From
here:
Well here is the thing, did Kwan have a point? Sure people might say "let us have fun" but I suspect that to Asian and Muslim characters, seeing their culture reduced to a
theme-park version would be turned off for
understandable reasons.
Off course:
Well here's the thing, they are playing with the idea that all Asian cultures are interchangeable. Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cultures are all mixed together and considering their history with each other, is something they wouldn't like. Now saying "western middle ages" is disingenuous since much of Fantasy is based on J.R.R Tolkien and his fictional version of
BRITAIN in general. It's not based on a stereotype of Europe as a whole, Middle Ages or otherwise, and either way, this is simply going into
tu quoque territory. And really, you are losing quite a bit of nuance and storytelling ideas by doing this.
But what are your thoughs...was it that bad back in ye olden times?
From those that I know who Read or Played the game from Japan (or both)...
NO.
In fact, the most offensive thing were the Americans (I suppose that would be the U.S. and Canada).
Oriental Adventures (1e and 3e) was the ONLY D&D RPG product that had a decent amount of input from actual people from Asia (Specifically Japan) since it's creation up to...well...up to...today.
There were actually some who were VERY PROUD of the representation of Japan in the game itself and the product.
The 3e product that tried to do a similar thing had also had some representation, but was not as well accepted.
BOTH were more of a Japanese adventure type game than Oriental. This perhaps was the biggest problems those outside of Japan had with the product...if they even KNEW of the products existence.
The REAL problem arose because there is a RIFT between the culture of Asian-Americans from North America and the rest of the East Asians in the World. It hovors mostly around the usage of the word Oriental. This word has become offensive in it's use to some of the younger generation in the United States and Canada (though, I should note, it is NOT universal and some of the younger generation that takes offense at the word's usage is genuinely confused or bothered that others in their generation and much of the older generations of Asian-Americans DO NOT share their problems with the word Oriental).
It is actually a hot topic of debate in some areas of Asian-American culture these days between those who take offense at the word and those who do not.
What makes it worse is that there are those from East Asia that feel that North Americans are being offensive TO EAST ASIANS by the rejection of the word Oriental. Many of them would rather be known as Oriental rather than Asian due to the word Asian lumping them in with other groups from Asia (Indians, Pakistanis, Arabians, etc) who they do not want to be confused with.
It makes for a very confusing and culturally complex mess. Because of this, it is probably best to simply stay away from the entire thing.
At the time OA was created it was actually rather respectful (in relation to most products of the time) in it's treatment of Japanese culture. If anything was offensive it is the same offense that Americans do by labeling everything from East Asia as Asian rather than being more specific. The offense would be that it tried to apply Japanese culture to the entirety of East Asia rather than simply calling itself Nippon or Japanese Adventures. 3e also basically did the same mistake, but in some ways made it worse by trying to incorporate a FEW items from the rest of East Asia but conglomerating it into one whole under the main umbrella which represented more of a Japanese stereotype culture.
Offensive though? AT the time, as I said, it was perhaps one of the more respectful items regarding Japanese culture that was put out. It actually took representatives of the actual culture that they were trying to represent and took their input and playtesting of the material. The only other one that really had Asian representatives in any sort of influence that I know of in regards to D&D was the 3e OA as well.
The biggest problem today, as I pointed up above, is the RIFT between American culture and the rest of East Asian culture. The Japanese have generally been gracious and excited about things that promote their culture in any sense of the word to the rest of the world, and happy to see the rest of the world embrace things that are Japanese. Some of this unfortunately brought a bunch of racism by others Americans against some Asian-Americans in the 80s, 90s, and 00s. This type of racism put some bad tastes in many Asian-American's mouths for items which are like OA, or other things which they see as stereotypes or imitations of East-Asian Culture.
I do not know how to bridge this type of Rift, but I think the distaste that some have exhibited (not just to OA, but many items, including Old Hong Kong films MADE by Hong Kong film companies, Chinese cultural books and travel guides WRITTEN by people FROM China who speak English, and of course, many of the Hollywood movies and shows made by white guys in Hollywood...OA is just a SMALL item that falls under the entire cultural displeasure denounced by the American Culture today) towards these types of materials vs. the culture of that from East Asia is creating a valley of controversy that is not easily crossed today.
It is hard to please both sides of the equation, but as D&D is FAR more popular in the US than East Asia, normally the American audiences are the ones being catered to.
I have several Japanese-American players and one Chinese-American player that I deal with in the various groups I play with. None of them have problems with OA (and in fact one Japanese individual AUTHORED an OA for 5e if that says anything about their take on OA). Their biggest problem with OA is actually NOT with the book itself, but with those who are supposedly from their own racial background making a big deal about it and saying that they represent all the rest of a very varied and mixed cultural background. They seem to agree there are many different reactions out there, but they get tired of everyone painting everyone from their background with the same brush, which includes trying to dictate what they must or must not like in their personal lives and hobbies.
They are OLDER players though, and I see that there is some disconnect between their views and younger Americans regarding what is considered racist or offensive these days and what is not...BUT...of all the things I state, this last view is the one you should take most with a grain of salt as it is MY OWN view and not theirs.