Nintendo is releasing a new Fire Emblem game called Fire Emblem Engage in early 2023. I have documented the fact that I am a Fire Emblem fan in two full-length New Leaf Journal articles (see first and second). I do not have any takes on the new Fire Emblem yet other than one noted by many: The protagonist has very strange hair. I figured that I ought to comment on this in light of the fact that I have an entire series of articles devoted to hair color in anime and Japanese video games.
Upon closer inspection, I note that the protagonists not only have unusual hair (even by Japanese anime/game standards), but also peculiar eyes. In the image, note that the female protagonist has red hair on one side and blue hair on the other. Yet she has a blue eye on the red hair side and a red eye on the blue hair side. What is going on here? Nintendo Life addressed the issue:
During the first look, players were introduced to the game’s protagonist – a new character rocking a red and blue hairstyle. If you’re wondering why this new hero looks like a VTuber, it turns out the illustrator involved actually has a bit of a history in this field.
I had never asked myself whether VTubers should be allowed to design video game characters in one of my favorite series. Had I been asked, I would have most likely said “absolutely not.” Having considered the protagonists in the new Fire Emblem, my view remains that VTubers should not design Fire Emblem characters. But maybe the hair style will grow on me like one of the character designs in May Sky did (see my review).