely love that

[@nocturnalis4885]

So glad you noticed my comment! Have a good day 😄@@johtojonny

[@TheDucky101]

Great study on femininity. Its interesting that many people associate feminism as anti male when thats not it at all, it's pro female and even men can be feminist. It's not that most women want to take the role of a man, they dont want to be treated lesser than just because they are a woman. One of my, and probably most, favorite female characters has got to be Lara Croft

[@johtojonny]

Precisely! Saying femininity is anti male is just propaganda designed to keep people divided. Luckily a lot of us see through it. Lara Croft is awesome. What's your favorite iteration of her?

[@amtoni6850]

I really used to think Bayonetta was just what you first said she was, but thank you for changing my perspective on the matter

[@johtojonny]

Oh boy then I'm SO glad I got to help open your eyes towards her!

[@KuriaruisBetterThanU]

i've always felt connected to female characters in media more often despite not being female (though very much feminine presenting), and being able to see them in such empowering roles like in Bayonetta has always made me feel very cool and very happy I really love it when female characters are able to shine and have the spotlight and i remember the second i saw bayonetta in smash bros i was like 'i think i might like her' i've played all 3 games at least 3 times each now and i can confirm i might just like her

[@johtojonny]

See this is what sets a character like her apart. There's an allure beyond the visuals. It's her personality. And once you play her games... her depth. She's so multifaceted. That is how characters should be written. To subvert expectations in fun and/or surprising ways that send a message

[@KuriaruisBetterThanU]

@@johtojonny actually the main allure for me was her hairstyle LSKFMDG but true

[@johtojonny]

@@KuriaruisBetterThanU I loved it too! Very librarian

[@Sionnachuigim]

The way people think bayonetta is a "slutty disgusting feminist nightmare " is so hilariously wrong. Shes such an amazing character and women/men who think empowered sexuality is a bad thing

[@johtojonny]

Yup, it's the people who fall for propaganda

[@fruitschinposamuraig7129]

A character trope that I absolutely love (if done correctly) is femme fatale. Ain't nothing wrong with using feminine charms/sexiness to your advantage. Ada Wong from Resident Evil is one of my favourite.

[@shizukagozen777]

That's so funny because I absolutely HATE Ada "WRONG" and I think she's too much of a b¡7ch to belong here. 😅😂😂

[@zuzukram]

Live laugh ada wong

[@yunidai16]

Bayonetta's line from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate "If you want to learn how to talk to a lady, ask your mum."

[@Lilas.Duveteux]

By experienced, most popular girls at my school were actually pretty sweet and academically successful. Popularity was dictated by things such as yes looks, but also participation in school politics, sports and other parascholar activities, as well as charisma and generosity. Being a cadet also helped. Like, the vast majority of teenagers are not crazy masochist who'll blindly follow someone who's both mean-spirited and shallow. My high school had it's mean girls similar to the stereotype, but they weren't popular. Because the vast majority of teenagers do not worship the ground of people who are mean to them.

[@astriddavir8937]

This was fantastic, I am always nervous when going to watch a video about women and femininity in media but I clearly had no reason to worry here at all! This was both well researched and well written, and I will probably end up watching it again. I think it is great to look at the topic of femininity, as you are absolutely right it is so demonised and hated that I can remember not liking dresses and the colour pink as a little girl because I understood that pink and femininity was bad somehow and that was my way of distancing myself from it. Then as I grew up I had to learn how naive that was because the bad thing wasn't objectively the colour pink and a dress, it was the femininity associated with them, which is wild when you think about it 😂. I now try to not automatically reject pink clothes and I'm gonna redouble my efforts after this! This has really made me try to think of female characters who are 'girly' or very feminine who are one of the good team and have power that is of any significance, and they are really hard to find. I'm going to make a more concerted effort to try to support these characters when I find them! I love characters who are both feminine and strong, these things don't exist as opposites. Also I may have to see if I can get the Bayonetta games now that I've seen such a good recommendation for them! Sorry for such a long comment. I'll just say again that this was a great video and I look forward to seeing more!

[@johtojonny]

Comment of the day right here! So glad I could spark some awareness for you. These kinds of characters really are hard to find and I'm really glad I was able to do the topic justice!

[@Val17282]

Its sucks how many see 2B as just another waifu girl, but can't help but partially blame Square Enix for basically marketing her as one in many crossover collabs in another games

[@johtojonny]

Agreed. Though I do know they purposely marketed Nier Automata in general as something completely different from what it is

[@Quilly-Sammy]

Princess Peach, Zelda, Rosalina, Daisy, Amy Rose, and Bayonetta. Beautiful girls who inspired me and my own female characters ever since I was a little girl and helped me embrace all the feminine traits that my mom had passed down to me. Plus, who does love a classic sword wielding princess who swooshes her poofy skirt while dancing with a sword to escape her castle?

[@nameandaddresswithheld1890]

Bayonetta admits she doesn't normally play the role of the savior. She sees the concerns of mortals as inconsequential.

[@johtojonny]

She grew to play savior

[@joeyjose727]

Some of your best work methinks!

[@johtojonny]

Ayye thank youu! I worked hard on this and the other backlog of vids I have ready to release! So glad you like it! I hope you continue to love all the rest of my uploads 😁

[@JamesTaylor-oh1sd]

I'm an aspiring writer who wants to write female characters the right way. It is extremely difficult to pinpoint what others want to see in women in media because of drastic changes in political opinions or ideas. I am so happy I found this unbelievably helpful video on female characters. My first video of yours has been a great experience, so I look forward to checking out more of your content!

[@johtojonny]

What a coincidence for both of us 😁 so happy this can help! I look forward to seeing your work in action

[@TeaTimeTable]

Start with Japanese designed characters not "Western" Street fighter Women all have unique personalities and they fight - Resident evil is good, if you want powerful but sexy women Bayonetta, Revy from black lagoon, Any of the girls from "avatar the last airbender" also make for good role models for younger girls the list goes on

[@DemonicRemption]

@JamesTaylor-oh1sd As a writer myself who's been writing female characters since I was 15,(I turn 35 on the 29th of this month) I've drawn from the women I've known. This helped write characters that while in some cases tenacious, intrepid to the call of adventure are still compassionate and feminine. Of which being isolated has damaged that aspect of my writing a little...

[@naniyotaka]

Just writing compelling characters that feel real. There is serious no secret to write good female characters because they just have to be good characters… as for what they wear, well whatever an average woman would wear.

[@JamesTaylor-oh1sd]

@@johtojonny I appreciate that! Great evaluation of female characters!

[@ejcage]

Really cool video, Jonny! I can tell you put a lot of heart and soul into this, and I think it's great. One thing this is making me think about is how I definitely find it a shame when some writers seem to think that making a female character be strong has to include her rejecting stereotypical femininity. I mean, female heroes can be strong, independent, and intelligent without having to make comments about how much they hate dresses! Obviously, that's a fine character trait to have, as femininity isn't required, but when you're trying to put it into a context of "look, she's a tomboy! she's so badass!", you just end up perpetuating a stereotype that "girly girls" CAN'T be badass, hence why those hyper-feminine characters get reduced to their looks (like 2B from Nier) more often than the more androgynous ones (like Ellie from The Last of Us). So yes, it is always very nice to see instances of super feminine characters being outspoken, strong, and smart but still friendly and loving, like, say, Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. Since, as you said, a lot of strong and feminine female characters are unfortunately villainized, but Elle is a total sweetheart! I wish more writers were willing to make characters like that. It's especially lacking in the action genre. Anyway, thanks for the video! I'm really looking forward to seeing what other topics you tackle next!

[@johtojonny]

Elle Woods is a wonderful example! I'll admit I haven't seen the legally blonde movies in a LONG time but I do remember the first movie literally being about her lacking individuality and she ends up finding it in the end!

[@chiefcartier674]

I love how the Mizukage is in the thumbnail 😍

[@johtojonny]

She's such a great example of a well written, feminine character!

[@angelant96]

I kid you not, this is probably my favorite video you’ve ever posted. Keep it up!

[@johtojonny]

Omg that makes me so happy to hear! I really enjoyed making this and the rest of my new projects within this lineup! You can expect them all to be similar to this from here on out 😁

[@bridgettelair370]

I want to give a shout out to Princess Tutu and all the other magical girl animes that made being super girly look amazing, I might not be super girly all the time but I've never been against makeup or dresses. It was kind of sad when a girl in my feminist art history class seemed so proud to not shave and looked down on makeup, there's nothing wrong with wanting to look nicer and have smooth skin and those things aren't even exclusively for women. But seriously give Princess Tutu a try, it might seem too simple at first but there's a lot of layers underneath I promise.

[@johtojonny]

I'll have to check it out! I do very much remember loving all the Sailor Moon transformations 😆 and how they embraced their feminity to literally become more powerful

[@1rkhachatryan]

So I'm torn on female characters in videogames. More often than not, they are dressed sexy for guys to gawk at while playing and I hate that. Especially if it makes no sense in the context of the game, like why am I fighting people in booty shorts with my tits jiggling in the wind. I think of good example of how to do it right was Lara in the recent Tomb Raider Reboot. Yes she was still beautiful but she was actually dressed for going on an adventure and it made her so much more relatable to me. I personally prefer it when women in videogames are portrayed with their femininity through their actions and personality, not through their body and clothing. Unless they are specifically written and created by women to be like that, then go for it because at that point they aren't a males skewed portrayal of a woman and will probably have more nuance to it.

[@johtojonny]

Precisely! There's a difference between the female characters being sexualized out of pocket while acting aloof, vs a character that carries their attributes with confidence as if THEY'RE the one withholding those aspects of themselves from the viewer/player

[@Ixbran]

I also want to add onto the fact this is also an issue for men who enjoy traditionally feminine things. Little boys who enjoy baking or love magical girl anime as a power fantasy, rather than bike/skateboard or idolize macular super heroes. Boys and men who enjoy traditionally feminine things are stigmatized as much, if not more so than women do because we get branded as "traitors" or "weak" for liking those things. Steven Universe is a prime example as a show staring a male protagonist who idolized powerful women and wants to be just like them, while still being a cis white boy. He loves gardening, making, dressing up in skirts and singing, and has no issues with expressing his feelings or trying ro get others to open up to him. His powers are also defensive and healing in nature, as opposed to being super destructive and brute-force driven like other super boy shows from CN like Finn, Ben Ten, or Generator Rex. But he is constantly mocked and the show made-fun of by people threatened by him being non-traditionally masculine.

[@katarinalavoie6476]

I love this analysis. Bayonetta is an icon and role model for me. Even if someone may say she's just a video game character, that character portrays many positive qualities to have. She's confident and determined. She knows her worth and doesn't take stuff laying down and embraces her femininity which I applaud because nowadays in media there are sadly less representations of that. Most strong women are in thay typical girl boss age which that has aged poorly. Or they're just mary sue characters with all power for no reason and no flaws which is dull.

[@johtojonny]

She's a role model for me too and so much more than just a character

[@katarinalavoie6476]

@@johtojonny exactly 💯 👏

[@sharzinlalebazri5673]

Bro, Bayonetta is basically female Dante. Are people gonna rob themselves of the magnificent experience that is the DMC series just because Dante is sexy as all hell and doesn't wear a shirt in the third game? No? Then why can't Bayo get the same courtesy?

[@TylerTour]

I'm a mildly effeminate gay man and a non-radical feminist. Bayonetta is one of my fictional heroes.

[@natethejay]

WOW this was eye opening and extremely well written. Underrated video and channel, what the heck! So glad you mentioned iconic characters like Buffy and THANK YOU for calling out Mary Jane! I thought the same exact thing when I rewatched the movies 😂

[@johtojonny]

TASTE! 😁👌 and yeah I'm REALLY hoping this video grows over time. If you have anyone to share it with, please do!

[@natethejay]

​@@johtojonnyOH that's a great idea! I'll do that and tell them to share it around too! Also subbed, liked the video, and watched all the way through so there's that 😎

[@johtojonny]

Wow that's literally so perfect THANK YOUU! 😆

[@Gemini053]

Storm and Starfire are two of my faves because they remind me so much of one another. They have individuality and agency over their bodies and sexuality. They’re also emotionally intelligent, amazing leaders and warriors to boot. EDIT - Fujiko Mine is another one of my favorite female characters. She’s a femme fatale but despite the audience not knowing what went down within her childhood (whether it be bad or good) she NEVER uses it as an excuse for her being a killer, a thief, a liar or a manipulator she’ll simply tell you. “My name is Fujiko Mine; a woman who’s only loyal to her desires.”

[@victorrosenheart8036]

We disagree on a great deal of things I would imagine politically, however, I am thankfully we can agree on this. Femininity is being actively oppressed in media these days.

[@kurooaisu]

I enjoy characters who lack on power. Characters like this usually have some set of skills that can overcome their powerlessness (like Shinobu from Demon Slayer) or have other qualities that can make up their lack of physical strength, for example, bravery in face of danger (like Lois Lane or the aforementioned Ellen Ripley), sharp wit (like Veronica Mars), or a big heart (basically the activist type of characters). After all, who doesn't like stories where underdogs win?

[@Trisred]

This reminds me the way people constinely shit on classic/90’s Lara Croft by solely frame her has a sex object when she's way more than that. She had attitude, agency, was slightly arrogant, sarcastic, sassy and classy while being overly feminine. She wasn’t here to prove anything or anybody point, she was just playing for sport and having fun in her over the top adventures. But, apparently, that doesn't matter because she had huge tits and wore shorts, which automatically made her evil I guess...

[@johtojonny]

Yeah I never have and never will understand people's criticisms of her

[@Ramsey276one]

And THOSE were an accident! XD

[@shizukagozen777]

What ?? OG Lara is the best ! 😨

[@jadebayoba7073]

I will never stop talking abt how Zero and Kainé are also oerfect examples of femeninity, and GREAT women, Zero is messed up af yes but she STILL had characteristics of a strong and willed woman who can and WILL do what she wants bc SHE CAN Mitsuru Kirijo, literally beign the mother of the group but at the same time the most badass member of the S.E.E.S team, how even the FeMC, Kotone Shiomi, still portrays how majority of teenager women feel when they meet hardships on live As you said, NieR:Autonata really gave me a struck on humanity as a subject as in "what's MAKES us human, what IS a human, and WHAT am i" it makes you question "who, who am i?", and you begin backtracking through everything you did and you end up with your very own reply, its just, weird but at the same time, magical, bc the biggest question to humanity is "what is the point of life and WHAT is a human?" Its so, weird

[@monty2828]

Loved this video! For me, Juliet Starling from Lollipop Chainsaw is one of my favourite portayals of femininity, she blends girly cheerleading and rainbows and sparkles with bloody chainsaw zombie slaying 😝

[@derrickdaniels3955]

Samus Aran. She's one of the earliest icons of female heroes in gaming and has come to be beloved by many because of her strong character. She's selfless, determined, silent badass, gets shit done all on her own and has achieved many feats with virtually no help. A big reason why Other M was hated was because it was basically charater assassination, as alot of the aforementioned character traits I mentioned were subverted, I had no idea who I was playing as. Thankfully they fixed this in Dread.

[@johtojonny]

I love love love Samus

[@veryyelloo4130]

My problem with "strong feminine practically nude" video game women is that they are MADE. Twist it how you want, they are still made, most often for the male gaze. They have no agency. Women in real life should wear whatever they want but in video games or shows it feels like the only way to show that a woman is strong is to wear bikinis. Granted, it is not always like that.

[@cyntia9889]

Exactly what puts me off about them. Female characters have been made to wear revealing clothes ever since videogame's graphics allowed it, they're scarce as videogame's protagonists and the fact that they are made to wear sexy/skimpy/impractical clothing is just baffling. A real woman would NEVER choose to wear a tube top with a mini skirt to fight zombies, but Jill has to fill the sex-appeal quota in order to be a main character apparently... of course, it doesn't apply to all. There's a whole generation of women who love videogames and grew up watching how their gender gets represented as sexy; the very few times the characters we can actually relate to are important (or somewhat important) within a vieogame we got done dirty like that. A perspective I wasn't expecting to see in the video, and so it wasn't mentioned because it's solely female. Imagine being a kid playing whatever fighting game and they only ones your same gender are spoting thongs and elaborated bikinis. I've played cyberpunk 2 times and both runs with female characters, in both ocasions I found myself wanting to have my character wear more revealing clothes (ironic, Ik) to suit the whole vibe of the game but sadly there's little one can do about it without mods (I'm not the only woman who wants this in cyberpunk btw), however that made me realize that the problem is not what a female character wears per-se but wheter the player is forced to deal with how the developers decided to present her (even if it's a matter of the character's 'individuality' as the video expreses) or not.

[@cius2112]

​@@cyntia9889 you say all that but then yall are half naked at the gym for no reason. yall can't just wear sweat pants and a the to the gym? also clearly you don't play fighting games.

[@cyntia9889]

@@cius2112 I'll remind you NOT everybody chooses to wear the same, just like me a bunch of women wear modest clothing and anyway whatever a real woman wears is HER CHOICE, because unlike a character she DOES have agency and therefore her image is a result of ACTUAL individuality. Funny how you seem to applaud a character's "individuality" by showing skin but bitch about it when real women do it... As for fighting games I'm aware what I said doesn't apply to literally every character, but there's always an example that could back it up.

[@mchjsosde]

I totally agree!

[@mchjsosde]

@@cius2112 "no reason" do we need to defend our clothing choices now? why? men are also half naked at the gym mind you.

[@shatyrajones494]

I recommended a game called 'Child of Light' to customer at Game Stop because they asked about unique indie games. As soon as I mentioned the main character, Princess Aurora, they interrupted me and said "Ugh! Do you have anything that isn't girls?". I paused, looked him dead in his eyes and said "Looks like you don't need my help, take as long as you need to look around". He didn't buy anything and left shortly after

[@johtojonny]

That's a shame cuz that game is awesome! I've played through it twice

[@shatyrajones494]

@JohtoJonnyYT It's his loss 😌 some of the most thought-provoking and nuance games feature fem coded characters

[@JustinW332]

I know Amy Rose often gets a bad rap because different writers have portrayed her in so many different and often stereotypical ways but I really liked her portrayal in Sonic Adventure where she broke from her fan girl archetype and goes on her own adventure to save a baby bird and learned she didn't need to be attached to Sonic's hip to find adventure. But she still had her femininity and used her empathy to get through to one of the robots who turns out wasn't so bad. I do wish they kept her character going in that direction but continuity in Sonic is mostly non-existent. I also found Lara Croft inspiring because she was an unapologetically feminine woman protagonist in a male dominated industry but she's interesting because in the old days, you actually had to play her games to get the full picture of who she was because so many outlets and things were saying different objectifying things about her looks or whatever and not much about her as a character. Which is sad. The marketing probably didn't help. From the six games I played back then, I saw that she loved what she did but she had her own values she wouldn't compromise on like not treasure hunting for pay cuz that's like leisure time for her. She has friends who assist her occasionally but she's still fully independent. I could relate a lot to her lone wolf attitude.

[@theanonymousme6015]

Honestly I agree about the 2B part, I was in a argument with an internet stranger about feminine sexuality in Nier (Replicant and Automata), I was frustrated and told my boyfriend for his thoughts He never actually played the game but I insisted that he watch me play it, his thoughts where that 2B and A2 where pretty mild unless you go looking for it by self destructing, and the only time it's forced is when you're on the ladder where the camera looks up 90 degrees In Kaine's case he's pretty accepting of what she's wearing because of her upbringing

[@johtojonny]

Once people actually play the game or see it in personal action they usually don't view the characters as sexualized or over the top anymore cuz the game gives so much more to focus on. Important things Also apparently Kaine is trans which is cool

[@theanonymousme6015]

@JohtoJonnyYT agreed, and you're wrong about Kaine she's actually intersex and was bullied for it, her dressing the way she does is her taking back her femininity and being comfortable in her own skin, which is SUCH a powerful statement that I love so much

[@johtojonny]

@@theanonymousme6015 omg you're right I totally swapped the two in my mind! I feel awful 😭 thanks for correcting me

[@theanonymousme6015]

@@johtojonny it's alright, you're good 😭

[@johtojonny]

@@theanonymousme6015 I blame the discourse that's been going on lately 😅

[@katelynsewell3928]

Yo yo yo Jonny! This was an amazing topic you picked for your return to KZbin and this is so going to help many aspiring writers with how to do female characters right! One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to fiction is when women are just housewives, trophies to be won over and damsels in distress! It bugs me so much and it really makes me want to play Bayonetta 1 already! My birthday is coming this December and I’m hoping to grab it alongside TemTem! Also sorry I disappeared from that thread. I felt like I was bugging you to no end over my venting and TemTem this and Ooblets that hence why I deleted it. Sorry. And don’t worry I went back to Legends Arceus and I’m having fun with it! Maybe I will find your satchel someday! Ok thanks and have a great day! ❤

[@johtojonny]

You have such a great mind! Women deserve more than what they get representation-wise. It's definitely on purpose by the writers, but it sucks that we continue to let it happen. Hopefully we speed up progress on these fronts with our generations growing up! Also you never annoy me so no worries. I enjoy our conversations a lot!

[@Mio_kakit]

When I tell you B3 made me cry so much… it was my first bayonetta game after watching my favorite creators play 1 + 2. I love everything they did with it and the story + amazing cinematics. I am excited to see what they do with her daughter in the next games

[@IATEALLTHECHEESE]

A positive feminine figure in something I've watched recently is Sidney Prescott from Scream (have only seen the og) she completely breaks and reshapes the final girl trope, especially in the last scene and final showdown. There's also another female character (the reporter) who comes off as a 'mean girl' type character, yet she ends up being helpful in the end.

[@vanpirebaby]

great video i remember growing up watch hyper feminine characters like cat woman and lola bunny from space jam and wanting to be like them because they were beautiful and strong in their own right i looked up to them

[@emperortrevornorton3119]

You know what was nice about the 90's to some point in 2010's is characters were beautiful and strong

[@johtojonny]

I agree I feel like the trend came and went so fast

[@tatlxtael2303]

IM so happy youbrought up her motherly story arc becuase it really happened

[@solitonmedic]

The girls from the Resident Evil series are pretty great Jill, Rebecca, Claire, Ada and even older Sherry Birkin are great as they battle against bioterrorism Especially Jill in the newest movie, Dead Island

[@MisfitJetta-du8rg]

Wonderful video! Def taking notes for my female OC’s.

[@BahuschBahusch]

Very interesting topic that I have asked myself a few times already. As a story writer it's definetely something I want to keep in mind when writing female characters.

[@johtojonny]

Awesome I really hope this helps 🙏 keep up the good work! And keep an eye out for some more videos I'll be putting out for do's and don'ts in the future if you'd like!

[@gos_707]

For the most part, writing a female character that I want to bring into another room to film, media etc. But this video truly impactful to what you point on characters as flaws yes, we have a flaws number what is the problems that gets stronger. There’s a balance of un-perfect to being greater. The point to Bayonetta having to look doesn’t mean it’s a woman with a sexy body, no. It’s about the character picture nice themselves into the world that they do. And what they accomplish for and she knows her self. Just second characters, they know themselves , and sometimes they try to find themselves, but they are learning growth. What do you want to do. Your video is very fantastic, and create analyze. I will save it for to remind myself, ‘wait Bayonetta is cool, cause she’s a bad ass character’

[@RKStone]

Another excellent video! All very solid points too! (Also I love that non-stick joke haha 😅)

[@johtojonny]

NON STICK PANS DON'T WORK IT'S NO JOKE 😆

[@RKStone]

I KNOW THAT'S WHY IT'S FUNNY TO ME! 🤣🤣

[@johtojonny]

@@RKStone 😆😆😆

[@3Diana]

Sorry but what you said about Regina not being realistic in the sense that she's too mean... boy... you have no idea. She's universally regarded to as a great character cause she fits into our collective feminine experience so greatly, just like with Jennifer's Body, there's a toxicity there we've either seen or experienced that seems to still not register too much into the male world. Girl is LESS mean that multiple mean girls I've had in my school. One of the pitfalls of making a video like this from a male perspective I guess. Still good video tho 💖

[@Sionnachuigim]

The bride in kill Bill had empathy. She didn't even want to kill the first woman infront of her kid.

[@aiza_zest0952]

Even tho if I haven't played Bayonetta, I already fell inlove with the game! And she gave me confidence which is very positive as a woman! I love her so much!! 💖💖💖

[@the7569]

This is genuinely such a good video

[@johtojonny]

Thank you! I was really hope to make a video that made people say exactly that so I'm really happy to have hit the mark! You made my day 😁

[@aarohunter_8718]

Bayonetta is one of if not my favorite character in gaming, she is unapologetically herself and nobody will stop that.

[@pain.incarnate]

Bayonetta is a good use of sexualization because the game itself is campy and satrical. I have not played Nier Automata but it seems like 2B is in a similar boat to Quiet from MSGV, a game that is trying to take itself and its characters seriously while someone is wearing an overly ridiculous outfit. The problem seems much worse in MSGV because almost all the characters are dressed in practical clothing (excluding quiet and female skulls), while in Nier everyone is wearing an impractical fashionable anime outfit so it doesn't seem that out of place. Even if 2Bs outfit doesn't seem strange in the world of Nier, I understand why it is off putting to potential players.

[@plodimsocks]

Can I raise Morticia Adams from the first movie as someone of peak power and feminity

[@yassinefarah2423]

Female characters that i like are Estelle from Tales of Vesperia and Kaine from Nier Replicant, one is a naive altruist of nobility and other is a cursed outcast that perseveres despite being shunned by many. I also think that Kaine's design makes sense when you understand her past, since she was born intersex she faced such extreme discrimination that she isn't regarded as a person or a woman just a halfbreed thus she wears lingerie not only as a defiance to the people that despise her but also as an expression of embracing her own femininity in a body that is intersex and half possessed.

[@user-zj4og2gx1r]

thank you so much for this video❤

[@zabirdy181]

I really enjoyed Bones from Bones (Lol) not only was she very obviously and blunty neurodivergent, she was also a strong, intelligent woman with an identity set in stone while at the same time retaining and embracing her femininity, becoming a mother and a wife never made her any less than she was, in fact, it accentuated her character even more, showing more facets of herself (I think it humanized her a little, even, given how logically driven she is and how much of a genius she is in her field) I never got tired of her, in and out of the lab/uniform, being an extremelly profesional agent or spending time with her daughter and husband, she's amazing

[@nameandaddresswithheld1890]

High school mean girls are absolutely a real thing. You're personal experience or lack there of doesn't change that. My sister was tortured by those people.

[@johtojonny]

I never said that doesn't exist, silly. I said it's rare that it's THAT bad. And, as I said in the video, I'm really sorry she had to go through that 💔

[@RedPilotl02]

I love Bayonetta, but I would never compare it to Nier Automata. Bayonetta is charming and charismatic who owns her body, 2B is like a fetish with legs lol (even the author confirms it xd). The philosophical sht is about references or basic sht ppl learn in school (Oh wow, Plato's Allegory of the Cave, again :0)

[@KriZtiaN17VL]

Beautiful, thank you Johto Jonny

[@calamityhues]

I absolutely adore bayonetta I first got into the bayonetta games when I first was trying to figure out my gender identity although I am AFAB I always struggled with my feminine side since like you said most thing's considered feminine are considered dislikable traits in media (but also society in general) so when I was trying to get my gender shit figured out I was trying to accept my feminity again also and bayonetta helped me so much with that she was so confident and just a badass and younger me instantly went "THATS what I want to be like" and now years later bayonetta is still someone I idolize and aspire to be

[@Nanitamochi]

Dude I loved this video, cheers!

[@johtojonny]

Thank you! So glad you loved it 😁 lots of love and effort was poured in

[@shiningstar737]

This may or may not be a weird one as they’re at a upswing again, but when I think about powerful, capable character that knows what they are about whilst breaking norms and still has the strength of empathy, I think of Barbie. she’s actually really awesome, she’s been breaking the norms and empowering women for decades. she wasn’t a baby doll, her debut was in a fashion swimsuit, she had her dream house before women in USA could have bank accounts, inclusive of other skin tones, celebrating women icons, got a boyfriend that loves her for who she is and not because of her body. Sure they were a little late one the different body types, she doesn’t have much personality as we are meant to make it up and a average Barbie that her big accomplishment is getting up in the morning is needed to make her seam less out of reach. But I truly believe she’s a good character. Then there’s the whole backlash of her body proportions, but what think when we are small dose, neither did bratz, nor monster high, nor freaking teddy bears. And then there’s the dolls for guys that never got that criticism even though they have less body fat and more muscles then professional bodybuilders times three. Just like himbos are dismantling the toxic male norm that made us emotionless jerks, I think characters like this will help us solve the problem, that you don’t have to be that, but it’s ok if you are

[@Creelien]

For this, I give you my favourite Bayonetta combo 🤜🤜👠👠👠

[@johtojonny]

Especially from Bayo 1 😍

[@StitchedUpPunkette]

I love that you have music from ”the chip game” in your intro

[@johtojonny]

You're the first person to notice!

[@StitchedUpPunkette]

@@johtojonny Really? 😅 Love that game, and the video btw

[@demiadams6369]

Noi from the Manga and anime Dorohedoro is a badass woman and when she can dress up feminine she does. She's a woman who knows herself and what she wants while being SO physically powerful. She's also a healer so that's a nice touch

[@MisfitJetta-du8rg]

Bayonetta has inspired me so much as a woman.

[@Levyaphan]

One of the elements, that were present in the first Bayonetta game, is how we see Bayonetta in a sexual pose or (half)naked only when she is in control of what is going on on the screen, or at least act with confidence. For example, when we see her thrown on the floor by the antagonist, we do not get any means to "oogle" her body with camera either being focused on something else or her simply being far away from it. Compare that to the tutorial, where we get an overwhelming amount of naughty camera shots, as she defeats all the mooks with ease. And I think, it is a perfect way to show her, as strong feminine character in control of her body, along with other aspects of her, that were pointed out in the video.

[@pejig.598]

Bayonetta will forever be my favorite character! I’m very insecure and she is my inspiration

[@Ramsey276one]

3:54 wonderful crafting! :-0

[@joemusashi7774]

I liked this video a lot. I think another thing that sets Bayo apart when it comes to her body, is that even when she's sexualised, we see her whole body at once. Not just her ass or any other part. It makes her feel like a full character and not just parts of one to be oogled. Which is why I actually don't think 2B is a good example of the same sort of thing done right. Her ass shots are clearly just there to be oiled and she doesn't weaponise her sexuality in the way Bayonetta does. Regarding the motherhood stuff, I agree with everything you said. I did also like how Bayo said to Luca that she has no interest in children but she has interest in making them. She intimidated Luca a little saying this. It was just a way of her asserting her sexual confidence. It's usually male characters that intimidate female characters by coming on strong sexually, but here it was the woman doing so to the man.

[@reavz8262]

There was a criminal case with a leader similar to the leader of mean girls. It’s called Lord of the Flies case, which is based off the book, where kids if left unsupervised become antagonistic towards one other or more kids, and leads to bulling/death. The culprit lacked empathy in all regards, taking control of a bullying group, who all followed her loyally. This happened at Oxford High School, where 12 Chinese Transfer students attacked anyone, and everyone. 6 were charged, while the rest fled to China.

[@kassyboling7522]

Knowing that there are guys like you who understand women more makes me feel more hopeful. I hope to know someone like you someday

[@johtojonny]

You will! We exist. It definitely helps to live in the most progressive city in the u.s but still

[@kassyboling7522]

@@johtojonny Thanks:)

[@2l84me8]

If a feminine woman were to wear revealing clothing and fight evil, she’d be hailed a hero and feminist icon, but when it’s in a fictional setting, suddenly it’s bad for for “the male gaze”? I never understand that hypocrisy. If it’s ok in real life, then it most certainly be ok in a fictional setting.

[@stefannydvorak7919]

Well, revealing clothes are very impractical for fighting, so it wouldn't happen in real life. Put on a mini skirt, a pair of heels, and a crop top, and see how fast you run, how stable you are on your feet, how warm you get at night, how protected from the sun you are, how protected against weapons your body is....

[@2l84me8]

@@stefannydvorak7919 That’s not the point at all.

[@stefannydvorak7919]

@@2l84me8 The point is that you really want to see sexy women fight. It’s okay to admit it. But let’s not try to disguise it as feminism or liberation. Gamers are a majority of men. And games are generally developed by men, for men. Big jiggly boobs, revealing clothes and tons of action and fights, that’s what men generally like. It’s 100% for the male gaze. I personally don’t think it’s bad though. It’s the way the world is.

[@spiritofchaos58]

...i don't think there are anyh feminine women dressing skimpily to fight evil, unless you're talking about a potical fight. Anyway, people are against it in fiction because they're characters, not people. It's not a real woman saying "I want to fight crime and be sexy!", it's more likely a bunch of dudes saying "wouldn't it be hot if she fought crime in a thong?" There's a massive difference between the two

[@syedarizvi7290]

I agree with everything you said and I am so happy to see male feminists like you who support women and lift them up and want to see them succeed. It honestly makes me really happy. Though, coming from the East, I feel a bit alienated by sexualising of female characters. I hope you will hear me from and let me explain. I agree that women are so much more than their bodies, their bodies do not make them who they are but their souls. We have our hopes, desires and dreams. Yes some women love being mothers and are fantastic for it, and some women do not wish to be mothers and that is perfectly ok. Some women love to be career orientated and some love home-making. Or they may be a mixture of both. Feminity comes in so many shapes and sizes. Some women prefer to live loud and proud but that does not discredit the importance of soft power. I mean to say that I may not flaunt my body but I let my actions do the talking. I can still be a great doctor (God Willing), I can still write my book, I can still stand up for myself and never let myself be oppressed (God forbid) and I can do all of that with my hijab (head scarf) on. I do not want men to see my body and sexualise me, I am a woman but I am so much more than my body, I have my own independent thoughts and motivations and it doesn't require me to undress myself. I will not judge or villainise women who wish to do so, it is their right and I won't judge them but they should also show consideration for women like me who do wish to cover up. Like I said, I can still reach my dreams God Willing. I do agree with a lot of what you said and it breaks my heart a little that being a feminist really is so difficult. Women really don't have a lot of power and autonomy over their lives. Women who don't fit a mold are very quickly outcasted and it does make me feel sad. But I still try my best and I tell myself that that is *society's problem* and not mine. God doesn't discriminate against me, the world does. I cover myself to please God, I don't do it because I want the approval of religious men or women, I couldn't care less. Religious people will always tell me to stay in my place and be happy about it, but I refuse. God gave me permission to live my life and I will do just that. I can't get along with everyone, not everyone will agree with me but I don't care. If I have around 10 people who can accept me as I am then that's great for me. One day I hope I can have the power and autonomy and happiness I want. God Willing.

[@susanstorm7910]

As a gay himbo, I love this vid!

[@Sayuchq]

The worst thing is that sometimes its not the writing thats screws a female character its the audience, if you watched berserk you know casca- the badass woman its impossible not to like? SPOILER ALERT: If you watched the final episode of Berserk you know that Casca after watching all her comrades (that she basically considered family) die in front of her eyes was R@ped by the one man she admired the most in the world - well i for some reason after watching and scrolling to the comments was schock to find out that instead of symphatising with her feeling bad or disgusted they called her a slut and a whore and saying the enjoyed it when earlier in the series it was revealed that Griffith slept with a rich guy for money. I saw like one or two people calling him stuff like that and nobody else seemed to mind that so why was it they said such disgusting things to her but almost nothing to him? and after that in the second season in the first episode its shown that Casca esentially reverted back to being a child in personality obviously couse of the amount of trauma she suffered as a form of defensive mechanism from her brain- the amount of people complaining about why they would do that to her character and why she was acting like this and saying its weired literally made my jaw drop and after that i could not continue watching the series out of pure disgust not for the series but the comments from people who watched it

[@gimmeyourrights8292]

Another thing I want to add is that this video is helpful to a guy whose working on two screenplays with female protagonists that can fight.

[@soprano2087]

In Android 18 defense, she never wanted to become a fighter, and she was forced to alongside his twin brother. And even if required to, she’s fight.

[@ShyasShadow]

This reminds me of all the female characters i grew up with. Example: Ulala from space channel 5. She's a musician, dancer, reporter that saves people's lives. Ulala is a confident, feminine character. Just like bayonetta, she's a female hero who knows she's sexy and embraces it. She isn't written as a mean snobby character. I want to mention her design and outfits are the best thing about the games. As a queer person she was one of my gay awakings as a kid. But she was also an inspiration to me.