So, been dead excited, as I've always loved this setting in the RPG, and never had the chance to properly get into this first time round. One thing I decided to do was googleimages Legend of the Five Rings, just to get more exposure to the game's aesthetic.

One thing that immediately struck me was that there's a load of pictures of young, thin and beautiful women who wouldn't look out of place in a J-Pop band or Korean modelling agency, if you replaced swords and kimonos with neon skirts. Male characters, on the other hand, seem to go across a larger variety of ages, levels of attractiveness and body types.

I think it's an excellent and positive thing that this game's world is full of kick-*** women in all arenas of life, from war to politics to magic. I also think it's great that they've managed to make them beautiful without going into fanservice.

However, I am wondering if ALL Lo5R women are skinny, young and beautiful.

So, question to the experienced souls from the CCG days: Are there many notable named female characters that are older, fatter, plainer looking, or all three?

Don't misunderstand me here - my browser history will tell you that I have no problem with young, beautiful, skinny oriental women. However, my inner feminist is hoping that this setting and this game has a broader ranger of depictions for the female of the species than what is apparent from a cursory google search.

Look forward to hearing what y'all have to say on this.

No. You have not seen every female character yet. Hold yoir horses and look at old L5R cards.

Can I suggest that you look at the Doji Gift giver from this set as a starting point, then move on to the Otomo Courtier (who may or may not be an older woman). There's also a piece of art called Isawa Atsuko

Then there's Moshi Jukio, from the old game.

This reminds me of another thread...about the Otomo courtier.

The more experience x cards of various characters tend to be aged. In terms of body diversity for the most part there isn't much I think there is one card off the top of my head that broke the skinny woman mold.

Thanks for the helpful replies Tonbo and Suzume, that's exactly what I was looking for.

kpsmith, thanks for trying to be helpful, but I'm preferring the specific approach of other posters, rather than "look it up".

48 minutes ago, Prepare for War said:

So, question to the experienced souls from the CCG days: Are there many notable named female characters that are older, fatter, plainer looking, or all three?

To be honest here, it is very hard to find even male characters who fit these three, let alone girls.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of scantily clad characters out there that could be verging on fan service - but that isn't everything:

https://imperialassembly.com/oracle/#cardid=3847,#hashid=a05f490a48efde3d48864a4e34580b0e,#cardcount=2

https://imperialassembly.com/oracle/#cardid=10445,#hashid=4e306411a6865f68144770bfadd92486,#cardcount=4

https://imperialassembly.com/oracle/#cardid=590,#hashid=f75c83611d98072e6912bb2f258ec2b6,#cardcount=0

Ah wow, loving Doji Hakuseki! That lady has attitude!

She had a pretty cool story too, where she challenged the Dark Naga to a duel. It didn't work out in her favor but it was an epic showdown!

There is a crab woman in the first FFG set who hasn't been fully spoiled yet. She's less than the model princess. But some people will find something to complain about. Like maybe she looks too western. I do think that sometimes artists tend to put more western style noses on asians. Not that I care XD

There are older cards as well. Though a point you made that they look like k-pop/j-pop stars makes me wonder why this is relevant at all. Art doesn't have to depict all of reality exactly as it is. The art that people are most excited about so far seems to be the water color style. There is nothing realistic about that style.

Not trying to poopoo the whole topic. Just think it's kind of silly. When I want real life it's always waiting for me. Why shouldn't our art and our fantasy cater to our wants and desires? And why do we need to think that our wants and desires are less than someone else's? It's not as if the setting is completely shallow, it's about principles and bushido.

Just my two cents. I will welcome whatever art we get. It's a delivery system for a strategy game I think that I will love because I loved what it was based on.

Cheers!

10 minutes ago, MoZi said:

Why shouldn't our art and our fantasy cater to our wants and desires?

Art that depicts men as samurais and women as members of AKB48 doing cosplay would not be serious for a game targetting someone else beyond horny men and some women wanting to look "sexy"*.

If, on the other hand, the target audience does not account for hormones, the art needs a broader appeal.

* because everybody knows that looking sexy is more important for women because it is a game, right? At least it is the reasoning used by some women.

1 hour ago, MoZi said:

Why shouldn't our art and our fantasy cater to our wants and desires?

Sexy, skinny, scantily clad women are a male power fantasy.
Muscle bound, arms as big as tree trunks, stoic men are also a male power fantasy.

So, when you say "our wants and desires" make sure you are including everyone in "our".

That said, I don't think this is an issue L5R ever had in the past. Sure, the art more often than not fits into the "cute girl, butch guy" stereotypes, but the fiction has rarely played out that way. For those that don't know it, here is one of the first L5R fictions I ever read, and a great example of what I am talking about. I have seen several people call it their favorite L5R fiction ever.

http://www.kazenoshiro.com/2009/01/15/a-good-little-wife-2/

If you want to truly listen to your 'inner feminist' I would recommend that you first try to stop googling 'young, skinny, beautiful oriental' women' so much.

3 minutes ago, Yogo Gohei said:

Sexy, skinny, scantily clad women are a male power fantasy.
Muscle bound, arms as big as tree trunks, stoic men are also a male power fantasy.

So, when you say "our wants and desires" make sure you are including everyone in "our".

That said, I don't think this is an issue L5R ever had in the past. Sure, the art more often than not fits into the "cute girl, butch guy" stereotypes, but the fiction has rarely played out that way. For those that don't know it, here is one of the first L5R fictions I ever read, and a great example of what I am talking about. I have seen several people call it their favorite L5R fiction ever.

http://www.kazenoshiro.com/kazenoshiro/4/wife.php

Definitely one of my fav, with the death of Hida Yasamura Guess I'm a biased Crab player though ...

My roommate coined the term O-Ushi's school of battle dress when she'd see some of the more egregious cheesecake samurai.

Rank one Carapace 3 against chafing.

Rank two All armour is gravity defiant.

Rank three Character is immune to damage caused by posing.

Sexy, skinny, scantily clad women are a male power fantasy.
Muscle bound, arms as big as tree trunks, stoic men are also a male power fantasy.

Hate to break it to you but there are lots of women out there who like looking at sexy skinny scantily clad women, and lots of women who like musclebound arms big as tree trunks stoic men too.

Maybe we see things through different lenses, but i never saw a lot of the women represented in the L5R as cheesecake/weak. If anything most of the women I saw in this game I thought were strong or cunning and with rich histories. The story is what drives it for me, not what superficial art looks like..

20 minutes ago, Yogo Gohei said:

Sexy, skinny, scantily clad women are a male power fantasy.
Muscle bound, arms as big as tree trunks, stoic men are also a male power fantasy.

Yeah that's why all women want fat, short, weak, emotional man right? Come on xD Man want sexy women, women want powerful man.

I understand that men want to fantasize about being powerful and stuff but why women wouldn't want to fantasize about being sexy and beautiful(which is mostly where their social power comes from)?

Female power fantasy is being smart, controlling and sexy. It just so happens that some women sometimes feel threatened(or disgusted for ideological reasons) by the depictions of sexy females in art/popculture.

While the Unicorn do have some over-sexualized women, I'd say a vast majority are full clothed/armored and trampling fools. Some examples from each family except Ide (because they reproduce by budding and didn't get any female characters until very late.)

Horiuchi Meimei

Iuchi Yue

Moto Erdene

Moto Rumiko - The wife of a clan champion

Otaku Kamoko - A very popular (and returning) character

Utaku Etsumi

7 minutes ago, Iuchi Toshimo said:

While the Unicorn do have some over-sexualized women, I'd say a vast majority are full clothed/armored and trampling fools. Some examples from each family except Ide (because they reproduce by budding and didn't get any female characters until very late.)

Utaku Etsumi

Probably not the greatest example you could find, since despite all the armor she still manages to show some of that sweet sweet cleavage.

34 minutes ago, BordOne said:

Yeah that's why all women want fat, short, weak, emotional man right? Come on xD Man want sexy women, women want powerful man.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_(magazine)

How many of the men on that list fit the " Muscle bound, arms as big as tree trunks, stoic men" stereotype? The only one I notice is "The Rock". Maaaaybe Chris Hemsworth, but that's reaching a bit.

Everyone else... not so much.

Hida Iseki

Other example, wouldnt consider her over sexualized, unless you have weird phantasies ...

3 minutes ago, Overspace said:

Hida Iseki

Other example, wouldnt consider her over sexualized, unless you have weird phantasies ...

I bought that art as deck backers thinking they were sleeves. Yaheiko exp also one of my favourite Crabes.

Just now, Suzume Urusai said:

I bought that art as deck backers thinking they were sleeves. Yaheiko exp also one of my favourite Crabes.

My deck was backed with Iseki on one side and Kyofu Xp 2 on the other