 Artist rendition from DeviantArt.com, of Raiden as a female. |
Criticism: Raiden, despite his popularity, has received many criticisms. Most have criticized Raiden's femininity which is portrayed through the facial characteristics Raiden has, as well as some of the features on Raiden's suit, such as his high-heels. So why portray him this way? Raiden is simply portrayed as the traditional Japanese hero. In Japan, men who are desired can display strong emotions, as opposed to men in America who are criticized if they cry. In Japan, men who possess more feminine characteristics such as soft faces, are more favorable as well. Raiden was actually going to be a woman?! The creator of Raiden, Hideo Kojima originally intended to create Raiden as a female due to a fan mail he received from an anonymous female fan who complained about the lack of female characters in MGS. However, in a last minute decision, Kojima created Raiden as a male in order to insure MGS's success in the U.S. |
 Cosplay of Raiden at an Gaming Convention Photoshoot. |
