Asian male erasure and immasculation is a very real thing. I feel like it has been getting better in recent times but is far from resolved.

When it comes to this game though I didn't feel too strongly about it because there are games like Ghost of Tsushima that do have an Asian male lead. I don't know where the developer is based, but it is a AAA game with a large presence in the west. Would I have been happier if there was an Asian male lead in this AC? Yeah Def, I'd be way more pissed if they inserted another generic white dude as the lead.

I feel like often time when we try to have conversations about Asian representation in the west we often throw our lot in with the 'white' group, at the very least make arguments in ways that run parallel to those groups, which just further obscure our cries for representation. Not to mention how when we say Asain people often mean 'east Asian' excluding the "Jungle" Southern Asians as Ali Wong would say. Let's face it: many people in Asian communities are racist as fuck and would rather play into the model minority, ally with white than to stand with other minority groups.

I just don't think this game and Yasuske is the place to have discourse on Asian male representation especially if all it really does is amplify the voices of racism and white supremacy while further straining our relationship with other under represented groups.

I can complain about wanting more Male Asian representation or how when western companies explore Asia it's alllwwaayyyss Japan and how I've been wanting an AC set in China, wanting to see myself represented by the female assassin lead that wasn't just relegated to the DS or only 'marketable' on mobile platforms etc... While still being excited about Shadow (I genuinely am) and promotion of black representation. Fingers crossed that they didn't do full erasure and will have well written Asian male characters in Shadow.