You might be familiar with Gust’s well-known “Atelier” JRPG franchise, which follows the journey of a girl aspiring to become a skilled alchemist.
The series debuted back in 1997 but gained wider attention among non-Japanese players with localized releases starting from 2004’s Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana.
Often labeled as “slice of life” JRPGs, these games are characterized by their serene and soothing atmosphere, revolving around charming yet humble protagonists.
However, it’s worth noting that the majority of the “fandom” for the franchise only truly emerged with the release of Atelier Ryza in 2019. Ryza, known in the West for her voluptuous thighs, quickly gained popularity outside of Japan.
Gust seized the opportunity by releasing three games featuring Ryza within just four years. Regardless of your opinion on Ryza or the matter, her popularity undoubtedly revitalized the Atelier franchise, which was facing declining sales figures. However, some devoted fans believe that the series has lost its charm since her introduction.
Fans’ perception that modern Atelier games have “fallen off” stems from Gust’s practice of releasing franchise entries annually, resulting in burnout. Additionally, Gust made significant changes to appeal to a more “casual” audience, which included sidelining their core fanbase and altering gameplay mechanics, notably removing time limitations that some players found challenging.
The series has always contained elements of “fanservice,” but none quite as captivating as Ryza’s character design.
Gust, however, refuses to acknowledge that Ryza has essentially become the face of the franchise outside of Japan. Doing so would imply that the gameplay itself isn’t as appealing anymore and that fans are primarily purchasing the games for the attractive characters on the cover.
Therefore, if Gust were to replace Toridamono, the original character designer, with someone less skilled or unable to replicate Ryza’s appeal, it would be seen as admitting defeat, as the current series is largely driven by Ryza’s popularity rather than the gameplay.
Desperate to maintain momentum after the supposed conclusion of Ryza’s storyline with the release of Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key in 2023, Gust is now attempting to introduce a predatory mobile gacha game to their fanbase.
With uncertainty about the franchise’s direction post-Ryza, they’re scrambling to find a new path forward.
Of course, it’s worth noting that the long-standing franchise still boasts devoted fans who appreciate the games for what they are. Which is why the current buzz surrounds a supposed “controversial” figure based on Sophie Neuenmuller from Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book and Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream.
Ryza may be the beloved icon of the franchise outside of Japan but for Gust’s most loyal followers Sophie is the preferred heroine, with Famitsu reporting upon a lewd figure of Sophie produced by Ques Q sparking outrage on Twitter.
The figure depicts Sophie in a state of anger and embarrassment, evidently caught off guard while changing clothes. She is portrayed in her underwear, with her undergarments being notably frilly.
The figurine is undeniably suggestive, reflecting the Atelier franchise’s occasional inclusion of fanservice elements. For instance, inside 2017’s Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey, the character was even able to equip a much more revealing bikini.
The outfit is known as “Passionate Soleil” and it makes a return inside Atelier Sophie 2.
Naturally, when feminists encounter figurines portraying girls as “objectified” or viewed solely as “sex objects,” they become enraged. It’s clear that individuals who hold such views have little to no interest in purchasing figures of their beloved franchises and characters, regardless of whether they contain ecchi elements or are completely wholesome.
It’s worth noting that the Sophie figure is hardly the most provocative or “problematic” announcement this month. The Good Smile Company recently unveiled a figure of Blue Archive’s Sorasaki Hina in a one-piece swimsuit.
Considering the nature of the Blue Archive franchise, known for its loli characters, one might expect feminists to express outrage over this figure, inadvertedly admitting that they themselves perceive child-like individuals wearing swimwear to be entirely sexual.
Thankfully, Hina’s figure seems to have escaped their notice for now, as their cancerous ideology is dead set on condemning Atelier Sophie instead.
Some argue that Sophie’s figure, based on her depiction in the first game where she is 16 years old, implies support for abuse against minors. However, it’s important to remember that Sophie is a fictional character, but it’s unwise to suggest that feminists and degenerates can decipher between fiction and reality.
Numerous quote retweets, each amassing thousands of likes, echo similar sentiments: Japan’s decline is attributed to the objectification and sexualization of perverse acts like peeping. Concerns are raised over the character’s underage status and the violation of a fictional character rights.
It’s remarkable how these comments gather widespread likes with minimal interaction.
It’s almost as if their posts were artificially boosted through dubious means like botting, elevating their repetitive retweets higher in the queue when viewing Famitsu’s post. The only engagement these accounts have received after their posts is mainly due to people taking notice of their stance and apparent botting.
They aim to condemn Famitsu for supposedly “promoting” illegal and offensive figures, although they likely had no intention of purchasing them regardless of the character’s attire.
A fan of the games pointed out that the figure is based on an illustration from 2016, released alongside the first game, and that there wasn’t any controversy at that time. They question why the issue has only arisen now that it has been turned into a figure.
We all know the real reason behind this behavior—they vehemently oppose the idea of people enjoying themselves and having fun. Their agenda isn’t about “equality” but rather the emasculation of men. Anything that aligns with the so-called male gaze is deemed abhorrent and perverse to them.
However, there’s a silver lining to this situation. When people learned about feminists botting their posts, they countered by creating even more posts in support of the figure. They condemned these malicious interlopers for what they truly are: Communists.
This Japanese-translated comic by Jollyjack perfectly captures the clash between feminist outrage and consumers. It humorously depicts a company catering to overly vocal perpetually offended activists whom proclaim “the thing” as being offensive and problematic.
Ultimately alienating and driving away the company’s core audience in the process.
You can of course show your support and solidarity by purchasing the Atelier Sophie figure yourself, from reputable outlets such as Play-Asia or AmiAmi. Or if you wanted to you could pre-order yourself the lovely swimsuit figure of Hina from Blue Archive from Play-Asia and AmiAmi.
