Can I Get a Uhhh Canon Eye Color Debate?

Eye Colors and Representation: The Great Canon Color Debate

Ah, eye colors: that simple characteristic that can kick off debates fiercer than who gets the last slice of pizza. If you’ve dived into the realms of KFS or KCD, you’ve seen the wild contrast between the intended storytelling settings and the characters’ eye colors, leading to a heated discussion among fans. I mean, come on, if a story is set in India, why are we getting characters with electric blue eyes? What’s next, a love interest with a rainbow sparkle unicorn hairdo?

The Comic Relief of Eye Color Disparities

In the grand tapestry of fandom discussions, eye colors often serve as the punchline. But let’s face it: they’re also telling a story—one that reveals deeper issues about representation and, dare I say it, cultural biases. From downright eye-rolling tropes to characters that are supposedly “ethnically ambiguous” (which is code for “we’re not sure what to do with this character”), it’s a mess out there on the digital storytelling streets.

Falling into Stereotypes

Let’s not beat around the bush here: darker-skinned characters, particularly from POC backgrounds, often get the short end of the stick when it comes to eye colors. If we’re continuously served shiny blue or green-eyed characters, isn’t that just a case of lazy representation? We have characters who should be flaunting those rich brown or amber eyes, but instead, they leave players shaken, not stirred, with light eye colors that seem to pour from a stereotype fountain. It’s almost like someone has a corporate mandate to keep things “keen and clean,” resulting in our POC heroes being handed a palette that is eerily one-dimensional.

The Bias in Character Design

• Racial Misrepresentation: How many characters have you seen with blue eyes in stories set in regions where brown eyes are almost the norm? I could list names, but do I really need to? We know it’s a thing!
• Fantasy vs. Reality: Sure, we love our fantasy stories, but creating a diverse world shouldn’t mean taking a magic wand and waving away the essence of the characters’ cultural backgrounds.
• Analytics Gone Wrong: Rumor has it that the creators analyze player choices and, lo and behold! The outcome is more white male love interests sporting light eyes than you can shake a stick at! This leaves our brown-eyed beauties sidelined like they’re in the ’90s and still can’t get into the club.

Bias: A Double-Edged Sword

Let’s throw caution to the wind. There’s a double-edged sword waiting to be tackled here. On one side, there are players who prefer characters with lighter eye colors, while on the other, let’s admit that many of these preferences stem from deeply ingrained biases. Like that awkward uncle you only see during the holidays—he’s there, but you’d rather he wasn’t.

Who can forget the debates over certain characters being sculpted into unlikely molds? Take our friend Greg—the supposed dark-skinned character who, ironically, has an underwhelming design that makes him look like he’s still in high school. How can we expect diversity when a significant chunk of these characters is stylized to appeal exclusively to a demographic that favors the “European look”?

Common Grievances and Eye Color Conspiracy

To add some hot sauce to the conversation, let’s peel back the layers of complaints that pop up in fan forums:

• Overshadowed Representation: How can we have POC love interests who barely represent their backgrounds while sporting hues that wouldn’t be found within a thousand-mile radius of their given nationality?
• The “Not Too Indian” Syndrome: When characters from India are drawn with all the cultural impact of a paper towel, you start to wonder if the art team is accidentally following a “Whitewashing 101” guidebook. For example, look at the character Saraswati – she looks more like she should be hailing from Scandinavia than the beautiful streets of India!
• The Absurdity of Racial Statistics: Every now and then, someone pulls out statistics on eye color to make their point; spoiler alert: no matter how you slice it, brown is way more common than azure among people of various descents.

Cultural Awareness in Digital Storytelling

Honestly, it’s 2023, not 1903. When will storytellers realize that sticking to authentic representation not only enriches the narrative but also resonates better with audiences? Instead of easy-outs like lighter eyes and Euro-centric features, how about giving us POC characters whose experiences and appearances reflect genuine diversity? It’s almost comical how many players find their fave love interests relegated to the sidelines because they don’t come with a blue-eyed warranty.

Where’s the Love for Beautiful Brown Eyes?

Brown eyes are not just a genetic trait — they’re practically a treasure trove of warmth and kindness. It’s time we stepped away from cookie-cutter designs and celebrated the beautiful spectrum that exists in our societies. Why can’t dark-skinned characters flaunt the richness of brown and amber eyes? These shades are beautiful and warm, just waiting to be explored. Skip the usual suspects, and let’s showcase something different!

What Can We Do About It?

Let’s channel our frustrations into something tangible. Here are some tips on how we can advocate for better representation:

1. Voice Your Thoughts: Engage with creators. Don’t be shy! Dive into those forums and share your opinions where it counts. You never know if your feedback might lead to more accurate character designs.
2. Support Diverse Stories: When it comes to making purchasing or playing decisions, let’s push for games that respect cultural backgrounds and reflect that in eye colors and features.
3. Celebrate Eye Color Diversity: When creating characters—be it for a game or a fan fiction—let’s embrace diversity in eye color, especially for characters hailing from regions known for darker hues. It’s all about representation, people!

Speaking of Eye Color Dreamboats

Now, let’s wrap this whole thing up with the ultimate quote: “Confusing POC characters is like buying a fancy cake and finding out it’s a fruitcake instead.” You expect certain flavors, yet you get such a strange mix that it takes a while to comprehend. So next time you see a character with blue eyes in a setting where the norms scream brown, don’t just shake your head—let’s bring the discussion to the table. Here’s to a future where your love interests rock their brown eyes with pride instead of hiding behind flashy, unrealistic genetic lottery wins. Cheers!