I have a confession to make: Gacha Games are my guilty pleasure. There, I said it. I’m not even afraid of the consequences. There is just something about the thrill of playing a game and trying to figure out which characters you relate to and enjoy the most and then… obsession begins...
Once again I am praying to the RNG-gods to pull the characters that have stolen my heart. I do this, knowing that 90% of the time I won’t be pulling the card I wish for. Still, the search for the ultimate waifu among the many choices is what keeps me going.
The RNG gods truly haven’t been on my side in recent weeks. Having picked up Genshin Impact, I've wanted to get Razor - since his voice actor is the same as Tsukki from Haikyuu but I digress... - for the longest time. Who do I get though...?
...
Mona. Fischl. Sucrose.
Does that mean anything to you? No. Exactly. It doesn't mean much to me either and I actually play the game.
Well, I'll have you know that they're actually some of the best characters in the game. Naturally, my friends blanched at my indifference towards such strong characters, but for me these pulls were about more: They were meant to get me closer to my goal. Closer to my husbando (the male equivalent to a waifu - yes, I'm teaching you important things here)! This is what the waifu (or husbando) quest is all about.
Is that weird? Yes. But does it stop me from continuing the quest for my one true husbando? No. Thus, I keep opening chests over and over like a mad-woman, because I know that one day... one day, Razor will be mine!
This is the pull Gacha Games have on players. They make you fall for the characters of the games and go to obsessive lengths in order to make them yours. Beyond that, there is of course one crucial question: Who is your ultimate waifu (or husbando)? Of course, everyone has different criteria. Sometimes it’s because she (or he) is hella strong. Other times it's their boo–... looks, I mean their looks.
I also understand that there is a danger to the obsession which lies within Gacha Games. I know it is eerily similar to gambling, with pulling rare cards/characters and having to pay for them. Sure, it’s mostly done with in-game currency, but real currency can always be used to speed up the process. I mean, I myself am guilty of having paid a few bucks here and there to try and get that sweet addition to my virtual love life!
But finding that one true Gacha Game waifu is just indescribable. I admit, I’ve got quite a few by now, having played multiple games (not to mention all of my anime faves). Characters like FEater from Arknights or Bismarck from Azur Lane (and don't even get me started on everyone’s best girl Megumin) are just meant to take over players' hearts.
But we also can’t forget some of our favorite Gacha Game boys – the now often-mentioned husbandos. Abs and more abs are what we get here! Oh, and let’s not forget those jawlines that can cut diamonds!
So while the female characters might have surreal boob-to-hip ratios, the male versions have tiny swimmers waists and unattainable abs to die for (8-pack anyone?). That's the good thing about this: Every gender's beauty standards are represented in completely unrealistic fashion. True equality is only found in Gacha Gaming!
Gacha games are a guilty pleasure of mine and having to sit on a train for an hour every day to get to work, I’ve spent quite some time trying to pull some of my favorite cards. What else am I supposed to do with the bad LTE network Germany offers?
So, thank you, everyone, for coming to my Ted Talk about the great world of Gacha Games and characters which have basically clogged up my iPhone storage. Have fun collecting Waifus and Husbandos in the future, once you download hits like Azur Lane or Arknights! You're welcome.
Oh and I’m sorry Tamara! Last week you wrote such an eloquent and wonderful article about the lack of armour for female characters in RPG games and here I am professing my love for anime girls with fake... uhm... features. Soz.