One word that was thrown around in several reviews of Lollipop Chainsaw was “bimbo.” It was used to negatively describe the characterization of Juliet Starling. The passing of a decade gives Juliet Starling agency in her own identity. This power fantasy isn’t necessarily appealing to male audiences wanting to feel like they get to exert some sort of control over the female protagonist. She tortures men and has a deep relationship with Jeanne, one that is largely read as romantic by fans. The appeal of Bayonetta is that she is a hot woman in heels who would step on you and not give you the time of day. The difference between Juliet Starling and an equally sexualized character like Bayonetta is an interesting thing to parse. Juliet is a Lolita fantasy, a barely veiled recreation of Britney Spears in “ Baby One More Time.” Juliet literally says, “Oops, I did it again.” She exists in the pinkish-grey area between childish bubblegum innocence and the hypersexualization of youth. Juliet is created from the minds of men to perfectly flip a switch in every straight male’s head that this is a hot piece of meat. This is what contemporary analysis of Lollipop Chainsaw feels like. Ask a queer woman or nonbinary person why they love boobs, and they will say something like “titty soft, titty warm, titty safe.” There is a joke that if you ask a man why he loves boobs so much, he will give you a speech about the nature of sexuality, beauty, and the meaning of the universe. These advocates (typically men) would say that the bubblegum pop veneer and over-sexualization of Juliet was “The Point.” It was a commentary on sexual objectification. Proponents of Lollipop Chainsaw at the time of its release argued that Suda51 games were always crass, always weird, and yet always had a deeper meaning. Sexualized characters in games are not uncommon, but characters like Bayonetta don’t occupy the same territory as Juliet Starling. In his review, IGN writer Mitch Dyer said, “For every zombie Juliet Starling decapitates with her chainsaw, someone calls her a whore, talks about masturbating to her, or comments on her gigantic breasts.” The Lolita fantasy The omnipresent objectification of Juliet even impacts how characters interact with her. They can rightfully be called money shots. Continuous learning camera work accentuated the shortness of her skirt and the tightness of her sports bra. The one flourish developers did add to combat was a plethora of effects for Juliet’s attacks that included glitter, pink hearts, and rainbows. It simply did not stand up to action titles like the Devil May Cry franchise. The game’s mechanics were uninspired, even at the time. What follows is a hack ‘n’ slash adventure through school to stop the outbreak and make it to Juliet’s birthday dinner alive. Turns out Juliet and her family are zombie hunters.

To prevent him from turning, she decapitates her boyfriend and performs a spell to keep his head alive. Sadly, when Juliet arrives at school, she discovers there has been a zombie outbreak and poor Nick is bitten. (Yes, we are literally talking barely legal territory!) She is nervous because tonight she is bringing her boyfriend Nick home for the first time to meet her family. Story-wise, it is Juliet’s 18th birthday. Lollipop Chainsaw was never shy about advertising the real product that players wanted: Juliet herself. Suggestive language makes a few meta quips about the player being in her bedroom. There’s even more than one upskirt angle. The camera zooms in on Starling’s lips as she sucks a lollipop. The way the trailers focus on Juliet’s skimpy short skirt and “perfect” body is downright voyeuristic. Promotional material and trailers for Lollipop Chainsaw focused on the protagonist, a barely legal cheerleader named Juliet Starling. The game is a zombie hack ‘n’ slash, but that was not the main selling point. The Marvel Studios Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn served as a writer for the project. Lollipop Chainsaw was developed by Suda51’s studio Grasshopper Manufacture Inc., the same company behind the No More Heroes series. Lollipop Chainsaw is a game covered in glitter and blood, which asks the player to objectify the protagonist.

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