Sexy "Power Armor", am I 'juvenile' for liking it? (a response to recent Kill La Kill concepts)

[MrHide-Patten]

EDIT: I put "power armor" in quotes because I didn't know what else to call it. I know that calling this armor is equivalent to calling a fork a sword.

EDIT: Now I feel tempted to make a thread with a poll asking how many people read the original post. And I do know that it's horribly impractical and asking a woman to wear for protection would warrant the fork from before inserted into my eye.

So long story, I'm an artist who has a small cult following on deviantART because I draw lots of boobs (and some Kingdom Hearts stuff before I started to get bored with the design aesthetic).

Since it's announcement, I've been very excited about the up and coming Kill La Kill anime, and been bouncing in my chair like a child doped up on sugar when I find the latest pieces of concept art pop up. But then I saw this...

Spoiler

And then I was all like... Fuck yeah. I really liked it and not in the 'in my pants' kind of way.

But then I did the usual rounds on tumblr and whatnot and the response to this has been disappointing to some. Most interpreted it as a sign that the shows going to be really dumb and stupid, not really remembering that it's being made by the guys behind Gurren Lagann (a parody of mecha genre). Which I assumed this show was in part a parody of the "Unnatural Highschool" genre (sorry I don't know the technical term).

So I felt sort of bad for liking this, especially hot off the heels of a lot of hot topic issues with female characters and their portrayal in nerd culture.

So am I disgusting manchild that needs to grow up, or as the little girl from the Taco ad says; why can't we have both? (ie. sexy if given context, Bayonetta, etc)

 

[Thaluikhain]

Sexy power armour like that is most likely going to be very juvenile, yes.

 

[Lieju]

It depends on the context.

Quite often skimpy armor looks kinda dull design-wise, and if all women wear stuff like that it doesn't make it stand out as much.
For example, I liked Ivy's outfit in Soul Calibur 2. I didn't find it hot, but I thought it fitted her dominatrixy theme and she looked and acted like someone who was confident enough in her sexuality to wear that. Plus you could always use the two more sensible costumes. And the game had female characters with different designs, so it didn't look dull and samey.

Also tone is important.
If the story is supposed to be serious and realistic, but the women wear really silly looking clothing while men are reasonably clothed, it just takes me out of it.

 

[DefunctTheory]

You like what your like. As long as your not hurting anyone, I don't think it's a problem.

Beside's, there's nothing wrong with juvenile stuff. As long as you don't ACT like a juvenile.

As for that... thing... I don't like it. Not very good looking, bland, a bit on the nose as far as 'sexuality' is concerned.

Also, I don't care what the Japanese says. That's not power armor. Maybe terrible armor made of unobtainium that doesn't cover enough, maybe a reactive suit that does 'stuff,' but its not power armor.

Here's power armor.

Spoiler: Deploy English Bias!

 

[BazaarFawkes]

Don't feel bad. You like something because you like it. And generally speaking, it's not that uncommon to find people acting all pessimistic about anything, especially anime.

The design is intriguing though. If the premise is anything to go by, I wonder if that suit of hers is alive in some way. It really looks like a creature with a large mouth.

My only worry at this point is that because the suit looks like that (and we don't know if other characters will have similarly designed suits) it'll focus a tad more on the fanservicy side of things. Kidda like Vividread Operation but this one has skirts instead of pants.

Oh well, can't judge them apples before seeing them. But yea, don't feel bad. Otherwise I might feel the same way too. xD

 

[IllumInaTIma]

It's your business whether you like it or not, no one is going to judge you. The problem I have with such designs is that I think that they are lazy and uncreative. They tell me nothing about the character! Compare it with designs in Tekken or Persona series. Most of the time you can tell at least something about the character just by the way they look or dressed.
<spoiler=Lili><img src=http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110521065861/tekken/en/images/b/b5/Tt2-lili_(1).jpg>
Beautiful, elegant dress, and yet she wears gloves and boots for fighting.

<spoiler=Chie><img src=http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120401023956/megamitensei/images/e/eb/Chie_Satonaka_render.png>
Very positive and upbeat design with bright green colors and little smiley-face pins. Sport jacket and haircut indicate more boyish nature.

 

[Smeatza]

To enjoy sexually explicit or suggestive things is the exact opposite of juvenile.
Children do not like sexy things, they are too scared of cooties.

I personally think the design looks dumb but (like you say) it's done by guys who are known for parody. So that might be the point.

 

[KOMega]

Am I looking at two different pieces of clothing? One has a back and the other doesn't :/

Either way I'm fine with it. It's alright.
Personally I like the one with the back because it has the sleeves (sleeves feel nice so I like them) and there are sketches of it emoting. It literally has personality XD.

To me it's a tiny bit juvenile, but not because of all the controversial reasons you would think of (so please don't feel bad >.<), but because I'm afraid they might spend too much screen time attempting fanservice rather than doing fighting/plot. Screen time is important. I don't know what type of show Kill La Kill is.

So don't feel too bad.
Anyways, I think I'd need more context in general, but for the most part I don't mind the outfit.
The taco bell girl definitely has wise words on this subject.
Not all of us always think with our pants in mind.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Am I looking at two different pieces of clothing? One has a back and the other doesn't :/

The top's 'mouth' collapses into her butt cheeks.

Take from that what you will.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

If stupid looking power armor was a sin to like, then I'd have quit liking Warhammer 40K long ago. Marines get brick shithouses, while Sisters of Battle get a space corset. Despite that, it still looks like armor. Must be the pauldrons. They make anything look like armor.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

You don't have to feel bad for the shows you like. Though I have an aversion to stupid costumes and armor that really looks like a baby doll. So there.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I actually kinda like it as I can see the Gurren Lagaan vibe to it. Beside I see far worse underbook design (Halibel from Bleach come to mind if you see the original managa clothing on her) or is people taking it the wrong way because you're pretty much seeing a skimpy armoured teen girl?

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

If I liked it I wouldn't give a shit what random internet folk think, I'll tell you that much. Why would you allow anyone to dictate adulthood to you?

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Doesn't armour have to...

You know. Armour a person, to be considered armour.

That isn't armour, it's a pandering sexual fantasy.

 

[Comocat]

Do you watch porn for the story? I have hard time taking mass effect seriously when a major alien species seemingly entire culture is based around being immortal space strippers. I'm playing final fantasy XIV right now, and one of the main npcs driving the story has the most outrageous camel toe I've ever seen. It's hard to take dialogue seriously when I'm not sure if I've stumbled into my adolescent sex dreams or listening to someone who apparently gets dressed in the dark.

Edit: To be clear I have no problem with sexy armor, I think it's great. But when the purpose of your character is to explain why beastmen are summoning a world destroying primal... maybe put on some damn pants?

 

[ItouKaiji]

At least her nipples are covered protecting her from the dreaded titty twister...

 

[Casual Shinji]

Well shit, and here I thought the complete non-pandering of Little Witch Academia would somehow bleed over into this new project.

Thanks for reasserting my low opinion of you, modern anime.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Honestly, tons of characters in anime have forms or upgrades that improve their ability and/or toughness without having clothing that looks any more resistant to damage than what they were wearing before, this one just has more fanservice to it. Basically, look at any magical girl anime and tell me if most of them have transformations that look like something you'd expect someone to fight in any more than this. If the middle were covered it actually wouldn't look any more out of place in a magical girl anime.

Please note that this is directed at the argument of it not being practical. Most stuff people wear in anime aren't practical.