{"id":24773,"date":"2023-12-22T16:24:51","date_gmt":"2023-12-22T07:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=24773"},"modified":"2023-12-22T18:05:15","modified_gmt":"2023-12-22T09:05:15","slug":"20231222-24773","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/20231222-24773\/","title":{"rendered":"Censorship in Baldur\u2019s Gate 3\u00a0becomes a hit among Japanese players"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Spike Chunsoft released the Japanese version of <strong>Baldur\u2019s Gate 3<\/strong> by Larian Studios on December 21 for the PS5. Japanese players who\u2019ve already got their hands on a copy seem to be particularly amused with the creative choices involved in censorship of the characters\u2019 most valuable parts, and this has something to do with a certain Japanese meme involving fig leaves and crotches.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"ja\" dir=\"ltr\">\u30d0\u30eb\u30c0\u30fc\u30ba\u30b2\u30fc\u30c83\u3001\u30e0\u30ad\u30e0\u30ad\u30a8\u30eb\u30d5\u304f\u3093\u3092\u4f5c\u3063\u3066\u307f\u307e\u3057\u305f\u304c<br>\u80a1\u9593\u306e\u8449\u3063\u3071\u4fee\u6b63\u304c\u9762\u767d\u3059\u304e\u3066\u30c0\u30e1 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/w7EOCukozW\">pic.twitter.com\/w7EOCukozW<\/a><\/p>&mdash; \u306f\u308b\u306e\u304a\u304d\u306a (@choki_kanisan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/choki_kanisan\/status\/1737589555652673911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Post translation:<\/strong> I\u2019m trying make a beefed up elf guy in Baldur\u2019s Gate 3, but the leaf over his crotch is so funny I\u2019m losing it&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20231222-276967-001.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-24800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20231222-276967-001.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20231222-276967-001-380x214.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20231222-276967-001-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20231222-276967-001-600x338.jpg 600w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It had already been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spike-chunsoft.co.jp\/news\/product\/27958\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a> prior to release that the Japanese PS5 version of Baldur\u2019s Gate 3 would include some changes compared to the global version, that is, that explicit content such as displays of gore and genitalia would be censored. While the standard version of the game allows you to choose whether you want to see or hide the nudity in cutscenes etc., these options have been removed from the Japanese version, making it censored by default. However, the censorship of character genitalia using a single carefully placed fig leaf seems to have had a comedic effect more than anything, and has even contributed to people being completely fine with the censorship \u2013 why is it so popular though?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"yatta\" width=\"1160\" height=\"870\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rW6M8D41ZWU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Live performance of Yatta by the Green Leaves<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>To put things into context, there\u2019s a <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/rW6M8D41ZWU?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">certain bizarre song<\/a> and music video that\u2019s very much alive in Japanese users\u2019 collective memory, and the leaf action in Baldur\u2019s Gate 3 seems to have awakened it. \u201cYatta!\u201d is a 2001 parody song by a fictional Japanese boy band called the \u201cGreen Leaves.\u201d As you would expect, the music video consists of the members dancing and flexing their biceps in nothing but their underwear, with signature fig leaves covering their crotches. The song was a chart topper back in the day, and continues to live on as an immortal internet meme.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"ja\" dir=\"ltr\">\u3053\u3046\u3044\u3046\u898f\u5236\u65b9\u6cd5\u306a\u3089\u5168\u7136\u53d7\u3051\u5165\u308c\u3089\u308c\u308b\uff57<\/p>&mdash; \u5bb5\u8349\u3001\u9154\u6708\u3001\u591c\u660e\u8349 (@YoIKUSA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/YoIKUSA\/status\/1738030427942851041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 22, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Post translation: <\/strong>This is the kind of censorship I am completely on board with.&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Baldur\u2019s Gate 3 has various moments where characters appear completely nude, such as when you undress them while customizing their appearance or in intimate scenes with other characters. But opting not to see genitals in the game (or playing the censored Japanese version) will cause strategically placed leaves to appear that elegantly hide characters\u2019 intimate parts. This has caused a wave of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%E3%83%90%E3%83%AB%E3%83%80%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BA%E3%82%B2%E3%83%BC%E3%83%883%20%E8%91%89%E3%81%A3%E3%81%B1&amp;src=typed_query\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pleased<\/a> reactions from Japanese users as well as references to the above-mentioned Green Leaves meme.&nbsp; Inevitably, there have also been comments about the \u201cleaf actually being even more erotic\u201d as well as jabs at the leaf\u2019s size.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20231222-276967-002.jpg\" alt=\"Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3\" class=\"wp-image-24776\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20231222-276967-002.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20231222-276967-002-380x214.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20231222-276967-002-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20231222-276967-002-600x338.jpg 600w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Why is the Japanese version censored, though? Games ported to consoles in Japan are required to censor depictions of genitalia in order to adhere to the CERO guidelines. Thankfully, there are no rules about how you should go about covering up private parts, so there\u2019s been many different approaches up until now. One example is the Nintendo Switch version of Super Real Mahjong PV, where characters had a mysterious white light emanating from their breasts and crotches.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In any case, the creative decision that went into censoring the privates of characters in Larian Studio\u2019s Baldur\u2019s Gate 3 seems to have struck a very unexpected chord of nostalgia and humor with Japanese players.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/baldursgate3.game\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Baldur\u2019s Gate 3<\/a> is available for the PC (Steam), PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Japanese PS5 version of Baldur&#8217;s Gate 3 is out, and Japanese users seem especially pleased with none other than the censorship. What&#8217;s causing the amused reactions?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":24775,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[18,17],"class_list":["post-24773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-global-news","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Censorship in Baldur\u2019s Gate 3\u00a0becomes a hit among Japanese players - AUTOMATON WEST<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Japanese PS5 version of Baldur&#039;s Gate 3 is out, and Japanese users seem especially pleased with none other than the censorship. 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She grew up playing Duke Nukem and Wolfenstein with her dad, and is now enamored with obscure Japanese video games and internet culture. Currently devoted to growing Automaton West to the size of its Japanese sister-site, while making sure to keep news concise and developer stories deep and stimulating.","url":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/author\/amber-vjestica\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/55"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24773"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24773\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24801,"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24773\/revisions\/24801"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24775"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}