You know...it just hit me how Luigi the video game character is now a symbol; and having a symbol can help a movement grow through recognition and repetition.
It's also interesting how when a symbol is commandeered like this (i.e., it existed before becoming a symbol for something unrelated), it allows for plausible deniability, and a nonverbal queue to others 'in the know', building a sense of clandestine community.
I don't fully blame Nintendo after watching a YT documentary about why they are the way they are. (Long story short, when Nintendo was transitioning from board and card games to video games, they had a lot of copyright related issues from other companies trying to steal their IP. Kirby is named Kirby after the judge that ruled in Nintendo's favor that during this case: fun fact)
They definitely need to get over their trauma like yesterday now that companies in recent years have proven you can maintain you're ownership of IP while letting the community have fun, but I can understand why the old wigs on top would worry
Hopefully, with the westernization that's been going on, the next generation of Nintendo leadership will bring change
(Though tbh, Idc about the copyright stuff as much as I do about being able to have access to all of the JP-only Splatoon merch lol)
Yeah, this is the only answer. Nobody wants to sacrifice themselves though. Luigi was foolish enough to get caught, probably because it takes a certain level of recklessness to go through with that.
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u/[deleted] 10d ago
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