Splatoon has always been an invitation for self expression, no matter if it fits gender norms or not. The players forge their own safe space where they're happy to exist. But what's important to mention is that even in-game, characters are inviting you to be different, to be you.
I'd say that the squid sisters are pretty "basic" in a sense that they were meant to portray japanese idols. They're meant to be perfect and act perfectly, in a sense. But despite that, there's a little detail that stands out. One that shows that the girls are imperfect. Marie's smile.
A lot of people mistake it for a smirk. But it's not. Marie's smile always looks like that. It's crooked. Despite how perfect she is, Marie's smile is always a little bent. And NO ONE ever comments on it in-game. It's a part of her that just defines her as someone different, as unique. And to me that was just the beginning of Splatoon making their idols stand out
Pearl and Marina stand out in all possible ways. But that makes them welcoming. I've seen many cishet people first react to pearl with disgust, saying that her design was ugly, that her huge forehead was a bad design choice ... But all of the LGBTQ people I've seen love her. Why ? Because she doesn't look conventionally attractive. Because she's surprising. Because she wants to be something that doesn't fit other's vision of "looking good". You like pearl because she's unique.
Even outside of that, Pearl and Marina stand out as comforting because of their relationship. They're gay, of course. Having lesbian idols really helped to make it a safe space for LGBTQ youth. But even outside of that the bond between Pearl and Marina is all about unconditional love. Marina was outed to be an octarian and Pearl's first reaction was to reassure her that this didn't change her opinion of marina in the slightest, that she felt sorry about learning that against her will and that she loved her anyways. Now imagine her learning by accident that someone's gay. I'm willing to bet she would have the EXACT SAME reaction. It's deeply comforting to know that this character you love so much would support you. Pearl was even revealed to be punk when she was younger and punks culture at its core is all about acceptance and fighting for other's rights.
And finally, you have deep cut.
Deep cut is all about embracing your culture and sharing it with others. And remember how much people criticized Pearl for her huge forehead ? Well the Splatoon team looked at these reviews, smiled, said "fuck you" and gave us an even BIGGER forehead for Frye. BECAUSE SPLATOON IDOLS DON'T NEED TO LOOK CONVENTIONALLY ATTRACTIVE. As for shiver, she wears a sarashi, a cloth that is most often worn by Sukebans, a type of very violent feminine delinquent in Japan. It used to be worn by samurais and has been claimed by these women as a way to show off their masculinity and their power. Therefore, Shiver is made to be gender non-conforming and to defy the rules, so much that many thought she could've been non-binary at first. As for big man ... Everyone wanted a sexy first male idol. We got a goofy and adorable pancake. Once again, Splatoon just wants to have fun with its representation.
Splatsville is the city of Chaos. Here, bigots get banned, but LGBTQ folks thrive. It's a place that grew out of the wish to see this world constantly evolving and keep getting better. It's a place meant to change with its players. And if we keep making it queer and accepting, this world can only grow up to be more and more like that.
kianamaiart
yousharknotpass
gummygunk
blakekathryn
pixelskylines
theartofmadeline
