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Reasons for Marginality
Marginality is “cool” (similar to the prominence of marginals in music, sports, etc) and interesting.
"The story is a mixture of everything - it reflects the way I was . . . born and brought up in Japan.” -- Kazushige Nojima, scenario writer
Minorities in Japan are becoming more visible; their existence cannot be ignored and denied forever.
Perhaps the inclusion of so much marginality is an attempt to look at these issues in a non-threatening way.
Notes:
The prominence of marginality in Final Fantasy X can be explained in several ways. First, marginality is different and exciting, and since video games are primarily a source of entertainment, these differences help make the game more fun. Nojima Kazushige, the scenario writer for Final Fantasy X, states that, “the story is a mixture of everything – it reflects the way I was . . . born and brought up in Japan” (Final Fantasy lives on). Perhaps minorities and marginality are becoming a more prominent part of life in Japan, and their inclusion in the game parallels this growing influence. Because the minority groups and setting of the game are fictional, these example s of overcoming prejudice and efforts to pass could be an attempt to look at the issues of discrimination and stereotypes in a non-threatening way. Even if these efforts are unintentional, they still reflect the fact that dealing with marginality is a contemporary issue in Japan, and although old stereotypes are still alive, current efforts tend more towards a desire for unification and acceptance of diversity.