The billion-dollar Japanese animation industry continues to increase its popularity globally, thanks to more streaming programs supporting it.Gaming is for all! The importance of a cultural narrative in video games and diversity has been witnessed in recent years and surprisingly, LGBTQ influence in gaming is one of them.
Outside of niche streaming services like Crunchyroll and Funimation, which have a sole focus on distributing anime, big-name companies like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon have also brought more Japanese animated shows to their respective platforms. We now have more options than ever to choose from, which is a good thing, because a wide variety of genres and themed shows have cropped up over the years. And to the delight of gamers, a lot of them involve video games in some way. There’s no denying the crossover between anime and video game fans. After all, many video games are influenced by anime, having similar plotlines, complete with flashy action sequences and thrilling heroics. We picked some anime that involve video games in creative ways, from going inside the trials and tribulations of a development studio to being transported into an MMORPG and living a different life. Here are our recommendations if you’re looking for the perfect combination of your favorite hobby and the anime asthetic.With June comes the arrival of Pride Month, a time to celebrate LGBTQ folx. Pride Month is held in June as a way to honor the Stonewall uprising that took place in June of 1969. In the 50+ years following the Stonewall uprising, progress has been made when it comes to LGBTQ rights, equality, and representation.
We’re now seeing an increase in LGBTQ+ characters in games, and it’s really refreshing. It’s important to have these stories told in games as it can be beneficial to someone who’s LGBTQ especially if they lack the support of their family and friends. In celebration of Pride Month, we thought it would be fitting to take a look at some awesome LGBTQ video game characters! 10 Awesome LGBTQ Video Game Characters Looking at some awesome LGBTQ video game characters, like Ellie from The Last of Us! It also makes sense that there would be LGBTQ in games as there are plenty of game developers and people in the gaming scene that are LGBTQ themselves. With the upcoming release of The Last of Us Part II, we thought we’d start the list off with Ellie. While her sexuality isn’t discussed in explicit detail in the first game, it later comes up and is expanded upon in the DLC, Left Behind. If you never played Left Behind, Ellie shares a kiss with her friend Riley, informing players that Ellie is either bisexual or gay. Creator Neil Druckmann eventually confirmed and specified that he’d written Ellie as a gay character. We see much, much more of this in trailers for The Last of Us Part II where Ellie is in a relationship with a woman named Dina. Speaking of which, we can’t wait to see how their relationship forms and develops when The Last of Us Part II releases on June 19. Parvati Holcomb (The Outer Worlds) Parvati is the best companion in The Outer Worlds. We’ll come right out and say it, Parvati is our favorite character in The Outer Worlds. She’s a skilled engineer, a wonderful companion to talk to, and has an interesting backstory. When you arrive on The Groundbreaker, you have the option to pursue a couple of side quests with Parvati that introduce you to her sexuality. Parvati is attracted to an engineer on The Groundbreaker named Junlei. Your job is to help accompany Parvati in meeting Junlei, and later with helping Parvati craft the perfect date for her and Junlei.