I loved Shadow Warrior. I've played few games recently that had me in such an awe of how well-balanced and perfectly crafted they were. Lo-Wang is the culmination of '90s action hero stereotypes as well as the modern "geek" archetype that we find appealing. He's a power fantasy at its best.
It's odd then that the ultimate FPS protagonist power-fantasy of today is completely, totally, undoubtedly gay.
By gay I don't mean stupid. I mean 100% actual homosexual. He likes to take it -or give it- in the butt. Manly butt. His or someone else's.
Considering Shadow Warrior comes with very thin narrative, it's easy to miss the gay undertones throughout the game. Obviously, the best contender for this is the very relationship between Lo Wang and his demon side-kick Hoji. They are written as a cop-buddy couple, starting out to hate each other and having to cooperate for their common goals, but eventually growing into a partnership or even true friendship.
There is honestly nothing in their exchanges to suggest feelings of (sexual) love. They banter playfully, even sarcastically and insult each other, but it's all harmless fun for them. Toward the end, when Hoji is taken captive and Lo Wang rescues him, the former says "I wish I knew how to quit you"-- that's the most eyebrow-raising worthy line, but even that's shaky foundation for such an argument.
Now, I want to be perfectly clear: there can be feelings of love between men without the sexual component. Friends, especially guy friends, love each other, even if they would never admit it in fear of violating their extreme manliness. Friends are also dicks to each other, just 'cause. I know my best friend and I bicker like an old couple; I think most good friends do.
Even in pop media, the better, most memorable friendships between men are riddled with sass, insults, bickering and pranks (Joey and Chandler, House and Wilson, Brian and Stewie-- despite the occasional jab at Stewie's still undefined sexual orientation). Yet, in each of these friendships, there are undoubted declarations of love, if not verbal then definitely via deeds and actions. In some occasions there are even intentional gay undertones, for giggles, even though the characters themselves are definitely not gay (though that in itself can spark an entirely different and huge conversation about how much a "bro-ship" carries some gay elements).
So, why do I think Lo Wang and Hoji are different, especially when there's a lot less to support the argument?
Partly exactly because Shadow Warrior's narrative is seemingly so paper thin, the one and only subtext to read is easy to identify. There is no need to take days and analyse every nook and cranny of the story and the characters to read into their relationship.
But mostly, it's the characters. If not their actual interaction, then their back-stories; their make-up. With this remake, Lo Wang had an upgrade from blank-asian-action-hero to a modern-asian-action-hero with an affinity for games and comics. He's a skilled killer, but he's also a geek. He's so big a geek, in fact, he literally built his own bat-cave.
The old stereotype that nerds and geeks are gay because they don't play football is one I'm obviously very opposed to, but the fact doesn't change that the hobbies and activities these people partake in have the advantage of solitary fulfilment. Outside of reading, few activities are as friendly to the secluded as video-games and comic books, hobbies that aren't just easy to enjoy without any input from others and/or socializing, but also hobbies that epitomize the concept of escapism, offering the option to anyone to just lose themselves in worlds far friendlier and more interesting than our own and ultimately help shape a voluntary illusion of acceptance in a fantasy when acceptance is hard to achieve in reality.
I'm not suggesting Lo Wang is a geek therefore he's gay, I'm suggesting that perhaps he became a geek, because he was looking for an escape from a harsher, more hostile reality. His anger issues in the game certainly seem to support this notion.
Other small things in the game lend some extra credence to this theory; Lo Wang's quest for a huge sword and him constantly wielding one for the better and more impressive kills is nothing short of the "Quest for Dick". There is a one-off joke with a stone cock monument in Zilla's mansion, as if the game is shoving the gay undertones in our face. Also, women are suspiciously absent from most of the game. Only two fellow Zilla agents make an appearance and Lo Wang not only doesn't show any interest toward either of them (not even basic sexual urge), but he happily manipulates and disposes of both of them when it serves him. I'm also fairly positive they, too, are totally gay.
Hoji is lacking in evidence in comparison, but at the same time he's easier to figure out. For one thing, Hoji is generally effeminate in the way he talks (though grating whining is a better description) and the way he moves.
The only time the game slows down and partakes in consistent narrative is during cutscenes that explain a bit of the back-story and the politics of the demon realm that led to the invasion that the duo is fighting off. These are generally boring and tonally jarring, while they rarely involve Hoji directly. But we do get the notion of an imperial society, full of deceit and hypocrisy, with little tolerance for difference.
Hoji is a smith, crafting weapons, armour and more for his brothers. The big demon baddy is a bit of a revolutionist, cocking everything up in his path, but he rules by fire. Hoji is not accepted for who he is and when he decides to no longer conform, he turns tail and he's hunted.
Only Hoji is never some great hero out to make a statement. He leaves, simply because he doesn't enjoy himself anymore. He's thinking of his own survival and quality of life. When he's captured and dragged back to the demon realm late into the game, he's conditioned to work on more armour and trinkets, forsake who he is and what life he wants to have and be a slave to his brother's orders and wishes.
Of note is that Hoji is also not big on females, making totems out of them to safeguard the Nobitsura Kage.
The demon realm is a better parallel to the PRC or Imperial Japan and the sexism in the game is most definitely intentional as both a parody and a sad reminder of less prosperous times in less luxurious societies, but it does co-exist with a male-focused story, where every male is a giant asshole.
This in itself could be yet another metaphor that warrants a lot of discussion regarding the under-representation of women in videogames. The game doesn't satirically flaunt its misogyny as a thing to be admired like Duke Nukem, but instead loathes itself for it, parodying the male burly power fantasy in general and not just specifically the (now-outdated) action-hero archetype.
In the same vein, it's not a coincidence that the only two heroes in the story, while themselves gigantic pricks and utter psychopaths, exist within a framework of gay undertones that, makes them a lot more sympathetic; both because the relationship they develop is very human and because their goals seem to be liberation from oppression (Hoji from the demons, Lo Wang from his employer)-- also a very human objective.
There is a pretty good chance I'm reaching; I've been known to do that at times. I don't think it matters, though. I find the suggestion that Lo Wang and Hoji are gay intriguing, but the bigger take-away from the narrative is that, for something as paper-thin as "demons invade Earth- kill them all", the protagonists are more human and relatable than many of the other game heroes in big, military shooters that engage in overblown "end of the world" drama via ways of evil foreign super-powers or whatever the hell Final Fantasy is doing when its heroes won't shut the fuck up about pain and shit.
It's a masterful achievement to transform two over-the-top psychopaths into far more likeable and easy-to-relate-to characters than big patriotic heroes that sacrifice themselves in the name of flag and country.
So, here's to you Flying Wild Hog and Devolver Digital. Whether intentional or not, your remake is still tons of fun, with likeable -albeit insane- characters and some nice subtle critique on the bigotry against gay people.
Also, a better satiric piece on sexism in video-games (by ways of remaking an intentionally sexist '90s shooters into a self-loathing sexist 2010's shooter) than anything Anita Sarkeesian has been doing on her couch.
It's odd then that the ultimate FPS protagonist power-fantasy of today is completely, totally, undoubtedly gay.
 |
| Imma stab you with my long, sharp, throbbin' sword! In the eye! |
By gay I don't mean stupid. I mean 100% actual homosexual. He likes to take it -or give it- in the butt. Manly butt. His or someone else's.
Considering Shadow Warrior comes with very thin narrative, it's easy to miss the gay undertones throughout the game. Obviously, the best contender for this is the very relationship between Lo Wang and his demon side-kick Hoji. They are written as a cop-buddy couple, starting out to hate each other and having to cooperate for their common goals, but eventually growing into a partnership or even true friendship.
There is honestly nothing in their exchanges to suggest feelings of (sexual) love. They banter playfully, even sarcastically and insult each other, but it's all harmless fun for them. Toward the end, when Hoji is taken captive and Lo Wang rescues him, the former says "I wish I knew how to quit you"-- that's the most eyebrow-raising worthy line, but even that's shaky foundation for such an argument.
Now, I want to be perfectly clear: there can be feelings of love between men without the sexual component. Friends, especially guy friends, love each other, even if they would never admit it in fear of violating their extreme manliness. Friends are also dicks to each other, just 'cause. I know my best friend and I bicker like an old couple; I think most good friends do.
 |
| You make me blush, horny demon. I mean, demon with horns. |
Even in pop media, the better, most memorable friendships between men are riddled with sass, insults, bickering and pranks (Joey and Chandler, House and Wilson, Brian and Stewie-- despite the occasional jab at Stewie's still undefined sexual orientation). Yet, in each of these friendships, there are undoubted declarations of love, if not verbal then definitely via deeds and actions. In some occasions there are even intentional gay undertones, for giggles, even though the characters themselves are definitely not gay (though that in itself can spark an entirely different and huge conversation about how much a "bro-ship" carries some gay elements).
So, why do I think Lo Wang and Hoji are different, especially when there's a lot less to support the argument?
Partly exactly because Shadow Warrior's narrative is seemingly so paper thin, the one and only subtext to read is easy to identify. There is no need to take days and analyse every nook and cranny of the story and the characters to read into their relationship.
But mostly, it's the characters. If not their actual interaction, then their back-stories; their make-up. With this remake, Lo Wang had an upgrade from blank-asian-action-hero to a modern-asian-action-hero with an affinity for games and comics. He's a skilled killer, but he's also a geek. He's so big a geek, in fact, he literally built his own bat-cave.
The old stereotype that nerds and geeks are gay because they don't play football is one I'm obviously very opposed to, but the fact doesn't change that the hobbies and activities these people partake in have the advantage of solitary fulfilment. Outside of reading, few activities are as friendly to the secluded as video-games and comic books, hobbies that aren't just easy to enjoy without any input from others and/or socializing, but also hobbies that epitomize the concept of escapism, offering the option to anyone to just lose themselves in worlds far friendlier and more interesting than our own and ultimately help shape a voluntary illusion of acceptance in a fantasy when acceptance is hard to achieve in reality.
I'm not suggesting Lo Wang is a geek therefore he's gay, I'm suggesting that perhaps he became a geek, because he was looking for an escape from a harsher, more hostile reality. His anger issues in the game certainly seem to support this notion.
 |
| Oh kiss me! Beneath the fire- skies, lead me out to the entrail-covered floor! |
Other small things in the game lend some extra credence to this theory; Lo Wang's quest for a huge sword and him constantly wielding one for the better and more impressive kills is nothing short of the "Quest for Dick". There is a one-off joke with a stone cock monument in Zilla's mansion, as if the game is shoving the gay undertones in our face. Also, women are suspiciously absent from most of the game. Only two fellow Zilla agents make an appearance and Lo Wang not only doesn't show any interest toward either of them (not even basic sexual urge), but he happily manipulates and disposes of both of them when it serves him. I'm also fairly positive they, too, are totally gay.
Hoji is lacking in evidence in comparison, but at the same time he's easier to figure out. For one thing, Hoji is generally effeminate in the way he talks (though grating whining is a better description) and the way he moves.
The only time the game slows down and partakes in consistent narrative is during cutscenes that explain a bit of the back-story and the politics of the demon realm that led to the invasion that the duo is fighting off. These are generally boring and tonally jarring, while they rarely involve Hoji directly. But we do get the notion of an imperial society, full of deceit and hypocrisy, with little tolerance for difference.
Hoji is a smith, crafting weapons, armour and more for his brothers. The big demon baddy is a bit of a revolutionist, cocking everything up in his path, but he rules by fire. Hoji is not accepted for who he is and when he decides to no longer conform, he turns tail and he's hunted.
Only Hoji is never some great hero out to make a statement. He leaves, simply because he doesn't enjoy himself anymore. He's thinking of his own survival and quality of life. When he's captured and dragged back to the demon realm late into the game, he's conditioned to work on more armour and trinkets, forsake who he is and what life he wants to have and be a slave to his brother's orders and wishes.
Of note is that Hoji is also not big on females, making totems out of them to safeguard the Nobitsura Kage.
The demon realm is a better parallel to the PRC or Imperial Japan and the sexism in the game is most definitely intentional as both a parody and a sad reminder of less prosperous times in less luxurious societies, but it does co-exist with a male-focused story, where every male is a giant asshole.
This in itself could be yet another metaphor that warrants a lot of discussion regarding the under-representation of women in videogames. The game doesn't satirically flaunt its misogyny as a thing to be admired like Duke Nukem, but instead loathes itself for it, parodying the male burly power fantasy in general and not just specifically the (now-outdated) action-hero archetype.
 |
| Cry innocent and pure little girl who never hurt anyone, yessssss. |
In the same vein, it's not a coincidence that the only two heroes in the story, while themselves gigantic pricks and utter psychopaths, exist within a framework of gay undertones that, makes them a lot more sympathetic; both because the relationship they develop is very human and because their goals seem to be liberation from oppression (Hoji from the demons, Lo Wang from his employer)-- also a very human objective.
There is a pretty good chance I'm reaching; I've been known to do that at times. I don't think it matters, though. I find the suggestion that Lo Wang and Hoji are gay intriguing, but the bigger take-away from the narrative is that, for something as paper-thin as "demons invade Earth- kill them all", the protagonists are more human and relatable than many of the other game heroes in big, military shooters that engage in overblown "end of the world" drama via ways of evil foreign super-powers or whatever the hell Final Fantasy is doing when its heroes won't shut the fuck up about pain and shit.
It's a masterful achievement to transform two over-the-top psychopaths into far more likeable and easy-to-relate-to characters than big patriotic heroes that sacrifice themselves in the name of flag and country.
So, here's to you Flying Wild Hog and Devolver Digital. Whether intentional or not, your remake is still tons of fun, with likeable -albeit insane- characters and some nice subtle critique on the bigotry against gay people.
Also, a better satiric piece on sexism in video-games (by ways of remaking an intentionally sexist '90s shooters into a self-loathing sexist 2010's shooter) than anything Anita Sarkeesian has been doing on her couch.
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